HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]:

Family Money

Snap Shot

Modern Medicine

Heart to Heart with Hillary

A Slice of Thai History

Bits ‘n’ Bobs*

Personal Directions

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

The Message In The Moon

PC Basics

Women’s World

Family Money: Guaranteeing Your Pension Part 3

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

Over the past fortnight we’ve looked at a couple of ways to safeguard retirement capital. Two weeks ago we looked at corporate pensions, and last week we discussed annuities and ‘guaranteed’ funds. This week let’s look at some other alternatives for securing capital investments.
Secured Profits Funds
I am often asked about ‘Secured Profits’ funds, inasmuch as the potential investor believes these will safeguard his investment.
Well, these funds are fine if you can take a relatively long-term view and are absolutely sure you won’t need to touch the capital in the meantime.
Such funds work on the principle that they will return you the highest price the fund ever reached during a predetermined period. But if you want to encash them before that set maturity date, you will get only the current bid price, which might even be below the price you bought in at.
So, if you’re a conservative investor who can take, say, a minimum 10-year view before you will need to draw down your capital, such funds may be just what you’re looking for.
But because of the ‘secured’ element having to be paid for somehow, the average return on these funds tends to be quite modest, even over a relatively long period.
Also, one has to consider that the return on this type of fund is now much lower than it was, say, 10 years ago, when bank interest rates and returns from bonds were higher than they are now.
A return of around 6% p.a. over a 10-year term is hardly enticing in my view - although it will generally satisfy the income needs of conservative millionaires.
Cash & Bonds
Some investors believe that CDs (which in this context are Certificates of Deposit, and certainly don’t play sweet music) and a basket of international bonds will do the trick for them.
Well, with interest rates at historically very low levels, CDs have performed poorly, and are not likely to reverse this trend for quite some time to come.
In the past two years we have seen a negative return from equities and a positive return from bonds. But over a 15-20 year period, the return from equities has historically outweighed that from bonds many times over, while bonds have outperformed cash by a handsome margin too.
Government bonds usually do well when interest rates are low or falling. While returns from this sector over the past year have not been exciting, they have at least been in positive territory. But once equity markets start to recover bonds will almost certainly fall out of favour again.
Unit Trusts & Insurance Bonds
Creating a portfolio from a variety of low-risk collective-investment funds is in my view the most flexible and administratively simple way to go.
Some of the capital could be invested into a basket of international currencies (a Managed Currency Fund would be an example), with the hope that the fund managers will produce a better return than your local bank.
Adding some selected international bond funds would increase the potential return without taking on a significantly increased risk (but note my earlier comments about bond performance.)
For medium-risk investors, adding some carefully selected equity funds or specialist funds in non-correlated sectors might be appropriate. Or hedge funds.
But at this point a diversified portfolio of funds from several investment houses starts to become administratively unwieldy.
Investing through an ‘umbrella’ vehicle such as an offshore insurance bond (‘OIB’) makes the exercise considerably simpler, and in many instances, more cost-effective.
An OIB is simply a lump-sum investment vehicle which accesses an extensive menu of funds, in some cases accessing those of a large number of external fund-management houses. You then have a wide range of funds to choose from, which can be rearranged (‘switched’) any time you like, as your personal preferences and market conditions indicate.
Personal Portfolios
If you are fortunate enough to have in excess of US$500,000 to invest, personal portfolio management services are offered by most international banking houses.
However, these banks see their primary role as safeguarding their investors’ capital, rather than achieving significant growth.
Thus if you require only a modest income from your not insubstantial capital, and want to pass on a substantial portion of this capital to your heirs & beneficiaries, this might be the most appropriate route for you to follow.
Private banking divisions tend to be inherently ultra-conservative, and tend to invest mostly in government bonds and cash deposits, rather than in equities.
Some people retire relatively young, and therefore expect their capital to last for several decades and keep pace with inflation over a relatively long term, while others want to achieve substantial capital growth, and perhaps draw down a regular income at the same time.
Both these scenarios inherently require a relatively high growth rate.
And a relatively high growth rate usually means exposure to a higher degree of risk and/or volatility.
The return that private banking divisions typically produce is laughable in comparison with such clients’ needs & expectations, so their portfolios have to be very much tailor-made to their own specifications - another aspect which most banks’ portfolio managers are not equipped, able or willing to do.
These worthies get their results by pooling several million Dollars/Pounds/Swiss Francs of their private clients’ money together, and investing it as a pool. And always within the guidelines of the bank in question. (And these guidelines in many cases include the command, “Thou shalt not invest in equities.”)
However, most medium-net-worth clients (which means those with £100-500,000) want their money actively managed for them, and expect a respectable average return without a high degree of risk.
Again, the banks achieve this trick by pooling many such investors’ resources together. Clients think they’ve bought into a Personal Investment Service; what they’ve really ended up with is the bank’s equivalent of a Managed Fund where one size fits all. Banks simply cannot afford to provide a truly bespoke management service for these amounts of money. And their results are typically quite mediocre when compared with leading broad-based managed funds.
It is relatively rare to find an individual portfolio manager who will create and manage a highly personalised portfolio (in the sense of it being tailor-made for your particular needs, circumstances, and risk-aversion profile), and has the experience, ability, and access to the highly specialised information needed to do so.
But of course I do know of at least one - right here in Pattaya...
(to be continued next week)

