古装美女绘画

浣纱鱼沉水，
出塞雁落沙。
拜月致月隐，
醉酒羞落花。

Great Travel Deals

There are plenty of people searching for great deals in midst of financial crisis. Just yesterday, I was rather surprised to find two-way trips to Taiwan for a 6 days full tour, respectable lodging and food provided, all for a cost of CAD$1,200. This is among many other eye-popping travel deals on the shelf, so claimed one of the biggest travel agency in town which is not to be named.

According to them, their business had never been better. It is not easy to convince a skeptic such as myself especially when I had been under the impression that people are tightening their wallets. Then it struck me that with airlines, hotels and tourist attractions all suffering from reduced demand, the only logical solution to the vacancy woes is to cut prices. Imagine a little here, a little there, if you add all the discounts together, you might just end up with a ridiculously GREAT deal.

无言的结局

奇妙的爱情种子从彼此第一次的对视已经种下。五月，樱花如雨，残红满地，终抵不过季节轮回。你看到花瓣飘扬的喜悦，却看不见它们落影的悲伤。原是个温暖的季节，人面樱花处，佳人何在？不知不觉中，习惯了寂寞，习惯了默默的等待。

生命因缺憾而美丽。而我一生最大的遗憾莫过于缺乏勇气。我自卑，因为除了调制一杯感情的鸡尾酒，一份默契，一份洒脱，一份关怀，再加一份暮年仍值得回味的美好回忆，我没什么可以给你。

你那阳光般的笑容，灿烂的每一瞬间都是水中一色，芙蓉般的美丽。你晶莹的泪光楚楚动人的让人崩溃。那种每一根毛孔都被滋润的感觉，如天外之水温柔淹过的感觉，那是差点压抑不住想抱紧你的冲动。那时我的心田没有激起涟漪，既不能也不敢，只能从远处小心翼翼的欣赏你的完美。

就这样，无奈的看着你靠近，无奈的看着你离开。蠢蠢欲动的情感，踟蹰的理性，我不敢要求你留下，深怕你的不快乐，更怕再见不到你的笑容。下次，我告诉自己，一定要鼓起勇气。

可惜天意弄人，一场金融风暴后，你就跟家人突然的移民了。无数探问始终音讯全无，我们就这样失去了联络。

---

光阴如梭，一眨眼七年。这七年里，我还是喜欢偷偷踩着你离去时的脚印，一步一步丈量对你的思念。我始终相信我们的缘分会再次开始。

今天突然下起倾盆大雨，我很喜欢雨的节奏，仿佛它在唱着我的故事。

今天的雨却有点不同，好像在唱着另一个故事。下了班，突然很想要到我们曾经去过的"Momentos Cafe"喝杯热呼呼的咖啡。

到了门口，突然眼前出现了一个熟悉的身影。 你从店里走出来的时候，我整个人都懵掉了。七年没见，你穿着干练的西装，挽着发髻，目光灼灼，而我手里拿着一叠文件，哗啦地散了一地。我俯下身慌乱地去捡，眼睛潮湿得厉害。

你蹲到我面前帮忙拾资料，我低着头不敢对视。我好怕，好怕这只是个幻觉，只是个梦。

沉默中时间仿佛停止，不知过了多久。雨停了。 文件整理好了。我们同时抬头，四目相对。

是你。真的是你。那一刻，我只能傻笑。

再次重逢，你温婉如月的气质依旧，好比一阵春风，暖融融的融化我的心。

“家骏，好久不见。”，你嫣然一笑，如初开的玫瑰，明艳照人。

仿佛一切都没变。你依旧是你，我依旧是我。你还是那摄夺我灵魂，让我如醉如痴，为之缠绵不已之魅力。而我还是如以及春水的脉脉之情，川流不息。

是梦是真我早已经分不清。你能明白我的心意，我的难言吗？我爱你。。。这三个字在心里已经对你说过千万遍。

这一刻，我不写诗，不赏月，不去那秋梦边缘捕抓那妙不可言之意境，把勇气融入你我再次的对视。

在这夜阑宁静时，我感觉好幸福。一步，一步，我拉近我俩的距离。七年里，我梦过的无数的表白就是为了这一刻。我不能再次活在没有你的世界里，活在黑白斑驳的回忆里。今后，我们会有我们的未来。

