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Money matters:
Graham Macdonald MBMG International Ltd.
More on Commodities - part 1
In late March, we discussed why commodities need to be part
of a portfolio. Given the fact that the financial world continues to be in
turmoil and there are agriculture shortages, the need to explore alternative
energy sources, changing food demand and a growing water supply crisis ... there
are good reasons why you should be looking to buy into this sector! Global food
stocks are very low at the moment and there is no reason to believe that this
will change any time soon.
It would be quite difficult not to have some awareness ... in one issue of Hong
Kong’s ‘South China Morning Post’ on Monday February 25, 2008, six different
articles outlined why these areas collectively represent the most topical growth
sector with excellent potential returns over the next few years:
1. Drinking water crisis in Northern China, despite huge snowstorms and
disrupted weather patterns over Greater China in recent weeks.
2. Record spiking price increases for wheat.
3. Sugar gets sweeter as commodities gain preference ... grains have lagged
other commodities in recent years.
4. Alternative energy in China ... plans to increase solar energy electricity
output four-fold within 2 years.
5. Indian farmers courted by politicians ahead of elections … “Thousands of
villages still lack roads and access to medical care, schools, clean water and
sanitation.”
6. Subsidies benefit farmers and boost rural consumption ... ongoing and
increasing demand for commodities at 8 different phases...
People also forget the knock-on effect of all this. For instance, let’s just
take China as an example; there are tax breaks to improve the standard of living
for Chinese farmers. These farmers are producing grains and livestock to feed
China, one fifth of the world’s population. By having a more disposable income
to spend on living standard changes such as improving diet and housing, farmers
are providing extra employment both directly on the farm and, indirectly, others
by purchasing new goods, e.g. a fridge. This then gives further and expanding
employment for the people manufacturing the (presumably Chinese) fridge. More
fridges means more commodities used in the manufacturing of the fridge. More
fridges means the demand for electricity goes up to run the fridge. This, in
turn, then means that therefore more fuel and ultimately, alternative fuels,
will also be needed.
The cycle goes on as fridges enable people to store more food of a higher
quality, thus enabling changes in global food consumption. This means new soft
commodities with potential high earnings coming on to the market. And so on and
so on. Basically, China is recognising its position as an emerging economy, one
likely to become the next driving force behind global economics. Many people are
seeing this. Although soft commodities may appear to be a crowded trade in the
short term, the longer term story remains compelling.
These are interesting times. Let’s look further afield, if soft commodities
continue to do well then one must look at Brazil as it is a great way to play
the soft commodity theme, as the country is agriculturally rich.
Also, as discussed earlier, China has a massive thirst for commodities and this
is not going away any time soon. It is having a positive spin off for Africa, as
growth rates are stronger there because of Chinese investment. So, Africa in
turn offers some interesting investment opportunities.
It is generally thought that the Emerging Markets are generally in great shape
and many fund managers feel that Asia can decouple from the West. BUT inflation
is a worry, with emerging market managers, gold fund managers and commodity
managers believing that the inflation genie is out the bottle already. Despite
the fact that platinum and gold have been having a rough ride of late almost
everyone agrees that the long term trend is still upwards.
Inflation is the key. Some fund managers believe that we are in a state of
cost-push as opposed to demand-pull so lower interest rates will not curb
inflation. They think that interest rates in America could go down to as low as
1.00% which means the US dollar has further to fall. Unlike money, which the US
has been printing like mad recently, you cannot print platinum or gold. Also,
gold bull markets usually last 10 years so we have some time to go yet.
The facts for commodities go on. South African mines are operating at 90%
capacity and will probably do so until 2012. The IMF holds a lot of gold, but
the US is the largest voting member of the IMF and they have never agreed to a
gold sale. Gold producers are now closing their hedges. Now it really gets
interesting, in terms of gold holdings, the gold ETFs are now the 7th largest
‘central bank’ in the world.
With regards to platinum, it is even worse (or better depending on which way you
look at it). The market was tight before the power outages in South Africa, now
it is just mad. Couple this with the knowledge that jewellery demand has still
not fallen for platinum and so fund managers reckon that this precious metal may
well reach USD3,000 by the end of the year.