Snap Shot: Doing it in the rain

by Harry Flashman

We are in the middle of the wet season, in case you were in any doubt. Almost every day you can be assured of the wet stuff pelting down. Time then to stay indoors? Not really, if you want to get some good photographs.

That may come as a shock for all those people who only take their camera outside when the sun is shining, and preferably around noon - which is actually the worst time in the world to take photographs.
Take a look at the man in the raincoat in this week’s photos. This was taken in Chiang Mai a couple of weeks ago. The camera was at the top of the long flight of steps from ground level up to the temple, though the photographer (Harry) cheated by taking the cable car up to the top, photographed the steps, and returned via the cable car. The weather was dreadful. Low lying clouds gave a grey, flat look to the locality, while the rain ranged from a perpetual drizzle to downright torrents of water tumbling down. Looking down the stone stairway, I was looking for someone to come up with a brightly coloured umbrella. I waited in vain, getting somewhat damp myself - such can be the life of the dedicated rain photographer.
I was just about to give up when past me walked the chap with the bright yellow raincoat! The “colour” accent had appeared, so I quickly looked through the viewfinder and popped the shutter. It was only when the prints came back from the photoshop that I found I had captured one of what that famous photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson called “the decisive moment”. Take a look at the foot of the yellow plastic mac man - in mid air, about to go down a step. True “action” photography. Take a look too at the reflection of the scene in the water lying on the steps - this all adds up to a photograph that actually “says” something. Much more than just another shot of the pagoda at Doi Suthep. You can practically smell the damp misty air.

Now look at the second photograph for this week. You could say, just another Buddha image shot and dismiss it, but have another look at this photograph. The light falling on the statue is coming from the front of the image, but the photograph is taken from the side of the statue - so it was not an on-camera flash that illuminated this picture.
The Buddha subject was in a covered outside area of the Doi Suthep temple complex - and yes it was still raining when this shot was taken. It was because of the nature of the light during the rain that this photograph turned out the way it did. If there had been bright sunlight outside, there would have been too great a contrast between the bright areas at the front of the statue and the darker areas behind for the film to handle. However, with the light much “softer” because of the rain, it was possible to get this very pleasant shot of the statue, with good definition the features. The shutter speed was 1/15th of a second, a speed which can be hand held, provided you take everything slowly.
So next time it is raining, you do not have to stay indoors and watch the 44th re-runs of old movies. You can take some pictures yourself.

