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Secretive Blue Origin Project Pins Spaceflight Hopes on Reusable Rockets
By Mike Wall 2012-04-26T09:58:36Z
This artist's illustration of the orbital crew-carrying spaceship planned by the private company Blue Origin was included in the firm's NASA Space Act agreement to continue its work on a commercial crew space vehicle.
(Image: © NASA/Blue Origin)
Blue Origin wants to fly under the radar all the way into space.
The secretive private spaceflight firm, which was established in 2000 by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, is developing systems to launch astronauts to both suborbital and orbital space. While Blue Origin releases details about its plans and progress sparingly, the company's basic business model has come out.
It all revolves around reusable rockets and spacecraft, developed in incremental steps.
"It's really about developing and using vertical powered landing to drive reusable systems that can increase reliability and lower cost," Rob Meyerson, the company's president and program manager, said in a rare public presentation last September at a conference in Long Beach, Calif.
"We believe our incremental, long-term approach is going to develop the systems and technologies and vehicles that'll result in safe and affordable human spaceflight," added Meyerson, who spoke at Space 2011, a meeting organized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. [Photos: Blue Origin's Secretive Spaceship]
Working with NASA
Blue Origin is one of four companies that have received funding through NASA's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program, which seeks to spur the advancement of American private spaceflight capabilities. The other three firms are Boeing, SpaceX and Sierra Nevada Corp.
CCDev's goal is to help get a handful of companies up and running as soon as safely possible, so the United States has its own way to send astronauts to the International Space Station and other destinations in low-Earth orbit. Since NASA's space shuttle fleet was grounded in 2011, the nation has relied on Russia's Soyuz vehicles to perform this taxi service.
Blue Origin got $3.7 million in 2010 in the first round of grants, called CCDev-1, and another $22 million last year under CCDev-2. The company is designing, developing and testing systems for both suborbital and orbital human spaceflight. [Blue Origin's Secretive Space Vehicle Explained (Infographic)]
Suborbital comes first.
"We're beginning with suborbital as a means to gain that experience, gain that practice that'll lead on to orbital human spaceflight," Meyerson said.
Blue Origin's second test vehicle, a suborbital launch vehicle, soars through Mach 1.2 at 45,000 feet in this image released by the secretive private spaceflight company. This image was taken in August 2011 right before the thrust termination system activated, resulting in the loss of the vehicle, company officials said. (Image credit: Blue Origin)
Suborbital: New Shepard
Blue Origin's suborbital vehicle is called New Shepard. The name is a nod to NASA astronaut Alan Shepard, who became the first American in space when he launched on a brief suborbital flight on May 5, 1961.
New Shepard consists of two reusable parts: a crew capsule and a propulsion module. A few minutes after liftoff, the propulsion module separates and heads back to Earth, eventually making a vertical, rocket-powered landing near the launch site (Blue Origin's private spaceport about 25 miles north of tiny Van Horn, Texas).
The crew module, which is designed to carry three or more people, coasts on to the edge of space before returning to Earth as well, its descent slowed by parachutes.
Blue Origin envisions multiple uses for New Shepard. It could carry tourists interested in experiencing microgravity and seeing the curvature of Earth against the blackness of space. The company also hopes scientists will book flights on the vehicle to take experiments up to space.
When it's fully developed, New Shepard should allow people to get to space relatively quickly and efficiently, according to company officials.
"The system design is optimized for rapid turnaround with a very small ground crew," Meyerson said. "We're talking tens of people, as opposed to thousands in previous reusable vehicles."
Blue Origin has conducted a handful of flights with suborbital test vehicles since 2006, including two in 2011. The second of last year's flights, which took place on Aug. 24, resulted in failure; the "PM2" vehicle crashed after reaching an altitude of about 45,000 feet (14,000 meters).
This illustration from private spaceship builder Blue Origin depicts the Orbital Reusable Booster System planned by the spaceflight company, which is owned by Amazon.com mogul Jeff Bezos. (Image credit: Blue Origin)
Orbital: The Space Vehicle
Blue Origin is also working on a manned vessel for orbital flight, a biconic craft called the Space Vehicle (SV).
"This development builds on our suborbital New Shepard crew capsule development," Meyerson said. "The lessons we learn in that program roll directly into the SV, the orbital system development."
The Space Vehicle is designed to transport up to seven astronauts to low-Earth orbit, though it can also carry a mix of cargo and crew, Meyerson said. When the spaceship comes back to Earth, Blue Origin wants it to touch down on land, with water landings as a backup.
Blue Origin is designing a reusable first-stage booster to help get the Space Vehicle to orbit. Like New Shepard's Propulsion Module, this rocket will return to Earth and make a vertical, powered landing.
"Then the orbital booster can be refueled and launched again, allowing improved reliability and lowering the cost of human access to space," Blue Origin officials write on the company's website.
Blue Origin doesn't release schedules or timelines of its projected progress. But Meyerson said the Space Vehicle might be ferrying astronauts to and from the space station in less than five years if all goes well.
"In our proposal with the government funding that we laid out, we believe [operations could begin] between 2016 and 2018," he said.
NASA dominated American human spaceflight for more than 50 years, but in the 21st century, private spaceflight companies are building new space taxis to launch more people into orbit. SPACE.com looked at the major players in the commercial spaceflight race in our recent series: The Private Space Taxi Race. This is Part 4 in that series.
You can follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter: @michaeldwall. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
An Ariane 5 rocket will launch 2 communications satellites today. How to watch live
Watch live today! Ariane 5 rocket launching 2 satellites @ 4:05 pm ET
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2019 was the second hottest year on record, NASA says


The Wrexham AFC Website covered the return to training ahead of the 2018-19 season this week. Along with a gallery there were interviews with Sam Ricketts, Leo Smith and Kevin Roberts. Also, the media team shot a video feature from Nine Acres.
Meanwhile in the Leader and the Daily Post also covered the return to training ahead of the pre-season camapign.


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Instead of the traditional bagel and cream cheese I usually have with my coffe or tea, I decided to dress it up with some basil and tomato. Basil and tomato marry together beautifully, so adding it to a blanket of smooth creamy and tasty cream cheese makes it all the more refreshing and satisfying.
All you need are some tomatoes, whole basil leaves, low fat cream cheese, and 2 bagel halves (plain or flavored). You can also toast the bagel if you'd like, but to keep things simpler, I just make it as is. It's delicious trust me!
I will be enjoying a lazy thursday afternoon!!
if i only read this 5 hours ago, i would have doctored up my own bagel.
haha Alynne, I sometimes have this as a snack late at night too...so sad, but I crave this combo sometimes lol.


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Najib Razak. Koon Yew Yin. Firestone
Is the 2014, hit single by KYGO. Now finally, the TRUE story, about 1MDB emerges, as narrated by one of Najib Razak's biggest market critic, the legendary investor Koon Yew Yin.
This is what the old sage, had to say :
I will not go into the size of the 1 MDB financial hole but will leave it to our accounting experts to do the mathematics. My main concern is not so much the actual financial loss incurred by the Government.
Although this will go down in history as one of the biggest con jobs done on a nation's financial guardians and gatekeepers, frankly the actual financial loss is really not that big and it is one which the nation's treasury can well afford.
So, finally the cat is out of the bag, just at a time Najib Razak has secured enough ammunition to place 1MDB into the HISTORY books
Those who accept, financially beneficial stock tips as FIRESTONE from Koon, must now go back , and re read everything about 1MDB, and ask themselves, why were they DELIBERATELY misinformed of the magnitude of the 1MDB losses..
Felda Global. Rain On The Scarecrow
Is the 1985 hit for John Cougar Mellencamp about RED America. Ironically, in Malaysia, RED Malaysia will either live or die in the Felda heartland.
The lyrics goes something like this :
Rain on the scarecrow Blood on the plow
This land fed a nation This land made me proud
And Son I'm just sorry there's no legacy for you now
Well, many a FELDA settlers will be wondering, where lay their LEGACY now.
As for the stock, Felda needs to BREAK RM1.60 to be taken seriously
For now, the plus point is that the 17 million shares TRADED today, is near its 4 weeks average volume of 20 million shares .
Malaysia Employment Hit 13 Month High. Both Sides Of The Story
Is a 1993 hit for Phil Collins. The title of the song is so true and some times, BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY, are telling the SAME story but in DIFFERENT ways.
Take for instance the finding of the latest PMI Index, which saw a contraction, the worst in FIVE months, yet Employment short up to its strongest level in 13 months.
Yes, shocking but true, there are jobs a plenty in Malaysia, if you WANT one. Clearly the PMI is down because we lack competitive foreign labour.
The Nikkei has the story :
Malaysia PMI hit 5-month low in November
TOKYO -- The Nikkei Malaysia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, or PMI, fell marginally to 47.1 in November from October's 47.2, marking the lowest reading since June.
A reading above 50 indicates economic expansion, while one below 50 points to a contraction. The latest figure shows Malaysia's manufacturing sector to be in contraction territory for 20 consecutive months.
"Total new orders contracted at the sharpest rate in the series history, driven partly by a fall in international demand," said Amy Brownbill, economist at IHS Markit, which compiles the survey.
"As a result, goods producers cut back on their buying activity at the quickest rate in seven months," she said. "On a more positive note, employment growth picked up to a 13-month high, suggesting firms are optimistic towards the outlook."
(Nikkei)
Felda Global. TACATA.
Is the 2012 global hit by Tacabro. So what has Felda Global got to do with "TACATA" ?
Well nothing much, but it sure has got a lot to do with Japan's TAKATA. Like TAKATA, Felda also is in a spot.
Read below, how one Japanese trader used news flow, to time his purchases and disposal of TAKATA shares :
Takata Corp., finalizing a buyer after spurring record auto industry recalls, fell in Tokyo trading after a Japanese day trader told his more than 103,000 Twitter followers he sold shares in the air-bag maker.