To be continued…
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The above data and research was compiled from sources
believed to be reliable. However, neither MBMG International Ltd nor its
officers can accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the above
article nor bear any responsibility for any losses achieved as a result of any
actions taken or not taken as a consequence of reading the above article. For
more information please contact Graham Macdonald on
[email protected]@mbmg-international.com.com
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Snap Shots: by Harry Flashman
The Golden Glow
 Do
you know the one factor that stands out in professional glamour shots?
It is what I call the ‘Golden Glow’. That is what emanates from those
wonderful photographs of people positively ‘glowing’ with health and
vitality and have you ever wondered whether people actually look like
that? Sickeningly brimming full of goodness, and golden hues just
radiating from their every pore. Well, I am sorry to tell you, but like
so many things in photography, it is a fraud! A photographic ‘trick’ but
one that you can use to your own advantage. A trick that will cost you
about 100 baht for the equipment and three minutes to master!
However, all photographic tricks still have to conform to the basic
rules of physics, in particular the rules of light. Light travels in
straight lines and will bounce off any non-translucent object. And that,
quite simply, is the scientific basis to this trick.
The ‘golden glow’ that comes from the subject in the photo is really
just reflected golden light, bounced back on to the subject. People
shots benefit from this warm healthy look and when you use the technique
properly, and the results can be spectacular.
Now in the photographic sense, the natural golden glow comes in the late
afternoon, with the sun getting low on the horizon. There are good
scientific reasons why this is so, but here is not the place to discuss
them. Just accept the fact that late afternoon sun is the “warm” time.
Take pictures at this time of day and you will get that golden glow -
but our photographic trick will allow you to get that warm golden glow
at any time of day - and control it as well, something you cannot do so
easily with the sun as your light source! The celestial light technician
can hide behind clouds at any time.
What you have to do is build a light reflector that reflects that warm
color. Go to the newsagent and get some gold foil paper. The sort of
wrapping paper you use for wedding gifts. It may be embossed or
patterned, and in fact it is better if it is, but must be gold in color.
Glue the gold paper on to a sheet of cardboard or polystyrene sheet
approximately one meter square. You do not have to be deathly accurate
or neat. If the surface gets a little ‘scrunched up’ that is fine too.
Your capital outlay is probably around 50-100 baht. Not bad, so far!
Now you have a reflector, which if you play with it near a window for
example, will shine “gold” on to any subject. You are now ready to
impart that golden glow.
The best photos for this exercise are people shots taken outdoors, with
the sun behind the subject. This we call ‘back lit’. You will find that
the subject’s hair becomes very bright around the edges, almost like a
‘halo’ effect.
Now for the addition of the golden glow. To do this, you position your
reflector to shine some sunlight back towards the subject (that is why
the sun should be behind the subject). Prop the reflector in the best
position to give the degree of golden glow you want (I generally just
prop it up with the camera bag, or you can get an assistant to hold it
for you) and look through the viewfinder. See what a difference this
makes? The ugly chin shadow has gone as the light is coming upwards, and
the subject now looks brilliantly glowing and healthy. The one meter
square reflector will also impart catch lights to eyes to make them
sparkle as well. The end photo has shiny hair, bright eyes and a golden
complexion radiating warmth. A fabulous picture.
Now, the downside! It is more difficult to get the correct exposure
setting in the backlit situation. If your camera has a Backlight button,
then use it. If not, walk in close to the subject so that the persons
face fills the frame, and take your exposure reading from there. Use the
exposure lock, or just memorize the readings and put them in on manual
mode. It is worth it.
Modern Medicine:
by Dr. Iain Corness, Consultant
Are you ready for your Coronary Conclusion?
Those who are avid health (or sickness) watchers will know I
really mean “Coronary Occlusion”, but it was too much temptation to use Mrs.
Malaprop and end up with “Coronary Conclusion”. Because quite simply, that
is what it can turn out to be - your conclusion.
The sad part of all this doom and gloom is that nine times out of ten you
can actually avoid the Coronary Occlusion, the fancy name for the condition
also known as a “heart attack”.
Before launching into the real factors in the situation, a little
understanding of what constitutes a heart attack is in order. I think
everyone understands that you have both red blood cells and white blood
cells. The function of the red ones is simply to carry oxygen to the
tissues, so that the tissues can survive. The heart muscle is no exception
to this rule. This hollow muscular pump needs oxygen just like all the other
organs you keep inside you - spleen, kidneys, lungs, bowel and so forth.
