HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Family Money

Snap Shots

Modern Medicine

Women's World

Heart to Heart with Hillary

Grapevine

Shaman's Rattle

Antiques, are they genuine?

Animal Crackers

The computer doctor

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

Down The Iron Road

The Message in The Moon

A Slice of Thai History

Family Money: Hedging Your Bets

By Leslie Wright

A tough 12 months for equity investors has moved hedge funds up the agenda of many financial advisers and their clients.

Star fund managers have been drifting into the hedge-fund arena, and these widely-misunderstood - and thus often eschewed - funds have performed better than ‘traditional’ equity funds in the turbulent markets of the past 18 months.

But moving clients into hedge funds is not as simple as making a call on technology or emerging markets. It is a very different world from conventional investing, with different jargon, managers and rules. Advisers need to know what risks they would be exposing their clients to. And researching the traditionally secretive hedge fund industry throws up new challenges.

Hedge funds are set to enter the investment mainstream, particularly when some conventional funds - for example, tracker funds - have disappointed investors.

Equating risks

Hedge funds are viewed by many as being very risky. Certainly, there are risks, but these are not necessarily greater than with long equity funds or other types of investment - just different.

However, some of the risks in hedge investing are not fully understood. Consultants, advisers and multi-fund managers need different tools for analysing hedge fund management skills.

Some of the risks in hedge funds are subtle. Quite apart from stock selection, implementation and trading are also important. Advisers need to learn methods to identify good management processes and risk control, as distinct from just stock picking.

There are still some major misunderstandings about hedge funds. Some of these arise from what seems to be a deliberate mystique created by the industry; others are irrational fears and generalisations. Understanding why hedge fund managers have generally been successful, and delivered better risk/reward ratios for investors, is essential.

One major misunderstanding is a widespread view that hedge funds are all about making big macro decisions - calling asset allocation or currency moves - correctly. Funds like George Soros’ ‘Quantum’ have epitomised this, and macro-managers have had a high profile when major moves have gone for or against them. Bigger funds certainly need liquidity to provide sufficient flexibility. Yet this is not the approach practised by most hedge funds, with long / short equity styles predominating. Most hedge funds focus on stock selection, or other styles that involve lots of small, and possibly repeatable, decisions.

Cruising in neutral

At the other end of the spectrum lies the misunderstanding that hedge funds should be market neutral.

Some investors undoubtedly expect full market protection. Yet delivering a consistently market-neutral fund is difficult. As the market moves, there is no guarantee the fund’s positions can be re-balanced. Even those operating in instruments that appear unrelated to market direction occasionally get surprises when hidden linkages are suddenly revealed. Hedge funds are not alternatives to cash.

First-rate management

Generally, hedge fund management has attracted able managers with incentives, producing stable investment teams. These managers can usually articulate their strategies in detail, in a way that is not always required of long managers.

The hedge-fund industry uses sophisticated techniques, and investors need to learn some of the jargon. Fortunately, there are some good websites that offer background information on the industry, definitions and performance data. This makes a useful starting point. However, it is important that investors and advisers recognise that in the hedge industry a completely different set of tools is needed to assess what constitutes a good manager.

Ambiguous information

High portfolio activity, pragmatism in investment style, and a very flexible approach to use of capital employed, make detailed analysis difficult. Looking at the pattern of returns emerging from the whole portfolio - mixing up longs and shorts and any currency overlays - does not give enough information. A return might look superficially good, but reveal little of the risks involved, or the repeatability of the result.

Also, because investors are looking for different attributes from a hedge fund, traditional measures like standard deviation or volatility are not relevant. Ideally, investors want funds that can beat the index on a majority of months, and yet give less back to the market than most in downturns. Absolute return is more important than performance relative to an index.

Sounds familiar

Investors will be reassured that some of those coming into the hedge area as managers are already familiar names. The main benefit of a major brand name is in offering the reassurance of reputation, expected efficiency of execution and a bigger compliance infrastructure.

However, contrasting with these plus points are the risks for large, diversified fund management groups of attempting to integrate hedge fund management with conventional fund management. Also, there can be ongoing tensions within an organisation that is trying to balance reward structures between traditional and hedge funds.

For these reasons, the smaller specialist hedge boutiques are likely to continue to have a role.

Funds-of-funds

As hedge funds enter the mainstream of broader institutional exposure, most of the growth in the short term will be via funds-of-funds. These provide a good entry point for advisers and investors new to hedge investing. An increasing number of these are being offered by household names, and within a familiar structure. They will have access to the best managers, and the skill to identify the long-term winners. This will involve considerable on-site diligence with the managers, and close examination of investment processes.

More importantly, the role of a fund-of-funds is to identify correlation between managers and construct optimal portfolios of hedge funds. In this way, some high performing managers can be included in funds-of-funds, even if their performance is volatile, provided they can be balanced out with others that are complementary.

Funds-of-funds can help advisers and investors to move up the learning curve in this new area. They will allow entry into hedge funds proven to add value for clients, but with considerable risk reduction and saving in research.

With an easy-entry route available, investors and their advisers wishing to catch up with this latest revolution should not delay.

Snap Shot: Fill Flash

by Harry Flashman

Fill-in flash is probably one of the best ways to give life to “people” shots, but unfortunately is one of the least understood concepts in photography. In fact, many people are just so afraid of it they never try and condemn themselves to dark, featureless portraits or dreadful pictures full of bright highlights and disastrously dark shadows.

Let us look a little harder at why fill-in flash is required in the first place. Let’s start with taking shots in the bright Thailand sun at mid-day. It is all very well saying that you should take shots in the early morning or late afternoon, but many family gatherings are lunchtime affairs. The only time you may get to shoot Aunt Maude can be in the harsh noon sun. End result, big black shadows where the eyes are supposed to be and an appearance of bags under the eyes you could put a change of clothes in.

