Family Money: Square pegs into round holes?

By Leslie Wright

Each investor is an individual, and no two are ever quite the same.

Fundamentally, the financial services business is founded upon relationships. For those investors who do it all themselves, they may have to deal with a disembodied voice on the phone 10,000 miles away, or a computer.

Many investors want the personal touch, and prefer to deal face-to-face with a professional adviser. But before the client will do business with him, the adviser will have had to establish a certain level of trust and rapport with the client.

Get-rich-quick merchants

Sadly, many financial advisers are concerned only with how much money they can make for themselves in the immediate short term, rather than providing their clients “best advice”.

Since many financial advisers don’t expect to remain with their firm for more than a couple of years, they are disinterested in the regular income they might earn over a number of years from what would be a better deal for the client, preferring to put the client into a front-end loaded investment product which pays them higher commission up front.

Also, too many financial advisers try to sell ‘one-size-fits-all’ investments, because they can’t be bothered to establish the client’s needs & aspirations, and from this information, find the most appropriate investment vehicle to match those needs & circumstances.

Similarly, few advisers are willing to invest the time to provide the level of service required to keep a client “loyal”.

In too many instances, the adviser wants simply to sell the client a ‘flavour-of-the-month’ investment rather than take the time to establish the client’s real needs and investment criteria (as opposed to the ‘wish list’ which most clients bring with them), which might indicate a totally different investment vehicle would be appropriate to that client’s circumstances.

In order to provide best advice, a financial adviser has to understand as much as he can about his clients’ circumstances and financial aspirations. A detailed fact-find should be conducted in their first meeting, from which the adviser should formulate appropriate recommendations. These recommendations would typically be presented to the client in a second meeting, rather than pulling out a glossy brochure during their first meeting and “selling” the client what might later turn out to be an inappropriate investment.

All too often in such instances the client has not understood the investment product and how it works, the charges that will be levied, and any penalties that will be applied should he stop it early. He is sold the benefits without being made aware of the downside.

The newly affluent

In the financial and trade press there has been much discussion of the opportunity the mass affluent represent to the financial services community, but most advisers are poorly prepared to address those opportunities.

The key to the mass affluent is that they’ve made their money themselves and usually through employment.

And that is why they won’t adapt themselves to supplier behaviour. The more successful they are, the more confident they become; and as their confidence grows they are increasingly demanding of good value products and high quality service.

They share another characteristic: their loyalty to any particular financial adviser is directly related to the value that adviser delivers. If the adviser fails them, they’ll leave.

The reason any of this matters is that there is little point in recognising the mass affluent as an important market if we in the financial services industry aren’t able to woo you and keep you satisfied. We have to invest time in understanding how and why our clients behave as they do.

Research into a number of focus groups, supported by quantitative input from the MORI Financial Services continuous tracking survey, uncovered three key factors:

Understanding: If consumers have a grasp of the products available to solve a given financial requirement then it’s easier for them to act.

Interest: Interested consumers will invest time and effort in keeping on top of their finances.

Organisation: Consumers who are poorly organised will procrastinate.

By allocating high or low scores to each of these we find several different types.

A person who scores high on all three will display particular and predictable behavioural characteristics.

High organisation will force him to get things done, high understanding will give him the confidence to do it, and high interest will mean he knows how to go about it. This person reads the personal finance press or uses the internet. He’s likely to buy direct, believing that if he had the time he could do as well as any professional. He expects high performance and plenty of contact.

Alternatively, someone who scores low on both understanding and interest but high on organisation requires completely different handling. His bewilderment makes him unsure and slow to commit to any investment program, but he’s driven by the need to get things done. In the discussion stage the adviser will need to earn his trust. But after the program is up and running he will be content if his adviser’s administration is efficient and he’s given a call every six months.

Between these extremes we might consider the group who, though high on understanding and organisation, score low on interest. They can’t be bothered to deal with it themselves because it doesn’t interest them - but the confidence they derive from understanding means they’re delighted to give their financial adviser the problem.

This research reveals that the mass affluent represent many different segments, rather than just one group; and explains not just how these segments behave but why.

It’s not enough simply to announce one’s interest in the mass affluent and expect them to form a queue. Success is reserved for those financial advisers who are prepared to take the time to understand how each group behaves and why. And then find them the investment vehicle that most closely matches their particular needs, aspirations, and investor profile.

