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Family Money: A
lesson from history
By Leslie
Wright
Many investors and TV commentators over the past
several months have been expressing anxiety about the future of the world
economy, especially with regard to the US stock market and the influence
it has on the rest of the world.
This has largely been brought about by the meltdown
seen especially in the hi-tech and telecomm sectors since April 2000, and
the investing public’s nervous & negative reaction to
less-than-expected earnings reports in the first quarter of this year.
“You don’t have to like these technology
stocks...you just have to own them,” declared one experienced futures
trader at the Chicago Board of Trade in March 2000.
“Forget everything you know about investing during
the past fifty years...the public’s appetite for technology stocks is
insatiable and this market is rewriting investment analysis,” proclaimed
another television pundit when commenting on the great NASDAQ bull market
in February 2000.
Investment advisers always say that past performance is
no guide to the future, and in many respects that is true. However, past
performance is a very good place to start.
Had the famous TV presenter who made the outlandish
statement above looked at an index price chart of the Dow Jones Industrial
Average in the five years leading up to the 1929 stock market crash and
compared that chart to an index price chart of the NASDAQ 100 in the five
years leading up to 15 March 2000, then he might have found that
comparative analysis could be enlightening.
Obviously, financial markets in 1929 and financial
markets today are totally different animals. However, investor psychology
and the mechanics of fear and greed remain the same as they have always
been.
Everything that is contained within the human psyche is
prevalent, to a certain degree, within a stock market. That is why the
constant cycle of extremely overbought and oversold markets will always
enable the skilled investor to gain an above-average return from an
actively managed portfolio.
In March 2000 we were in the euphoric throws of the end
of a hugely speculative sector-driven bull market. Since its March 15th
2000 high, the NASDAQ 100 has retraced 65% of its position.
By any historical comparison, that’s a crash, and one
even more keenly felt in the largest capitalised market in the world, the
USA.
Individual country indices and international blue-chip
indices have fared better, though, correcting around 25% from their highs
amid high volatility and uncertain direction.
Economically Sound
Through all this turmoil one might expect to see a
global economy in collapse, or at least on the verge of disaster. Indeed,
according to some TV commentators and certain newspaper reports, that is
exactly what’s going to happen.
But haven’t we heard these predictions of disaster
many times before? At the time of the Russian debt debacle and the Mexico
currency crisis, to mention just two in recent memory.
The bond market crash after Alan Greenspan unexpectedly
raised interest rates in February 1994 was another, which led to a global
‘meltdown’ in that year.
A few years earlier, the Gulf War led to predictions of
the world economy coming to a grinding halt, never to recover.
It is therefore interesting to see that the current
economic environment is one of low inflation, falling interest rates and
OECD GDP growth rates steadily moving back to a historically stable mean
following a period of unprecedented growth.
To underline this scenario, global bond markets have
been rallying strongly in the belief that global interest rates would fall
further, and inflation is as well contained now as it has been for almost
15 years.
Historically Placed
Moving back to our technical analysis study, another
interesting factor comes into play. The Dow Jones Industrial Average - and
in fact almost all major market indices - have now significantly breached
their historical floor support level (see Fig. 1).
In each five year study of this index going back to
1915, a breach of the historical floor support level during a correction
of at least 20% from the previous index high has led to an index rally of
at least 30%. In fact, there have been seventeen such waves since 1915
with the average index rally being 106%.
Another interesting Dow statistic to grapple with is
the per annum return rate. As of 21st March 2001 the Dow Jones Industrial
Average per annum return rate related as in Fig. 2.
Whereas during the past twenty years there have been
five technical chart index movements as described above on the Dow Jones
Industrial Average, Fig. 2 proves that even taking into account the
present stock market position, the per annum return rate remains solidly
in place over the medium term.
Take your positions, please
Therefore, it can be surmised that the long-term
fundamentals of the stock bull market remain in place with the medium-term
and short-term positions both technically and fundamentally at the
opposite of last year’s speculative overbought market.
The beginning of a strong stock market rally is
therefore anticipated within the next few months - although technically
world stock markets, as led by the US, could fall a further 10% from their
current levels (Dow Jones Industrial Average was at 10,472 on July 18th
2001, up from 9760 on March 20th).
However, with the downside now limited and the market
upside considerable, it can be surmised that we are entering a firm and
sustainable buyers’ market. The light at the end of the gloomy tunnel
may well be in sight.
Leslie Wright is managing director of Westminster
Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd., a firm of independent financial
advisors providing advice to expatriate residents of the Eastern Seaboard
on personal financial planning and international investments. If you have
any comments or queries on this article, or about other topics concerning
investment matters, contact Leslie directly by fax on (038) 232522 or
e-mail [email protected]
Further details and back articles can be accessed on his firm’s website
on www.westminsterthailand.com
Editor’s note: Leslie sometimes receives e-mails to
which he is unable to respond due to the sender’s automatic return
address being incorrect. If you have sent him an e-mail to which you have
not received a reply, this may be why. To ensure his prompt response to
your enquiry, please include your complete return e-mail address, or a
contact phone/fax number.
