Friday, September 30, 2011


“天 上没打雷”“地上没地雷”“上海地铁居然追尾”- 
我们广东人果真烨 !!!!



今日广东《新快报》头版大幅揶揄 
“天 上没打雷”“地上没地雷”“上海地铁居然追尾”
出故障的信号系统还用 于广州六号线。





Contrary To What The "Experts" Have Been Telling You - Gold Is Horrible In A Market Crisis

For awhile it looked like the performance of gold might make for one major difference between 2011 and 2008.

In 2008, gold got destroyed as the market tumbled.

Gold, meanwhile, was at 1900/oz. just a few days ago.

Now gold is getting put through the meat grinder with everything else. Pretty much only US Treasuries, the dollar, and the yen are doing well.

What's the problem with gold? Quite simply, nobody has debts or bills to pay in gold.

Think of a financial crisis as basically a period in which everyone is scrambling to raise money to pay their debts. Mostly people have debt in dollars. A lot of people in Europe have debt in euros. There's a ton of yen-denominated debt out there. There's basically no gold-denominated debt (as far we know). Thus gold is a really great thing to sell (to raise cash). Very few people have an acute need to own more of it.

When growth is bad, and interest rates are ultra-low, there's a case for holding gold. When things are getting really ugly though, cash re-becomes king.

 


Thursday, September 29, 2011

又一个噴糞小丑左派偷偷舔 美國屁股  央視主持芮成鋼恨不成钢 但能體風靡網路


網曝央視主持芮成鋼早 在06年已獲得美國綠卡


 

央視主持芮 成鋼乾脆 單刀直入,在達沃斯論壇上提問駱大使:「聽說您是坐經濟艙來的, 這是 否在提醒大家,美國欠中國的錢?」如此噴糞, 形同小丑, 一副暴發土財主的家奴嘴臉。


駱家輝卻侃侃而答:「作為政府官員,不管是我們領事館官員還是大使館的,也包括總統的內閣成員,一般的規則就 是坐經濟艙。」

 央視名主持芮成鋼已經獲得美國綠卡,目前尚不知真假。該消息稱,芮是中共黨員,根據美國早期的移民法規定,凡是隸屬於共產 黨及其所屬組織者,均不得移民美國。在入境之後,如果被發現隸屬共產黨,將被遞解出境。

還有消息指稱,這兩天「很火」的芮成鋼經查美國大使館官方證實,
芮原來 早在2006年就己經獲得美國綠卡。



文章取自世界各大新聞媒體和網站論壇 !

一夜暴紅 央視主持芮成鋼pm笑痛肚皮

日前,在2011年世界經濟論壇新領軍者年會上,
央視主持人芮成鋼向美駐華大使駱家輝就坐經濟艙問題發難說:「大使先生,聽說您是坐經濟艙來的, 這是否在提醒大家,美國欠中國錢?」而遭到網路炮轟和嘲笑。


你從美國自帶老婆來北京是不是在美國都不知道中國的領導都有包二奶的風俗?

●你們領導不包二奶是否因為身體素質太差?

●你們不吃地溝油是不是造不出來?

●你們存款不是負利率,是不是老百姓賠不起?

●你們貪官太少是不是因為太窮沒有什麼可貪?

●你們領導不喝茅台是不是因為酒量不行?

●你們領導一點官架子都沒有是不是因為你們領導沒有群眾威信?

●你們的領導那麼瘦我們的僕人那麼胖是不是說明你們窮?

●你們副總統副州長副校長那麼好,是不是沒錢給他們配專車?

●你們紐約的市長坐地鐵是不是因為你們連公車也買不起?

●你們美國官不坐專列,是不是你們的美國製作不出這么奢華的火車?

你們美國官不PS領導照片是不是提醒中國你們美國的PS技術太差

你們美國發生重大災難卻沒有發生奇跡是不是提醒中國你們美國人信上帝是錯的?

●你們美國沒有芮大嘴這樣的二B記者,是不是沒有看CCAV這樣的電視台?

●你們貓王當不了將軍是不是因為群眾不擁護?

●你們不收過路、過橋費是不是人手不夠?

●你們的收費公路少是不是因為沒有錢修?

●你們油價太低是不是因為稅率不高?

●你們國民可以持槍,是不是法律不健全?

●你們GDP增長慢,是不是房價太低?

●你們慈善基金不養情人,是不是美國人不願意捐錢?

●你們國會老吵架,是不是因為沒有河蟹意識?

●你們四年選一次總統,是不是閑得蛋疼?

●你們不會唱紅歌是不是因為不懂音樂?

●美國不唱紅歌,是不是沒有音樂家?

●你們校車那麼多是不是因為學生家長窮?買不起私家車!

●你們沒有自己刺十一刀自殺的,是不是你們美國人都怕死

●你們沒有強拆是不是你們城管硬功不高?

●你們不隨便冤枉人是不是因為你們美國沒有李剛?

●你們證監會老是打擊內幕交易和操縱股價去保護百姓的利益,是不是缺少遠大的眼光,不會下盤很大的棋?

●你們不造高鐵是不是美國老百姓膽子太小,覺悟不高,不敢死?

●你們存款不是負利率,是不是老百姓賠不起?

●你長得沒我傻是不是因為美國不許你喝三鹿?

●你們不吃地溝油是不是造不出來?
 
 

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

谁去救救杭州名妓若小安 ?




杭州“最有文化妓女”被捕 芳名册泄高官恩客名单

因文采优美而走红、被中国网友誉为“最有文化的妓女”的杭州性工作者若小安,惊传日前遭警方带走。

网上流传她7年间接客多达3000人次,警方还于其手机查获逾千名熟客电话号码,当中不乏政府官员、大学教授等当地名人,但消息未获当局证 实。

有网民周日凌晨贴文称,若小安因于微博发表“接客日记”,被当局认为过于高调,上周将其带走。而根据若小安的微博显示,其最后一条微博写于本 月16日,已超过10日没有更新消息。

1989年出生的若小安今年22岁,以“失足妇女(即性工作者)” 为昵称,爱读书写作,希望做一位有思想、有文化的妓女

她在微博上与网友分享生活及情感,粉丝人数已突破17万人。曾描述第一个客人喜欢“车震”,而最特殊的客人是一位女人,还有喜欢看书的教授 等。

其被扣查消息传出后,瞬即引起网民广泛关注,甚至有粉丝为她发出求救呼吁“谁去救救杭州 名妓若小安!”