The other time you are going to need a flash fill is when the light (generally the sun) is behind the person you are going to photograph. The camera sets the exposure for the bright background and the foreground then comes out so dark you will hardly recognize anyone’s face.

With both of these shots, what you need is a little burst of flash to fill in the shadows or the underexposed areas of the shot. Another side benefit is that there will be a bright “catch light” in the eyes, which makes the portrait much more alive.

Use fill-in flash and watch your portraits come alive

With today’s automatic exposure cameras you must understand that it doesn’t know what it is that you are photographing. It doesn’t know that the person’s face in the picture is the most important item. All the camera brain can see is a mixture of bright lights and dark areas and it will give you an exposure to try and equalize these out. Unfortunately, in conditions of high contrast in the tropical sun, or back lit, the end result will be underexposure of the part of the photograph you want. It’s not the camera’s fault - it just means you have to get smarter. Fill flash is part of being smarter!

Fortunately, these days many compacts and SLR’s do have the fill-in flash mode built in, but many of you do not use it - or even realise that you have this facility! Did you read the book that came with the camera? If you have it - then use it! Please do look, the shots you will get back will be much better than you were getting before.

Now, for those of you who have the whole kit and caboodle - an SLR with an off-camera flash, this last section is for you. The whole secret of fill-in flash revolves around flash synchronization speed. Some of the very latest, and expensive cameras will synchronize flash and shutter speed all the way through to 1/2000th of a second or better, but the average SLR will probably say that the synch speed is 1/125th or even only 1/60th and it is this figure which drives the exposure setting.

In practice, what you have to do is put the camera on shutter priority, let’s say the 1/125th synch speed and then read off what the resultant aperture setting is when metering the subject’s face. Let’s imagine the camera meter tells you that it will be f11. Now put the camera in manual mode and fix the shutter at 1/125th and the aperture at f11.

Next step is to set the power of the flash gun, measured in f stops. You do not want the flash to overpower the natural light, so you set the power to be one or two stops less than the aperture you have set in the camera. In the example, the camera is set on f11, so you set the flash on f8 for one stop or f5.6 for two stops.

Take the two shots at the different flash powers and decide which effect is best and practice with this technique for better photographs. You will not be disappointed.

Modern Medicine: Is the answer really in our genes?

by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant

Have you heard of the Human Genome Project? Well, it is an international collaboration which kicked off in 1990 to attempt to write down the various genes that are responsible in making us up to way we are. A gene, by the way, is a portion of DNA responsible for encoding messenger RNA for translation into protein. This is no small project either as we have approximately 1,000 billion cells of which each has 46 chromosomes carrying duplicate copies of around 30,000 genes. The exciting thing about the Human Genome Project is that after 10 years we now have a draft copy of “us” with the base pairs that make up the genome being described.

What the researchers are now trying to do is assign the function to each gene. Is this one the gene that gives Asians brown eyes, or is it the gene that determines whether you are going to get cancer?

At the mention of the Big C (and I don’t mean the supermarket at the top end of Second Road) I can hear all your ears pricking up. Can we now predict a cancer occurring in ourselves some time in the future? Well, we can - sort of! Come on, you didn’t expect “absolutes” in experimental medicine, did you?

We have discovered the “cancer gene” for breast cancer and some types of colorectal cancers and another condition called familial adenomatous polyposis, which if left untreated results in 100% of the cases developing colon cancer. So what are we doing about it?

What you have to understand is that this is not the be all and end all of the cancer story. The relative contributions to cancer are as follows:

Dietary 35%, Smoking 30%, Hereditary syndromes 5-10%, Occupational exposure 5%, Infectious agents 5%, Radiation and environmental pollution 4%

(and yes, I do realise that doesn’t add up to 100% - there’s others, but small numbers).

Just because someone in your family got breast cancer does not mean that you will. Their cancer might have had nothing to do with genetic mutations of healthy genes. There is a far greater chance that it developed from “other” causes.

However, returning to the hereditary concept, if after taking a detailed family history it looks as if there “might” be a genetic element, then it is a case of very extensive testing - that takes much time (and money) to see if the person has the mutated gene.

The next problem for the predictive testing concept is - if you find you have got the mutated gene - what do you do about it? And even more importantly, can we handle the knowledge?

For some people, this might mean deciding to have a mastectomy now, instead of later. A tough call, especially when having the mutated gene does not mean you have 100% chance of getting the cancer, having the mutation just means you have a 40-80% chance of developing breast cancer by the time you are 70 years old. There is also much evidence that those who are told their “mutated future” are more likely to suicide than those who get a clean bill of genetic health.

All very sobering. We will be able to “repair” genes in the future - but it isn’t in your local pharmacy - yet. Stay tuned!

Women’s World: Check your cholesterol

by Lesley Warner

I had a very nasty shock the other day when my colleagues at work talked me into taking a cholesterol test. I quite seriously said that it was a waste of time; I was a fit, healthy person and certainly not overweight. Why would I need one? They insisted, being shocked that I have never had this health check. In the end I gave in and succumbed to the test. Well, you can imagine my horror when I was told that my cholesterol is dangerously high at 284 and should at least be under 200.

I have to admit that I was stunned, having been complacent about my health and fitness for so long. Because I have never had a weight problem I’ve never concerned myself with diets, I just each what I want. My motto has always been ‘everything in moderation.’ As weight is not my problem I was told to start a program of regular exercise. There are drugs on the market but I prefer to try and cut down my cholesterol without their aid. Also, I need to change my diet, which means cut out the eggs, cheese and full fat milk I love so much.

I bought a bicycle, and hope I don’t end up killing myself (I’m a bit shaky after not being on a bike for 20 years). Everyone that has seen me riding around the Soi so far, suggests that I practice before going onto the road!