In other words, finding appropriate round pegs for round holes, and square pegs for square holes.

by C. Schloemer

Good points: striking appearance, even temperament, intelligent, reliable, excellent nose, easy to train

Take heed: a slow but sure worker, prefers the outdoor life, and lots of exercise

The Clumber is the heaviest of the spaniels and is thought to be of French origin, brought about by crossing the Basset Hound with the Alpine Spaniel (which is now extinct). It is a brave, attractive and reliable dog. Intelligent and easily trained, this breed is a reliable worker and its fine temperament makes it a wonderful companion for the sportsman. This breed excels for rough shooting and makes an excellent retriever. Massively built, that thoughtful facial expression and rolling gait makes this dog very appealing. He is dignified, rather a slow worker, but a sure finder.

Size: Dog about 25-32 kg, bitch about 20.5-27 kg.

Exercise: The Clumber Spaniel is essentially a working dog, best suited to the country life since he is happiest when running off the lead in open spaces. This breed will not thrive in apartments or confined homes with small gardens.

Grooming: Routine brushing. Keep the coat tangle free and take care that mud does not collect between the toes and cause infection. Otherwise, this breed is hardy and simple grooming will keep its beautiful appearance shown to best advantage.

Origin and history: Because in type, the Clumber Spaniel differs so widely from all the other members of the great spaniel group, his origin may always remain in doubt, as is the case with many breeds. The conformation and detail of this breed most likely resulted from Basset Hound crossings, and the heavy head and noticeable jaw may come from early infusion of the Alpine Spaniel. Even with the same litters, the old land spaniels were called by various names, ‘cockers’, ‘springers’, ‘cock-flushers’ and so on. This is not to imply that the Clumber was a later development; indeed, he is believed to be one of the earliest; developed for special uses.

The year 1859 saw the first class for Clumbers in England and from then on they enjoyed considerable popularity. The name Clumber, without doubt, arose from Cumber Park, seat of the Duke of Newcastle in Nottingham, to whom the French Duc de Noalilles gave several of the dogs which he himself had been breeding for generations.

by Dr. Iain

Put simply, the answer is a resounding, No! But it’s the thought that counts. If you look at the wealth of historical data that exists in the world, and the research that has been done, then you will come to the same conclusion.

In a very erudite communication American Baptist Pastor Greg Wilson wrote, “The date of December 25th is itself evidence that this holiday is not about the Christ of the Bible. For while we do not know the exact day of our Lord’s birth, we can be virtually certain that it was not December 25th. All of the Biblical evidence is against such a date. At that particular season, the shepherds would not have been in the fields with their sheep at night. They would have secured them in folds, against the bitter cold of the Palestinian winter. It is also unlikely that Caesar would have required all the citizens to return to the cities of their birth for a tax-census in the dead of the winter. Robert Myers in the book Celebrations, states “The Biblical narrative of the birth of Jesus contains no indication of the date that the event occurred. However, Luke’s report that the shepherds were ‘abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night’ suggests that Jesus may have been born in summer or early fall. Since December is cold and rainy in Judea, it is likely the shepherds would have sought shelter for their flocks at night.” All very logical.

However, if I now said that according to legend, December 25th was the birthday of a man who roamed the earth and was born of a virgin, who was known as the “Mother of God”, would you agree? If I gave you additional clues that pointed out that this man was also considered as the son of God, whose function on earth was seen as the protector of our souls and our guide to heaven, would you agree? I hope so, because again the research would point us towards Mithras who was also known throughout Europe and Asia by the names Mithra, Mitra, Meitros, Mihr, Mehr, and Meher. And Mithras’ birthday was December 25th.

The history of Mithraism is convoluted, as are all such ancient religions. Mithraism began in Persia where originally a multitude of gods were worshipped. Amongst them were Ahura-Mazda, god of the skies (I wonder if Honda and Toyota knows about this?), and Ahriman, the god of darkness. In the sixth and seventh century B.C., a vast reformation of this system was done by Zarathustra (AKA Zoroaster), a prophet from the kingdom of Bactria. Ahura-Mazda was elevated to that of supreme god of goodness, whereas the god Ahriman became the ultimate embodiment of evil. Does this look like a familiar scenario? It should do, it is the fore-runner of the Judeo-Christian God and the Devil.

In the same way that Ahkenaton, Abraham, Heliogabalus, and Mohammed later initiated “supreme being” cults from the worship of their respective deities, Zarathustra created a dualism with the gods Ahura-Mazda and Ahriman. As a result of the Babylonian captivity of the Jews (597 B.C.) and their later emancipation by King Cyrus the Great of Persia (538 B.C.), Zoroastrian dualism was to influence the Jewish belief in the existence of HaShatan, the malicious adversary of the god Yahweh, and lay the foundation for the evolution of the Christian Satan-Jehovah dichotomy. That Persian religious dualism became the foundation of an ethical system that has lasted until this day.