突然，脚步停了。你轻轻拨开几根散发，左手无名指上的戒指在残月的余辉一闪一闪。

我看见了，心也碎了。 夜凉如水，吹起了一阵安慰。原来我们一直走在两条平行线，永远都不会有交叉点。

此刻，还有什么可说？话到嘴边又吞了进去。苦涩的滋味此刻才真正体会。低着头，泪如泉下。梦醒了，泪干了，只剩一身轻。

以前不知该哭还是笑，现在我再次起步带着我的祝福，一步一步走到你面前。现在，只要你幸福，就够了。

也许，有的爱情就是这样，是时机不对，也是缘分不够。

也许，忘不了你。也许，会更想你。也许，已没有也许。

几首好听的歌，几份感动 - 张靓颖

让人感动的歌声，次次让人一把鼻涕，一把眼泪。

发现越来越喜欢听张靓颖。

想跟大家分享几首百听不厌的好歌。

Buggati 100th Anniversary

Bugatti unveiled their new Veyron Bleu Centenaire at the 2009 Geneva Show in celebration of their 100th anniversary.

Over the weekend, Bugatti added four special-edition Veyron models that graced the stage at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza.

They are true beauties!!

Motivated?

With the outbreak of swine flu, speculation on Canadian quantitative easing and anticipation of results of the massive self-deluding stress tests, it has been a busy week.

Lately, I have been swarmed with work as interest rates adjustments and new guidelines have opened new lines of negotiations which have proven to be lengthy and tedious. I am not even sure how it suddenly turned to May, where has the time gone?

Surprisingly I am not feeling as tired as I used to. Perhaps I do get a sense of fulfillment from getting things done. Who knows? I may be motivated afterall.

Meanwhile the Canadian real estate is showing signs of activity which the only reason I can attribute to is the low interest rates. Of course seeing how the rents have not fallen as much as the prices to purchase homes, real estate acquisition has become more attractive even in turbulent times.

Will it last? I doubt it but since interest rates are not going anywhere till next year, I would assume the activities and prices to more or less maintain unless the government decides to go innovative like using quantitative easing or some other crazy idea.

Currencies update & the useful bond

Few would disagree that the greenback is to be weakened significantly in the long-run but in the short-run, it is as unpredictable as a madman’s concert. A six-week stock rally of questionable sustainability; a flurry of government moves to revive the credit markets; mixed first-quarter earnings results for large U.S. banks; mounting speculation about bankruptcy for two of the big three U.S. auto makers; and policy pronouncements from international finance officials has been like a canon piece blasting from left to right and fro. Too many factors can pull or push the greenback in any direction which makes staying away the only smart choice. How does the other currencies compare?

Yen will likely weaken for the rest of the year because of its weak trade numbers. The strength of its currency actually hurt Japan badly because it is an export dependent country. However if the global market goes into mass panic, we could see the Yen strengthen while its economy weakens. Yet, I doubt that will happen as most people are now more prepared for the worst than better.

Times are difficult but will especially be so for the Euro which lags behind U.S. in feeling the effects of the full-blown recession. Even though they have been reluctant to cut interest rates, this quarter they are expected to cut to 1%. Throw in the 2 elections in Europe in 2009 for new Chancellor of Germany and European Parliament, you will likely see the Euro under even more selling pressure.

The Canadian Loonie’s recent surge will likely continue if oil price continues to inflate though lack of demand and alternative substitutes will eventually curb the oil price climb. However, unless oil climbs to ridiculous levels, I do not see a competitive substitute any time soon. As for the falling bond yields which makes Canadian investments less attractive, I believe they will be offset by the stabilization of the Canadian real estate and banking industry. Actually, I am feeling optimistic about the Canadian real estate because demand is unusually high recently probably indicating some unknown favorable criteria it possess. It's weird but I hope it is in a good way.