Take my tip - keep them inside you if you possibly can!
However, the inside lining of the heart (muscle) is smooth and impermeable
to the oxygen tied to the red cells. In other words, the heart does not get
its nutrition from the blood it pumps through it. In fact, the blood supply
to the heart is through some specialized arteries called the “Coronary”
arteries. These run along the outer surface of the heart muscle and then
split up into smaller tributaries which dip into the heart muscle to supply
it with oxygen.
Now if we are to consider that the heart muscle is probably the most
important muscle in the human body (well, physiologically it outranks the
other much more highly publicized muscle in males!) then it becomes
important that this heart muscle gets a good supply of blood. And the
quickest way that the supply can get altered is by blocking off the coronary
arteries. This is most usually done via a slow process by which a small
obstruction in the artery slowly gets bigger and bigger until eventually it
blocks off totally and the heart muscle “starves” of oxygen and that section
of the heart muscle, supplied by that artery, just dies. We have a name for
that death of heart muscle too, and it is called a “myocardial infarction”.
This event of blocking is called a Coronary Occlusion, which may end up as a
coronary conclusion if the section of dead muscle is large enough! The
actual death of the muscle resulting in this myocardial infarction is often
shortened to the simple M.I. (the heart muscle is called the myocardium).
But of course, the simpler name is ‘Heart Attack’.
In short, cardiac health is mainly involved in keeping the coronary arteries
clean and clear. This is where our old friend Cholesterol comes in. You see,
the deposits inside the artery are generally made up of this chemical and
other blood fats. This makes a “sticky” patch in the artery and some blood
cells get stuck there. This causes a clot to form and you have all the
precursors needed to block the artery, with the occlusion leading to the
infarction, and to your family claiming early on your life insurance policy.
To be able to keep your arteries clear you need to have nice low
cholesterol, which can be done by diet plus medication if required. But
first you need to know what your cholesterol level is. This requires a blood
test, which can be done at your favorite hospital.
The most likely candidates for a heart attack are overweight, hypertensive
smokers, with high cholesterol. If this is you, do something about it today.
Well, perhaps that’s being a little bit too melodramatic, but you are
certainly one of the cardiac high risk people in the population.
As I wrote at the start of this article, whether or not you have a coronary
conclusion can be under your control. Stop smoking, lose weight, keep your
blood pressure in the normal range and keep the cholesterol low.
You can drive your own destiny. Start today.
 Heart to Heart with Hillary
Dear Hillary,
After saving for three years, I have been on an extended holiday here in
Thailand for the past six weeks and will be going back to Blighty in two weeks
time. I have had a delightful guide and non-complaining companion who I found I
in a bar who has been with me for all that time, and I have looked after her
well in return including a weekly allowance of 15,000 baht for her to spend on
anything she wants. I would like to give her something when I leave for her to
remember me by, and want you to suggest something that she will like. Please
keep the suggestions within a reasonable budget. I am not a Cheap Charlie but it
is the end of my holidays.
Chris
Dear Chris,
What do you really expect me to say, my Petal? Why not buy her a house, a
motorcycle and a year’s free veterinary bills for the family buffalo? You’ll be
able to get all that for under five million. And since you don’t want to appear
as a Cheap Charlie, throw in a house for Mumma and Papa as well. That’s another
800,000 baht as houses are cheap up-country. Chris, come down from the clouds,
you have had the services of what we call a ‘mia chow’ (rented wife) for the
past six weeks, for which you have already paid 60,000 baht a month which is
well above the going market price. She will remember you by whatever you have
bought her until it has been converted into folding currency (“He was the nice
farang man who bought me this gold chain which I am now taking to the pawn
shop”). Enjoy what is left of your holiday and spend your money on yourself.
Dear Hillary,
My wife always forgets when her visa runs out and it always ends up with me
having to pay for her overstays. I even said I would handle it if she wanted (we
have a secretary in the office who handles all this stuff), so that this did not
happen all the time, but she asserts her independence all the time and calls it
interfering if I say I’ll take charge of it. This has happened more than just a
couple of times too. If she would only get her visa in line with mine, it would
be so much easier. I am getting a bit tired of it. How do I make her see some
sense? I don’t want to run her life, she is perfectly capable of doing that
herself. I just don’t like unnecessary hassles.