According to the legend, Ahura-Mazda was said to have created Mithras to be as great and worthy as himself. He would fight the spirits of evil to protect the creations of Ahura-Mazda and cause even Ahriman to tremble. Mithras was seen as the protector of just souls from demons seeking to drag them down to Hell, and the guide of these souls to Paradise.

Now here is what is interesting, the worshippers of Mithras strongly believed in a celestial heaven and an infernal hell. They believed that their god would sympathize with their suffering and grant them immortality and eternal salvation and they looked forward to a final day of judgement in which the dead would be resurrected.

They were baptised and took part in a ceremony in which they drank wine and ate bread to symbolize the body and blood of their god. Sundays were held sacred, and on December the 25th each year the birth of Mithras was celebrated. After Mithras’ earthly mission had been accomplished, he took part in a Last Supper with his companions before ascending to heaven, to forever protect the faithful from above.

Does this mean that Mithras and Jesus were one and the same? Does this mean Mithraism and Christianity were one and the same? No, on both counts, since other deities such as Osiris, Tammuz, Adonis, Balder, Attis, and Dionysus were said to have died and been resurrected and many classical heroic figures, such as Hercules, Perseus, and Theseus, were said to have been born of a virgin mother and a divine father. However, Christianity does have some of its origins in pagan religious practices which were incorporated into Christianity as it spread across the world. After all, who wanted to lose the Xmas holidays! And a Happy New Year!

by Mirin MacCarthy

My sister owned a pet rat. Well, it didn’t begin as a pet rat, it was a “test” rat. One of those poor creatures bred for laboratory work. “Ratty” was used for psychological experiments, finding the correct way through mazes and suchlike, but after he had done all that, his life as an experimental rat was over. Once he’d learned the way around, you couldn’t “unlearn” him. Ratty was destined for the gas chamber; however, after weeks of experiments together my sister begged for the university’s mercy and Ratty was installed at home. His life as a pet rat began.

Now while many people are afraid of mice, they can absolutely hate and detest rats! However, there is a very strong band of people all over the world who love their companion rat. Check the “Rat Fan Club” through [email protected] and you’ll see what loyalty the humble rat engenders.

Let’s clear up a few misnomers about the little rodents. The first thing is that domesticated rats do not carry the Bubonic Plague. The wild rat, known as Rattus rattus carried the flea that carried the plague.

Secondly, pet rats do not bite unless you have been clumsy or careless in your handling of the rat. You are more likely to be bitten by the pet dog than you are to be bitten by your pet rat.

Thirdly, rats run around treadmills because they have no brains. This is completely wrong. Rats are intelligent animals, which is why they are used for university experiments in the first place. Ratty was so clever, he educated himself out of a cushy job in the psychology department, remember. All rats are curious and when let out to play or put into a new environment will explore the surroundings. They can also be taught numerous tricks from coming when called to playing rat-basketball, I am assured. Rats have their own personalities and really enjoy human company. Some may be adventurous and outgoing, while others may be laid-back and cuddly.

Fourthly, rats are smelly animals that stink the room out. This is partially true. If you, as the pet owner, do not change Ratty’s litter tray frequently enough, then a smell of ammonia will eventuate. If you change it frequently, then it won’t. It’s just like your pet cat’s litter tray. If you don’t change that frequently, it gets smelly too.

Changing your rats’ litter when it’s soiled is vital. Bacteria starts to work immediately on urine, changing it to ammonia, which causes the strong unpleasant odour that comes from a dirty cage. You should change the litter in your rat’s cage before the ammonia builds up. If in doubt, get as close to it as you can and take a big whiff. If it pongs, then change it!

Rats are also easy to feed as they are omnivores (eat everything) just like us. In fact, what you feed yourself you can generally feed to your rat as well (but before it is cooked). According to the Rat Fan Club, wild rats eat nuts, seeds, grains, vegetables, fruits, insects, worms, eggs, dead animals, and even frogs, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals that they catch and kill. This means they are partially predatory and have a high requirement for some nutrients that are most abundant from animal sources. This predatory nature is why rats are so smart!