Snap Shots: Pin-up
photography
by Harry Flashman
The word “Pin-up” was invented in America during
World War II. The GI’s on overseas duty pinned up photographs of
beautiful women, to presumably remind them of the “good life” back in
America, and from there we derived the term “pin-up”.
However, study of the female form is probably as old as
the caveman drawings of countless thousands of years ago. Prehistoric Adam
immortalizing his Eve. Such a shame all those drawings were basically
“stick man” images!
From there, the artists amongst the human race began to
sculpt and paint. Certainly there were heroic battle scenes, village life,
warriors and - women. Venus de Milo, as well as having lost her arms, has
lost several items of clothing too. Regard if you will the topless Minoan
goddesses, the naughty drawings from Pompeii, the sexually very frank
temple sculptures from India and Japan. Everyone was and has been at it!
That men like looking at ladies should not then come as any surprise.
 The
Victorian pin-ups
But it was only the lucky few, who had enough gold
coins, who could afford a pin-up in oils, or a statue in the garden. The
common man had to wait until Daguerre made photography possible for the
masses to see, and do. Since then, thousands of photographers have snapped
the images of thousands, perhaps millions, of women - all in provocative
pin-up poses. Those images in turn have been reproduced thousands of times
to make enough pin-ups for every bedroom wall in the world. Pin-ups are
undoubtedly one of the most popular “art” forms of photography.
Harry too, has snapped the odd wench, and was even
given a couple of Penthouse portfolios to shoot a few years ago. However,
this type of assignment is very hard, and not at all the erotic charged
sessions you would imagine. They are hard work.
One other of the aspects that makes pin-up photography
difficult, never mind the lighting, the pose, the back drops and reclining
couches, is the changing taste in pin-ups. Somehow the pin-up photographer
has to anticipate the tastes of his fellow travellers in the 21st Century
and produce images that suit the current climate (and I am not talking
about monsoons or snow falls).
The earliest pin-up still in existence is an unadorned
full frontal dated 1852. A daring step for the Daguerrotype photographer
and probably even more daring for the young lady herself. It is a shame
that history has not inscribed both their names, and they have gone to the
great photo-booth in the sky remaining anonymous.
There was one good reason for this, the very act of
making or selling photographs of nudes was deemed illegal in Victorian
England, France and America. The allowable titillating pin-ups of the day
were clothed in tights from bosom to ankle. These were the ladies of the
theatre - the burlesque performers.
It was then in the late 1850’s that a Parisian
photographer called Disderi introduced a new type of photograph - the
“Carte de visite” which was intended to be a type of photographic
visiting card, not unlike the present day name cards that often have a
photograph of the owner. Disderi mounted a bank of cameras, all pointed at
the model and could take up to 12 shots at one time. All of a sudden,
multiple photographs of ladies were available and collectible. The pin-up
for the masses had arrived, even if the ladies were still in tights,
displaying a fairly heavy leg or two.
But the Victorian oglers were not to be denied. Pin-up
photography was flourishing - underground. In 1874, according to a
publication called “Victorian Erotic Photography” they printed an
account of a London photographer who was raided by the police, leaving
behind 130,248 obscene photographs.
That should have read, 130,248 photographs that these
days could even be published in their entirety in the Pattaya Mail. How
times have changed. For your edification, and definitely not titillation,
I present some for you here. Untouched, unexpurgated and unerotic. Hugh
Hefner, eat your heart out!
I will continue this fascinating subject another week.
Modern Medicine: How
to be a wise medical consumer (Part 1)
by Dr Iain Corness Consultant
We are in a consumer-oriented age. In the western
world, no longer is advice taken at face value. “Take these tablets
three times a day until finished” is not acceptable these days unless
there is a patient information (PI) leaflet inside, and the patient has
been advised that if his toenails shrivel he should stop taking the
medication immediately and consult his litigation lawyer post haste.
These PI sheets are a two edged sword in my view.
Whilst it is important that the patient knows what they are taking, and
why, listing every known side effect is somewhat off-putting, and can
actually be counter-productive by making the patient stop the medication
because they are afraid that something disastrous might happen to them. If
the number of people who have taken the medication is squillions, while
the number of catastrophic side effects can be counted on the fingers of
one hand, what is the likelihood of getting an adverse effect? Not high.
So what do you really need to know to be an informed
consumer? The first item is to know why you have been prescribed any
particular medication and what it is supposed to do for you. Is the pink
tablet the painkiller or the antibiotic, for example. The next important
item is to know how often and when the medication should be taken. Before
or after meals? At night or in the morning? These instructions can have
enormous bearing upon the absorption of the medication. And on the
likelihood of your getting a reaction or unwanted side effect.
The next important issue is that of reactions and side
effects. You need to know the most likely side effects. If 20% of the folk
who take this tablet get nausea, you need to be informed. If, however,
less than 0.1% get a rash, then this is not such an important issue. I
have always taught medical students that they should present the main
issues only, but cover the rest by saying that if the patient has anything
untoward happen to them which they think could be related to the
medication, then stop taking the tablet and consult the doctor again.
