HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Family Money

Snap Shots

Modern Medicine

Women's World

Heart to Heart with Hillary

A Slice of Thai History

Bits ‘n’ Bobs

Coins of the Realm

Animal Crackers

Personal Directions

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

Roll over Rover

The Message In The Moon

PC Basics

Family Money: From the past to the future

By Leslie Wright,
Managing director of Westminster Portfolio Services (Thailand) Ltd.

The past two years have been a difficult environment for equity investors, in some ways reminiscent of both 1994 and 1998, with many investors having become stultified and hesitant to establish significant market exposures. Yet this most recent period is also very different from either 1994 or 1998: more troubling in some ways, more hopeful in others.

In 1994, the trouble began with the Fed unexpectedly raising interest rates in February, to stem growing inflationary pressures. As a result, bonds suffered severe losses that year; but the period may be viewed as little more than a macro-economic shock that came and went.

In 1997 - 1998, trouble began at the opposite end of the spectrum: high U.S. interest rates and surging equity markets resulted in several Asian currencies having to devalue against the U.S. dollar. Then the Russian Debt Crisis forced the ruble to devalue as well.

This period was different from 1994 because the shock to the system was more extraneous and less calculated, but it was similar to 1994 because problems once again emanated from the bond markets.

In the current period trouble began with a mild tightening by the Fed in early 2000 in order to reverse a U.S. monetary policy that had been overly accommodative. A general dearth of corporate information technology spending also set in once Y2K system upgrading subsided. The combination was sufficient to reveal the silliness of prior Internet and telecom investing, and soon sent the U.S. economy and equity markets spiralling lower.

The similarity between the three periods (1994, 1998, and 2000 - 2001) is that credit spreads all expanded, sending many stocks into the distressed category, making equity investing even on a long / short hedged basis perilous at best. All three periods revealed that at the core of many trading approaches credit risk lingers as a significant concern.

The largest difference between the first two periods and the current one is that while the markets previously responded quickly and positively to eventual Fed rate cuts, in the current instance, there has been no swift reaction. The Fed has now cut interest rates 11 times for a total of 475 basis points of easing, yet credit spreads have remained wide, and equity markets have only grudgingly rebounded from their September 2001 lows.

The markets appear to have developed almost a resistance to Fed stimulus. Indeed, since the Fed commenced its latest round of easing in January 2001, two-year note yields at the time of writing are down only 150 basis points, five-year note yields are down less than 20 basis points, while long-term rates are actually higher by 40 basis points. As a result, it is fair to say that the current round of Fed rate cutting has not been successful or at least has been very atypical.

The Feds only true impact in this recent period has been to provide the market with a perceived floor of support and thus cause compression in implied volatility levels. This is quite different from either 1994 or 1998. And when implied volatility contracts too far, it can take the lifeblood out of the markets.

But there are also some positives to point out about the current cycle. For instance, when Argentina abandoned its currency peg and the Enron crisis almost simultaneously hit the front pages of global newspapers, there was much less trickle-on impact on distressed investing, convertible bond arbitrage, and fixed-income arbitrage than one might have expected. The reason is that credit spreads were already extremely wide.

So overall, we now not only have low rates and a very steep yield curve (traditionally bullish phenomena), but also a credit market already predicting the worst.

The push/pull of market forces currently carries on. For those that predict a swift rebound in global equity markets, 2002 could (and already has in part) deliver a Fed-induced equity market bounce. This is because much of last year’s huge growth in the money supply is still bouncing around within the capital markets trying to find an appropriate home.

In turn, this is creating sectoral rotation within the market as a whole a phenomenon generally more favourable to hedge fund investing than simple buy-and-hold investing.

But for the longer term, it is worrying that total debt as a percentage of GDP in today’s economy is too high to expect economic nirvana. The U.S. economy has stabilized, but without the resources for the massive rebound that some optimists are predicting.

Also, there has never been a recession that ended with corporate valuations at as high a level as they stand today: between 130% - 140% of GDP. This compares unfavourably with the long-term level of 30% of GDP where significant market lows have traditionally been found.

In addition, a recession has never ended without the housing market experiencing a stiff fall in value or without consumer spending declining. There’s never been a recession in the U.S. that did not correct trade imbalances and an overvalued U.S. dollar. Thus there is at least a possibility that a stagnation model akin to the 1989 - 2002 Japanese market now lurks behind the scenes for Western markets.

Over time, markets have always demonstrated a wonderful resiliency that makes being a bear a long-term losing proposition. Do I expect the stock markets to rebound? Yes, certainly. The big question is when. But my crystal ball is decidedly murky on that score, so I cannot predict the answer with any degree of accuracy.

Could the environment of the 2000s look more like the environment of 1965 - 1982 when the Dow Jones Industrial Average net made no headway for 17 long years, as some doomsayers are predicting? Perhaps. It is certainly my opinion that expectations of returns from equities must be adjusted lower from what most people came to accept as normal in the 1990’s, let alone the figures of 18% - 20% growth which some investment advisers are leading their clients unrealistically in my view to expect in the coming year or two.

As I’ve written before, if you were expecting average growth of 12 - 15% p.a. before, the best you should realistically be projecting for a median-risk portfolio over the coming period is about 8 - 10% p.a.