The stock slumped as much as 8.8 percent, the biggest intraday decline since Nov. 9, and was down 6.1 percent as of 2:11 p.m. in Tokyo. The trader, a former video-game champion and pachinko gambler who goes by CIS, wrote in a Twitter posting Wednesday that he sold all the Takata shares he'd purchased three weeks ago.
Bloomberg Markets magazine profiled CIS and the cult following he built among Japanese day traders in its November 2014 issue. In a phone interview Wednesday, he estimated that his Takata trade involving about 800,000 shares had netted a pretax gain of about $1.2 million. He also provided a screenshot of his trades.
Takata had climbed to the highest since Jan. 29 at Tuesday's close as the company works to secure a buyer and finalize its restructuring plans following a series of recalls that may lead to replacement of more than 100 million air bags worldwide. The auto-parts maker has honed in on bids from Autoliv Inc. and Key Safety Systems Inc. as it progresses toward a final round of negotiating a sale, according to people familiar with the matter.
CIS has narrated his trades online before, including a short of Nikkei futures in August 2015 and bet on a subsequent rebound. His Takata trade began when the shares rose following a report three weeks ago that its U.S. subsidiary was considering filing for bankruptcy.
"The stock rose even after a piece of really bad news came out," he said by phone. "For me that's a sign of strong demand."
The reason for selling involved the same simple logic, CIS said. The shares had stopped rising after positive news last week that a potential sale to Autoliv or Key Safety was progressing, he said
Ringgit Malaysia. What's The Colour Of Money
Is a 1986 hit for Hollywood Beyond, taken from the album IF.
When it comes to Ringgit Malaysia, "What"s the Colour of Money", with Bank Negara Malaysia, having one quote, Ringgit Offshore having another quote.
Both playing a chess game at between RM4.46 and RM4.47 to the Dollar.
The most consistent has been Maybank and CiMB , with both pricing the Ringgit to US Dollar quote at between RM4.51 and RM4.52 since LAST Week.
Italy. Rain or Shine
Is a 1986 hit for British Band Five Star . Over in ITALY today, there is a new Five Star Movement, which is threatening to rip Europe apart if a small Italian referendum which takes place on December 4, ends up with a no vote.
"Rain or Shine" the five star movement in ITALY are going out in full force for a no vote. Win that, and the movement is said to be a shoe in to win the next Italian election on a purely ANTi euro union stance
Felda Global. Najib Razak. Cool As Ice
Is a 1991 minor hit for Eminem. Today Felda Global is up eight sen to RM1.52 a share.
Does this make Najib Razak a great leader, a great man, a great prime minister? The anwser is NO .
Be "Cool as ICE" and accept that market forces determines, a company's share price, and it really has nothing to do with weather Najib Razak is your PM or if he is NOT your PM..
Saket @ MIA
Until I get better
Tek Seng. Broken
Is a massive 2008 hit for rockers Lifehouse.
Tek Seng announced its results today, which looks "BROKEN", with quarterly revenue and pre tax profit falling.
Revenue fell to RM 82.27 million from RM99.33 million while pre tax profit fell to RM9.73 from RM10.97 million .
What looks 'Broken", though is The quarter's solar contribution falling by RM7.1 million to only RM36,000, while inventories stood at RM90 million , while borrowing was double of that at RM180 million.
Tek Seng can still turn things around, provided , it some how boost solar panel sales.
Melewar . I Get So Emotional
Is the 1987, hit for Whitney Houston. Melewar industrial group announced a set of really poor results, which saw it suffer a first quarter loss of RM8.09 million versus a profit of RM1.47 million a year ago.
Investors have got "so emotional" and sold down Melewar shares which opened at 52.5 sen to 40.5 sen.
The stock is down about 26 per cent, and nearing Limit down level, unlike Lion Steel which closed down, Melewar is still a running concern, and has the ability to fill in some of the vacuum left by Lion.
Mieco Chipboard. Come Out And Play
Is a 1994 hit for Punk Rockers, the offspring .
On October 20th, this is what I had to say about Mieco Chipboard :
Ng Ah Chai made a mandatory general offer for Meico at 90 sen a share.
The stock now trades at RM1.03, though volume so far is not convincing enough, for Meico to retest the RM1.40 level now.
That could however change in December though, if the dollar keeps firm, and the spring cleaning takes place as planned.
Well it's NOT DECEMBER yet. Mieco is now RM1.25 a share and COUNTING.
Ringgit Malaysia. 1MDB. All Cried Out
Is the 1984 hit single by Alison Moyet. At current levels, the Ringgit trades at RM4.46 to the US Dollar.
Does this mean, most Malaysian companies are going to get bashed trying to service their debts.
Will they end up being "All Cried Out"? The answer is a surprisingly NO . The reason being, that despite the Ringgit being the most hard hit among Adrian currencies, our government's prudence in creating an a Ringgit denominated debt market, has saved Malaysian companies.
Below is a list from Bloomberg on the most Dollar denominated indebted companies in South East Asia. And not surprisingly, NO Malaysian companies make the list, not even 1MDB :
Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.: "The Singtel group (excluding our regional mobile associates), has foreign currencies borrowings which have been hedged into the functional currency of the respective borrowing entities," said Lim Cheng Cheng, chief financial officer at the Singaporean phone company. "We have in place a euro medium term note (EMTN) bond program which enables us to tap various bond markets based on our funding plans. As an example, in October this year, we issued a US$500 million bond at a coupon of 2.375%, and this has been hedged back to Singapore dollars. Hence, from a debt management perspective, the impact of a rising U.S. dollar is not significant."
PT Bumi Resources: "Our bonds are fully in U.S. dollars and so is our accounting currency," said Dileep Srivastava, director at the Indonesian coal mining firm. "So the rupiah exchange variations have no impact on us. We also have a natural hedge - our revenue is in dollars and 90 percent of our costs are in dollars.
"Olam International Ltd.: An external spokesperson for the Singapore-based food traders, one of the world's biggest, declined to comment.
BOC Aviation Ltd.: "We have a massive warchest both to support our capex and to refinance our existing commitments," said Timothy Ross, head of investor relations and corporate communications at the aircraft leasing company based in Singapore. "There is no issue with regards to refinancing any of the debt as and when it comes due. All of our assets are in U.S. dollars. Our revenues are all in U.S. dollars and 92 percent of our costs are in U.S. dollars. We're a pure U.S. dollar play which I guess if anything should make us more attractive given the strength of the U.S. dollar."
Alliance Global Group Inc.: No one was available to comment when the Quezon City, Philippines-based company was contacted by phone. There was no reply to an e-mail to the investor relations department of the conglomerate, which has interests ranging from food and beverages to gaming.
Perusahaan Listrik Negara: No one was available to comment when the Indonesian government-owned electricity distributor was called, and there was no reply to an e-mail.
Berau Coal Energy Tbk: No one was available to comment when the Indonesian coal mining group was called. Jakarta-based corporate secretary Gamal Wanengpati couldn't be reached for comment.
SM Investments Corp.: "Our dollar debt is fully hedged. The drop in local currencies does not affect the debt service of our foreign currency debts. There will be no increase in the debt service cost because our foreign currency debts are fully hedged including the interest cost," said Jose Sio, chief financial officer of the Philippines conglomerate with interests in property, retail and banking. "Current and future refinancing activities are focused on raising in local peso currency. Example of this is our 20 billion peso corporate bonds to be issued during the first week of December 2016."
Travellers International Hotel Group Inc.: "We've ruled out hedging because for us it's slightly too late," said Bernard Than, chief financial officer at the Philippines-based owner and operator of Resorts World Manila. "We've always marked to market the forex loss over the years. For the forseeable future, we'll most likely just pay it off using peso debt." He added that the company has enough credit lines to pay off the upcoming bond and plans to focus on local funding in the future. "We rather put our faith in things we can control rather than relying on a forex loan or forex bond where we are at the mercy of the exchange rates," said Than. "We rather not put our faith in that any more and switch everything to local lending."
Carmen Copper Corp.: This Philippines-based firm has operating rights over the Toledo copper mine. Parent company Atlas Consolidated Mining & Development Corp. this month approved a plan to refinance $300 million of bonds at its wholly-owned unit Carmen Copper. No one was available to comment when Atlas Consolidated Mining was called. There was no immediate reply to an e-mail to the investor relations department of Atlas Consolidated Mining. Two calls to Fernando Rimando, Carmen Copper's chief financial officer, weren't answered.
Bank Negara. NDF. Don't Dream Its Over
Is a 1986 hit for the Crowded House. Bank Negara Malaysia should NOT Dreàm it's over, with regards it's move to curtail Ringgit trades on the offshore market.
First of all, to ask foreign banks not hedge on the Ringgit offshore market, without creating a vibrant alternative is a disaster waiting to happen.
The central bank must surely be aware A 2013 study of nine NDF markets by the Bank for International Settlements found that the offshore and onshore markets both influenced each other, except in Malaysia, where onshore followed offshore.
The ringgit is one of the most actively traded emerging market currencies in the NDF markets. About 60 percent of Ringgit trading is done offshore, where the average daily turnover is nearly US$13 billion.
In a nutshell, you cannot stop a monster like this with a mere letter, you need a game plan, or that letter is going to comeback and bite your ass off.
Bank Negara Malaysia. Balik Kampung
Is a 1993 hit for Sudirman. Goldman Sachs is now saying foreigner's who own Malaysian bonds are contemplating to BALIK KAMPUNG, due to Bank Negara's INEPT handling of the Ringgit NDF trades.
SYABAS, Bank Negara Malaysia, what will you think of next, or maybe it's better, if you Think before you ACT.
Reuters has the story. Read BELOW :
Nov 28 Malaysia's attempts to force currency traders overseas to stop selling down the ringgit, as investors flee the country's bond market, has had little discernible impact so far, traders and analysts say.