Modern Medicine: Nose Bleeds

by Dr Iain Corness, Consultant

A bleeding nose, which we medico’s call Epistaxis (another lovely long medical word), is very common, with around 60% of the population suffering from a nose bleed at some stage in their lives. The sight of copious quantities of the red stuff pouring out of someone’s nose can be very frightening too - especially if it is your own nose it is coming from! However, never fear, I have read no reports of someone bleeding to death from the nose.
The causes of bleeding noses are multiple, much more than a well placed set of knuckles producing a fracture of the thin nasal bones. The list includes tumours, diseases stopping blood coagulation, increased blood pressure, haemophilia, typhoid fever, heart mitral valve problems and even leukaemia.
However, for 80% of the cases of Epistaxis, the bleeding comes from the nasal septum, the thin dividing tissue between the nostrils as it splits the nose into two sections. The site of the bleeding is called “Little’s area” and is well supplied with blood vessels, and is within easy reach of the pinky, otherwise known in some circles as the ‘nose finger’. Not that every case of a bloody nose is the result of a poorly directed pinky, but that is actually the cause of many cases in children. Small fingers slip into little noses too easily.
First aid for bleeding noses seems to be subject to all sorts of wild and woolly ideas, such as ice on the bridge of the nose, lying down, sitting with the head down between the knees, the list is endless. Now please forget I even mentioned any of the above “remedies” as there is only one way to treat a bleeding nose.
Here we go. Sit the patient upright in a chair, breathing through the mouth and if you want to include ice in the treatment, have the patient suck on the ice cube. Run your fingers slowly down the nose, thumb on one side and forefinger on the other. You will slowly go past the bony part of the nose till you come to the lower, soft, compressible part. This section of your proboscis is made up of cartilage. Compress the nose firmly between thumb and forefinger and the bleeding will stop. If it is from Little’s area, this is guaranteed! The reason for this is that the pressure from the bleeding vessels is not greater than the compression pressure you can exert with your fingers, so you will effectively stop the bleeding.
However, the trick does not end there, because if you release the pressure as soon as the bleeding stops, it will lift the slight crust formed over Little’s area and the bleeding start will again. You have to keep the pressure on for 10 minutes, by the clock, before you stop pinching the nose. And that will feel like a long time, let me assure you. If the bleeding is recurrent, then you may need to have the area cauterised, either with heat or with silver nitrate sticks.
Remember, too, that 20% of the nose bleeds do not come from Little’s area, so a different form of treatment becomes necessary for these “posterior” nasal bleeds (coming from the back of the nose, not the front). These you cannot treat, and hospital is the place for them.

Heart to Heart with Hillary

Dear Hillary,
I came downstairs this morning when I heard my young pedigree dog whimpering, to find that the dirty street dog from the soi had squeezed through the bars of my gate and was having his wicked way with her. The maid tried cold water over them and it didn’t work, so I had to resort to use of a broom to get the male dog unlocked. My dog was a virgin before this happened and I could see that she was quite confused by all this. Will she get pregnant from this encounter? She is only two years old. What can I do to save face over this? A street dog! I am devastated.
Flora
Dear Flora,
Hillary is sorry to read of your dog’s deflowering during natural encounters of the canine kind, but it happens to us all one day, doesn’t it, Petal? Mother Nature is a good teacher and I am sure your dog has worked out now what has happened. As to whether she will have conceived and your house will become a street dog puppy farm, depends upon whether your dog was “in season” (and I don’t mean in the “rainy season”) at the time. You could always try suing the street dog and insisting that he contributes to the maintenance of the puppies, but this might mean further loss of face when you find that he may have more than one lair. Hillary suggests you just let sleeping dogs lie. And fix your front gate.
Dear Hillary,
After much advice from many friends regarding the love of my life and our relationship I have decided to bite the bullet and take her back, when we last broke up I was so distraught that it took many of my friends shoulders to hold me up and a long time to bounce back. My girl works in a bar and is a “cashier” so I know she has no other interests in any other men, I do like to treat her one time by buying a gold chain and many times romantic nights out, I have asked her if she would like to move in and really cannot understand why she puts her “career” before me, she is very independent for a Thai lady and has her own car and money. She completely dumped me before and broke my aging heart, with my friends who have had bad experiences from ladies in the entertainment industry, I have had much advice to give to them and it has always been cynical on the female part, now I am getting that advice back and really don’t like what I hear. My question to you Hillary is, who do I stick with, a potential dumper again, or cynical friends who don’t understand the beauty of our love.
A Fossell
Dear Fossell,
You are a poor old dear, aren’t you? However, Hillary has problems trying to follow the threads of your letter, Petal. Do I understand correctly that you are considering whether you should be taking this woman back, after “she completely dumped me before”? Surely, if this relationship is being renewed, she would be taking you back, not the other way around? You also seem to have painted yourself into a psychological corner, in your own mind. There should be no difficulties with friends versus your lady. It is not a case of “them” or “her”. If your friends are true friends, they will always be there. It is not a case of sticking with either/or. If she wants you back and you want her back, that’s enough to start again. If it doesn’t work, it is not the end of the world, even for an aging Fossell such as yourself. Best of luck. Love is beautiful, but can be traumatic.
Dear Hillary,
My girlfriend has said she would like to learn computers. Do you think this is a good idea? I am worried that she will spend all day surfing the internet instead of doing the housework (we do not have a maid). There is also plenty of wrong stuff on the internet that would be bad for her to see. Should I just keep saying no? She has been asking for about six months. She gets a good monthly allowance, so it’s not as if she has to go to work and get a better job. With what I pay her she wouldn’t get a better paid job anyway.
Joshua
Dear Josh,
You have to be joshing me, surely! The most precious gift you can give anyone is education. You have obviously seen all the “wrong stuff” on the net but you have managed to remain sane, I presume! Remember that she is your girlfriend first and foremost. She is not a household appliance that you screw on the end of the bed and it does the housework. Give her as many chances for education as you had. You never know, one day you might just need someone with a little computer experience around the home. I also do not like the tone of your letter that seems to indicate that since you pay her an allowance you are the “boss” and what you say goes. Try a little communication and see just what your girlfriend really wants to do with her life. Washing your dirty socks may not be her lifetime’s ambition.

