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Family Money: How not to make money - Part One
By Leslie
Wright,
Managing director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd.
Contrary to popular belief, most investors do not
really want to make money. Most give more weight to past performance than
to the likelihood of a particular market performing well in the coming
6-12 months.
Many financial advisors pander to this preponderance
for looking backwards by pulling out past performance figures of their
favourite fund-of-the-month, urging investors to put new money into last
year’s top performer, and studiously avoiding the touchy subject of
current conditions and likely trends for the future.
After all, it’s much easier to ‘sell’ a client a
fund which gained 25% over the past year than it is to recommend one which
lost 25%! But is this best advice for the client? In many cases - no.
Always looking backwards whilst trying to move forward,
you might get a nasty bump or fall down a hole. But it really doesn’t
matter too much, because historically, investors insist on doing the wrong
thing anyway, just because it seems to them at the time that it’s the
right thing to do.
In the 1980s a British investment magazine compared the
best and worst performing domestic unit trusts over a five-year period. It
concluded that an investor who bought the worst performing fund of the
previous year would be up to 10 times better off than the investor who
bought last year’s winner. But of course, everyone buys winners.
Similarly, studies in the US of mutual funds for a
five-year period through 1994 showed that the majority of investors in 450
of the best-performing mutual funds still succeeded in losing money by
buying in and selling out at inappropriate times.
The former head of one of the world’s largest mutual
funds commented that more than half his investors had lost money over a 15
year period - despite this particular fund having an excellent performance
record during that period of around 17% compound annual growth in US$
terms.
The temptation to bale out at the slightest dip seems
almost irresistible. After a two-year slide in equity markets, the
temptation to cash in the remaining portfolio is even greater. But that is
the sure way to lock in the loss!
The historical facts
It is interesting to look back over the bumps and dips
of the US market (which currently constitutes around 45% of the world’s
stock market capitalisation), as reflected by the Dow Jones Industrial and
S&P 500 indexes since they first started.
It seems that a “market correction” of 5% lasting
for more than 30 days occurs about three times a year on average, while a
downturn of 10% occurs nearly once every year, lasting on average for 30
days - and almost always between October 15th and December 31st.
A true ‘bear’ market (in which the market drops by
at least 25% and remains negative for a minimum of three months) occurs on
average about every three years.
Looking all the way back to the 1920s and the infamous
Crash of 1929, there have been only four true ‘bear’ markets in the
sense of remaining down by 25% or more for a full year. The 1929 Crash
itself was really a speculative bubble which burst, albeit dramatically.
Interestingly, it was a powder-keg situation of manic
speculation using money borrowed from banks on little or no collateral,
and the fuse was sparked by a run on a small bank which the Federal
Reserve chose not to support. This led to a mass panic, and the rest is
history.
Had the Fed at the time acted wisely and promptly, the
whole subsequent mess might have been avoided, and the Great Depression
might never have happened. But back then they didn’t have Alan Greenspan
at the helm.
Nevertheless, it may surprise some readers to learn
that it actually took only three years for the US stock market to regain a
positive position, and two more to recoup the losses.
In that instance, those that held onto their pre-Crash
holdings (assuming an equal spread across all the Dow Jones industrials)
would have made an average gain of 9.5% p.a. in the 10-year period
1929-39.
Following the end of WWII, there was a 15-month
‘bear’ market with a two-year recovery period. Again, holding onto a
“basket” of DJ Industrials would have produced 11.2% p.a. average
return in the period 1946-56.
(Continued next week)
Snap Shot: Widen Your Horizons! (Part 1)
by Harry Flashman
Every time we look at a scene the eyes capture a wider
image than that “seen” by a standard camera. The human eye and brain
sees, records and memorizes images to produce sweeping 180 degree
pictures, known as “panoramas”. Even with a wide-angle lens the camera
can only show a 75 degree view - and that at the expense of extreme
distortion at the edges.
This then becomes a most frustrating aspect for
photographers, this inability of their equipment to record those wide
sweeping seascapes or landscapes. The panorama in the mind’s eye refuses
to become a photographic reality. As I said, most frustrating!
Special Cameras?
Camera manufacturers are not unaware of this problem
and have produced special cameras to take panoramas. A very basic
“camera in a box” panorama camera is produced by Kodak, but its angle
of view is still limited, and many photo processing outlets cannot print
the wide negatives. There is also the “panoramas” that are taken by
the Advantix systems. However, these are not true wide angle, just a way
of cropping the image to cut off the top and bottom to make it look long
and wide. It isn’t!
From there you move to the highly specialized cameras.
These generally move the lens past the film to give the panoramic
coverage. The Linhof Technorama can show 120 degrees and the Widelux up to
160 degrees. Unfortunately these cameras are very expensive. And difficult
to drive!
However, the good news is that all photographers, even
those with very basic equipment can produce good panoramas. No special
cameras! Hooray!
Equipment List
The equipment list is simple. A camera, a tripod and a
spirit level. If you haven’t bought a tripod yet (it really IS time you
had one!) get one with the standard “Pan and Tilt” head and not the
“Ball & Socket” style which is totally unsuitable for this type of
work. Nikon do produce a special “panorama head” which attaches to a
tripod to make panoramas easier to take, but it is not really necessary,
in my opinion.