Recently I pondered why many people neglect to use bonds which are excellent and effective indicators to predict future economic activity and future levels of inflation, both of which directly affect the price of everything from stocks and real estate to household items. Some may argue that we are in a global recession now so we do not need yield charts to know that things are not looking bright. But nonetheless, it is a waste not to understand how useful a bond yield curve is. Do you know the bond yield graph reads the fed funds rate, market consensus of future economic activity and interest rates. In addition, the slope of the graph can tell you expectations of short-term interest rates. In short, you can predict the potential of the market. More information never hurts.

So this is my advice for prudent investors: if you want to play the game well, you need to learn all the rules well first and do your homework. If not, I reiterate: it is best to stay away.

Alice in Financeland

Alice in Financeland

I came across this short article on New York Times.

"So Citigroup is profitable because investors think it’s failing, while Morgan Stanley is losing money because investors think it will survive. I am not making this up. "

Oh, don't you just love irony? Doesn't it just warm your heart to know that no matter what kind of a mess we have created, we can always play with numbers to make us look good or at least not that bad?

Aya Ueto - Super Idol

I thought I would start off with some nice drawings I found online. Yes. They are hand-drawn. Amazingly beautiful I have to say.

Name: 上戸彩

Name (romaji): Ueto Aya

Profession: Actress and singer

Date of birth: 1985-Sep-14

Place of birth: Tokyo, Japan

Height: 162cm

Horoscope: Virgo

Root of the crisis: The Ethical Decay

How naïve do you have to be to believe that the good times will last forever? Then again how naïve do you have to be to believe that the good times will return soon or has already returned? We have to learn that true wealth creation is dependent on growth and productivity, not financial and monetary manipulations. Until our markets return to monetary policies that create wealth the proper way, we will continue to suffer from decreased overall production, productivity rates, inflation, and the systematic destruction of savings.

Perhaps we are just starting to see the true face of capitalism which is not understood by most investors including fund managers. What we were taught in our business and economic schools have us believe that money and value are disconnected. As such, we can and should manipulate money without consequence. No ethical dilemmas and no need for environmental considerations as long as there is profit to be made. We have deluded ourselves into thinking there is a free lunch. The stock markets have turned into casinos rather than the capital markets they were created to be. Somewhere along the way, we got lost. Ironically, your average ecologist will have a better understanding of genuine economics than an economist - balance of systems, growth, populations, demographics, resources, rates of consumption, production.

For me, I am fundamentally disapproving of jobs with financial titles which do not entail real services. By real, I am referring to full disclosure of information related and unrelated, educating the clients on of the fundamentals of what they are interested in getting involved in, as well as managing wealth in an ethical manner without exploitation of others. Easier said than done. The system at hand is already corrupted, built on lies and illusions. Since no one wants to work for nothing, the system is driven by profit rather than the common good.

This is not to discern the necessity of these financial jobs. I admit wealth management is not a common skill. It is time consuming and heavily reliant on sharp judgement and experience. However, does it justify the ridiculous salaries and bonuses some of these so-called professionals are getting? At the end of the day, the so-called investments are good bets at best and these advisers we are relying on are not much better than us at predicting the market future.

Upon reflection, the biggest problem is a lack of understanding of the risks you are taking. Misinformed and misled perhaps but it would be irresponsible to put all the blame on these professionals since greed has blinded most people leading them to make less sound decisions. Education plays a big part of who we are and how we work. It is therefore important to recognize that the education we have been given are always flawed. Simply because there are so many unknowns and questions unanswered that all the education can do is prepare you for the society at large.

Pity that as people learn to survive in society, they learn to forgo whatever little moral standards they have left. Sad but true, morals and ethics have no value today. It is hard to imagine a society without any moral standards but purely legal oblilgations but clearly this is our future judging from the path we have chosen.

As age catches up with me, I have come to realize that experience is much more valuable than education and I lament how much time I have wasted in school. Of course you still need basic education to hone the skills for adaptation but life should always be about living rather than learning. Your life accomplishments should not be about what you have done and achieved but how you choose to live your life and how fulfilling it has been for you.

We still have a long way to go.

The Attorney And Witness

From a book called Disorder in the American Courts, these are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters who had the torment of not breaking down in laughter while these exchanges were actually taking place.

---

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?