Snap Shot: Reflecting on the meaning of life?

by Harry Flashman

The other day Harry got given a wonderful present. Pattaya’s pro shooter, Howard Greene, presented me with a couple of very natty, fold away, store easily, carry easily reflectors. These particular ones even come in their own little zip-up bags to keep them warm and dry. They unfold to make a one and a half metre diameter circular reflector. Both are white on one side, but on the other, one is gold and the other is silver. They both have very different uses.

So why do you need a reflector? If they are so damn good, why aren’t we all rushing around with silver and gold reflectors tucked under our arms? The simple answer is that we get too complacent and we end up saying that the results we get are “good enough”, or we were just taking snapshots anyway. However, if you really want good results, then you should look at making and taking reflectors with you. Really!

Many years ago, Harry shot calendars for a concrete company. These were not shots of concrete trucks or bags of cement - these were 12 shots of ladies. There was also a fair amount of skin shown on every page. Now these were all of fair skinned ladies, but it is amazing how white skin ends up looking totally anaemic on film. These girls needed a little bit of a tan. Bring on the gold reflector! Ah! That golden glow! But the ladies over here are already tanned, I hear you cry. Yes, Harry knows that, but even the dusky damsels come up better on film with a golden glow.

So what else does a reflector do for you? Or rather, for your photographs? Well it allows you to photograph “contre jour” as they say in the classics. That is having the light behind your subject (generally the sun) and then you can throw some reflected light back into the subject’s face. If you do not do this, the usual result is something closer to a silhouette than a portrait - a bright halo around the subject which then becomes so dark in the face that you cannot distinguish the features. But with the reflector, you can push the light back in and pick up the details.

So that was the gold reflector - what about the silver one? Well, if you want “clean” and bright light on a subject anywhere, the silver reflector will do that for you. Harry used to use this type of reflector when photographing silver jewellery for example. Mind you, if you are photographing gold jewellery you must use a gold reflector or otherwise the gold necklaces look silver on film.

The reverse side of the reflectors - the white side, is actually very good to shoot chrome and Harry used this to good effect when shooting motor cars. Grilles and bumpers really sparkle up when the white reflector is brought out. If you want to lighten up or brighten up one side of a portrait, the white sided reflector also works well.

Now, if you haven’t got a friend like Howard to present you with the schmick fold-up reflectors, help is on its way. Here’s how you make your own. Get some “foamcore” - that lightweight plastic material that is often used to make signs (any signmakers will have some). Around 1 metre square is OK. Now go to the newsagents and buy some gold wrapping paper and some silver wrapping paper. Cover one side of the “foamcore” with silver and the other side with the gold paper and you have a lightweight, portable (you can fold it in half easily) silver and gold reflector. And it has cost you less than a couple of hundred baht.

You will be really amazed by the way the use of a reflector can put a different atmosphere into your photographs - especially portraits. Try taking the same shot using different reflectors and note the difference for future use.

Modern Medicine: In-Flight Healthcare

by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant

I flew to the UK a couple of weeks ago to see my dear old Mum, still going very strong at 85 years of age. As my young doctor son who came along too pointed out, Mother’s longevity is also good for him and me, as it increases our statistical chances of making it past three score years and ten as well. However, this week’s medical column is not about longevity in my family household, but on the medical problems associated with plane travel.

In the pocket in the back of the seat in front of me, EVA Air had a little brochure entitled In-flight Healthcare. It was one of those multi-language numbers, and with EVA being a Taiwanese airline, English is not the number one language. It was also certainly not the native language of the compiler of the brochure!

The range of conditions covered was certainly extensive, right from immune deficiency through to pregnancy (the Mile-High club has its dangers it seems) and EVA does not like ladies flying with a pregnancy greater than 32 weeks, without clearance from their own EVA Air doctor - so ladies, be warned.

They even managed to touch on Public Health and Hygiene issues such as the, “Though the cabin air quality is better than that of home and office, a cabin is still a public area where contamination is possible. We suggest patients suffered (sic) from contagious diseases not to take any plane.” They did not suggest to where you were to take the plane! Of course, in such enclosed confines, virulent viruses can run wild, and if the person next to you is sniffling, find another seat if you can.

I must say I did find the advice under the heading “Heart Disease” somewhat pessimistic where they claim that “Heart attack occurs twice as often in the air than on the ground. Not to take air travel, if you have recently suffered from a heart attack.” I do not know where they got their statistics from, but I doubt the “twice as often” claim.

Probably of most use was the section on Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and now sometimes called the Economy Syndrome. Avoiding alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine and drinking plenty of water is all good advice. The brochure suggests doing aerobic exercises in your seat, especially leg ones, but in actual fact it is a lot easier and simpler to just get up every hour and walk right around the plane. For this reason, I always ask for an aisle seat as you can get in and out more easily. On the stroll drink a couple of glasses of water and your chances of getting a DVT are really very small.

Other helpful hints included a section on taking your medication with you on board. For people who have diabetes for example, where it is necessary to have continuation of doses, it is no good if your tablets are in the hold! Another small, but important item was the advice to ask for seats close to the wings if you suffer from motion sickness. Fortunately I do not suffer from that, I only suffer from abject fear, for which the brochure offered no advice!

Women’s World: An error of birth (Part 1)

by Lesley Warner

I called my column Women’s World for the very reason that I wanted to cover a variety of women’s issues. After some interesting research, I realize that there are some women that I haven’t written about. Maybe this information will help those of us that are more ignorant about these matters, to understand the desperation of a minority group of females.