The camera to use is any one with a standard (50mm)
lens and can be an SLR or a simple “point and shoot” compact. Whilst
both will work, the SLR is easier to use as the viewfinder gives a more
accurate idea of the coverage of the lens (in other words, how much of the
view you will actually get on the final photo).
The Method!
Having found your scenic view to be recorded forever,
select your point from which you will take the photos. Mark the spot by
erecting the tripod on it! It is very important to make sure the three
legs are firmly locked into place and the whole structure is stable. (Some
professional photographers will even hang a sand bag from the tripod to
make it even more steady and secure.) Any movement of the tripod and their
effort will fail. Guaranteed!
The next step is crucial. Adjust the legs of the tripod
to get the tripod head absolutely level. “Eye balling” is not good
enough. This is where the spirit level comes in. Any carpenters level will
do, and some tripods actually come with spirit levels built in. Check
north-south and east-west. The tripod head must be horizontal in all
planes.
The idea is that all sideways movements of the camera
have to be in the exact horizontal plane. This movement is called the
“pan” and the handle to allow this to happen is the “pan handle” -
just shows you how basic photography really is!
Since this is a good photographic exercise, I am not
going to rush through it, so please save this week’s article and read it
in conjunction with Part 2 which will be out next week.
Modern Medicine: Is it a cold - or is it the flu?
by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant
Last week I wrote about having a cold. And yes, thank
you, I am much better now. That in itself shows that my ailment was Coryza,
the common cold. The fact that I got over it so quickly would also point
to the fact that it was not “the flu”, something that doesn’t go
away so quickly.
So what are the differences? Both are caused by
viruses, so is one just a bigger dose than the other? No, the two
conditions are quite distinct, and in fact there are specific laboratory
tests that can be done to show whether your ailment is the “real” flu.
Have a look at this table and you will quickly see that you don’t even
need the lab test to differentiate between them.
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Symptoms
Onset
Sore throat
Temperature
Headache
Aches and pains
Cough
Sneezing
Duration
Complications |
Influenza
Sudden
Extreme
High (41 degrees)
Severe
All joints
Yes
Rare
1-2 weeks
Severe |
Common Cold
Gradual
Mild
Mild elevation
Minor only
Mild, legs only
Mild
Common
A few days
Mild |
And who gets influenza, other than you and me? The most
“at risk” groups are people over the age of 65, people with
“chronic” ailments such as cardiac, respiratory, and kidney problems
and those who have decreased immunity, with AIDS being number one on that
list. The general consensus is about one person in five will get influenza
each year. That’s 20% of the population getting an ailment that is going
to lay them low for a couple of weeks. That certainly knocks the stuffing
out of annual productivity.
One very important difference is in the complications
that occur. With a cold, complications are rare and generally quite mild,
but with the influenza virus you are knocked flat and become easy prey to
marauding bacteria, with pneumonia, sinusitis, bronchitis and middle ear
infections (in children) being very common and severe. Big dose
antibiotics are often required here, and it is the secondary infection
that carries off the weaker member of the society in a flu epidemic. In
fact, for those who like to look at the numbers, influenza (and its
complications) carries off more than 2000 Australians every year.
So is the treatment the same? Again the answer is no.
For influenza caused by the strains Influenza A and B (the common types)
there is now a type of medication called neuraminidase inhibitors (NAI’s)
developed after research in Australia and sold as Relenza and Tamiflu
which work by stopping the influenza virus from duplicating itself inside
the blood cells. This in turn reduces the severity of the symptoms, with
the current research showing around a 40% decrease and the complications
themselves being down by 50% of that expected.
The other good news about the NAI’s is that drug
resistance appears to be very low (around 2%) and the main side effect
(which is nausea) can be controlled by taking the medication immediately
after food.
Now while it is good news that there is now some form
of treatment available, the main thrust in the influenza battle is still
immunisation. And it is an annual one because the influenza virus changes
every year. If you are in the “at risk” category, I would be strongly
recommending immunization.
Women’s World: A new adventure
by Lesley Warner
The final chapter in this series on lost relationships
is rebuilding your life and discovering a new you. For some this will be
easier than others. A lot depends on the circumstances of your marriage
breakup.
You need to deal with the anger, which will hang around
for a long time, rearing its ugly head just when you thought you had
control. You need to cleanse yourself of this anger to go on with your
life. Try some angry ranting sessions with your friends and maybe some
furious pillow punching. Don’t despair - like other negative emotions
that flood you after a divorce, it will fade.
Be careful with the children, as they can get caught up
in your feelings of anger against their father or mother. It’s easy to
find yourself unwittingly using them as a whipping block as you rant and
rave about the failings of your ex-spouse. You must remember that this
person is still a parent to the children and do not use them as a tool or
a weapon. They may not accept you dating when the time comes, make it very
clear that your date would never and could never replace their other
parent.