Another important issue for the patient consumer is
interactions. Some medications can affect the way the oral contraceptive
pill does its job, for example. The informed consumer needs to know this!
The wise doctor will tell you. The even wiser consumer will ask!
Especially if you are on any medications at all, and that is including
herbal medicines.
The other aspect of your treatment that should be known
by you is how long it should be before you begin to feel better. If you
know it is going to be six weeks, then you know not to start fretting
after one week. If it is supposed to be one week and you’re still in
trouble three weeks later, then you will know to return for another
consultation.
So be a wise consumer. If you are unsure, then
ascertain what the tablets are for, when and how to take them, the most
common side effects and interactions and how long it should be before you
are better. Happy hunting.
 Dear
Hillary,
Like so many of your readers I am having a problem with
basic communication with my girlfriend. I come regularly to Pattaya and
have a steady relationship with a young lady. When I am in Pattaya the
problem is not too great, as I can usually work out whether she has
understood what I am saying, but when I am in the UK we stay in
communication by email or SMS or by phone. This is where the problems come
in. I cannot rely on body language or raised eyebrows when all I have is a
text message, and the replies can be, at the very least, confusing. When I
read the words I have to try and imagine her speaking it to come up with
anything that makes sense. For example, “dicition” when I say it with
a Thai lilt is probably “decision” and there are many others like
this. I am sure that I am not the only one with this problem, but I
thought you might have come across this before and could give me some
pointers. Please don’t say that I should learn Thai - I am in Wigan in
the UK and we are lucky to have one Thai restaurant, let alone a Thai
teacher! This is actually affecting my love life, as I don’t know how
I’m going sometimes.
Randy
Dear Randy,
Amazing how some people end up the same as their names,
isn’t it, Petal? But don’t worry, Hillary has the answer for you.
There being no direct transliteration between Thai and English is always
going to be a hurdle when you are looking at the written word, and I
presume your lady writes to you in English, not you writing in Thai. All
she can do is write down as closely as possible how she imagines the word
sounds in English. It is an attempt at written phonetics, so
“dicition” most probably is “decision”. Just the same way that
Jomtien Beach can be Chomthian Beach, or even Pattaya is sometimes
Phattaya. What you have to do next time you are in Thailand is to purchase
Robertson’s Practical English-Thai Dictionary. It has an understandable
phonetic system and has lots of Thai words and expressions. By using these
you will become more proficient in her language, and between the pair of
you it will work itself out. Finally, remember that actions speak louder
than words, so even if the words seem contradictory, just follow the
emotions.
Dear Hillary,
Where can you buy a good map of Pattaya and the
surrounding area? The ones in the tourist brochures are hopelessly out of
scale and generally out of date as well. Surely there is someone producing
a reasonable map of the Eastern Seaboard? Please advise.
Lost
Dear Lost,
One of the best maps comes with the Pattaya
International Ladies Club publication called “A Guide to Living in
Pattaya and Rayong.” If you just need Pattaya itself, there are free
ones available in most of the hotels around the city. The local bookshops
have maps for sale too. The word in Thai for a map is “pantee”.
Dear Hillary,
I am trying (with little success) to persuade my wife
that we should consider selling up our house in England and move to
Thailand or at least consider this as an option when we retire. We
normally come to Thailand twice a year for holidays. My wife is a demon
for sunbathing and I have caught the “golf” bug, so obviously
Thailand, in particular the Pattaya region suits us both. My problem is
persuading “she who must be obeyed” that a permanent move to Thailand
is an excellent idea. She is of the opinion that she would soon get bored
and there is little else for her to do other than laze around by the pool
or on the beach. Can you offer any advice on how to persuade her that a
move to Thailand would not necessarily be boring? Any advice or ideas on
how to persuade my wife to move would be gratefully accepted.
Yours Hoping
P.S. In a previous column you were asked about why
there were so many golf tourists in Thailand. You quite rightly pointed
out that there were many wonderful courses and they were considerably
cheaper than elsewhere in the world. You forgot to mention the wonderful
smiling caddies who just carry on smiling no matter how bad you play. It
really is a golfing paradise and I don’t think that Augusta in the U.S.
can be any better the Laem Chabang, for scenery or playing.
Dear Hoping,
UK or Pattaya? It’s a lay down misere, surely!
However, let me look at what could be keeping her in the UK. With us women
folk, Petal, there are often hidden agendas that you men just do not
realise. There may be more to it than projections of boredom. What about
these for starters? Children? From your letter I presume that retirement
isn’t all that far off, so they should all be grown up. Grandchildren?
Perhaps. Her own parents? The security of having the house in the UK
versus the “uncertainty” of life and ownership of real estate in
Pattaya? These are all issues that you should explore. As regards boredom,
ask any of the committee members of the Pattaya International Ladies Club
if they are bored. Run off their feet more likely. I suggest that next
time you come over on holidays get your wife to contact the PILC and see
where that leads.
GRAPEVINE
| Spicy
weather
A brave father of three from Doncaster, taking Thai
lessons to improve his chances of local acceptance, was asked by his
teacher this week whether he knew the local words for the four
seasons. “Oh, you mean what we call in English salt, pepper, vinegar
and mustard,” he opined.