During our normal daily lives in our own countries, the variety of interesting characters we meet in Pattaya probably would not cross our path. Think how fortunate we are to meet so many fascinating and friendly people here.

Pattaya is a popular venue for those men that feel their lives would be improved if they were women. For those who are critical of this procedure maybe they should pause for a moment and imagine being imprisoned for life, in solitary confinement, in the wrong body.

Apparently transexuality occurs roughly equally in both physical males and physical females, and is caused by factors such as a critically timed hormonal release caused by stress in the mother, or by the presence of hormone mimicking chemicals present during fetal development. This information is enough to make you spend your entire pregnancy locked away from the stress and strife of everyday life. It does make one wonder why the “stress free” Thai’s produce so many transsexuals?

In this series of articles I have focused on the male to female sex change, because it’s much more common than the alternative (female to male).

The medical term often used to describe this is “gender dysphoria” - we know it as transsexual. As I’ve mentioned it occurs because of changes in the amount of hormones in the womb. If these changes happen during certain critical times when a child’s brain is forming, the cells get the wrong ‘signal’. If it is a boy baby, the brain fails to get the signal to become a male brain. If it is a girl baby, the brain gets the wrong signal, a signal to become a boy brain. The body of the baby, however, is not affected very much, or at all. When the baby is born, everything appears normal. However, the brain inside the baby is a brain of the opposite sex. Brains have sex. They have unique circuitry for male brains and for female brains. This birth defect happens to cats, dogs, apes and every other sort of mammal as well as humans and it’s thought possibly to other species as well.

The symptoms start to show at an early age, usually around five. Boy babies will act like girl babies, and girl babies will act like boy babies. They act naturally, because that is who they really are, inside, in the brain.

If you’re not sure about the difference between “sex” and “gender,” think of it this way: “sex” refers to your biological identification to being male or female (you either are XY or XX); “gender” refers to the social institutions that we think of as enforcing “maleness” and “femaleness” - it’s the stuff that isn’t biological.

So transsexuals, although born into one gender, will identify emotionally and psychologically with the other. The complexities of this state are numerous, and people in different stages of their “coming out as a transsexual” process may refer to themselves in very different ways. Male transsexuals may choose to use hormones, have surgery, or do neither in order to live as women. The point is, these are people who feel that they were born in the wrong body and will often do anything they can to remedy it.

Which is why some transsexuals may choose to undergo the serious operation of a sex change because of psychological and emotional problems that they are suffering. The main goal of a sex change is to help an individual live comfortably in his/her body. Before undertaking something as extreme as a sex change, the patient must consider all of the options. They must take into account the consequences of going through this not only to their own lives but those of family, friends and work colleagues.

Heart to Heart with Hillary

Dear Hillary,

For the past 10 months I’ve been living in Pattaya and reading your column every week. For the first while I was fairly interested and entertained by the hordes of sorry men that write to you claiming that (a) they’ve fallen in love with a bar girl who - get this - is dating someone else, (b) their girlfriend is demanding money to send her family “up north” or (c) they’ve bought a beer bar in someone else’s name and they’re having problems. But, Hillary, please stop printing these useless letters by pathetic, useless men. Who are these idiots who think that they’re special and “it won’t happen to them” because “this one’s different”? Did they all come over on the short boat? Hillary, you seem to be an intelligent woman who understands more than anyone the pitfalls and heartbreaks that happen here every day. Everyone knows this stuff happens every day. Do we need another example of stupidity at its finest every single week? Hillary, I swear I’ll give you the champagne and bon-bons if you print this - ATTENTION SILLY FARANG MEN - YOU’RE NOT SPECIAL. YOU’RE A WALKING WALLET.

Thank you, Hillary, MY petal.

Iggy

Dear Iggy,

Please mark the parcel “For Attention Hillary, c/- Pattaya Mail” so that the champagne and choccies get to me and not to the other gnomes who inhabit the editorial office. And let that be a lesson to you to “dare” Hillary to print things, my Petal! As far as the same mistakes being repeated over and over again - these mistakes happen all over the world, not just in Pattaya, and have been recurring ever since Adam bit the apple. If it helps someone to bear his problems by baring his soul, then the opportunity to write in and the advice received has helped. Remember that the advice is for the person with the problem, the entertainment is for the other readers. Of course, there is also the question as to why someone like you, who feels he has all the answers, writes in as well? Finally, Iggy Pop Petal, I am Hillary, and not “your” Petal!

Dear Hillary,

The other day my computer went bad after a thunderstorm. My Isan Fan, Lek, had said this would happen if I didn’t disconnect it every time the sky threatened. I insisted it was enough to turn off the power strip which fed it. I know you would say, “Listen to your Fan”, but here’s the problem - I’m an American and it is imbedded in the American constitution that the American way, right or wrong, must prevail in any dispute with a Foreign Power, and that an American cannot even submit disputes to foreign arbitration unless it is guaranteed in advance that the decision will arbitrarily go the American way. How can I weasel around the fact that my Isan Fan Lek is a Foreign Power? Please don’t reveal my name to other Americans.