A Slice of Thai History: The Pointless Coup: September 1985

by Duncan Stearn

On September 9, 1985, Thailand was subjected to its 17th attempted coup since the changeover from an absolute monarchy in June 1932.
This particular coup was aimed at toppling the government of Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prem Tinsulanonda, who had been in power since March 1980.
The coup plotters were led by a group of junior military officers known as the Young Turks, commanded by Army Colonel Manoon Roopkachorn and his brother, Wing Commander Manas Roopkachorn and hoped to take advantage of the fact that General Prem was visiting Indonesian President Suharto in Jakarta.
This pair had been a major force behind the 16th attempted coup, launched in April 1981 and also aimed at toppling General Prem. General San Chipatima had led that coup. In 1981, the coup leaders had managed to flee the country before being granted a Royal Pardon one month later, thereby allowing them to return to Thailand.
In 1981, the coup leaders had claimed to be supporting democracy, but were generally seen as merely hungry for power in their own right. The coup attempt lasted for three days.
However, in September 1985 not only were Manoon Roopkachorn and his brother Manas prominent among the leaders, they were supported by former Prime Minister Kriangsak Chomanan, former Supreme Commander General Sermna Nakhon, former Army Chief General Yos Thepasdin, former Air Force Chief Marshall Krasae Satharat and former Air Force Chief Marshall Arum Promthep.
Despite this, troops loyal to the government and led by General Chavalit Yongchaiyuth put down the rebellion in less than 10 hours.
Although it was a relatively bloodless coup, with only five people being killed, sadly two of those happened to be the foreign journalists Neil Davis and William Latch.
Fifty-one year old Neil Davis was acknowledged as one of the greatest war cameramen of all time for his work during the Second Indo-china War (1964-1973). He had not only survived filming military action in Vietnam he had also seen service in Cambodia.
The Australian had filmed the end of the South Vietnamese regime as a North Vietnamese tank and troops had crashed into the Presidential Palace in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City).
Davis had been appointed bureau chief for NBC and stationed in Bangkok and it had been his soundman William Latch, a former American missionary, who had alerted both Davis and his head office to the budding coup attempt after seeing tanks rumbling through down the roads.
Davis and Latch, along with other journalists, took to the streets to film what they believed was going to be just another bloodless and ultimately futile attempt to dislodge General Prem from power. Instead, they became trapped in the crossfire that suddenly erupted without warning between rebel troops holding the First Division radio station building in Bangkok and loyalist soldiers aiming to force their surrender. Both men were hit by shrapnel, Davis dying at the scene, Latch succumbing later.
Bruce MacDonell, then head of NBC News in Asia, stated that the deaths of Davis and Latch were futile. “...You cannot read one decent thing that came out of his [Davis’] death. There was no reason for it happening.”
A state of emergency was declared and remained in force until September 16. The following day the retired military leaders who were involved in launching the attempted coup were detained, former Prime Minister General Kriangsak Chomanan was charged with sedition. Another 40 or so active military officers were also arrested.
The 67-year-old General Prem eventually stepped down in April 1988 and Chatichai Choonhaven, who headed up the first civilian government since 1976, took his place.
Colonel Manoon Roopkachorn was eventually promoted to the rank of major general and was appointed deputy defence minister, facilitating a successful coup by the army in February 1991. He was later elected to the Senate in 2000.