Vic
Dear Vic the visa,
You have a problem that will even be difficult for Hillary to fix, but as always
I am ready for the challenge. You don’t say whether your wife is from the West,
but I’ll guess that she is. I believe independent western women should be given
their independence, so why are you paying for her overstays? With independence
comes the responsibility for your own actions, but she is making you responsible
for her actions. This is not independence at all. This is subjugation. She
doesn’t want independence, she wants to be the boss. Vic, you have to put your
foot down, give her all the independence that she wants, with everything that
goes with it. If you are lucky, she will amass such a huge bill from her
overstays that she will be deported. Don’t pay for the return ticket either.
Some people learn the hard way.
Dear Hillary,
You may think this is silly, but I’m from America and I am not used to going
into a bar to be propositioned. I don’t want to have someone ask me where I come
from. It is my business only if I am married. I don’t want people to know how
much money I make. How many children I have is my affair. Why doesn’t someone
tell these girls in the bars that not everyone wants to tell them personal
details? All I want is a quiet beer!
Chuck
Dear Chuck,
What are you worried about? Is there some dark secret you are hiding from us
all? A skeleton in the closet? Are you on the run from the DEA? Has the CIA got
a file on you? Has your ex-wife been employing private investigators to find you
to slap the alimony claim on you? Or worse, has the IRS found out about your
fraudulent claims for 2005/6? My next question is why are you drinking in beer
bars? These girls aren’t from the CIA or the IRS, they are just doing their job
as drinking companions as well as they can and you’re lucky they can converse as
much as they can. If you don’t want the girls to talk to you then don’t drink in
beer bars. It is like going to a rock concert and complaining they’re not
playing Mozart. It’s the old horses for courses thing, Petal. If you just want a
quiet beer, you can buy a bottle of beer from the supermarket and sit alone in
your room or restrict your drinking to the more up-market watering holes!
Learn to Live to Learn: with Andrew Watson
‘International-mindedness’
One of the more enduring surprises (if that’s not an oxymoron)
in the brave new world of international education, free as it is
from the shackles of national political directives, is that
recruiters seem to consistently pluck their staff from cultures
dominated by national, rather than international belief systems.
Perhaps inevitably, teachers without previous international
experience bring with them a whole host of value-laden
assumptions about what teaching and learning is, that reflect a
national system of education.
As this pioneering, entrepreneurial international world expands,
it is inevitable that a certain percentage of new staff will be
arriving in foreign lands for the first time. It is also
inevitable that many of these staff will be plucked from more
economically developed English speaking countries with
established teacher training infrastructure; India, for example.
However, when I am talking with other Heads around the world, I
am surprised by how often the nature of the transition that an
individual experiences in moving from a national system to an
international one, is not regarded as a key component in
recruitment.
Moving from one country to another to live and work brings with
it quite well-documented psychological phenomena that deeply
affects an individual, personally and professionally. Most
people will have heard of “culture shock” but the process by
which we can finally become comfortable (assimilated) with our
environment can take years and indeed, depending on a multitude
of variables, might never happen. So I am surprised when an
international recruiter, when faced with two apparently equally
qualified candidates, one with international education
experience, the other with only national, chooses the latter
over the former. The risk seems to me, to be unacceptable.
One of the reasons that risks like this are taken is because the
nature of the risk is not properly understood. For example, in
terms of international education, epitomised by the IB Diploma,
this might take the form of a recruiter with neither interest in
nor understanding of the IB Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course,
recruiting teachers for the Diploma Programme. The point being,
that an ideologically grounded course such as the IB Diploma, a
curriculum vehicle for the journey to enlightenment if ever
there was one, demands understanding of this central TOK
component at all levels in the school, if the programme is to be
given the best chance of succeeding. It’s actually quite a
complicated course, requiring significant academic rigour in
both teacher and learner for it to work, but that’s another
issue.