TAT’s good idea
Farangs both here and overseas have welcomed the
Tourist Authority of Thailand’s plan to introduce streamlined yearly
visas for retired gentlefolk. Apparently, there is to be a one stop
shop to deal with the bureaucracy, so no more mounds of paper
collected from all over the globe to present to immigration every
year. TAT has picked up on the fact that many of Europe and
America’s gray haired population are mighty wealthy and could help
ease off the kingdom’s debt burden. Of course, the one stop shop is
just an idea. Until the rules are changed, if ever, carry on
collecting those mounds of paper.
Airport foul play
No shortage of reading matter in your native tongue
these days in Sin City. It’s great now that a wider variety of daily
papers from Europe are available at newsstands and supermarkets. And
the prices have come down as well. But farangs are complaining that
when they excitedly turn to the leisure pages in the Daily Telegraph,
or whatever, the crosswords are occasionally filled in already. Cynics
say it’s just possible that some papers are being rerouted to
Pattaya after being used as freebies on international flights to
Bangkok. Surely not - that would be a scam wouldn’t it?
90 days essential
If you hold a one year visa of any type, Pattaya
immigration police remind you again that it is still a requirement to
report your address every ninety days unless you leave the country. If
you have been abroad, the TM card at airport entry has a space for
your address in Thailand. Otherwise, you are required to fill in at
the immigration office the change of address form which is then
stapled inside your passport. This applies whether you have moved
house or not. The fine for forgetting can be 2000 baht.
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They said it
Overheard in a Pattaya bar. 1st man, “I’m not
going to that stupid quiz again. All blinking idiots I can tell
you.” 2nd man, “What happened?” 1st man, “The question was
about what causes tides which is stupid enough.” 2nd man, “What
did you think?” 1st man, “I didn’t think anything. I bloody know
mate. The tides are a fight between the sun and the moon. All water
tides tend to flow towards the moon as there’s no water there and
nature hates a vacuum.” 2nd man, “And where’s the sun come into
this?” 1st man, “I forgot that bit, stupid. It’s supposed to be
a team effort you know.”
Quotable quotes
Thanks to BJ for these:
I don’t want to achieve immortality through my
work, I want to achieve immortality through not dying. (Woody Allen)
My father never lived to see his dream come through
of an all Yiddish speaking Canada. (David Steinberg)
Too bad that all the people who know how to run the
country are busy driving taxis and cutting hair. (George Burns)
I once wanted to become an atheist but I gave up.
They have no holidays. (Henny Youngman)
I went on a diet, swore off drinking and heavy
eating, and in fourteen days I had lost exactly two weeks. (Joe E
Lewis)
I have enough money to last me the rest of my life
unless I buy something. (Jackie Mason)
The most remarkable thing about my mother is that
for thirty years she served us nothing but leftovers. The original
meal has never been found. (Calvin Trillin)
Let me tell you one thing I have against Moses. He
took us forty years into the desert in order to bring us to the one
place in the Middle East that has no oil. (Golda Meir)
What Krungthep Maha Nakorn... means
Bangkok (Krungthep…) is famed for having the
world’s longest city name. But do you know what it means? It
translates as: “A great city of angels, the supreme repository of
divine jewels, the great land unconquerable, the grand and prominent
realm, the royal and delightful capital city full of nine noble gems,
the highest royal dwelling and grand palace, the divine shelter and
living place of the reincarnated spirits.” Now you know.
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Social Commentary by Khai Khem
Safety First
Land of the Free, home of the Brave! I know which nation
first springs to mind when this phrase is uttered. Anyone who ever listened
to the words of America’s national anthem will most likely associate this
proclamation in the English language with the USA - until they arrive in
Thailand and spend some time navigating the footpaths and driving on our
city streets. Then visitors begin to realise which people really are free
and are indeed, brave. For Thai means ‘free’. Freedom from all those
pesky laws and regulations which other countries dream up to repress and
annoy their citizens. And Thais are completely fearless when it comes to
driving their gravel lorry down the wrong side of the highway, or
manipulating 4 passengers and a dog on a motorbike through lawless traffic.
Working in rubber slippers on 40 story high-rises without safety belts (or
life insurance) doesn’t faze them anymore than it bothers them to weld
iron gating without protective eye shields.
Safety First is a sign in English we see often printed on
the sides of modern factories and temporary construction sites. I never see
an equally large sign in Thai. Any English speaking native knows that safety
is not an important issue in Thailand. So why not? Death and injury are not
what scares the living wits out of Thais. In this country it is the dead,
the spirit world and bad luck which frightens us.
One of the things which make Thailand’s visual
landscape unique is the ever-present Spirit House. Every home, office
building, and factory will have a tiny ornamental house situated in an
auspicious location, decorated with small figurines and amulets, draped in
flowers, scented with burning incense, and filled with small dishes of rice
and fruit. These are offerings to Buddha, and also to spirits that dwell in
another dimension, unseen, but possessing a powerful influence on the daily
lives of the people.