Bits ‘n’ Bobs

Personal Directions: Nothing stays the same

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

Last week we touched on managing change from a corporate perspective and took time to explore the transition process that staff at all levels have to go through as a result of change. I’m sure that this is familiar territory to many of you and I’m not just referring to major companies or enterprises, even in smaller businesses – of all kinds – change is forever just around the corner and it has become a reality we must all accept and embrace, whether we like it or not!
The world is where we live and where we have to make the best out of what we have. We can’t run away to another planet – well not in our lifetime – to start afresh. So we have to make the best of what we have, and try to derive benefit from all the changes that are taking place.
We have to adapt and to learn from change in order to survive change.
In the words of Eric Hoffer: “In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually find themselves equipped to live in a world that no longer exists.”
The tragic events of the 11th of September 2001 come vividly to mind when we talk about change in our world and how we cope with it and act upon it. The world is a very different place because of this event. The attitudes of people towards other people have changed dramatically everywhere. We no longer think the same way about travel as we used to. We look at others differently and we are made constantly aware of renewed scrutiny of words, actions and intents. Security is an issue of immense proportions. We are more cautious than ever before. We are rethinking the way we do things. We have experienced a shift in our perception of life and the way we live it.
Change causes us to open our eyes to things that we would normally not see. It’s like a giant alarm clock that awakens us and launches us from our cosy beds!
Change strengthens our will and our desire. It can unleash determination, passion, energy and force. It can elevate us to a new dimension of ambition and empower us to strive harder to achieve. Change is in effect a catalyst. It is an essential ingredient in the set of complex formulae, which govern our lives. Change – or its components - can lead equally to either success or failure. Failures are lessons and indicators in life that the change direction was inappropriate or incorrect.
We can be influenced by change and as a result act on it, or we can initiate change ourselves.
I remember some years ago in one of the Personal Directions (self-development) programs I was running there was an interesting and rather reflective discussion on change and changing behavior. From the simplest activity of getting up each morning to the deeper issues of building and improving relationships, it was agreed that change is a catalyst that can lead to a better and more meaningful life. Just by changing the time you get up everyday by an hour can bring about changes in opportunities that otherwise may not exist. It may mean you get an appointment to see a potential client that you’ve been trying to pin-down, and because you were able to do so, you win the contract! The possibility of this is real. It does happen to people. I don’t know the origins of “the early bird catches the worm”, but how true it is.
One participant in the program wanted to be more outgoing in personality and nature. She wanted to be more adventurous in her life which at the time she thought was fairly dull. So after quite a bit of reflection and thought on this she came up with the idea of a way to change all this humdrum. She wanted to learn to skydive! Well everyone applauded her newfound ambition – her rather dramatic change she was about to make. And to everyone’s surprise weeks after the course, this rather dull young woman had succeeded in jumping from great heights and changing her whole life. She was a different person with a brighter personality and a much stronger driving force than ever before. She had broken down some personal barriers and changed her life in an extraordinary way. The thought of change and the change itself brought her renewed ambition.
When the first PCs arrived on the scene thirty or so years ago it was then considered one of the most powerful changes to our lives. Those people who saw this change and seized it and acted upon it moved in leaps and bounds, leaving many behind. When the record industry moved from making conventional records to CDs, thousands of employees who did not want to change with the technological changes of the time lost their jobs. Change can bring untold opportunity and reward on both a personal and professional level.
Change opens our eyes and we must open our eyes to change.
“If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” - Gail Sheehy.
Most of us are looking for an improved and better, perhaps happier life. We are looking for success in business, achievement both personally and professionally. But it seems that most of us still insist on living our lives the same way – without change. We don’t realize that in order for our lives to change, we have to change a whole lot of basic things that we do. We have to adopt new and different approaches or change the way we think and behave. It’s like wanting to have good health, but still wanting to smoke a hundred cigarettes a day. There won’t be much progress unless there’s change!
In order for us to change we must adopt a positive mental attitude (PMA) which was espoused by W. Clement Stone through his long life, and who died last week at the age of 100 years. I shall explore PMA with you in future columns but I would like to leave with you Stone’s words:
“What the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve with PMA. We translate into physical reality the thoughts and attitude we hold in our minds. We translate thoughts of poverty and failure into reality just as quickly as we don thoughts of riches and success. When our attitude towards ourselves is big and our attitude towards others is generous and merciful, we attract big, generous portions of success to ourselves.”
In a troubled world Stone’s advocacy of PMA and the Golden Rule below, should be well heeded.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Don’t say or do unto others that which you would not want them to say or do unto you.”
Have a good week!
Christina can be contacted by email at christina.dodd@i ncorptraining.com or directly at Incorp Training Associate in Bangkok. Tel (0) 26521867-8 or fax (0) 26521870. Programs and services can be found at www.incorptraining.com