WITNESS: I forget.

ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot?

---

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?

WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'

ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?

WITNESS: My name is Susan!

---

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-one-year-old, how old is he?

WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty-one.

---

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?

WITNESS: Is this a trick question?

---

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?

WITNESS: Uh.... I was getting laid!

---

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: How many were boys?

WITNESS: None.

ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?

WITNESS: Are you kiddin' me? Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?

---

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?

WITNESS: By death.

ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?

WITNESS: Now whose death do you suppose terminated it?

---

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?

WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.

ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?

WITNESS: Guess.

---

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?

WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.

---

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?

WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people. Would you like to rephrase that?

---

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?

WITNESS: Oral.

---

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?

WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.

ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?

WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!

---

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?

WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.

ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?

WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

The Dawn Of "Era Of Scarcity"

The Bank of Canada cuts its benchmark lending rate by 0.25% to its lowest possible at 0.25% and promises to keep it at 0.25% for the rest of the year.

It still baffles me that the governments are still resorting to rate cuts despite examples like Japan that prove rate cuts are ineffective in midst of recession shock. Accomodative(cheap) credit and government spending has dire consequences even if it does pull the economy out of the dumps.

---

In the last century, we had two global wars and one global recession. After which, the "Era of Plenty" Model was created and widely embraced:

• Zero or limited responsibility (corporation)
• Positive Interest Rates regime
• Income/Spending/Excise taxation
• Nations/Countries/Borders
• Wastefulness

---

On the other side of the hour glass, there is the "Era of Scarcity":

• Full Personal Responsibility
• Zero Interest Rates
• Asset based taxation
• Borderless world (free movement of people, money, and goods)
• Frugality

---

The New Era is dawning upon us. As incomes and spending power decline worldwide, government revenues plummet reducing effectiveness of their policies. Initial response to increase taxation rates inevitably lead to innovative tax evasion. Since all policies has little or no effect, all the government can do is to continue to draw on debt to pay for what it cannot afford. The bill is then sent to the citizens. The vicious cycle continues, spiralling out of control.

Maybe it is time for the governments to recognize and reduce their roles accordingly. It is a difficult time, let's not make it harder than it has to be.

千里之行，始于脚下 - 让我们同步而行。

自别以后，叹气不绝，夜夜睹物思人，午夜梦徊又如何留恋？
回忆你的回眸一笑，销魂眼神，深感浓浓蜜味，柔情似水，佳期如梦。
可惜人在异乡，千言万语，风情心意，谁能听我亲诉？

半夜梦醒，只感孤单寂寞难挨，仰头观明月，以星为伴，倚情千里。
天阴雨湿声凄凄，为你断肠为你泪，为你失眠为你醉。
渴望。期盼。等待。仿佛度日如年。

苦也！思之而思，念后而念，人易憔悴。
望苍天怜我一片真，莫教思念成白发。

不知何时起，平静的心不再平静，停下的笔墨再次锋发韵流。
如诗如梦如花如月，如歌如泣如幻如雾，如云如水如生如死。

一个醉了的诗人，心也醉，意也醉。
没有轰轰烈烈，惊天动地，却像流水般绵延不断。
没有山盟海誓，花前月下，但我的心跳心声，你一定听得到。

NBA Playoffs 2009

After the weekend of 2009 NBA playoff, I was pleasantly satisfied with the results.

Cleveland and Lakers are still cruising. Spurs(team of dirty plays) was beaten by the rejuvenated Mavs. Honestly, who could have expected the Mavs to click and play on the same page suddenly? Derrick Rose has been phenomenal as he can led Chicago over the defending champs, Boston which probably stands no chance without Garnett. I am less intrigued by shooting teams such as Hornets and Hawks which will have great games and then embarrassing ones. Miami is too young even if Wade sold his soul to the devil. Then it brings us to teams which have been used to disappointments – Houston and Denver. You know he has game as Yao Ming had a perfect night – 24 points, 9/9 FG and 6/6 from the free throw line. How about J.R. Smith? I knew he is good, but damn!! He has matured into a monster. I never really liked Billups but Mr. Big Shot has really molded this unstable team into a contender. Meanwhile…… where are you, Portland? This is the team that has beaten the Lakers twice this year but their performance on Saturday was just ugly.