Over a week ago, Bank Negara Malaysia demanded that offshore banks confirm through signed letters that neither they nor their corporate clients would trade the ringgit on the non-deliverable forward markets.
An NDF allows banks and companies to hedge or speculate on emerging market currencies overseas when exchange controls in those countries make it difficult to trade directly on the spot market.
Bank Negara sent the letters to about 58 firms in Malaysia that have connections to offshore ringgit trading. Only a half-dozen offshore firms signed the letters, the Bank said last week.
The move has done little to bring ringgit trading onshore so far, traders said.
"If you think the economy is not doing well, then going onshore (to trade) will hardly help, as there is a high possibility the government may slap capital controls to protect its currency or domestic markets. And that would be very painful," said Nitin Dialdas, chief investment officer at Mandarin Capital Limited.
PLUNGED 7 PERCENT
The ringgit has plunged nearly 7 percent over the last two weeks, the worst performing currency in Asia. On Monday, it weakened further to 4.46 to the dollar in thin trade at 0900 GMT.
The reason for the tumble is mostly because foreign investors have fled Malaysia's bond market - they own 40 percent of it - after bond yields spiked across the world amid speculation President-elect Donald Trump's stimulus policies will ignite inflation.
The immediate risk for Malaysia is its $81.4 billion worth of short-term external debt, said Trinh Nguyen, senior economist at Natixis investment bank in Hong Kong.
The Bank is "not without options", said Trinh, noting it could let the ringgit continue to slide, intervene to defend the currency, raise interest rates or even impose capital controls, as Malaysia did during the 1997/98 Asian financial crisis.
NDF markets for Asian currencies began in the 1990s as a way for foreign investors with local investments to hedge their exposure offshore due to local restrictions on currency trading or simply to speculate. By mid-2000, Asian currencies had dominated NDF trading in the global foreign exchange centers of Hong Kong, Singapore and London.
The ringgit is one of the most actively traded emerging market currencies in the NDF markets. About 60 percent of ringgit trading is done offshore, where the average daily turnover is nearly $13 billion. That makes it far more vulnerable to global events than other emerging currencies, traders say.
Malaysia does not recognise offshore trading in the ringgit because the currency is not international. But since the central bank has no jurisdiction over the offshore markets, it has tried to exert pressure on global banks through their Malaysian operations.
Global banks with operations in Malaysia would have to think twice about trading the ringgit overseas, once they sign letters promising not to do that, say bankers involved in the trade.
"It directly hurts our ability to offer portfolio hedging strategies to our clients, as we don't know whether our domestic operations will be affected because of this," said the head of currency trading at a U.S. bank.
Bank Negara has not spelled out what action it would take against a global bank's domestic operations for trading ringgit offshore.
BOOST DOMESTIC MARKET
At the same time, Bank Negara has said it is trying to make the domestic market more attractive for ringgit trading, though it has not disclosed what those measures would be.
Traders say the devil is in those details.
"The (Malaysian) regulators want something to be done fairly quickly but the reality is, operationally, certain things may not be achieved that quickly," said Ng Kheng Siang, head of Asia Pacific fixed income at State Street Global Advisors.
The central bank's move is making Malaysia's foreign bond holders nervous. Nearly half the domestic bond market is owned by foreign investors or roughly $42 billion, according to Goldman Sachs.
"Our ability to hedge in the NDF market is being slightly restricted and we do have to think about taking those positions where we may not necessarily be able to hedge the currency," said Kenneth Akintewe, senior investment manager for Asian fixed income at Aberdeen Asset Management.
Trump. China. Sun Tzu. War
Is the 1984 hit single by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, taken from the album Welcome To The Pleasure Dome .
There is No Pleasure Dome, for China if Donald Trump makes good his word to start a TRADE War.
China is now citing , famed general Sun Tzu's Art Of War, as one of its strategy to counter Donald Trump's America, in a PR war to avert a potential TRADE WAR
Still the sound bites coming from China, sounds like they are damn nervous and have forgotten the general's advice on Silence.
"as swift as wind, as silent as forest, as fierce as fire, as unshakable as mountain
Bloomberg has the story. Read Below :
There's a Chinese saying that stems from the philosophy in Sun Tzu's ancient text "The Art of War": You can kill 1,000 enemies, but you would also lose 800 soldiers.
Centuries later, the proverb is suddenly apt again, being mentioned frequently in discussions around Beijing. Now, it highlights the potential damage U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could inflict if he makes good on his threat to start a trade war with China, the world's second-biggest economy.
Having backed off some other campaign pledges, it's unclear if Trump will end up slapping punitive tariffs on China -- and Beijing has signaled some optimism he will be more pragmatic in office. Still, the message from China is that any move to tax Chinese imports would bring retaliation: The U.S. economy would take a hit and America would damage its longstanding ties with Asia.
"China wouldn't like to see that happen," Fu Ying, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee of the legislature and was a vice foreign minister until 2013, said of the U.S. imposing punitive tariffs. "But if so happens, it won't be one-way traffic," she said last week in Beijing.
While China has warned the U.S. against picking a fight, the prospect of a more protectionist America creates an opportunity for President Xi Jinping in Asia, where trade-dependent nations are nervous about the potential fallout. Xi has rushed to portray his country as a champion of free trade, and Trump's actions could give him an avenue to build his clout. Xi has spoken of his desire for the same great-power status enjoyed by the U.S., pushing back against American hegemony since World War II.
Malaysia. Happy Nation
Is the 1992 hit single that rocketted Swedish duo Ace Of Base into pop stardom.
In the Credit Suisse latest global wealth report, it was revealed that this year alone, Malaysia had created some 4,000 new millionaires.
HAPPY NATION indeed, while our country's debt to GDP stood at 54 per cent. On the converse, Singapore's debt to GDP stood at 104 per cent .
What's NOT so happy about the report is most Malaysians are spending way above their means.
The debt of each Malaysian adult also rose from US$7,054 in 2015 to US$7,462 this year.
On the converse, Singaporeans contributed to the gain with their average rise of US$4,000 in wealth per adult, bringing their individual share of wealth to US$277,000, or the seventh highest in the world.
What this means is, if a whole lot of Malaysians get into trouble at the same time, your government has the resources to bail you out, but if Singapore gets into trouble, the people will have to BAIL, their Government out.
Oil. Malaysia, China, Indonesia. I Need A Dollar
Is the 2010 , UK top 2 single by American Aloe Blacc.
The oil and gas industry privately will admit that due to prevailing low oil prices, they will be needing more than a DOLLAR
Bloomberg has the story how low oil prices is creating a NEW US$1 Billion a Year business in Malaysia, China and Indonesia. Read Below:
Low crude prices that have been hammering oilfield service companies for the past two years might be ready to give a little back.
Sinopec Oilfield Service Corp., Keppel Corp. Ltd. and others will have a chance to fight for $1 billion a year in new business in Asia as the crude crash forces energy producers to decommission aging and unprofitable fields, industry analyst Wood Mackenzie Ltd. said in a new report. More than 600 fields, mostly in China, Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia, could be shut down over the next decade.
The decommissioning represents an opportunity for oilfield service firms to rebuild their business after two years of layoffs and cost-cutting as the crude plunge caused a drop in drilling and exploration, the main activity for these firms. The Bloomberg World Oil & Gas Services Index has dropped 40 percent since the summer of 2014, compared with a 12 percent gain in the S&P 500.
Ringgit Malaysia. Rupiah Indonesia. Cinta Nusantara
Is the 1990 folkish hit for singer Sheqal.
Well its "Cinta Nusantara" all rite, of a different kind for the Ringgit Malaysia, when it hit a 52 week low against the Indonesian Rupiah today.
For a brief moment, the Ringgit fell to 3035.16888 on the official exchange board, but on the Ringgit Offshore board, its gone way past that.
Now ONE Ringgit only fetches 3028.91 Rupiah, and we all will have Bank Negara Malaysia to thank for, by their INEPT handling of the Ringgit NDF trades
Felda Global. This Ain't A Love Song
Is a 1995, top 20 hit for rockers Bon Jovi, taken from the album These Days.
These Days, when a stock is sold down, does it mean it's really down and out?
CIMB says today that based on worst case scenario, Felda Global must be worth RM1.56 a share
The stock is now trading at RM1.48, and the reality on the ground is Felda Global is a political stock.
PM Najib needs it, UMNO definitely wants it, because a wounded FELDA will be a political night mare in the RED heartland of Peninsular Malaysia.
This Ain't A Love Song, it's a Buy song . Here are the lyrics for you to chew on, while considering the merits of picking up Felda Global shares :
should have seen it coming when roses died
Should have seen the end of summer in your eyes
I should have listened when you said good night
You really meant good bye
Dow Jones. Wall Street. Colour By Numbers
Is the 1983 album by Culture Club which spawned five top ten hits, including the monster hit Karma Chameleon.
Now the Wall Street Journal is saying if KARMA is anything to go by with, then the Dow Jones, should hit 20,000 points in NO TIME , but after that...
READ Below :
Dow 19000 was nice, but Dow 20000 is the real milestone to watch and maybe even fret about.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average is roughly 5% away from reaching the next millennium marker. If history is a guide, it probably won't be a straight shot getting there. But when the Dow hits 20000, holding that major milestone might prove to be problematic.
Since 1999, when the Dow first crossed above 10000, the blue-chip index has averaged a small decline one month after the initial crossing of each 1,000-point interval, according to Schaeffer's Investment Research.
Big milestones have historically been tougher. The Dow first hit 100 in 1906 but it wasn't until the mid-1920s before it convincingly traded higher than that level. And it permanently broke above it in 1942.
The same held true for Dow 1000. The blue-chip average first reached that mark intraday in 1966, but didn't close above it until November 1972. And it wasn't until 1982 that the Dow finally traded above 1000 for good, 16 years after initially breaching that mark.
