Tuesday, January 31, 2012


馬來西亞是否逼近破產?


馬 來西亞會否在2019年,如首相署部長依德利斯所預言的走向破產?依我之見,若現行的政策與做法,沒有徹底 改變,它或將是個自我實現的預言。只是,破產主因不是依德利斯所說的生活必需品津貼(Subsidy),而 是惡政劣治(Bad Governance)與腐敗!

一國何以會陷入財政困境?不同國家有不同的起因,如英美兩國是因為把私債轉為公債,假公濟私;冰島與愛爾蘭 因不當地搞金融與銀行業,而被2008年金融危機波及;日本則因1989年經濟泡沫破裂後,大搞公共建設, 在人煙稀少處建高速公路,大建利用率極低的基建,如大型體育館,跨海大橋等,結果是有投入沒回酬,且還要日 復一日賠上管理費與維修費,使原本低於60%的國債,劇升至現階段的220%!成為世界第二,發達國家中 Number1的高債務國!

所幸的是,日本的國債有約95%為內債,且舉債率偏低,這才使其免於破產,但前景如何則難料及。希臘、意大 利、西班牙等國的國債高昇,主因在於腐敗與不良治理。至於大馬,國債(聯邦政府債務)在2011年已破 4000令吉;各州政府也拖欠了聯邦好幾百億令吉。加總起來,已近5,000億令吉!

不具生產性的開銷劇增

我國官方常說,聯邦政府債務僅佔GDP的約53%,尚在控制之內,況且其中外債只佔約160多億令吉,國人 大可放心。實則,若把民間部門的外債也算在內,2011年6月底為止,外債總額已高達2417億,其中,政 聯公司(GLCs)便佔了約600多億。按歐盟標準,年均赤字與總債務若分別佔到GDP的3%或60%以 上,便算是進入危險水平,大馬目前為53%,可說雖不達亦不遠了。

對於這個百分比,應該說,其實只是個便利指標;嚴格來說,也應考慮及其他因素,如政府的債權(而非債務而 已)、內外債百分比、舉債利率、公私部門的儲蓄率、債務的用途,如是消耗性的,或是投資性、生產性的。若用 低利率舉債投資於生產性活動,由於可推動經濟增長,創造就業與財富高債就不那麼可怕。實則,韓國便是靠舉高 債發展起來的。這是韓國發展策略的特色。

大馬的情況則是,債務用途多是消耗性(用了就沒了,不具生產性),用途不明或搞虛而不實的大小項目。如上百 億的龐大建築物,或最近的至少5000億令吉以上的捷運(MRT),這個MRT能帶來的經濟效益有限(巴生 谷幅員廣,人口密度低,大馬的汽車型社會更不利客運量的培養),但卻肯定會加劇債務,進而促使政府加速推出 消費稅(GST),同時削減福利,民生補貼等,導致貧富差異持續擴大。

一個簡單的事實是,這幾年來,油氣收入均佔了聯邦收入的約35%,這樣高的百分比應可使大馬人享有更廣泛的 福利或政府盈餘;可事實是,這幾年的赤字均高達幾百億令吉,每年還本付息也高達約200多億。若沒發現新的 大油田,隨著人口的增加與能源消耗的遞增,政府財政肯定會加速惡化。

一個基本事實是,近年來的政府「行政開支」相對固定的增長速度,已超越收入的增長速度,迫使政府縮減「發展 開支」,伸言之,經濟活動日趨消耗性方向,而非生產性方向發展,更何況許多政府單位愛「報大數」。

實事求是地看,大馬的政治也日趨民粹化(Populist),短期化。朝野均忙著比派錢,用錢來收買人心, 而非比政策,比政績,比理念。更令人吃驚的是,連政黨也忙著派錢給黨員!搞政治搞得如此金錢化、商業化、庸 俗化,確也令人大開眼界。以我之見,馬華公會若把錢轉移給華校,其政治效應恐怕比派給黨員強得多。看來連派 錢收買人心,他們也不懂「把錢花在刀口上」的道理!

大馬財政如此不必要地惡化,一方面是油氣收入來得容易,也去得容易,是所謂的油氣詛咒 (OilCurse);更根本的原因在於我國的政治生態,即「恩庇型政治文化」(Political Patronage)!若不改變這些根本毛病,可以預見,除非有奇跡出現或政策大轉彎,否則破產是遲早的事。歷史地看,從1970年至今,我國只在 1993~1997這五年間,出現過小盈餘,而何以1993、1997年會有小盈餘(介於GDP的 0~2.3%),則與民營化(Privatisation)有關。

事緣,自1971年新經濟政策(NEP)出台以來,我國便大搞公共企業,使公企從30多間快速升到1980 年代中期的近1000間,且大多數經營不善,大幅加重了政府負擔。外加上1980年代中期的衰退,政府財政 更是劇升,如下表所示:

