这是炎热小镇慵懒的一天。
太阳高挂，街道无人，时机歹歹，每个人都债台高筑，靠信用度日。
这天，从外地来了一位有钱的旅客，正开车通过镇上。
他在一家汽车旅馆前停车，进去后，拿出一张1000 元钞票放在柜台，说他想先看看楼上的房间，挑一间合适的过夜。
就在该名先生上楼的时候，店主抓了这张1000 元钞，跑到隔壁屠户那里付了他欠的钱。屠夫有了1000 元，横过马路付清了欠猪农的钱。猪农拿了1000 元，奔向饲料和燃料供应商，也付清了他欠的钱。那个在农会做事的老兄，拿到1000 元，赶忙去付清他召妓的钱（经济不景气的时候，当地的服务业也不得不提供信用服务）。有了1000 元，这名妓女冲到旅馆付了她所欠的房间钱。
旅馆店主把这1000 元放到柜台上，以免旅客下楼时起疑。
此时这位旅客下楼来，拿起1000 元钞票，声称客房没一间满意的，他把钱收回，塞进口袋，走了。
这一天，表面看起来，没有人生产了什么东西，也没有人得到任何东西。
但是现在全镇的债务都清了，而且以更乐观的态度面对未来。
各位女士先生们，钱就是要这样流通。妙吧! （转自互联网）
2010-12-29
2010-12-28
分粥制度
世间极复杂的问题，可以用极简单的事例加以说明。我们不妨从一个简单情形出发，探讨一下权力制约的制度问题。
有七个人组成的小团体，其中每个人都是平凡而平等，没有凶险祸害之心，但不免自私自利。他们想用非暴力的方式，通过制定制度来解决每天的吃饭问题---要分食一锅粥，但并没有称量用具或有刻度的容器。大家试验了不同的方法，发挥了聪明才智，多次博弈形成了日益完善的制度。
大体说来主要有以下几种：
方法一：指定一个人负责分粥事宜。很快大家就发现，这个人为自己分得粥最多。于是又换了一个人，结果总是主持分粥的人碗里的粥最多最好。
此结论是：权力会导致腐败，绝对的权力绝对腐败。
方法二：大家轮流主持分粥，每人一天。这样等于承认了个人有为自己多分粥的权力，同时给予了每个人有多分粥的机会。虽然看起来平等了，但是每个人在一周中只有一天吃得饱而且有剩余，其余六天饥饿难挨。大家认为这种办法造成了资源浪费。
方法三：大家选取一个信得过的人分粥。开始这位品德尚属上乘的人还能公平分粥，但不久他开始为自己和溜须拍马的人多分。不能放任其堕落和风气败坏，还得寻找新思路。
方法四：选举一个分粥委员会和一个监督委员会，形成监督和制约。公平基本上做到了，可是由于监督委员会常提出各种议案，分粥委员会又据理力争，等分粥完毕后，粥早就凉了。
方法五：每个人轮流值日分粥，但是分粥的人要最后一个领粥。令人惊奇的是，在这个制度下，七只碗里的粥每次都是一样多，就象用科学仪器量过的一样。每个主持分粥的人都认识到：如果七只碗里的粥不相同，他确定无疑将享用那份最少的。
现代经济学是这样表述的：制度至关紧要；制度是人选择的，是交易的结果。好的制度混然天成，清晰而精妙，既简洁又高效，令人为之感叹！
Related: Who gets paid first and who gets paid the most - http://howtze.blogspot.com/2008/06/who-gets-paid-first-and-who-gets-paid.html
有七个人组成的小团体，其中每个人都是平凡而平等，没有凶险祸害之心，但不免自私自利。他们想用非暴力的方式，通过制定制度来解决每天的吃饭问题---要分食一锅粥，但并没有称量用具或有刻度的容器。大家试验了不同的方法，发挥了聪明才智，多次博弈形成了日益完善的制度。
大体说来主要有以下几种：
方法一：指定一个人负责分粥事宜。很快大家就发现，这个人为自己分得粥最多。于是又换了一个人，结果总是主持分粥的人碗里的粥最多最好。
此结论是：权力会导致腐败，绝对的权力绝对腐败。
方法二：大家轮流主持分粥，每人一天。这样等于承认了个人有为自己多分粥的权力，同时给予了每个人有多分粥的机会。虽然看起来平等了，但是每个人在一周中只有一天吃得饱而且有剩余，其余六天饥饿难挨。大家认为这种办法造成了资源浪费。
方法三：大家选取一个信得过的人分粥。开始这位品德尚属上乘的人还能公平分粥，但不久他开始为自己和溜须拍马的人多分。不能放任其堕落和风气败坏，还得寻找新思路。
方法四：选举一个分粥委员会和一个监督委员会，形成监督和制约。公平基本上做到了，可是由于监督委员会常提出各种议案，分粥委员会又据理力争，等分粥完毕后，粥早就凉了。
方法五：每个人轮流值日分粥，但是分粥的人要最后一个领粥。令人惊奇的是，在这个制度下，七只碗里的粥每次都是一样多，就象用科学仪器量过的一样。每个主持分粥的人都认识到：如果七只碗里的粥不相同，他确定无疑将享用那份最少的。
现代经济学是这样表述的：制度至关紧要；制度是人选择的，是交易的结果。好的制度混然天成，清晰而精妙，既简洁又高效，令人为之感叹！
Related: Who gets paid first and who gets paid the most - http://howtze.blogspot.com/2008/06/who-gets-paid-first-and-who-gets-paid.html
2010-12-27
2010-12-26
2010-12-20
G Edward Griffin - Creature From Jekyll Island A Second Look at the Federal Reserve
 | Where does money come from? Where does it go? Who makes it? The money magicians' secrets are unveiled. This book is about the most blatant scam of all history. It's all here: the cause of wars, boom-bust cycles, inflation, depression, prosperity. Creature from Jekyll Island is a "must read." Your world view will definitely change. You'll never trust a politician again... Check out the book "The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve" !  |
2010-12-17
The Next Leadership Revolution?
One reason why the bankers and politicians don’t want our money backed by gold is because they’d lose their power. If our money was stabilized, we could do business logically because it would be based upon sane business principles. As long as bankers and politicians have the power to play games with money, we the people depend on them to save us and save our economy.
With gold floating between $1,300 and $1,400 an ounce, the world markets are saying, “Inflation is coming.” This means your money will be worth even less. When inflation and taxes go through the roof, there will be more people who will slide from the middle class into poverty. With higher taxes and inflation, pensions plans, Social Security, and Medicare will collapse. This means many who are middle class today will become the nouveaux-poor of tomorrow.
As I wrote in Conspiracy Of The Rich, in times of financial crisis, leadership revolutions happen. In 1933, FDR and Adolf Hitler came to power. Mao came to power when the Chinese economy collapsed. Stalin and Napoleon are also products of financial crisis.
So, what will be the next leadership revolution?
As this crisis spreads, fear will turn to anger, and more people will look for revolutionary leaders. Always remember the Declaration of Independence was not so much about independence as it was a declaration of anger at mother England ripping off the colonists. This anger led to the American Revolution, and a new nation was born. I believe we’re at the same flash point today.
With gold floating between $1,300 and $1,400 an ounce, the world markets are saying, “Inflation is coming.” This means your money will be worth even less. When inflation and taxes go through the roof, there will be more people who will slide from the middle class into poverty. With higher taxes and inflation, pensions plans, Social Security, and Medicare will collapse. This means many who are middle class today will become the nouveaux-poor of tomorrow.
As I wrote in Conspiracy Of The Rich, in times of financial crisis, leadership revolutions happen. In 1933, FDR and Adolf Hitler came to power. Mao came to power when the Chinese economy collapsed. Stalin and Napoleon are also products of financial crisis.
So, what will be the next leadership revolution?
As this crisis spreads, fear will turn to anger, and more people will look for revolutionary leaders. Always remember the Declaration of Independence was not so much about independence as it was a declaration of anger at mother England ripping off the colonists. This anger led to the American Revolution, and a new nation was born. I believe we’re at the same flash point today.
2010-12-16
Control People via Fear
The recent $115 billion bailout of Ireland demonstrates how desperate the world is. The European Union, including England, says, “We don’t want the crisis to spread.” They say, “If Ireland falls, then Portugal, Italy and Spain will be joining Greece.” They say, “If the European Union fails, England and the US will fail because the EU is the biggest trading partner of England and the US.”
When we the people, the voters, hear this, we happily agree to a $115 billion bailout of Ireland. Without financial education, the average person doesn’t ask, “Where did the $115 billion come from?” The answer is, “The banks printed it.” Nor does the average voter ask, “Who is going to pay the 6 percent interest on the $115 billion?” The answer is, “The Irish taxpayer.” Nor does the average person ask, “And who receives the interest on the $115 billion?” The answer is, “The bankers and those that own the banks.”
Again, this is one reason why there is no financial education in our schools. How else can the ultra rich put their hands in our pockets and steal our wealth besides having us be ignorant of what they’re doing? It’s via our fear of not having enough money, and being poor and destitute, that we blindly allow the ultra rich to steal from us by controlling the money system.
When our political leaders in the US say, “The recession is over,” I wonder what they’re smoking. I wonder who is paying them off. Just because consumers are back shopping for the holiday season, doesn’t mean that we are out of the woods.
When I listen to voters, lathered up and frothing at the mouth about who will win the next election, I feel for them. I know they hope for a new Messiah. Do voters really think that new political leaders can save them from the corruption of the world banking system?
Voters should ask better questions: “What if our politicians cannot save the world? What if they screw up? What are we the people going to do? What if we do slide into a global depression or global hyperinflation? Is there really a new Messiah who can save us? Should we do as President Obama suggests and count on the ‘Audacity of Hope?’”
My rich dad often said, “Hope is for the hopeless.” I’m afraid that the financial situation is hopeless for millions of people, especially if they hope their elected officials will save them.
When we the people, the voters, hear this, we happily agree to a $115 billion bailout of Ireland. Without financial education, the average person doesn’t ask, “Where did the $115 billion come from?” The answer is, “The banks printed it.” Nor does the average voter ask, “Who is going to pay the 6 percent interest on the $115 billion?” The answer is, “The Irish taxpayer.” Nor does the average person ask, “And who receives the interest on the $115 billion?” The answer is, “The bankers and those that own the banks.”
Again, this is one reason why there is no financial education in our schools. How else can the ultra rich put their hands in our pockets and steal our wealth besides having us be ignorant of what they’re doing? It’s via our fear of not having enough money, and being poor and destitute, that we blindly allow the ultra rich to steal from us by controlling the money system.
When our political leaders in the US say, “The recession is over,” I wonder what they’re smoking. I wonder who is paying them off. Just because consumers are back shopping for the holiday season, doesn’t mean that we are out of the woods.
When I listen to voters, lathered up and frothing at the mouth about who will win the next election, I feel for them. I know they hope for a new Messiah. Do voters really think that new political leaders can save them from the corruption of the world banking system?
Voters should ask better questions: “What if our politicians cannot save the world? What if they screw up? What are we the people going to do? What if we do slide into a global depression or global hyperinflation? Is there really a new Messiah who can save us? Should we do as President Obama suggests and count on the ‘Audacity of Hope?’”
My rich dad often said, “Hope is for the hopeless.” I’m afraid that the financial situation is hopeless for millions of people, especially if they hope their elected officials will save them.
2010-12-15
The New Messiah
Personally, I don’t think it makes much difference which party wins. For those of you who have read Conspiracy of the Rich: The 8 New Rules of Money, you already know I believe the rich control the show and that whoever is elected is simply a puppet with the rich pulling the strings.
Millions of middle class voters are hoping and praying someone will save them from this financial crisis. The Tea Party movement is primarily a middle-class movement, a group of people who suspect they’re sliding from the middle class into a future of poverty.
The poor in America may care who’s elected, but they’re not involved in this political battle. The poor already know that politics cannot save them from their poverty, which is why traditionally only a small percentage of the poor vote. They also know their Messiah, President Obama, is in trouble for trying to save them. The poor know that the middle class are not interested in saving the poor because the middle class are now focused on saving themselves.
What most voters don’t know is that the problem isn’t political. So, it cannot be solved by electing new political leaders. The problem is financial, and the core of the problem is located in the Federal Reserve Bank. In other words, the rich control us through the banking system, not the political system.
...the ultra rich control us via our monetary system and our educational system, which is why we have almost zero financial education in our schools. Without financial education, most voters choose to trust in their vote rather than become financially educated.
Without a financial education, most voters don’t realize that financial crises and bank bailouts are integral to the business plan of the ultra rich. The business plan, built around a system of central banks, needs financial crises and bailouts to become richer and control the people via fear.
I was taught, “God helps those that help themselves.” I believe in taking care of myself, not depending on the government to take care of me. My financial education is my defense against an incompetent and often corrupt leadership—and the growing masses of desperate people who are hoping, praying, and voting for a new Messiah. ~Robert Kiyosaki
Millions of middle class voters are hoping and praying someone will save them from this financial crisis. The Tea Party movement is primarily a middle-class movement, a group of people who suspect they’re sliding from the middle class into a future of poverty.
The poor in America may care who’s elected, but they’re not involved in this political battle. The poor already know that politics cannot save them from their poverty, which is why traditionally only a small percentage of the poor vote. They also know their Messiah, President Obama, is in trouble for trying to save them. The poor know that the middle class are not interested in saving the poor because the middle class are now focused on saving themselves.
What most voters don’t know is that the problem isn’t political. So, it cannot be solved by electing new political leaders. The problem is financial, and the core of the problem is located in the Federal Reserve Bank. In other words, the rich control us through the banking system, not the political system.