We should skip to the second round. My dream matchups: East - Cleveland(Lebron) vs. Miami(Wade) and Chicago(Rose) vs. Orlando(Dwight). West – Lakers vs. Portland and Dallas vs. Denver. Hey, now we have four matchups which can go either way. Well, Miami probably doesn’t stand much chance against Cleveland but it would be fun to see the two best players in the game go head to head.

Since the playoff started, I will stop playing NBA 2k9 on my new XBOX 360. I really wore out the game as it was the only game on XBOX I had. Yesterday at Trade And Play, I traded in some old games and got Lost Odyssey and Mass Effect, both long RPGs. I probably will not have time to play the games. Also, it is quite a dilemma whether I should buy a wireless network adapter($100) to set up XBOX live which would make the XBOX 360 portable to say the least.

Hirayama Aya - The Variant Actress

Name: 平山あや (ヒラヤマ アヤ)

Profession: Actress and model

Date of birth: 1984-Jan-13

Place of birth: Kuroiso (now part of Nasushiobara), Tochigi

Height: 160cm

Weight: 49kg

Measurements: B80 W63 H85

Blood type: A

Foreclosure: Good, Great or No Deal?

Two days ago I attended a 1 day course on foreclosure for my PDP (Professional Development Program) credits. I really didn’t expect to learn anything particularly new since I had been involved in several foreclosure procedures as the buyer’s agent. However parts of it still proved to be worthwhile.

Many people think that they can get cut-throat good deals at foreclosures. Why? Simply because owners have to sell, they are forced to. Unfortunately, that is not usually the case. So far, all the foreclosures at court that I had attended ended at a ridiculous selling price. Overpaid? Hardly. But they are definitely close to market value. The prices are ridiculous because many people will, in the heat of the moment, get carried away and overbid. In other words, they paid more than what they actually wanted.

But let’s assume that every bidder is rational thus every bid is in the low bracket, the court will still have to evaluate whether the bids are close to market and whether reasonable marketing has been done by the assigned sales agent.

In a nutshell, once you get to court, the chances of getting a great deal are slim.

The best deals usually come during the redemption period (usually 6 months) before any judiciary actions would be involved. Of course since most owners would be embarrassed if their financial woes were publicized, the knowledge of a case in default is usually restricted to the lenders, the agents involved and the borrower. So for the general public with no access to the lenders and agents, tough luck, they would simply be left out of the loop till the matter has gone juridical.

Since people are forced to sell, there must be good deals around. Yes there are, but you shouldn't expect to take your chances in court. For high leverage, there are insurance agencies such as CMHC that would undertake the risk for a premium. They will buy the properties when defaulted and pay off the lenders. In such cases, any property sale is at full discretion of the insurance agencies and does not need to involve the court. This simplifies the complex procedures somewhat and shortens the time involved. More importantly, since the court is not involved and therefore less restriction on price, there would be cases where the properties will be sold at much lower than market price simply for liquidation.

While the course I took pertains to Canadian foreclosures, I find it reasonable to assume that most courts would not be permitted to sell at any price they deem fit without justification. All in all, the foreclosure process will be long, tiresome and complex with little likelihood for a great deal.

Is it worth it?

Robotic Baby Seals - To Provide Mental Stimulus To Aging Patients

They are so cute!!

What you are seeing are Mental commitment robotic baby seals named "Paro" being recharged. The 350,000 yen (US$3,480) Paro, a cooing baby harp seal robot fitted with sensors beneath its fur and whiskers, is developed by Japan's Intelligent System Co, to soothe patients in hospitals and nursing homes.

Mercedes S 2010

Mercedes-Benz will restyle the S-class for 2010 model year. For those who are waiting for the S-class Hybrid Sedan, your wait may finally be over.

Lots of changes have been made in this model year and I am not about to list it all. The one innovation that strikes me is the new S=class will come with readout displays and a splitview screen. Check out the promo below.

Release date: August 2009.

张梓琳 - Miss World 2007

Name: 张梓琳Eilin(Eileen)

Birthday: 22/03/1984

Blood Type: B

Height: 182 cm (Woah!!!)