As I have mentioned before hatred is a destructive
emotion as powerful as love. I have seen a wonderful person change into an
embittered twisted woman with a face aged beyond its years by discontent
and hatred. What’s so sad is that the person all this hatred was aimed
at never even noticed, and is very happy with his life.
It can be scary at first to face the world without a
partner. But if you allow yourself to feel your fear and your longing and
really sit with those emotions, you will eventually come to terms with
your feelings. The strength and independence that you can find through
doing this is much more stable and satisfying than being with someone
because you feel you can’t be alone.
Begin to date when you feel it’s time. Don’t let
other people rush you or slow you down. Resist the temptation to find
somebody who’s totally different from your ex-spouse. Remember, there
were a lot of things about your ex-spouse that were appealing once.
It can be very strange to date someone after spending a
number of years with one person. You may feel that you can never become
truly intimate with someone who is so far behind on the story of your
life. The trick is to focus on your future and not your past. I mean,
let’s be realistic here, don’t you think it’s great that there are
some parts of you that you will never have to disclose? And how far behind
could they really be? After all, how many of us have biography writers
begging for our life story? We all had a marriage or relationship that
robbed us of trust or innocence.
At first you may feel awkward and terribly unsure. For
a woman in her middle years she can feel very insecure with her physical
attributes. Maybe you haven’t dated for 20 years, when the skin was
smooth and supple and you were young and full of self-confidence.
Remember, this is a new you, with newfound confidence and think to
yourself: if this new guy likes me than he will like me as I am, wrinkles,
cellulite and varifocals. Don’t try and be someone you are not; relax
and enjoy your new freedom and maturity.
There’s a special role your first love plays after
divorce. It can be a time of delightful discovery, a chance for you to
rediscover your playful side, to have some fun. Goodness knows you deserve
it. Just resist the temptation to jump in irrevocably. You’re probably
less ready than you think.
If you choose to relax and accept yourself, you will
attract, like a magnet, the people whom you most need and want to know.
Take each day as a chance to start fresh and keep only
those memories that enrich and nurture you. Consciously forget the
failures.
The sweetest revenge you can get against a former lover
is to live a fulfilling and happy life. Practice being cheerful and soon
you will be. Believe me, you will eventually find that you are relieved
you were able to escape the trap of unhappiness you were in!
Heart to Heart with Hillary
Dear Hillary,
My wife discovered some “glitter” in my underpants
when she came to put them in the washing machine. I know where the glitter
came from, but I cannot really tell her as it would be embarrassing.
Should I tell her I am a cross dresser, or admit to secretly wearing
glitter makeup which I rub off before I get home in the evenings? She is
really pestering me for the information, and so far I have been able to
stall her, but not for long, so a quick answer to my problem, please.
Garry
Dear Garry,
You certainly are a mixed up man, aren’t you,
Petal. You have even got me confused by the end of your letter, so no
doubt your wife is equally perplexed. If you are wearing glitter makeup,
what are you wiping it off with? Your underpants? Are you a cross dresser?
And with who? My only suggestion is to put some glitter makeup on her
underwear as well and say your glittery bits must have come from hers when
both were in the washing machine.
Dear Hillary,
My friends overseas all like the Pattaya Mail,
and everyone loves you Hillary. They read the paper every week through the
internet, but the version that goes out on the web does not have
everything. Where can they get the full paper? They live in Baltimore in
the United States.
Don
Dear Don,
Thank you for the nice words, but next time just
wrap them up with the chocolates and attach to the champagne bottle (it
doesn’t have to be chilled, I can do that myself) which should be left
at the editorial offices, clearly marked “Attention Hillary” or
otherwise someone else will misappropriate them. Now for your friends -
tell them to scroll down the left margin of the web version of the Pattaya
Mail and click on subscribe. It will cost $202 for a year with air
mail delivery, and they can do it all via email, but please do not put
dollar bills in the “A” drive as it clogs the system.
Dear Hillary,
I have come over here from the UK to look after my
elderly father (72 years old) who is living in a condo in Pattaya. When I
spoke to him from England I got the impression that he was still pining
for my late mother who died two years ago, but when I got here that seems
to be nothing like the true situation. I find that he is going to girly
bars at night and I have seen them fondling him in a most indiscreet
manner. Do you agree that a man of his age (and a retired bank manager)
should not be handling himself in this way? I find it disgusting and would
like your advice on how I get him to stop this sort of thing, as I am sure
you will be just as disgusted at this type of behaviour being shown by
someone who used to be a loving husband and father. Is it a medical
problem, do you think?
Hermione
Dear Hermione,
No my dear, it is not a medical problem, it is a
daughter problem. I do not understand your saying that he has been
“handling himself in this way” when the sentence before you give me to
believe that he is being more than adequately handled by others! You
should be pleased that your 72 year old father is still showing signs of
life and share in his enjoyment of it. Life is for living, no matter what
age you are. Time for you to lighten up, Petal. If you want to do
something for your father in a constructive way get him a medical check up
and a packet of Vitamin V if he is fit enough.
