Stock market - 4 April & forward

How far will the stock market rise?

Stic     3220
Klci.   1855
Hsi.     22565
N225  15071
S&P    1886
DJIA.   16552

Dow Jones & S&P 500 have gallop ahead despite pundits betting against them. There are two broad markets : the developed market & the emerging market within which you find blue chips & 2nd/3rd liners.

Looking at the crystal ball now, it seems that correction is imminent. The recent run-up, an overbought position, lack of new impetus coupled with April/quarterly low ring alarm of an impending correction albeit major.

What's holding up the market is a courageous contrarian plot; where everyone is expecting a drop, it is seldom delivered.

Drop, it will. The next two weeks can be telling!

Will the bear swing send the bull to the abattoir ? No.

Market psychology has swing from momentum trading (hot money) to contrarian trading (follow the money). The range & depth will be wider & deeper & the swings more volatile.

For the moment, catch (buy) the drop & sell in May & go away.

October will always be the most rewarding month. For those caught on the opposite fence, it's also most damaging.

This year rewards will go to contrarian players. Watch M&A.

Happy trading & trade with extreme care.

Staying Alive

I'm aging, aging fast
I'm stressed, stressed up by others' problems; a little here, a little there & I'm almost drowned
My attempts to overcome challenges by keeping fit is also draining me
I struggle to keep alive, sparkling bright, positive ...inching forward tirelessly

Some days the biorhythm is simply low
There's no perking up; it's like a liter of petrol left to cover the next 50 km
The body aches, the skeletons do not move in sync & the eyes could hardly open
The brain isn't working & the heart pumps weakly

I can't think straight & I rely on instincts to make decisions
Never have I been in this dilemma - guess, life's lessons are continued education
I go with the flow, with enforced & deliberate patience
I do not get agitated & avoid being drawn into any fray

My smiles never fade
My built, my physique & my thoughts are, but, bold representation
My Soul is flying below radar & above 'my need to stay alive' - surfing
Like Ultraman, I'm waiting to recharge when the sun rises

Is it difficult? No
Is it easy? Not really
There are times I'd like to cry loudly under the rushing tap or under a waterfall
Where every bad feelings & tough challenges are washed away; returning refreshed

Whatever, I'm like the lighthouse - brightly lit, come rain, sunshine or snow

The world is mine to conquer...but, in the meanwhile, I need to remain well & alive
To see the tides rise, to enjoy sunrise & to breathe
I must be ALIVE, well & kicking
Tomorrow is mine & the world is my playground

When My Plane Goes Missing

Sometimes, there are no answers to some questions...


When the plane goes missing, don't panic because at some point in time it will resurface
You can try finding & keep finding but if AlMighty wants to keep us longer as guests, you will have to wait
We may be guests at another dimension too

While you are anxious, we, upon disappearance, are held powerlessly
We can see you, hear you but we can't respond because we are invincible & bodiless
Our Souls are out of our bodies; broken, twisted, convoluted & some parts are smashed

The Angels are busy repairing & restoring some bodies & body parts
Some of us are not due to return while most have expired
There is also an interesting episode; the wrong passports holders were not suppose to return yet have done so
Returning them to Earth is not an issue but they beg to stay instead of going back to spend the rest of their lives in the dungeon; Heaven is Utopia

We came, we saw & we seen our past fleetingly replayed
Many did what they were supposed to do but some...are filled with regrets
Going back to be Earthlings will mean retribution


From this experience, it's clear humans are good at guessing....guess where we are, guess we are dead, uummm, maybe alive somewhere but don't know where
Because of being born, we need to die
Between life & death, you can do all you wanna want


Oops, with all the advance technology & sharmen
You can't & will not see us ...but soon, soon we will be back
A few will be alive to tell a tale or two but most would have expired

We are back with our Creator

And, with closure, we will be forgotten in due course


Live healthily, happily & enjoy every moments (of your life); it's a completely different world here

What Is Luck?

luck is random, at best...