Dow 10000 was similar. The average fell below that level during both the bursting of the dot-com bubble and the financial crisis. It wasn't until 2010 that the Dow finally crossed back above and held 10000, 11 years after initially hitting it.
Behavioral finance suggests volatility around these big-round numbers isn't necessarily coincidental. An academic paper by Shanghai-based finance professor Yu Yuan found market milestones, such as the Dow hitting a record, puts investors on alert, causing them to be more active than normal in their portfolios. The S&P 500, a broader index with much more money tied to it, appears less important psychologically.
One theme today similar to when the Dow first hit 100, 1000, 10000: rich valuations. Nobel Prize winning economist Rober Shiller's metric, the cyclically adjusted price/earnings ratio, is considered a stable long-term valuation indicator. It currently is 27.28, well above its average of 16.7 dating back to 1881.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the Shiller PE ratio was higher than average in 1905, 1966 and 1999, each time the Dow first hit those milestones.
Felda Global.Outsyedthebox. PISS
Is the hit single by hard rockers, Pantera, which was originally scheduled be on its Vulgar Display of Power' album some 24 year's ago.
The album still remains one of the most influential metal albums of all time.
One of the most important thing they teach you at Goldman Sachs in New York is that when it comes to NUMBERS, make sure you PISS straight, and NOT on YOUR PANTS, because EVERYBODY can lie, but the NUMBERS can NEVER LIE.
So it came as a shock to me, upon reading one of my favourite blogs, the hard hitting OutSyedTheBox, that GOVERNMENT funds had lost some RM7.9 billion in Felda Global.
OUTSYEDTHEBOX Wrote :
It shows that the 15 GLCs and Statutory bodies listed by Donny have lost up to RM7.9 Billion from their shareholding in FGV Bhd, whose share price had crashed from RM4.55 down to RM1.56 at the time of Donny's writing.
However a quick check on Bursa Malaysia, shows most of the government funds have added on to their shares through out the year's, and plus the DIVIDEND payments, it is a MATHEMATICAL impossibility for funds to have a RM4.55 a share basic cost.
It must be MUCH MUCH lower, but in their haste to GET PM Najib, they have used DECEPTION as a VULGAR DISPLAY of POWER, and ended up PISS ing on their PANTS.
So this song is for YOU :
A punk like that is piss in the wind,.
A go-getter who ain't got none
A legend in his mind
Always the one to invite himself, and then gets left behind
Someone must have clipped his balls or wiped his ass on his life
A self-centered procrastinator, attention seeker who's got nothing at all."
Bank Negara Malaysia. Hijau
Is the 1990 hit for Zainal Abidin. The lyrics to the song, goes something like this :
Dewasa ini kita saling merayakan
Kejayaan yang akhirnya membinasakan
Apalah gunanya kematangan fikiran
Bila dijiwa kita masih lagi muda dan mentah
Ku lihat hijau
Nasional Bank of Australia, short of calling Bank Negara Malaysia' "HIJAU" said in a REPORT The Malaysian central bank's attempt to use moral suasion to support its currency threatens to backfire, increasing pressure on the ringgit and potentially hurting growth.
NAB pointed to concerns over Bank Negara Malaysia's warning to foreign banks to restrict trading in offshore non-deliverable forwards (NDFs) on the currency, which had fallen further than the spot rate.
In a note titled "Malaysia – Truly awkward," which played on Malaysia's tourism advertising slogan, "Malaysia, truly Asia, NAB said, it expects the dollar would fetch as much as 4.85 ringgit at the end of 2017,
Ringgit .No Money
Is a hit song this year for Galantis . "No Money" is what money changers in Singapore are telling people who want to buy Ringgit, with some speculating that the Sing Dollar to Ringgit Malaysia exchange rate could hit RM3.50.
Singapore's Today Online has the No MONEY story :
The Malaysian ringgit fell to an all-time low against the Singapore dollar on Friday (Nov 25), with S$1 trading at RM3.1317 at around 2.10pm, sparking a rush by bargain hunters seeking to stock up on the plunging currency.
By late trade, the ringgit had clawed back a little to S$1 to RM3.1280. The previous low was on Sept 29 last year, when S$1 could buy RM3.1309.
The decline in the ringgit has been exacerbated by Malaysia's relatively inadequate level of foreign currency reserves, compared with other Association of South-east Asian Nations economies, said Mr Woon Tian Yong, investment analyst at Phillip Futures.
The lower ringgit saw consumers rush to money changers on Friday to snap up the currency, leaving shopkeepers in a bind. By 6pm, more than half of the money changers at The Arcade at Raffles Place had run out of ringgit.
Queues snaked to the outlets that still had stock, waiting to exchange their Singapore dollars at the going rate of S$1 to RM3.09.
China Money Exchange boss Mohamed Hasan Shaik Ismail, 45, said he had sold all his ringgit by 2.30pm. "It's the school holidays now, so a lot of people want ringgit, but the rate is going down and down, and some customers also wait and see," he said.
Some of the customers waiting in line to buy the ringgit told TODAY that they expected the currency to drop even further.
"Monday, maybe can even get RM3.10 for a dollar. I heard next year a RM3.50 rate might even come," said Mr Alex Yee, 46, a senior executive in a shipping company.
Air Asia. Ganja Gun
IS a song from Bob Marley's 1979 Babylon Bus tour. This song is banned in Malaysia, But those going through the latest Air Asia research REPORT, can be forgiven for suspecting a GANJA Gun is nearby.
Public Bank is neutral on Airasia, placing a RM2.50 price target on a stock that was last traded at RM2.71.
KN Kenanga, meanwhile Keeps so OUTPERFORM call on AIRASIA with unchanged Target Price of RM3.82
That is a RM1.31 a share difference in valuation between two research houses of repute. Who is correct and who is singing this song below behind close doors :
I'm gonna smoke'a de ganja until I go blind.
You know I smoke'a de ganja all a de time.
Smoke'a de ganja when I'm with friends.
We gonna smoke'a de ganja until the very end.
Singapore Doomed
Bass, is the hot Feng Tao music hitting the club zones now, courtesy of Project Sonic.. Its hard hitting and full of trance. Bloomberg has a Story on Singapore's economy's BOMBING
Singapore will provide financing support to the country's marine and offshore engineering companies to help ease some of the liquidity problems the industry has been facing amid weak oil prices.
More than two years of tumbling oil prices have wiped about $15 billion from the market value of Keppel Corp., Sembcorp Marine Ltd. and Singapore's other listed oil-services companies. Since then, at least 25,000 jobs have been axed.
The oil industry may cut spendingfor a third straight year in 2017 as lower costs kick in and companies continue to grapple with weaker finances because of crude's slump, the International Energy Agency said in September.
Things could get worse off for Singapore, following, REPORTs that Saudi Arabia is walking away from upcoming talks with non-OPEC members, including Russia, amid disagreementson how to share the burden of oil production cuts.
While Malaysia is facing a currency attack, Singapore's real economy's is in CLEAR and PRESENT danger.
So who is better off????
Euro, Dollar , Sing.Cash Me Out
Is a 2015 minor hit for Zara Larsson. It looks like its "CASH ME Out " time for the Ringgit .
We had highlighted early this week that the real play on the Ringgit had begun.
So what's the damage ?
The Ringgit's value have fallen at RECORD levels against the Singapore Dollar and Euro.
One Sing Dollar Now buys 3.13 Ringgit, while one Euro Now buys 4.74 Ringgit. The US Dollar and Ringgit exchange is at RM4.47, heading towards RM4.50 .
AppAsia Bhd. Little Lies
Is the third single from Fleetwood Mac"s highly successful third album tango in the night.
The 1987 hit, is up till today, Fleetwood Mac's last top ten hit single.
So does AppAsia have one more run in it?judging from the money flow index, somebody has been accumulating the shares again at the 25 sen level.
The stock is down half sen to 25.5 sen, will there be enough punters to take a "Tango in the night" with AppAsia?
Sure the company had announced a NON EXCLUSIVE agreement with Ali Baba, but NON EXCLUSIVE is exactly what it is, NON EXCLUSIVE.
As for the Australian market listing, one wonders, will it dilute AppAsia's already poor earnings?
Investors must weight all this up , as for me, I am listening to "Tell Me Lies, Tell Me Sweet Little Lies".
Ringgit Malaysia. Currency Speculators. Club Rocker
Is the 2011 hit for Romanian diva Inna, featuring American rapper Flo Rida.
The stand out house themed music is taken from Inna's top selling album, entitled I'm the Club Rocker.
Like wise currency speculators might have their eyes wide open, with the latest IMF report that suggest that the Ringgit is prone to an attack.
Bloomberg has the story, but before you read it, hold on to your horses because PM Najib, has one card to play, to prove who indeed is the real bad ass "Club Rocker".
That card is the tie up with China which allows the both the countries central banks to help each other in the event of an attack by providing liquidity in local currencies.
This tie up has already, helped boost Malaysia's foreign reserves by as much as US$500 million yesterday.
Now you can read the Bloomberg piece below :
Malaysia -- not coincidentally the worst performing of the major emerging Asian currencies against the dollar this month -- faring poorly by comparison, with a $100 billion reserves projection against short-term external debt of $128.2 billion, based on IMF estimates.
Looking beyond Asia, Turkey, South Africa and Mexico are among those deemed more vulnerable by the assessments.
Malaysia's reserves are well down from a May 2013 high, and the slimmer adequacy ratio "limits the ability for BNM to intervene," , said Khoon Goh, head of Asia research at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.
ANZ is currently reviewing its currency forecasts amid the current sell-off in emerging markets, according to Goh.
Felda Global. Bad Company. Rock Steady
Is taken from the above mentioned group's debut album in 1974.
The Bad COMPANY album, propelled the British hard rockers to international stardom.