UN American in Meuang Yote

Dear UAIMY,

Sounds like you were once a Marine, America’s number one agency of diplomacy, if I remember the American satirist Tom Lehrer’s words. I am also very pleased to see that you understand that your Fan Lek holds the reins of power. There is a chance for you yet. Hillary is not a politician (check my bank account through the AMLO any time) but what usually happens in this political minefield is that you have to appear to concede a little to gain the eventual upper hand. America does this with carefully constructed letters (remember the crash-landed spy plane episode recently) which appear to be tackling the problem, but actually say very little. Since you are worried about what your fellow Americans would think, I would suggest you tackle this head on with a letter to the local newspaper heralding the practicality and advanced thinking and advice given to the world by Fan Lek, but at the same time suggesting that it was her application of original American technology which made this possible. At best this shows continuing American technological supremacy and at worst it can be claimed it shows that spirit of co-operation that the western world’s number one bastion is capable of. Meanwhile, we all know the real situation. Listen to your Fan! Especially when living in Isan.

Dear Hillary,

There is a young woman who works in an office I go into regularly. I have taken her out to the pictures a couple of times, but now she has been ringing me up to say that she cannot stay in her unit because they are a) repairing it or b) painting it, or c) her friends have come for a visit and the young baby will keep her awake. Each time this means that she comes over to my unit and sleeps over. So far I have put her in the second bedroom, but I can see this will not last. What advice have you got for me?

Concerned of Jomtien

Dear Concerned of Jomtien,

You are being set up, my Petal, if you have not cottoned on to this already. Or then again, I may be wrong and perhaps she just has an interest in hydrodynamics and wants to inspect your plumbing. Since you are worried that your second bedroom “will not last” Hillary suggests you get the painters in and redecorate it, and don’t answer your phone. You have been warned!

A Slice of Thai History: The Revolution of 1688

by Duncan Stearn

Part Three: Increasing French and religious influence

King Narai dispatched his second diplomatic mission consisting of three envoys to the court of Louis XIV of France in January 1684. The mission also passed through England and met with King James II. The purpose of the mission was to ask the French to establish an embassy in Ayutthaya and sign a treaty of friendship.

In 1685, Louis XIV dispatched Chevalier de Chaumont as the first French ambassador to Ayutthaya. Two prominent Jesuit priests accompanied him. The delegation was housed at the summer capital of Lopburi and on December 10 a treaty was signed between France and Ayutthaya, wherein the latter permitted Catholic missionaries to preach throughout the kingdom and Narai agreed to exempt his Christian converts from work on Sunday’s. The French, along with Phaulkon, harboured hopes of converting the King to Christianity.

Included in the agreement was a convention that facilitated French trade with the Royal Warehouse Department. The French were required to pay the usual customs and dues and were also given a monopoly over the tin trade in Phuket and were permitted to establish branch offices on the islands near Mergui. At the same time, the province of Songkhla, which had been rebellious since 1678, was placed under French control.

The agreement with the French also introduced extraterritoriality, the second time this had been allowed (the first being with the Dutch in 1664). This abrogation of Thai sovereignty in legal disputes did not sit well with members of the Thai government and gave them cause to resent the encroaching French influence.

Also in 1685, King Narai made Phaulkon minister responsible for all the trade in Ayutthaya, a post that had traditionally been held by a prominent Indian or Arab businessman. The VOC governor-general wrote to his superiors in Amsterdam that the “Greek ... seems to have a great deal of influence...”

Determined to make the most his exalted status, Phaulkon played the Dutch off against the English while feting the French, annoying almost everyone in the process but enriching himself and Narai.

In a controversial move, Phaulkon appointed Samuel White to the lucrative position of port master in the important Andaman Sea centre of Mergui. White was also engaged in his own private trade, although his ships always flew the Thai flag.

Although foreigners had in the past occupied positions of influence in the Thai government, many courtiers were offended and resentful of Phaulkon. According to many accounts, Phaulkon exercised his authority prudently and produced substantial revenue for Ayutthaya, although this did not lessen the displeasure and jealousy of many court officials.

Phaulkon’s close associations with the French, at the expense of the Dutch, led to palace intrigues against him. Pra Petraja, the commander of the Royal Regiment of Elephants, led the pro-nationalist, anti-Phaulkon clique at court. Petraja and his followers were concerned at the rising level of foreign influence in Thai affairs and viewed Phaulkon’s exalted status as particularly galling. They worried at what they considered was the obviously increasing domination of the French and the effects of Christianity.

Bits ‘n’ Bobs

Coins of the Realm: Royal Thai Mail to be auctioned in Singapore

by Jan Olav Aamlid - President - House of the Golden Coin http://www.thaicoins.com

This Saturday, June 22, Spink will be conducting their Banknotes and Stamps Auction in Singapore.

As millions of others, I collected stamps as a boy and still do on a small scale. I cannot be called an expert. Anyway, I would like to point out a few extraordinary Thai letters to be auctioned off during the stamp section.

Specimen 10 baht note with King Anand Mahidol’s portrait estimated to go for about 24,000 baht.

The letters make up the last three lots in the sale, consisting of 1,050 lots of Banknotes and Stamps. They are listed as Royal Mail, and lot 1048 is from the year 1858, an envelope complete with long letter sent from Shra Pin Klau Chau Yuhua, Second King of Siam, to Capt. Foote in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. The letter tells about a cruise and includes pirates. The envelope and letter has the Royal Seals. If someone would like to read the whole letter, the estimated auction price for the letter is a little more than a million baht.