I was also advised to stop smoking, restrict or avoid alcohol and learn to manage daily stress. This is not so easy, as I enjoy a cigarette and a drink. Stress I do try to manage but our daily life does not always help us.

When I’ve made the above lifestyle changes, I can have a second blood test done to see how these changes have affected my blood chemistry. I am fortunate to be blessed with low blood pressure, so that helps, but for those of you ladies that have not tested for cholesterol, get your blood fats under control. 1. Reduce excess body fat so that you reach your ideal body weight. 2. If you drink, do so in moderation. Alcohol is high in calories, it increases one’s risk of high blood pressure, and it increases triglyceride levels. 3. Don’t smoke, and avoid second-hand smoke. 4. Eat more fiber - fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and cereals. As often as possible, replace high-fat animal foods with low-fat foods (e.g., have cereal and non-fat milk for breakfast, instead of buttered toast, bacon, and butter-fried eggs; choose fruit instead of ice cream or chocolate). 5. Exercise! Walk, run, bike, swim, or otherwise get yourself moving for at least 30 minutes a day. Your exercise pace, by the way, should make you sweat a little, but should not cause you to become breathless. Get your doctor’s OK if you haven’t had a check-up in a while. 6. Limit your dietary cholesterol intake. This means restricting fatty animal foods (i.e., fatty meats, poultry skin, whole-milk products) and limiting egg yolks to three or four a week (including those used in cooking and baking). 7. Limit the saturated fat in your diet. Saturated fat has far more of an impact on blood chemistry than dietary cholesterol has. Your liver makes cholesterol out of the saturated fat you eat. 8. Be happy, and make time to relax. Anger and hostility have been linked to heart disease more often than any other emotion or personality trait. Get enough sleep. Take regular breaks from your routine. Learn stress-management techniques. Spend some quiet time alone each day. 9. Take medication, if you must. Cholesterol lowering medication is very expensive and often carries burdensome side effects, so try lifestyle changes first. See your doctor. Talk to him or her about the results of your blood tests. See how experimenting with diet and other lifestyle changes affects your blood chemistry. If you give 100% of your effort to changing your daily habits, you may not have to take medication. Remember, it could be you. Get a check up.

Heart to Heart with Hillary

Dear Hillary,

Our maid will sometimes arrive at our house with a small child in tow, I think it is apparently her grandchild. During the day, she lets the child have the run of the house, but this does not make me very happy at all, as we have some expensive art and decor items. I am forever having to save some article or other from its grasp. How should I tactfully go about telling her not to bring the child? The maid is perfect in every other way and does understand English (spoken slowly).

Maude

Dear Maude,

Another lady of the house treading the maid minefield! If the child really does worry you that much, then you should tell your maid about this. She will be looking after the child because the child’s mother is otherwise engaged (probably her sister’s or daughter’s child), so if you are not careful, you will find you will get the situation where your maid will not come to work, because on that particular day she has to be the baby sitter. Of course you should point out that you will not pay your maid for days taken off if that is the case, but then you are risking forcing her into the position of telling fibs about being “sick” to excuse the non-attendance. However, if the maid must be at your house every day, then there is always the alternative of your hiring a baby sitter and playpen - at your expense! Or otherwise, setting up the playpen in the kitchen with the maid. The choice is yours, Petal, but remember that family ties are very binding in Thai society, much more so than in the western world.

Dear Hillary,

I try to be as unbiased as I can, but the “katoey” things do worry me. Why do the men flock around these pathetic creatures? Go down Walking Street any evening and you will find them at a couple of selected bars, trying to entice the male customers inside. Since these “women” are neither one or the other, what is so attractive about them? Have you any idea, Hillary?

Aunty Katoey

Dear Aunty Katoey (or is that “anti” katoey?),

Have you taken a good hard look at these “women of the 2nd order” recently? Perfectly groomed, perfectly made up, perfect figures and perfectly “available”. How do we look by comparison? Scrappy house-frock on as you couldn’t be bothered today. No make-up either because it was too hot. Certainly we all know where these “girls” got their outstanding figures from, but there are lots of women of the 1st order who have also lined up for the cosmetic surgeon’s knife, don’t forget! The katoeys have gone out of their way to appear attractive, while we have grown sloppy by comparison. As far as trying to entice men into the bars, there are many more girls doing that than there are lady-boys, or haven’t you strolled down Walking Street recently. Lighten up a little, Aunty, and let people be what they want to be. Life is too short and too full of more important things to do than worrying about why other people “do” their things, surely.

Dear Hillary,

Referring to a letter from “Lonely Lothario” (Vol. X., No.1), who is looking for someone “nice” and have an “ordinary” life. I would appreciate very much if you could let me have his e-mail address to share our view. Thanking you very much in advance for your kind assistance and your soonest reply.

“Ordinary Lady”

Dear Ordinary Lady,

You do sound “nice”, but you are not “ordinary” as it is rare for someone Thai to take the initiative such as you have done - but top marks, anyway! Hillary applauds anyone who constructively tries to influence their future, and not just sit back and wait and hope (and be disappointed). I shall pass on your email address to Lonely Lothario but we must leave it up to him if he wishes to take you up any further on your offer. Remember too, that there are a lot of lonely men out there, but there are not as many “genuine” and lonely men! Beware!

Dear Hillary,

A simple and probably silly question, but my friend and I were recently over in Thailand (Pattaya) from America and we spent most nights “rubber necking” in Walking Street. What we saw, amongst other “amazing” sights were the “amazing” footwear being worn by some of the girls. How they managed to walk up and down the street in shoes that had six inch soles was beyond us. Why do the Thai girls continue to wear this totally outmoded fashion? They are snappy dressers otherwise.

Natalie

Dear Natalie,

Hillary gets asked this question at least once every year and the answer is simple, Petal. When you are only 5 foot zero inches tall and your farang boyfriend is 6 foot, you need a bit of a step ladder just to get high enough up to whisper sweet nothings in his ear. How they manage to walk in them without falling off their shoes takes practice, but Thai girls are pretty skilful in this regard. Now you know!