...the ultra rich control us via our monetary system and our educational system, which is why we have almost zero financial education in our schools. Without financial education, most voters choose to trust in their vote rather than become financially educated.
Without a financial education, most voters don’t realize that financial crises and bank bailouts are integral to the business plan of the ultra rich. The business plan, built around a system of central banks, needs financial crises and bailouts to become richer and control the people via fear.
I was taught, “God helps those that help themselves.” I believe in taking care of myself, not depending on the government to take care of me. My financial education is my defense against an incompetent and often corrupt leadership—and the growing masses of desperate people who are hoping, praying, and voting for a new Messiah. ~Robert Kiyosaki
2010-12-12
Fine Wine Investment
Robert Parker 世界评酒大师
1982年法国波尔多气候条件很理想，生产的葡萄品质特别好。
据说 1982 年正牌拉菲当年产量只有 20 万瓶，副牌小拉菲也是只有大约 20 万瓶。
年份红酒是喝一瓶少一瓶的奢侈品，好年份的红酒越老越珍稀，价格当然节节上升。
Chateau Lafite Rothschild， 1983 年首次公开出售，每瓶 GBP 22.
2006年6月, 1 x 1982 Lafite GBP 716
2010年3月, 1 x 1982 Lafite GBP 2,415
2010年7月, 1 x 1982 Lafite GBP 3,600 (Bordeaux Index)
3 x 1869 sold at USD 230,000, 卖价是苏富比预估的 28 倍。
Carruades de Lafite - 小拉菲，拉菲副牌酒
Chateau Latour 拉图, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 木桐
Related：最终极资产
1982年法国波尔多气候条件很理想，生产的葡萄品质特别好。
据说 1982 年正牌拉菲当年产量只有 20 万瓶，副牌小拉菲也是只有大约 20 万瓶。
年份红酒是喝一瓶少一瓶的奢侈品，好年份的红酒越老越珍稀，价格当然节节上升。
Chateau Lafite Rothschild， 1983 年首次公开出售，每瓶 GBP 22.
2006年6月, 1 x 1982 Lafite GBP 716
2010年3月, 1 x 1982 Lafite GBP 2,415
2010年7月, 1 x 1982 Lafite GBP 3,600 (Bordeaux Index)
3 x 1869 sold at USD 230,000, 卖价是苏富比预估的 28 倍。
Carruades de Lafite - 小拉菲，拉菲副牌酒
Chateau Latour 拉图, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 木桐
Related：最终极资产
2010-12-10
How much does it take to be 'rich'?
It takes more than a million -- that's for sure. Popular culture gives some hints at how many dollars it takes to be really wealthy in this millennium.
The old million-dollar standard seems defunct now that this amount is often touted as a minimum that should be saved for a comfortable retirement.
Movie:
In the movie "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," Dr. Evil, the villain frozen in the '60s and thawed in modern times, tries to extort $1 million from the world's leaders -- and they all laugh. Dr. Evil later figures out that he needs to ask for much more money -- $1 million just isn't a significant sum. The bad doctor later ups his demand to a suitably sinister $100 billion.
Sean Parker: You know what's cooler than a million dollars?
Eduardo Saverin: You?
Sean Parker: A billion dollars.
~The Social Network
Forbes' list:
When Forbes began compiling its lists of the 400 richest Americans back in 1982, just 13 of those people were billionaires. In 2010, every person on the list was worth at least a billion dollars, and the highest-ranked person, Bill Gates, was worth $54 billion.
Forbes' 2010 list of the world's billionaires includes a whopping 1,011 entries. Of those, 75 people are tied for last place with a net worth of $1 billion.
You don't have to be a Warren Buffett or a Sergey Brin to find yourself at the top.
Books:
The idea that you can be a millionaire, or even a multimillionaire, and still be middle class shows how times have changed.
Even top-selling children's books like "The Billionaire's Curse," "Mr. Gum and the Biscuit Billionaire" and "Billionaire Boy" make a billion dollars the new standard to aspire to.
2010-12-01
The New Economy
Money
With money being debt, savers are losers. Old-economy people are still trying to save money as interest rates are near zero and the Fed is printing trillions of dollars. In the new economy, debtors are winners and savers are losers.
Education
In the new economy, with technology changing so fast, students are obsolete before they leave school. Higher education is common, not unique. Just because you have a college degree doesn’t ensure a secure, high paying job. With lower wages and the cost of school loans is more of a burden than ever, the cost of a college education may be more than the return on the investment.
In the new economy, factories have moved over seas. Today, the world has too many factories. If workers want higher wages, the factories simply relocate to lower-wage countries.
The Information Age and the new economy eliminate jobs. Just as the automobile made horses obsolete, technology makes many professions obsolete.
In the new economy, having a high-paying job may make you a target for technology that can do your job for much less. In the new economy, technology rewards entrepreneurs who use that technology to produce more for less. In the new economy, technology makes many employees redundant, expensive, and less valuable.
In the new economy, the worker is responsible for their paycheck for life. And if the stock market and real estate market continues to crash, millions of retired workers may have to go back to work.
Two Economies in One
In any country, there are two economies. One economy is made up of workers operating by the rules of the old economy. These are the people hurting in the new economy. The other economy is made up with people operating by the rules of the new economy. These people are thriving in the new economy.
The interesting thing is that people operating by the rules of the old economy often live next door to those operating by the rules of the new economy. The question is: which economy are you operating in?
With money being debt, savers are losers. Old-economy people are still trying to save money as interest rates are near zero and the Fed is printing trillions of dollars. In the new economy, debtors are winners and savers are losers.
Education
In the new economy, with technology changing so fast, students are obsolete before they leave school. Higher education is common, not unique. Just because you have a college degree doesn’t ensure a secure, high paying job. With lower wages and the cost of school loans is more of a burden than ever, the cost of a college education may be more than the return on the investment.
In the new economy, factories have moved over seas. Today, the world has too many factories. If workers want higher wages, the factories simply relocate to lower-wage countries.
The Information Age and the new economy eliminate jobs. Just as the automobile made horses obsolete, technology makes many professions obsolete.
In the new economy, having a high-paying job may make you a target for technology that can do your job for much less. In the new economy, technology rewards entrepreneurs who use that technology to produce more for less. In the new economy, technology makes many employees redundant, expensive, and less valuable.
In the new economy, the worker is responsible for their paycheck for life. And if the stock market and real estate market continues to crash, millions of retired workers may have to go back to work.
Two Economies in One
In any country, there are two economies. One economy is made up of workers operating by the rules of the old economy. These are the people hurting in the new economy. The other economy is made up with people operating by the rules of the new economy. These people are thriving in the new economy.
The interesting thing is that people operating by the rules of the old economy often live next door to those operating by the rules of the new economy. The question is: which economy are you operating in?
2010-11-28
2010-11-27
What's Next for Yourself?
Mr.Finance
iPod 或 iPad 都不是什么新一代，而是完整策略视野下的旧瓶新酒。
转头看看世界杯足球赛，还会看广告的人，会注意到Adidas花了一大笔钱成为官方指定赞助商。全球市占率36% 的 Nike，被市占率22% 的Adidas抢走这个机会，Nike如何回防？
森林里有两条路，Nike 选择了人迹罕至的一条：世界杯还没开打，五月中，在宅男府女邀游的YouTube，出现了Nike找来球星拍摄的短片《Write The Future》，结果在一个月内，不同的版本，总共吸引了几千万人次游览点阅，变成Adidas 在电视上转播办英雄大宴，Nike在网络上玩起了英雄小宴。连转贴的帖子在内，看到这些影片的随便就有几亿人，多少有人会因为这类无赖行销(ambush marketing),而误以为官方赞助商是Nike。
What's next? 不在我们眼神直视处，可能在旁边，可能在身后。未来，不是一场一万公尺的径赛，一路往前跑，而是一场足球赛，你的对手可能从四面八方冒出来，抢走你的球。
下一步？生涯的下一步，一定在同样的公司，同样的场域，同样的地点吗？我们的视野，将会从传统的一百二十度，拓展到三百六十度，只有这样，我们才能做出最好的决定。What's Next for Yourself?
相关：The Road Not Taken
iPod 或 iPad 都不是什么新一代，而是完整策略视野下的旧瓶新酒。
转头看看世界杯足球赛，还会看广告的人，会注意到Adidas花了一大笔钱成为官方指定赞助商。全球市占率36% 的 Nike，被市占率22% 的Adidas抢走这个机会，Nike如何回防？
森林里有两条路，Nike 选择了人迹罕至的一条：世界杯还没开打，五月中，在宅男府女邀游的YouTube，出现了Nike找来球星拍摄的短片《Write The Future》，结果在一个月内，不同的版本，总共吸引了几千万人次游览点阅，变成Adidas 在电视上转播办英雄大宴，Nike在网络上玩起了英雄小宴。连转贴的帖子在内，看到这些影片的随便就有几亿人，多少有人会因为这类无赖行销(ambush marketing),而误以为官方赞助商是Nike。
What's next? 不在我们眼神直视处，可能在旁边，可能在身后。未来，不是一场一万公尺的径赛，一路往前跑，而是一场足球赛，你的对手可能从四面八方冒出来，抢走你的球。
下一步？生涯的下一步，一定在同样的公司，同样的场域，同样的地点吗？我们的视野，将会从传统的一百二十度，拓展到三百六十度，只有这样，我们才能做出最好的决定。What's Next for Yourself?
相关：The Road Not Taken
2010-11-26
虚拟大国诞生，第三波淘金潮在 facebook
一个 Facebook 粉丝值多少钱？
答案是：最高可达 136美元，关键是：你会变现吗？
100 多年前，人们怀着梦想到美国西部挖金矿；10年前，场景由美国转移到人口最多的中国，各国企业争先恐后到中国寻立足之地。
但现在，一个在地图上找不到区块、看不到范围的国度浮现，它是拥有 5 亿人口的 Facebook。
在这里，不但可以最快看到世界每一秒的变化，更有机会赚到过去你所想象不到的丰厚利润...
虚拟大国诞生，第三波淘金潮在 facebook
Related:
2 个月十倍增长！
The Money Is In The List
Concepts Behind Online Campaign
100 多年前，人们怀着梦想到美国西部挖金矿；10年前，场景由美国转移到人口最多的中国，各国企业争先恐后到中国寻立足之地。
但现在，一个在地图上找不到区块、看不到范围的国度浮现，它是拥有 5 亿人口的 Facebook。
在这里，不但可以最快看到世界每一秒的变化，更有机会赚到过去你所想象不到的丰厚利润...
虚拟大国诞生，第三波淘金潮在 facebook
Related:
2 个月十倍增长！
The Money Is In The List
Concepts Behind Online Campaign
2010-11-25
2010-11-24
Go Green. Live Rich.
能够按照自己最认可的价值观生活，这将是我们每天给自己的一份礼物。如果我们居住的房屋，我们工作和出行的方式，以及我们的日常习惯会保护地球 - 我们真正的家 - 而不是破坏它，那将会是多么和谐的一件事。
如果你在上世纪八九十年代错失投资信息技术革命的机遇，那你就错过了20世纪最大的投资机会。但现在，环保是一项新技术，在21世纪投资绿色环保和20世纪投资信息技术革命一样。
开展一项绿色事业
整个世界正急于找出气候变化、原油减产以及其他环境问题的解决之道，这为企业家们创造了通过保护地球而赚钱的无限商机。事实上，在能源、交通、生产制造、设计、食品、健康以及你所能列举出来的每个领域，都存在对环保问题的解决方法进行创新的需求。
为什么不认真想想呢？无论你在做什么，请暂停一下，想一想，是否可以用更加明智、更好、更环保的方法来做呢？
Related: See The Future Through Younger Eyes
如果你在上世纪八九十年代错失投资信息技术革命的机遇，那你就错过了20世纪最大的投资机会。但现在，环保是一项新技术，在21世纪投资绿色环保和20世纪投资信息技术革命一样。
If you are not rich today because you missed the last boat leaving the dock, do not worry, another boat to the land of riches and opportunity is getting ready to sail. The question is, will you be on it?
整个世界正急于找出气候变化、原油减产以及其他环境问题的解决之道，这为企业家们创造了通过保护地球而赚钱的无限商机。事实上，在能源、交通、生产制造、设计、食品、健康以及你所能列举出来的每个领域，都存在对环保问题的解决方法进行创新的需求。
为什么不认真想想呢？无论你在做什么，请暂停一下，想一想，是否可以用更加明智、更好、更环保的方法来做呢？
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Related: See The Future Through Younger Eyes
2010-11-22
True Wealth - Bucky
We are blessed indeed to be in an environment where vast resources is shared to uplift our consciousness and awareness about ourselves, and the world around us...
Are there times when you give "WEALTH" lip service...?
How much time, energy goes actually goes into wealth production ideas & activities?
Do you take yourself out of the game consciously by quitting/choosing not to play or do you sabotage yourself?
If you have already amass some wealth, what could it be for you... leaving a legacy for your loved ones and community.
How to empower yourself to create structures/habits to keep you on track/on purpose in achieving the level of wealth that you want to create?
What you may need to stop doing and start doing?
What are you willing to give up that may no longer be supporting you?
What are you willing to take on that may be completely outside your comfort zone?
"The most expensive piece of real estate is the 6 inches between our right and left ear.
It's what you create in that area that determines your WEALTH.
We are only really limited by our mind." ~ Dr. Dolf de Roos, M&Y Grad.
What you increase your consciousness of, you increase the experience of.