How patient and tolerant can a person be and for how long can he ignore the environment bashing negatively against him? It's not measurable at all; most give up long before the tides change

Often many said you must be 'focus' but what's there to focus if you have been hitting the wall. Maybe, its about punching through the wall

The tough luck syndrome is more common than the lady luck; where one fights every inch to survive while the other lives on a silver bowl alternating with a midas touch

Many successful persons have facades; they amplify their strength and manage their weaknesses

The world loves a winner as lady luck only woos winner, i guess

The saint, the priest, the monk, the preacher and all holy man says don't worry, be happy, look on the bright side of life, count your blessings, God is with you...frankly, these are soothing phrases which if repeated long enough means nothing to a defeated person

If destiny is carved on stone, then why work? The rewards or non-rewards will be the ultimate prize

I am looking for the meaning of positive living as I have been living positively as always and yet I have the occasional down time where days are long and minutes stretched...

Whatever is luck is no more important to me. I just want to be a winner as the world loves a winner and lady luck crowds around a winner

The world is mine to conquer

How To Be, And Remain, HAPPY

life has many downswings and it can be quite a struggle ...


Defeats - I have some but sprinkled with sporadic victories and winnings
It is tough walking through the alleys of defeats but worse when its a near defeat
The dark alleys always seem long, winding and is definitely merciless

It takes steely nerves to waddle through the alley of uncertainty and near defeats
Rest if you must but never quit - I struggle to keep my smiles, workout to keep my fitness & sanity
Whatever you believe in, you become

Instead of wallowing in self pity and counting the damages, I count my blessings and leftovers - the little I have left physically, emotionally, financially and pennilessly
I plan before embarking again - this time I take a different route - the road less travelled
It is always easier to act alone when all the friends and lesser-friends had left

The lone wolf is more potent and lethal - unwanted is not useless
The world worship a winner
I am the winner - a winner-to-be at the moment & victory is my to conquer

I never share my worries nor problems as few, if any, will be interested
More importantly, like everything else, it passes
I do my best and leave the rest - What I can't do now, it will be attended someday, perhaps, not by me but by my Creator

To remain happy, you have to be healthy - the Mind is definitive

Whether you are sad or happy, meek or brave, weak or strong, you still need to around when the sun rises again and your life brightens - Never be a dead hero. 

The choice is obvious

Maid; Is It Just About Employment?

The stranger in the house, yet not exactly...

I have employed a maid for as long as I can remember; maybe 20 years.
They come and go when their contract is up; some for short while, some after several months with a few stretching over two to three 'seasons'.

What bugs me until today is not the costliness of employing a maid but that I have to pay levy - paying someone who does nothing but who awards me a 'right' to employ a maid. Alas, in my dark moments, I likened this to protection money.

Employment of maids is no more straight forward. The maid also chooses which households she prefers to work in; big house, small house, with or without children, elders, pets, etc...uummm, the off-days!

There seems to be a few primary players who dominates the recruitment and distribute his products, the maids-to-be; naturally, the pricing too. The maids are 'displayed' like wares in supermarket and, if you happen to go shopping for a maid, their biodata do not necessarily matched the (real) person. Well, you can try chatting with the maids-on-display but only if you can withstand the stares from the proprietors. Besides, they don't seem interested in placing out their maids. Guess, it's because the cost (licence, rental) is low or next to nothing to start a maid agency.

Whatever my contract says, I always pay for their airfares if they request to go home after they finished 12 months of work. I accept whatever reasons they give, like homesick, kids sick, parents need them & others. Why? I'd rather they return home and reunite with their family & live happily forever thereafter than to have a 'time-bomb' sitting inside my home.

I  treat my maid as a home-assistant and being a part of the family.

Employing a maid is unlike any supermarket purchase. It is bringing in a total stranger into the house, trusting that she is mentally sound, medically healthy and will be able to co-exist in harmony.

There must exist an absolute trust that the maid will behave, not be 'light finger' and keep confidence of all things within the home.

I fail to understand why some people can ill-treat their maids or even abuse them.

Treat them as you like to be treated. Sure, there is an employer/employee relationship but isn't respect - the more you give, the more you get? Given them some space...

Singapore: The Alternatives To Liven Up The Economy

Singapore can do more than depending on the external economy and bigger companies to expand and generate growth in our economy.

There is a constant push to grow our SMEs but, in the name of restructuring, many basic economics theories were overlooked.

While land is fairly constrained, labor, capital and entrepreneurship are expandable. Unfortunately, the substantial import, and input, of labor has caused diminishing marginal returns. Besides, there seems to be a mismatched of skills trained in our tertiary institutions to meet industry needs. Statistics have shown that there were more PMETs unemployment and it is also getting harder for fresh graduates to land a job of their choice than previously.