Grapevine

Shaman’s Rattle: The Food Dr. in the City

Last week’s article reviewed the impressive book “The Food Dr. in the City” where nutritionist author Ian Marber outlines a guide to staying fit and healthy in the city, the effects of toxins and pollutants, what foods will actually help chelate toxic heavy metals from our bodies, and avoiding lethal pollutants and toxins including alcohol and cigarette smoke.

This week’s article reviews Marber’s recommendations on which foods help detoxify the body and effective anti-ageing measures. As Marber points out, “detoxifying has become a buzz word lately and whole books have been written on the subject.” (One such book which I recommend and covers the same principles as Marber is Dr. Sandra Cabot’s “Liver Cleansing Diet.”)

Ian Marber explains the process of detoxification and the importance of the liver, which Dr Cabot titles graphically as “the major vacuum cleaner of the system.” Marber adds, “As we have seen, the liver is responsible for detoxifying substances as they enter the body. This multi functional organ is highly evolved and detoxification is but one of its many essential roles, including regulation of blood glucose levels, protein and fat metabolism, and storage and activation of important vitamins and minerals.”

Last week’s article mentioned toxins and their damage. Marber explains, “There are two stages in the breakdown of toxins into their constituent parts. The first stage by-products are free radicals, which can be quashed by (antioxidant) Vitamins A, C, and E in addition to the minerals selenium and zinc.”

Marber stresses the importance of eating fresh raw fruit and vegetables daily as well as nuts seeds and whole grains. “Consumed daily such foods can support the livers’ ability to detoxify more efficiently.”

Along with Dr Cabot, Marber emphasises the vital importance of water. “The role of water in the process of detoxifying cannot be over stated. Water is required in every part of the body, not least the kidneys which are elimination route for the livers detox processes. At least 1 litre of water and preferably 2 litres should be drunk daily. This does not include teas and coffee which can have a diuretic and therefore dehydrating effect.”

Coffee is not an effective hangover fix, folks, and is more likely to worsen the effects of over imbibing than to help. “Drink still mineral water whenever you can. Juicing vegetables and fruit is a delicious way to get the nutrients they contain in a liquid form that is highly absorbable.”

In a chapter titled, “Foods which help detoxify the body,” Marber states, “Ideally the liver must be supported so that its efficiency is not compromised. It requires a number of specific nutrients for optimum function, including methionine (from eggs, fish, meat, and milk); choline (from cabbage, eggs, chickpeas, lentils, rice, soy beans); thiols (found in onions, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables); and silymarin (Milk thistle) a herb that can be supplemented under supervision by a nutritional consultant or herbalist.”

Marber’s city anti-pollution programme is, “Drink 1 to 2 litres of water daily. Eat plenty of apples for their pectin content. Eat seaweed or sea vegetables at least three times a week.” Good news for Japanese food lovers. “Eat zinc and calcium rich foods” (see last week’s article). “Reduce alcohol intake or avoid alcohol for most of the week. Favour organic products that have not been sprayed with pesticides. Eat fresh foods and avoid packaged foods whenever possible. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables that contain (antioxidant) Vitamins A, C, and E, and the minerals zinc and selenium (found in broccoli, bran, mushrooms, whole grains and garlic) and keep your sugar intake to a minimum.”

Marber reiterates how damaging free radicals need to be matched by healthy levels of antioxidants and the importance of these substances in fighting disease and preventing the visible signs of ageing. He outlines 50 top beauty foods that contain these antioxidant vitamins and minerals “Vitamin A, beta carotene (found in apricots, liver, mustard greens, pumpkin, cantaloupe, melon, carrots, eggs, dark green vegetables, watercress and red peppers). Vitamin C (found in peppers, kiwi fruit, potatoes, blackcurrants, tomatoes, sprouted seeds, sweet potatoes, broccoli, papaya and citrus fruit). Vitamin E (found in eggs, almonds hazelnuts, sunflower seeds and oil, walnuts, avocado, wheat germ, olive oil and oatmeal.) Selenium 9 found in tuna, molasses, mushrooms, cabbage, eggs, liver, most seafood, onions, chicken and brazil nuts. Zinc (found in sardines, chicken, cucumber, eggs, tuna, potatoes cauliflower, carrots, oats and almonds).” It is a boost just to know we can include these ‘beautifying’ foods in our diets.

Smoking cigarettes, even exposure to second hand smoke, drinking alcohol, and skin exposure to sunlight can not only lead to disease that can kill but can also have hugely ageing effects, not only on the organs of the body but their damage is plainly visible on the skin. Over exposure to the sun causes skin cancer, also produces leathery lined skin. Why do Asian women and northern Europeans look much younger than their years? The answer is that they either do not expose their skins to sun or protect themselves by using shade or sunscreen.

Cigarette smoke not only causes cancer and asthma but causes the skin to lose its elasticity, hence wrinkles around the mouth. Alcohol abuse causes fatal liver and brain damage; also reeks its telltale damage of permanent red lines, spider veins on the face and bulbous noses. All good reasons to avoid these three pollutants as much as possible.

Ian Marber’s book, “The Food Doctor In the City” is a useful volume to have on hand. In it Ian gives a complete guide to staying healthy, beating stress, detoxifying and revitalising the body while enjoying city life, and clearly shows what foods to avoid and what foods to include in the diet in order to protect and detoxify the body. Additionally, it gives comprehensive nutrition plans, restaurant eating and business lunch tips and great recipes which allow you to choose foods that help protect from the ravages of city life. Enjoy. Marber can also be found on the web, www.thefooddoctor.com

Antique, are they genuine? Irish Cut Glass

Many of the firms who specialized in reproduction 18th century wine glasses also turned out some very good copies of ‘old Waterford glass’. After 1918 old glass, especially Irish, started to make high premiums and it began to be faked. Further confusion was added by Hartshorne and by, 1916, J.H. Yoxall.

