Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
back...
...but horribly snowed under an avalanche of emails and work...so it'll be a while before i update more on the trip to melbourne...not to mention sorting through 1143 photos...yeesh
Sunday, February 03, 2008
getting perhaps a tad bit stale-ish...
...for me, is the iconic collaborative duo of burton/depp...yes i have spoken what amounts to heresy but then again, it's just my opinion ya...it's getting a bit the boring lahhhhh!SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON-BARBER OF FLEET STREET (what a long name siah!) still gets a 7.5/10 in my book nevertheless...the adaptation of the sondheim musical into a tightly-focussed screenplay results in the cutting down of close to 1 hour off the musical itself but hums along on an electric current of gore and musical genius as the demon barber grind inevitably to its tragic end...
love the songs and lyrics...i really bow to the genius of sondheim...
johnny depp, i think, could have played this character in his sleep...it's quite one-dimensions as todd just becomes more and more focussed and gripped by thoughts of revenge on those who have wronged him...i'll say this though, the fella can sing...his light baritone voice has distinct timbre, clarity and emotive power...who would have thought it!
helen bonham carter is her usual quirky self...actually kinda pitiful as the barber-adoring bake shop owner who in turn tempers his rage and goads him on in his quest for revenge...
go see it...definitely worth the money...if not just for the music but also the fantastically-judged atmospherics of the set...
gawwwwd, not another one of those...
...senseless incidents again
why is there still nothing being done about stricter gun-control laws in america? must more incidents happen and more people die before something is put into place to safeguard the wellbeing of innocent lives?
Five women have been shot dead at a shopping centre in the US city of Chicago, local police have said. The incident happened at the Brookside Marketplace in the suburb of Tinley Park. Officers found the victims inside a Lane Bryant clothing store shortly after receiving an emergency call at 1045 (1645 GMT). A suspect in the shooting is reported to have fled the scene. Police have yet to establish a motive for the attack.
report here
why is there still nothing being done about stricter gun-control laws in america? must more incidents happen and more people die before something is put into place to safeguard the wellbeing of innocent lives?
Five women have been shot dead at a shopping centre in the US city of Chicago, local police have said. The incident happened at the Brookside Marketplace in the suburb of Tinley Park. Officers found the victims inside a Lane Bryant clothing store shortly after receiving an emergency call at 1045 (1645 GMT). A suspect in the shooting is reported to have fled the scene. Police have yet to establish a motive for the attack.report here
Saturday, February 02, 2008
yes it's done!
after struggling with it for most of yesterday, i finally have managed to clear a pile of avalanche debris at work...and whatever i could not get cleared in time, i have handed over nicely to colleagues to take care of when i'm not around...so it's a huge load off my shoulders..
can now breathe and relax a little bit for the next 32 hours or so before heading off to the airport to fly off to melbourne...hurray!
can now breathe and relax a little bit for the next 32 hours or so before heading off to the airport to fly off to melbourne...hurray!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
one of the best by far...
iconic irish rockers U2 have come up with many awesome songs during the course of their musical career but one of those that resonates most deeply personally is LOVE RESCUE ME, a duet of sorts with bob dylan off their seminal RATTLE AND HUM album...it's quite gospel-ly in nature but the lyrics and music totally blow me away...it showcases bono at his bluesy best with a fantastic orchestral arrangement that never fails to get me each time i listen to it...
had the chance to revisit some of U2's music whilst browsing thru my iPod and after hearing this, it's been running around in my head endlessly for the past 2 days and i just had to share it with you guys...
wasn't released as a single but evidently there are people out there who appreciate this song as much as i do and one even put up a home-made vid for the song on youtube (see below)...
do have a listen if you don't know the song...you won't regret it...