Lot 1049 is estimated slightly lower, and is from 1894. This is an envelope with no letter, but bearing three different designs of Palace Local Issues (stamps). One of the stamps is unfortunately only about half because the letter was roughly torn open. This Palace Local Issue 1 att black on pink does have the portrait of King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, and probably if not only partial, the estimated price of the letter would have been much higher.

From my little knowledge of stamps, I know only a missing perforation would make a stamp decrease in value from a small fortune to almost nothing. Anyway, this letter is described as remarkable and almost certainly the most colorful of the very few Palace Local issue covers recorded.

Royal Mail from 1894, envelope bearing three different designs of the Palace Local issue, estimated to sell for more than a million baht.

The last Royal Letter and the last lot in the auction is a crested envelope from 1920. King Vajiravudh, Rama VI, sent a letter “To His Royal Highness Prince Adalbert of Prussia”. The reverse of the envelope is fine embossed crest in gold and pink and has a fine red wax seal showing the Royal Coat of Arms below. It is estimated that the gavel will drop for this letter at around half a million baht.

In the banknote section we find eight very interesting Thai banknotes to be auctioned. The highest estimated note is a 100-Ticals (baht) note from the time of King Vajiravudh, Rama VI. The note belongs to the first series of Thai notes initiated in the reign of King Chulalongkorn, Rama V, 100 years ago this year. The note is a “Master Banknote” signed and approved by the proper authority before a new printing could take place. The note is conservatively estimated to go for about 70,000 baht.

After King Prajadhipok, Rama VII, abdicated in 1935, King Anand Mahidol, Rama VIII, become the new King. The first banknotes issued under the new King had the same designs as the ones from the former King, only the portrait was changed. In the sale there are a 10- and 20-baht, both SPECIMENS, not issued notes, showing King Anand Mahidol as a 10 year old boy. Each of the notes is estimated at about 24,000 baht.

Printer’s proof of the obverse and reverse of a 50 Satang note from 1948 is the last of the Thai notes in the sale. They are together estimated at about 7,000 to 8,000 baht. Printer’s proofs are normally worth more than circulating notes. A 50 Satang note, not to worn, taken from circulation, has a value of about 200 baht.

Animal Crackers: The Bear Facts

By Mirin E Mc Carthy

There are several different types of bears, including the Asiatic, sun bears, brown, grizzly, black, Kodiak, sloth, giant panda and polar bears. Brown bears are often the most aggressive although not the largest. Adult males weigh up to 300kg. Polar bears can weigh up to 800kg and knock a 200kg seal out of the water with one blow.

Bears are huge creatures with wicked, long, curved claws that allow them to dig up roots to eat, rip apart logs for grubs, and hollow out dens for hibernation. Bears strength and large, well-developed shoulder muscles let them tear the skin from a cow or horse with a single blow and then drag their victim’s body.

Senses

Bears have an awesome sense of smell and can unearth an animal carcass buried deeply in the ground, and scent animal burrows over 2km of water. Starving bears have been known to follow and kill hikers carrying food, and menstruating women. They can see reasonably well both in daylight and dark, although their distance vision is not good, which is more than compensated for by their sense of smell. Their hearing is fair which allows them to avoid humans and other bears. Bear tracks are more frequently seen than bears themselves, who will generally hide if they are not starving until hunters pass by.

Diet

Although most species are omnivorous, eating everything including herbs, berries honey and ants, they prefer meat. Only the spectacled and panda bears are vegetarians. In the costal areas of North America, Canada and Alaska they fish. When the salmon are running up river to their spawning grounds, bears which are usually fiercely solitary put aside their natural aggression to their own kind and will fish the rivers together. It is an amazing sight to see them wallowing in the water and hooking out the salmon with an efficiency belied by their lumbering size. Make no mistake; bears can move fast in spite of their cumbersome appearance.

Deep sleep

All cold climate bears hibernate in the winter but the length of time varies greatly. During autumn, a brown bear eats practically around the clock, stocking up for the four to seven months when it’ll have to live off stored body fat. A grizzly may devour 40 kilograms of food each day. As the cold descends the fattened bear lumbers into a den among rocks or one dug out among tree roots. As it falls into a deep sleep, the bear’s heart rate drops from about 40 beats a minute to as low as 8 beats a minute. All the bear’s body functions slow down.

No labour

The female brown bear enters her den pregnant with one (sometimes two or three) baby bears. If she succeeded in finding enough food to have a healthy store of fat, the embryo, or tiny developing baby bear, continues to develop and is born after a couple of months. If the mother didn’t fatten up enough, the embryo does not develop. “Mama bear” doesn’t even wake up as her blind and hairless cub is born midwinter. The tiny bear, about the size of a squirrel, is just strong enough to crawl into a position to nurse. A female brown bear’s milk is very rich in fat and calories, so the cub grows quickly. By the time the adult grizzly wakes up in the spring, her baby is strong enough to follow her out of the den.

Cubs

Nearly half of all brown bear cubs born are likely to die before they’re a year old. Some die of disease, and others of starvation. Predators such as cougars, wolves, and adult male bears, even a cub’s own father, are threats, especially to cubs that are separated from their mothers. Over half survive though, as mother brown bears are fiercely protective. Cubs live with their mothers for up to three years, when they’re ready to face life on their own.