Again, in common with all companion animals, it is important to keep your pet rat amused and stop boredom. This means changing the diet daily and supplying rat toys for the cage. It also means spending some time with your pet rat. Like all pets, they are for every day, not just for now.

by Richard Bunch

This is the second part of our recap on some things that have been in the column over this time and are well worth remembering.

New releases of software, upgrades and Beta releases abound. Beta releases are pre-release versions of software and very often considerably larger and slower than their released counterparts would be. There are several reasons for this, not least that there will in all probability be some error trapping/reporting code as well as errors in the code itself. Really, Beta releases are best not installed on a system that you are not prepared to sacrifice, although some Beta releases are OK, many are not and can cause some very undesirable results, and furthermore their uninstallation routines can fail. If you really can’t resist the temptation and everything appears to be OK, KIV that this is Beta and any undesirable effects may not be immediately apparent. Also when the released version comes along, it is good practice (if possible) to remove the Beta release first even if the upgrade says otherwise. Of course after removing the Beta restart the PC before installing the upgrade/released version.

Contingency is something that has always been important, never more so than now, as viruses become more destructive and applications get more complex. For this reason I always run 2 hard disks, and I mean physical disks, but if your budget won’t stretch to this, a portioned drive is better than nothing at all. With this system in place, the operating system and programs should be installed on the first drive or partition; ‘live’ data should then be on the second drive or partition and ‘backup’ data on the first drive or partition. Use a utility like Second Copy 2000 to run backups in the background at predetermined intervals/times. This first line of defence makes reinstalling an operating system a lot simpler as all data is already backed up. This is not total security, though, and with CD ROM writers so cheap now (4,000 – 5,000 baht) it really is a worthwhile exercise to install one of these and get into the habit of burning a CD with data and configuration settings on a regular basis. By using a CD, even if a virus is backed up too and this virus has destroyed your PC, it is cocooned on the CD and it should be possible with care to recover all the data from the CD.

One thing computer geeks are all guilty of is just doing another five minutes, and then before you know it, five minutes has become five hours. Of course this is normally at the wrong end of the day and tiredness creeps in, mistakes happen and a near disaster occurs, all that good work down the drain. It is better to be disciplined and go to bed and do it the next day. Very often repetitive things are needed, like making users and setting partitions, and even with a tick list it is easy to forget, and one find oneself asking, did I set that permission for Tommy or Jenny…

If an Operating System, Windows 98, and ME fails to start or is displaying strange characteristics, it can often be resurrected by installing the OS again over the top of the present one. Make sure to use the same directory and at least the same or later release of the OS. Don’t under any circumstances try to regress in this manner. Also make sure to use the same language version. Windows 2000, NT and XP all have their own inbuilt recovery procedures which are designed to ‘self heal’ and will more often than not succeed. In order to maximize their effectiveness make sure you spend a little time making the recovery disks. If none of these works, you are probably facing a clean install but this should be the very last resort.

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 0 1782 4829, fax 0 38 426 335, e-mail: [email protected] or see the firm’s website www.act.co.th

A mid-life job change is sometimes a good idea

I had a phone call the other day which prompted me to invite the caller to the Friday Breakfast Club, about which I have written in this column. Was the poor gentleman under the impression that I am a councillor or a psychiatrist instead of just a newspaper hack? This is not a new experience, thus I have acquired a coping tool which gets me off the hook. Bring the newcomer to our Friday breakfast group, and let him or her toss the ideas or complaints around in a friendly atmosphere where no holds are barred. The up-side is that there is also the safety net of pathos into which one may fall if one is actually losing one’s grip. In other words, ‘couch time’ is available from 10 a. m. until noon once a week, and none of us gets a bill larger than the cost of a few fried eggs and a gallon of bad coffee.

Our new Australian friend was just getting his feet wet in Thailand and was looking for gainful employment here. Middle aged, retired, recently divorced after a 25 year marriage and at loose ends as to what to do with the rest of his life, he decided to come to Pattaya and have a look around. Naturally at this point in his tale of woe we all started to exchange looks and roll our eyes. We have all seen this movie a hundred times and can pretty much speak all the actor’s lines from memory. This chap surprised us. He didn’t join us to pick our brains about the local fillies, nor complain about his acrimonious divorce. He really missed his job and that sense of belonging he had had in the workplace. Money was not the problem. What to do with the rest of his life seemed to be more on his mind.