Buckminster Fuller Quote:
"The Things to do are: the things that need doing, that you see need to be done, and that no one else seems to see need to be done. Then you will conceive your own way of doing that which needs to be done — that no one else has told you to do or how to do it. This will bring out the real you that often gets buried inside a character that has acquired a superficial array of behaviours induced or imposed by others on the individual."
"Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren't any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn't be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life's challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person." ~R. Buckminster Fuller (1895 - 1983)
"True Wealth" Defined, by Randolph Craft (videos)
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1562225291092
Intro to Bucky - "On Integrity", by Randolph Craft (videos)
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1558491637753
Are there times when you give "WEALTH" lip service...?
How much time, energy goes actually goes into wealth production ideas & activities?
Do you take yourself out of the game consciously by quitting/choosing not to play or do you sabotage yourself?
If you have already amass some wealth, what could it be for you... leaving a legacy for your loved ones and community.
How to empower yourself to create structures/habits to keep you on track/on purpose in achieving the level of wealth that you want to create?
What you may need to stop doing and start doing?
What are you willing to give up that may no longer be supporting you?
What are you willing to take on that may be completely outside your comfort zone?
"The most expensive piece of real estate is the 6 inches between our right and left ear.
It's what you create in that area that determines your WEALTH.
We are only really limited by our mind." ~ Dr. Dolf de Roos, M&Y Grad.
What you increase your consciousness of, you increase the experience of.
Buckminster Fuller Quote:
"The Things to do are: the things that need doing, that you see need to be done, and that no one else seems to see need to be done. Then you will conceive your own way of doing that which needs to be done — that no one else has told you to do or how to do it. This will bring out the real you that often gets buried inside a character that has acquired a superficial array of behaviours induced or imposed by others on the individual."
"Never forget that you are one of a kind. Never forget that if there weren't any need for you in all your uniqueness to be on this earth, you wouldn't be here in the first place. And never forget, no matter how overwhelming life's challenges and problems seem to be, that one person can make a difference in the world. In fact, it is always because of one person that all the changes that matter in the world come about. So be that one person." ~R. Buckminster Fuller (1895 - 1983)
"True Wealth" Defined, by Randolph Craft (videos)
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1562225291092
Intro to Bucky - "On Integrity", by Randolph Craft (videos)
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1558491637753
2010-11-21
战场上的娃娃兵
童年时快乐的时光，但你知道吗？全球还有 25 万娃娃兵，他们远离父母，每天为了廉价十五卖命卖身。“爱护儿童”已经是人尽皆知的口号，但这种爱护一直前行在一条漫长而曲折的道路上。让未成年的孩子远离枪支，应是世界各国共同的责任，因为放下枪的娃娃们也代表了我们共同的未来。
光华
Related: 手机的廉价人力成本, 全球帝国之北方和南方
光华
Related: 手机的廉价人力成本, 全球帝国之北方和南方
2010-11-20
新时代 “三人行” 人生开讲
刚开始赚到钱的时候，会有想休息的念头。可是当你开始对工作培养出兴趣时，则想挑战更上一层楼，超越自我。~彭建伟, Norman Pang 《一亿人生》《二亿组织》
静心者恩怨不能乱其神，有德者是非不能扰其心。
中年以前不要怕，中年以后不要悔。成功者善于放弃，善于从损失中看到价值。
很多事先天注定，那是命。我们可以决定怎么面对，那是运。性格决定命运，态度决定人生。成功人士始终用最积极的思考，最乐观的精神和最丰富的经验来支配和控制自己的人生。
能够创造机会的事天才，晓得把握机会的是庸才，放弃机会的是蠢才。我不是天才，但不想当蠢才。~叶剑锋，Owen Yap
机会在眼前时就会要好好把握。当然，前提是自己已经准备就绪，因为机会是留给有准备的人。
现实生活很可能和我们想的不一样，我们必须自己调整适应环境，而不是抱怨。“别让借口耽误梦想。”别等一把年纪了才来后悔。及早醒悟，追求想要的人生吧！~陈志和 Patrick Tan （你要什么？你在做什么？）
“搞清楚你想要的方向”，朝那努力使成功的基本要素。目标是通往梦想的基石，要确定，并可衡量。若不踏出第一步，任何目标都是空想。
http://3masterstar.com
静心者恩怨不能乱其神，有德者是非不能扰其心。
中年以前不要怕，中年以后不要悔。成功者善于放弃，善于从损失中看到价值。
很多事先天注定，那是命。我们可以决定怎么面对，那是运。性格决定命运，态度决定人生。成功人士始终用最积极的思考，最乐观的精神和最丰富的经验来支配和控制自己的人生。
能够创造机会的事天才，晓得把握机会的是庸才，放弃机会的是蠢才。我不是天才，但不想当蠢才。~叶剑锋，Owen Yap
机会在眼前时就会要好好把握。当然，前提是自己已经准备就绪，因为机会是留给有准备的人。
现实生活很可能和我们想的不一样，我们必须自己调整适应环境，而不是抱怨。“别让借口耽误梦想。”别等一把年纪了才来后悔。及早醒悟，追求想要的人生吧！~陈志和 Patrick Tan （你要什么？你在做什么？）
“搞清楚你想要的方向”，朝那努力使成功的基本要素。目标是通往梦想的基石，要确定，并可衡量。若不踏出第一步，任何目标都是空想。
http://3masterstar.com
2010-11-10
Solve the Problem, or Be Part of It
对抗骨痛热症，不能只是随口说说，我们需要行动。研究显示，超过 70% 的黑斑蚊繁殖区，就在住家范围内。
所以，付出时间和努力去摧毁所有黑斑蚊繁殖区是很重要的。自私的态度只会给你的家人和邻居带来祸害。
Many people want to quickly identify problems in their life and then cut them down. The problem is that, like a weed, they never dig up the root. So, later the same problem comes up. In life and in money, you must understand the root of your problems. ~Rich Dad
2010-11-09
2010-11-08
Think Different, Do Things Differently
While most people took photos with landmarks when they are traveling around the world, this guy took video footage, and compiled into a short clip to share with his friends over Youtube. Yet, as we know, when it's on Youtube, it's on the world. And he now been invited for his sponsored 2nd and 3rd world tour ...
Think Different, Do Things Differently, and when you hit the Tipping Point, it's all history.
Related:
Extraordinary Pantene Commercial
Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our decisions?
5 Monkeys, A Banana, and The Dampened Dreams
Think Different, Do Things Differently, and when you hit the Tipping Point, it's all history.
Related:
Extraordinary Pantene Commercial
Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our decisions?
5 Monkeys, A Banana, and The Dampened Dreams
2010-11-07
華人當然要學華語
在政治上，馬來亞華人應該和其他打算長住在馬來亞的民族成為一體。可是在文化上，各民族應獨立地保持自己的精神生活。站在華人的立場，我們應該深深認識祖宗的思想，好像老子的無為和自然主義，孔子的道德主義，墨子的兼愛和實用主義，楊朱的宿命論、享樂主義和利己主義以及商鞅和韓非子的現實主義，法理和重武學說。
1953年陳禎祿〈在馬來亞的教育系統裡，中文應該有其價值性的地位〉的演講中高談《易經》的科學精神和思想，強調《禮記》的大同理想。他說：“飽含中華傳統哲理的中國文學遺產，無疑的對創造馬來亞生活、文化及文明將有極大的貢獻，特別是當團結的馬來亞正在締造之中……這個星球充滿著貪婪、野心、仇恨，帶來不歇的戰爭，讓我們重振傳統中華文化，讓他醫治這場病。”
為甚麼華文教授要在馬來亞國民教育制度內佔有適當和相當於其價值的地位？有力原因，就是對於300萬在本邦的馬來亞華人母語的教授乃最首要者，母語乃是獲得智慧真實的媒介，同時也是生下來就獲得的……所以在所有教育上最首要者應為訓練兒童確切地自由地應用其母語才是。
1953年陳禎祿〈在馬來亞的教育系統裡，中文應該有其價值性的地位〉的演講中高談《易經》的科學精神和思想，強調《禮記》的大同理想。他說：“飽含中華傳統哲理的中國文學遺產，無疑的對創造馬來亞生活、文化及文明將有極大的貢獻，特別是當團結的馬來亞正在締造之中……這個星球充滿著貪婪、野心、仇恨，帶來不歇的戰爭，讓我們重振傳統中華文化，讓他醫治這場病。”
為甚麼華文教授要在馬來亞國民教育制度內佔有適當和相當於其價值的地位？有力原因，就是對於300萬在本邦的馬來亞華人母語的教授乃最首要者，母語乃是獲得智慧真實的媒介，同時也是生下來就獲得的……所以在所有教育上最首要者應為訓練兒童確切地自由地應用其母語才是。
2010-11-06
Extraordinary Pantene Commercial
Thai Pantene television commercial. Its simply brilliant. The story of a deaf and mute girl who learns to play the violin against all odds. One of the most touching advertisements Ive seen in a long, long time...
Related:
5 Monkeys, A Banana, and The Dampened Dreams
Think Different, Do Things Differently
Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our decisions?
Related:
5 Monkeys, A Banana, and The Dampened Dreams
Think Different, Do Things Differently
Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our decisions?
2010-11-05
5 Monkeys, A Banana, and The Dampened Dreams
Many people cannot articulate why are they doing what they are doing now. So many of us just don't take the time to sit back and assess if we are following the right formula, or simply following the only formula that we know in life ... school -> job -> die (and enjoy whatever is available in between)...
Related: Think Different, Do Things Differently
The experiment involved 5 monkeys, a cage, a banana, a ladder and, crucially, a water hose.
The 5 monkeys would be locked in a cage, after which a banana was hung from the ceiling with, fortunately for the monkeys (or so it seemed…), a ladder placed right underneath it.
Of course, immediately, one of the monkeys would race towards the ladder, intending to climb it and grab the banana. However, as soon as he would start to climb, the sadist (euphemistically called “scientist”) would spray the monkey with ice-cold water. In addition, however, he would also spray the other four monkeys…
When a second monkey was about to climb the ladder, the sadist would, again, spray the monkey with ice-cold water, and apply the same treatment to its four fellow inmates; likewise for the third climber and, if they were particularly persistent (or dumb), the fourth one. Then they would have learned their lesson: they were not going to climb the ladder again – banana or no banana.
In order to gain further pleasure or, I guess, prolong the experiment, the sadist outside the cage would then replace one of the monkeys with a new one. As can be expected, the new guy would spot the banana, think “why don’t these idiots go get it?!” and start climbing the ladder. Then, however, it got interesting: the other four monkeys, familiar with the cold-water treatment, would run towards the new guy – and beat him up. The new guy, blissfully unaware of the cold-water history, would get the message: no climbing up the ladder in this cage – banana or no banana.
When the beast outside the cage would replace a second monkey with a new one, the events would repeat themselves – monkey runs towards the ladder; other monkeys beat him up; new monkey does not attempt to climb again – with one notable detail: the first new monkey, who had never received the cold-water treatment himself (and didn’t even know anything about it), would, with equal vigour and enthusiasm, join in the beating of the new guy on the block.
When the researcher replaced a third monkey, the same thing happened; likewise for the fourth until, eventually, all the monkeys had been replaced and none of the ones in the cage had any experience or knowledge of the cold-water treatment.
Then, a new monkey was introduced into the cage. It ran toward the ladder only to get beaten up by the others. Yet, this monkey turned around and asked “why do you beat me up when I try to get the banana?” The other four monkeys stopped, looked at each other slightly puzzled and, finally, shrugged their shoulders: "Don’t know. But that’s the way we do things around here" ... ...
Related:
Think Different, Do Things Differently
Dan Ariely asks, Are we in control of our decisions?
2010-11-04
神机妙算刘伯温
儿童--浪子也有回头时 歹子会出头天
世间无人靠运气 提出咱信心
情路虽然袂顺利 总嘛会有春天
不通批评落土时 扪心问自己
女- 浮浮沉沉 男- 人情冷暖
合- 人生袂到入土时 一切靠自己
男- 人情冷暖 谁人知 女- 人生路苦茫了解
合 -情字难写 女 运命难定 男- 坎坷人生路 犹原爱走
男- 不管感情路有多苦 女- 不管人生路有多薄
合- 人生的路途 女- 不惊错误
男- 坚定意志大步向前冲（合- 大步走 向前冲）
合- 浪子也有回头时 歹子会出头天
世间无人靠运气 提出咱信心
情路虽然袂顺利 总嘛会有春天
不通批评落土时 扪心问自己
女- 浮浮沉沉 男- 人情冷暖
合- 人生袂到入土时 一切靠自己
--歌词由 南安移动公司 阿勇 友情提供QQ:345081269--
男- 人情冷暖 谁人知 女- 人生路苦茫了解
合- 情字难写 女- 运命难定 男- 坎坷人生路 犹原爱走
男- 坚定意志大步向前冲（合- 大步走 向前冲）
合- 浪子也有回头时 歹子会出头天
世间无人靠运气 提出咱信心
情路虽然袂顺利 总嘛会有春天
不通批评落土时 扪心问自
女- 浮浮沉沉 男- 人情冷暖
合- 人生袂到入土时 一切靠自己
合- 浪子也有回头时 歹子会出头天
世间无人靠运气 提出咱信心
情路虽然袂顺利 总嘛会有春天
不通批评落土时 扪心问自
女- 浮浮沉沉 男- 人情冷暖
合- 人生袂到入土时 一切靠自己
2010-11-02
Booming Markets
Why is the market rising even as gold and silver skyrocket? One reason: quantitative easing, a.k.a. printing money. The Fed is now on it’s third round of quantitative easing, printing up an estimated $30 billion to buy toxic debt.