Teddy Bears

‘Teddy Bears’ were named after the American President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt who, when hunting bears in 1902, refused to shoot a bear cub. This event inspired an enterprising manufacturer to make ‘Teddy Bears’ that have been popular world wide ever since.

Personal Directions: Are you here with a solution or are you part of the problem?

by Christina Dodd, founder and managing director 
of Incorp Training Associates

Many years ago I had the privilege to work for a truly great man who was admired and loved by everyone in the company. He was considered by most as their “father” in view of the guidance he gave and lessons of life he was able to share with them. So powerful in fact was this man, that I can still hear his voice and draw on his words of wisdom whenever I need to find some inspiration or need to search for answers.

I can also remember very clearly a small - well perhaps not so small - sign that he had on his desk. It more or less hit you in the face when you sat opposite him and there was no way of avoiding it. It said, “Are you here with a solution or are you part of the problem?”

The number of times I sat down in front of this man with my files and notes bundled in my arms ready to give my all, and then upon glancing at the sign, excusing myself and suggesting I come back when he was not so busy! - well I can’t count them. I had sometimes initially rushed my case and so not “really” delved into the heart of problems or matters that I had to discuss - until the crunch came and I asked myself that same question, “Are you here with a solution or are you part of the problem?”

Finally, however, after a lot of bobbing up and down, I learned to take this simple “tool” and use it in almost every aspect of my life since that time so many years ago. Look beyond the immediate, look at yourself, explore every angle and every possibility and you will find a solution to every problem. But most important of all, along the way, examine your own actions thoroughly and try to understand the role you might have played.

Recently I held some discussions with a number of middle and senior managers about the problems they
are facing in various aspects of their work. The session took several hours and great details were given concerning what improvements should be made and what steps should be taken, which staff required warning letters, which budgets had to be cut and so forth. Some positive solutions resulted form all this brainstorming and thought going on but a few major obstacles still
remained.

It wasn’t until each manager sat quietly by themselves to reflect on their own behaviour, to pull apart the problems thread by thread, to openly and honestly share their innermost thoughts and feelings with another colleague as to their own contribution to the problem, that they were able to see “the big picture”. No matter how good we think we are in our professional lives or in our personal lives, we can’t escape the fact that we - by our own actions, attitudes and behaviour - create the life that we have.

It is not until we think deeply about this that we can begin to understand or even realize its implications. But one thing is certain and very clear, it just can’t be that we are perfect and everybody else is wrong - can it?

Christina can be contacted by email at christina.dodd@ incorptraining.com or directly at Incorp Training Associates in Bangkok, tel. (02) 6521867-8 or fax (02) 6521870.

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

If it were a nice place to live, it would be a great place to visit!

Before the brickbats start flying, let me begin by saying I have absolutely nothing against tourists. I have, on occasion, been one myself. Some of my best friends are tourists.

In this day of international travel, a highly mobile world population, a world, seemingly shrunk by mass air-travel - tourism is Big Business. That explains why Pattaya is pushing so hard for more tourists to come here.

You see, tourists are the ‘magic bullet’. More tourists will cure all our ills. The idea is when more tourists come, more money will spend here in our city and we will all have jobs and get rich. Thai tourists, international tourists; everyone is welcome. Come one, come all.

Pattaya is not the only place in Thailand which is seeking to attract tourists. The entire nation seems to have acquired a new mantra: “promote tourism”! We are, however, one of the most aggressively promoted areas in the nation; and one with the worst reputation.

Oh, we plan to eventually overcome that minor obstacle. Soon tourists will have a brand new sidewalk along Pattaya and Jomtien Beach to place their precious feet upon. Senior citizens and the handicapped will be provided more conveniences in specially appointed places around the city when they need to pee-pee.

More festivals are planned; like the Thai Wisdom Fair which was such a big hit. The dirty Anglo Saxon words on beer bars in South Pattaya might eventually disappear. Koh Larn will get a trash incinerator some day so the foul smell of waste doesn’t permeate the island.

Actually there is a long list of upcoming improvements which will be ‘tourist friendly’ and make our city a more desirable holiday destination. And we BORROWED MONEY to get them so they better bring in returns.

People who live here full time, (called residents) whether they are Thai or foreign know that these cosmetic improvements are all fine and well for the tourist. Most visitors don’t stay long enough to complain about everything else that is wrong with the city.

And THAT, my friends, is why TOURISTS are the magic bullet. They come, they go. If Pattaya was not exactly to their liking for a number of reasons, they don’t come back. But there are always more in the queue who will try Pattaya out for a vacation.

Tourists are also the easiest to please. They don’t vote. They rarely complain and if they wanted to, to whom would they whine? (And in what language?) They are, after all, on holiday and have very few pressing needs for the short time they are here.

If the roads have potholes, or the telephone lines go down for days at a time whenever it rains, they barely notice. Unless a power surge fries their expensive laptop computer, their favorite internet cafe is offline for a few hours, or they get robbed or sick, tourists rarely know much about the behind-the-scenes, everyday hassles of a city which actually doesn’t work very well.

Residents, however, live here on a full-time basis, 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year. Power surges cook all their electrical appliances - air-conditioners, refrigerators and commercial business equipment. Telephone lines which don’t work for weeks cause them to lose income.