缺乏外資產業難升級

可見,大馬在1980年代,也曾出現過債務較GDP更高的破產狀況;只是,隨著馬哈迪政權大搞「利益輸送型 私『盈』化」,情況才得以改善。此外,很重要的一點是,自1985年美國、英國、法國、日本、西德簽署《廣 場協議》(Plaza Accord)後,日圓、台幣的幣值節節上升,日本、台灣產業也在急速轉型,逼使許多企業南下,遂使大馬獲益不淺,進入了高速增長的1989~1997階 段。據知,現階段國油與40多間政聯公司(GLCs)的資產便高達6000多億令吉,其中國油佔了50%。 或許脫售國營企業就是未來「以資抵債」的一個可能方式。

只是,若脫售了國營企業,或有高回酬的國有資產以資足抵債之後,政府的收入也可能劇減;且這收入不過是一次 性的,反而資產脫售了,會削減政府交叉補貼(Cross-Subsidization)的財力,使其不得不 節流開源,也就是加稅,並減少福利開支。果真如此,依然是普羅大眾受罪,尤其是低收入階層受打擊更深。

更嚴重的是,在區域化與全球化的時代,除非有奇跡,若否,大馬對資金的吸引力也將遞減,而產業又升不了級, 結果將是不郎不秀,持續卡在「中等收入陷阱」中。顯見,不大事改革,尤其是反腐倡廉與良政善治,財富的大量 不當流失、漏失(Leakage),只會加速國家破產。而流失與漏失當然就是失血的主因。

一國若破產,其後果不外是:政府大印鈔票,製造高通膨來抵消債務;以高利率舉新債還舊債;債留子孫;加稅減 開支,尤其是福利開支;貨幣貶值以求抑止進口,促進出口;內部貶值(Internal Devaluation),也就是全面降低生活水平,大調薪資、物價以待再出發;出售國有資產,或讓債主以股權抵債(Debtfor Equity)的方式入股國營企業;要求債主減債減息;或若是內債,乾脆一筆勾銷,從新開始,也就是要求債 權人「犧牲小我,成全國家」。

有道是「天下沒有白吃的午餐」,借來的是債,而非創造出來的財富,遲早得連本帶息還回去。顯見,最明智的出 路就是,在尚未無可救藥時,進行「先發制人」的必要改革,以求突圍。

An Inconvenient Truth For 

Tree Hugging Hippies


The Dirty Truth: Some Biofuels are More Polluting than Fossil Fuels



Biofuels are a clean, alternative energy that many are hoping will become the next source of liquid fuels for internal combustion engines; a clean substitute for polluting fossil fuels. The US is a huge supporter of biofuels, last year producing 1 billion gallons (China, a Kyoto Treaty signatory,  doing 2.1millions) , and the EU has also stated its intentions for 10% of all transport fuel to be biofuel by 2020.

Wait a minute though, new data obtained from a leak by the European Commission provides evidence that
not all biofuels are clean. In fact some are more polluting than fossil fuels.

The EU proposed a default value of 107g CO2 equivalent per megajoule of fuel (CO2/mj) for oil from tar sands, as compared to 87.5g CO2/mj for crude oil. Following is a list of the equivalent values for biofuels:

• Palm Oil - 105g
• Soybean – 103g
• Rapeseed – 95g
• Sunflower – 86g
• Palm Oil with methane capture – 83g
• Wheat (process fuel not specified) – 64g
• Wheat (as process fuel natural gas used in CHP) – 47g
• Corn (Maize) – 43g
• Sugar Cane – 36g
• Sugar Beet – 34g
• Wheat (straw as process fuel in CHP plants) – 35g
• 2G Ethanol (land-using) – 32g
• 2G Biodiesel (land-using) – 21g
• 2G Ethanol (non-land using) – 9g
• 2G Biodiesel (non-land using) – 9g

It is obvious that for a biofuel to be useful in cutting the emissions driving global warming it needs to have a smaller carbon footprint than regular fuel from crude oil. However calculating the carbon emissions of a biofuel must also include the natural forests and wetlands that are destroyed in the construction of plantations to grow the crops. Taking this into account it is immediately clear that palm oil and soy beans are unsupportable as sources of biofuel. Wheat, maize and sugar do little better than crude oil and are therefore not likely to solve our climate issues either. Second generation (2G), non-land using fuels are obviously the best. These include the waste-to-energy fuel sources, a sector that is steadily growing as more and more plants are constructed.

Robbie Blake, biofuels campaigner, at Friends of the Earth Europe, said, "It's getting quite indisputable that the use of soy or palm oil to fuel our cars is even dirtier than conventional fossil fuels. Forests in Asia and South America are being destroyed by the expansion of plantations to meet the European market. It's a delusion for politicians to think that biodiesel will solve climate change."

Biofuels remain vital to tackling climate change, but the difficulty now exists in identifying what constitutes a good biofuel. These figures help us to immediately recognise the best and worse, but they don’t give us any idea as to the cost of production. It is all well and good saying we should use 2G non-land using biofuels, but would we be willing to pay the higher price at the pumps? Perhaps the answer will be in the development of biofuels from algae and seaweed.

中国是有原则的大国 - 

把菲律宾进行经济制裁 当“出头鸟”惩罚





在马尼拉表示愿意允许美国增派驻军菲律宾之后,北京方面周日呼吁有关国家要为地区“和平与稳定”努 力。

菲律宾政府周五表示,计划邀请更多的美军参与联合军事演习,
并希望美军可以更多地在菲律宾轮番驻 军;美国方面表示愿意增加与菲律宾的军事合作。
中国外交部在周日发表的一份声明中表示,“
希望有关方面能更多致力于地区的和平与稳定”。

“制裁菲律宾”?