Dear Hillary,
I am a larger sized lady, but I am happy with myself
and my shape. I have been “overweight”, or what I would describe as
“cuddly” for the last fifteen years and this has defied all attempts
at dieting, so I have now given up and just enjoy myself. This does lead
to some problems though when getting items for my wardrobe. In the western
countries the ladies apparel shops do cater to the larger sizes but this
does not seem to be the case here. Do you know of any shops in Pattaya
that would keep dresses of size 18 and over? The “one size fits all”
is a little optimistic I have found.
Cuddles
Dear Cuddles,
Hillary is happy for you that you are happy with
your size and shape, as so many of us are not. However, the local shops
will obviously stock clothes for the majority of their customers - they
are Thai and come in sizes 6-10. But do not despair, help is at hand,
called tailor shops! Most of the tailor shops in Pattaya also cater for
women customers. If you have a favourite dress you can get it copied, or
if you have a photograph of a dress that you like, you can get it made.
There are advertisements in the Pattaya Mail for the more reputable
ones.
A Slice of Thai History: The Royal Thai Air Force
by Duncan Stearn
Part Two: Growth and Action 1935-1987
In 1935, the Air Division was renamed the Air Force
Division and finally, in 1937, it was proclaimed the Royal Thai Air Force
and separated from the Army.
Towards the end of the 1930s, the Royal Thai Air Force
numbered around 290 aircraft, divided into five air wings. In spite of the
numbers, the reality was that only around 115 of those planes (72
fighters, 37 fighter-bombers and six bombers) could be considered modern.
The majority of the remainder were First World War vintage.
However, under Field Marshal Pibul Songgram, Thailand
forged closer ties with Japan, eventually purchasing around 93 modern
aircraft from the Japanese.
The first real test of the capabilities of the Royal
Thai Air Force came in 1940 with the outbreak of the Franco-Thai War. Thai
airplanes allegedly attacked places like Battambang in Cambodia and
Vientiane in Laos, with the French claiming to have shot down at least
four Thai planes in dogfights.
In December 1940, three Thai planes attacked three
French warships that were shelling Trat, claiming a hit on one of the
vessels. The daring January 11 1941 raid by six Thai bombers escorted by
four fighters against Hanoi proved the immense value of the air wing. The
success of the attack is considered one of the major reasons for Japanese
mediation that led to the resolution of the conflict.
When the Japanese invaded Thailand in December 1941,
the Thai air force went into action against far superior numbers and
acquitted themselves well until a ceasefire was arranged. Thailand then
joined forces with Japan and declared war on the United States, Britain
and her allies.
After the Second World War, the air force came to rely
more and more on purchasing hardware and equipment from overseas. A number
of surrendered Japanese fighters bolstered air force numbers.
Hoping to modernize the air force, the Thai Purchasing
Commission acquired trainers and transports in 1948, visiting the United
States, Britain and Canada.
In 1950, the Joint United States Military Advisory
Group (JUSMAG) arrived in Thailand, tasked with providing equipment,
training and support for the air force. The outbreak of the Korean War in
1950 saw Thailand respond to the United Nation’s request for military
forces to be sent to halt the North Korean invasion. The first contingent
of air force personnel, a logistical support corps, left for Korea in June
1951.
That same year, the U.S. sent a quantity of aircraft to
bolster the ranks of the Thai air wing.
After the Korean War ended in 1953, Thailand continued
to send air force teams to South Korea until 1976.
In 1957, Thailand began receiving its first jet
trainers, courtesy of the United States Military Assistance Program. A
year later, the first jet combat aircraft arrived.
Thailand, as an ally of the United States, sent forces
to support South Vietnam in its war against North Vietnam and the
insurgent Vietcong.
Between 1965 and 1966, Thai air force personnel helped
to train South Vietnamese pilots. Thai airmen also flew combat airlift
missions and acted as forward air controllers. Thai forces were withdrawn
from Vietnam in February 1972.
This was the last occasion in which Thai air forces
were called on to participate in a conflict away from Thai soil, although
aircraft were engaged against communist insurgents during the late 1970s
and saw action in the Thai-Lao border war of 1987.
Bits ‘n’ Bobs
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Make no bones
about it
Sitting at a local hostelry with some friends one
afternoon, I asked the waitress if I could have some bones for my
dogs (they have a weekly roast pig on a spit). I had never asked
this particular waitress before and I knew her English was limited.
So, I decided to use my equally limited Thai for this request:
“Nong, mee gadoo mah mai?” (Do you have any bones for the dogs?)
The girl stood back aghast and vehemently protested that they did
not have any dog bones and seemed quite shocked by the very idea:
‘MAI CHAI!!! Oooooeeeee, farang ba!’ I quickly explained that I
wanted bones for my dogs to eat, not the actual bones of a dog,
preferably pork bones from the carcass of the previous night’s
barbecue. Having regained her composure, she poutingly asked why I
had not said that in the first place. Her colleagues laughed aloud
behind their hands which did not help matters. I know that the Thai
I spoke was near enough correct, but it just goes to show how even
the Thai cannot always understand Thai unless the context is crystal
clear.
Word of the week
Oxymoron (n.) A farang who gives a bargirl money
to treat her mother’s sick buffalo.