Love Rescue Me Lyrics
soon...soon...
am counting down patiently to the weekend whilst desperately trying to clear my "plate" at work of all outstanding work...like it's gonna happen anytime soon
well at least i've gotta get done whatever i can and do all the groundwork for the rest that i have to pass on to colleagues when i am away...i have this sickening feeling that the mobile is gonna be ringing off the hook in melbourne...
hope it doesn't impinge on my enjoyment over there...or rather down (under) there
quick quick...2 more working days (today inclusive of course)!!!!!
well at least i've gotta get done whatever i can and do all the groundwork for the rest that i have to pass on to colleagues when i am away...i have this sickening feeling that the mobile is gonna be ringing off the hook in melbourne...
hope it doesn't impinge on my enjoyment over there...or rather down (under) there
quick quick...2 more working days (today inclusive of course)!!!!!
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
melbourne here i come...well, soon anyway...
...am off on a family holiday to melbourne on sunday night...yes, with my whole immediate family, good god!!! it's been a very long time since we've all gone together, so with the folks getting on in age, might be one of the very last times that we get to do so...so i wasn't exactly very opposed to it...will be away upto and including 10th feb itself...so will most probably not be blogging much, if any at all...
melbourne...state capital of victoria, australia...a well-loved cosmopolitan city...probably one of the most if not THE MOST liveable city in australia...distinct laid-back and more than slightly euro-centric...boasting one of the best climates (in my book anyway) to live in...footy- and food-mad...what more could one want as a holiday destination? in case you haven't realised by now, i love this city...this is the fourth or fifth time i will be there and i will be back over and over again in the future...
just a couple of the sights that i will be taking in shown below...hope my photos turn out as good ya...
..
melbourne...state capital of victoria, australia...a well-loved cosmopolitan city...probably one of the most if not THE MOST liveable city in australia...distinct laid-back and more than slightly euro-centric...boasting one of the best climates (in my book anyway) to live in...footy- and food-mad...what more could one want as a holiday destination? in case you haven't realised by now, i love this city...this is the fourth or fifth time i will be there and i will be back over and over again in the future...
just a couple of the sights that i will be taking in shown below...hope my photos turn out as good ya...
..
what a fantastic way to spend money!
studying cow burps?????? WTF!!!
University gets $590k to study belching cows?
A Swedish university has received $590,000 in research funds to measure the greenhouse gases released when cows belch.
About 20 cows will participate in the project run by the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences.
Cattle release methane, a greenhouse gas believed to contribute to global warming, when they digest their food. Researchers believe the level of methane released depends on the type of food the eat.
article HERE
University gets $590k to study belching cows?
A Swedish university has received $590,000 in research funds to measure the greenhouse gases released when cows belch.
About 20 cows will participate in the project run by the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences.
Cattle release methane, a greenhouse gas believed to contribute to global warming, when they digest their food. Researchers believe the level of methane released depends on the type of food the eat.
article HERE
the iceman cometh!
goodness me! doesn't the bugger get frostbite on his pecker?A man who calls himself a tantric master broke his own world record by standing engulfed in ice for 72 minutes. Wim Hof, 48, stood on a Manhattan street in a clear container filled with ice for an hour and 12 minutes.
Hof said he survives by controlling his body temperature through tantric meditation. Tantra is an Eastern tradition of ritual and meditation said to bring followers closer to their chosen deities.
Hof set the world record for full body ice contact endurance in 2004, when he immersed himself in ice for an hour and eight minutes.
article HERE
Monday, January 28, 2008
he bet france's budget deficit!
getting back to the soc-gen mess first mentioned HERE.
turns out that dear ole mr kerviel bet the equivalent of france's annual budget deficit...about 50 BILLION euros...holy sheeet! where's the blardy controls??? something must be seriously wrong with soc-gen's internal systems that he could get away with it for more than 2 weeks, racking up a futures tab the size of godzilla!
ooooh heads will roll for this, big time...
French trader 'staked 50bn euros'
The French trader at the centre of a massive fraud case had gambled around 50bn euros ($73bn; £37bn) before being uncovered, his employer has said.
Bank Societe Generale said Jerome Kerviel, 31, appeared to have been operating alone. When the bank reversed all the deals he allegedly made, it was hit with a loss of 4.9bn euros.
Lawyers for Mr Kerviel, who is being questioned by police, said their client had "committed no dishonest act". "He did not siphon off a single cent, and did not profit in any way" from the bank's assets, the lawyers told AFP.