中国政府方面相对温和的态度与《环球时报》周日发表的一篇语气强硬的社评形成较鲜明的对比。

中国官媒《环球时报》发表了题为《把 菲律宾当“出头鸟”惩罚》的社 评,称菲律宾正在大步滑向美国在亚太重新战略布局的棋子,而菲律宾是中国‘枪打出头鸟’的 合适对 象。

文章还呼吁中国政府适时 对菲律宾进行经济制裁

社评还表示,中 国不是帝国, 所以不会随意对周边在军事上兴师问罪。但中国是有原则的 大国, 决不接受 小国拉域外大国增加本地区军事紧张,甚至以 小欺大。谁触犯中国的原则,谁就必须付出相应的代价。

南中国海角力

中国、台湾与菲律宾、越南、文莱、马来西亚等一些国家对南中国海岛礁的归属存在主权争议。

南中国海不但是重要的海上商路要冲,也蕴藏着丰富的油气资源。

越南和菲律宾近来连续指责中国在地区的采用“暴 力扩张”手段,并纷纷争取美国的军事援助。

美国政府正致力于恢复和扩展在整个亚太地区势力范围,
也至少已经表示愿意对菲律宾提供军事援助。

作为美国总统奥巴马的新亚太战略的一部分,
美国将向北澳大利亚增派2500名海军陆战队,并增派作 战舰船到新加坡。



She's Leaving Home - Motown Version







http://tinyurl.com/ShesLeavingHomeMotownMashUp


She's Leaving Home (McCartney/Lennon) remixed and rearranged by brazillian songwriter/producer Luciano Albo, using multitrack masters from Sgt Peppers and What's Going On (Marvin Gaye/Motown)


www.myspace.com/lucianoalbo

Elvis' "Suspicious Mind" In Real Life


"We Can't Go On Together with Suspicious Minds, Because Were Leveraged too Much Baby"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdmIhCkp3p4


为什么许多拒绝与中国做生意 ?



RBS拒绝了一家中资银行对其旗下飞机租赁业务的较 高出价




据知情人士透露,苏 格兰皇家银行(RBS)拒绝了一家中资银行对其 旗下飞机租赁业务的较高出价, 原因是担心这家国有银行无法完成交易。

RBS两周前以73亿美元的价格,
将旗下世界第七大租赁公司RBS Aviation Capital出售给了三井住友金融集团(Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group)。中国 国家开发银行(CDB)的出价比三井住友高2.4亿美元。 RBS的选择与外界的普遍猜测不谋而合——人们猜测,中国会趁欧洲 各银行有麻烦的时候,在欧洲和亚洲大量购买资产。



知 情人士表示,RBS之所以排除国开行,至少部分原因在于,担心中国的监管部门不会批准这笔交 易,且国开行的人很少造访RBS Aviation Capital总部,令其不满。RBS的一个人说: 
中国人老不露面。”

RBS表示,它选择了整体条件最为优厚的竞购者,
不但要考虑最终的出价,还要考虑完成交易的能 力。




国 开行是中国三大所谓的政策性银行之一。政策性银行是指不吸纳散户存款、专门根据政府政策侧重点 提供贷款的金融机构。

国开行成立的初衷是专门为国内大型基建工程提供支持,比如三峡大坝工程。

然而,近年来,国开行扩展了业务范围,向一些国家的政府提供了数十亿美元的贷款,资金部分来源 于中国3.18万亿美元的外汇储备。该行迄今为止最引人注目的一笔投资,是2007年收购巴克 莱资本(Barclays Capital) 3%的股权。

金融危机期间,国开行还曾希望收购花旗集团(Citigroup)部分股权。但对其收购巴克莱 股权已然持批评态度的中国监管机构和高级官员,否决了该交易。国开行没有回应记者的置评请求。

日本的一些银行可能会成为欧洲银行陷入困境最大的受益者之一。

三菱UFJ金融集团(Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group)收购了RBS的项目融资业务,而三井住友从爱尔兰银行(Bank of Ireland)买进了一大笔贷款组合,交易价为贷款总额的85%,以美元出价。

包括瑞穗(Mizuho)、农林中央金库(Norinchukin)在内的一些日本银行,也是 法国农业信贷银行(Crédit Agricole)在亚洲出售的一些贷款的最大买家。

The History Of This Classic Beatles Song: 

She's Leaving Home

The
            Beatles Songs: She's Leaving Home
The picture of Melanie Coe that ran with the original runaway story - "I cannot imagine why she should run away, she has everything here."