Pee in the toilet
A little while ago, Thai TV covered a story about
a bargirl who aborted her unborn child in a toilet. The distressed
girl had deliberately taken some potion for the purpose and it had
startling results. Without going into the gory details, the story
focussed on the fact that because the baby died in such a way, its
ghost (a ghost in Thai = pee) now haunted the toilet and was slanted
in a way to suggest that all toilets would remain haunted until the
monks had performed a ceremony. I could not believe how my
girlfriend then insisted that our toilet was now haunted. She was
terrified of going in there. I doubt I helped by announcing I was
going for a quick ‘ghost’ every time I needed to make room for
some more Heineken. Despite my assurances that I had drowned the
thing, she preferred to dance around the room rather than relieve
herself. After some two hours, she finally gave up the ghost...
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Sent in by a reader
When the work on the extension to my house was being
carried out, my dogs were somewhat put out that their ‘business area’
had been encroached upon. Although I had ensured they would still have a
decent enough area in which to relieve themselves they were none too
pleased. They saw the Thai workmen as the invaders of their hallowed
territory and sought revenge. At night, the rascals would defecate not
only on the workmen’s’ tools and materials, they would ensure that the
route they knew the workmen would take was spattered with the runniest of
‘presents’. One day at about noon, the foreman who had previously made
the mistake of winding up Teddy, my eldest dog finally, rolled up for
work. Although Teddy was behind the locked gate and unable to clamp his
jaws around the throat of his adversary, he was able to view the results
of his ‘handiwork’. Ted had excelled himself by leaving a deposit in
‘Happy’s’ forgotten hat. ‘Happy’ (the foreman’s nickname) was
initially less than impressed when he stepped barefoot into one of Ted’s
soft-centred logs, but when he saw what Ted had done in his hat he lost
all control. He went berserk and was ranting and raving in foul Thai at
the top of his voice. Teddy just sniggered and wagged his tail with pride
and satisfaction at the torment he had caused. ‘Happy’ grabbed a
trowel and proceeded to lob every deposit over the high wall. Mad Max, my
neighbour, was busying himself in his garden and was a tad put out when it
began raining pork and rice recently passed through the digestive system
of a dog. Mad Max and I are no longer on speaking terms...
16th Century Trivia
Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel
quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to
show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man “could bring home the
bacon.” They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all
sit around and “chew the fat”.
Bin not Laden
One recent very hot afternoon, the city hall rubbish
collection wagon pulled up. The lad grabbed my bin and hurled it up to his
co-worker who was standing waste-deep in the rotting rubbish in the bowels
of the vehicle. I noticed he had neglected to remove the lid from the bin
and watched as the lad aboard proceeded to shake out the rather nasty and
stubborn contents before casually tossing the empty receptacle to the
ground. As they were about to drive off, I pointed out that the lid had
not been returned. The lad rummaged around and could not readily find it.
He then told me that if I wanted it I would have to climb up and look for
it myself. Suffice it to say, my bin is now lidless...
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Animal Crackers: Animal First Aid
By Mirin E Mc Carthy
A shocking experience
It is a harrowing experience to hear a squeal of tires
followed by a thump and then the anguished cries of an animal in pain.
According to Murphy’s Law this generally occurs when you are least
expecting it, at night in the rain, when there are no vets available, or
worse when you are babysitting your nephew’s beloved pet.
The most important principle is to remain calm and
think this scene though first so you will be prepared. What would you do
if it happened to you? The principles of emergency life saving first aid
is the same for animals as it is for humans, stay calm and do not put
yourself or the casualty in further danger, then do what you can for the
A.B.C.’s. A.B.C. stands for Airway, Breathing and Circulation.
It bears repeating that thinking about this nightmare
scene beforehand helps you to be prepared and so remain calm and effective
in a crisis. Part of being prepared is to always have the telephone
numbers of emergency after hours vet care to hand, even if babysitting a
pet for a short while. Another useful aid is to have a clean towel, sheet
or blanket ready to wrap an injured animal in.
Danger to the intervening firstaider you, is a very
real possibility. Even the mildest mannered little pooch or the purrfect
pet puss will bite and scratch savagely when injured. Tying a simple
length of string slip knot over the jaws and behind the ears of an injured
dog, and holding a cat by the scruff of the neck and wrapping it in a
towel are effective ways of keeping severe bites to a minimum.
Airway, Breathing
The A.B.C.’s of first aid are seen to in that order
because an animal will die from not breathing before it dies from
bleeding. The brain cannot survive without oxygen for more than a few
minutes. Check if the animal is really not breathing. Attempting to do
mouth to nose rescue breathing on a merely shocked animal would result in
serious personal injury. Call the animal first, gently touch it to see if
it is indeed unconscious. Put your hand over its nose to check if there is
warm air being expelled. Look to see if the chest is rising and falling.
To make sure that the airway is open so air can get in and out of the
lungs, extend the head and neck. This means to pull the jaw and chin
upwards and gently pull the tongue forward. The animal may then restart
breathing on its own.