The reason the stock market is going up is because investors know saving money is foolish. Why save money if the Fed is printing it into oblivion? The reason gold is also going up is because people know that the Fed is printing. People are moving from dollars into whatever they can.
Again, savers are losers.
These booms will go on until we go bust one more time, and then there’ll be even more losers.
When the gold, silver, and stock market peak and crash, it’s the savers and cowards who will once again be the biggest losers.
Please don’t be one of them.
The reason the stock market is going up is because investors know saving money is foolish. Why save money if the Fed is printing it into oblivion? The reason gold is also going up is because people know that the Fed is printing. People are moving from dollars into whatever they can.
Again, savers are losers.
These booms will go on until we go bust one more time, and then there’ll be even more losers.
When the gold, silver, and stock market peak and crash, it’s the savers and cowards who will once again be the biggest losers.
Please don’t be one of them.
2010-11-01
The Money War
Presently, nations are devaluing their money. Why are they doing this? The answer is that if they don’t devalue their currency, their exports will grow too expensive and unemployment will rise. But devaluing a currency means people suffer because a weak currency causes inflation, which makes life more expensive.
So, the choice is do you want a job or do you want inflation? What a great choice.
a real-life example of how the war of money is good for a few people—but only if you understand the war of money.
The Wall Street Journal October 4, 2010 headline reads: “Central Banks Open Spigot”. This means the central banks of the world are printing money at high speed. The talks are over. Again, this means life is becoming more expensive for people. Savings are being devalued.
-----------------------
The leaders of the world are calling for a currency pact to stop this money war. But I believe a currency pact will never happen. Currency pacts have been tried before. In 1985, there was the Plaza Accord. At this meeting, world leaders tried to fix and stabilize exchange rates. The moment the government leaders set phony exchange rates, the independent foreign exchange traders (FX), swooped in and punished the foolish government leaders and their phony exchange rates.
If our new leaders attempt a similar Plaza Accord, the FX traders, who owe no allegiance to any government, will once again punish government leaders for their foolishness. In other words, the war of money is going on between countries as well as independent FX traders throughout the world. I’m not a FX trader, but it’s a great time to be one. Fortunes will be made off of foolish government leaders. Years ago, George Soros made a billion dollars betting against the idiots who ran the Bank of England. Today, another billion dollar, pound, euro, or yen pounding is on the horizon.
The problem is that the losers in this battle of banks and FX traders are the average citizens who know nothing about the world of money or the money war. In the next few years, if their leaders lose, these average citizens will be earning less, paying more in taxes, and paying higher prices as inflation seeps into their economy. In the mean time, the financially educated will do better, make more money, and enjoy a better life.
So, the choice is do you want a job or do you want inflation? What a great choice.
a real-life example of how the war of money is good for a few people—but only if you understand the war of money.
The Wall Street Journal October 4, 2010 headline reads: “Central Banks Open Spigot”. This means the central banks of the world are printing money at high speed. The talks are over. Again, this means life is becoming more expensive for people. Savings are being devalued.
-----------------------
The leaders of the world are calling for a currency pact to stop this money war. But I believe a currency pact will never happen. Currency pacts have been tried before. In 1985, there was the Plaza Accord. At this meeting, world leaders tried to fix and stabilize exchange rates. The moment the government leaders set phony exchange rates, the independent foreign exchange traders (FX), swooped in and punished the foolish government leaders and their phony exchange rates.
If our new leaders attempt a similar Plaza Accord, the FX traders, who owe no allegiance to any government, will once again punish government leaders for their foolishness. In other words, the war of money is going on between countries as well as independent FX traders throughout the world. I’m not a FX trader, but it’s a great time to be one. Fortunes will be made off of foolish government leaders. Years ago, George Soros made a billion dollars betting against the idiots who ran the Bank of England. Today, another billion dollar, pound, euro, or yen pounding is on the horizon.
The problem is that the losers in this battle of banks and FX traders are the average citizens who know nothing about the world of money or the money war. In the next few years, if their leaders lose, these average citizens will be earning less, paying more in taxes, and paying higher prices as inflation seeps into their economy. In the mean time, the financially educated will do better, make more money, and enjoy a better life.
2010-10-30
Britain's Forests for Sale
Britain's Forests for Sale
The Government is drawing up plans to sell off publicly owned forests in a move that could see private developers allowed to clear ancient trees to make way for holiday resorts, golf courses and adventure playgrounds.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/government-plans-huge-selloff-of-britains-forests-2115631.html
Robin Hood disappointed at Britain forest sale
Take the forests away, and you will look like everywhere else.
http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/robin-hood-disappointed-britain-forest-sale
The Government is drawing up plans to sell off publicly owned forests in a move that could see private developers allowed to clear ancient trees to make way for holiday resorts, golf courses and adventure playgrounds.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/government-plans-huge-selloff-of-britains-forests-2115631.html
Robin Hood disappointed at Britain forest sale
Take the forests away, and you will look like everywhere else.
http://www.nowpublic.com/environment/robin-hood-disappointed-britain-forest-sale
2010-10-29
EPF has scheme for self-employed - PPF
Mon, 18 Oct 2010
PPF participants' freedom to invest
Interesting to note that "The insurance industry also seemed keen to muscle in on the scheme, with the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia saying the proposal was expected to spur the development of retirement schemes developed by insurance companies."
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=53060
Wed, 20 Oct 2010
MTUC against PPF, says too risky to contributors
"The returns would depend on market forces, and this was very risky for the contributors because they might lose all their savings," said MTUC secretary-general G. Rajasegaran.
"Now, however, it appears that the insurance lobbyists have succeeded, based on the announcement by the finance ministry that the government had agreed to appoint insurance companies to handle the fund," he told Bernama today.
Rajasegaran was commenting on a statement by the ministry’s economic and international division under-secretary, Datuk Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, that EPF dividends would be gradually scaled down to encourage contributors to bring their money to the PPF.
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=53140
Fri, 22 Oct 2010
EPF has scheme for self-employed
THE proposed private pension fund (PPF) is a re-branding of the failed annuity scheme that the insurance industry was instrumental in bringing into its short-lived existence.
Once the workings of the scheme were seen, it became obvious that those withdrawing their savings in the EPF and putting them into the annuity scheme were getting a bad deal and the insurance companies were the real beneficiaries. There was a hue and cry and the scheme was scrapped but not before the insurance companies had reaped millions in a short time. Where did the promised benefits to the investors go?
The PPF is being touted as an investment scheme to benefit workers. In reality, it is a profit-making project designed to benefit the operators of the scheme.
Ravinder Singh
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=53191
Fri, 22 Oct 2010
PPF For Those Without EPF
"If you look at the EPF, in the EPF 10,000 contributors have a million and above in their savings lying idle there and they are comfortable with whatever returns the EPF is paying them. So one way to discourage them from keeping the money there and to bring it to the PPF, we are going to reduce the dividends gradually to encourage them to go to the PPF."
http://epaper.sun2surf.com/friday/pdf/theSun2010102202.pdf
Mon, 25 Oct 2010
Drop PPF idea
It is ridiculous therefore that to "encourage" this minuscule percentage of millionaires to take their money out of the EPF, a whopping 99.857% of the other contributors should suffer the consequences of the move.
Related:
401(k) for Dummies
法国人罢工、退休金与退休制度
The Biggest Scam Ever
"True education was to be restricted to the son and daughters of the elite. For the rest, it would be better to produce skilled workers with no particular aspirations other than to enjoy life."
G.Edward Griffin in The Creature from Jekyll Island, on Rockefeller's General Education Board, founded in 1903.
PPF participants' freedom to invest
Interesting to note that "The insurance industry also seemed keen to muscle in on the scheme, with the Life Insurance Association of Malaysia saying the proposal was expected to spur the development of retirement schemes developed by insurance companies."
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=53060
Wed, 20 Oct 2010
MTUC against PPF, says too risky to contributors
"The returns would depend on market forces, and this was very risky for the contributors because they might lose all their savings," said MTUC secretary-general G. Rajasegaran.
"Now, however, it appears that the insurance lobbyists have succeeded, based on the announcement by the finance ministry that the government had agreed to appoint insurance companies to handle the fund," he told Bernama today.
Rajasegaran was commenting on a statement by the ministry’s economic and international division under-secretary, Datuk Dr Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah, that EPF dividends would be gradually scaled down to encourage contributors to bring their money to the PPF.
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=53140
Fri, 22 Oct 2010
EPF has scheme for self-employed
THE proposed private pension fund (PPF) is a re-branding of the failed annuity scheme that the insurance industry was instrumental in bringing into its short-lived existence.
Once the workings of the scheme were seen, it became obvious that those withdrawing their savings in the EPF and putting them into the annuity scheme were getting a bad deal and the insurance companies were the real beneficiaries. There was a hue and cry and the scheme was scrapped but not before the insurance companies had reaped millions in a short time. Where did the promised benefits to the investors go?
The PPF is being touted as an investment scheme to benefit workers. In reality, it is a profit-making project designed to benefit the operators of the scheme.
Ravinder Singh
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=53191
Fri, 22 Oct 2010
PPF For Those Without EPF
"If you look at the EPF, in the EPF 10,000 contributors have a million and above in their savings lying idle there and they are comfortable with whatever returns the EPF is paying them. So one way to discourage them from keeping the money there and to bring it to the PPF, we are going to reduce the dividends gradually to encourage them to go to the PPF."
http://epaper.sun2surf.com/friday/pdf/theSun2010102202.pdf
Mon, 25 Oct 2010
Drop PPF idea
It is ridiculous therefore that to "encourage" this minuscule percentage of millionaires to take their money out of the EPF, a whopping 99.857% of the other contributors should suffer the consequences of the move.
Related:
401(k) for Dummies
法国人罢工、退休金与退休制度
The Biggest Scam Ever
"True education was to be restricted to the son and daughters of the elite. For the rest, it would be better to produce skilled workers with no particular aspirations other than to enjoy life."
G.Edward Griffin in The Creature from Jekyll Island, on Rockefeller's General Education Board, founded in 1903.
2010-10-21
2010-10-19
2010-10-18
法国人罢工、退休金与退休制度
请认真思考之间相关的联系...
1. 继美国 401(k) 退休金出问题后，其中一个欧洲国家的状况:
法國‧抗議改革退休制‧100萬人續示威
3. "Fictions" + Biggest Scams Ever
The Biggest Scam Ever
Taxes, debt, inflation, and not needing a retirement plan can make you richer if you use different rules of money.
http://howtze.blogspot.com/2010/02/biggest-scam-ever.html
全球帝国之北方和南方
数十年来，北方国家在兜售基于债务的发展模式。
http://howtze.blogspot.com/2010/05/blog-post.html
1. 继美国 401(k) 退休金出问题后，其中一个欧洲国家的状况:
法國‧抗議改革退休制‧100萬人續示威
薩爾科齊政府計劃把法定退休年齡從60歲提高到62歲。
http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/179708?tid=2
章玲芳‧法國人罷工
根據法國法律規定，基本退休金是國家的社會保險制度，具有法律約束性，而這個養老保險基金的來源，是由雇主和僱員共同繳納。不過，隨著就業人口越來越少、人口老齡化、目前的退休金制度顯得難以為繼，已成為法國財庫的一個重擔。
... 為遏制國家日益龐大的財政赤字，堅決要推動退休金改革，將國民退休和領取全額養老金的起點推遲兩年，進而引發了持續幾個月的工人抗議行動。
http://opinions.sinchew-i.com/node/16710
2. 公積金局
林瑞源‧經濟轉型？
章玲芳‧法國人罷工
根據法國法律規定，基本退休金是國家的社會保險制度，具有法律約束性，而這個養老保險基金的來源，是由雇主和僱員共同繳納。不過，隨著就業人口越來越少、人口老齡化、目前的退休金制度顯得難以為繼，已成為法國財庫的一個重擔。
... 為遏制國家日益龐大的財政赤字，堅決要推動退休金改革，將國民退休和領取全額養老金的起點推遲兩年，進而引發了持續幾個月的工人抗議行動。
http://opinions.sinchew-i.com/node/16710
2. 公積金局
林瑞源‧經濟轉型？
- 這些計劃只能取得刺激經濟的作用，可能三幾年經濟數據被托得很高；就好像大浪一樣，浪來船高，浪退就看到沙灘上的窟窿。
3. "Fictions" + Biggest Scams Ever
The Biggest Scam Ever
Taxes, debt, inflation, and not needing a retirement plan can make you richer if you use different rules of money.
http://howtze.blogspot.com/2010/02/biggest-scam-ever.html
全球帝国之北方和南方
数十年来，北方国家在兜售基于债务的发展模式。
http://howtze.blogspot.com/2010/05/blog-post.html
2010-10-15
The Crisis Worsens ...
The crisis worsens, even if economists say, “The recession is over.”
The problem is the US dollar, the Federal Reserve Bank, and the biggest banks like Goldman Sachs. They’re not changing. They don’t have to because they have the power — the power to control money — and as you know, money buys politics and politicians. Ultimately, a corrupt money system runs the show.
It’s smarter to study the worldly philosophers and take action you believe is best for you. Understanding economists and their changing philosophies allows me to see the future, make predictions, and take action.
I did these things because I studied history and saw the writing on the wall. Today, I’m seeing the benefits of studying history.
... tangible assets that go up in value as the value of the dollar drops.
... the big problem is that our governments are playing games with money, trying to pretend that we don’t have a problem.
the Japanese are buying US dollars, trying their best to push the value of the yen down. If the yen increases in value, Japanese exports become too expensive and unemployment increases in Japan. The more dollars Japan buys, the more the US will print, trying to make the dollar weaker so that the world will buy our exports. All this does is make life harder for the world’s workers because they work for a currency that the world is trying to make weaker, not stronger.