Often a visitor to our Kingdom will come across a large
banyan tree that has been decorated with flowers, candles and where food
offerings have been left. Sprits live in these trees. In the old days, if
someone wanted to cut down a large tree like this, one needed permission
from the spirit who dwelled there. Sometimes Thai people ask favours of
these spirits, in the same way they ask blessings from religious statues.
The etiquette involved in seeking favours from the spirit
world is complicated and ritual. There are holy statues in Thailand which
are believed to cure the sick. A family home contains benevolent spirits, as
do simple papaya trees and elaborate shrines. A Thai mother who cuts her
small daughter’s hair will drape the cuttings in the papaya tree in the
back garden. The mother has made a small request, perhaps that her daughter
does well on her exams in school, for example. This same mother will also
tell you not to cut the tree, for it will bleed real blood during the night
and cry out with a piteous wail.
Moo bans (small residential villages or housing
estates) will often have homes left unsold which are built at the end of a
street. This is because of the belief that if evil luck is passing through
the neighbourhood, it will pass by all the other houses and enter the one
which stops at the cul de sac. It is a brave Thai, indeed, who will buy this
house. If the price is right, he may gamble on bringing bad luck on himself
and all who enter. In this case, the sign of the Tao is often placed
at the front entrance to deflect any evil spirits who are meandering through
the neighbourhood.
And we also have to pay close attention to fengshui.
The elements of our universe need to be in tune amidst our environment. One
successful businessman I know had his business ruined during our 1997
economic meltdown in Asia. Why? Because he built a fishpond stocked with
beautiful coloured carp in the front of his house. Fengshui reaped revenge.
The fishpond was filled in last week and covered with grass. The Stock
Exchange of Thailand should be showing some gains as I write.
The truly dreaded spirit is the pi bawn. This
female entity is a nasty piece of work. She enters your body in the dead of
night and removes your vital organs, like your liver. This ghastly ghoul is
what Thai horror movies are made of. With all of this to deal with, which
Thai is really worried about falling concrete from abandoned buildings, or
being run down in a pedestrian crossing while crossing the street?
Women’s World: These
feet were made for walking
by Lesley Warner
As I watch the Thais (even small children) walking around
barefoot totally oblivious to glass, stones and all the other paraphernalia
cluttering the sois, I wonder who’s right, them or us. I can remember my
mother constantly yelling at me as a child to put my slippers on, even
barefoot in the house was frowned upon. As far as I can tell from making
comparisons between Thai feet and Farang feet I think she could be right. I
have yet to see a beautiful Thai foot, male or female; not that I’m
suggesting Farang feet are particularly beautiful.
 Pedicure
clippers
Maybe we can help ourselves a little; when feet are
unhealthy the rest of the body suffers as well. By choosing appropriate
footwear and keeping feet free of blisters, calluses and corns, we increase
the body’s general well being. Healthy feet are beautiful, no matter what
size or shape they may be and our feet deserve our respect. More than any
other part of the body, the feet bear the brunt of our active lifestyles and
put up with a lot of torture and abuse. Wash your feet daily. Rinse off all
soap and dry thoroughly, especially between toes. Trim nails straight
across, and not too short. Don’t cut out or dig at corners. Do not trim,
shave, or use over-the-counter medicines to dissolve corns or calluses.
Treat your feet to a pedicure once in a while.
Women are notorious for choosing unhealthy footwear. Wear
clean socks or stockings, changed daily. Don’t wear any that are too short
or too tight. Some people’s feet sweat more than others, and are more
prone to athlete’s foot. Wear shoes made of leather or canvas - not
synthetics. Sandals are good; try to switch shoes from day to day.
High heels are probably responsible for the majority of
foot problems. These shoes force a woman’s way of walking and posture into
a more “feminine” form, theoretically making her more attractive.
High-heeled shoes force women to continually walk around on tiptoe, placing
all the body weight on the ball of the foot and pushing the foot toward the
toe of the shoe. This contributes to arch pain, corns and calluses. If high
heels must be worn, choose a reasonable height - no more than 2 inches - and
remove the shoe or change into some more comfortable footwear whenever
possible.
So ladies, if you want to be beautiful, include your
feet; it’s surprising how many men notice ladies feet. Try essential oils
for foot massage like Lavender, Rosemary or Geranium.
1. Mix together in a bowl, half water and half lemon
juice. Then gently dip paper towel into the mixture and apply to the feet.
This softens, removes odors, and smoothes.
2. Foot Lotion:
1 tablespoon almond oil
1-tablespoon olive oil
1-teaspoon wheat germ oil
12 drops eucalyptus essential oil
Choose a dark coloured bottle and combine ingredients.
Shake vigorously. To use, just rub into the feet and heels. Store in a cool
dry place.
3. Mix together 8 strawberries with 2 tablespoons of
olive oil (or safflower oil) and 1 teaspoon of natural salt.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped almonds (optional).
Make a paste with the ingredients but don’t over blend it since the
strawberries contain so much water it will make it too liquid. Massage it
all into your feet, rinse off and dry.