If no breathing is seen in ten seconds begin rescue
breathing. Cover the animal’s nose with your mouth and forcefully blow
your breath into its lungs. In cats and small dogs you must hold the
corners of the mouth tightly closed while you force the air in. Blow the
air into the animal’s lungs until you see the chest expanding. Take your
mouth away when you see the chest is fully expanded. The lungs will now
deflate on their own. Continue rescue breathing 20 - 25 times per minute
in cats and small dogs, 12 - 20 times per minute in medium to large dogs.
Get the animal to a vet as soon as possible.
Circulation
The circulation is the blood stream which carries
oxygen around the body. If a pet is visibly bleeding or internally
bleeding where the blood loss cannot be seen then it will go into shock if
the bleeding is not stopped. It is important to keep the animal quiet and
calm and stop any visible bleeding. This is simple to do with direct
pressure over the bleeding area with a rag and firm hand pressure. Keep
your hands on the bleeding areas firmly until you can get the animal to a
vet. Keep the animal quiet and warm but not hot and covered with a coat,
towel or blanket.
What not to do
Never force water or liquid into an animal’s mouth.
Do not allow an injured animal to run around or jump into a transport car
by itself as this uses up the pet’s vital fuel energy and can be fatal.
Do not apply heating pads to the animal. Never give it aspirin or alcohol
or any pain medication either, rather get it to veterinary care as soon as
possible.
Remembering these simple A.B.C.’s may save the life
of your beloved pet one day.
Personal Directions: Setting goals gives life new meaning
by Christina Dodd, founder and managing director
of Incorp Training Associates
Have you ever given yourself time to think about what
it is that you want out of life?
All too frequently we just live to get through the day
and all its problems! - The kids, the project or report you haven’t
finished, the bank manager and the mortgage, your parents’ next visit.
We don’t realize it, but by not taking the time “to
set goals” - to think about and plan for the things we desire - we are
missing an extremely valuable element to living a full and happy,
meaningful life.
All the success literature goes into great depth about
the whys and hows of setting goals and the do’s and don’ts, the pluses
and minuses - the 4 reasons for this, the 5 steps for that and the 10 keys
to this and so forth! Whilst I always find the titling a little amusing -
works by some of the more renowned success authors can be uplifting and
highly motivating to say the least. And it doesn’t take a genius to work
out that there must be something to this goal setting business otherwise
why would they have been writing about it so vehemently for decades.
Goal setting is in fact a very powerful technique that
can bring great rewards in all areas of your life. At its simplest level
the process of setting goals and targets allows you to choose where you
want to go in life! By knowing exactly what you want to achieve, you then
know what you have to concentrate on and improve. Goal setting gives you
vision and motivation. It allows you to focus on your knowledge and
capabilities and to realize your full potential.
By setting specific, clearly defined and realistic
goals you add reason and purpose to your life!
If you’re not convinced and if you still don’t
understand why setting and trying to achieve goals is so critical, take a
long hard look at your own life. Break it up into a few areas for starters
like your health, your career, your financial situation or your
relationships, your possessions. Are you happy and completely satisfied
with where you stand within each of these right now? Are you really
feeling fantastic at 20 kilos overweight! Do you truly enjoy not spending
enough time with your kids - is that what you really want for you and for
them? Are you content with just making ends meet and having to add up the
grocery items in your shopping trolley before you reach the cashier - is
that how you want it to be? Is it?
There are so many areas to survey within ourselves and
our present lives that it becomes quite a task - but the more open and
honest you are with yourself in this exercise - the greater the
understanding you will gain about goals and how they bring importance to
our lives. So continue to examine your life, put it under the microscope.
In order to begin to set goals, you have to acknowledge and measure the
current status of your own life otherwise it’s like trying to use a map
without having a point of reference - if you’re lost, having the map is
not going to help you one little bit if you’ve got no idea where you
are.
So once you’ve had a look at your life and set some
goals, what’s the next move? Are your goals going to magically achieve
themselves? See you next time with some valuable pointers and until then,
have a great week!
Christina can be contacted at [email protected]
Social Commentary by Khai Khem
Violent behavior - nature, nurture, chemical or physiological?
Studies in the USA and Europe are searching for answers
which may lead to better explanations of violent behavior. For decades the
prevailing theories tell us that the roots of violence lie in deprived
environments and abusive parents. This view is still scientifically
supported, politically correct and often a basis for legal defense.
In the last several years, however, brain scans and
other studies of the minds of murderers show that there’s often another
factor: damage or poor function of the prefrontal cortex, a part of the
brain that lies just behind the forehead and eyes. Though brain scan
evidence is not yet widely used in courts, it could be introduced in the
future.
Perhaps more important, understanding the biological
roots of violence may enable doctors to intervene with drugs, behavior
modification or other techniques to try to offset a person’s violent
tendencies. One current theory is that violent impulses originate in deep
regions of the limbic system, or emotional brain. This means that it’s
then the job of the higher brain regions, specifically the prefrontal
cortex, to decide whether to act on these impulses or not.
While damage to the prefrontal cortex may help explain
impulsive violence like sudden rage attacks, apparently it can’t explain
violence that is premeditated. In other words, if a burglar who
meticulously planned and executed a bank robbery tried to argue that he
was not responsible because of damage to his prefrontal cortex, he would
be laughed out of court. Brain injury alone does not explain violence.