... seeing the price of commodities going up as the dollar goes down. The world’s financially uneducated workers will have to work harder, pay higher taxes, and pay higher food and fuel prices as the bankers and politicians of the world play games with their money.
As Einstein said, “You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. You must learn to see the world anew.”
I don’t believe the economists when they say the recession ended a year ago. How can the recession end when they use the same old obsolete economic philosophy that got us in the mess in the first place?
~ Robert Kiyosaki
The problem is the US dollar, the Federal Reserve Bank, and the biggest banks like Goldman Sachs. They’re not changing. They don’t have to because they have the power — the power to control money — and as you know, money buys politics and politicians. Ultimately, a corrupt money system runs the show.
It’s smarter to study the worldly philosophers and take action you believe is best for you. Understanding economists and their changing philosophies allows me to see the future, make predictions, and take action.
I did these things because I studied history and saw the writing on the wall. Today, I’m seeing the benefits of studying history.
... tangible assets that go up in value as the value of the dollar drops.
... the big problem is that our governments are playing games with money, trying to pretend that we don’t have a problem.
the Japanese are buying US dollars, trying their best to push the value of the yen down. If the yen increases in value, Japanese exports become too expensive and unemployment increases in Japan. The more dollars Japan buys, the more the US will print, trying to make the dollar weaker so that the world will buy our exports. All this does is make life harder for the world’s workers because they work for a currency that the world is trying to make weaker, not stronger.
... seeing the price of commodities going up as the dollar goes down. The world’s financially uneducated workers will have to work harder, pay higher taxes, and pay higher food and fuel prices as the bankers and politicians of the world play games with their money.
As Einstein said, “You cannot solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. You must learn to see the world anew.”
I don’t believe the economists when they say the recession ended a year ago. How can the recession end when they use the same old obsolete economic philosophy that got us in the mess in the first place?
~ Robert Kiyosaki
2010-10-14
Is The Recession Over?
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a panel of academic economists based in Cambridge, Mass., says the recession lasted 18 months, from December 2007 to June of 2009. What are these guys snorting, smoking, and drinking?
The Worldly Philosophers is a book about the world’s most influential economists such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Thomas Malthus, and John Maynard Keynes. The book tells how economists, while not rock stars or famous politicians, have tremendous impact on economies via their philosophies. The problem is that if their philosophy is wrong, it can positively and negatively affect peoples’ lives for decades.
For example, Malthus, who was not really an economist but a Protestant preacher, believed strongly in frugality. So, he came up with the philosophy that economics is the allocation of scarce resources. His ideas on scarcity, the idea that there was not enough for everyone, justified imperialism, the conquest of other people and land in order to take their resources. That is how the English, Dutch, French, Portuguese, Spanish and others spread out over the world to claim scarce resources for their countries, murdering millions of people in the process.
Today, most economists subscribe to John Maynard Keynes’ philosophy of economics. Keynes believed the government should stimulate the economy when necessary. Today, Keynes is spinning in his grave because his economic philosophy has been extensively manipulated to benefit a few at the cost of many. Today, the US has a deficit and debt that cannot be paid back. We’re on the path to financial destruction, which is why gold is hitting all-time highs.
If you want to survive, it’s important to educate yourself and seek economists who understand the cause of this crisis and why the obsolete economic theories being used are making this crisis worse.
The Worldly Philosophers is a book about the world’s most influential economists such as Adam Smith, David Ricardo, Thomas Malthus, and John Maynard Keynes. The book tells how economists, while not rock stars or famous politicians, have tremendous impact on economies via their philosophies. The problem is that if their philosophy is wrong, it can positively and negatively affect peoples’ lives for decades.
For example, Malthus, who was not really an economist but a Protestant preacher, believed strongly in frugality. So, he came up with the philosophy that economics is the allocation of scarce resources. His ideas on scarcity, the idea that there was not enough for everyone, justified imperialism, the conquest of other people and land in order to take their resources. That is how the English, Dutch, French, Portuguese, Spanish and others spread out over the world to claim scarce resources for their countries, murdering millions of people in the process.
Today, most economists subscribe to John Maynard Keynes’ philosophy of economics. Keynes believed the government should stimulate the economy when necessary. Today, Keynes is spinning in his grave because his economic philosophy has been extensively manipulated to benefit a few at the cost of many. Today, the US has a deficit and debt that cannot be paid back. We’re on the path to financial destruction, which is why gold is hitting all-time highs.
If you want to survive, it’s important to educate yourself and seek economists who understand the cause of this crisis and why the obsolete economic theories being used are making this crisis worse.
2010-10-13
Businesses Going Online
Business solutions going online is perhaps the biggest IT revolution you will see in the next few years. Each day, more and more companies are turning to Internet-based service providers to meet some or all of their business application and computing requirements.
1. In 2005, Zoho.com launched a cloud-based word-processing service and picked up users quickly. Today they offer word-processing, spreadsheet, presentation, note-taking, wikis, invoicing and CRM services and the profitable company now has three million users.
2. In February 2007, Google launched GoogleDocs in its effort to present an alternative to Microsoft Office. The once-dominant Microsoft Office’s monopoly suddenly has a serious contender and the bad news (for Microsoft) is: GoogleDocs is free.
3. Have you heard of netbooks? Those big laptop manufacturers in the States and Taiwan had earlier predicted that computers in the future will have less software locally, and will be connecting to the web to perform most of our daily tasks. Most of the processing power will rest on the central servers up in the "cloud" somewhere, together with the ever-growing stockpile of our work data.
4. Gartner, the world’s leading technology research company, predicted that by 2012 one-fifth of the world’s businesses will own no IT asset. Well, the demand for servers and storage will actually go up, but the ownership of those assets are going to shift to third-party solution providers.
History has shown us that when it comes to a huge change of patterns in Internet trends, we have always taken time to settle in.
When we first used emails in the 90s, we refrained from sending personal details like home address and phone numbers. Today we transact with credit cards online.
When we first interacted with people online more than a decade ago, we used nicknames. Today we are eager to tell the world who we really are and use our own identities in social media.
We’ll always have concerns and take precautionary steps when we enter some uncharted waters. Our reluctance to accept a new behaviour is simply human nature. Especially if this involves personal information and business intelligence.
How Big the Cloud Computing Industry and Why Cloud Computing is Sexy
by Jimmy Yeoh - http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=52794
1. In 2005, Zoho.com launched a cloud-based word-processing service and picked up users quickly. Today they offer word-processing, spreadsheet, presentation, note-taking, wikis, invoicing and CRM services and the profitable company now has three million users.
2. In February 2007, Google launched GoogleDocs in its effort to present an alternative to Microsoft Office. The once-dominant Microsoft Office’s monopoly suddenly has a serious contender and the bad news (for Microsoft) is: GoogleDocs is free.
3. Have you heard of netbooks? Those big laptop manufacturers in the States and Taiwan had earlier predicted that computers in the future will have less software locally, and will be connecting to the web to perform most of our daily tasks. Most of the processing power will rest on the central servers up in the "cloud" somewhere, together with the ever-growing stockpile of our work data.
4. Gartner, the world’s leading technology research company, predicted that by 2012 one-fifth of the world’s businesses will own no IT asset. Well, the demand for servers and storage will actually go up, but the ownership of those assets are going to shift to third-party solution providers.
History has shown us that when it comes to a huge change of patterns in Internet trends, we have always taken time to settle in.
When we first used emails in the 90s, we refrained from sending personal details like home address and phone numbers. Today we transact with credit cards online.
When we first interacted with people online more than a decade ago, we used nicknames. Today we are eager to tell the world who we really are and use our own identities in social media.
We’ll always have concerns and take precautionary steps when we enter some uncharted waters. Our reluctance to accept a new behaviour is simply human nature. Especially if this involves personal information and business intelligence.
How Big the Cloud Computing Industry and Why Cloud Computing is Sexy
by Jimmy Yeoh - http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=52794
2010-10-12
How Big the Cloud Computing Industry and Why Cloud Computing is Sexy
Gartner’s projections of how big the cloud computing industry is going to be:
In 2008 it was US$47 billion;
In 2012 it will hit US$128 billion,
and the year after breaching the US$150 billion mark.
Why Cloud Computing is Sexy
1. Convenient.
With a username and a password, you can create, edit and share your work data anywhere you are, even without your laptop with you.
2. Takes up much less hardware.
As they are not full-scale applications installed locally in your hard drive, you free up your storage space. They also hog less of your valuable system memory.
3. Cost effective.
Proprietary productivity software like Microsoft Office may cost you a few hundred ringgit for each licence, while cloud applications usually start you off free-of-charge, and the fee increases only marginally as you decide to adopt more.
4. Becoming more reliable.
With advanced web software, data backup and security technologies, our data safety has been vastly enhanced.
5. Flexible.
A business can start off with a one-user account and upgrade later or vice-versa, and also pay for only the features it requires.
Businesses Going Online
by Jimmy Yeoh - http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=52794
In 2008 it was US$47 billion;
In 2012 it will hit US$128 billion,
and the year after breaching the US$150 billion mark.
Why Cloud Computing is Sexy
1. Convenient.
With a username and a password, you can create, edit and share your work data anywhere you are, even without your laptop with you.
2. Takes up much less hardware.
As they are not full-scale applications installed locally in your hard drive, you free up your storage space. They also hog less of your valuable system memory.
3. Cost effective.
Proprietary productivity software like Microsoft Office may cost you a few hundred ringgit for each licence, while cloud applications usually start you off free-of-charge, and the fee increases only marginally as you decide to adopt more.
4. Becoming more reliable.
With advanced web software, data backup and security technologies, our data safety has been vastly enhanced.
5. Flexible.
A business can start off with a one-user account and upgrade later or vice-versa, and also pay for only the features it requires.
Businesses Going Online
by Jimmy Yeoh - http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=52794
2010-10-10
Global Internet Seminar Malaysia 2010
The only reason why we are stopped by the unknown is the fear of ‘I don’t know how’. But once you discover the ‘secret’ of doing something - be it setting up a simple website or a webpage that generates thousands of high-quality, targeted leads, your perspective changes.
What if there is an avenue; an opportunity where literally thousands of ordinary people just like you are being taught a simple system to create their own cash machine that churns out hundreds to thousands of dollars every single day? What if you can learn that exact same system to make your own fortune in the shortest time possible? Would you like to learn how?
The bottom-line is, when you know the RIGHT way to do it, nothing can stop you.
Imagine an aeroplane flying on autopilot… Get the picture?
Imagine How Fantastic Life Would Be If You Could Earn a
Full-Time Income of $100k Per Year FROM HOME?
Would You:
- Clear off all your debts and enjoy a zero debt life?
- Spend more quality time with your family?
- Invest a sum of money on your children's education?
- Let your parents retire comfortably?
- Travel around the world with your loved ones?
you’ll be learning from actual people who have “been done and done that”, and not some wannabe who has read a load of theory from a book and think they have what it takes to help you make money. You will learn from REAL experts who are at the top of their game and are using a time-tested formula that cashes in millions of dollars online.
outsource the details of your business so you can spend more time GROWING it (and your income) instead of just RUNNING it
simple three-step plan to true entrepreneurial freedom
internet marketing is first and foremost about creating the lifestyle you want and giving you the power of choice and secondly about the money.
After working long hours and making his company bosses very rich, he decided to quit. “I believe in investing in education. Even to this day, I still spend a considerate amount of time educating myself. I never stop learning.” ~John Lee
"Internet is the most powerful media and the biggest market place human history has ever created... this gives each one of us on this planet the opportunity to share our ideas with the rest of the world so millions of people can benefit from those ideas... you are going to create tremendous value by doing so, and as the result, you will become wealthy beyond your wildest imagination...' ~ Tom Hua.
In life, there are always people who wait for opportunities to slip by … and by the time they know it, 10, 20 years are gone and they are still stuck at where they are and nothing has ever changed in their lives.
Don’t be one of those people who regret letting a good opportunity slip by, when they could have taken the right action for success.
Make A Choice!
What if there is an avenue; an opportunity where literally thousands of ordinary people just like you are being taught a simple system to create their own cash machine that churns out hundreds to thousands of dollars every single day? What if you can learn that exact same system to make your own fortune in the shortest time possible? Would you like to learn how?
The bottom-line is, when you know the RIGHT way to do it, nothing can stop you.
Imagine an aeroplane flying on autopilot… Get the picture?
Imagine How Fantastic Life Would Be If You Could Earn a
Full-Time Income of $100k Per Year FROM HOME?
Would You:
- Clear off all your debts and enjoy a zero debt life?
- Spend more quality time with your family?
- Invest a sum of money on your children's education?
- Let your parents retire comfortably?
- Travel around the world with your loved ones?
you’ll be learning from actual people who have “been done and done that”, and not some wannabe who has read a load of theory from a book and think they have what it takes to help you make money. You will learn from REAL experts who are at the top of their game and are using a time-tested formula that cashes in millions of dollars online.
outsource the details of your business so you can spend more time GROWING it (and your income) instead of just RUNNING it
simple three-step plan to true entrepreneurial freedom
internet marketing is first and foremost about creating the lifestyle you want and giving you the power of choice and secondly about the money.
After working long hours and making his company bosses very rich, he decided to quit. “I believe in investing in education. Even to this day, I still spend a considerate amount of time educating myself. I never stop learning.” ~John Lee
"Internet is the most powerful media and the biggest market place human history has ever created... this gives each one of us on this planet the opportunity to share our ideas with the rest of the world so millions of people can benefit from those ideas... you are going to create tremendous value by doing so, and as the result, you will become wealthy beyond your wildest imagination...' ~ Tom Hua.