The following might seem a harsh proposition, but for people
“escaping” what can appear to be an oppressive, restrictive
confine of a national education system (the British Press is
full of miserable tales of teacher dissatisfaction), perhaps the
priority of many teachers arriving in a much more liberal,
international educational environment is not making the world a
better place, but making life easier for themselves or becoming
more wealthy financially? It doesn’t sound unreasonable, does
it? Why should anybody transplant their national instincts for
“international mindedness”?
Critics of an educational ideology such as the IBO’s (Halland,
2007) suggest that the IBO are planting a minority view of
idealism onto schools, a view which perhaps deserves to be
explored further. The ideology of the IBO is based on Western
global humanist left-of-centre values and perspectives, whereas
we should remember that international schools vary hugely in
their organisational orientation.
In schools which are characterised by transplanted British,
American, French or other national systems, in which the concept
of ‘international-mindedness’ might be subsumed yet whilst the
school is ostensibly an ‘IB Word school’, the curriculum is
modelled on that country, as are the values. ‘Internationalist’
perspectives might be limited to cursory gestures (such as
wearing a Chinese dress at Chinese New Year) and have a kind of
pre-determined flavouring. ‘International-mindedness’ becomes a
peripheral addition as opposed to a central tenet.
“Such schools are characterised by ethnocentrism and cultural
separatism. They do not have a clear framework of the whole
world as its educational field of focus,” (Banks, 1986).
Equally, if the staff in such schools are predominantly from one
nation or culture and a whole gamut of teaching and learning
assumptions are transplanted into school culture, then it would
be difficult to envisage how that would enhance or encourage
balanced awareness of global issues. Some, such as Blaney,
(1991) go as far as to suggest that insular pro-national
education inhibits students’ hopes of living meaningful lives in
a global society. Sylvester, (1998) appears to agree; “It learns
from its diversity but only at arms’ length and without a
conviction passionately held that there is a wisdom and
knowledge in the full range of human diversity.”
I strongly agree with Rabbi Jonathan Sachs (2002) that diversity
is something to be celebrated. This requires some clarification;
rather than seeking “ritual acceptance into a dominant subgroup”
it means acknowledging the egalitarian legitimacy of each
other’s belief and value system. This is far easier said than
done, for in my experience it often requires a paradigm shift in
a person’s point of view.
Genuine adoption of such a view demands that a person challenge
their, in some cases deeply rooted, preconceptions (Laszlo,
1989). This can be distinctly uncomfortable for people who might
be outside their home environment, their ‘safe’ environment,
sometimes for the first time.
In terms of recruiting teachers, it would appear that diversity
is of limited value if the “orientation of those teachers does
not include their view of themselves as world citizens,”
(Sylvester, 1998). Equally, to internalise the meaning of Dubos’
(in Becker, 1973) vision of the global phase of human evolution
in which a person adopts to allegiances, one to themselves and
one to planet earth, is asking a lot.
I agree with Hayden and Thompson (1995) that international
education and international schools are by no means synonymous.
I also agree with Sylvester (1998) that “encapsulated missions”
are impediments to good international practice in the sense that
international education seeks to create a certain kind of person
who doesn’t necessarily feel that they belong to a nation state
above all else.
Next week: When they banned the IB
DOC ENGLISH Teaching your kids how to learn English:
Travel Games
Hello, welcome back. If (like me) you
love to travel around this glorious country, then you’ll need a few
games to play on the road. There are plenty to offer so I will showcase
some here for you today. They are copyright free, so go ahead, indulge
yourselves … just don’t get car sick.
Everyone loves the game of Bingo. Maybe it’s the thrill of shouting
‘Full house!’, or getting one over on your friends. Whatever the reason,
I have never taught a student who did not enjoy playing Word Bingo,
except when they lost :(. Here’s how it works…
Road Trip Bingo encourages reading fluency and practices reading skills
as your child has to look out for and read and spell signs and notices
along your route. To play, first prepare a few cards containing grids
like the ones in graph 1 (normally containing 6-12 boxes, depending on
your child’s ability). Complete the grids with words your child is
likely to encounter on your trip.
You could add in any words you like. Alternatively, if you have two or
more children, you could give them a blank piece of paper and encourage
them to write their own words. Afterwards they can swap grids with a
partner and challenge their siblings to find the words themselves.