當局遭諷「防嫖客名單官員教授曝 光」

被中國網友譽為「最有文化的妓女」的杭州性工作者若小安,昨驚傳上周已遭警方帶走。爆料網友表示,若小安頻頻上 網抒發賣淫心情後,引起網 路警察關注。網友還說,7年來與若小安發生關係的恩客超過3000人,其中不乏政府 官員與大學教授。


接客3千文采吸睛

年僅22歲的若小安今年8月起在微博上暴紅。她坦承自 己是「失足婦女」(性工作者),但喜歡讀書寫作,希望成為有思想、有文化的妓女。她在微博上寫道:「當他們罵我婊子蹂躪我身 體的時候,我也很快樂,我也很敬業地配合,但沒有人嫖過我的內心,它們在厚厚的胸部 背後,沒有男人能看透。」
若小安還說:「不管多少人路過我的身體,我的內心依然鏡子一樣明淨,像今天的陽光。」正因為她的文字不時展現其涵養與文采,因此深受網友喜 愛。昨傳出若小安被帶走後,網友紛紛表示,「誰去救救杭州名妓若小安」、「杭州一代名妓請不要就此消失」。
有網友指稱,若小安的恩客逾3000人,而光是在她手機中的熟客名單就超過千人,不乏官員、教授。若小安閱人無數的說法非空穴來風,因為她喜 歡在微博上自爆,例如她曾說她的第一個客人喜歡車震,及曾遇過女嫖客。


「警方先下手為強」

網友對於若小安被捕議論紛紛,有人認為警方想藉著她手 中的嫖客名單來掃黃。但也有網友認為,若小安手中的嫖客名單涉及官員,一旦外流恐不堪設想,因此乾脆先下手為強。至昨天為止,若小安的微博粉 絲已超過17萬3000人,她的最後一次留言停留在本月16日晚上。


若小安小檔 案

年齡:22歲(1989年生)
居住地:浙江杭州
學歷:初中畢業
職業:性工作者,7年與逾3000名客人發生過性關係
走紅過程:今年8月在微博走紅,粉絲逾17萬人


「首長隨行」




近日內地甚為火爆的一條微博─「在北京官場,老婆孩子全在中國的,可能 只有駱家輝一個。」這個冷笑話道出了中國之「裸官現象」。

別的不論,單說下屆「雙核心」
習近平和李克強兩家的千金都在美國讀書。胡 錦濤、溫家寶的兒女,江澤民、朱鎔基的兒子均在美國留學,誠然除了溫的女兒仍在美國生活,這些金枝玉葉都 「海歸」了,不過中國護照和他國居留證件,哪一本才是他們的「暫住證」?誰也說不清。

九十年代時美國洛杉磯有個出名的「二奶村」,大陸權貴的二奶在豪華住宅區聚族而居,她們閒得無聊,富得也無聊,除了交房地產稅和購買奢侈品的 消費稅,二奶一族對美國無甚貢獻;對於中國,那就不是有無貢獻的問題,她們絕對是吸中國人民的血而滋養出來的寄生階層。

而今二奶村已過氣,把二奶放到大洋彼岸,權貴得以享用的次數畢竟稀少,這倒不算甚麼,二奶不在就包小三小四,房中採補絕不會荒疏。但權貴把大 宗財產轉移國外,讓二奶全盤看管打理,卻要慎之又慎。如此大事還是結髮夫妻讓人放心,所以當下溫哥華又冒出個「大婆村」。別看大婆人老珠黃, 但糟糠之妻有生養,憑兒女維繫的感情紐帶,夫妻關係遠比二奶或小三牢固。何況錢財物業終究要嫡親後代繼承,理所當然要由孩子生母打理,這便是 「大婆村」的由來。

既有裸體做官,必有裸體陪官。開封市委組織部長李森林「收集陰毛」的故事,舊小說《官場現形記》根本無法與之相比,須知被「收集」的三百多女 性都屬「裸陪」,而非被脅迫,因為李森林這項罪名是接受「性賄賂」,即有意賄賂組織部長以謀晉升,她們本身如非公務員便是公務員之妻女。

論官場之齷齪,「陰毛傳奇」並非孤本,貴州三穗縣副縣長楊昌明被「雙規」,竟被驗出有愛滋病,於是該縣有三十名女性到醫院緊急驗血,她們多係 女幹部和女教師。

裸體陪官最新版來自網絡曝光的一張新聞圖片,某正式會議場合,有位 艷光照人的妙齡女子在貴賓席就座,桌上名牌赫然書寫「首長隨行」。真虧得擦鞋奴才的曲意逢迎,否則眾人均不知她是何方仙姝。其 實奴才們本意是惟恐怠慢,不管甚麼來頭,寫上「首長隨行」總無大錯。結果惹來網民熱議,何謂「首長隨行」?有網友妙解:「就是首長隨便怎麼樣 都行!」
怯懦中國儒家文化



「九一一」十年,重溫了許多奮勇捐軀的美國人事蹟,包括撞世貿的其中一架飛機,機上一位華裔空姐及時警報地勤, 對話曝光。

英國觀察家周刊前主編陳思萊( A. Chancellor)說美國人的性格:「美國人視怯懦為原罪中最卑劣者」( Americans regard cowardice as the most despicable of sins.)

不但美國人,英語世界都視「怯懦」( Cowardice)為最下賤的罪惡。香港有錢人把小孩送英美貴族名校,校園裏有欖球,冰上曲棍球,有登山攀石露營之類的風險戶外活動,校舍裏還有一點點 高年級學生的欺凌,校長和教師故意不管。這邊的家長很擔心,投訴不得要領,因為他們不明白,英美貴族學校的教育,除了考試和書本知識,令小孩 克服懦弱,是很重要的主題。

「九一一」有那麼多壯烈的故事。美國人並無特別要當烈士的意識,飛機快要撞到國防部了,機上有 人大喊: Let's roll,就領幾個人與恐怖份子拚命,這是平時鄙視怯懦的教育影響,把怯懦視為原罪中最下等,所以 每有恐怖襲擊,首相和美國總統聲明譴責,都會說這是「懦夫行為」( Cowardly)。

以 Coward責人,在英語的意識裏,用字份量極重,香港男人想溝鬼妹,注意了:一旦鬼妹說你是 Coward。那麼這段關係就完了,全無挽回的餘地。文化的差異。許多非英語的人不完全聽懂這個字的極度羞辱: You coward,比罵你祖宗十八代王八蛋更為蔑視。

因為中國儒家文化雖也講捨生取義的大勇,書本上講,「民間智慧」卻相反:「螻蟻尚且偷生」、 「好死不如歹活」、「留得青山在,不怕沒柴燒」,中國文化對於俠勇之道,有許多言談,對於怯懦,多般藉口維護, 反有更深刻的現實哲學。

C for Cowrad。對於中國民間,尤其「香港仔」,無所謂懦夫,只有識走位的精仔,這是所謂「中美兩國人民」絕不可能真正「文化交流」、「相互了解」的一大盲 點, 
 
中國人看美國人笨,但不了解為什麼美國人這樣笨,他建立的國家,九一一之後「衰落」 十年,還有那麼多自以為精伶的人想混一張綠卡
 
 

Jazz Club – Jazz Loves Marvin Gaye



Jazzclub (Germany), 1970s

Jazz loves Marvin Gaye – and we do too! Guess that makes us the perfect folks to rave about how wonderful this set is – a killer collection of 70s jazz funk numbers that pays homage to the great one – offering up instrumental versions of grooves originally recorded by Marvin for Motown – taking the tunes way past their original renderings with loads of sweet instrumental touches! There's still plenty of soul in the mix – given that most numbers here are done in an electrified fusion mode – and a few even feature some slight chorus vocals, too. Titles include "You Sure Love To Ball" by The JBs, "What's Going On" by Quincy Jones, "I Want You" by Gato Barbieri, "Distant Lover" by David Newman, "Don't Mess With Mr T" by Regina Carter, "When Did You Stop Loving Me" by Mongo Santamaria, "Inner City Blues" by Phil Upchurch, and "Trouble Man" by Grover Washington Jr.
 