In life, there are always people who wait for opportunities to slip by … and by the time they know it, 10, 20 years are gone and they are still stuck at where they are and nothing has ever changed in their lives.
Don’t be one of those people who regret letting a good opportunity slip by, when they could have taken the right action for success.
Make A Choice!
2010-10-09
Savers are Losers
The primary reason why investors do better when there are lower interest rates is simply because investors use debt to finance assets. The income from those assets covers the debt payment and provides cash flow every month. A lower payment on debt simply means more money in cash flow.
At the same time, most people use debt to finance liabilities such as their homes, cars, and college educations. Those things take money out of their pockets.
interest rates will go back up. But that will happen only if the economy recovers. As it stands now, the stimulus payouts are fading and state and local governments are cutting back, which means the economy will sink rather than rise. This means debtors who use debt to invest in assets will be the winners for a while more. Financial education is more important than ever before. It’s vitally important to know the difference between assets and liabilities.
After 2007, when the subprime mortgage bubble began to burst, many people found out how big of a liability their homes really are…especially if they lose their jobs.
take some time to learn more about money. The money of my parents’ generation, the World War II generation, is not the same as the money of today’s generation.
Today, savers are the biggest losers, and they will continue to lose for years to come, simply because, after 1971, the rules of money changed.
At the same time, most people use debt to finance liabilities such as their homes, cars, and college educations. Those things take money out of their pockets.
interest rates will go back up. But that will happen only if the economy recovers. As it stands now, the stimulus payouts are fading and state and local governments are cutting back, which means the economy will sink rather than rise. This means debtors who use debt to invest in assets will be the winners for a while more. Financial education is more important than ever before. It’s vitally important to know the difference between assets and liabilities.
After 2007, when the subprime mortgage bubble began to burst, many people found out how big of a liability their homes really are…especially if they lose their jobs.
take some time to learn more about money. The money of my parents’ generation, the World War II generation, is not the same as the money of today’s generation.
Today, savers are the biggest losers, and they will continue to lose for years to come, simply because, after 1971, the rules of money changed.
2010-10-03
Learning is A Lifelong Process
to study a book about the world explorers like Columbus, Magellan, Cortez, Da Gama, and Pizarro.
exciting me about world commerce, gold, silver, and plundering.
I love this world we all live on.
Progress is being made, and action is being taken.
I write to inspire you to get educated about gold and silver then make up your own mind as to what you should do. The sooner you learn how the system works, the sooner you can become a player in one of the most intriguing games on the planet – the Fast Track.
What a person should do depends upon their financial education. If you have zero financial education, even if you are a highly educated doctor or lawyer, you should follow traditional financial advice, work hard, save money, buy a home, get out of debt, live below your means, and invest in the stock market. Although I do not follow this advice and personally think it is horrible advice, it is acceptable for financially uneducated people. The unfortunate thing is that the biggest losers today are those following this advice.
Most people do not want to invest time or money in financial education, so they pay the price for subprime financial advice. They pay dearly for this shortcut.
Please do not think that attending a course will change your life. Financial education is a life long process. If you think Rich Dad’s event in October will be a quick fix to save you, please do not attend. That is naive and unrealistic. If you know that financial education is a life long process and the event in October is simply a step along your process
exciting me about world commerce, gold, silver, and plundering.
I love this world we all live on.
Progress is being made, and action is being taken.
I write to inspire you to get educated about gold and silver then make up your own mind as to what you should do. The sooner you learn how the system works, the sooner you can become a player in one of the most intriguing games on the planet – the Fast Track.
What a person should do depends upon their financial education. If you have zero financial education, even if you are a highly educated doctor or lawyer, you should follow traditional financial advice, work hard, save money, buy a home, get out of debt, live below your means, and invest in the stock market. Although I do not follow this advice and personally think it is horrible advice, it is acceptable for financially uneducated people. The unfortunate thing is that the biggest losers today are those following this advice.
Most people do not want to invest time or money in financial education, so they pay the price for subprime financial advice. They pay dearly for this shortcut.
Please do not think that attending a course will change your life. Financial education is a life long process. If you think Rich Dad’s event in October will be a quick fix to save you, please do not attend. That is naive and unrealistic. If you know that financial education is a life long process and the event in October is simply a step along your process
2010-10-02
Good News or Bad News
there is no such thing as good or bad news.
take action accordingly.
The more the economy worsens, the more money I make. If the economy gets better, I will make even more money. This may sound confusing, but justifies the need for financial education. It doesn’t matter - bad news or good news – it’s all good news if you know what to do.
I made money simply because I understand the financial system. The worse the economy gets, the lower the interest rates on loans. As I have said many times in COR updates, savers are losers and debtors are winners…but I am a debtor for assets while most people are debtors for liabilities. On top of that, by understanding the tax laws, the government is giving me massive tax breaks while it raises taxes on the under financially educated.
Again, it is not cool to brag, and I do not state my success to brag. I want to inspire people to change and move forward.
if you were financially educated, you would know that bad news is very good news, but only if you know what to do.
There are few excuses for you to remain financially illiterate today. With all of the news about this global economic crisis, you must get your head out of the sand and get smarter with your money. There are many avenues of financial education available. Just for starters, you can read books, attend seminars, follow online blogs, and surround yourself with financially intelligent people. Every community offers local real estate and stock investing clubs that would welcome your participation. It won’t happen unless you make the effort.
The instructors are more than just teachers. They practice what they teach. As you know, this is rare in the world of education.
If you are not serious about your financial education, then all there will be for you and your family is more bad news.
I know bad financial news is not good news for most people, but for me, one of the benefits of my rich dad’s financial education is that I know how to turn bad news into good news.
Robert Kiyosaki
take action accordingly.
The more the economy worsens, the more money I make. If the economy gets better, I will make even more money. This may sound confusing, but justifies the need for financial education. It doesn’t matter - bad news or good news – it’s all good news if you know what to do.
I made money simply because I understand the financial system. The worse the economy gets, the lower the interest rates on loans. As I have said many times in COR updates, savers are losers and debtors are winners…but I am a debtor for assets while most people are debtors for liabilities. On top of that, by understanding the tax laws, the government is giving me massive tax breaks while it raises taxes on the under financially educated.
Again, it is not cool to brag, and I do not state my success to brag. I want to inspire people to change and move forward.
if you were financially educated, you would know that bad news is very good news, but only if you know what to do.
There are few excuses for you to remain financially illiterate today. With all of the news about this global economic crisis, you must get your head out of the sand and get smarter with your money. There are many avenues of financial education available. Just for starters, you can read books, attend seminars, follow online blogs, and surround yourself with financially intelligent people. Every community offers local real estate and stock investing clubs that would welcome your participation. It won’t happen unless you make the effort.
The instructors are more than just teachers. They practice what they teach. As you know, this is rare in the world of education.
If you are not serious about your financial education, then all there will be for you and your family is more bad news.
I know bad financial news is not good news for most people, but for me, one of the benefits of my rich dad’s financial education is that I know how to turn bad news into good news.
Robert Kiyosaki
2010-09-28
2010-09-21
Tale of two cities
That Penang helped Malaysia improve its rankings in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, coupled with investments of over RM1 billion, seem to cement the fact that irrespective of your political leanings, this state government seems to be doing something right.
Having set the bar high, Penang has become the benchmark that all Pakatan Rakyat-ruled states to live up to. Just like Shanghai is to China, Penang is a showcase state to PR.
However, it may be a victim of its own success as the ordinary Joe finds it more difficult to own a home on the island. With development geared towards high-end residential property, developers are targeting the rich as well as expatriates.
At the end of the day, the theme from the World Expo, "Better City, Better Life" should remind us that economic progress should also mean an improvement to one’s overall well-being. And this includes doing the necessary for us to live in harmony with the elements as well as one another.
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=52010
Having set the bar high, Penang has become the benchmark that all Pakatan Rakyat-ruled states to live up to. Just like Shanghai is to China, Penang is a showcase state to PR.
However, it may be a victim of its own success as the ordinary Joe finds it more difficult to own a home on the island. With development geared towards high-end residential property, developers are targeting the rich as well as expatriates.
At the end of the day, the theme from the World Expo, "Better City, Better Life" should remind us that economic progress should also mean an improvement to one’s overall well-being. And this includes doing the necessary for us to live in harmony with the elements as well as one another.
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=52010
2010-09-17
And We Lived Happily Ever After
... what is "happily ever after". It would certainly be an easier sell for the public – happily-ever-afters are so uncomplicated, while stories where the princess does not get the prince are much more difficult to explain to your child, because it would mean explaining about life, about different routes to happiness and about compromise.
... Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid has the capacity to teach us about sacrifice, and about choosing goodness and what is morally and ethically right over personal desires, even over one’s own life.
... Most of the time, there is just one category of people, who can alternate between "good" and "bad" according to the choices they make.
... The original story has far more to teach us about real life and the pursuit of happiness than Disney’s pretty tale.
... Have we, as a society or in different pockets of society, brought into being a myth of what the constitution says and does not say, until we do not recognise the actual document?
Do you know how much your understanding of the constitution matches reality?
... what could we learn from the original provisions that were in our constitution, and what prompted the changes that have been made to it?
Our constitution – what it was and what it is – has more to tell us about the truth of who we are than any fairy tale or political myth. Isn’t it time you learned the true story?
http://national-express-malaysia.blogspot.com/2010/09/and-we-lived-happily-ever-after.html
... Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid has the capacity to teach us about sacrifice, and about choosing goodness and what is morally and ethically right over personal desires, even over one’s own life.
... Most of the time, there is just one category of people, who can alternate between "good" and "bad" according to the choices they make.
... The original story has far more to teach us about real life and the pursuit of happiness than Disney’s pretty tale.
... Have we, as a society or in different pockets of society, brought into being a myth of what the constitution says and does not say, until we do not recognise the actual document?
Do you know how much your understanding of the constitution matches reality?
... what could we learn from the original provisions that were in our constitution, and what prompted the changes that have been made to it?
Our constitution – what it was and what it is – has more to tell us about the truth of who we are than any fairy tale or political myth. Isn’t it time you learned the true story?
http://national-express-malaysia.blogspot.com/2010/09/and-we-lived-happily-ever-after.html
2010-09-16
Playing Catch Up
I use the Web to save time, simply because time is money, and the older I get, the more important time becomes.
People are now looking for the most efficient ways to access the information they need - apps - instead of spending hours searching for it for free.
I love apps and content-rich web sites and will pay for the content because to me time is money, and I have more money than time. I'm not a researcher. I'm an entrepreneur. Just give me information I can use, and I'll pay you for it.
The Web and the Net give all of us the power to overpower the COR. I'm playing a little catch up in the world of tech.
People are now looking for the most efficient ways to access the information they need - apps - instead of spending hours searching for it for free.
I love apps and content-rich web sites and will pay for the content because to me time is money, and I have more money than time. I'm not a researcher. I'm an entrepreneur. Just give me information I can use, and I'll pay you for it.
The Web and the Net give all of us the power to overpower the COR. I'm playing a little catch up in the world of tech.
2010-09-15
2010-09-14
Run for Your Life
NYT: "One of the phenomena of the last decades has been the rise of the individual investor."
I say it was the change in the tax code, a change in the rules of retirement that began in 1974 and evolved into the 401(k) (or other retirement funds around the world). What caused this change? Employers saying that their employees' defined benefit (DB) retirement plans, paying a worker a paycheck for life, were too expensive and that they weren't going to pay any longer.
The rich lobbied Congress, and like magic, employees were turned into investors - regardless if they wanted to be investors or had any financial training.
Today, millions of investors have lost billions of dollars, and millions of workers won't be able to afford retirement.
NYT:"For a lot of ordinary people, the economic recovery does not feel real."
How can you feel good if you're out of a job or afraid of losing your job? How can you feel good if the price of your home - if you still own a home - has gone down?
If the NYT doesn't know the real reason why the little investors is in the stock market in the first place, we have very poorly-educated journalists. Why don't our schools tell kids that the rules of retirement changed in 1974? Why do journalists call it a phenomenon that small investors are in the stock market rather than what it really is, a conspiracy of the rich (COR)? Why do schoolteachers continue to bring in bankers and financial planners, agents of COR, to brainwash kids into saving money and investing for the long-term in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds?
The small investor knows they've been set up. They know that they're being screwed. They may not know how or why they've been set up - but they're not stupid. They're not just fleeing the market, they're running for their lives.
I say it was the change in the tax code, a change in the rules of retirement that began in 1974 and evolved into the 401(k) (or other retirement funds around the world). What caused this change? Employers saying that their employees' defined benefit (DB) retirement plans, paying a worker a paycheck for life, were too expensive and that they weren't going to pay any longer.
The rich lobbied Congress, and like magic, employees were turned into investors - regardless if they wanted to be investors or had any financial training.
Today, millions of investors have lost billions of dollars, and millions of workers won't be able to afford retirement.
NYT:"For a lot of ordinary people, the economic recovery does not feel real."
How can you feel good if you're out of a job or afraid of losing your job? How can you feel good if the price of your home - if you still own a home - has gone down?
If the NYT doesn't know the real reason why the little investors is in the stock market in the first place, we have very poorly-educated journalists. Why don't our schools tell kids that the rules of retirement changed in 1974? Why do journalists call it a phenomenon that small investors are in the stock market rather than what it really is, a conspiracy of the rich (COR)? Why do schoolteachers continue to bring in bankers and financial planners, agents of COR, to brainwash kids into saving money and investing for the long-term in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds?
The small investor knows they've been set up. They know that they're being screwed. They may not know how or why they've been set up - but they're not stupid. They're not just fleeing the market, they're running for their lives.