Residents drive most of the streets and highways in the area every day. They know about the crime and the corruption, the bloody road accidents and the teenage gangs who ride through the streets on shooting sprees in the wee hours of the morning.

People who live here full time know which government agencies will delay service because of incompetence. They know all the dirty little back sois stacked high with garbage and where all the slums are. Locals know about all the dirty little deals that make corruption a way of life. People who make Pattaya their home are not blind.

Westerners who have spent a long time in Thailand have plainly stated to me that their conclusion about the Thai national character is that locals are so fatalistic and long suffering they never complain about what is wrong in the nation, and therefore, put up with things way past human endurance.

Foreigners also have the idea that Thailand is slightly backward because Thai people just don’t care about anything but the moment. Some of this way of thinking is correct as far as a philosophical outlook and some traditional upbringing.

The more complete truth is that Thais citizens do complain, ask questions. They occasionally get impatient and angry. They want explanations when things go wrong. Most Thais living in Pattaya want accountability. But of course we don’t always get what we want. Why should we? The tourists keep coming!

Bless them. The longer they stay the more they could help make a difference. There is a rumor that a hotline is going to be established so that they can make complaints about things they don’t like about our fair city. Good luck. I personally envision it to be a telecommunication version of that one-way mirror in a police interrogation room, where the prisoner can be viewed, but cannot see out.

Roll over Rover: Canine Capers

by C. Schloemer

Ninja is a four-year old black Labrador mix rescued from a shelter by a loving English family who brought him from the UK when they moved to Thailand. Having spent a third of his life without a family, Ninja can hardly sit still. He now has a wonderful home, loving owners, and a marvelous space for exercise. There is even a pond in my friends’ back garden and two doggie friends who stop by each afternoon to play. Is this Heaven or what?

Ninja is so busy taking it all in, however, that he doesn’t pay attention to bathroom habits. Wherever will do; upstairs playing dress-up with the children, in the kitchen on a break from his nightly begging rituals, out on the balcony if there is no incentive to leave the house, or on even on the grass, if the mood strikes him. He’s not picky. He’s not lazy. He’s just clueless!

From the moment I met Ninja I was charmed by his sweet and eager personality. Before ten minutes had passed however, he trotted out on the balcony, peed quickly, and ran back inside for some more attention. No remorse. No guilt. And no understanding. This happens to a lot of shelter dogs. They think they can urinate anywhere. Can you blame them?

I figured it was time for the Teaching Lead. After showing everyone (including the children, who wore the lead like a sash) how to lead Ninja, I further explained housetraining techniques. Until Ninja was cooperating, he was to be led or stationed. Surprisingly, Ninja took to the leading like a shadow to the dark, and happily followed whoever it was in charge. It was like he had been waiting for a good leader all his life. Within a few weeks, Ninja had regained his freedom in the house and had even learned to jingle bells hung on the front door in case the owners forgot to walk him!

Playing with your dog

Certain games encourage interaction, which is good. Others encourage confrontation, which is not so good. A ball is always a good object for games with dogs. There are so many ways to use the ball that a dog never tires of the games or the object. Fetch is simple, and even more fun if the dog actually brings back the ball or the stick to the owner. If you have a dog which finds it more amusing to play “keep the ball” then you must teach him to release it, which I will discuss in another column.

Bouncing a ball off a wall and allowing it to ricochet keeps the dog interested in the game longer. Most dogs don’t like to lose sight of their owners, but hide and seek is great fun for all. Just make sure you give him a big hug when he finds you. For hyper dogs, find a long stick and use string to tie a favorite toy to the end. You can wave the ‘fishing rod’ around your head and help him burn off all that excess energy while you stand in place.

Inadvisable games

Tug of war makes a dog think the struggle for leadership is still on. This game is very confrontational and bad if they win. What an ego booster! They soon start challenging you for the leash, biting down harder during play and even trying to rip your clothes from your back.

Rough-housing is another confrontational event. Some dogs don’t take it too seriously. Others do. They think it’s a challenge to their identity. They may growl or mouth excessively. Keep pushing them and they will start to snap, even when you’re not playing. Personally I think it’s best to avoid wrestling altogether. Don’t forget that the reason for a training regime is for owners to eventually have a well-mannered dog. If you are into hurricanes and whirlwinds, you are probably reading on the wrong page.

Teasing games are obviously not recommended. Owners need to remind their children not to tease. Sometimes kids tease the dog to get attention. Sound familiar? If you see this happening, try to pay more attention when your children are interacting peacefully, and walk out of the room when the teasing begins. Often when adults leave the room, children stop teasing pets.

The Message In The Moon: Sun in Virgo - Moon in Gemini

by Anchalee Kaewmanee

The Whiz Kid

Reserved and detached, individuals born into this combination are cool as cucumbers. Friends and associates rarely realize just how sensitive these people truly are because it isn’t easy to probe this sign’s inner feelings, or arouse deep passion. The Virgo-Gemini is artful at concealing these emotions behind an aloof exterior and an intellectual mask. They are experts at keeping their own heads when those around them are losing theirs.

Both Virgo and Gemini are ruled by Mercury. Mythological Mercury governs communication and the intellect. So what we have here is a personality with a brilliant mind. These individuals are ruled by their head, and if there is a choice between ‘gut feeling’ and
a logical deduction, this combo will choose reason. Verbal communication and
exchange of ideas are marks of this Sun-Moon sign. They often come up with incredibly ingenious ideas and are always happy to engage in mental gymnastics. They use all this brainpower to rationalize away problems and feelings.