Most brain-damaged people are not violent, and most
people with serious mental illness are not violent either. However, a
“cocktail of violence” occurs when a child with brain damage is raised
in an abusive environment and is also prone to psychosis (loss of contact
with reality). Childhood abuse itself can lead to brain damage, either
from direct head injury or from the brain’s emotional response to abuse.
Exposure to trauma early in life can result in a surge of the stress
hormone cortisol, which affects the structure and function of nerve cells
in the brain.
Interestingly enough, none of the new studies probes
the most obvious characteristic of violence. Across all cultures, men are
more likely to commit violent crimes. Men are more likely than women to
commit murder, and more likely to commit armed robbery and aggravated
assault.
A new theory for the glaring gender difference involves
the hormone testosterone, which is more abundant in men than in women.
Precisely how testosterone may trigger violence in the brain is a mystery.
In animals, data shows that aggression is linked to high testosterone and
that castration (surgical removal of the testicles, which produce the male
hormone) decreases aggression.
Research shows that male sex offenders who are
castrated are less likely to repeat their crimes and that men who take
body-building steroids, which are chemically close to testosterone, can
become aggressive. Studies of prisoners, both male and female, also
suggest that aggression is linked to high testosterone levels.
Current work by researchers shows that healthy people
who suffer damage to the prefrontal cortex can become impulsive and
antisocial. Results from studies done around the world are now pouring in
and they are showing that prefrontal damage is linked to violent behavior.
When murderers are divided into those who killed with premeditation and
those who killed impulsively, it is the impulsive killers who showed the
poorest functioning in the prefrontal cortex.
In addition, in murderers’ brains, the corpus
callosum - a band of tissue that links the right and left hemispheres -
also functioned poorly. This makes sense because it may mean that the left
hemisphere can’t communicate with the more emotional right side, thus
allowing aggressive impulses to go uncontrolled. Also, the deep brain
regions where scientists believe primitive emotions such as fear and
aggression originate were more active in the brains of murderers than
controls.
Other studies used MRI technology to scan the brain; a
technique that looks at the structure, as opposed to the functioning, of
different brain regions. The scans are then used to compare people with
antisocial personality disorders with healthy people or those with
substance abuse problems or other psychiatric problems.
People with antisocial personalities show classic signs
of a predisposition to aggression. Research suggests that a low resting
heart rate at age 3 predicts aggression by age 11. In general, men have
lower resting heart rates than women, another possible clue to the gender
differences in aggression.
Research shows that violent people, in general, exhibit
less physiological response to stimuli, including more sluggish sweating
and skin changes, than nonviolent people. This raises the intriguing
possibility that violence may serve as a kind of rush that jolts the brain
toward more normal functioning.
After compiling recent studies of violence and the
brain in more than 500 people, University of Wisconsin psychologist
Richard Davidson concluded that violent people have diminished brain
activity in the prefrontal region, while activity in the amygdala is
increased. His findings were published last July in the journal Science.
Moreover, Davidson’s compilation confirmed that violent people may have
disrupted functioning of a key brain chemical, serotonin. The data on
violence and serotonin, and especially on the role of serotonin-boosting
antidepressant drugs such as Prozac, is complicated.
Serotonin is clearly important for impulse control, and
animal studies suggest that when serotonin goes down, vicious behavior
increases. The bottom line? Violence is a complex behavior. The more
researchers learn about the neurobiology of this impulse to harm, the more
human beings, with their huge brains, may find ways to control it.
Roll over Rover: Can anyone lead?
by C. Schloemer
The leading method is easy and nearly anyone can do it.
Naturally I do not recommend hitching a three-year old to your Saint
Bernard or even to a Yorkshire terrier for that matter. Do not lead your
dog around if you are physically impaired or very pregnant. But if older
children and other adults want to take part in the house training, let
them. Remember; dogs focus on a hierarchy, so it’s actually best if
everyone takes part.
Pregnant women and children can wear the leash like a
sash provided the dog is not large enough to pull them down. Young
children can lead the dog by holding a short lead. Dogs love the game
since it’s such an entertaining activity. In the beginning it may not be
as much fun for the owner.
First you must put an end to the tug-of-war games. They
encourage struggles for control, including the battle of the leash. A
little sabotage like rubbing chili or Tabasco sauce on the lead will often
discourage mouthing. If your dog loves that stuff, you may have to employ
a tougher tactic. Each time your dog goes for the lead snap it firmly into
his mouth. This reverse action on your part (rather than trying to pull
the leash out of the mouth) will abort a control struggle. It’s a cause
and effect reaction. For some dogs it is a control issue, for some merely
a copycat reaction. You pull, he pulls, you pull harder, he digs in, etc.
But when the lead is pulled back into the mouth sharply, it takes the fun
out of it. Stern and consistent reaction from the owner will convince the
dog that it is more comfortable to let the lead alone.
Do I lead my dog around forever?