Weight: 57 kg (Unreal!!)

Measurements: 87/62/90cm

Speeding Scandal - 과속스캔들 [2008]

Release Date : 4 December 2008

Genre: Comedy,Drama

Director : Hyeong-cheol Kang

Starring : Tae-hyun Cha, Bo-yeong Park

Synopsis : Former child star turned radio DJ, Nam Hyeon-soo, is shocked when a teenage girl turns up claiming to be his daughter and announcing to the media how difficult her life has been growing up without a father figure. Not believing her story and hoping to stem the backlash against him, Hyeon-soo decides he has to find out whether or not this girl is telling the truth or not.



So yesterday night for some reason, I was basking in the warmth of my blanket and hungry for some laughs. I found myself wandering around PPS and finally just randomly picked a movie to watch. It turned out to be the perfect supper - warm, cozy and fun-ny.

Anyways, so I ended up more awake by the end and thinking to myself how I appreciate different things in life. For movies, comedies I prefer Korean and American spoofs, horrors and other sick stuffs I like Korean and Japanese, thriller no one does it better than Hollywood and then there are history and drama which Chinese have the edge.

Lately, there is a looming sense of loneliness. Perhaps that is why I can relate to this show and feel a deeper appreciation for my family. Yes, I miss you guys.... even if I don't show it enough.

Yuna Ito - Beautiful singer with beautiful voice

A.K.A.: 伊藤 由奈 (Itō Yuna), 伊藤 クリスティーン (Itō Christine)

Birthdate: September 20, 1983

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Origin: Oahu, Hawaii, United States

Occupation(s): Singer-songwriter, actress, composer, spokesperson

The Seagull Nebula

Dominated by the reddish glow of atomic hydrogen, the complex of cosmic gas and dust clouds with bright young stars spans over 250 light-years at an estimated 3,800 light-year distance.

The sky is full of hydrogen, though it can take a sensitive camera and telescope to see it. For example, below is a twelve-degree-wide view of the northern part of the constellation Cygnus revealing cosmic clouds of hydrogen gas along the plane of our Milky Way galaxy.

Oh, feels like rage building and blood boiling. Just simply beautiful.

Overbought, Overbuilt, Oversold.

TD Bank Special Report : Canadian Real Estate Overpriced, Overbuilt

To summarize, the report from TD Bank explains that Canada was in a real estate boom from 2002 - 2008, a time of unsustainable price increases. What is happening now is basically a market adjustment as "affordability eroded severely over the last two years demonstrating an unsustainable disconect between house prices and incomes that was due for a correction.".

In any case, all these rear-view mirror reports do not give us a clear direction to expect in the coming future. But we can be sure that we are indeed overpriced and overbuilt. Many expect the full unwind of the suffering Canadian economy to be in high gear in Fall 2009 after many of the construction projects are finally completed.

Well, if the upcoming flood of inventories that the market cannot digest does not worry you, you still have the developers in receivership and projects shelved. Meanwhile, there are still optimists spreading rumors that the BC real estate is picking up as evidenced by the following news.

B.C. sees 86-per-cent surge in value of February building permits

Just so you know, based on volume, the City is extremely dependent on Condos. In January, there are no large condo permit applications and February has one.

---

So, let us backtrack and ask the question, "Who is buying?". The market is still searching for the bottom, jobs have lost their security as business and credit get caught in the aftermath of the burst bubble, and governments are spending the country out of recession but in doing so building inflation. At this rate, we will not be able to afford what we could yesterday. Thus with low interest rates now, buyers who could not afford yesterday but can today are entering the market.

There is a fundamental difference between true and market value. The true value of any product should be what endusers are willing to pay. Not investors and definitely not businessmen. The market value however, is marked on what the greater fool will pay. In other words, greed has been priced in.

Just remember. You cannot oversell something without someone overbuying. The motivation to build is fueled by the motivation to sell which is fueled by the motivation to buy.

In my case, I could be over-analysing.

Tarantula Nebula

Sometimes, you have to look further to expand your vision and perspective. What can you see? I saw a moose, a heart and a baby to start.