Early retirement, the forced layoff and the mid-life career change is not all that uncommon; it happens a lot. Frankly, it is business as usual these days, and with the coming global economic slow-down it will become more and more a fact of life. Workers are less tied to companies emotionally than they used to be. And companies tend to feel the same way about employees. That means a better paying job or a need to cut operating costs doesn’t get short-circuited as easily by emotion. Some businesses believe it should be all about productivity, and not so much about comfort and loyalty. It is particularly true if these two ideas get in the way of efficiency. This may sound cold, but a common survey of the global workplace debunks the widely held belief that at some higher income and educational levels job loss does not always evoke extreme stress, family strife, strained relationships and financial ruin, especially those middle management and senior executives who are between the ages of 30-50.

Discussing the advantages of losing one’s secure employment during an economic downturn may not arouse cheers of agreement from readers who find themselves exactly in this position. In fact the timing may seem to stink. The fact is that many individuals find this is exactly when a mid-life career change would actually elevate them not only to a more satisfying way to earn a living, but provides fertile ground on which to cultivate personal growth. Many people, both men and women, stick to careers they chose when they were young and cling to them out through thick and thin, even when they eventually found their final choice turned out to be a life-long rut from which they might never escape. When the rug is suddenly pulled out from under them, for whatever reason, they are forced to re-think their possibilities and open up their eyes. A fresh view of the world and a little imagination can uncover and reveal promise in other fields of endeavour they would have never considered without shock therapy.

And so it was with our Australian friend who came to Thailand for a much deserved holiday. Two weeks of leisure and lying on the beach licking his wounds gave him time to reflect on the fact that for years he had not actually liked his boring middle management position in a rather lacklustre manufacturing company. Nor had he been deliriously happy in his equally laconic marriage. But he was definitely not in a state of depression bordering on self destruction. In fact, he appeared rather happy, emotionally stable and optimistic. He wasn’t certain just what kind of work he would find here but he certainly didn’t need any hand holding or baby-sitting. Our little group was actually quite impressed. Finally! A Western man who comes to Pattaya who’s cheese has not totally slipped off his cracker ... and the best part is that ‘we’ found him first! The rest of us threw ourselves upon him and unloaded our own problems on through breakfast and well into lunch. Turned out we needed the ‘couch time’ more than he did.

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

‘Saints’ Alive!

When I introduced the Churchward prototype 4-6-0s early in this series, I didn’t mention the fact that as soon as the designer was satisfied with the product quite a number more generally similar engines were built. Thirteen were built, surprisingly, as 4-4-2s, only to be converted eventually to 4-6-0s to cope better with the tough grades in the west country. Others were built up to 1913, all as 4-6-0s and in batches of ten or twelve at a time. At the very last, five were cancelled in favour of five more ‘Stars’. Each batch had a theme for the names: the earlier ones were named after characters in the ‘Scott’ novels (no clear connection with the Great Western!) then in no special order ‘Stately Homes’ - Courts in this case; ‘Stately Ladies’, although how Lady Macbeth crept into this series is in some doubt; and ‘Saints’, not Biblical ones but the more heroic kind such as ‘Saint George’.

‘Saint’ type 4-6-0 as rebuilt as the prototype of the ‘Hall’ Class. The second engine is a ‘King’ Class and they are on the climb from Totnes to Dainton Tunnel in 1956.

The class as a whole became known as the ‘Saint Class’. Various improvements were made as time went by. All had the famous No. 1 boiler which was eventually superheated, and many which were built with a heavy and awkward lever for reversing and altering the valve cut-off had this replaced by a slightly more convenient ‘screw’ reverse. Frankly, there was barely room for the latter in the miniscule Churchward cab and the unfortunate driver standing up all the time had also to lean over the reversing screw to see the road ahead. Legend has it that this led to some men having a permanently bent spine as a result and that this feature became known as the “29 bend” since the engines were all numbered in a series starting with ‘29’.

The ‘Saints’ were hard-working, hard wearing engines well liked even if short on creature comforts. One was the subject of an experiment that led to a very numerous class.

Saint Martin, No 2925

This was the ‘guinea pig’ just referred to. Churchward had just retired at the end of 1922 and was followed by C.B. Collett, previously his assistant. The game little 4301 Class 2-6-0s were becoming somewhat outclassed and there were demands for a bigger type for ‘mixed traffic’ work. Collett accordingly rebuilt No. 2925 with 6 foot wheels, 8 1/2 inches less then standard for the Class. No other changes were made until later. The result was that the engine could be spotted by sharp-eyed observers as the boiler was about 4 inches lower than previously and it was to remain so until scrapping in 1959. No. 2925 was also provided with an improved cab similar to those on the new 4-cylinder ‘Castle’ Class. No 4900, as it now was, became the prototype for the ‘Hall’ Class which eventually ran into hundreds. ‘Stately Homes’, again - and the publicity people were hard put to it to find enough names.