Yoxall perpetrated the myth of the blue tint in Waterford glass. As early as 1920 Dedley Westropp, the first sensible authority on Irish glass, discounted the theory quite adamantly. “I would wish now, once and for all, to state that the glass made in Waterford has not the decided blue or dark tint always ascribed to it,” he said. Even after such a categorical statement the legend continues.

A deceptive cut glass bowl after an Irish pattern, one of a group of similar items often found at antique fairs.

The nonsensical comments by Yoxall were reiterated by Mrs. Graydon-Stannus who apparently inherited a glass factory in Ireland and became fascinated with Irish glass. From 1926 to 1936 she operated the Gray-Stan factory in London which produced mottled and bubbled glass in the current art and glass fashions. It is generally accepted throughout the antiques trade and by glass historians that she was responsible for confusing the history of Anglo-Irish glass. She originated Irish reproductions to substantiate her theories. Some genuine glasses, including drawn trumpet wines glasses, were ‘enhanced’ with new areas of flat cutting.

In 1920 she published a small book, Old Irish Glass and followed it a year later with a larger revised edition. The text of the book is full of inaccuracies and many glasses are misrepresented, including the candelabra, candlesticks and chandeliers which often feature 20th century drops and arms, marble ‘Bossi’ pedestals and metal fittings.

Chandeliers and Candelabra

The difficulties in identifying genuine cut glass objects are multiplied when it comes to chandeliers and candelabra. An invaluable source of information can be found in the 18th century trade cards of London glass dealers. But at the end of the 18th century it was already customary for chandeliers to be dismantled and re-formed to the latest fashion. That tradition means that one can never be absolutely sure how much alteration has taken place.

English color twists wine glasses, especially with rare color, will fetch high prices.

The huge market for lighting fixtures in the 19th century has furnished the restoration trade with a readily available supply of components which can be reassembled at will. Drops for chandeliers were pressed in a mold before being given a final cut to sharpen the edges. A similar idea appeared in the 19th century hollowware when cutting shops used pressed blanks. The benefits included a saving on the expense of the rougher plus the cut design being already impressed into the article.

It can be difficult to recognize this type of cutting, especially if it is done well. Some Continental glass, currently sold at markets and discount warehouses, is advertised as hand-cut, but a close examination of the surface will reveal the flow marks of pressed glass.

Flint Glass

Demi-crystal reproductions antique designs from the Hill-Ouston catalogue, 1934

Lead glass is given a variety of terms which can cause an absolute muddle for the collector. ‘Flint’ is recognized by glassmakers to mean a clear, transparent glass and nothing else. It no longer refers to the ingredients of the glass metal. The tradition behind the term goes back to George Ravenscroft, who followed Italian practice and believed he had to use flints or pebbles for the basic raw ingredient. Flints were calcined and ground to give the silica that is now much more easily provided in the form of sand. Even after sand was used, the term ‘flint’ continued in general use and takes us back 300 years in an unbroken line.

The other terms that confuse many are the words crystal, cut crystal, or crystal glass. These terms presumably intend to suggest both clarity and the sparkle of cutting. Glass itself does not have a crystalline structure as minerals do. In scientific terms it is a super-cooled liquid.

Animal Crackers: Scorpions - Beche de Mer - The edible sea cucumber

by Mirin MacCarthy

Sea cucumbers are not, as their name would imply, a vegetable, but are actually a gelatinous creature that is vaguely related to star fish and sea urchins (all share membership in the phylum Echinodermata). The class Holothuroidea is composed of these creatures and many members of the group (but not all) resemble the garden variety of cucumber.

The similarity between sea cucumbers and land cucumbers comes with their long and tubular shapes, but there are many different varieties. Their names range from the romantic “Beche de Mer” to the less romantic “sea rat.” The Chinese name of these animals translates roughly into “sea ginseng” - it is unclear whether this is in recognition of the sea cucumber’s reputed aphrodisiacal qualities, or because it is considered to be quite healthful. There are claims that the sea cucumber can cure everything from high blood pressure in humans to joint pain in pot-bellied pigs!

They generally have 5 rows of tube feet running lengthwise on their bodies. Three of the rows of tube feet are well developed but the other two rows are usually either underdeveloped (and not used) or are missing completely. At one end of the animal is a mouth surrounded by tentacles. These tentacles, usually branched, are actually special tube feet and are part of the water vascular system. The water vascular system is not filled with seawater as in sea stars and urchins, but rather with a special body fluid.

Now if you think Colonel Sanders invented ‘finger lickin’ good’ then you are mistaken. It was the Beche de Mer and its relatives. It will position itself in a spot on the ocean floor where a current will bring a steady supply of food (plankton and other organic particles) its way. The tentacles are opened to collect the food and the cucumber sticks each tentacle in its mouth, one at a time, and licks them off. As soon as a tentacle has been licked, the cucumber takes it out of its mouth and holds it out to collect more food while it licks the next one!

The sea cucumber does not have much to protect itself with, being without claws, hard shell or poisonous barbs, so when attacked has developed a most interesting method of self defence. This is called “autoevisceration” where the animal literally ‘spews its guts up’ and expels its internal organs as sacrifice to the predator. Provided that the predatory animal is happy with this and leaves the body of the sea cucumber, it will grow another complete set of internal organs and continue waving its sticky fingers in the seawater!

However, some sea cucumbers can secrete a sticky glue-like substance as a defence mechanism. This glue is so sticky that it cannot be removed from the skin without shaving off all the hair it has come in contact with. Sea cucumbers have been harvested in some regions just to get this substance which is used as a bandage to close wounds.