 
CD available at  http://www.dustygroove.com/
 
 
                                               
                      


Funk legend Sly Stone homeless and living in a van in LA




In his heyday, he lived at 783 Bel Air Road, a four-bedroom, 5,432-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion that once belonged to John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas.
The Tudor-style house was tricked out in his signature funky black, white and red color scheme. Shag carpet. Tiffany lamps in every room. A round water bed in the master bedroom. There were parties where Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Miles Davis would drop by, where Etta James would break into “At Last” by the bar.
Just four years ago, he resided in a Napa Valley house so large it could only be described as a “compound,” with a vineyard out back and multiple cars in the driveway.
 
But those days are gone.
Today, Sly Stone -- one of the greatest figures in soul-music history -- is homeless, his fortune stolen by a lethal combination of excess, substance abuse and financial mismanagement. He lays his head inside a white camper van ironically stamped with the words “Pleasure Way” on the side. The van is parked on a residential street in Crenshaw, the rough Los Angeles neighborhood where “Boyz n the Hood” was set. A retired couple makes sure he eats once a day, and Stone showers at their house. The couple’s son serves as his assistant and driver.
Inside the van, the former mastermind of Sly & the Family Stone, now 68, continues to record music with the help of a laptop computer.
“I like my small camper,” he says, his voice raspy with age and years of hard living. “I just do not want to return to a fixed home. I cannot stand being in one place. I must keep moving.”
Stone has been difficult to pin down for years. In the last two decades, he’s become one of music’s most enigmatic figures, bordering on reclusive. You’d be forgiven for assuming he’s dead. He rarely appears in public, and just getting him in a room requires hours or years of detective work, middlemen and, of course, making peace with the likelihood that he just won’t show up.
There was a time when Sly was difficult to escape. Stone, whose real name is Sylvester Stewart, was one of the most visible, flamboyant figures of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
The multiracial, multi-gender band that Stone assembled fused funk, soul and psychedelic rock and became one of the most influential acts ever. The San Fran-based group released a string of hits beginning with the 1968 album “Dance to the Music,” followed by “Everyday People,” “Family Affair,” “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” and “Stand!”
The group’s costumes and showmanship were just as memorable. The members favored giant afros, flashy capes, Beatle boots, neon vests and leopard-print jumpsuits.
Stone learned to sing in church as a child. He grew up in a middle-class, Christian household in Vallejo, Calif., and he and three of his siblings sang in a gospel group. As a young man, he studied music at a local junior college and worked as a soul disc jockey at a local radio station. He played in several bands with his brother, Fred, a guitarist.
The lineup of Sly & the Family Stone, which included Fred and sister Vet, solidified in 1966. The band’s energetic live shows, positive lyrics and diverse membership earned it buzz in the Bay Area, and the Family was signed by CBS Records.
Appearances on shows like “Music Scene” and “The Ed Sullivan Show” soon followed, and in the summer of ’69, at the peak of their power, they managed to turn what should have been a snoozy middle-of-the-night slot at Woodstock into one of the highlights of the festival. As the band began to play, tens of thousands of people creeped out of their sleeping bags to watch. They left the stage with the audience still roaring, “Higher!”
And then the inevitable cracks began to appear. Sly moved to Los Angeles while the rest of the band remained in the Bay Area. He started hanging around with unsavory characters. There were whispers of cocaine and PCP abuse, Mafia connections and guns being pulled on people.
Things got dark. Stone started missing rehearsals and even performances. In 1970, he failed to show up at 26 of the band’s 80 gigs and quickly developed a reputation as mercurial.
“There were these people that say I had to pay a $50,000 bond, so if I’m late, they keep the money, right?” Stone says. “It seemed that people saw to it that I was gonna be late, and I get there, and this promoter ran out and started shouting, ‘You gonna be late again? F--k you! We don’t need that s--t, man!’ I’m thinking about music, and the only time when I can play is when I am happy. So I just leave.”
Sly & the Family Stone began to fall apart. Drummer Greg Errico and bassist Larry Graham (who’s credited with creating the much-imitated slap-bass sound) bolted in the early 1970s, and by 1975 the group called it quits.
Drugs took a tighter hold. One night close to Christmas, Stone headed out to buy presents for his young son, Sylvester, whom he had with Kathy Silva, a model he married on stage at Madison Square Garden in 1974.
“I had about $2,500 to spend,” Stone recalls. “By the time I get [to the store], I had spent it all on drugs. Yes, I did. And when I getting close to little Syl’s house, I thought, ‘Oooh, man. I never should have done that.’ When I saw him, I said, ‘I spent your money up on drugs. I spend it up on dope.’ ”
Over the years, Stone has dropped tens of thousands of dollars on his other hobby: automobiles. In his early days, he drove a Jaguar XKE he painted purple. There were Hummers, a London taxi and a beloved Studebaker, which Stone asked to have painted in exchange for this interview. (The Post declined.) A few years ago, he would cruise around LA on a bright-yellow, custom three-wheel chopper. He was known to give cars to friends.
By 1980, the group’s popularity had declined enormously from its heyday. Stone appeared on an episode of “The Mike Douglas Show” and promised, “I’m going to do one more album real quick, and if it’s not instantly platinum, bye-bye.” Sly & the Family Stone’s 10th and final album, 1982’s “Ain’t But the One Way,” flopped.
Stone kept his word and mostly vanished. He was arrested a few times in the 1980s for cocaine possession and performed sporadically, but his days of sold-out shows and magazine covers were gone. A 1987 performance would prove to be his last for 19 years.
He finally reappeared during a 2006 Grammy tribute, shuffling on stage, his posture hunched and his neck bent as a result of a fall he suffered at his home. He arrived midway through a medley of his classic hits, played the keyboard and sang for a few bars, waved, then inexplicably left the stage before the song concluded.
Today, Sly is disheveled, paranoid -- the FBI is after him; his enemies have hired hit men. He refuses to let The Post into his camper, but, ever the showman, poses flamboyantly with a silver military helmet and a Taser in front of his Studebaker.
The singer claims his money troubles escalated in 2009, when his royalty payments stopped flowing after Stone accused his manager, Jerry Goldstein, of fraud. Stone says he was tricked into signing a rotten contract with Goldstein in 1989, giving the manager control of his finances in exchange for a weekly paycheck.
Last year, Stone sued Goldstein for $50 million, alleging fraud and 20 years of stolen royalty payments. (Contributing to the singer’s dire financial situation, he foolishly sold his valuable music-publishing rights to Michael Jackson for a reported $1 million in 1984.)
Goldstein did not return calls seeking comment.
The performer’s cash-flow problems forced him out of his Napa Valley house that he rented with money from a 2007 European tour and into cheap hotels and the van in 2009. Stone hopes to soon put the lawsuit and his other woes behind him.
“My music is a format that will encourage you to have a song you won’t forget. That’s why I got so much money, that there are so many people around, and that’s why I am in court. Millions of dollars!” Stone says. “But now please tell everybody, please, to give me a job, play my music. I’m tired of all this s--t, man.”
Earlier this year, Stone released an album of his hits re-recorded with other artists. Stone has new songs, but he no longer trusts record companies or managers and is wary about making a deal to release another album. He works constantly on new music, often staying up for two days straight, then sleeping for the next two. (In a nice piece of symmetry, some of his 1971 album, “There’s a Riot Goin’ On,” was recorded in a Winnebago.) He has hundreds of new tracks recorded in his van that he keeps for himself. For now, at least.
“But, with new energy, it will feel good to step on stage,” he says. “I see all the guys playing those old songs. Let these guys know, like Lady Gaga, let me come in, just let me come in and pay me if you like it.”
William Alkema is the director of the Sly & the Family Stone documentary, “Dance to the Music,” to be re-released this year.
By WILLEM ALKEMA and REED TUCKER