Available on: (CDs in bold)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (UK: Parlophone PMC 7027, PCS 7027; Capitol (S)MAS 2653; Parlophone CDP 7 46442 2)
Love Songs (UK: Parlophone PCSP 721, US: Capitol SKBL 11711)

History:

  • This song -- an idea by Paul, but worked on with John, just like in the early years -- was inspired by a February 27th, 1967 headline in the UK newspaper Daily Mail which read "A-Level Girl Dumps Car and Vanishes." It told the story of one Melanie Coe, a 17-year-old female "straight-A" student from a wealthy family who'd suddenly disappeared, seduced by the club scene of swinging London. Paul read the story, picking up on a line from her father: "I cannot imagine why she should run away, she has everything here." He realized it was a great idea for a song, but also spotted the generation gap at work -- the prevailing idea of the postwar free world that money could literally buy happiness, which was steadily being rejected by youths in both Europe and America.
  • The song was written quickly, with John providing much of the chorus; not only did he suggest singing the title in extended phrases, he also came up with the idea of the Greek chorus-like backing vocals echoing the parents' confusion. (Most notable was John's idea to end "We gave her everything money could buy" with the answering phrase "...bye, bye.")
  • As this song, like "Eleanor Rigby," needed no backing from the band at all, the recording of "She's Leaving Home" was extremely simple, especially by Sgt. Pepper standards; Paul simply went to the studio on March 17, 1967, with an arrangement for the small orchestra he intended to use. Unfortunately, producer George Martin had been unable to score it, having already been booked by manager Brian Epstein for a Cilla Black session, so Paul called in another arranger named Mike Leander and had him write one. (This upset Martin, but he soon got over it -- "She's Leaving Home" is the only Beatles song with an orchestral score he didn't write, with the exception of Phil Spector's remixes of "Across the Universe",  "Let It Be", "I Me Mine" and "The Long and Winding Road," done after the Beatles were essentially dissolved.) Nine takes were done, but the first was judged best, and three days later, Paul and John laid down backing vocals.

Trivia:

  • In one of the stranger coincidences in Beatle history, Paul had met Melanie Coe, the subject of his song, years earlier, though he didn't realize it when writing "She's Leaving Home." The popular Coe had entered a lip-syncing contest on the ITV musical variety show Ready Steady Go! in 1963; Paul, as the judge, named her the winner and presented her with her prize. It was only in the mid-'70s, when she saw a TV interview with McCartney about the making of Pepper, that she realized the song had been about her.
  • Coe never met "a man from the motor trade" but rather abandoned her car and belongings to move in with a croupier from a nearby casino. Unfortunately, she made the mistake of telling the wrong person where he worked, and after the father called the croupier's boss, she was back home within a week. As far as Melanie was concerned, however, this changed nothing, and before long she'd run away again, this time to marry a gentleman from Spain. After a year that marriage went sour, and Coe flew to California to live in an ashram. She eventually wound up on the Hollywood scene, dating several celebrities, including Burt Ward, who played Robin in the original ABC-TV Batman series. She returned to London in 1981 to care for her mother, who was now dying -- and there met the man she would be with ever since. They live in Spain, where she handles estate planning.
  • The stereo mix of "She's Leaving Home" was, for some reason, slowed down quite a bit from the original session tapes, so much so that the "original" mono mix is in the key of F and the stereo take in the key of E.
  • Mike Leander would go directly from this career-making appearance into scoring the Rolling Stones' hit cover of Marianne Faithfull's "As Tears Go By." He would later become even better known for co-writing and producing Gary Glitter's big hits, including "Rock and Roll (Part 2)."
  • The "man from the motor trade" was thought by many to be a sly allusion to Brian Epstein's business partner Terry Doran, who indeed owned car dealerships with him. This, however, was just a product of McCartney's imagination. Aside from that detail, however, and the fact that the escape happened in the afternoon and not the morning, Melanie now says that the song captured her emotions and the situation itself perfectly -- almost unnaturally so.  
Covered by: Harry Nilsson, Bryan Ferry, Tori Amos, Richie Havens, Cheap Trick, Ofra Harnoy, Al Jarreau, Syreeta (Stevie Wonder's wife on Motown - a great version) , Tom Scott, Rick Wakeman, Billy Bragg, Godhead, Cal Tjader, Joel Grey, Mr. Acker Bilk, David Benoit, David and Jonathan, The Baja Marimba Band, Steve Barton, Roupa Nova, Tony Osborne, London Pops Orchestra, Welsh National Orchestra, Lana Cantrell, Tok Tok Tok, Barnaby Bye, Andy Ezrin, Joe Faggin, The Grimms, Erick Saint-Laurent, Brad Mehklau Trio

Written by: Paul McCartney (50%), John Lennon (50%)

Recorded: March 17 and 20, 1967 (Studio 2, Abbey Road Studios, London, England)
Mixed: March 20, April 17, 1967
Length: 2:57
Takes: 9
Musicians:
John Lennon: lead and backing vocals
Paul McCartney: lead and backing vocals
Erich Gruenberg, Derek Jacobs, Trevor Williams, Jose Luis Garcia: violins
John Underwood, Stephen Shingles: violas
Alan Dalziel, Dennis Vigay: cellos
Gordon Pearce: bass violin
Sheila Bromberg: harp

Sunday, January 29, 2012


KCPO - It Is Sell Again But Keep Trading Very Short Term - 1/30/2012
 

The market went for another sell signal  as the Stochastic crosses down again and price went below the lower band. If you had taken this signal, I would advise tighter stop should be placed as the ADX is still falling. It is now at 14's. With this kind of level, I would keep all trades very short term, taking out profit as it goes along rather than waiting for indicators to reverse. This is to say, if you think a 50 points profit is good for you, then just take it. Unless I see the D- goes above its 30's level, I would just keep on this profit taking approach.