The Modified ‘Halls’

Collett had retired early in World War 2 and he was replaced by F. Hawkesworth, another life-long Great Western servant. A new man even in war has to leave his mark somehow, so with No. 6959 we found ourselves with the ‘Modified Halls’ incorporating a few small but obvious design changes, not all obviously useful or real improvements.

Hawkesworth ‘Modified Hall’ locomotive; the sloping ends of the full-length frames can be seen at the front and the longer steam-pipes (compare with No. 2925 above) can be seen, also a modern ‘slab-sided’ tender.

An enlarged superheater was an obvious advantage in a period when the quality of coal supplied was always in doubt. Churchward had always insisted on a small super-heater, a concept now often seen to be wrong. The ‘Yankee’ idea of casting two identical cylinder blocks and docking them together back-to-back, although it entailed a rather strange arrangement at the front end of the frames, had served well. But it was decided to have separate cylinders screwed to the frames separately, the main frames then being extended to the front buffer beam. Finally, the old type of leading bogie was abandoned and one with two plate frames, one either side, was substituted.

When production was all-important, this seemed hardly the time for fiddling changes like these but Hawkesworth was no slave to tradition. He may even have been using the ‘Hall’ basics to gain experience for at least one new locomotive type to be built when the war was over - or maybe even two! It is a fact that a new 4-6-0 type went into traffic very quickly when the war was over and it has been suggested that a design for a Pacific was also being planned, but that work had not got far when orders were received to stop work on the ‘Pacific.’ Churchward had been heard to say on at least one occasion that ‘The Great Bear’ had taught him all he needed to know. The characteristics of the main lines are not such as to call for locomotives of such a type. Despite the beautiful alignment of the main line out of London there are some fearsome grades on most lines elsewhere on the network, and visiting Pacifics have often been in bad trouble on these sections.

Three more 4-6-0 types to inspect next week, and finally a note on Churchward himself.

by Anchalee Kaewmanee

Self-protection is almost everything to the double Cancer. From early childhood until late in life, these natives will seek shelter. They probably think the world is out to get them, so they spend most of their life preparing defenses, building fortresses and worrying about possible chinks in their armor.

But this combination gives great strengths as well as innumerable weaknesses. The emotional sensitivity and depth of the Cancer Sun is intensified when combined with a Cancer Moon. Their sensitivity is heightened, but also their shrewdness is increased. Their ability to construct even thicker barriers between themselves and their surroundings is astonishing. The Cancer-Cancer possesses great subtlety, intelligence and imagination. The hostility and competitiveness that one sees around these natives will either force them to make use of their natural gifts or cause them to withdraw behind a thousand locked doors.

Childhood was probably the early testing ground for people born as double Cancers. Cautious experimentation taught the safest and most certain way to maneuver in a highly unpredictable world. Once that pattern of behavior was set, these individuals tenaciously cling to it. In dealing with others, they will maintain a modest low profile. But don’t let that fool you. They are active all the time, moving about, shifting tactics and assuming attitudes which suit the moment. Master tacticians and diplomats, they know instinctively what others expect from them.

In conflicts, they never approach an opponent head on. These natives prefer indirect means since there is nothing more they fear than exposure. If their surroundings are genuinely hostile or threatening, they may withdraw completely. They would rather dwell in total isolation. The drawback of this attitude is that in actual fact, most people are not very much concerned with what the Cancer-Cancer chooses to keep hidden. That acute paranoia is a product of ego. The Cancer Moon gives these persons the ability to absorb and retain knowledge effortlessly which is a true gift. But often that hypersensitivity interprets a minor insult or affront as a sign of rejection. Lapsing into cynicism or brooding for long periods of time is not healthy.

Like the tides, these natives fluctuate in their feelings and sympathies, and are subject to wide swings of depression and elation. Extreme sensitivity may cause them to avoid intimate relationships altogether. But on the positive side, it also gives them the ability to understand the moods of those with whom they do become close. There is also a great ability to create, once many of those fears and phobias have been erased.

Aside from creative endeavors, this combination has a shrewd eye for business and an uncanny flair for finance. Many double Cancers are highly spiritual and may be drawn onto a religious path in order to fulfill inner needs. Of course they should be wary of bizarre forms of religion and cults, since they are easily lead astray by anything esoteric.