For those who would like to try a little sea cucumber, it requires an extensive amount of preparation before it becomes edible. The complicated procedure takes place over several days and involves slitting open the belly and removing the insides, as well as washing and boiling the animal several times. Fresh sea cucumber that has already been cleaned and soaked is sometimes available in Asian markets, usually in the cold foods section or in containers of water and many Asian stores also carry dried sea cucumber, which looks and feels like a piece of cement, which needs to be soaked for several hours before cooking. Like tofu, sea cucumber is flavourless, but has the ability to soak up the flavours of the foods and seasonings it is cooked with and is used in soups, stir-fries, and certain braised dishes. Bon appetit!

The Computer Doctor

by Richard Bunch

Continuing from last issue when we began reviewing anti-virus applications, the theme is continued this week.

Antivirus utilities commonly catch viruses by scanning the files on your PC and comparing them to a library of virus signatures, each of which identifies a particular virus. Unfortunately, this means someone must first suffer an infection before the virus signature can be developed. For scanning to be effective, users must regularly update the utility’s virus signature database, or the program won’t have signatures for the newer viruses.

Common best practice should also be remembered, these include scanning diskettes and CD ROMS before executing anything; similarly files downloaded from a website should also be scanned first. A regular full system scan should also be performed. Since the most common source of infection seems to be from e-mail, exercise caution when viewing any e-mail, particularly from unknowns but remember also that viruses can arrive from your friends and colleagues; in the case of the latter it is essential that these people are advised so that the merry-go-round can be halted.

So on to the products themselves. The latest versions of the antivirus software and definitions were used, unfortunately Sophos never got off first base as despite repeated attempts to download and requests to their Technical Support, it was impossible to get the software. F-Secure Anti-Virus and Panda Antivirus, both Titanium and Platinum, successfully caught every virus whist PC-cillin 2000, Norton AntiVirus 2001, MvAfee Virus Scan and BitDefender let between 1 & 5 viruses through including W32/BadTrans.B.

On the performance side most took between 4 - 5 minutes to do a complete scan, the slowest of the bunch was F-secure which took tree times as long.

Some of the software scans incoming e-mail, these include McAfee, Norton, Panda and PC-cillin, the others don’t specifically do this but their on-access modules identified the demons. Unfortunately, PC-cillin has an annoying defect which changes SMTP settings each time the e-mail client (Outlook) is started, which means these have to be reset every time, and even with one account this is annoying but in my case with more than twenty it is really aggravating and time consuming. For me this makes the program unusable which, coupled with its failure to catch some viruses, means it is off the shopping list.

It is also important to be able to scan files or folders as required (on-demand). Whilst the programs allow you to do this Panda has the cleanest interface which makes the task a breeze, it is also possible to scan specific file types and even schedule the scans.

As we have said earlier the antivirus software is only as good as its last virus definition database so to the method of updating. F-Secure Anti-Virus, Norton AntiVirus 2001, Panda Antivirus Platinum & Titanium, BitDefender together with PC-cillin have automatic updating, which checks for updates whenever it detects an Internet connection and subsequently installs the updated components. It is important to ensure that this feature is enabled within the software. Unfortunately with McAfee you need to login to their Web sites or else manually start the update from within the program. McAfee does slightly recompense this by providing a reminder feature. With the number of viruses that are born every day, and given that most of us are connected to the Internet at least once a day I recommend that updates are obtained daily. All the antivirus software described includes a one year update and access to technical support.

Continued next week ...

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

'Christmas and New Year, a stimulus for the human spirit

Economists talk about this annual holiday season as an economic engine. But sociologists know that if we didn’t already have a Christmas or a New Year, we would have to invent them. They serve as an indispensable societal function. There is much more to this season of holidays than getting cash register drawers to snap in and out. They are the best excuse and incentive ever devised to do vital things we never get around to if the season didn’t motivate us.

This is the time most of us visit family members. From January through November, we find interminable excuses not to get together with some of the people we love most. We are too busy. They are too busy. It costs too much. It’s too hot here, too cold there. But when Christmastime or the year is coming to an end, we manage to make the plan, book the plane, find the time, and swallow the reasons not to go home or not to let them come to us. We may do it with a curse and a sigh, but we do it anyway. And without the holidays to glue us briefly back together, the fractured families of our globetrotting age might fully fall apart.

For example, my neighbor flew to Canada on the 15th of December to see his son and daughter who are studying in snow-bound Toronto. Sunny seaside Pattaya’s department stores do not carry clothing warm enough to provide protection against the icy winds that sweep across that frozen land in winter. Fortunately our moo ban has European residents and we collected enough warm sweaters and jackets to swathe him warmly in the wool and flannel needed for his journey. As I watched him pack, it struck me how absurd the whole venture was. This trip would take more than 30 hours of flight time to a place where the temperature would barely rise above freezing. And he would be there less than three weeks. Why would anyone do that? Because it was Christmastime, and the New Year was approaching. This particular holiday season summons a need to strengthen certain frayed bonds. At this time of year we remember that the greatest comfort of all is the comfort of connection.

The writing of cards for Christmas and the New Year is also one of those traditions which reconnects us with our friends and loved ones. As the years drift by, most of us have less and less desire to do the work of writing out and addressing all those cards. Telephones and computers have become the modern method of communication. All that effort of buying cards, hand writing personal messages, searching for long forgotten addresses, the envelope-licking, and the long lines at the post office sometimes seems more work than it is worth. But we have a greater sense that this effort made once a year is the energy that keeps certain valued friendships ticking along.

The preparations of certain traditional foods which are associated with these two holidays are usually not consumed throughout the rest of the year. Christmas cookies, cakes and puddings come instantly to mind. Frankly, since most of these items are as palatable as Play-Doh, it is probably just as well. But of course the thrill is in the making and sharing, and the self expression. The season coaxes us to express ourselves in ways we may otherwise suppress.