4. For a relaxing footbath combine 2 Oranges sliced in
rings, a cup of baby oil (or vegetable oil) and a cup of Epsom salt or sea
salt. Soak your feet for 10-20 minutes. Rub the orange slices all over your
feet.
Shaman’s Rattle: The
Healing Dream Weaver
by Marion
Ever wondered where the medical symbol of the staff and
the snake entwined around it came from? It comes from the ancient God of
Healing, Asklepios (AKA Aesculapius in Latin).
Asklepios, in old paintings and carvings, is frequently
shown standing with a long wooden staff, around which is entwined a large
snake. This staff, symbolizing the tree of life, and its coiling snake
represent the mysterious healing powers of the primal earth and are
themselves remnants of pre-Grecian cults that worshipped the Earth. (A
somewhat similar symbol, the caduceus, a winged staff with two twined
serpents, is frequently but incorrectly used as a medical emblem. Without
medical relevance, the caduceus instead represents the magic wand of Hermes,
or Mercury, the messenger of the gods and the patron of trade.)
 There
are several versions of Asklepios’ birth and childhood, each of which
assigns to him a different homeland. All have in common that Asklepios is
the son of the god Apollo. According to what may be the Messenian version,
alluded to in our earliest source, Homer’s Iliad, his mother was Arsinoe,
daughter of Leucippus. However, the Epidaurian and Thessalonian versions
tell us that his mother was Coronis, daughter of Phlegyas. According to the
Epidaurian myth, Coronis gave birth to her son in Epidauros, where she
exposed him. There he was raised by animals and discovered by a goatherd.
Not all that an auspicious start for someone who was later to become the
Healing God.
In the more well-known story (possibly of Thessalonian
origin), Coronis does not live to see the birth of her son. In this version,
Coronis, though pregnant with Apollo’s child, had sex with a young man
Ischys. Apollo learned of this from a gossipy crow (you can’t even trust
your pet birds anymore), and in anger killed both Coronis and her lover
Ischys. However, he snatched the child Asklepios from her womb as she was on
the pyre, and gave the baby to be raised by the centaur Chiron, who taught
Asklepios the art of healing. Half men, half horses being reasonably rare
and decidedly clever in those days.
The cult of Asklepios spread from the island of Kos (home
of the famous physician Hippocrates) throughout Greece and Asia Minor. The
temples of Asklepios were always associated with sacred springs, whose
waters carried the healing powers of the Earth spirits.
Because it was believed that Asklepios effected cures of
the sick in dreams, those patients seeking the god’s help first drank and
bathed in the waters of his spring and then slept within the temple
precincts. During dreams, Asklepios or his serpents would appear to the
sick, giving them clues regarding their healing. I wonder what the dream
said to do in the event of a burst appendix? Patients in Asklepion shrines
also participated in rituals involving snakes and sacrifices. A little
different from the hospitals of today - only your wallet has to be
sacrificed these days.
The Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus was the most
celebrated healing centre of the ancient world. The cult is attested to as
early as the 6th century B.C. when the hill-top sanctuary of Apollo Maleatas
was no longer spacious enough for the public worship of Asklepios.
The authority of Asklepios as the most important healer
god of antiquity brought to the sanctuary great financial prosperity, which
in the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. enabled the implementation of an ambitious
building program for the construction of monumental buildings for the
worship including the temple and the altar of Asklepios, the Tholos, the
Abaton, and later, of buildings mainly secular in character, the Theatre,
the Ceremonial Hestiatoreion, the Baths, and the Palaestra. The Asklepion
survived until the end of antiquity, having experienced a second heyday in
the 2nd century A.D.
Beneath the Parthenon, on the southern cliffs of the
Acropolis, there still remains one of these sacred springs in a small cave.
While details of its earliest use and deities are lost in antiquity, it is
known that the spring became the focal point of a sanctuary to the god
Asklepios by the 5th century BC.
This sacred spring of Asklepios in Athens was converted
into a Christian place of worship by the 6th century AD and rededicated to
the Aghioi Anargyroi, or doctor saints. Below the cave and spring shrine are
extensive ruins of other temples to Asklepios and also of Hygea, the goddess
of health.
The power of dreams was totally accepted by the ancient
peoples, so perhaps we should be asking Asklepios a few questions before we
nod off at night. You never know, he might just put you in touch with a good
doctor!
The Message In The Moon:
Sun in Taurus/Moon in Scorpio - The Pessimist
by Anchalee Kaewmanee
With the Moon in the sign of Scorpio, this makes for a
very intense Taurus. This combination takes itself and the rest of the world
very, very seriously. Suspicious and secretive, this sign will prefer to be
left alone and not let too many people get too close. Somewhat paranoid, the
Taurus-Scorpio often wonders if people are plotting against him.