2010-09-13
Dogs Dog Breeds (31-40)
40. Belgian Tervuren dogs
39. Bedlington Terrier dogs
38. Belgian Malinois dogs
37. Black and Tan Coonhound dogs
36. Bearded Collie dogs
35. What Should I Be Aware of When Buying A Boston Terrier
34. Boston Terrier dogs
33. Bernese Mountain Dog
32. Bichon Frise dogs
31. Miniature Australian Shepherd dogs
39. Bedlington Terrier dogs
38. Belgian Malinois dogs
37. Black and Tan Coonhound dogs
36. Bearded Collie dogs
35. What Should I Be Aware of When Buying A Boston Terrier
34. Boston Terrier dogs
33. Bernese Mountain Dog
32. Bichon Frise dogs
31. Miniature Australian Shepherd dogs
2010-09-12
Is Your Money Safe?
The biggest investment market in the world is the bond market, not the stock market.
The problem is that the Federal Reserve Bank is printing money, the US Treasury is borrowing money, and many US tax payers are going broke. How can we keep borrowing and printing money and have the world trust us to pay our bills? Who will lend money if the world stops trusting the US to manage its economy?
In late July the premier Chinese bond rating agency, Dagong Global Credit Rating Company downgraded US sovereign debt to AA. For reference, Dagong rates Chinese debt at AA+ and Germany and Japan are AA-. The action wasn't mentioned in Western media.
"This downgrade marks a new beginning for reforming the irrational international rating system. The essential reason for the global financial crisis and the Greek crisis is that the current international rating system cannot truly reflect repayment ability." ~Dagong's Chairman, Guan Jianzhong.
In other words Jianzhong is politely saying, "The world cannot trust US bond rating systems. It was this rating system that caused the crisis in the world."
Prior to the subprime crisis, rating agencies Moody's and S&P were highly respected. After the mortgage market crashed, it was discovered that they were rating subprime debt - mortgages made to people without jobs and based upon overvalued appraisals - as prime AAA. We've heard a lot about AIG, Bernie Madoff, and Lehman Brothers but little about Moody's and S&P. Without their blessing, there'd never have been a subprime crisis.
And guess who owns Moody's? Warren Buffet.
Warren is a very smart man, but he's not the most forthright. Today, even after Moody's deceptive rating practices have been exposed, Warren continues to be portrayed as the kindly, folksy grandpa - the sage of Omaha - encouraging people to have faith in America while his company deceives the world.
This is why Jianzhong's statement, "This downgrade marks a new beginning for reforming the irrational international rating system," is important.
The once powerful countries of US, England, and Japan have a new sheriff in town, a Chinese rating agency known as Dagong.
If the world economy is to recover, we need more honesty in global finance.
Since all government money is now debt, dependent upon the global bond markets and their rating agencies, it's best to have some real money - gold and silver.
The problem is that the Federal Reserve Bank is printing money, the US Treasury is borrowing money, and many US tax payers are going broke. How can we keep borrowing and printing money and have the world trust us to pay our bills? Who will lend money if the world stops trusting the US to manage its economy?
In late July the premier Chinese bond rating agency, Dagong Global Credit Rating Company downgraded US sovereign debt to AA. For reference, Dagong rates Chinese debt at AA+ and Germany and Japan are AA-. The action wasn't mentioned in Western media.
"This downgrade marks a new beginning for reforming the irrational international rating system. The essential reason for the global financial crisis and the Greek crisis is that the current international rating system cannot truly reflect repayment ability." ~Dagong's Chairman, Guan Jianzhong.
In other words Jianzhong is politely saying, "The world cannot trust US bond rating systems. It was this rating system that caused the crisis in the world."
Prior to the subprime crisis, rating agencies Moody's and S&P were highly respected. After the mortgage market crashed, it was discovered that they were rating subprime debt - mortgages made to people without jobs and based upon overvalued appraisals - as prime AAA. We've heard a lot about AIG, Bernie Madoff, and Lehman Brothers but little about Moody's and S&P. Without their blessing, there'd never have been a subprime crisis.
And guess who owns Moody's? Warren Buffet.
Warren is a very smart man, but he's not the most forthright. Today, even after Moody's deceptive rating practices have been exposed, Warren continues to be portrayed as the kindly, folksy grandpa - the sage of Omaha - encouraging people to have faith in America while his company deceives the world.
This is why Jianzhong's statement, "This downgrade marks a new beginning for reforming the irrational international rating system," is important.
The once powerful countries of US, England, and Japan have a new sheriff in town, a Chinese rating agency known as Dagong.
If the world economy is to recover, we need more honesty in global finance.
Since all government money is now debt, dependent upon the global bond markets and their rating agencies, it's best to have some real money - gold and silver.
2010-09-11
More options for Asia’s shoppers...
"Cross-border shopping is on the rise, as consumers are increasingly exposed to international fashion, cultural and technology products.’’
It has been predicted that by 2012 China alone will have 200 million online shoppers, with a report just released by the China e-Business Research Centre also claiming e-commerce will account for turnover topping 4.38 trillion yuan (RM2 trillion) by the end of the year.
More options for Asia’s shoppers...
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=51406
It has been predicted that by 2012 China alone will have 200 million online shoppers, with a report just released by the China e-Business Research Centre also claiming e-commerce will account for turnover topping 4.38 trillion yuan (RM2 trillion) by the end of the year.
More options for Asia’s shoppers...
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=51406
2010-09-07
True Wealth - Context (Bucky)
Commit "Ego Suicide". Work only for Everybody.
Generalized Principle #1: The more people I work for, the more effective I become.
Generalized Principle #2: The principles are disclosed by the decisions themselves...
Generalized Principle #3: Unity is Plural and at minimum Two (2)
The words UP and DOWN have absolutely NO meaning. If you use the words "up" and "down", you are completely hooked by the dark ages conspiracy!
The proper words are IN & OUT. OUT is any direction, IN is always pointtoable, always specific. by using the words IN and OUT you come into a COMPLETELY NEW WORLD.
You're going to "tune in" very much more than you've ever done before. "TUNABILITY"
The six positive and negative degrees of freedom
1. Axial rotation
2. Orbital rotation
3. Expansion / Contraction
4. Torque (Twisting)
5. Inside-Out (Inside-outing)
6. Precession
Generalized Principle #4: PRECESSION is the effect of bodies in motion on other bodies in motion.
Things you've NEVER understood before, you suddenly begin to understand, once you understand - FEEL - Precession personally.
Society is continually thinking the "180 degree-ness" and practically NOTHING operates that way.
Much of social behaviors that have NEVER been understood become completely understood once you understand / feel precession.
------------------------
Bucky tells of the tragic events that led to his radical "shift" in thinking. This led to his discovery of "The Generalized Principles of Universe," and ultimately to him becoming who he is.
We present a few of these principles that relate to business in our "True Wealth" programs.
As all Bucky material, you'll have to watch this several times before you begin tp "get it."
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1561374149814
Generalized Principle #1: The more people I work for, the more effective I become.
Generalized Principle #2: The principles are disclosed by the decisions themselves...
Generalized Principle #3: Unity is Plural and at minimum Two (2)
The words UP and DOWN have absolutely NO meaning. If you use the words "up" and "down", you are completely hooked by the dark ages conspiracy!
The proper words are IN & OUT. OUT is any direction, IN is always pointtoable, always specific. by using the words IN and OUT you come into a COMPLETELY NEW WORLD.
You're going to "tune in" very much more than you've ever done before. "TUNABILITY"
The six positive and negative degrees of freedom
1. Axial rotation
2. Orbital rotation
3. Expansion / Contraction
4. Torque (Twisting)
5. Inside-Out (Inside-outing)
6. Precession
Generalized Principle #4: PRECESSION is the effect of bodies in motion on other bodies in motion.
Things you've NEVER understood before, you suddenly begin to understand, once you understand - FEEL - Precession personally.
Society is continually thinking the "180 degree-ness" and practically NOTHING operates that way.
Much of social behaviors that have NEVER been understood become completely understood once you understand / feel precession.
------------------------
Bucky tells of the tragic events that led to his radical "shift" in thinking. This led to his discovery of "The Generalized Principles of Universe," and ultimately to him becoming who he is.
We present a few of these principles that relate to business in our "True Wealth" programs.
As all Bucky material, you'll have to watch this several times before you begin tp "get it."
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1561374149814
2010-09-06
Let's Get Our Facts Right
I don’t propose to know everything and in spite of what I do, I cannot claim to be an expert on a particular topic. But of course I may be more informed on some issues as in the course of my work I gather lots of information. Granted this information needs to be sieved to filter the truth and the facts from presumptions, fiction and outright lies.
So it’s a tough job sometimes getting the true picture.
Fact-checking is crucial as once the words leave your mouths or keyboards, it is hard to take them back.
And this is the guiding principle that bona fide journalists live by.
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=51401
So it’s a tough job sometimes getting the true picture.
Fact-checking is crucial as once the words leave your mouths or keyboards, it is hard to take them back.
And this is the guiding principle that bona fide journalists live by.
http://www.thesundaily.com/article.cfm?id=51401
2010-09-01
Banks feasting on bankrupt customers
For those who underestimate the power of the banking lobby as financial "reform" weaves its way through Washington, one need only look back five years ago to see how influential banks are at pressing their agenda.
Helped by the 2005 bankruptcy law, banks pushed consumers into too much credit, collected fees along the way and then went after them for defaulting.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/BankruptcyGuide/banks-feasting-on-bankrupt-customers.aspx
Helped by the 2005 bankruptcy law, banks pushed consumers into too much credit, collected fees along the way and then went after them for defaulting.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/BankruptcyGuide/banks-feasting-on-bankrupt-customers.aspx
2010-08-24
Money Talks
When you steal or lose someone's money, you take a part of their life. ~Rich Dad
Today, there are millions of financial planners and other so-called financial experts who truly believe they're doing the right thing when they recommend the investments they sell. Most financial experts aren't rich people but merely sales people. They have no financial education - only sales training. They sell what they're told to sell. Just ask anyone who has worked for one of these financial sweat shops.
One of the biggest rip offs is the 401(k), a government endorsed Ponzi scheme designed to make mutual fund companies rich.
A major problem arises when more people want their money back than there are people willing to put money in. This is why the 401(k) has such severe penalties for early withdrawal.
The Conspiracy roars on. Those that caused and profited from the financial crisis remain in control. Agents of the Conspiracy, the hundreds of thousands of financial sales people masquerading as financial experts, continue to advise the innocent to invest for the long-term, knowing the rich and powerful are taking the money their trusting but naive clients invest.
Today, there are millions of financial planners and other so-called financial experts who truly believe they're doing the right thing when they recommend the investments they sell. Most financial experts aren't rich people but merely sales people. They have no financial education - only sales training. They sell what they're told to sell. Just ask anyone who has worked for one of these financial sweat shops.
One of the biggest rip offs is the 401(k), a government endorsed Ponzi scheme designed to make mutual fund companies rich.
A major problem arises when more people want their money back than there are people willing to put money in. This is why the 401(k) has such severe penalties for early withdrawal.
The Conspiracy roars on. Those that caused and profited from the financial crisis remain in control. Agents of the Conspiracy, the hundreds of thousands of financial sales people masquerading as financial experts, continue to advise the innocent to invest for the long-term, knowing the rich and powerful are taking the money their trusting but naive clients invest.
2010-08-22
2010-08-21
All that glitters isn't gold, some of it is wine
(Reuters) - Like gold, top wines are highly prized, represent wealth and are selling near their historical highs.
Prices of the five premier cru Bordeaux -- Chateaux Lafite Rothschild, Haut-Brion, Margaux, Latour and Mouton-Rothschild, and the grand crus of Burgundy, particularly Romanee-Conti, are at or above 2007 levels.
During times of economic stress and worry, buyers look to safe investments and gold is seen as a defensive strategy. It's tangible, has intrinsic value and is a good diversifier ... The same can be said for the top growth Bordeaux and for the same reasons.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67G2PI20100817
Prices of the five premier cru Bordeaux -- Chateaux Lafite Rothschild, Haut-Brion, Margaux, Latour and Mouton-Rothschild, and the grand crus of Burgundy, particularly Romanee-Conti, are at or above 2007 levels.
During times of economic stress and worry, buyers look to safe investments and gold is seen as a defensive strategy. It's tangible, has intrinsic value and is a good diversifier ... The same can be said for the top growth Bordeaux and for the same reasons.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE67G2PI20100817
2010-08-20
China starts trading yuan against Malaysian ringgit
China starts trading yuan against Malaysian ringgit
August 20, 2010 12:14 am TWN, AFP
SHANGHAI -- China began trading the Malaysian ringgit against the Chinese yuan on the domestic foreign exchange market Thursday in the latest step toward making the yuan an international currency.
Beijing has been taking steps including promoting the use of the yuan to settle international trade and forging currency swap agreements in a bid to make the yuan a major global currency.
The central bank said earlier this week it would allow foreign financial institutions that participate in the yuan settlement program to invest their yuan proceeds in China's interbank bond market, giving those receiving yuan as payments an investment channel.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/china/china-business/2010/08/20/269433/China-starts.htm
August 20, 2010 12:14 am TWN, AFP
SHANGHAI -- China began trading the Malaysian ringgit against the Chinese yuan on the domestic foreign exchange market Thursday in the latest step toward making the yuan an international currency.
Beijing has been taking steps including promoting the use of the yuan to settle international trade and forging currency swap agreements in a bid to make the yuan a major global currency.