That generous nature so prevalent in this sign does not necessarily mean that giving love is easy for one so caught up in self-preservation. Nevertheless, these natives really must have a permanent romantic relationship of give and take. This is a necessary step toward emotional maturity, and they must learn to be less fault-finding and to take a little criticism now and then.

by Duncan Steam

Part Two 1855 - 1916

A British mission, led by John Bowring, the governor of Hong Kong, came to Thailand in 1855 to re-negotiate the 1826 Burney commercial treaty. The resultant document, known as the Bowring Treaty was signed and ratified by both Great Britain and Thailand and led to the British gaining greater economic access to Thai markets in exchange for a fairly worthless guarantee to maintain an independent Thailand.

Basically, the British insisted that Thailand accept the opium trade. The treaty allowed the Thai government to impose an import duty on all commodities except opium, although the level of duty was limited to just three percent. King Mongkut was also compelled to abolish all other royal trading monopolies.

By the terms of the Bowring Treaty, Thailand was compelled to accept as much opium as the British could supply and could not enact laws to exclude it.

In an effort to make up the revenue shortfalls created by the Bowring Treaty, King Mongkut enlarged the Chinese-run franchises controlling opium, lotteries, gambling and alcohol production and sales.

This situation remained in place until 1907 when the Thai government removed the Chinese middlemen and assumed responsibility for the management and administration of the opium trade. This was two years after a major economic recession that was to last for almost a decade struck Thailand. The downturn was blamed on Chinese millers and middlemen in the rice trade as well as the increasing numbers of Chinese immigrants. By 1910, almost 10% of Thailand’s population was of Chinese extraction, providing a ready and increasing market for the opium trade.

In 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt of the United States, concerned about the worldwide trade in narcotics, lobbied the leaders of a number of European and Asian countries to create an International Opium Commission.

This forum met in Shanghai, China between February 5 and 26, 1909 and was charged with the task of establishing methods to control narcotics. Delegates came from the United States, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Persia, China and Thailand.

The delegates to the commission had no power to compel any nation to adhere to its findings and recommendations. In fact, the final resolutions of the commission, although all carefully qualified recommendations, were left unsigned by the various delegates. Instead, they voted that the commission president, an American, should sign on behalf of them all.

Prior to the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 there were three international conferences at The Hague, all under the leadership of the United States.

To give some idea of the extent of the opium trade, the number of chests imported into Thailand through Bangkok between 1911 and 1912 was 1,270. These imports peaked in the years 1914, 1915 and 1916 when around 2,000 chests of opium came into the country. At the same time the number of retail opium shops grew from 2,985 in 1912-1913 to a peak of 3,132 in 1914-1915.

by Lesley Warner

What evil spirit have you familiarity with?

None.

Have you made no contract with the devil?

No.

Why do you hurt these children?

I do not hurt them. I scorn it.

Who do you employ then to do it?

I employ nobody.

What creature do you employ then?

No creature. I am falsely accused.

Dialogue based on the examination of Sarah Good by Judges Hathorne and Corwin, from The Salem Witchcraft Papers, Book II, p.355.

I couldn’t mention witches in my column without including the famous Salem Witch Trials of 1692, a horrifying time of hysteria and fear which led to the deaths of several innocent women and men. The majority were women; those frequently denounced were women whose behaviour or economic circumstances were somehow disturbing to the social order and conventions of the time. Although this was not always the case some were faithful churchgoers and people of high standing in the community.

On January 20 1692 a chain of events started, leading to the death of 24 people, nineteen were hanged on Gallows Hill in Salem Town and some died tortured in prison. Nine-year-old Elizabeth Parris and eleven-year-old Abigail Williams, the daughter and niece of the Salem Village minister, Reverend Samuel Parris began to exhibit strange behaviour, such as blasphemous screaming, convulsive seizures, trance-like states and mysterious spells. Within a short time, several other Salem girls began to demonstrate similar behaviour. By mid-February, unable to determine any physical cause for the symptoms and dreadful behaviour, physicians concluded that the girls were under the influence of Satan.

Then it started to list just a few of the events:

March 12 - Martha Corey is accused of witchcraft.

March 19 - Rebecca Nurse was denounced as a witch.

March 21 - Martha Corey was examined before Magistrates Hathorne and Corwin.

March 24 - Rebecca Nurse was examined before Magistrates Hathorne and Corwin.

March 28 - Elizabeth Proctor was denounced as a witch.