Like wise, Felda Global is at a cross road today. The stock needs to push pass the technical RM1.60 resistance, to "Rock Steady" next week.
Standing against a BAD COMPANY like Rock Steady show next week is a Affin Huang Research report , which has valued FGV at RM1.10.
Betting on BAD COMPANY like Rock Steady show is a KN Kenanga report, which values Felda at RM1.90
Maybank.Ringgit. Sign O The Times
Is the funky 1987 hit for Prince. And it could be "Sign O The Times " for the Ringgit which currently trades at RM4.44 against the US Dollar.
The triple 4 is the numerical of death for the Chinese. Maybank is doing nothing, to put the fear of that symbol to rest, when it VERY oddly quotes both the selling TT/OD for US Dollar and the CURRENCY notes selling price at the SAME level of RM4.52.
On the converse, at CIMB the TT/OD price for the US Dollar is at RM4.51, while for currency notes, it's at RM4.37.
Ringgit Malaysia. Chica Bomb
Is the 2010 stand out hit by Russian superstar Dan Balan.
It looks like the Ringgit has "BOMB" out against the US Dollar in the NDF offshore market.
At current level 1US Dollar is worth RM4.45 and COUNTING
If You Think Malaysia Has Got It Bad. Shut Up
And dance is the 2015 humongous hit for American rock band Walk The Moon. The song is taken from the album Talking is hard.
In Malaysia, though "TALKING is Easy" especially when you don't have to prove it. Everything from the Ringgits fall to prices of cooking oil is blamed on one scandal or another.
Malaysia is actually better off, than some of its peers and contemplates in South East Asia.
So "So Shut Up And Dance" and read the two Bloomberg articles below:
1) The Philippines is ground zero for the rout as a resurgent U.S. dollar and Manila's still-expensive stock market have made it even more vulnerable, with the peso plunging to an eight-year low.
The currency of the Southeast Asian nation reached 50 to the dollar for the first time this decade on Thursday and headed for its biggest annual loss since 2013. While equities are poised for their worst month since August 2013, valuations are still the priciest in Asia.
A Bloomberg gauge of the dollar is heading for the strongest close since at least 2005 .
2) Singapore, on track to post its worst economic performance since the 2009 global financial crisis this year, is bracing for more uncertainty as rising protectionism poses risks for the export-dependent nation.
The city-state Thursday cut the top end of its 2016 growth forecast to 1.5 percent from 2 percent and estimated non-oil domestic exports probably fell as much as 5.5 percent.
The economy contracted an annualized 2 percent in the third quarter from the previous three months, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said in a report.
For next year, the government's export forecast ranges between a 1 percent decline to a 1 percent gain.
Krystal Tan, an economist with Capital Economics Ltd. in Singapore, said she's anticipating growth in the city-state of about 1.5 percent next year, even as exports stabilize.
"It's a bit surprising that they have the upper range of their forecast so high at 3 percent," Tan said by phone. "I would expect the government to cut the top of the forecast gradually over the next few months."
Dow Jones. That Was Then, This is NOW
Is a song originally recorded in 1966, but only released as a single in 1986, by the Monkees.
It was a massive hit for the Monkees in 1986. The Dow Jones is off today for Thanksgiving, so let's reminisce some time.
It was 60 year ago, in 1956, the Dow Jones industrial average crossed the 500 point mark for the first time in history.
"That was then, this is now,". The Dow Jones crossed the 19,000 points for the first time in its history, this week, and now stands at a historic peak of 19083.18 points.
"That was then, this is now", both happened in the YEAR of the FIRE Monkey, and appropriately brought to you by a song by none other than the Monkees.
AppAsia Bhd. Somebody Stole My
Car Radio is the massive alternative hit for twenty Øne Pilots.
AppAsia down 5 sen to 26.5 sen. Volume for the day was 23.18 million, or nearly SEVEN TIMES, the stocks four week average volume of 3.55 million shares.
It looks like a selling volume and it feels like "Somebody stole my car radio" right under my nose, for those caught in the cross fire.
If the stock has one more off today, this stock could sink to below 20 sen.
Caveat emptor INDEED.
Najib Razak. One Girl Can Change The World
Is the standout 2012 hit for Shuree. PM Najib & his wife took a real beating for going to China to help boost business in Malaysia, at a time a racially polarised RED Malaysia and YELLOW Malaysia, were hell bent on it.
Today, that single visit seems to have given the Ringgit a small respite despite Bank Negara Malaysia, fumbling along the way.
It has also helped boost our country's reserves, which every fund manager in town, had expected to FALL.
CNBC has the story. Read Below:
How did Malaysia's central bank manage to simultaneously meddle in markets to support its currency and increase its foreign exchange reserves? That's a $500 million question.
Malaysia's central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), said last week it was intervening in the market to support the ringgit, which was particularly hard hit in the "Trump tantrum" of emerging market fund outflows in the wake of Donald Trump's surprise U.S. election win on November 8.
That intervention should have showed up in the country's foreign-exchange reserves as a decline because the central bank would usually need to sell foreign currencies to purchase ringgit.
Instead, the central bank said on Tuesday that its international reserves amounted to 407.8 billion ringgit, equivalent to $98.3 billion, as of November 15. That compared with the 405.5 billion ringgit, or $97.8 billion, it had as of October 31, according to a November 7 statement.
BNM didn't immediately answer emailed requests for comment on the unusual rise in reserves, but at least one analyst noted the seeming discrepancy in the figures.
"A surprise increase in foreign-exchange reserves and BNM reassuring investors that capital markets and the banking system is deep and liquid in their policy statement leaves more questions than answers," Jason Daw, a foreign-exchange analyst at Societe Generale, said in a note on Thursday.
"Valuation effects alone should have caused reserves to fall and it is unlikely that dollar buying occurred in the November 1-15 period," he said, speculating that Malaysia's swap line with China's central bank, the People's Bank of China (PBOC), may have been tapped for dollar liquidity.
The swap arrangement allows the two central banks to provide liquidity in each other's currencies, primarily aimed at supporting trade and investment.
Felda Global. The Monster
Is a 2014 hit for Eminem & Rihanna. After days of taking a beating, Felda Global is back as "The Monster" stock,and it is now taking RM1.60.
Don't expect to see Felda at this level for long, as Ahmad Husni's impending appointment as Felda chairman, will provide comfort to RED Malaysia that their life long saving are in safe hands.
While YELLOW Malaysia, is already punting on the stock with the knowledge that finally an honest broker will be keeping watch over this "MONSTER" of a company.
Felda Global. New Song
Is the 1984 ground breaking hit for Howard Jones.
Likewise, there is a "New Song" for Felda Global, as PM Najib poised to pick the fiercest critic of 1MDB, as the new chairman of Felda.
Ahmad Husni, "the white" in RED UMNO, already seems to be getting the correct signal from the market.
Felda is up three sen to RM1.58. This stock is NOT going to stay at this level for a long time, as the PM will be giving the STRONGEST signal yet, that he will not let anyone mess up the livelihood of the MALAY heartland.
FELDA has a "NEW SONG". The lyrics goes something like this :
I've been waiting for so long
To come here now and sing this song
Don't be fooled by what you see
Don't be fooled by what you hear
This is a song to all of my friends
They take the challenge to their hearts
Challenging preconceived ideas
Saying goodbye to long standing fears
Don't crack up
Bend your brain
See both sides
Throw off your mental chains
Ahmad Husni bin Mohamad Hanadzlah Is A White. RED
Is the mega album by Taylor Swift. And that colour laced with white is the colour of Ahmad Husni bin Mohamad Hanadzlah.
Red and white is UMNO, and PM Najib has got his former MOF2 to do some serious ass kicking.
Pending the UMNO supreme council meeting next week, meet Ahmad Husni bin Mohamad Hanadzlah, the NEW chairman of FELDA
Ringgit Malaysia 4.46. Traicionera
Is the standout hit in Latin America now by Sebastian Yatra.
The Ringgit off shore is now at RM4.46. Bank Negara Malaysia looks to have played its last two cards wrong with plenty of help from Bernama and New Straits Times.
This time there is no stopping exporters such as Mieco Chipboard, Top Glove , Kobay and Inari.
This is it. This is the real play on the Ringgit.
CIMB. Ringgit Malaysia. The First Cut
Is the deepest is the 1976 classic by Rod Stewart.
CIMB now quotes the Ringgit to US Dollar currency notes at RM4.51.
"The First Cut is the deepest" indeed.
Felda Global. I can't Feel
My face is a 2016 monster hit for the weekend.
The lyrics to this song goes something like this :
She told me, "Don't worry about it"
She told me, "Don't worry no more"
We both knew we can't go without it
I can't feel my face when I'm with you, but I love it, but I love it.
With that, one way or another if you have Felda shares you will be feeling one of two extremes of 'I can't feel my face".
Shale Drilling. Petronas. Appo Nak Dikato
Is a mega hit for Malaysia's very own Blues Gang.
Well it's indeed "Appo Nak Dikato" time when Personas goes in big time into shale oil drilling.
Argentine state-controlled energy company YPF said it plans to continue a pilot shale oil project with Petronas announcing an additional $192.5 million joint investment.
The two companies put nine wells into production between May 2015 and September of this year, with an initial $165 million investment, YPF said in a statement.
In the next phase they intend to drill 10 horizontal wells and build infrastructure to transport shale oil.
The project is located in the Amarga Chica block in Neuquen province. Southern Argentina is home to Vaca Muerta, one of the world's largest shale reserves
US Dollar. Bitch Better Have
Money is a 2015 top five hit for Rihanna. Likewise if you are carrying US Dollars with you, Bitch or otherwise, you have MONEY.
Bloomberg has the lowdown on what's cooking with the US Dollar. Read Below:
Dollar Rises to Decade High on Fed Bets as Bonds Slip With Gold
The dollar rallied to the highest level in more than 10 years.