Mr Kerviel handed himself in on Saturday, two days after the scandal was revealed publicly. No charges have yet been brought against him. By early afternoon on Monday police must either free him or present him to a judge for the opening of a full judicial investigation into charges of fraud.
Societe Generale on Sunday accused its trader of using "fraudulent methods", and concocting "fictitious operations" to prevent detection. It said his background in trader oversight enabled him to fool those supposed to monitor traders' activities.
He had committed some 50bn euros to purchases of "futures" portfolios - effectively betting on the future direction of the stock market - the bank said. That was more than the bank's own worth - about 35bn euros - and about the size of France's entire annual budget deficit.
Traders are supposed to balance each purchase with a sale, but Mr Kerviel allegedly made up fictitious sales, leaving the bank massively overcommitted.
Analysts have suggested that Societe Generale's massive sell-off may have played a part in sparking the huge losses suffered by world stock markets early last week.
more on this story HERE
turns out that dear ole mr kerviel bet the equivalent of france's annual budget deficit...about 50 BILLION euros...holy sheeet! where's the blardy controls??? something must be seriously wrong with soc-gen's internal systems that he could get away with it for more than 2 weeks, racking up a futures tab the size of godzilla!
ooooh heads will roll for this, big time...
French trader 'staked 50bn euros'The French trader at the centre of a massive fraud case had gambled around 50bn euros ($73bn; £37bn) before being uncovered, his employer has said.
Bank Societe Generale said Jerome Kerviel, 31, appeared to have been operating alone. When the bank reversed all the deals he allegedly made, it was hit with a loss of 4.9bn euros.
Lawyers for Mr Kerviel, who is being questioned by police, said their client had "committed no dishonest act". "He did not siphon off a single cent, and did not profit in any way" from the bank's assets, the lawyers told AFP.
Mr Kerviel handed himself in on Saturday, two days after the scandal was revealed publicly. No charges have yet been brought against him. By early afternoon on Monday police must either free him or present him to a judge for the opening of a full judicial investigation into charges of fraud.
Societe Generale on Sunday accused its trader of using "fraudulent methods", and concocting "fictitious operations" to prevent detection. It said his background in trader oversight enabled him to fool those supposed to monitor traders' activities.
He had committed some 50bn euros to purchases of "futures" portfolios - effectively betting on the future direction of the stock market - the bank said. That was more than the bank's own worth - about 35bn euros - and about the size of France's entire annual budget deficit.
Traders are supposed to balance each purchase with a sale, but Mr Kerviel allegedly made up fictitious sales, leaving the bank massively overcommitted.
Analysts have suggested that Societe Generale's massive sell-off may have played a part in sparking the huge losses suffered by world stock markets early last week.
more on this story HERE
Friday, January 25, 2008
the ladies vieing for...
...the women's singles title at the Australian Open 2008 are just about my 2 favourite gals currently in tennis...
the absolutely delicious screaming banshee Maria Sharapova
and the sweet girly Ana Ivanovic...
dammit, i dunno who to support...
i'd like to support THEM with my hands though
the absolutely delicious screaming banshee Maria Sharapova
and the sweet girly Ana Ivanovic...
dammit, i dunno who to support...
i'd like to support THEM with my hands though
bugger must be a nick leeson groupie...
what with the financial markets already in a state of turmoil over the US sub-prime meltdown, and major US banks having to take massive hits in writedowns as a result, the last thing the market needs is a rogue trader...goodness, haven't the banks learnt from the mistakes of BARINGS when nick leeson ran amok and brought the venerable british bank to its knees???
now it's the turn of Soc-Gen
Rogue trader to cost SocGen $7bn
French bank Societe Generale says it has uncovered "massive" fraud by a Paris-based trader which resulted in a loss of 4.9bn euros ($7.1bn; £3.7bn).
The bank said the fraud was based on simple transactions, but concealed by "sophisticated and varied techniques".
While Societe Generale has yet to name the trader, media reports say he is 31-year-old Frenchman Jerome Kerviel.
The losses are four times greater than those made by Nick Leeson, the rogue trader who brought down Barings Bank. Leeson was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in jail.