Now that all the 3 indicators are in a negative mode, that should at least put some comfort to your sell position. As there is no major bearish pattern or formation found at the daily chart, so I would just trade any new directions and would not get too bearish/bullish inclined.
 

The weekly chart Stochastic seems to be turning around. A negative cross down would be taken as a sell signal as price has already gone below the upper band. The ADX continues to fall , it is now at 16's.  This is also complimenting the daily chart's lack of trend.

Just like the FKLI, maybe the market is waiting for the coming holidays to pass over before taking a new direction.
FKLI - More Drifting For Now But    Watch Out For Storm Ahead - 1/30/2012




Same as last week's reading:- positive Stochastic and negative MACD, flat ADX at 10's and a wiggling DMI, all confirming a listless market. Now that even the Bollinger Band has begun to squeeze with prices stuck within the band. I would NOT trade this market at this moment but I would pay close attention as some explosive move should be coming soon across the horizon.
Though theoretically the next explosive move could be of either direction, but I take note the presence of a bearish divergence at the indicators, so I would be more inclined to bet on the sell side. 
 

The weekly chart's Stochastic and MACD continue to rise. But as the ADX continues to fall which is confirming the lack of trend in this market. I would pay attention to a possible reversal of the Stochastic. Its crossing below the 80's level accompanied with a price closing below the top band will offer a new sell signal.

And because of more holidays in the coming weeks, so I think the market should continue to drift before the real action kicks in. Fundamental news that came out recently that warrant your attention would be the great number of credit cards reduced but the amount owed still continue to rise. Also the Bank Negara's new rulings on car HP limits. And I have been wondering when the Bank Negara is going to pour some cold water over the vision impaired property bulls. Though the top politicians and officialdom keep on telling us that we should not worry too much about the EU crisis, but if you pay attention at what they have been doing, you would know - yes, we should be worried.

TRANSPARENCY Is Good


cid:90D369F5-B3F9-4786-9C09-BED74A4BBD5B@kawanengineering.com.mycid:5BF80FEF-9568-48FF-85E4-9EC6957285D9@kawanengineering.com.mycid:F92FA377-54CB-45BC-9D4F-371F261ABB6F@kawanengineering.com.mycid:85E74D36-B1E6-44B7-BF1F-8EF85B54F63A@kawanengineering.com.mycid:49ED53DF-A684-4592-99B3-9AE97971DECB@kawanengineering.com.mycid:D98CC028-23E8-4D64-A926-90A893FCD031@kawanengineering.com.mycid:A49D0A25-4F11-46AA-9245-AC44F5A60E37@kawanengineering.com.mycid:2025375C-C97C-43A5-B46D-527E8D956CA6@kawanengineering.com.mycid:E4DBA631-CCAE-4BB9-B33B-CAA02C204A57@kawanengineering.com.mycid:128616E7-AFBD-43B2-BF66-73096E6F5AFD@kawanengineering.com.my

How to Dress Like 

Marvin Gaye

Even for the most skilled dressers, assembling a killer outfit sometimes requires a little more inspiration than the average online shopping experience provides. Enter Roxana Altamirano, the genius behind Nerd Boyfriend, the style blog that offers step-by-step instructions for re-creating ensembles worn by icons ranging from Paul Newman to Harrison Ford. Now she's guest blogging on details.com every week. Have a hero you want to see featured? Leave a note in the comments and we'll see what we can do.
Marvin_Gaye_blog.jpg
As vintage Americana style continues to rise in popularity, it's only appropriate to pay tribute to one of its earliest modern pioneers, Marvin Gaye. He crafted a captivating style in the seventies by combining country roots with eccentric adornments and colors, such as the memorable "Let's Get It On" single-cover outfit of a denim shirt and a red knit cap. In this 1973 photo, he sticks with the denim and knit cap and elevates the rugged style by adding a classic white tee, work boots, and high wool socks.
Marvin_Gaye_shirt_blog.jpg
The Real McCoys Champion USA Tee (pricey, but totally worth it)

Marvin_Gaye_hat_blog.jpg
Aubin and Wills Double Knitted Cap

Marvin_Gaye_jeans_blog.jpg
Levis Vintage Clothing 1947 Denim

Marvin_Gaye_boots_blog.jpg
Chippewa 8-Inch Logger Boots





Marvin_Gaye_socks_blog.jpg

The 10 Best Selling Cars 

Of All Time

The most successful car in history may be the Ford Model T. While other models may have sold more vehicles, Ford managed to sell nearly 17 million cars from 1908 to 1927 — a period when car ownership was rare compared to today.