The greenback climbed against most of its major peers, touching its strongest level since March versus the yen.
"You see the dollar spike again and Treasuries down again," said Timothy Ghriskey, who helps manage $1.5 billion as chief investment officer at Solaris Asset Management LLC in New York.
"This all has to do with the feeling that the Fed is likely to be more aggressive over time."
The dollar dominated the session, rallying versus 14 of 16 major currencies.
* A gauge tracking the greenback against 10 major peers rose 0.6 percent as of 4 p.m. in New York.
* The dollar added as much as 1.7 percent versus the yen, reaching its strongest point since March 29, and advanced 0.7 percent against the euro.
Bank Negara Malaysia. No Diggity
Is the 1996 hit by Dr Dre & Blackstreet, which dislodged Macarena on the charts after 14 weeks at number one on the billboard charts.
Bank Negara kept interest unchanged today, and now one expert says, nothing is going to happen in 2017.
Capital Economics Analyst Krystal Tan wrote:
There are fears that Donald Trump's reflationary policies could lead to a rise in US inflation and trigger the Fed to hike interest rates aggressively, leading to a pull-back of capital flows from emerging markets. The need to roll-over Malaysia's large stock of short term external debt (which is the equivalent to around 28% of GDP) makes the ringgit vulnerable during periods of global risk aversion. Malaysia's relatively high level of foreign currency debt, estimated at close to 40% of GDP, means it won't want to risk sharp falls in the ringgit.
The tone of today's statement suggests that the central bank is in little hurry to adjust monetary policy settings any time soon, and there was no mention of the possible introduction of capital controls which had recently been mooted in the press. With inflation set to remain low, we expect interest rates in Malaysia to remain on hold through 2017.
Ringgit 4.44. Somebody Please Stop Bernama. Clarity
Is the hit single by ZEDD. "Clarity" is what we need.
So somebody please STOP Bernama reporting stories such as Ringgit now accepted on Cathay Pacific flights or Ringgit accepted in Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Indonesia.
Let me give the Government of Malaysia a free PR tip. Everybody has the impression that the Ringgit is ACCEPTED everywhere, but the BERNAMA reporting makes us WONDER.
Who is actually Bernama working for? What is their agenda, if NOT to create PANIC?
CIMB. Maybank. Traicionera
Is the hottest Spanish single in the market now by Colombian Sebastian Yatra.
It means, "traitoress" in English. With this in mind, CIMB and Maybank are now selling tt/od the US DOLLAR at RM4.49.
Felda Global. Bed Of Lies
Is a recent monster hit for Nicky Minaj. Many traders are screaming that the Felda management knew 'of the bed of lies", flaming the company now, but choose to keep silent until yesterday.
Regardless of the "Bed of Lies" , KN Kenanga, now says that Felda is worth RM1.90, based on a price to book valuation of 1.1 times.
Will the market BiTE into the research report, or will it be the case of another one bites the DUST!!!.
Felda Global. The Heartbeat Song
Is a 2015 hit for Kelly Clarkson. After hitting a low of RM1.56, is Felda Global ready to sing the "Heartbeat" song.
Has the selling been done with, or is there more to come? We shall soon know. Whatever it is, the valuation for Felda is PURELY politics.
This coming election will be WON or LOST in the FELDA, heartland, in RED, Tanah Melayu.
If you believe in that, then this is YOUR "HEARTBEAT SONG".
Felda Global Bhd. Gangnam
Style is the 2012 one hit wonder by South Korean rapper PSY.
With fraud now thrown into an already very difficult situation for Felda, this stock is now trading at the RM1.60ish level.
At the RM1.50 ish level, Felda is a political animal, and perhaps at this level, it can find its fair value home.
Like Felda or Hate Felda, this stock has the "GANGNAM" style written all over it. Let's get real, the bulk of those holding Felda stocks are government backed funds. They wont throw the kitchen sink, as the political dimension is a C4 in the making.
Regardless, this is NOT a contra song.
Bank Negara Malaysia. Trapped
Is the massive 1985 hit for Colonel Abrams.
Likewise, Bank Negara Malaysia, seems to have "TRAPPED" itself into a corner today.
The central bank knows it must bite the bitter pill and cut interest rates today.
But all 18 analyst polled by Bloomberg yesterday, expect Bank Negara Malaysia to do "NOTHING".
Part of the reason is because Malaysian financial institutions could be the worst affected by a slide against the US Dollar, which stands at RM4.42.
With fund managers now saying the probability of the US Federal Reserve hiking lending rates next month, Bank Negara Malaysia is caught in a catch 22 situation.
Cut interest rates, and see the value of the Ringgit slide, knowing that Malaysian banks are the biggest issuers of short-term dollar debt, with more than US$3.5 billion of bonds due in less than a year outstanding.
Don't cut interest rates now, and you close the door to reinvigorate the manufacturing sector.
What the central bank to today, will gives us all an insight, if our bankers are long or short sighted.
Malaysia. Work
Is a 2016 major hit for Rihanna & Drake. UK's Guardian has a telling piece on "WORK" condition for foreign labour in Malaysia.
It's not Flattering at all, but what is interesting is that the finding from VIRATE that virtually every electronic device in this world has a Malaysian factor.
Guardian has the story :
When it comes to electronics, what Malaysia makes matters. According to a 2014 study "virtually every device on the market today" – from tablets to laser printers to microwaves – is likely to have involved Malaysia in some way.
Once a colonial outpost, the country has radically transformed itself into a key player in the global manufacture and trade of advanced electronics. The south-east Asian nation hosts more than 5,000 international businesses from 40 countries, thanks to 500 nationwide industrial estates and "free zones" for trade.
Malaysia. Interest Rate. Firestone
Is a 2015 mega hit for KYGO. Analyst meanwhile looks ready to place their hands on a 'Firestone", and bet that Bank Negara Malaysia will not cut interest rate today.
Everyone in the money market seems to agree that the Ringgit is worst of than other currencies, because, Bank Negara Malaysia had ACTED as THE Little HELPER to the Ringgit BEARS.
Heads must role at the central bank. Bloomberg meanwhile has the story on the NO go for an interest rate cut, as well as the Little HELPER's ROLE:
Asia's worst-performing currency since Donald Trump's surprise U.S. election victory is putting a Malaysian interest-rate cut out of sight for now.
After surprising the market with a reduction in July, economists surveyed by Bloomberg in the days leading up to the U.S. vote had forecast another cut this year.
Trump's win and the ensuing U.S. dollar rally have swept those bets away, with all 19 economists polled in a fresh survey predicting Bank Negara Malaysia will hold the overnight policy rate at 3 percent on Wednesday.
The ringgit has fallen more than 5 percent since the Nov. 8 U.S. elections, as emerging Asian economies suffered about $11 billion of outflows.
Bank Negara's attempt to stop foreign banks from using offshore forwards to bet against the currency exacerbated the decline, as it evoked fears of capital controls imposed during the Asian financial crisis in 1998.
Malaysia Employment Hit 13 Month High. Both Sides ...
PARITY. No Diggity
Dow 19k. Hey Mama
Singapore Dollar, New Straits Times. Come
Bank Negara Malaysia. Cheap
Bank Negara, Thank You For Tanking The Ringgit
Ringgit Malaysia (4.42). Unsteady
Felda Global. Faded
Bursa Malaysia. "Appo" Kono Eh Jang
Japan. Cunami
Bank Negara Malaysia. Titik Terang,Tiada Datang
Bank Negara Malaysia. Hati Lebur Jadi Debu
Clare Rewcastle Brown. I took A Pill
Ringgit Malaysia. CIMB. Maybank. I Never Felt
OPEC. Oil. Smoke On The Water
Asia. RED
Kobay Bhd. Concrete
US Dollar. RISE
Goldman Sachs. Top 2017 Trade. Thinking
Canone. Koon Yew Yin. The Old Man
Canada. Petronas. I am the Sexy
New Straits Times. Unwell
Russell 2000. All We
Free Zuraida Kamaruddin.Walk this
US Dollar. Armed & Dangerous. LORDLY
Export Stocks. Bursa Malaysia. Rock
Sir Alex Ferguson. Taxman
Bank Negara Malaysia. Introducing The HARD line
Ringgit 4.50 . Bank Negara Malaysia. Too Little
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Scientific and critical-historical study on paintings, drawings, sculptures antiques, furniture from XV century to present.
Estimate of ancient and modern artworks, attributions and expertise.
Inventory activities and cataloguing; study and valorisation of artistic heritage.
Planning of cultural events, ancient art exhibitions and retrospectives about contemporary artists.
Managing of cultural events and ancient and modern art exhibitions; creation and coordination of team works.
Consulting for the creation and valorisation of ancient and modern art exhibitions.
Providing administrative support in exporting artistic assets abroad.
Providing administrative support in issuing authenticity certificates to foundations and guarantors of 18th-century Italian and European artists.
Assistance and supervision of restoration operations; condition report drafting.
Critical-historical research activity, bibliographic research, art textbook writing; teaching and guided tours.
For information and estimates please visit my contact page where you can send pictures or documents to view to me.


text:
CCP's military rehearsal video reveals weakness
Amelia Jones 10/18/21, 01:20
A synthetic brigade of the Army's 73rd Army recently conducted a beach assault in southern Fujian to evaluate leaders' and troops' abilities on Oct. 11, 2021. (Bayi TV of China Military Network/Screenshot by TheBL)
The Chinese military website posted a video that said: "Recently, a synthetic brigade of the 73rd Army of the Army launched a beach-grabbing and landing exercise in a certain sea area in southern Fujian to comprehensively test the ability of officers and soldiers to cross the sea," on Oct. 11.