Try also Car Bingo for two players. Try to spot the words in graphs 2
and 3 on the backs of cars and the person who crosses them off first is
the winner.
The Alphabet Game
The object of this game is to complete the
alphabet first. As you see the letters on sign posts and shops your
child says the letter and points. Once a letter has been claimed other
players cannot use the same letter.
Person Place
or Thing?
One person states they are either a person,
place or thing and the others then ask questions (are you green, can you
walk, are you edible, etc) until they guess what the person is, then
they are next.
Choose a Subject
The first person names a country (e.g.
Vietnam), and the second person names a country that starts with the
last letter of the previous word (e.g. Myanmar). The subject can be
changed to celebrities, animals, cities, birds, beasts and relatives…
Buffalos
Each person counts the number of Buffalos (or
chickens, cows, etc) passed on their side of the car. If they pass a
Police Stop they lose all their points (and/or a ‘donation’ to the man
in the peaked cap). The person with the highest points at the end of the
trip is the winner.
Twenty Questions
Think of something under the category animal,
vegetable or mineral. Other players then ask questions - either ‘yes’ or
‘no’ - until they guess correctly.
Two facts and a lie
One person says three ‘facts’, e.g. “I haven’t eaten somtum for a
month”, “I came first in my English test”, “I brushed my teeth this
morning”, and the others decide which one is the lie.
Maths Games
Bored with English? Take a break and play a
Maths Game. For this game, each player looks for double numbers in
license plates. High doubles (99) score more points than low ones.
Supermarket
Challenge
When you reach your destination and you are
out shopping at the supermarket, try challenging your child to find
words (either on products or on signs around the store) that start with
the letters of the alphabet shown in graph 4. (I’ve missed out the last
letters on purpose as it’s pretty hard these days to find a product that
starts with ‘x’!). If they complete the board, don’t forget to give them
a treat!
If you want more travel games to pass the time on those long journeys,
try ‘Mom’s Mini Van’ web site for games and downloadable activities:
http://www.momsminivan.com
That’s all for this week mums and dads. As always, if you have any
questions, suggestions or jokes, you can mail me at: doceng
[email protected]. Enjoy spending time with your kids.
Let’s go to the movies:
by Mark Gernpy
Now playing in Pattaya
Vantage Point: US Drama/Thriller – Eight strangers with
eight different points of view try to unlock the truth behind an
assassination attempt on the president of the United States. Critics say
it’s exciting and has an interesting premise, but has a distractingly
fractured storytelling device. With Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest
Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver, and William Hurt. Mixed or average reviews.
The Water Horse: US/UK Adventure/Fantasy/Family – I‘m very fond
of this film about the mythical “water horse” of Scottish legend. Kids
might be terrified by some parts of it, and adults will find terrifying
things as well: abuse of children; the criminal incompetence of military
officers; the British class system; and man’s desire to shoot things.
Excellent portrayals by the large cast, and especially the young boy.
The monster is a finely realized creation. Breathtaking scenery,
magnificently photographed. An example of excellent British
movie-making, with a lot of heart. See it! Generally favorable reviews.
Doomsday: UK Action/Sci-Fi – Authorities brutally quarantine a
country as it succumbs to fear and chaos when a virus strikes. The
consensus is it’s a pale imitation of previous futuristic thrillers,
minus a cohesive narrative and charismatic leads. I say it’s repugnant,
and utter trash. And, as a bonus, it has extensive scenes of
disgustingly gross and graphic cannibalism. Don’t see it. Rated R in the
US for strong bloody violence, language and some sexual content/nudity.
Mixed or average reviews.
Fool’s Gold: US Adventure/Comedy – A modern-day treasure hunter
is obsessed with finding 40 chests of treasure, lost at sea in 1715. Has
little chemistry among the performers, humorless gags, nice scenery, and
a predictable storyline. Generally negative reviews.