There are some jobs that there are not enough Singaporeans to fill or locals simply were not keen, especially lower skilled and blue collar jobs; by all means bring in the foreigners. The operations, administrative, banking, front line jobs must be the preserves for Singaporeans. If skill transfer is a definitive factor, then there must be a pre-determined time period for the foreigners to 'pass on' the skills. I am incline to disbelief that 'a whole department-full (in the bank) of foreigners' is good for Singapore and Singaporeans. Surely, we have enough qualified Singaporeans to fill the jobs. This mis-allocation is driven by the selfishness of foreigners-helmed HRs who prefer employing persons from their own homeland. There is a hidden 'costs benefits' to such practices like the payment of agents and referral fees. These monies do not return to circulation.

According to some sources, employers generally prefer to hire staffs with some working experiences or, if fresh graduates are considered, cheapness was a decisive factor. Taxes and levies are leakages and weakens the multiplier and one possible solution to alleviate graduate unemployment, especially fresh graduates, is to redeploy levies as compensation and remuneration or make-up pay to motivate employers to employ freshies, say for a three years period. This money are well spent. If workfare is good for the lower skilled and lower paid staffs so it is equally applicable to fresh graduates.

Outsourcing and contract work has distinct disadvantages. Jobs are outsourced because of savings; by extension, the contractors will pay lower remuneration in order to profit from their efforts. The workers end up worst in this arrangement. Why does the Government need to outsource? The Government can employ, and place out suitably trained 'freshies' over time with taxpayers money. It is not wasteful but another form of education and training and making our citizens relevant to meet industry manpower needs.

Although our system is fairly business friendly, perhaps there are too many layers and departments such that duplication can be reduced. A reduction of red tapes will increased productivity.

There is also the effects of cost-push inflation.

Increased in Government departments' and Stat Boards' charges further weakens the economy as this translate into higher costs. Coupled with higher COE prices, petrol, ERP charges, levies, Town Council charges and the likes, the multiplier is 'crippled'. I am not suggesting that Government machineries 'work for free' but they should temper their tendencies to raise charges directly or indirectly. Worse still, increases were almost simultaneous.

Surely, revenues can be raised through direct taxes but with GST already in placed, the more the people spend, the more taxes are received from consumption.

The recent policies to tame demand and financial gearing of big ticket items like cars and housing, while healthy, is an economic dampener. The car loans default rate is under 5% and is deemed fairly acceptable. While there are no mass default or non-performing loans in the property market, it is understandable that some form of control is reasonable as property prices are rising beyond the reach of the average Joes and Janes.

However, one of the underlying cause of rising prices is rising land prices. Why does the Land authority need to set a base (reserved) price for open tender of land? Shouldn't we allow a free play of market forces? Our economy contracts further when foreigners are discouraged from buying local properties. If protecting locals from runaway property prices is a concern, the rules can be tweaked to allow foreigners to buy local properties but all resales must be sold to locals only. Turning away good foreign money is not the best solution neither is additional taxes as the market is convoluted and shrinking transactions will soon hit everyone.

When property prices fall, the wealthy are least affected as 80% or more property owners own public housing.

Finally, however small the local economy is, it is extremely important to nurture and allow for it to flourish. The small time businessmen at 'pasar malam', the hawkers, the cottage industry, the neighbourhood grocers and the likes have geometric multiplied effects. The provision of basic needs and meeting of demand at mass level will keep the lower income groups well and alive and make living more affordable.

To conclude, we need to loosen up controls and tame the incessant price rises. When confidence is lost and the future looks bleak and unpromising, the dreaded deflationary monster will rear its head. By then, its harder to jump start the economy.

Truth Upon Oneself

When the avalanche falls, it's free falling ...


You can't catch a falling sword neither can you avoid the lightning
Standing still is the best in an unsettled moment but remains fluid
The winner may not always be the fittest, smartest nor greatest but he certainly is the coolest
Cowards may win but will never lasts
Everyone has a chance but few made it

Fortunes shine and dive
The young have time, the mid-life have experiences and the elderly may, or may not, have both or either
Live well & lead fully for tomorrow may never come
Whatever shall be, will be
Everyone needs a meal to survive; anything in excess is surplus

You can lie, you can make tons of excuses
All you need is 'the world refuses to listen to you' and it collapses on you
Empty promises, vague & blatant excuses, repeated lies will return to haunt you
You will loss all support, all votes and everything
You will need to crawl into your cave to hide when truths surface