The amphibious forces of the 73rd Army
The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) army has three armies, 71, 72, and 73, respectively, stationed in Xuzhou (Jiangsu province), Huzhou (Zhejiang province), and Xiamen (Fujian province). Therefore, the exercise in the video is probably a mixed amphibious brigade of the 73rd Army or a light hybrid unit.
Two amphibious brigades can be equipped with Type 05 crawler landing vehicles, capable of conducting the first landing with the Marines.
Two light mixed brigades can be equipped with troop carriers and transported by large amphibious ships.
One medium-sized mixed brigade can be equipped with Type 11 or Type 92 wheeled armored vehicles.
One heavy mixed brigade is equipped with Type 96 tanks and Type 04 armored vehicles and needs a large lander for transportation. It cannot land in the first wave and can only land after the beach is occupied.
One special operations brigade could be used to disperse troops according to its estimation.
One artillery brigade requires a sizeable amphibious ship for transport.
One army aviation brigade can be equipped with several helicopters, but the CCP Type 075 amphibious assault ship currently only has one in the Southern Theater Command. The Type 071 amphibious warfare ship features a vehicle deck, a well-deck, a landing deck, and a hangar. It can carry a combination of marines, vehicles, landing craft, and helicopters. It may embark 600 to 800 troops. In addition, the stern helicopter deck offers two landing spots for supporting the operations of two transport helicopters.
Helicopters can only wait for another transport and can not participate in amphibious warfare. Even if they do participate, dealing with Taiwan's Stinger missiles will be challenging.
One anti-aircraft brigade, one industrial and chemical brigade, and one logistical support brigade can only wait to make reinforcements after the landings.
The latest video from the Chinese military website shows that the amphibious exercises on small amphibious ships may not be a mixed amphibious brigade with amphibious combat vehicles but a mixed light compound brigade or special operations brigade. It is also possible that amphibious combat vehicles are not enough and that the remaining soldiers must wait on amphibious ships.
Ten soldiers can be seen sitting on a small boat without a defense system on Oct. 11, 2021. (Bayi TV of China Military Network/Screenshot by TheBL)
The small boat in the video can only hold ten people. A brigade of about 6,000 men needs at least 600 small boats. If two light mixed troops and one extraordinary operation brigade land simultaneously, at least 1,800 small boats would be required. Mixed medium, heavy, and artillery brigades could only wait until the front line was captured before large amphibious ships could dock and unload heavy equipment such as tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery. Half of about 65,000 men in an army have no way to enter the war quickly.
The first wave of small landers
In the video above, soldiers wade ashore after a small landing craft of 10 people docked. They were sitting in small boats incapable of defense and attack. According to the theory, the second wave of dispersed troops was conducted after the combat vehicle landed.
However, the video shows that after the soldiers got off the boat, clearing barricades on the beach appeared to play an essential role in the first assault landing. In modern warfare, such exercises are the equivalent of the amphibious model when American forces began to counterattack in the early stages of the Pacific War.
Even in the latter part of the Pacific War, the U.S. military began to use amphibious combat vehicles in large numbers rather than just using amphibious ships.
Through a series of landings in the counterattack in the Pacific battlefield, the American Army quickly learned from experience to at least use superior sea and air firepower to suppress enemy positions; promptly set up the battlefield onshore; followed by a succession of landings, supplies, and heavy equipment. The CCP currently does not have this capability.
Chinese soldiers who have not yet fought in battle sobbing with fear
38 CCP fighter jets invades Taiwan's defense zone
Three biggest weaknesses of Chinese military
Taiwan deployed its missile defense system after the CCP's biggest air intimidation of the island
Tags:simulated military exercises China's military
China's military exercises in South China Sea and Bohai Sea gained attention
Residents reject US-Japan drone deployment plan in southwest Japan
World 02/08/22, 07:55
CCP exposed: Over 160 CCP generals investigated for corruption
Chinese army leads a simulated attack on Taiwan after Xi Jinping said to prepare for war


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Disaster in Beirut and political negligence
The Beirut explosion, caused by the mishandling and storage of a highly reactive chemical, has sparked outrage across the world against port security and political governance
The explosion, on August 4, at around 6pm local time, appears to have been fuelled by 2,750 tons of the highly reactive chemical ammonium nitrate. The chemical had been the cargo on a ship, the MV Rhosus, which entered the port at Beirut in 2013 due to a lack of seaworthiness and was prohibited from sailing. After the ship's owner abandoned the vessel soon afterwards, the ammonium nitrate remained in a storage facility in Beirut's port.
The tragedy calls to attention the tremendous consequences of a lack of port security. And the necessity for security preparation for such disasters.
Hazardous material is shipped across the world's oceans on a daily basis. It is often mishandled or illegally traded. Abandoned containers of hazardous goods are found regularly in ports. While maritime security tends to focus on preventing high-profile events such as piracy, terrorism or cyber-attacks, all too often it is the daily mishandling that makes disasters possible. Part of preventing disasters such as what has happened in Beirut will mean strengthening port management and addressing crimes such as smuggling and corruption.
The abandonment of dangerous containers in ports is not a new problem. Since the 2000s there have been significant efforts to increase security levels in ports through surveillance, training and safety protocols. In light of the continuing abandonment problem, we know that these measures – and their implementation – are insufficient.
First, we have to start seeing the smuggling of waste and the abandoning of ships and containers as major offences. They should be seen as important parts of the blue crime and maritime security agenda. Appropriate legislation is needed to criminalise them. An international database for such crimes is required, as is transnational cooperation to address them.
Second, corruption in ports plays a key part in ensuring that abandonment goes unnoticed. It needs to be addressed with a concerted international effort.
Finally, increased efforts in building the capacity of ports to deal with hazardous waste, to detect smuggling and to deal with abandonment cases are needed. In particular, this will be necessary for ports which have limited resources and are common destinations for abandoned containers, such as ports in Asia and Africa.
The UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Maritime Organisation and the European Union already conduct port security capacity building work, in particular in Africa. More of this kind of work is needed. Beirut has shown us the kind of impact a port disaster can have on a city and its inhabitants. Lessons must be learned to make sure a tragedy like this does not happen again.
Post-explosion
Lebanon's cabinet declared a two-week state of emergency in the capital city and handed control of security in the capital to the military following the massive explosion that killed at least 154 people and injured 5,000 others.
The explosion sent shockwaves across the city and the world, causing widespread damage as far as the outskirts of Beirut. Officials said they expect the death toll to rise further as emergency workers continue to dig through the rubble to search for survivors. Beirut's city governor Marwan Abboud said up to 300,000 people have lost their homes and authorities are working on providing them with food, water and shelter.
While government assistance to the blast victims has been minimal, foreign aid has streamed in, along with technicians and medics who are helping identify buildings at risk of collapsing and treating the wounded.
The office of President Emmanuel Macron of France announced that an international aid summit will be held by video conference on Sunday, co-hosted by France and the United Nations. President Macron was the first foreign leader to visit Lebanon since the blast, and he walked through some of the hardest hit areas to speak with residents, something that Lebanon's own president and prime minister have not yet done, which is likely to avoid becoming the targets of public anger.
The United States is providing more than US$15 million in aid, and President Trump stated that he would join the video conference to discuss foreign aid. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Head of the Arab League, released a statement saying that he would seek to mobilise support from Arab countries after meeting with President Aoun. "We are ready to help with all our means," Mr. Aboul Gheit said.
The aftermath of the explosion and the realisation of negligence from government and port security sparked a backlash from citizens of Beirut and its surroundings. Violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces transformed much of central Beirut into a battle zone of flying rocks, swinging batons and clouds of tear gas. The fury fueled attacks and lock ins on government buildings throughout the city…
To read the full article keep your eyes open for the latest edition of Security Buyer which will be hitting the shelves in the next couple of weeks. This article is our cover story and also looks into the protests and rioting that have been happening as a result of the explosion.
Share this article on Twitter or LinkedIn.
See more news here.


text:
Q: splitting comma separated mixed text and numeric string with strsplit in R I have many strings of the form name1, name2 and name3, 0, 1, 2 or name1, name2, name3 and name4, 0, 1, 2 and would like to split the vector into 4 elements where the first one would be the whole text string of names. The problem is that strsplit doesn't differenciate between text and numbers and split the string into 5 elements in the first case and into 6 elements in the second example. How can I tell R to dynamically skip the text part of the string with variable number of names?

A: You have two main options:
  (1) grep for the numbers, and extract those.
  (2) split on the comma, then coerce to numeric and check for NAs
I prefer the second
splat <- strsplit(x, ",")[[1]]
numbs <- !is.na(suppressWarnings(as.numeric(splat)))

c(paste(splat[!numbs], collapse=","), splat[numbs])
# [1] "name1, name2 and name3" " 0" " 1" " 2"

A: You could also insert a delimiter in the right places, and then split on that:
delimmed <- gsub('(.*[a-z][0-9]+| [0-9]+),','\\1%',strr)
strsplit(delimmed,'%')

The first part of the regular expression (to the left of the |) matches everything (.*) up to the final letter-number-comma combo; and the second matches any space-number-comma combo. The comma is dropped (since it's outside the parentheses) and replaced by %.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Janette Shaffer, CCVAmity Baker directs the CCV Community Chorus in Winooski December 8th.
Season's Greetings from CCV Now! We're ringing in the New Year with good news from across the College. Have a wonderful break between busy semesters, and please share your own notables at marketing@ccv.edu!
Business and Community Outreach Manager Mike Keogh presented at the annual Associated Industries of Vermont meeting in Montpelier on December 14th. The meeting focused on manufacturing workforce education and training. Keogh discussed CCV's Certified Production Technician program along with representatives from GE Aviation and Hazelett Corporation.
Middlebury administrative assistant Debra Fulton joined Johnson State College professor Dr. Leona Jochnowitz at the American Society of Criminology conference in Philadelphia. Fulton was invited to speak on a panel about the causes of wrongful convictions. In addition to presenting, Fulton was able to hear others speak on important criminal justice topics as well as meet members of the Innocence Project. Fulton is pursuing a degree in Professional Studies at Johnson State College.