Monday, September 26, 2011

李光耀: 中国越成功就越傲慢 
“回中国”属痴心幻想


他 们口口声声对我们说,国家不分大小,人人平等,说他们“不称霸”

针对中国越来越强,新加坡年轻华人或会对中国会生起“憧憬”之心,前新加坡内阁资政李光耀说,那种一厢情愿要回到“祖 国”怀抱的浪漫情怀,是痴心幻想。

“如果你常到中国,就会知道你所说的是错的。你可以随时去看,他们越是成功,就越不把你放在眼 里,对你的态度也会更傲慢。

《海峡时报》新闻工作者访问前内阁资政李光耀,畅谈新加坡政治制度未来的发展、新加坡与邻国的关系、移民问题、中国与印度的崛起等系列课题, 诸篇章在今年1月结集出版《李光耀:新加坡赖以生存的硬道理》,中文版《硬道理》已面世。

年轻人勿一厢情愿

其中一个问题是,随着中国逐渐发挥软实力,可想象自己作为一个在新加坡长大的年轻华人,可能也会很自然地开始留意起中国来?李光耀的回答很直 接:“那种一厢情愿要回到祖国怀抱的浪漫情怀,是痴心幻想。我们已变得很不一样了,就是这么简单。”

老狮城人是浪漫主义者

以下是摘录自《李光耀:新加坡赖以生存的硬道理》谈华人华语的部分。

◆问:在之前的访谈中,你曾提到,自己对身为华人这事,是很清楚的。你是华族,但不是中国大陆的华人。

◇答:是的。

◆问:不知道其他华族新加坡人是否也有这方面的认知。

◇答:老一辈新加坡华人是浪漫主义者,就如我姨丈;他说:“把我的尸骨葬在中国。”他的说法简 直荒谬。姨丈去世后,葬在吉隆坡。对我而言,根本毫无疑问,先辈的这块祖地只是让我来到这世界——那里并没有我立足之地。

留在新加坡很幸运

“我很感激曾祖母当年没跟随丈夫回老家去。这也就是为什么我会在这里。我是个幸运儿。是的,你我一样,都很幸运。

◆问:中国人对新加坡的态度是否会随着自己越来越强大、越来越有影响力,而有所改变?

◇答:那是当然的。他们会期望我们更尊重他们——你必须尊重我。他们口口声声对我 们说,国家不分大小,人人平等,说他们“不称霸”但 只要我们做不合他们心意的事,他们就会说,看吧,你们让13亿人不高兴。“13亿”。要是反过 来,他们让我们不高兴呢?我们也只不过“百万”,让几百万人不高兴而已。所以,请弄清楚自己的定位。




The Best of the Temptations on 

the Ed Sullivan Show



The Temptations began their musical life in Detroit in the early sixties.  With their flashy suits, distinctive harmonies and precise, split-second choreography, they popularized a refined style of performance that made them a household name.  Not only did the vocal quintet become one of Motown’s most successful acts, but was the first Motown act to score a Grammy Award and became known as one of the most successful music groups of all time.  Starting to make appearances around the same time as the Supreme’s on mainstream television, the band was also instrumental in the crossover success of soul groups in the 60s.

The Temptations frequented television shows like American Bandstand but made their very first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in May 1967 performing a medley of hits including “My Girl” and “(I Know) I’m Losing You.”  In subsequent visits to the show, the group performed the group’s No. 1 hit “I Can’t Get Next to You,” a playful version of “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy,” the Top Ten hit “Psychedelic Shack,” and the 1969 hit single “Runaway Child, Running Wild” with Dennis Edwards replacing David Ruffin.  

To get these defining performance on DVD for you get The Best of The Temptations on the Ed Sullivan Show.


 
 

Motown Publicist Al Abrams' New Book With Rare Photos, Letters & Clippings



As
                  publicity director for Motown Records in the 1960s, Al
                  Abrams stockpiled a massive collection of photos,
                  promotional fare and internal documents as the label
                  rose from obscurity to international success with
                  artists such as the Supremes, Stevie Wonder and Marvin
                  Gaye. Abrams' new book, "Hype &
                  Soul," assembles hundreds of those rarely seen
                  items for a peek behind the scenes of Motown's buzz
                  machine. Here's an exclusive sampling. 
 
As publicity director for Motown Records in the 1960s, Al Abrams stockpiled a massive collection of photos, promotional fare and internal documents as the label rose from obscurity to international success with artists such as the Supremes, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. Abrams' new book, "Hype & Soul," assembles hundreds of those rarely seen items for a peek behind the scenes of Motown's buzz machine. Here's an exclusive sampling.
Al Abrams
        was the first employee of Motown Records and eventually became
        its publicity director.Al Abrams was the first employee of Motown Records and eventually became its publicity director. / MARK CLAGUE

'Hype & Soul: Behind the Scenes at Motown'

By Al Abrams
TempleStreet Publishing 288 pages
Online ordering info: soulvation.biz or amazon.co.uk
Also available at Dearborn Music and Street

This is a familiar spot for Al Abrams.
We're talking right here, where you're looking, in the pages of this newspaper.

It was 52 years ago that an 18-year-old Abrams became the first hire for Berry Gordy Jr. and rose to become publicity director for Motown Records, charged with landing headlines for the label and its artists.

For the next eight years, Abrams was in the front seat as Motown conquered first Detroit, then America and finally the globe, a journey chronicled in his delightful new book, "Hype & Soul: Behind the Scenes at Motown" (TempleStreet Publishing).
Abrams wasn't just a PR man -- snappy, sunny and inspired by Tony Curtis' press-agent character in "Sweet Smell of Success." He was a pack rat, and his book is brimming with rare photos, press releases, letters and other well-worn documents that help reveal how Motown was packaged, presented and spun for public consumption.
"You can still see the Scotch tape marks where I had stuck them in scrapbooks. If it had my name on it, I felt compelled to take it home," he says. "I'm not going to claim I knew this would all become as big as it turned out. But I did always feel that one day this stuff may really matter."