There are no stupid people on earth; maybe, a few fools for you to swing along

When Karma strikes, make sure you are available to pay for it


The bigger curse is when punishments befalls your family and loved ones
Just saying 'I am wrong & I repent' is definitely not going to change the situation
Man proposes, GOD disposes
Be compassionate, care & share; we arrived naked & will return likewise

A rich man cannot live in a 'sea of poor'
Bless are those who are contented
Not having too much nor too little but having a blissful mind
Leave the worse behind, do your best and have a renewed life

Between The Best & Worst Is To Stay Alive

How many times was I lost & found again? It's not the rediscovery, it's the lost feeling that's .. 

Some days are simply void and directionless
Perhaps, dreadfully long too
The sun still shines as night still falls; the stars also glow in the dark sky, shinning bright
The breeze is awfully still and the seconds tick by slowly such that tortoises and snails seem galloping

It's not about feeling hopeless but simply 'No Hope'
An idle mind is a devil's workshop
A 'no hope' mind is more dangerous as any forthcoming adventures are worth a try
Nevermind the risks, outcome and threats

What holds one back is the believe in a superior being called 'GOD'
The temptation - when the mind at the sharpest, it is also the most dangerous when free with boredom
Don't give up but when the mind is void of ideas and filled with boredom, any action is detrimental
It's like a listless missile fired ...then, looking for target

Maybe I should, as always...walk the beach, workout the excess energy, draw down my might
A flat battery can't do anything neither can it self-destruct as it's impotently latent
Like games & gamers, there is down time, out of moves or 'ask for life'
Like a prey in the grasps of its predators; only the Creator can free you

I am an eagle caught in the an oil spill, wet with grease & flight is not my choice

I am best now as a grilled-bird at a dinner table
But, I shall fly high again and rule the sky

I have a dream ...

When The World Walks Out On You

Periodically, the world stops in our life...

Some days are simply dull, listless, uneventful and, at times, dreadful
You fear the knock, the phone rings, the sounds, the...anything
But, when all else happens, you found you have unfounded fears
The world continues and the clock is still ticking

There are exciting, fun-filled days
These are short and few and time flies
Living is filled with uncertainties; the only constant is change
Changes that keep us on our toes

It is most tiring trying to please everyone
It is worse trying to meet and live up to others expectation
The death nail is punched when whatever you do pleases nobody and nobody appreciates you
Why then live in others' shadows? You have a choice

Alone is not void nor lonely
It is moments like this that you discover yourself
On hindsight, those that left you shouldn't be there in the first place
What's left and fresh walk-ins is/are to be cherished

When the world stops on you, Don't Fret
You are actually on the wrong road; a road taken out of comfort & convenience
Many smart people makes the same mistake and fools repeat
Get out of the rut, get going and get well

Nobody is born to loss; fight hard and the trophy is yours

When the world walks out on you, it is so blessed; You can start afresh, minus the load

I am trying to start afresh, reboot and upgrade; if only I need not do this too many times

Stock Market 2014

Someone said that the 1986 calendar can be reused this year - 2014
I wonder if that also signify fairly similar events; collapsed (New World) hotel, recession, financial scandal...others
If that is a reflection, we will not enjoy the Capricon effect as then there was only a dead cat bounce

1st quarter 2014 will still enjoy a rebound
We will have a turbulent April & a challenging October
As most major markets should top up by first quarter
Cash is king

A strengthening US$ is detrimental to economic recovery
China will be too caught up with skirmishes from political & military gamesmanship nearby
EU will still be struggling; both to hold everyone together & to keep the Euro afloat
Mid-East will regain prosperity brought along by wars but with power struggle aplenty

Russia will be the decider & 'balancer' in geopolitical areas
Japan is rising but Russia will determine & limits her ambition
Surprisingly, China, N Korea, S Korea & Taiwan will be drawn closer together as history is revisited
The growth region is Asia & China will rise like the Phoenix

Opportunities abound as geopolitical re-balancing takes place

Everyone wants to make money but few do their homework
Bro prepared for the unexpected
Find the dark horse gem amongst the rot
Blue chips are no longer blue as they saddle under their own weight


Bless are those who are healthy
Happiness trolls health; been there, done that
The stock market can be rewarding if only you can buy, sell(short) & be patient
Market travels in cycle & the good shall return


Do well
See you when market rebounds