Of course not! Once your dog is responding to your
verbal instructions and understands the rules (generally one to three
weeks) you can start letting him drag the leash as you watch him meander
around the house. If your dog behaves, praise him. Help him find his bones
and toys in each new space. After a few days of supervised freedom, try
attaching a short lead. Slowly allow the dog more freedom, even when you
can’t be on his tail.
Once he passes that test, he’s a house dog and the
hardest part is over. Congratulations to both of you! However, if your dog
is still out of control, you need not feel discouraged. It really is not a
big deal. Some dogs catch on in three weeks, and others may take months.
Everyone is different in the dog-world. Be patient. Do some more leading
and stationing before re-introducing the dog to more freedom again.
Anchoring
The phone rings, or you have work on the computer or
it’s time to start dinner. What do you do with the dog? How do you teach
him to stay quiet when you are busy with other things? Off-leash, the dog
would probably have you rescuing a favorite slipper or the defrosting beef
roast on the kitchen counter.
The solution is to anchor your dog. When you are
speaking on the phone, or working at your desk, waiting at a vet’s
office, watching TV or whatever, slide the end clip of the teaching lead
around toward your back and anchor it to a chair or table leg, or in some
cases, just sit on it. Give your dog just enough freedom to lie next to
you. When he’s settled, offer a chew toy or bone and an affectionate
scratch. The first couple of times he may whine, bark or paw to get your
attention. Ignore these ploys. It may take your dog fifteen minutes to
settle down and chew his bone, and this is perfectly normal. When he
finally does settle down praise him and continue whatever you were doing.
If he hops up again, offer more praise, but keep the dog anchored and
withdraw the attention.
The Message In The Moon: Sun in Leo-Moon in Pisces
by Anchalee Kaewmanee
The Charmer
There is almost no one as charming to know as a person
born into this sign. The Leo personality is forceful, ambitious,
aggressive and drawn to leadership. But the Pisces inner self is
compassionate, sensitive and self-sacrificing. Forced to choose between
the spiritual and the materialistic most natives in this Sun-Moon combo
will choose to meet the demands of their egos first.
In spite of all their lofty ideals and humanitarian
sentiments, they are really quite practical, down to earth and shrewd. In
youth, they were no doubt romantic, optimistic and painfully sensitive.
But gradually, after perceiving the world as callous and exacting, some of
the Pisces na๏vet้ will wear off and most people of this group
eventually learn that if they can adapt they will prosper.
Nobility of spirit and ‘other-worldly’ appeal
combine to make this combo an intriguing Leo indeed. Without boasting,
these natives possess dignity, style and a magnetic presence that draws
people to them and they will have many admirers throughout their life.
Usually very calm, these individuals always have a method of persuasion
that is so subtle that few people ever suspect just how aggressive and
ambitious the Leo-Pisces really is. For this reason, these people can
excel in business dealings, and are able to charm and soften others
whenever a light touch is required. This group is not given to blustering
to get what they want and make splendid negotiators.
Though people born into this sign are savvy in the
business world, their refined and sensitive nature may also draw them to
the arts. They all love drama, imagery and design and possess great
creative originality in these endeavors. But this Sun-Moon sign has many
talents and could do well in medicine and health-related fields as well.
In all activities, no matter how determined and hard
working the Leo Pisces is, he or she will never compromise ethical
standards, because like all Leos, they treasure honesty, trust and
loyalty. Once these individuals feel completely satisfied with their
accomplishments and have sated their need for comfort and luxury, they
will direct some of that famous Leo ardor to helping others and engaging
in charitable works.
Oddly enough, unnecessary guilt is often a problem for
the Leo-Pisces. Setting high standards for oneself is fine, if those
standards are neither unreasonable nor unattainable. The Sun in Leo evokes
great ambition, but the Pisces sensitive inner nature makes them feel a
little bit uncomfortable making such lofty plans.
A Leo-Pisces native will have great power and influence
over people, and that may prompt feelings of guilt. The outcome frequently
makes these people feel undeserving and wonder if they really have the
right to all the good things in life that come their way. This vague
feeling of not quite deserving life’s copious blessings is often why
this sign is found in professions where helping others is tantamount, such
as the clergy and the medical field.
There is a tremendously vivid imagination at work here
and it is a source of tension. Many natives of this sign are plagued by
imaginary illnesses and true paranoia is not uncommon. It is wise for them
to remain socially active because excessive solitude will only reinforce
those imaginary fears. Individuals who channel that amazing imagination
will find talents they never knew they possessed. Faith will also be a
source of strength for people born into this combination for they often
have strong religious feelings. The clergy is full of Leo-Pisces natives.
In romance this combination understands the concept of
give and take. The Leo-Pisces is always sensitive to the needs and
feelings of a mate. In many respects the Leo-Pisces is the perfect partner
in love, but as his or her romanticism is somewhat diffusive. Since they
are so sincerely affectionate toward so many people, it may be difficult
to focus attention on any single person. In youth this sign will have many
lovers. As maturity increases people in this group make fine spouses and
parents. In choosing a mate this native must find someone who appreciates
that generous nature and who will return the same loyalty and passion.
These natives are not masochistic and will not suffer very long in an
unrewarding relationship. They will simply take their affections
elsewhere.
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