While the glossy, full-color book makes a fun browse for casual fans, its real thrills are geared to the Motown diehards, including the healthy legion overseas.

They'll find telegrams and postcards and Abrams' hand-scrawled pitches for promotions that never came off, like a proposal for Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanaugh to rename the city "Motown" for a day in '64, and a record deal for 17-year-old first daughter Luci Johnson that year.

There are the letters buttering up reporters, and the loads of press clippings they produced -- including what Abrams says is Motown's first-ever media mention: a 1959 Windsor Star profile of the long-forgotten singer Mike Powers.

And then there are the reams of press releases ("MARVELETTES FLY TO LONDON," "MARVIN GAYE RETURNS TO 20 GRAND") -- often pecked out by Abrams with one finger on a typewriter and rushed to a mail drop where he'd wait to ensure they were picked up.

Alongside Abrams' own anecdotes and candid snapshots of artists such as the Supremes and Stevie Wonder, it makes for a brisk and bustling jaunt through a bygone era.

"You wind up with a day-by-day chronicle of what really happened at Motown," Abrams says. "What are today's publicists going to have down the road -- a book of Twitter posts?"

In the pre-Rolling Stone era, pop-music journalism was still taking shape, often the province of teen-beat cub writers and castoff coverage, with writers and press reps inventing the standards as they went.

But in Detroit, the Motown story was more than just a hit-parade tale. It was a business and cultural phenomenon, and Abrams' go-to outlet was the Free Press, where he hobnobbed regularly with now-iconic Freep figures such as Van Sauter and Bettelou Peterson. Former editor Mort Persky, who oversaw the 1960s equivalent of the Sunday section you're reading, provides a foreword in the book, recounting the coverage of Motown acts as "Abrams shoved them into our consciousness."

The world certainly isn't short of Motown books, though many were criticized for sloppy reporting and slippery agendas. But a book of raw materials is its own fact-checker, and Abrams says he and his team -- including the English journalist Neil Rushton -- aimed to "tell the story that a lot of people had forgotten or overlooked."
Many of the documents are drawn from the hefty collection of memorabilia Abrams donated to the University of Michigan in the late '80s, when his wife finally convinced him to liberate their closet. He'd declined opportunities to sell to collectors such as the Hard Rock Cafe.

"I kept picturing this stuff in a frame with spaghetti sauce splattered on it," he says. "I realized it had value for historians, and a university archive would make it available to scholars."

Abrams, a Detroit native who today lives in Findley, Ohio, chuckles at some of the "grandiose PR ideas" he concocted during his Motown tenure -- which ended when he took up with the competing Stax Records label in 1967. He lays claim, for instance, to the famous quote attributed to Bob Dylan describing Smokey Robinson as "America's greatest living poet" -- a plug Abrams says he concocted with Dylan pal Al Aronowitz.

But he's also proud of his time at Motown, where he warmly recalls "being this young Jewish kid welcomed in like one of the Gordy family."

His efforts produced more than column inches and record sales for Detroit's biggest entertainment company, Abrams says. They also supplied powerful social fuel.

"When the Supremes got the cover of (the nationally syndicated) TV Magazine in 1965, that really jump-started things," he says. "It really opened the doors everywhere else -- 'Hey, we can put black people on a cover that will sit in people's living rooms for a week, and they won't cancel their subscriptions.'
"So we saw every magazine cover, every front-page article, not just as a breakthrough for the Supremes or the Temptations or whoever, but as a breakthrough in the civil-rights struggle."




Who Owns the World’s Sovereign Debt?




This monster graphic comes  from the IMF.

It's loaded with interesting factoids about who owns how much of each country's debt. Global Macro Monitor points out 

the fact that "47% of the US$14.7 trillion U.S. federal government debt is held by the Federal Reserve and the government itself, such as the Social Security trust fund." (not China)

Those graphs with the biggest red color portion are in trouble:-







Sunday, September 25, 2011

Gold  Collapses As  Crowd Rushes For Nuke Shelter

It never is different, especially when the crowd does the same thing…. Gold collapses USD 100+ with a double tops chart formation.

 (綜合24日訊)受到希臘可能違約和美國經濟或陷入二次衰退的擔憂影響,儘管歐美股市週五小幅反彈,但按週表現仍大幅下 挫,其中道瓊斯指數創下自金融危機達到頂峰以來的最大單週跌幅。

同時,黃金價格因投資者恐慌情緒,而跌破每安士1700美元的水平,收在1639.80美元,跌幅高達5.9%。

與此同時,因投資者繼續逃離貴金屬市場,導致黃金期貨價格大挫。紐約商交所12月黃金期貨合約結算價下跌101.90美元至每安士1639.80美元,跌幅為5.9%。這 是該合約一個半月以來結算價首次跌破1700美元。

基於上述原因,芝加哥商業交易所控股公司表示,將上調黃金、銅和白銀期貨保證金要求。芝加哥商交所將把黃金期貨保證金要求上調21%,並在下 週一收盤時生效。

其中,新建黃金期貨頭寸投機性保證金要求將上調至每份合約1萬1475美元,隔夜持有頭寸的保證金要求為每份合約8500美元。生產商和消費 者新建及隔夜持有頭寸的保證金要求均為每份合約8500美元。


Contract Last Change Open High Low Previous Volume Time
GCY00 (Cash) 1,656.10 -84.10 1,740.10 1,754.79 1,628.99 1,740.20 0 09/23/11
GCU11 (Sep '11) 1,637.5s -101.7 1,737.3 1,737.3 1,637.5 1,739.2 81 09/23/11
GCV11 (Oct '11) 1,637.7s -101.7 1,739.9 1,755.2 1,629.5 1,739.4 10,023 09/23/11
GCX11 (Nov '11) 1,638.6s -102.1 1,746.0 1,748.7 1,630.4 1,740.7 289 09/23/11
GCZ11 (Dec '11) 1,639.8s -101.9 1,739.0 1,757.9 1,631.7 1,741.7 340,358 09/23/11
GCG12 (Feb '12) 1,641.5s -102.0 1,743.0 1,759.5 1,633.3 1,743.5 3,757 09/23/11
GCJ12 (Apr '12) 1,643.0s -102.1 1,746.1 1,760.6 1,635.7 1,745.1 451 09/23/11
GCM12 (Jun '12) 1,644.6s -102.3 1,746.0 1,753.5 1,641.4 1,746.9 469 09/23/11
GCQ12 (Aug '12) 1,646.3s -102.5 1,702.2 1,710.2 1,646.3 1,748.8 192 09/23/11
GCV12 (Oct '12) 1,648.0s -102.8 1,702.1 1,704.5 1,647.0 1,750.8 93 09/23/11
GCZ12 (Dec '12) 1,649.8s -103.1 1,759.2 1,765.0 1,642.4 1,752.9







FKLI - Maybe, Just Maybe We Have Reached A Temporary Bottom ? -9/26/2011

 



The dim possibility of a double bottoms formation got trashed last week when the support failed to hold. The market crashed down another 58 points. The shorts stay intact as stop was not challenged. I would suggest placing stop at 2 days prior high plus 2 points as the bottom Bollinger Band is now too far away. If Stochastic is able to turn up above its 20's signal line, then you should tighten the stop further.