The Model T was so successful that nearly every other best-selling car adopted its formula. The Model T was inexpensive to buy, inexpensive to operate, reliable and built by a large company that had hundreds of dealerships and trained mechanics.
The other vehicles on this list, from the VW Passat to the Toyota Corolla, share all of these characteristics. The best-selling cars through history have appealed to a broad buyer base because they are within the reach of the masses.
The best-selling vehicles have several other notable features in common. For one, the majority were introduced just before or around the same time that gas prices began to rise rapidly in the early 1970s, primarily because of the Arab oil embargo.
Car companies offered 4-cylinder, light and fuel-efficient cars that allowed people to drive without badly hurting household budgets. Many of these cars continue to sell well today as gas prices are relatively high around the world.
Many of these cars also are manufactured and sold around the world. The Beetle is sold in the U.S. and Europe. The Passat is built in both the U.S. and China. Several of the best-selling cars from Japan are sold in most major countries around the world. Once a car proved its appeal with consumers, it made economic sense for a manufacturer to use the same base chassis and engine at plants on different continents.
24/7 Wall St. looked at best-selling car data from a number of sources. The sources included major media outlets that cover the auto industry, research firms, and car companies that keep lists of their own best-selling cars.

10. Chevy Impala (1958 – )

10. Chevy Impala (1958 – )

  • Sales: 14 million
  • Parent: General Motors (NYSE: GM)
  • Price: $25,760 (most recent)
  • Type: mid-priced V6 coupe
GM, the world’s largest car company, only has one vehicle on the list of the best-selling cars in history. That is probably because GM is a holding company with a number of brands. The Impala is also unique on the list because it is a fairly large 2-door coupe. It was even built with a huge 8-cylinder engine for a period, which made it the equivalent of many sports cars. In the early 1960s, Chevy added a 4-door model to increase the appeal of the vehicle to people who wanted a roomier backseat. The versatility of the Impala was broadened when most early models came in both hardtop and convertible. The car has been through 10 generations of major upgrades. The most recent will be offered as a 2014 model. The 2-door version of the Impala, which was the only model of its first generation, is gone.

9. Passat (1973 – )

9. Passat (1973 – )

  • Sales: 15.5 million
  • Parent: Volkswagen
  • Price: $19,995 (most recent)
  • Type: mid-priced 5 cylinder 4 door
The Passat has a 5-cylinder engine, rare among cars. It provides relatively good fuel mileage along with moderate acceleration. The Passat is priced just above the Jetta sedan and below the VW CC turbo sedan. The Passat is an unusual car because the product sold in the U.S. is very similar to the one sold by Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive in China, the world’s largest car market. VW has placed a great deal of its emphasis on the Passat, hoping it would help it grow its modest U.S. sales. The car competes with a number of mid-sized sedans sold by the Big Three and major Japanese manufacturers. VW understands that the sale of sedans, which can be used by both individual drivers and families, is critical if it is to enlarge its market share.

8. Model T (1908 – 1927)

8. Model T (1908 – 1927)

  • Sales: 16.5 million
  • Parent: Ford
  • Price: $260 (1920s)
  • Type: first mass-production sedan
The Model T is as well known for what it did for American manufacturing as what it did for American consumers. Henry Ford created the modern assembly line to make the Model T. The demand for the car, which was inexpensive by early 20th century standards, spurred Ford’s founder to set up a factory system so cars could move from one workstation to the next with a worker at each station adding one major part to the car. The assembly line allowed Ford to employ thousands of people in its Detroit area factories at relatively high wages. The other major effect of the Model T is that it made car owners out of millions of Americans. The early versions of the car sold for well under $1,000, later versions sold for under $300.

7. Accord (1976 – )

7. Accord (1976 – )

  • Sales: 17.5 million
  • Parent: Honda
  • Price: $21,380 (most recent)
  • Type: inexpensive 4 cylinder mid-sized sedan
The Accord is Honda’s mid-sized car. It is larger and more expensive than the Civic, but less expensive than the Japanese car company’s line of crossovers and hybrids. The Accord benefited from the rise in oil and gas prices in the early 1970s. It was first sold in Japan and then imported to the U.S. It was one of the first Japanese cars built in the America, beginning in 1981. The car has been so successful that it has gone through nine generations of upgrades and changes, the most recent for the 2013 model year. The base car of each generation has had a 4-cylinder engine at, or under, 2 liters to ensure fuel efficiency. Like many of the least expensive sedans sold by all of the major car companies, the Accord can be purchased with a number of options and even an upgraded 6-cylinder engine for more power and acceleration. The top-of-the-line Accord has a base price of nearly $30,000.

6. Civic (1972 – )

6. Civic (1972 – )

  • Sales: 18.5 million
  • Parent: Honda (NYSE: HMC)
  • Price: $15,605 (most recent)
  • Type: inexpensive 4-cylinder sedan
Before the Civic’s 1972 debut, Honda was primarily known for its motorcycles. The car is now one of the most popular models in America. The Civic is Honda’s low-end, light-weight, fuel-efficient offering. The base model sells for only $15,605, gets 39 MPG on the highway, and has a 4-cylinder engine. Honda offers customers of the Civic a large number of features, which can increase the price of the car. But Honda keeps a common platform to save money. There are currently hybrid models of the car, and one that operates on natural gas. The natural gas version, with a few options, sells for more than $30,000. The Civic is another example of a tiny, fuel-efficient car that gained sales traction in the U.S. when fuel prices soared in the early 1970s. The basic car has been modified and substantially upgraded nine times since the first Civic came off the assembly line.