Hormones / Pidtermyai Huajai Wawoon: Thai Comedy/Romance – A Thai
hit! and I like it! This endearing Teen-oriented romance is by far the
most popular movie in Thailand at the moment, and has been ever since it
opened. Directed by Songyos Sugmakanan, who made 2006’s excellent
ghost/coming-of-age story, Dorm, Hormones has four interwoven stories,
and at the moment my favorite has to do with Joe, played by Ratchu
Suracharas. He’s a nerd, and is hapless as far as women are concerned,
but he tries very hard, and has decided to concentrate on the most
popular girl in school. He’s a scripter – he scripts out his life,
writes out appropriate dialogues, and has them posted around him for use
as needed. He’s better at writing than speaking, so that’s how he
expresses his love – like with signs: a huge sign at the school
playground, or a whole pack of signs, like cue-cards, which he shows to
his true-love-to-be one at a time, standing on her doorstep, while she
wonders what is up with this guy! You know what you’re in for with a
teen romance movie: tiny problems and minor heartbreaks magnified to
earth-shattering proportions, signifying nothing. If you like that sort
of thing, you will enjoy this very much, with its pleasant adolescent
fun and angst. Has a number of extraordinarily appealing actors.
The Spiderwick Chronicles: US Adventure/Fantasy – I enjoyed the
richly detailed world of this fantasy, and I recommend it to those of
you who like fantasies. Freddie Highmore plays rebellious Jared, who
discovers the chronicles, and also his twin Simon. He is a favorite
actor of mine, with a great capacity for bringing real heart to any film
he is in. It’s an excellent family film, with some horrific moments.
Generally favorable reviews.
John Rambo: US Action/Drama – Very good action movie set amidst
the warfare engaged in by the Burmese junta against their own people –
what is actually happening now, in our own backyard. Rated R in the US
for strong graphic bloody violence, sexual assaults, grisly images, and
language. Mixed or average reviews.
Shutter: US Horror – This is an American remake of the wildly
successful Thai chiller which starred heartthrob Ananda Everingham – the
top Thai film in 2004. I just saw it, and this Shutter is a near replica
in all respects, but with an American cast, a Japanese director, and
filmed in Japan. Its story is simplicity itself: a couple accidentally
hit a woman while driving; thereafter they see a supernatural presence
in the photos they take. But with its many twists and shocks, the film
subverts audience expectations, revealing itself to be much more than a
simple ghost story. It is without doubt a classic spook story, with some
real chills. I enjoyed it, but I think the Thai version is superior.
Scheduled to
open Thu. Apr. 10
Street Kings: US Crime/Thriller – With Keanu Reeves. A
veteran LAPD cop finds life difficult to navigate after the death of his
wife. When evidence implicates him in the execution of a fellow officer,
he is forced to go up against the cop culture he’s been a part of his
entire career, ultimately leading him to question the loyalties of
everyone around him.
Living Life Online
It has been too long since we remember the time we created our first
email account, leave alone learning how to connect with a Dial-up
connection. Since then, we’ve come a long way. Today, the moment we sit
at a computer, there’s a least chance we’re not connected.
Thanks to the rapid growth in technology, the internet speed is becoming
closer to the speed of light day by day. With this effect, the line
between “offline” and “online” rapidly thins down, making the majority
of our lives “online”.
Sure, everything is going online. Our childhood videos, our graduation
pictures, our personal diary, we’ve already posted them there. We
explore the entire planet’s surface from the same screen we check our
emails. And what about those essential tasks you do every day when you
are offline?
Like Microsoft Word, Excel or Power Point, these basic applications that
you use every day in your offices or at home can be found in plenty
online. And most of them are free! Yes, it’s true. You have most
features and functionality just as you had it with those offline
applications. Additionally, we can share documents, photos, audios and
videos with friends to view and enjoy or collaborate with co-workers to
edit and approve. This wasn’t possible in offline mode. And Hey! Don’t
forget, it’s free! No more buying and installing those expensive
softwares.
Another practical use of these online applications is that it is an
anytime-anywhere tool. Tired of carrying your laptops with your
favourite software when you travel? As long as you can find a nice cyber
cafe, you don’t need to worry about those softwares ever.
How does that sound? Here’s a list of online alternatives to your
favourite softwares you should fall in love with. Enjoy!
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Just for Geeks
Bring family closer; build a family tree, create
timelines and share photos with Geni –
www.geni.com |
Does the word computer seem like “100110110” to you?
Ask Mr. Tech Savvy for help. Or if you’d like to impress the ladies with
your computer skills, suggest a tip and find it featured here next week!
Go ahead, send them to
[email protected]
Till next week… Tata ;-)
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