April 3 - Sarah Cloyce, Rebecca Nurse’s sister, was accused of witchcraft.

April 11 - Elizabeth Proctor and Sarah Cloyce were examined before Hathorne, Corwin, Deputy Governor Thomas Danforth, and Captain Samuel Sewall.

April 19 - Abigail Hobbs, Bridget Bishop, Giles Corey, and Mary Warren were examined. William Hobbs, “I can deny it to my dying day.”

October 8 - After 20 people had been executed in the Salem witch-hunt, Thomas Brattle wrote a letter criticizing the witchcraft trials. This letter had great impact on Governor Phips, who ordered that reliance on spectral and intangible evidence no longer be allowed in trials.

October 29 - Governor Phips dissolved the Court of Oyer and Terminer.

November 25 - The General Court of the colony created the Superior Court to try the remaining witchcraft cases, which took place in May 1693. This time no one was convicted.

Mary Easty, “... if it be possible no more innocent blood be shed ... I am clear of this sin.”

It went on too numerous to mention, yet it’s a very interesting subject worth reading about, if only to realise the craziness and danger of people afraid.

by Apichart Panyadee

Engraved Jacobite and Williamite glasses have been produced continuously since the originals were made, and therefore accurate dating becomes a priority. In the case of Williamite glass, one needs to look at shape, style and color as the engraving tends to follow an established tradition of William II on horseback surrounded by various mottoes and inscriptions, including many references to the Battle of the Boyne on July 1st 1760. With Jacobite glass, suspicion is usually aroused if the glass carries too many explicit references to the Young Pretender such as roses, oak leaves, stars and Latin phrases and dates. The originals supported the Stuart cause with more subtle allusions. Some ‘Jacobite’ engraving, including the diamond point “Amen” subject matter, has been added onto genuine period glasses.

A tumbler enameled after a Beilby goblet in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Made at Cumbria Crystal in the 1970’s, signed in diamond point

There is a very real difficulty in judging whether any engraving is contemporary with the glass; 18th century engraving was of medium quality and is easily imitated. Some historians have attempted to decipher certain hands by looking closely at the details of Jacobite glass but there is still no hard and fast rule that can be applied. It may be of some slight consolation to collectors to know that certain glasses have not been faked. Among these are ‘Lynn’ glasses, and ratafia glasses which for some reason have also escaped the attention of the forger.

Decanters

Decanters from the late 18th century have been copied profusely, whereas the earlier cruciform shapes have been left alone. Replicas of the club-shaped decanters in blue and green with gilded imitation wine labels were imported from Czechoslovakia in the 1930s but are too shiny and glossy and their gilding is of poor quality. Another group of fakes which appeared a few years ago were white opaline mallet-shaped decanters with painted medallions. They may have been made in Portugal and were good copies but their extra thickness and the fact that too many appeared at once gave them away.

Jacobite glasses from the 20th century

Irish decanters impressed with the names of the glasshouses such as Waterloo, County Cork; B. Edwards, Belfast; and Waterford Penrose and Cork Glass Co. have been favorite targets. The Cork fakes appear most often. Signs to look for are the bright quality of the metal, clearly readable lettering (sometimes with only the world “Cork”) and a noticeable degree of overblow over the edge of the base mold. Period pieces show a fire polished finish on the peg of the stopper. Fake stoppers were blown into a badly fitting mold and one half is slightly staggered, resulting in a bad fit. It is also rare to find a very clear original Waterford mark.

Cut glass

The correct identification of cut glass must be one of the most difficult areas of all glass authentications. In England the same methods of roughing the initial design followed by smoothing and final polishing, remained unchanged from the early 19th century until the 1950s. By 1900 the technique of acid polishing was gradually being introduced, which gives some help to collectors.

Three marked Cork Glass Co. decanters, but only the one in the center is genuine. On some of the fakes the name of the factory is too close to the pontil mark

Polishing on a brush wheel with putty powder retained the crispness and grain marks of the stone wheels but acid polishing removes all these signs and tends to round off the edges of the cuts.

1916 dated pattern of H. G. Richardson & Sons showing a replica of a 1790 decanter together with a pattern for decoration

However, by the early 20th century some accurate reproductions were still finished by brush polishing to achieve the authentic texture of much older examples.

By the late 19th century the quality of glass had improved considerably, and tended towards ‘whiter’ clarity without the slight grayish tinge of old glass. This comparison becomes combined with a knowledge of the preferred 19th century shapes of jugs and other items gives at least two clues to help unravel this puzzle.