Singing seems to be one of those expressive opportunities of which most of us manage to duck the year round. I personally choke up while humming along with the car radio. Come the holiday season, we open our voices full throttle. We all belt out Christmas carols, and Santa Claus songs; even those of us with the vocal talent of a croaking frog. The holiday season also gives us a reason to dress with panache. Gaudy sequins, Santa Claus suits, jolly red hats with reindeer antlers, nothing seems too outrageous during this time of year. New Year’s Eve parties in Pattaya force us out of our shorts and T-shirts, and it may be the one night of the year when some of us even wear shoes.

The essence of the liberating spell of these two holidays may be simply to rearrange our time. It is the busiest season of the year, but paradoxically, we have found time for things we need and enjoy, but could not squeeze into the former months of the year. That was the real social function of the celebrations. They gave us time to let down and let go. We made time to acknowledge that time itself is passing, and so too, are the people we care about passing through our lives.

Down The Iron Road: A Sequel to ‘The Great Western 4-6-0 Family’

by John D. Blyth, P.O. Box 97, Pattaya City 20260

G.J. Churchward - The Man

Born in 1857 in a 15th century house, built in the tiny Devon village of Stoke Gabriel by Squire Churchward, ‘G.J.C.’ (as I will again call him) naturally grew up with a love of the countryside, and sports such as shooting and fishing. But he also was a good mathematician, and had a natural talent for mechanical things. It was not surprising that he became an apprentice at the South Devon Railway’s works at Newton Abbot; when the Great Western took over most of the small lines in South West England, he was transferred to Swindon to complete his training, following which he was placed in the Drawing Office. It was at this time that, with a colleague, he made a steam-driven motor-car, only the boiler being made in the workshops.

He first encountered Dean, then in charge of the Carriage & Wagon shops; an unexpected death of a supervisor brought him promotions, and his enquiring mind took him far into the world of the vacuum brake, his axle boxes, and so on. By 1895 intelligence and hard work had taken him to the post of assistant works manager under Dean, by that time the ‘Top Man’. ‘G.J.C.’ himself became the top man when Dean retired. In the interim he had been determined that the very best machines and tools should be provided; high quality work was vital to him, and it remained so at Swindon for all time. He had already been elected to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and although he seldom gave lectures he was often well to the fore in the discussions that followed - his quick brain usually well ahead of most others.

George Jackson Churchward at
the height of his powers (ca. 1920).

‘G.J.C.’ was an impressive figure, be-whiskered, but short of head hair, and often preferring country-style tweed suits. He continued to occupy the Company’s house ‘Newburn’ across the main line from the works. He was frequently to be seen visiting his former colleagues, crossing the line on foot; sadly indeed, he was hard of hearing after some years, and on a foggy December day in 1933 he failed to observe the rapid approach of an express train, which knocked him down and he was killed instantly. All Swindon mourned him deeply; he was much liked and respected.

Some of his ideas - not quite all good

It will be realised that there were many G.W.R. locomotives in service as well as those we have considered; most came from the eras of Dean and Armstrong, and in addition to his new work, he also had to ensure the continued life of earlier engines which were good for a lot more service, but could be improved on ‘G.J.C’s lines. So smaller ‘G.J.C’-type boilers began to appear. Like those already considered, they had a fully tapered barrel, the dome was suppressed as a ‘zone of weakness,’ and steam collection, the previous role of the dome, was done from a high corner in the firebox.

Later, top-feed was introduced, shown by two pipes from the injectors circling the boiler to ‘clack valves’ whence the feed water was able to trickle down a series of trays, mixing with the steam and avoiding much scaling of the metal. Later super-heaters were available, first a Schmidt from Germany was tried, but there were lubrication problems; a Cole from U.S.A. did not satisfy either, so three possible ones were designed at Swindon and tested. The No.3, which gave a low degree of superheat was preferred. Later experience suggests that a much higher superheat would give better performance in traffic, and this may have been an error by ‘G.J.C.’, at least when oil difficulties were solved. Another innovation was the ‘jumper-top’ on blastipie, where the top could be left and increase the effective area, avoiding a very strong blast making the fire lift. The smoke box layout accorded with the findings of Prof. Goss of Purdue University, U.S.A.

The very early Stephenson valve gear was carefully re-designed by an expert, W.H. Pearce, and in essence was never altered for 2-cylinder engines to the end of G.W.R. steam. ‘G.J.C.’ would not allow the gear to be placed outside on any of his engines, causing some difficulty with the single-eccentric Walschaerts gear used instead on the 4-cylinder types. I have mentioned elsewhere the interesting ‘scissors’ gear used on locomotive No. 40 and never again.

On all these engines the valve feeding the outside cylinder each side was driven from inside by a ‘bent rocking shaft’, compensating for the angularity of some of the rods. Both the gears mentioned worked well, and each had its own advantages, the first for strong starts, the second for smooth running at speed. ‘G.J.C.’ had never had any experience in a locomotive depot, or he would have been able to appreciate the very inaccessible arrangements for reaching parts of the inside valve gear. Over 250 engines embodied this difficulty!

Very large cylinders were a feature: 18in x 30 in. was typical for 2-cylinder engines, and from 14 in, to 16 1/4 in x 26in to 28in for 4-cylinder types. The first figure is the diameter of the cylinder, and the second the stroke or movement of the piston from one end of the cylinder to the other. All these were very high figures compared with the practice on other lines.

Slipping at starting was rare, however, due to a very careful design of regulator valve in the smokebox; very small adjustments could be achieved, and any slip could be quickly checked. On some lines this was a lesson never learnt or understood, and there violent slipping was often the rule. No other line adopted this type of regulator permanently, although some tried it. It was yet another triumph for Churchward. There were many others, and the secret of his was his very clear thinking, close attention to detail, and first-class engineering ability. He put the best G.W.R. locomotives over fifteen years ahead of those on any other railway in Britain, yet the locomotive design side is just a part of a Locomotive Superintendent’s duties. Mostly he’s a supervisor with a staff of thousands, and a negotiator - and in some ways a showman, too.