The MACD continues to dive and DMI remains negative which mean the bears are in firm control.   I cannot call Stochastic  as oversold purely because it is under 20's. It was already in its below 20's zone last week but it does not stop the market from losing another 50+ points. In a strong trending market situation, the Stochastic may remain "oversold" and yet keep falling to one new low from another.  But
at the moment the Stochastic is displaying some interesting muted divergence and the ADX has been above the DMI, these are tell tale signs that the market may be oversold. Last Friday's candlestick was a long bodied with close higher than open. All these 3 items are pointing at a possible rebound. But these are merely hints and they are NOT telling you to "buy low".I would still need confirmations before engaging new long trades. (like Stochastic crossing up the 20's line or price close above the lower band etc)

I do not think we are at the end of the dark tunnel yet as the rising ADX is confirming this observation but I think the coming week if we do see a up move, we should treat it as  a temporary technical rebound  .

 

There is nothing remotely bullish at the weekly chart. The Stochastic, MACD and DMI are negative and the ADX continues to rise while prices stay below the bottom Bollinger Band. All these are confirming the bears remain solidly in control. As the DJIA has just broken one of its strong support, their down moves may continue to "inspire" our bears to act further.

The latest piece of XXX bad news coming from the Euroland is that cash rich corporations and high net worth clients have started to move their cash out from some French banks.
I take this as a sign of "smart money" starting a run on the weaker banks. (try think our own local versions back in 1998/1984 when depositors lining up in front of their banks to withdraw all ) How soon would the smaller clients start to move out theirs ? Talking about smart money, one of my friends think Malaysian money are smarter as many have been moving out from KL property bubble and starting to buy Australian and London properties. By the way, have you notice their developers have been putting up marketing show every week in KL ? To me, I think by using fast deteriorating AUD or GBP buying into a property market that is about to collapse big time is hardly a "smart" move. The buyer would suffer losses both in the currencies and depressing property prices. Yes, I do not think Australia is "safe" and if Euroland continues to fall apart, I think we may hear bad news from the Aussies soon, especially their property sector.





FCPO -  Would CPO Follow Other Commodities And Fall Like A Rock ? - 9/26/2011






The indicators have turned from last week's positive to the current's negative. With the previous week's MACD, DMI and Stochastic are  went positive in unison, but market hardly move up. Currently all the indicators have gone negative in unison, would it go further down ? The ADX is really like shit at 13's, I would not place too much faith in the bear yet unless prices solidly break down below the support (the bottom horizontal line), I would still of opinion that this market is still caught in a listless situation.

 
 
The weekly chart's Stochastic continue to rise and MACD is turning around but remain negative. But price is giving a contradicting signal as it has again closed below the lower Bollinger Band and the ADX has also resume its rises. All these are giving us contradicting signals.

Fundamentally, most of the commodities market are collapsing last week. Their demises challenge many of the " experts" market hypes - like gold as the ultimate safe haven in a troubled financial market (gold fell USD 100+ on Friday and 300 from its recent high - the result of a double tops formation) Silver followed on a similar pattern. All the so called "safe haven" currencies also fell like rock and the much talked down US Dollar is the only currency that shines. So, would the "fundamentals" bring down the CPO market ?
If purely  chart wise , I would call the market listless at the present but since the bullish divergence remains intact, so I would remain very bullish about the market. That is until the divergence is erased.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Will French Banks 

Collapse Next ?


'These Are All The Signs Of An Institutional Run On French Banks'

This is not helping French bank stocks today.

PIMCO's Mohammed El-Erian has a dramatic post up at FT on the various signs of trouble in French bank land.

You have reports of banks not trading with French banks. You have equity prices at 50-% of books, and stories about CEOs going around the world for cash.

Here's the money quote:

These are all signs of an institutional run on French banks. If it persists, the banks would have no choice but to delever their balance sheets in a very drastic and disorderly fashion. Retail depositors would get edgy and be tempted to follow trading and institutional clients through the exit doors. Europe would thus be thrown into a full-blown banking crisis that aggravates the sovereign debt trap, renders certain another economic recession, and significantly worsens the outlook for the global economy.

If Europe doesn't fix this fast, all hell could break loose.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011


文革珍邮以天价成交创
香港邮 票拍卖史新高




数量甚少,故极为珍贵 - 
,邮电发行局向各省、市、自治区邮电管理局发出“退回纪念邮票的函”,由邮票厂进行销毁。中 共第二號人物林彪「9月13日倉皇出逃,狼狽投敵,叛黨叛國,自取滅亡。這是林彪這個資產階級個人野心家、陰謀家的總暴露、總破產。」 1969年4月1日中共第九次全國代表大會上,新修訂的《中國共產黨章程》上才赫然寫著「林彪同志是毛澤東同志的親密戰友和接班人」。


If you have read George Orwell's "1984" , you would be familiar with the big brothers are forever tearing out/re-editing/blanking out disgraced former leaders.
Such is real life example here.




    中国邮品拍卖随着经济好转再创佳绩。存世仅余32枚俗称“小壹圆”的清代邮票,其中一枚30日在香港举行的拍卖会中亮相,由于品相极佳,经20口叫价后, 终由原来底价220万港元,扯高至480万港元成交,计及佣金高达552万元,不仅打破去年9月同款邮票录得258万港元(连佣金)的纪录, 更创下中国邮票拍卖价的世界纪录。



    中新网2月2日电据香港《文汇报》报道,中国邮票成交价屡破纪录!号称最大型的中国邮票拍卖会1日闭幕,逾1800项来自内地、香港等地区的 珍贵邮票及实寄封片,计及佣金的总成交金额近5700万港元,打破香港邮票拍卖史上的最高纪录,也远超原来总估值的4500万元。

    其中,中国十大珍邮“文五珍”系列备受瞩目,尤以“无产阶级文化大革命的全面胜利万岁”邮票最稀世,终以”天价“667万港元(连佣金)成交,创下中国邮 票史上单一珍邮的世界拍卖纪录。

    这次推出的中国邮票,以近年大热的“文革”系列的邮票最注目,这系列总估值逾1700万港元,包括了反映火红年代的“文五珍”(一套5张)邮票,当中一张 “无产阶级文化大革命的全面胜利”邮票(简称“全面胜利”),拍卖前估价连佣金500万至600万元,拍卖会上终以667万港元,刷新中国单 一邮珍的世界纪录。

  
  该套带厂铭的四方连邮票,设计是身穿蓝灰色中 山装的毛泽东主席在天安门城楼上向群众挥手、手持《毛语录》的林彪跟在身后的场面。 据了解,由于该套邮票在印制后没有正式发行,当时于河北石家庄邮 局流出,数量甚少,故极为珍贵

Tuesday, September 20, 2011


要滅美國,先滅駱家輝


有個黃皮白心的美國佬很令人頭疼,就是駐華大使駱家輝,他下機伊始就滿堂彩,繼而到鼓樓吃炸醬面,再到成都夫妻 店吃川菜,十五個人花費不到二百元。如今他坐經濟艙到大連參加溫家寶主持的達沃斯論壇,讓出入機場都要走特殊通道的天朝官員情何以堪?

