Shares rally as Greece backs down

Posted to The Age (4/11/2011) on 4/11/2011 at 2:32 PM
Commenting on "Markets Live: Shares rally as Greece backs down"
http://www.theage.com.au/business/markets-live-shares-rally-as-greece-backs-down-20111104-1myk8.html

People do believe in fairy god mother. How likely will Greece get out of their financial trouble after the bail out? How can years of reckless, mismanaged economy and short-sighted industrial modification be fixed with the stroke of a pen, or some loud verbal threats by their neighbours?

Greece faced economic hardships and defaulted on its loans in 1826, 1843, 1860 and 1893 (Wikipedia). Greeks are supposedly one of the most hardworking after the South Koreans. However, the number of hours cannot be translated to efficiency or effectiveness.

Loss of competitive edge in manufacturing to more efficient and cheaper countries costs export income. Greece also relies heavily on service industries including tourism, which prosper during economic good times. Not unlike many other countries, the hosting of the Olympics Games resulted financial losses in the millions. All these create huge unemployment, and no matter how big the bail out, the situations will be difficult to reversed.

Greece has to default and free itself from the Eurozone and start afresh. Change experts know that change can only be achieved effectively if one is prepared to do so without the external pressure. Greece citizens have to bite the bullet and learn to live within their means.

Germany is flexing its muscle to get this finished and done with, because it has a lot more to lose if Greece were to go bankrupt and leaves the clan - it will affect the Euro currency, and make export expensive.

The rise of unemployment is not a unique Grecian phenomenon. It is a lesson Australia must take note.

Shares lose $20b as sell-off continues

Posted to The Age (3/10/2011) on 3/10/2011 at 1:14 PM
Commenting on "Shares lose $20b as sell-off continues"
http://www.theage.com.au/business/markets/shares-lose-20b-as-selloff-continues-20111003-1l4ai.html

We have not seen the last of the fall yet. ASX ordinary index will fall to 3500 within the next few days. While we need to live more optimistically, or else life is not worth living, we also need to be realistic and live within our means. Everything, in the universe, is always in a state of equilibrium. When something goes negative, another goes positive. The share market fall results in larger amount of money in the bank deposit; share market players lose but bank account holders win. In fact, this is the fundamental principle of accounting rule.

Borrowers cannot keep on borrowing, because the lenders cannot even get their interests from the borrowers let alone the principal. Germans cannot just handout money to the Greeks who work shorter hours, and many live on social welfare enjoying the Mediterranean sun. Young Greeks of today suffer because the romantic, casual and relaxed life style enjoyed by forebears of yesteryears did not create solid foundation for employment.

European financial crisis is analogous to a fast descending hot air balloon. It has reached a stage that almost everything, except the balloonists, in the balloon basket has to be thrown overboard to keep the balloon afloat. If the rest of European countries go down with Greece, no one is wiser, and even if with the best intention, Greece will not survive, because the rest also become exhausted in energy and fund.

As what the former Singapore Prime Minister Mr Lee Kwan Yew once said, “give a beggar a gold coin, he will ask for a second one.”

German mutant contagious strain E.coli killed

Posted to Daily Mail (2/6/2011) on 3/6/2011 at 4:54 PM
Commenting on "Mutant E.coli is in Britain: Seven victims in UK have new contagious strain that's killed 18"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1393746/E-coli-outbreak-hits-Britain-7-victims-UK-contagious-srain-thats-killed-18.html

Posted to CNN (3/6/2011) on 4/6/2011 at 2:11 AM
Commenting on "World health officials scramble to stem deadly E. coli outbreak"
hhttp://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/06/02/europe.e.coli/index.html

Death is no laughing matter, and this is not a hoax.

Many people are careful about healthy living yet they forget about hygiene. They do not wash the vegetables and fruits before consuming them, or wash their hands after going to toilet. They walk bare-foot or wear the same shoes that have walked on dirty streets in the house, bringing all the filth from the outside to the living area. Parents allow babies to crawl on floors and carpet full of germs. It used to be homeless and lower socio-economic people that sit on footpaths or grass in public area, but now no one gives any thought about the "shit" they are sitting on. What about dirty pets in the house/beds?

People pay for organic produces that can be dirtier and more bacteria-borne than non-organic ones. No one questions about the water source of bottled water, whether it has been contaminated by someone having a bath or doing business upstream. Idiotically many people choose to put bacteria in their stomaches for good health.