Natives born into this Sun/Moon sign tend to be somewhat
gloomy and there are times when a dark cloud seems to hover over their
heads. They view the world with a touch of irony, feeling deep down inside
that it can be an evil place, and generally, people cannot be trusted. A
touch cynical? Yes. However, this combination is a very brave and sensual
personality, and in youth, may spend a lot of time traveling and exploring
the world. Perhaps an accumulation of many experiences leads this sign to
develop some doubt about the goodness of the human race. Natives of the
Taurus-Scorpio group are enormously perceptive and highly sensitive. There
are times when these individuals have a desire to give vent to their
emotions. Rarely do they do so. Probably from fear that they may overwhelm
others around them. They seem to fear their inner nature, and therefore try
to hide from it.
The consequences of holding in emotions can take several
forms. The Taurus-Scorpio may become a brooding and inarticulate cynic,
content to go about his business and pretty much live peacefully with his
rather gloomy attitude toward life.
Adversely, self-destructive habits such as drug or
alcohol abuse may turn that tension and anger inwards. Or worse yet, he may
take his hostilities out on those around him. A contentious or belligerent
personality toward others is indicative of hyper-sensitivity and a feeling
of never being fully understood.
The good news is that none of this is irrevocable. It is
important, first, that these individuals learn to be more trusting, and then
try to express themselves with more abandon. This sign is endowed with a
warm and giving nature, and there really isn’t any need to fear the
consequences of being candid and open with people. The more expressive and
articulate this subject becomes, the more content and secure he will feel
about placing his trust in others.
The Taurus-Scorpio is blessed with tremendous willpower
and resolve, and has the ability to overcome any problem or obstacle once
the mind is set upon it. The abundance of energy found in this sign can be
applied to many fields since this combination has great powers of
concentration and is not afraid of hard work.
Art as a hobby or even a profession can be an excellent
way to make use of that vivid and intense imagination. These people are
shrewd in the business world, since they possess remarkable intuition and
easily see through any deception or superficiality. That forceful
personality makes itself known, so this group would do well to use work as
an outlet for pent-up tension. Once the Taurus-Scorpio sets sights on a
goal, all that fine determination is amply rewarded with money and
recognition.
Sex is therapeutic for the people born into this
combination, and they will have intense love affairs. As lovers, they are
protective and generous with their affections, but jealousy can take on
outrageous proportions. So it is advisable to encourage this sign to allow a
partner a little more freedom. Fortunately, the Taurus-Scorpio has the
capacity for great kindness and loyalty, and that compensates a little for
the jealous streak.
The computer doctor
by Richard Brunch
From Nicholas Maine, Prakhanong:
Now that CDR-W’s have reduced in price so much, I have recently purchased
one. It is a Sony and works very well. There is, however, one thing that I
find annoying; when I put a CD in that I have bought it autoruns but those I
have made myself don’t. Is my CDR-W faulty or am I missing something?
Computer Doctor replies: No, your CDR-W is not
faulty, or at least the scenario you describe will not be caused by a faulty
CDR-W. In order for CDs to autorun, it is necessary to put a text file on
the root of the CD. The file must be named autorun.inf and can be edited in
a text editor such as Notepad. Do not use anything that would format the
file, e.g. Word. Within this INF file, the first line should contain [autorun].
After that, it depends on the function you want to perform. Perhaps at its
simplest would be to open a program, for example to open explorer for the
disk the next line should read open= explorer.exe /n,/e,. (Note the ,. at
the end are meant to be there). A complete list of available commands can be
seen at msdn.microsoft.com/library/psdk/shellcc/shell/Shell_basics/Autoplay_cmds.htm.
From Danny Brookes, Pattaya: I am going to buy a new
PC, and I have decided to go for an AMD Athlon on an Asus motherboard. My
question is, what hard disk should I choose? At the moment there seem to be
many around.
Computer Doctor replies: Generally speaking the hard
disks available at the moment are ATA/100 and Ultra ATA/100; these are
obtainable in both 5,400RPM and 7,200RPM. On a performance PC, which is what
you are looking at, then really you should take the fastest hard disk
available, so that would be an ATA/100 – 7,200RPM. The marginal price
difference results in tangible performance benefits. For lesser PC’s where
performance is not so great, for example on AMD Duron and Celeron’s then
the 5,400 option can prove adequate.
Fern Sommers, Basildon: I am a prolific hoarder, not
just of useless articles around the home but files on my PC. I very rarely
delete anything, on the just in case principle. I am also a little scatter
brained so although I know a file exists I can’t find it. The Search/Find
function within Windows seems hopelessly inadequate and quite often fails to
return the file I want. There must be a better option - any recommendations
please?
Computer Doctor replies: I agree, the built in
functionality within Windows is somewhat ‘agricultural’ but using the
Advanced feature can choke the search down and provide more meaningful
results. The biggest problem is when it comes to finding a file by searching
within its content. For this really a third party utility is required,
probably the best is dtSearch Desktop, which is both fast and accurate. It
is possible to try an evaluation copy by downloading from their website
www.dtsearch.com, it is also available for on-line purchase at $199.
Send your questions or comments to the Pattaya Mail at
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, 20260 or Fax to 038 427 596 or
E-mail to [email protected]
The views and comments expressed within this column are
not necessarily those of the writer or Pattaya Mail Publishing.