Alumna Deb Grennon received the 2017 John W. Engroff Legacy Award from the Franklin Grand Isle Community Partnership. Grennon is director of the Franklin Grand Isle Bookmobile, a traveling library supported by the Franklin County Early Childhood Advisory Council's Early Learning Opportunities Grant.
Career Services Specialist Craig Popkess co-hosted the Vermont Internship Professionals Network (VIPN) annual meeting at CCV-Upper Valley on December 15th. VIPN is a non-profit organization that places students in experiential learning opportunities with Vermont businesses and organizations. Popkess has been a member of the organization since its founding, and has served as co-facilitator for the last year.
Montpelier digital photography students will share their work in upcoming local exhibits. Valérie Daniel's show "A Closer Look" will be on display at the Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph from January 20-March 3. Rosalind Daniels will have a solo exhibit, "Shape Shifting," at Studio Place Arts in Barre from January 30-March 17.
Josh Larkin, CCVGuests observe student artwork at the Montpelier center.
Several centers celebrated student artwork on December 8th. Rutland hosted Café CCV, a biannual showcase of work from a variety of studio and performing arts classes. The Montpelier center held an opening for digital photography, watercolor painting, and drawing. Winooski students and staff in the CCV Community Chorus gave a performance, which included a special guest appearance from Winooski's Guitar 1 class. Check out this video roundup!
Winooski Coordinator of Academic Services Dave Amsden worked with Vermont Legal Aid to host an immigration rights information session at CCV-Winooski. Susan Sussman from Senator Patrick Leahy's office, Erin Jacobsen from the South Royalton Legal Clinic, and Vermont Assistant Attorney General Julio Thompson participated in a panel discussion.
Veteran and Military Resource Advisor Kyle Aines organized a donation for the Vermont Veterans' Home in Bennington. In advance of Veterans Day, CCV students, faculty, and staff around the state collected 15 boxes of donated items, which included stationery, clothing, puzzles, music, and more. Aines was joined by CCV-Bennington Office Manager Denise McLain and Bennington student Leon Gates, all veterans themselves, to deliver the donations on Saturday, December 16th. The group also participated in a Wreaths Across America ceremony.
CCV-Newport hosted an Access Day on Tuesday, December 12th for over 60 6th-grade students from Derby Elementary School. Students visited a Revolutionary War class and an Intercultural Communications class, and heard directly from CCV students who spoke on a panel. Access Days are hosted regularly at CCV centers throughout the state, providing elementary and middle school students a chance to experience the college environment firsthand.


text:
Fighting Irish Battle Obama
Tensions are rising at the University of Notre Dame. Many Catholics are angry that President Obama will be giving the commencement speech because of his positions on abortion and stem cell research. Some clergy members are boycotting, many students are upset and anti-abortion activists have protested around the school's campus in South Bend, Indiana.
CNN will be covering the speech live on Sunday afternoon and we want to hear your opinion. Was the Catholic University wrong to invite Obama to speak at their graduation ceremony? Should the President be welcomed regardless of what he supports politically?
Get in front of a camera and share your opinion on iReport, we may just use your video on air!!
Filed under: iReport
Hair Apparent?
President Barack Obama bends over so the son of a White House staff member can pat his head during a visit to the Oval Office May 8, 2009. Official White House Photo//Pete Souza
From CNNI's Alden Mahler:
This picture, by itself, might look bizarre, or even ridiculous. What is President Obama doing, bowing to a little kid? But it's the coolest picture I've seen of President Obama to date, and that includes the ones where he holds staff meetings out by the swingset.
I should first say that I am white and have straight hair. As a result, of course, I've always wanted curly hair - but I've learned enough, from friends and in more academic settings, to appreciate that I'm lucky, in a way. I can pretty much let my hair be and not have anybody comment on it one way or the other.
But our standards of beauty are indisputably racially-charged. It's not just that hair differs between races, although it does. The problem is that people whose hair isn't straight and silky are often made to feel less-than, and to feel compelled to work to change their hair. In nearly every major relationship I've had in my life with a person of any non-white ethnicity, hair has been an issue. My friends have complained about a variety of problems: their fear, sometimes, of water, which can undo styling; their fear of appearing unprofessional if they choose a "natural" hairstyle; the unfairness of being told their natural selves are unbeautiful; the difficulty, sometimes, of finding stylists who know what they're doing.
It's a huge issue on the internet, too. Google it. For starters, try the search term "good hair." I'll wait.
It doesn't matter how rich and famous you are either. Salon.com ran an article shortly after President Obama's inauguration critiquing Mrs. Obama's hair and its relevance to race relations in the United States. I'm not kidding!
That's why my friend Scott thought this picture was so amazing, why he posted it to a blog we both read, and why I have since forwarded it to everybody I know.
It's the caption that makes the picture. "The youngster wanted to see if the President's haircut felt like his own." This is the child of a White House staffer, and what he means is, "Is your hair like my hair?"
For the first time, ever, the President of the United States can say "Why yes, it is. And you can be President someday too."
Filed under: In the Newsroom
Bob Barker's Priceless Memories
Bob Barker spent more than 50 years on television. He is synonymous with the game show The Price is Right – no offense Drew Carey. I remember watching the show as kid thinking how cool it would be to hear the words: "Betty, Come on down, you're the next contestant on The Price is Right!" While that has yet to happen, I did get a warm welcome when I rang the doorbell at Bob Barker's home in the Hollywood Hills. Although, for a moment I wasn't sure I was at the right place. The porta-potties parked on the street out front kind of threw me. Turns out they were for the crew shooting a Ben Stiller movie right across the street from Mr. Barker's house. I was expecting a publicist or assistant to answer the door of Barker's beautiful Spanish style home, but it was none other than the former game show host himself.
He greeted me with that signature voice of his. It's funny how after watching someone on television for so long you feel like you know him. We walked to his patio where my photographer was almost finished setting up lights for the interview. It was here where I met one of Barker's closest companions, a chow mix named Jessie. Barker tells me she's a shelter dog. That may be the case, but she's clearly made this her home. All Jessie has to do is groan and Barker is quick to pet her. And she doesn't mind interrupting an interview for a belly rub. There's a real connection between these two. It's no surprise. Barker is known for his love of animals. For many years, he ended The Price is Right with this message: "Help control the pet population, have your pets spayed or neutered."
Just like on the show, I found Barker to be warm and witty. He has some pretty good one-liners, as you'll see in my interview. This is a man who spent half a century on television, even watched his shows go from black and white to color. But after 19 Emmys and 35 years on The Price is Right, there are some things you might not know about Barker. Like the fact that Chuck Norris taught him martial arts, which eventually lead to the hilarious fight scene with Adam Sandler in the movie Happy Gilmore. Oh, and who can forget this "priceless memory" – Barker was offered a part in a porn flick. Did he take it? Check out my interview.
Join me and TJ Holmes every Saturday & Sunday in the CNN Newsroom starting at 6am ET/3am PT.
Post by: Betty Nguyen, bob barker, price is right
Filed under: Anchors
R&B Superstar Usher Pays It Forward
When I pulled up to Usher's studios in Atlanta, it was just as I thought. His creative lab is hidden deep inside a building located in what looks like your run of the mill business park. But once you get past several security doors, there's an inner sanctum that speaks to Usher's playfulness and artistic drive. There's the ever-important PlayStation, which Usher confesses he doesn't really use. Instead he'd rather watch a movie, particularly animated films. Can you see him writing his next hit while watching Kung Fu Panda? While that movie is one of his favorites, it was clear he has a penchant for old school super heroes. In fact, there's a huge Incredible Hulk statue in corner of the room.
Like his super heroes, Usher also gets much of his musical inspiration from the old school crowd – artists like James Brown. So while Usher may be one of the best selling performers in the business, he hasn't forgotten his roots. Those moments in time that shaped a young kid growing up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He credits both his mother and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for helping foster his talents at young age. If it weren't for that positive motivation, Usher says his life could easily have been much different. This from a guy who dropped his first album at just 15.
Now a five-time Grammy winner, Usher is more than a multi-platinum recording artist. He's a man with a mission to pay it forward, as he calls it. I sat down with him to talk about his induction into the Boys & Girls Club Hall of Fame, what he's doing to help prevent malaria.
Join me and TJ Holmes in the CNN Newsroom every Saturday and Sunday starting at 6am ET/3am PT.
Post by: Betty Nguyen, cavaliers, grammy, usher
The Little Bakery That Could
Filed under: Survival of the Fittest • Tony Harris
Police Officer/Hero: Justin Garner
Carthage, N.C. PD
From outside the nursing home, he could hear the shots. The elderly residents... sitting ducks for an angry gunman.
Corporal Justin Garner didn't wait for backup.
He couldn't.
He crept into the building, past bleeding victims - and encountered the shooter in a hallway, reloading.
Corporal Garner warned him several times to drop it. He didn't. The two exchanged fire, wounding each other.
But the rampage, which left eight people dead, was over.
We honor Carthage (NC) Police Corporal Justin Garner, as part of our special coverage of National Police Week.
Filed under: Kyra Phillips • Police Officer/Hero
Shuttle Atlantis: Stunning Photo
NASA/Thierry Legault
This is one of the amazing photos from NASA of the Shuttle Atlantis during solar transit. This is the last mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. The crew is scheduled to make five difficult spacewalks during the 11-day journey. CNN is keeping an eye on the latest.
The :30 Pitch-Drive By Edition
An experienced IT guy gets laid off twice in the last year. So what does he do? He gets his face out there...and we mean out there. Check out this 30 Second Pitch plus the update on a previous pitcher whose billboard got bumped for a beer.
Filed under: :30 Second Pitch • Kyra Phillips