The central bank said earlier this week it would allow foreign financial institutions that participate in the yuan settlement program to invest their yuan proceeds in China's interbank bond market, giving those receiving yuan as payments an investment channel.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/china/china-business/2010/08/20/269433/China-starts.htm
2010-08-19
Why are retirees running out of money?
Why are retirees running out of money? Simple. Banks are paying next to zero for their savings. To make matters worse, since the interest payments on savings are so small, retirees are eating into their principle - money they spent their whole life saving - just to make ends meet.
This is one more example of the rich ripping off the poor, in this case the elderly poor. As inflation rises, their savings purchase less and less.
After 1971, the Federal Reserve Bank was allowed to print money. Printing money is the same as ripping off savers because each dollar printed devalues every other dollar in circulation - including your savings. Every dollar printed not only rips off savers but also rips off taxpayers because the interest on every dollar printed is paid for through taxes.
"Deflation is always reversible under a fiat money system." ~comments from Fed Chairman Bernanke on printing dollars. In other words, deflation is far more frightening than inflation. Today, the economy is deflating and the Fed is printing money to reverse it.
"Like gold, U.S. dollars have value only to the extent they are strictly limited in supply. But the US has a technology called a printing press (or, today, its electronic equivalent), that allows it to produce as many U.S. dollars as it wishes at essentially no cost. By increasing the number of U.S. dollars in circulation, or even by credibly threatening to do so, the U.S. government can also reduce the value of the dollar in terms of goods and services [inflation], which is equivalent to raising the prices in dollars of those goods and services." ~ Bernanke explained in a speech how far he'd go to save the economy, a few years ago.
In other words, we're willing to devalue people's savings to save the economy.
The rules of money changed in 1971. Today, we see the tragic results of that change. The tragedy shows up in the lives of people who are not only out of work but in many instances too old to go back to work. The tragedy is the erosion of their life's savings as inflation marches on.
This is one more example of the rich ripping off the poor, in this case the elderly poor. As inflation rises, their savings purchase less and less.
After 1971, the Federal Reserve Bank was allowed to print money. Printing money is the same as ripping off savers because each dollar printed devalues every other dollar in circulation - including your savings. Every dollar printed not only rips off savers but also rips off taxpayers because the interest on every dollar printed is paid for through taxes.
"Deflation is always reversible under a fiat money system." ~comments from Fed Chairman Bernanke on printing dollars. In other words, deflation is far more frightening than inflation. Today, the economy is deflating and the Fed is printing money to reverse it.
"Like gold, U.S. dollars have value only to the extent they are strictly limited in supply. But the US has a technology called a printing press (or, today, its electronic equivalent), that allows it to produce as many U.S. dollars as it wishes at essentially no cost. By increasing the number of U.S. dollars in circulation, or even by credibly threatening to do so, the U.S. government can also reduce the value of the dollar in terms of goods and services [inflation], which is equivalent to raising the prices in dollars of those goods and services." ~ Bernanke explained in a speech how far he'd go to save the economy, a few years ago.
In other words, we're willing to devalue people's savings to save the economy.
The rules of money changed in 1971. Today, we see the tragic results of that change. The tragedy shows up in the lives of people who are not only out of work but in many instances too old to go back to work. The tragedy is the erosion of their life's savings as inflation marches on.
2010-08-18
2010-08-17
The Budget
You may walk away happy with a small income tax cut, or the fact that cigarette and beer taxes have not gone up. But there is much more to the Budget than just those few ringgit you saved...
* Whatever "goodies" we get, we pay it for in other ways. Those "goodies" are not free money handed out by the government. Those "goodies" are paid for with our tax money! Every Ringgit of "goodies" that we "get" is a Ringgit less for other important things, like healthcare or education, for example.
* Economist, financial analysts, the mass media and the ordinary public have been fixated on the annual Budget deficit staying withing 3-5% of gross domestic product (GDP). Public discussion has focused on the Budget deficit being "manageable" or "prudent" at that level. We ignored two things.
Firstly, while the deficit was steady at 3-5% of GDP, the actual level of government spending was soaring.
Secondly, as total government spending was going up, so was the absolute level of the deficit.
* If the government is running deficits to fund consumption spending by increasing government debt, we are leaving our children a legacy of debt
* The mainstream media and government are happy to keep the focus on "goodies" because it avoids discussion and debate on the really important issues - efficiency and accountability.
The book can be bought at Popular bookstore, tokobuku.fotopages.com, info at refsa.org.
2010-08-13
Financial Bombs
Their concern was not for the environment or those suffering the ravages of this disaster. Their concern was for the pensioners who are counting on BP for a secure retirement.
On June 17, London's Daily Mail ran a headline screaming, "Obama Bullies BP into £13.5bn Fund for Oil Spill Victims... but British Pensioners will Pick Up the Bill." The British are angry with Obama for pressuring BP to suspend dividend payments and set aside $20 billion for the cleanup. Obama's strong-arm position has not only affected British pensioners, who own 40% of BP, but American pension funds, who own 39%, as well. In other words, the economic damage of the BP disaster goes far beyond the Gulf. The damage is spreading to pensions, pensioners, and portfolios all around the world.
Canary Wharf's ‘BP' stands for Bomb Production. Canary Wharf is much like AIG, a factory for exotic financial products known as derivatives. The problem is that most people do not know what these murky and mysterious products are -- and that includes the people who make them or buy them. It's why Warren Buffett has called derivatives "financial weapons of mass destruction." That is how powerful they are. During World War II, a ship exploded while loading bombs for transport at Port Chicago, California. The explosion flattened everything for miles. It is said that the ship's anchor, which weighed tons, was found more than six miles away. Derivatives -- financial bombs -- have the same power if they accidently detonate inside a bank's balance sheet.
Military bombs are classified by weight: 500-, 750-, and 1,000-pound bombs. Financial bombs have interesting labels such as CDO (collateralized debt obligations), ABS (asset backed securities), and CDS (credit default swaps). While they sound exotic and sophisticated, when put in everyday language, a CDO is simply debt sold as an asset. And CDS, or swaps, are simply a form of insurance.
While it is commendable that President Obama holds the rich and powerful accountable, I wonder what the price will be.
http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/richricher/257090;_ylt=AomWj7lFgQ3rVhZMkxuPsqAzt9IF;_ylu=X3oDMTFkbTJjOGdvBHBvcwM0BHNlYwNibG9nQmxvZ2dlckFyY2hpdmUEc2xrA3RoaW5rdGhlZ3VsZg--
On June 17, London's Daily Mail ran a headline screaming, "Obama Bullies BP into £13.5bn Fund for Oil Spill Victims... but British Pensioners will Pick Up the Bill." The British are angry with Obama for pressuring BP to suspend dividend payments and set aside $20 billion for the cleanup. Obama's strong-arm position has not only affected British pensioners, who own 40% of BP, but American pension funds, who own 39%, as well. In other words, the economic damage of the BP disaster goes far beyond the Gulf. The damage is spreading to pensions, pensioners, and portfolios all around the world.
Canary Wharf's ‘BP' stands for Bomb Production. Canary Wharf is much like AIG, a factory for exotic financial products known as derivatives. The problem is that most people do not know what these murky and mysterious products are -- and that includes the people who make them or buy them. It's why Warren Buffett has called derivatives "financial weapons of mass destruction." That is how powerful they are. During World War II, a ship exploded while loading bombs for transport at Port Chicago, California. The explosion flattened everything for miles. It is said that the ship's anchor, which weighed tons, was found more than six miles away. Derivatives -- financial bombs -- have the same power if they accidently detonate inside a bank's balance sheet.
Military bombs are classified by weight: 500-, 750-, and 1,000-pound bombs. Financial bombs have interesting labels such as CDO (collateralized debt obligations), ABS (asset backed securities), and CDS (credit default swaps). While they sound exotic and sophisticated, when put in everyday language, a CDO is simply debt sold as an asset. And CDS, or swaps, are simply a form of insurance.
While it is commendable that President Obama holds the rich and powerful accountable, I wonder what the price will be.
http://finance.yahoo.com/expert/article/richricher/257090;_ylt=AomWj7lFgQ3rVhZMkxuPsqAzt9IF;_ylu=X3oDMTFkbTJjOGdvBHBvcwM0BHNlYwNibG9nQmxvZ2dlckFyY2hpdmUEc2xrA3RoaW5rdGhlZ3VsZg--
2010-08-12
2010-08-11
Home Loans at 2% Interest
Dropping interest rates on home loans to near zero percent rates would be one way the government could print more money and stimulate the economy, but it would damage the lives of millions of honest hard working people as taxes and inflation rose.
In such a low interest rate environments, debtors would be winners, and workers and savers would be losers. It would be a sign that the government is desperate, that printing presses are running, and that our leaders will do anything to save the economy ... including destroy it.
If our leaders become desperate, the fractional reserve could be raised to lets say 1 to 30. This would destroy the value of your savings, but banks could drop interest rates to 2 percent and still make money, especially if they paid savers less than 1 percent for their money.
Every dollar in your pocket is debt, an IOU from your government. This is why you and I need to be smarter and use good debt wisely. If we get into lots of good debt, we'll do our part to save the economy - and make ourselves richer.
Remember this, Japan's bubble burst over twenty years ago. They dropped their interest rates to less than 1 percent, and their economy still hasn't recovered. What if the US drops its interest rates and the economy still doesn't return. What will you do? That's an important question for you to ask yourself today... not tomorrow.
In such a low interest rate environments, debtors would be winners, and workers and savers would be losers. It would be a sign that the government is desperate, that printing presses are running, and that our leaders will do anything to save the economy ... including destroy it.
If our leaders become desperate, the fractional reserve could be raised to lets say 1 to 30. This would destroy the value of your savings, but banks could drop interest rates to 2 percent and still make money, especially if they paid savers less than 1 percent for their money.
Every dollar in your pocket is debt, an IOU from your government. This is why you and I need to be smarter and use good debt wisely. If we get into lots of good debt, we'll do our part to save the economy - and make ourselves richer.
Remember this, Japan's bubble burst over twenty years ago. They dropped their interest rates to less than 1 percent, and their economy still hasn't recovered. What if the US drops its interest rates and the economy still doesn't return. What will you do? That's an important question for you to ask yourself today... not tomorrow.
2010-08-10
The Growing Divide
Prior to 1974, employers rewarded workers for years of loyalty and hard work with a guaranteed retirement income. They didn’t have to save for retirement. After 1974, workers had to move a portion of their income into managed accounts stuffed with stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, hoping that the market would grow steadily for many years. Because people were not financially intelligent and didn’t understand the financial markets, a whole new industry was created, financial planning.
One reason why those in the middle class are getting poorer is because they’re playing by the old rules of money. They’ve been taught to go to school, get a good job, and save for retirement in a well-diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Meanwhile, the rich play by the new rules of money and get rich off those stuck trying to play the retirement game in the old system.
it’s pointless to fight the system because the banks and the ultra-rich are in control and know how to manipulate the system to their advantage.
http://www.richdad.com/Richdad/RDBlog/RDBlog.aspx?TopicID=18
Comment:
We were scammed out of our own homes and the propaganda machine was put into overdrive so that everybody started blaming the "guy next door" instead of where it actually belonged. The smoke-n-mirror effect worked because everyone took their eyes off the true culprit... the root of the cause. The average person just focused on the effects, the symptoms & not the cause.
One reason why those in the middle class are getting poorer is because they’re playing by the old rules of money. They’ve been taught to go to school, get a good job, and save for retirement in a well-diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. Meanwhile, the rich play by the new rules of money and get rich off those stuck trying to play the retirement game in the old system.
it’s pointless to fight the system because the banks and the ultra-rich are in control and know how to manipulate the system to their advantage.
http://www.richdad.com/Richdad/RDBlog/RDBlog.aspx?TopicID=18
Comment:
We were scammed out of our own homes and the propaganda machine was put into overdrive so that everybody started blaming the "guy next door" instead of where it actually belonged. The smoke-n-mirror effect worked because everyone took their eyes off the true culprit... the root of the cause. The average person just focused on the effects, the symptoms & not the cause.
2010-08-08
Insight into Decision Making
The train is coming, and you are just beside the track interchange. You can make the train change its course to the disused track and save most of the kids. However, that would also mean the lone child playing by the disused track would be sacrificed. Or would you rather let the train go its way?
Let's take a pause to think what kind of decision we could make........ ...........
Most people might choose to divert the course of the train, and sacrifice only one child. You might think the same way, I guess. Exactly, to save most of the children at the expense of only one child was rational decision most people would make, morally and emotionally. But, have you ever thought that the child choosing to play on the disused track had in fact made the right decision to play at a safe place?
Nevertheless, he had to be sacrificed because of his ignorant friends who chose to play where the danger was.. This kind of dilemma happens around us everyday. In the office, community, in politics and especially in a democratic society, the minority is often sacrificed for the interest of the majority, no matter how foolish or ignorant the majority are, and how farsighted and knowledgeable the minority are. The child who chose not to play with the rest on the operational track was sidelined. And in the case he was sacrificed, no one would shed a tear for him.
The great critic Leo Velski Julian who told the story said he would not try to change the course of the train because he believed that the kids playing on the operational track should have known very well that track was still in use, and that they should have run away if they heard the train's sirens.. If the train was diverted, that lone child would definitely die because he never thought the train could come over to that track! Moreover, that track was not in use probably because it was not safe. If the train was diverted to the track, we could put the lives of all passengers on board at stake! And in your attempt to save a few kids by sacrificing one child, you might end up sacrificing hundreds of people to save these few kids.
While we are all aware that life is full of tough decisions that need to be made, we may not realize that hasty decisions may not always be the right one.
Remember that what's right isn't always popular... & what's popular isn't always right
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