Social Commentary by Khai Khem

A tribute to New Yorkers - who are they and how do you get to be one?

New York officially admits to a population of about 8 million people. New Yorkers know that a mass of humanity from every corner of the globe uses the city for one reason or another every hour of every day of the year. Anyone who lives there will tell you it’s a very special place and there’s no city on Earth like it.
New Yorkers are a mixed bunch to put it mildly. The city is a delicious brew of cosmopolitan potpourri and to become a real New Yorker a person needs a pinch of panache, a sprinkle of hard-bitten cynicism, and a gallon of chutzpah. To define a New Yorker is not simple, but ask a few and they’ll be happy to tell. Simple global demographics reveal that in mega-cities like NYC everyone seems to be from somewhere else. So the question is; how and when do you know you’re a REAL New Yorker?
A good sign of being a true New Yorker is being able to curse in multiple languages. A real New Yorker doesn’t totally lose it when a drunken 16-year-old girl from Rockville Center with green hair throws up all over his or her shoes on St. Patrick’s Day. That’s also when the ability to curse in multiple languages comes in handy. New Yorkers always curse in a language the offender doesn’t understand.
You know you’re a true New Yorker when you’re able to squeeze yourself into 3 square inches of space on an already over-flowing subway car during rush hour. During the morning rush hour, a New Yorker will hope even MORE people crowd into the subway train - as to secure their standing/sleeping position.
When someone passes out on the train you mistakenly think he is dead and think, “Why does he have to die on MY train because this is going to make me late for my appointment,” you’re a New Yorker.
Languages are a big part of a New Yorker’s everyday life. You know you’re a New Yorker when you can order Tapas in Spanish, Dim Sum in Chinese, Antipasto in Italian, Hors d’Oeuvres in French, Dolsot Bibim bab in Korean, and shabu-shabu in Japanese - all in the same meal. You know you’re REALLY a New Yorker when you think this ability means you are fluent in all the above languages. The genuine article is also supposed to be able to tell which of the 5 boroughs a person grew up in just by the accent.
When the Chinese restaurant knows where you live because they have caller ID you are a New Yorker. New Yorkers can tell the difference between Cantonese, Hunan, Szechwan, Shanghainese cuisine, and have more than 20 menus stashed in a drawer. Most are from places where they have never eaten and never will.
Hindu youngsters know that they are true New Yorkers when their 8th grade classmates from their American school in India ask “what are you?” and they say “a New Yorker.”
One woman said she knew she was a true New Yorker when during the September 11 attack her son saw the Trade Center Towers burning from Brooklyn Tech, her brother saw the 2nd plane crashing into the WTC from his office, and her ex-husband started taking photos at Chambers and Broadway at 8:48 a.m. on ‘9/11’. She only found out about the attack from a friend because she’d forgotten to pay her cable TV bill and the company had cancelled service. So she went to her neighbors next door who’s TV was still broadcasting, who were, incidentally Iranian Muslims.
You know you’re a New Yorker when you figure it’s incredible luck to find an apartment you can afford even though it has no bathroom, no air-conditioning, and there are a couple of big holes in the walls to the outside. If you haven’t had a landlord in small-claims court a number of times, you haven’t yet made the grade.