---

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Tarantula Nebula (also known as 30 Doradus, or NGC 2070) is an H II region in the Large Magellanic Cloud. It was originally thought to be a star, but in 1751 Nicolas Louis de Lacaille recognized its nebular nature.

The Tarantula Nebula has an apparent magnitude of 8. Considering its distance of about 180,000 light years, this is an extremely luminous non-stellar object. Its luminosity is so great that if it were as close to Earth as the Orion Nebula, the Tarantula Nebula would cast shadows. In fact, it is the most active starburst region known in the Local Group of galaxies. It is also the largest and most active such region in the Local Group with an estimated diameter of 200 pc.[3] The nebula resides on the leading edge of the LMC, where ram pressure stripping, and the compression of the interstellar medium likely resulting from this, is at a maximum. At its core lies the extremely compact cluster of stars (~2.5 pc diameter)[3] - R136a - that produces most of the energy that makes the nebula visible.

The closest supernova since the invention of the telescope, Supernova 1987A, occurred in the outskirts of the Tarantula Nebula.

The Fast and the Bi Curious

Elite Racer Pro Simulator

For the perfect racing experience, Elite Sim has created the Elite Racer Pro Simulator - a fully adjustable racing seat to fit all sizes, a revolutionary vibration technology, a huge 32-inch Sony 1080p LCD screen, a full Sony Bravia 5.1 surround system, a high-end PC with 4GB of memory, 500GB hard drive, a Nvidia SLI graphics card, the very famous Trackstar 6000 wheel and a state of the art paddle set that has been fitted to the steering wheel.

There is no pricing available or details on availability of the Elite Racer Pro, interested gamers will need to contact through the Elite Racer Pro website.

Hitler learns of "Dragonball" movie

Ryoko Mitake: The Prettiest AV Star

Name: Ryoko Mitake 美竹涼子

Birthday: December 3, 1982

Measurements: 90-55-85(cm)

Blood Type: A

---

Now. Everyone can use a little sexiness and HOTness!!!

A wiki search actually brought up some interesting information. For example, this lady is into S & M. Actually she is probably the M.

Arguably the prettiest AV star ever and good at what she do (both I assumed based on the large fan base she has). If you know otherwise, please let me know.

Meanwhile, I would have to check my sources to make sure of the quality of her work…… like any responsible editor will.

P.S.: To find the prettiest AV star, I googled to find a huge list of Japanese adult stars. The results were inconclusive and hard to generalize as people seemed to vote not on looks but rather popularity. I picked her among several popular choices such as Sora Aoi and Minori Aoi based on my own standards. I think Sora would probably win the Cutest AV Star award instead.

---

The Gambler Mentality

What would you rather have? $10 million guaranteed or a coin toss for $100 million? The expected return of the gamble is 5 times larger.

Before you make your decision (most people would make the wrong one), let me point out a few principles:

1. Utility diminishes the more money we have. Hence $100 million won't make you 10 times more satisfied than $10 million.
   
2. There are more opportunities to make smaller amounts then a lump sum which makes it easier for risk diversification.
   
3. Probabilities suggest that there can be no one who can always win. Therefore, All-In bets will always lead you to lose everything.
   
4. You hear stories of those who took the big gambles and won. You seldom hear about the guys who took the gamble and lost. Those who remain successful, have changed their risk taking mentality once they have won.
   
5. There is a difference between a bet and a calculated risk. The calculated risk is a decision made under conditions of known probabilities as opposed to uncertainty. 50% may not necessarily be a bad bet if the stakes are in your favour.

Happy April's Fool!!

Who set my alarm at 3 in the morning then called me up at four?
My toothpaste taste like wasabi, there are mouse traps on the floor.
Who took the batteries out of my shaver, drew graffiti on the wall?
Was it you who played these cruel tricks, left no handle for the door?

The shampoo washed my hair blue, the gel turned it partly white.
Someone mischievous has taken my glasses and hid them out of sight.
It’s time for my spaghetti lunch and someone left me a spoon.
Oh, you must be out there laughing as I cry from salt on my wounds.