駱家輝賣弄美國價值觀太囂張了,故而官媒光明網發表討伐檄文警惕駱家輝帶來 的美國「新殖民主義」》,指他表演給中國人民看,暴露了美國以華治華,煽動中國政治動亂的卑鄙用心」此文還不夠雷人, 央視主持芮成鋼乾脆單刀直入,在達沃斯論壇上提問駱大使:聽說您是坐經濟艙來的,這是 否在提醒大家,美國欠中國的錢?」如此噴糞,形同小丑,一副暴發土財主的家奴嘴臉。

駱家輝卻侃侃而答:「作為政府官員,不管是我們領事館官員還是大使館的,也包括總統的內閣成員,一般的規則就是坐經濟艙。」這 位美國大使比起當年傾銷鴉片的英國佬義律,比起火燒圓明園的英使巴夏禮、法使葛羅更可惡,因為他拿的是軟刀子
。難怪光明網 那篇奇文數落:「為美國收攬中國民心,強化中國民眾崇洋媚外的奴性,進而分化中國的意識形態, 才是這位華裔大使的如意算盤。」

驀然回首,美國的陰謀昭然若揭,擊斃拉登時那張洩露國家機密的新聞照片, 也是這個陰謀的一部份。該照片顯示美國之白宮局勢研究室(Situation Room),竟如斯寒磣,怎似天朝國家殿堂那般氣勢恢弘,簡直遼廣得可以跑馬;還有美國總統和幕僚不遵君臣之儀,奧巴馬被擠到角落坐沒有靠背的冷板凳;美國政府真的欠了很多錢,白宮「核心」們用的手提電腦都是老舊款式;牆上沒有名畫和飾物;桌上沒有時鮮水果,沒有特供飲料,只有一次性的塑料杯子;連果腹快餐,都是從 白宮旁邊賓夕凡尼亞大道的連鎖店買來的。

反觀天朝,別看汶川和曲舟時下還有許多災民住在簡易房,災區首先矗立起來的是美輪美奐的政府大樓。美國每屆總統擴建一下白宮,所耗不過是九牛 一毛,何以如此吝嗇?莫非花費北京買美國國債的一萬多億美元,有點畏畏縮縮?

央視主持芮成鋼想必覺得,自己的鐵嘴銅牙還未足以折辱駱家輝,於是再深揭狠批:「他總是抓住一切場合和機會,不遺餘力宣傳推廣美國的價值觀。 只說美國好,不說美國的差,這是他的工作。他可能是歷任美國駐華大使中最願意展示自己,也最善於展示自己的人,從背包喝咖啡到坐旅行車,坐經 濟艙,都精準地得到拍攝傳媒傳播議論。競選過州長的他懂得媒體是怎麼回事。」原來如此,胡主席 到幸福農家揭鍋蓋揑被褥,溫總理滔滔不絕的眼淚,才真正代表了黨疼國愛,而駱家輝代表的是美國新殖民主義。
Kill Smoking ? Be Careful What You Wish For

After Tobacco, a new book by economic researchers Peter Bearman, Kathryn Neckerman and Leslie Wright, tries to put together what would happen if the 46 million Americans who smoke all decided to quit cold turkey.

Obviously cigarettes are huge industry in the U.S., so a total collapse of domestic demand would have serious effect on our economy. And then there's how it would impact public health, of course.

Here's a quick run down of what the book says would happen via The Washington Post:

    If everyone stopped smoking in 2006, 2.8 million premature deaths would be avoided between then and 2025. During the same time, healthcare spending would decrease by $211 billion-- but that's only 1.25%.


    States would have decreased Medicaid costs, but would also lose the revenue they get from cigarette excise taxes, that was $13.75 billion in 2006, an overall of 1.4%.

    The end of cigarettes would lead to a small increase in social security as well (about 1.58%, the book estimates) as workers would be living longer, but retiring later.


    And then there's philanthropy. Tobacco manufacturers gave $143 billion away between 1997 and 2005-- 42% of which went to public health and community development programs. That money would probably disappear. Nationally, though, that's only about 3% of corporate giving.

BONUS: This isn't in the book, but according to a paper by the NBER, Americans will get fatter if they stop smoking as well.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Why Clint Eastwood Isn’t a Republican Anymore


 The below is from a larger discussion between Clint Eastwood, Leonardo DiCaprio and GQ Magazine from the October 2011 issue.  Leo is playing J Edgar Hoover for the biopic Clint is directing. Here's the straight dope on what's wrong with the GOP circa 2011 from one of the last Real American Men still ticking.

- JB


***

GQ: [To Eastwood] You've described yourself as a social libertarian. What does that mean to you?
 

Clint Eastwood: I was an Eisenhower Republican when I started out at 21, because he promised to get us out of the Korean War. And over the years, I realized there was a Republican philosophy that I liked. And then they lost it. And libertarians had more of it. Because what I really believe is, let's spend a little more time leaving everybody alone. These people who are making a big deal out of gay marriage? I don't give a fuck about who wants to get married to anybody else! Why not?! We're making a big deal out of things we shouldn't be making a deal out of.

Leonardo Dicaprio: That's the most infuriating thing—watching people focus on these things. Meanwhile, there's the onset of global warming and—

Clint Eastwood: Exactly!

Leonardo Dicaprio: —and these incredibly scary and menacing things with the future of our economy. Our relationship to the rest of the world. And here we are focusing on this?
Clint Eastwood: They go on and on with all this bullshit about "sanctity"—don't give me that sanctity crap! Just give everybody the chance to have the life they want.