5. Escort (1968 – 2000)

5. Escort (1968 – 2000)

  • Sales: 20 million
  • Parent: Ford
  • Price: $11,950 (2000)
  • Type: inexpensive 4-cylinder 2-door/4-door
The Escort was a small, fuel-efficient car introduced in England in 1967 and then throughout much of Europe over the following two years. The vehicle was Ford’s answer to the army of small cars made by European manufacturers like Fiat, Renault and VW. All were meant to use little gas and be cheap to operate. Most Escorts have small engines of less than 2 liters. This was enough to power 2-door, 3-door and 4-door versions of the car in a region in which gas is usually very expensive. There were six generations of Escorts. Each version offered more options and larger engines than the one before it. The Escort was replaced by the Ford Focus. A car called the Escort was sold in the U.S. from 1981 to 2003, but its great success was in Europe. That new car, sold in the U.S., unrelated in its design, is not counted here.

4. Beetle (1933 – )

4. Beetle (1933 – )

  • Sales: 23.5 million through 2011
  • Parent: Volkswagen
  • Price: $19,795 (most recent)
  • Type: inexpensive rear-engine 4-cylinder
The Beetle is VW’s flagship. Launched eight decades ago, following orders by Adolf Hitler for a family-sized “people’s car,” it was designed by sports car enthusiast Ferdinand Porsche. The vehicle has changed very little since the 1940s. It is unusual among economy cars because its engine is in its rear and is air cooled. The Beetle also comes with a diesel engine, which is a rarity among passenger cars. New diesel engines get mileage similar to hybrids. The current version of the Beetle sold in the U.S. has a small 2.5 liter, 4-cylinder engine and sells for under $20,000. To appeal to more upscale buyers and those who want better engine performance, VW offers a Turbo-powered model for nearly $30,000. VW must regret it did not market the Beetle more aggressively in the U.S. when it was among the best-selling small cars in the U.S. Japanese models and a move by the Big Three to offer fuel-efficient vehicles pushed the Beetle nearly out of the U.S. market.

3. Golf (1974 – )

3. Golf (1974 – )

  • Sales: 27.5 million
  • Parent: Volkswagen
  • Price: $17,995 (most recent)
  • Type: inexpensive 4-cylinder sedan
The Golf is VW’s least expensive compact car. When it debuted in 1974, it was originally called the Rabbit in America, and was intended to be the Beetle’s successor. Like several of the other cars on this list, it is built to be within the budgets of millions of people, as well as inexpensive to operate after purchase. The popularity of the Golf, Beetle and Passat has helped drive VW to the number two car manufacturer in the world for 2011. The Golf sells for less than $18,000 in the U.S. The base model is a 2-door with a 4-cylinder, 2.5 liter engine. VW still lags every major global manufacturer in U.S. sales. It has counted on the Golf to help close that gap. But last year it only sold 324,000 cars (all models) in the U.S., which gave it a 2.2% market share — a disappointing performance for a multinational that sold over 8.1 million vehicles worldwide.

2. F-Series (1948 – )

2. F-Series (1948 – )
Ford F-150

  • Sales: 35 million
  • Parent: Ford (NYSE: F)
  • Price: $22,990 (most recent)
  • Type: Pickup
The F-Series has been America’s best-selling full-body pickup for more than 30 years. It certainly has faced significant competition over the years, especially from the Dodge Ram, Chevy Silverado and GM Sierra, which are all built by Chrysler and GM. More recently, other competitors entered the market, such as Honda with its Ridgeline, Toyota with its Tundra, and Nissan with its Titan. But none has been able to drop the F-Series from its spot at the top of the pickup market. One of the strengths of the F-Series is that it comes in so many models that have a broad appeal across a wide set of customers. The base F-150 costs less than $23,000. Larger models are used in the construction and farm business. These have engines with outputs of well over 300 horsepower and dual rear tires. The F-450 Super Duty King Ranch has a sticker price of $63,615.

1. Corolla (1966 – )

1. Corolla (1966 – )

  • Sales: 37.5 million
  • Parent: Toyota (NYSE: TM)
  • Price: $16,130 (most recent)
  • Type: inexpensive 4-cylinder sedan
The Corolla has been the flagship of the world’s third-largest car company for more than four decades. The car has gone through 10 generations of model upgrades. It was the perfect car for Japan when it was introduced — small and fuel efficient. It was a perfect car for America when oil and gas prices soared and then fluctuated after the early 1970s oil embargo. The car always has been outfitted with a small 4-cylinder engine. The current base motor output is 132 horsepower and gets as much as 35 MPG. Ironically, an even more fuel-efficient car — the Toyota Prius hybrid — outsold the Corolla in Japan in 2010.


 

Canada Prepares For Inevitable U.S. Invasion !!!!