My pants split when I sit and my shirt scratches an itch.
I swear to God that evil prankster, a lesson I will teach.
Then a letter came addressed to me and I hid behind a stool.
When opened, laughter sprung out cheering “Happy April’s Fool!!”

The way to love

It seemed like they had always been together. He had worked at the plastic plantation and she had been a legal assistant. He spotted her one day on the bus on the way to work. Thereafter every morning he timed his ride to coincide with her. His mother teased him. ‘Why would you want to go and put that brill cream your hair before work love? It’s a factory not some fashion parade.’ She knew he was in love and laughed as he ran out after eating his breakfast. He would lurk just behind the corner come rain or shine, waiting for her to arrive. Then he would casually saunter over and find a seat beside her. And then one day she noticed him. ‘You look like that Tom Hanks’, she said. He was over the moon.

He believed their destinies were meant to entwine and perhaps it was his unwavering sincerity that moved her. On their first Valentine's, he took her to her favourite Jazz pub, "The Momenturs" where they first danced. They shared a ginger ale and laughed at the innocence of youth. After that as he walked her home under the stars, they danced again, drunk with romance. They kissed for the first time. That moment , he knew she was the one.

They’d courted for nearly three years before he had the courage to ask her father for her hand in marriage. There were many objections. He was plain with barely a high school education, average looking, financially raw with no foreseeable future. She was too good for him. But she knew there was not another man who loved her more. Their honeymoon had been a week in Greece, Athens where everynight they would sleep on the shore of Paleo Faliro and shared their dreams. The first of the girls was born nine months later. She was called Eve, the first of their dream. Then two years later, they had Freya, which is Greek for love.

Life was hard but they were happy. They scrapped by without any luxuries – no television, no nice clothes and no house of their own. In 12 years of marriage, they moved 6 times, 5 to a rented place then finally to a little apartment they bought. The day they moved in, they cried in each other’s arms. They just needed to be with each other. Love to him, was having someone to share life with. And he shared every moment with her.

There were very difficult economic times, but they never once fought over money. He was a good man - non-smoker, non-drinker, non-gambler and non-womanizer. He did not spend for himself, marked by the same old closet since marriage. But he would buy her the clothes she liked and saved all the best fruits for her. Every little surprise warmed her heart because everything she wanted but never asked for he knew and would get for her.

---

Then one day, her body check revealed a stomach tumor. The doctor dismissed it as minor, but he insisted she see a specialist just to be sure. She obliged.

When the news came, “It might be cancer.”, she almost fainted, mind blank and all she could do was fall into his arms with tears welling up. She did not want to lose him. And he could not imagine losing her.

“It will be okay. You will be fine. We will get through this. Believe in yourself. Believe me.”

Before the operation, he silently packed her belongings. He did not let her see his tears but he could not stop his hands from trembling when he had to sign the consent papers in front of her. This was the man who would be calm and unfazed if the world collapsed. There was nothing she could do. Her hand borrowed his tears softly, kissed it as if for the last time and said,

“Wait for me.”

And he did. He was there when everyone had left, he was the first person she saw when she woke. His hand tightly intertwined with hers saying he was always there. Worn down with deep dark circles, he was beaming with a smile.

“It’s over. The results are in. It is benign.” He cried. She cried. There were tears of endless joy.

She took a good look at him. It has been so long. “You lost weight.”

She pulled him close, drew in the familiar musky whiff and they kissed.

---

After discharge, they went home to a strange place. He had sold their home to raise the money in case another operation is needed. By day, he took extended leave to accompany her to the hospital everyday. By night, he had to take care of the kids and work with the realtor on the house sale. It wore him out but he did it all while carrying a smile to care for her. He smiled so that she would not worry. That is how he loved her. Silently, unconditionally and beyond limits.

Just then she leant over and tenderly stroked his forehead. Brushing his hair back and away from his eyes. She cupped his face with her hands, looked deep into his eyes and asked, “Do you know why I married you?”

“There is a man who knows how to love a woman. He makes her feel like the most special woman in the world every single day.” She drew him closer.

“Because you have given me what no other man can give. And….” Her lips breathing into his.

“I love...” He silenced her with a kiss.