Speaking to the BBC, Leeson said he was not shocked that the latest fraud had taken place - only its scale.
"Rogue trading is probably a daily occurrence within the financial markets," he said. "What shocked me was the size. I never for one moment believed it would get to this degree of magnitude, this degree of loss."
Societe Generale's shares, which were suspended in the morning, ended the day down 4.1%. According to reports, Mr Kerviel worked at the bank's Delta One products team in Paris.
Although Societe Generale has yet to confirm his name, it did say that the trader was a Frenchman in his 30s who joined the bank in 2000 and earned a salary and bonus of less than 100,000 euros. He was responsible for betting on the markets' future performance, bank executives said. Societe Generale said the trader had taken what it called "massive fraudulent directional positions in 2007 and 2008 beyond his limited authority".
The fraud is an extraordinary echo of the rogue trader, Nick Leeson, who caused the collapse of Barings Bank in 1995, says BBC business correspondent Nils Blythe. But the losses uncovered by Barings bosses totalled just £860m - about a quarter of the amount lost by Societe Generale.
The bank, one of France's largest, will need to seek 5.5bn euros in new capital to offset the losses. But it said it would still make a profit of 600m to 800m euros for 2007, despite the blow to its balance sheet. The bank's losses have seriously dented its profits for 2007. The company will announce its full year results on February 21, and it said that it expects its 2007 net income to be in the range of 600m-800m euros. Shares in Societe Generale have fallen by nearly 50% in the past six months.
Societe Generale is also going to raise 5.5bn euros through a capital increase "to strengthen its capital base".
article HERE
now it's the turn of Soc-Gen
Rogue trader to cost SocGen $7bnFrench bank Societe Generale says it has uncovered "massive" fraud by a Paris-based trader which resulted in a loss of 4.9bn euros ($7.1bn; £3.7bn).
The bank said the fraud was based on simple transactions, but concealed by "sophisticated and varied techniques".
While Societe Generale has yet to name the trader, media reports say he is 31-year-old Frenchman Jerome Kerviel.
The losses are four times greater than those made by Nick Leeson, the rogue trader who brought down Barings Bank. Leeson was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in jail.
Speaking to the BBC, Leeson said he was not shocked that the latest fraud had taken place - only its scale.
"Rogue trading is probably a daily occurrence within the financial markets," he said. "What shocked me was the size. I never for one moment believed it would get to this degree of magnitude, this degree of loss."
Societe Generale's shares, which were suspended in the morning, ended the day down 4.1%. According to reports, Mr Kerviel worked at the bank's Delta One products team in Paris.
Although Societe Generale has yet to confirm his name, it did say that the trader was a Frenchman in his 30s who joined the bank in 2000 and earned a salary and bonus of less than 100,000 euros. He was responsible for betting on the markets' future performance, bank executives said. Societe Generale said the trader had taken what it called "massive fraudulent directional positions in 2007 and 2008 beyond his limited authority".
The fraud is an extraordinary echo of the rogue trader, Nick Leeson, who caused the collapse of Barings Bank in 1995, says BBC business correspondent Nils Blythe. But the losses uncovered by Barings bosses totalled just £860m - about a quarter of the amount lost by Societe Generale.
The bank, one of France's largest, will need to seek 5.5bn euros in new capital to offset the losses. But it said it would still make a profit of 600m to 800m euros for 2007, despite the blow to its balance sheet. The bank's losses have seriously dented its profits for 2007. The company will announce its full year results on February 21, and it said that it expects its 2007 net income to be in the range of 600m-800m euros. Shares in Societe Generale have fallen by nearly 50% in the past six months.
Societe Generale is also going to raise 5.5bn euros through a capital increase "to strengthen its capital base".
article HERE
Thursday, January 24, 2008
another one bites the dust...
...the entertainment world mourns the passing of another young talent, the oscar-nominated australian heath ledger
the 28 year-old was found dead in his new york apartment about 30 some hours ago. it was speculated by some parties that drugs were involved (as there were 6 different types of prescription drugs found in the apartment), but so far, the preliminary tests have been inconclusive...so it is still too early to say that he died of a drug overdose...
RIP
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