Leonardo Dicaprio: It's the great diversion. Politicians are masters at getting you to be on their side so that you don't look at how big business—

Clint Eastwood: I love big business! [They both laugh.] Clint Eastwood: I love big business if it hires everybody and does all the right things, and if they get off track then they'll have to deal with whatever—

Leonardo Dicaprio: But they often do get off track, unfortunately. See, now you've got us in a political debate!
李光耀:大陸「既沒能力、也無意願」援歐


在歐債問題岌岌可危之際,北京高層不斷釋出善意,表示願伸出援手,擴大對歐投資,甚至購買債務問題嚴重國家的債 券。大陸成為歐債危機「救世主」的說法近期炒得沸沸揚揚。不過,前新加坡總理李光耀表示,大 陸「既沒能力、也無意願」拯救歐洲,歐元區遲早會垮掉。

此外,被視為下任中國人民銀行(大陸央行)行長熱門人選的中國建設銀行董事長郭樹清也強調,歐美經濟短期劇烈波動不可避免,但大陸經濟自身存 在各種問題;外界似乎高估了大陸援救世界的能力。

低接歐債 想賺更多

他舉例說,如果將大陸農村人口全部統計在內,實際失業率並不會比美國低。 因此,大陸不可能單獨「托起」全球經濟。

歐債危機頻拉警報,日前甚至傳出債務持續高漲的義大利向大陸求救,希望大陸能購買其公債。大陸國務院總理溫家寶14日重申,大陸願意伸出援 手,擴大投資歐洲。大陸國家主席胡錦濤日前在會見法國總統薩柯齊時也說,大陸將繼續以歐洲作為主要投資市場之一。

此外,巴西財政部長曼特加透露,金磚五國考慮聯合購買歐債。不少輿論認為,擁有巨額外匯存底的金磚國家不但有望成為歐洲國家的「金主」、更可 能成為阻止全球經濟二次衰退的「救世主」。

但與北京高層關係密切的李光耀卻認為,即使大陸大舉購買歐債,也無法幫助歐洲脫離困境。更何況,大陸也沒有能力和意願解救歐洲,大陸可能只是 想趁機低價收購歐債以獲取良好回報。新加坡也無投資歐債的意願。

結構性問題 難化解

李光耀大膽預言,歐元區目前是情況是「要求體質和條件都不一樣的歐元區27國,以相同步調前進」,希望希臘和德國一樣,這本來就不切實際。歐 盟如果繼續抱著這種心態,不可能解決問題。歐元區遲早瓦解,歐洲最終可能出現擁有 2、3個層級的共同體。

針對金磚五國聯合購買歐債的構想,國際貨幣基金(IMF)總裁拉嘉德表示,這非常有意思,因為金磚五國以往多購買德、英等「低風險」公債為 主,盼日後能擴大購買「次安全債券」。IMF副總裁朱民認為,購買歐債只能解決流動性問題,無法解決結構性問題。

The Most Notorious Rogue Traders In History

Kweku Adoboli, 31, was arrested by police in London for his alleged rogue trading scheme that lost UBS a whopping $2 billion.

Adoboli might be joining a group of other rogue traders who've lost their firms a lot of money.



Jerome Kerviel lost $6.7 billion for Société Générale.

Jerome Kerviel lost $6.7 billion for Société
                Générale.
Société Générale's "rogue trader" Jerome Kerviel lost the French bank approximately $6.7 billion through arbitrage of equity derivatives. His unauthorized trades racked up a $6.7 billion loss that was revealed in 2008.

In October 2010, he was sentenced to three years in prison.

He's planning to appeal.

Nick Leeson lost $1.3 billion for Barings Bank.

Nick
                Leeson lost $1.3 billion for Barings Bank.
Leeson was a derivatives broker at Barings Bank where his unauthorized trading on Nikkei futures accumulated losses of $1.3 billion.

This eventually led to the collapse of the oldest U.K. investment bank.

Leeson moved to Singapore where he enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and made plenty of money for a few months.

For a time, he was able to hide his mounting losses in a special account known as the "five eights" account.

He was eventually caught and sentenced to five years in a Singapore prison in 1995.  In prison, he acquired cancer and his wife left him.

He was released in 1999 and now does keynote speeches.

Yang Yanming lost $9.52 million for the China Great Wall Trust and Investment Corporation.

Yang Yanming lost $9.52 million for the China
                  Great Wall Trust and Investment Corporation.
Yang Yamming
Yang Yanming, a former securities trader and head of China Great Wall Trust and Investment Corporation, was sentenced to death by a Chinese high court in late 2005 for embezzling millions of dollars.
He refused to reveal the whereabouts of 65 million yuan ($9.52 million) of the misappropriated funds.
He was the first finance executive to receive the death penalty in China.

Jonathan Bunn lost $3.91 million for Lewis Charles Securities.

Jonathan Bunn lost $3.91 million for Lewis Charles
                Securities.
Jonathan Bunn worked as a broker at Lewis Charles Securities where he wasn't allowed to prop trade, but he managed to do it anyway by tricking back office employees by writing out false-deal slips.

Bunn shorted 7 million HSBC shares using Lewis Charles Securities money.  His accumulated losses were $3.91 million.

As a result, Bunn was banned from the industry by the Financial Services Authority.

In addition, Lewis Charles laid off some of its employees.

John Rusnack lost $691 million for Allfirst Bank.

John
                Rusnack lost $691 million for Allfirst Bank.
Rusnack, a currency trader at Allfirst Bank, lost a total of $691 million on his bets. AIB Group, Allfirst's parent company, sold the firm to M&T Bank.  More than 1,000 employees lost their jobs thanks to Rusnack's losses. 

Brian Hunter lost $6.6 billion for hedge fund Amaranth.

Brian Hunter, an ex-trader with the now-defunct Amaranth hedge fund, bet on natural gas futures back in 2006 that caused the fund to lose $6.6 billion.Earlier this year the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission fined him $30 million for manipulating gas prices.

Toshihide Iguchi lost $1.1 billion for Japan's Daiwa Bank.

Toshihide Iguchi lost $1.1 billion for Japan's
                  Daiwa Bank.
In 1995, it was revealed that Japan's Daiwa Bank suffered a $1.1 billion loss thanks to more than 30,000 unauthorized trades in bonds over a period of 11 years from Iguchi.
He was imprisoned in 1996.

Robert Citron lost $2 billion Orange County, California.

Robert Citron lost $2 billion Orange County,
                California.
In 1994, Robert Citron was Treasurer-Tax Collector for Orange County, California.

As treasurer, Citron used a series of highly-leveraged deals that included repurchase agreements and floating rate notes.  At one point he was able to achieve leverage 292%.

The funds he managed were worth around $8 billion, but he was counting on interest rates remaining low or else he stood to lose big time. 

Interest rates did rise and as a result, Orange County losses amounted to $2 billion and the county was forced into Chapter 9 bankruptcy.

Yasuo Hamanaka lost $2.6 billion for Sumitomo.

Yasuo Hamanaka lost $2.6 billion for Sumitomo.
Yasuo Hamakana, who was once nick-named "Mr. Five Percent" and "Mr. Copper" because of his aggressive trading style in the copper market, caused Sumitomo to lose $2.6 billion from his unauthorized copper trades on the London Metal Exchange. 

As a result of his rogue trade, Hamakana was sentenced to eight years in prison in 1988.  He was released in July 2005, a year before his sentence was supposed to end.



Sunday, September 18, 2011

What Berlusconi Actually Said About Angela ?


Not even her position as the world’s most powerful woman has prevented German Chancellor Angela Merkel from becoming the victim of playboy premier Silvio Berlusconi’s sexist language. The gaffe-prone tycoon has been overheard referring to the German leader as an “unfuckable lard-arse”, according to wiretaps reported by Italian newspapers.

中国手表笑话