Most extremely intelligent people are also very sensitive and highly impressionable. Natives of this sign often deny themselves the luxury of passion. They feel they must keep their emotions on a tight rein in order to avoid getting hurt. A Virgo-Gemini can descend into a permanent state of dissatisfaction and anxiety because they divorce themselves from their emotions. They are not being true to themselves and must learn to open up, for this is a kind of self-deception. They may be positively brilliant,
but that supreme intellect doesn’t need to determine every move in life. How hard can it be to throw caution to the wind occasionally and be human?

This combination is often regarded as slightly cold and mechanical to the warmer signs of the Zodiac; those born into Sun or Moon signs ruled by fire. Very little slips past the analytical eye of the Virgo-Gemini and these natives strive for perfection in everything they do.

In life, work, marriage, and friendship they set exacting standards for themselves and will work until they drop to attain the perfection they think they must achieve. Anyone who has a close relationship with an individual born into this sign will know what I mean. They are the best students, taking copious notes, always sitting at the front of the classroom, always the last to leave the library and cram for exams as though their very lives depend on a perfect grade.

In their professional lives, these natives are blessed with so many talents that they will find success in almost any field which interests them. Employers love them! They are always punctual. They carry out the
exact instructions of their
superiors, never shirk their responsibilities or obligations, and will quickly be
promoted. Dedicated and sincere, they will perform beyond the call of duty. But sometimes they push themselves too far.

Nervous tension and insomnia often plague this combination. Hyperactive and highly strung, it is hard to get these people to relax. This is partly because they are so energetic and mentally acute, but also partly because they don’t trust themselves to relax and let things go once in a while. Paranoia is not their problem. They do, however, suffer from a lack of self confidence which is so expertly camouflaged that no one around them suspects. And that discovery is what they fear most. It’s what drives them.

With their remarkable perception, it is unfortunate that this combination is often over-critical and may see people’s faults before
they see virtues. The Virgo-Gemini needs to express ideas and opinions, but can be blunt to the point of rudeness in pointing out the imperfections of associates. When friends and co-workers fail to meet expectations this combo can become hypercritical. Women born into this sign can be true harpies when people disappoint them. This Sun-Moon combination needs to work hard to learn tolerance and become less of a pessimist.

In romance, the Virgo-Gemini is not what we would call romantic. Romance calls for passion and usually an outpouring of emotion and sentiment. They do, however, make fine partners because they have a deep need for companionship. A need to share ideas and experiences will lead them to search for a mate on their intellectual level. They need mental stimulation more than food. This sign will be very picky about choosing a partner. Naturally - they seek perfection in all things. Hopefully they will learn to lower their expectations a little and not be too critical of their loved one once they start to uncover some of his or her imperfections.

PC Basics: Navigation

Bay Computer Services

When using your PC, you can, with a combination of keyboard strokes and mouse clicks, make it much easier to navigate around your system. If you are in the habit of having several programs running at once (such as a spreadsheet program, a word processor, an email program, etc.) and you want to go quickly from one to another, then just hold down the ALT key, and press the TAB key once. Each time you press TAB, one of the programs you have running will be highlighted in a small box, and when you have the correct program selected, release the ALT key and that program will appear, while the rest will be on the taskbar.

The ALT key can be used within a lot of applications as well. Say that you are you are using Word, and that you want to save the document you have just created. Normally you would select File from the menu at the top of the screen, then Save As. But if you look closely at the File menu, you can see that the F is underlined. This means that pressing ALT and F together will open the File menu. All the options within the File menu (and all the other menus as well) all have a letter underlined. With Save As, the letter is A. So pressing and holding down the ALT key, then tapping F then A, will open the Save As box. Once you have learnt a few of these shortcuts (and most Windows programs have these) you will be amazed at how quickly you can accomplish routine tasks.

One keyboard shortcut is specific to most laptop computers. If you have a laptop, you probably have a key marked Fn on the bottom left hand corner of the keyboard. “Fn” is short for function, and is used in combination with certain of the F keys at the top of the keyboard. You may be able to change the brightness of your screen, raise or lower the volume, or switch between your laptop’s display and an external monitor. The symbol on the F key should give you a pretty good idea as to what it does (a lightbulb with an arrow pointing up would mean that that key will increase the display brightness).

Your mouse has two buttons, but most of the time only the left button is used. With it, you select and open files, programs, etc. The right button lets you change how something works, or activate unusual commands. We had a mail recently concerning the taskbar, so let’s have a look at that. If you place the mouse pointer over the taskbar and click with the right button, a new menu will appear. This gives you a number of options, such as changing the layout of the windows currently open.

Another option is called “Properties”. Selecting this (with the left button) allows you to change various options for the taskbar. You can set it to Autohide, where it will only appear when the mouse is moved to the bottom of the screen. Or you can hide the clock, or change the programs that appear on the Start menu.

Most things on your PC can be right-clicked and changed. Right clicking on the desktop lets you change the screen saver, the number of colours displayed, the resolution and lots of other things. Icons can be right-clicked too, and other options will be available. Be careful though when changing how something operates. Unless you know for certain what will be changed, be wary about experimenting too much.

If you have any PC related questions please send them to [email protected]