Richard Bunch is managing director of Action Computer Technologies Co., Ltd.
For further information, please telephone 01 782 4829, fax 038 716 816,
e-mail: [email protected] or see our
website www.act.co.th
A Slice of Thai History:
The struggle to retain independence - Part Five 1894-1909
by Duncan Stearn
Auguste Pavie returned to Laos in June 1894 as the French
High Commissioner, revelling in his Machiavellian success at having wrested
control of the country from Thailand.
In January 1896 a second Anglo-French agreement regarding
Thailand was signed. The British abandoned their claims to any territory
east of the Mekong River, thereby making the river the official border
between Laos and Burma. In return, the French again agreed to accept the
independence of Thailand.
Cementing relations further with the British, Thailand
signed a secret agreement with Britain in April 1897 whereby the Thais
agreed not to cede any territory or rights south of the 11th
Parallel on the Malay Peninsula without prior British consent. In return,
Britain promised to support Thailand against any attempts by a third power
to assume control in the Malay Peninsula.
By 1899 Thailand and Britain had come to an agreement
concerning the border between the Malay state of Pahang and the Thai vassal
state of Terengganu. Thailand also continued to exert considerable political
influence in the Malay state of Kelantan, installing their nominee to the
sultanate in 1900.
In 1902 Britain announced that she had given Thailand de
jure recognition over the sultans of the northern Malay states in return
for the appointment of British Residents in those states.
In October that same year, France and Thailand signed an
agreement in which the French abolished the 25-kilometre demilitarised zone
between Laos and Thailand as long as the Thais ceded the two southern
provinces of Champassak and Monoprai to the French.
France returned Chantaboun to Thailand but seized Trat
and Darnsai instead.
In the end, the French parliament refused to ratify the
agreement as they were hoping to also annex the Thai-controlled Cambodian
provinces of Siem Reap and Battambang.
As it happened, a new treaty was negotiated and signed in
February 1904 whereby France obtained Sayaboury and part of Champassak. The
new agreement replaced the 1893 treaty. Thailand was also forbidden to keep
military units in Siem Reap and Battambang.
In April 1907 an Anglo-French convention once again
confirmed the independence of Thailand; however, the Thais were forced to
cede the remainder of Laos to France. Thailand also returned the provinces
of Siem Reap and Battambang (controlled by the Thais since 1794) to
Cambodian control. In return the French reduced their extraterritorial
rights in Thailand.
Finally, in March 1909 Thailand ceded the four Malay
provinces of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu to Britain in return for
a railway loan and reduced British extraterritorial rights.
By the end of the First World War the Age of Imperialism
had long reached its apogee and Thailand, through a combination of
geographic position, careful negotiation, skilful diplomacy and luck had
managed to survive being swallowed up by either Britain or France, although
she was hardly unscathed, losing territory to both European powers as well
as position and influence in the affairs of her close neighbours.
Antiques, are they
genuine? : Trays and Slavers
by Apichart Panyadee
It is not often that one comes across tea trays that are
wrong, but when viewing a potential purchase, it is always advisable to
check the mark to see if it is distorted at all, or struck too close to the
border. Either of these factors could reveal that some reshaping or
additions to the borders were done. Tea trays are sometimes made up from
oval slavers or meat dishes by the addition of handles and feet. In these
cases the handles will often not match the design of the border, which they
will normally do on a ‘right’ example.
 Refashioned
slaver c. 1850
Slavers were sometimes refashioned. The most commonly
found alteration of a slaver is from a relatively plain Georgian example, to
a more decorative Victorian presentation piece. An original slaver would
have been plain and circular with a reeded or beaded border. Some slavers
which were altered in this way were sent for re-assay, and a Victorian
hallmark will be found on the border and any feet which may have been added.
A type of slaver with lap-over borders is typical of two periods in England,
c. 1735-80 was revived by Rundell, Bridge and Rundell c. 1805-1815.
If an inscription does not coincide with the mark, or if
the style is not quite what one would expect, then check carefully to see if
there are any odd creases or seams which might denote an added border and/or
feet. Occasionally one will find that the border has been hallmarked at the
time of the addition. These marks are usually tiny and difficult to spot,
but must be there if an altered slaver is to be sold legally.
 Style
of slaver revived by Rundell, Bridge and Rundell c. 1805-1815
In the second half of the 17th century and in the first
quarter of the 18th century, there was a decided penchant for the slaver on
foot, or tazza. When the fashion for tazzas waned many had their central
‘trumpet’ foot removed and three for four smaller feet were added at the
borders. These changes are usually discernible by an examination of the
center on the underside where some sign of the position of the original
central foot will remain. There are also instances where these conversions
have been reversed. It is therefore important when examining a slaver on
foot to see that it is struck with the obligatory lion passant or
leopard’s head erased mark. This should always be the case except on some
provincial or late examples of the second quarter of the 18th century
onwards.
Updated every Friday
Copyright 2001 Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20260, Thailand
Tel. 66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax: 66-38 427 596
Updated by
Chinnaporn Sungwanlek, assisted by Boonsiri Suansuk.
E-Mail: [email protected]
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