Flush With Oil From Alberta, Canada Prepares For Inevitable U.S. Invasion


OTTAWA, ON—It’s a subject the Canadian military high command doesn’t like to discuss, but one that’s taken on an increasing sense of urgency since the discovery of massive oil reserves in the Alberta tar sands: how to defend Canada from imminent U.S. invasion.
A highly-placed military source in the Harper government, speaking off the record, confirmed that Canada is actively preparing for an American attack. “Look, we can all see the pattern here: if a country has significant oil reserves, the United States will find a pretext to invade. Iraq, Libya—frankly, it’s either us or Iran next,” he said.
“We don’t know if the pretext will be our treatment of First Peoples, Tim Horton’s entry into the New England market, or the preemptive fight to free the world from another Justin Bieber, but believe me: the Yanks are coming,” the official added

A U.S. State Department spokesperson, Edward Voreck, would neither confirm nor deny that the U.S. had plans to invade, but he did express concerns about the state of democracy in Canada. “The recent tainted elections of [Prime Minister Stephen] Harper and [Toronto Mayor Rob] Ford – the former by the discovery that the Conservative leader was in fact made entirely of copper tubing, the latter by excessive amounts of hot dog grease – show that the peace-loving citizens of Canada are suffering under the jack boot of totalitarian regimes that do not represent their best interests.”

“If the Canadian people ask us, the United States has a moral obligation to intervene and preserve freedom in this God-forsaken, backwards part of the world that just happens to be rich in natural resources,” Voreck added.

The response from the Canadian side was swift and unequivocal: “If anyone is going to completely destroy the pristine beauty of our glorious Canada in search of non-renewable polluting fossil fuels, it will be Canadian oil companies with help from our allies the People’s Republic of China--not the running dogs of U.S. imperialism,” proclaimed Stephen Harper at a hastily arranged news conference.

“Our Mounties stand ready to drive your forces back into Montana, and mark my words: they will be very polite about it,” Harper added.

Thursday, January 26, 2012



"China Blasted US Over Its Debts" - Now US Can Go Tell China To Fuck Themselves ?


A Surprising Country Is Leading The World In Deleveraging


America is sinking deeper and deeper into a debt crisis, right?

Believe it or not this common wisdom is flat out wrong.

America's total debt to GDP ratio
has decreased 16% since 2008, leading the developed world in deleveraging, according to a new McKinsey report. Total debt, including all loans and fixed-income securities of households, corporations, financial institutions and government, is down even if government debt is up.

"American banks, firms, and households have been chipping away at their debts, more than offsetting Washington’s double-digit deficits," writes the Telegraph's Ambrose Evans-Pritchard.

The United States is the closest of all developed countries to moving into the growth phase of deleveraging, according to McKinsey. South korea and Australia were the only other countries to reduce their debt-to-GDP ratio.

Relative strength, however, does not mean that America has dodged the crisis. Mike Shedlock takes issue with Evans-Pritchard:

The US has not started government debt deleveraging and until that is nearly finished there will not be light at the end of the tunnel, let alone the end of the crisis. Optimistically, the best one can possibly assert is one can possibly see light at the end of the "consumer tunnel". The government tunnel immediately follows.


Here's McKinsey's chart:



"很多香港人是狗 ?" (5) - 孔庆东是个二五仔


89学运任高自联常委
原本在香港寂寂无闻的孔庆东即时被起底,原来他在1989年曾参与学运,是发起学生罢课的高 自联常委,一度与学运领袖王丹并肩作战。大陆网民对孔在六四后竟没被秋后算账、还当上北大教授大感奇怪,疑他当年写下悔过书自保。



孔庆东评港人

孔庆东的狂言在本港及大陆引起热烈讨论,有大陆学者在微博上留言反驳孔的歪理,但也有不少人讚孔骂港人骂得有理。香港网民则一面倒「反 孔」,发起今 天下午 3时到中联办散步放狗的facebook群组,仅两天便有逾1.5万个like。有网民把孔的样貌恶搞成一隻狗,有大陆网民指被謔称「孔叫兽」(普通话 『孔教授』谐音)的孔庆东是北大之耻。
代表在北大就读香港学生的北京大学香港文化会会长莫介邦昨称,会方拟日内发公开信,批评孔的言论过份,指其言论不代表北大师生。他说,孔骂 港人是狗有片為证,不容抵赖,「据我亲身感受,大陆人唔会觉得香港人好叻,但亦唔会敌视香港人」。


「孔和尚」本名孔慶東,在內地一直是爭議人物。

他自稱是孔子第七十三代孫子,身為北京大學中文系教授,經常在網上發表激烈言論,曾於韓國任教,卻 大力吹捧朝鮮。畢業於北大中文系的孔慶東人稱「北大醉俠」,一九六四年於哈爾濱出生。在六四事件中,是北京「高自聯」的常委之一,後來受到官方整 肅,九十年代末成為魯迅崇拜者,以雜文載譽文壇。

不少人不滿他身為北大學者,言行卻似流氓地痞。
但孔慶東依然故我,語不驚人誓不休,曾發表「記者不 如妓女」、「沒有強拆就沒有新中國」及「縣委書記不強拆,知識分子吃甚麼?」等驚人言論。

孔慶東經常
指責南方報業集團為「漢奸媒體」,又曾宣稱「記者現在是我們國家一大公害」。孔慶東還是 孔子和平獎的十六位評委之一,亦曾公開批評諾貝爾和平獎「變味了」。