It is an old joke in G.W. areas, that all the locomotives look the same; I totally disagree, but will admit that they have a strong family likeness!

The Message in The Moon: Sun in Cancer/Moon in Virgo - The Servant

by Anchalee Kaewmanee

Cancer’s emotional sensitivity is heightened by the intense mental perception of the Virgo Moon. From early childhood, these individuals have had to be content with an almost painful awareness of the malice and hostility of the world. If their early childhood reflected an undue amount of indifference, hardship or suffering, the hypersensitivity of natives born into this sign might have had problems such as shyness, extreme introspection and even emotional paralysis.

Cancer-Virgos often mature faster than their peers, and as children can appear older than their years. Others often remark to their parents that they seem like little old men or women, ancient sages. Fortunately, although unusually sensitive, they do have the ability to adapt to their surroundings. Cancer’s shrewdness, intuition and ability to profit from experience enable these natives to overcome whatever obstacles they must face. In addition, the Virgo Moon gives inner strength, patience and a capacity for self-sacrifice which is greatly beneficial. That sharp Virgo intellect sizes up situations quickly and makes the necessary adjustments. Left without choice, the Virgo inner nature will detach from emotional overkill.

Essentially, these people have a giving nature and are known for their generosity and kindness. No matter how hardened they may become to the storms of life, they never really lose their compassion and sympathetic understanding of others. The Cancer-Virgo wants desperately to be needed. He or she usually finds that fulfillment working for others. Indeed, this sign is often encountered and referred to as a workaholic. More than sheer obsession, these natives find real satisfaction in their chosen fields and will devote themselves totally to achieve their goals.

That need to serve, however, should not be confused with losing oneself in others. On the contrary, these natives do have a strong sense of self. Their mission is to use their inner strength, compassion and understanding to be of help. They often excel as counselors, teachers, priests, doctors, or other fields of humanitarianism. Aside from humanistic endeavors, many Cancer-Virgos excel in business. That shrewd Virgo intelligence and precision thinking brings remarkable talent for organization. Since they are cautious by nature, they work best within a structured and conventional framework

With others, these natives can be generous to a fault. However, when it comes to their own personal expenditures, they tend to be very thrifty. They should learn to treat themselves a little more. It won’t hurt to indulge in extravagance once in a while. Opening up a little to life’s joys makes it all worthwhile.

In a relationship, the Cancer-Virgo enjoys giving affection more than receiving it. They really need to feel they are needed and want to be of service. Fortunately they all have high standards which save them from becoming entangled with dependent or neurotic partners. A mate who appreciates the loyalty and devotion given in this partnership will be richly rewarded. A lover who takes all without giving something in return will soon find themselves empty handed when the Cancer-Virgo has decided enough is enough.

A Slice of Thai History: The Opium Trade

Part Four 1940-1948

by Duncan Stearn

In the early stages of the Second World War (1939-1945) Thailand continued to receive its opium from countries like Iran and Turkey, but after the Thais sided with the Japanese Empire late in 1941, these markets were soon cut off.

However, in May 1942 the Thai Northern Army, commanded by General Phin Choonhaven, moved into the Shan States of Northeastern Burma and established its headquarters in the town of Kengtung thereby gaining access to the locally grown product as well as Chinese opium.

By virtue of their alliance with the Japanese, the Shan States were annexed and became known as the United Thai State.

Within a few months, nearly 37,000 kilos of opium had been exported to Bangkok.

The war had little effect on Chinese opium exports into the Southeast Asian region. The Nationalist Chinese, or Kuomintang (KMT), controlled southern China and, although they were engaged in a bitter war, the Chinese continued to sell large quantities of opium to the Japanese.

For the first time, the Golden Triangle region became a significant opium producer, increasing from just over 15,000 kilos in 1940 to 98,000 kilos in 1944.

As the war began to go badly for Japan, and consequently Thailand also, the Northern Thai Army was ordered to quit the Shan States.

Interestingly, a number of key Thai military figures who were to dominate the opium trade after the Second World War saw service in the Shan States.

With the surrender of Japan and the end of the war in 1945, the number of opium addicts in Thailand remained virtually unchanged from pre-war levels.

Considering the size and proximity of the market, it is somewhat surprising that there was very little poppy cultivation in Thailand prior to the 1940’s.

However, from 1945 onwards, the Golden Triangle region continued its massive expansion. The region was to become the number one producer of opium and its derivative, heroin, in less than three decades.

In December 1946, the United Nations-sponsored Commission on Narcotic Drugs passed a resolution calling for the abolition of ‘opium-smoking in the Far East’, invoking an article in the international drug convention signed at The Hague in January 1912. The Commission criticised Thailand for being the only country in the Southeast Asian region where a legal government monopoly still operated.

The Commission also passed a resolution calling for an end to non-medical opium exports as soon as possible. Iran, a major exporter to Thailand, had already passed a ban on opium production in April 1946 thereby forcing the Thai government to authorise poppy cultivation in the northern hills.

In November 1947, a coup returned Marshal Pibul Songgram to power in Thailand. The coup saw the rise of two powerful army cliques, one controlled by Colonel Sarit Thanarat and the other led by the Army Commander, General Phin and his son-in-law, Colonel Phao Sriyanonda.

Both cliques quickly recognised the enormous profits to be made from the opium trade and both harboured desires to take control of it.

In 1948, the Thai government announced the introduction of anti-opium campaign designed to end the smoking of the substance by 1953.

However, it soon became clear to the two controlling cliques that the opium trade was very lucrative and the anti-opium campaign was quietly abandoned.