Affordable housing in NYC is so difficult to locate and secure that New Yorkers feel paying ONLY 50% of their monthly salaries for a place to live is a sign the have financially ‘arrived’. They will often live 2 or more years with an ex-lover AFTER breaking up because it makes good sense real estate-wise. And they make it work!
One New Yorker was outraged when he read an article about Amnesty International protesting Al Qaeda prisoners being kept in 8' x 6' cages. He said he looked around at his apartment in Manhattan and thought, “What? That’s huge!” He is paying $1,500 a month for a cramped, rat-infested studio in a questionable Manhattan neighborhood and figures it is worth every penny.
You know you’re a New Yorker when you cross the street anywhere but at the corners, yelling at cars for not showing respect. A true New Yorker often doesn’t learn to drive until they are over 30 years old and have been sent to another city on business where they will have to rent a car. Why learn to drive if you’ve never owned a vehicle?
Even a New Yorker traveling in a foreign country might start to worry about safety issues. Then it finally hits him that “Whoa, I’m from New York - how bad could it be?”
A true native of this seething caldron of idiosyncrasies will be the first to bolt out of a bank or store when someone walks in wearing a coat, hat and sunglasses in the middle of August. They are also the ones who can blithely walk through Times Square and not notice anything going on around them. The subway makes perfect sense to a New Yorker.
The last New Yorker I spoke with said she was living 1,000 miles away posted in a new job during the September 11 terrorist attack. She begged for a leave of absence and drove across the country to get back to New York City because she felt she should be there, doing something - ANYTHING to help.

The Message In The Moon: Sun in Libra/Moon in Taurus

The Pleasure seeker

by Anchalee Kaewmanee

Venus, the planet of romance, peace and harmony rules both signs of this combination. The Libra-Taurus has an enchanting nature and remarkably even disposition. Charm, diplomacy and kindness are characteristic of this Sun-Moon sign and always work to its advantage in life. There is little conflict between the outer personality and inner emotional make-up here so these individuals are usually well rounded characters and are easy to get along with.
This personality combines the justice and moderation of the Libra with the worldly wisdom and common sense of Taurus. Nothing upsets this combo more than the thought of hurting someone else. On the surface these natives may seem as restless and high strung as their fellow Librans, but look again. These individuals always retain an underlying quality of purpose and stability. Their approach to life is always balanced, benevolent and forgiving. Those close to a Libra-Taurus individual know they will always be given the benefit of the doubt, and if there is serious trouble or a dire emergency, this Sun-Moon sign possesses the calm, self-assured presence of mind to head off a crisis.
This approach to the world is more calculated than one might imagine. Very sensual and materialistic, all Libra-Taurus natives love luxury and comfort. The earthy common sense of Taurus enhances Libra’s need for balance and accord. Antagonistic or aggressive situations are usually avoided by using tact and diplomacy to ward off unpleasant encounters. These individuals have too many talents and gifts to offer the world, and know hostility and aggravation only dissipate their energies which could be used for more productive endeavors.
Insistence on peace and harmony does have its drawbacks. This combination is often at risk of lapsing into lethargy. And the basic hedonistic nature of this Sun-Moon sign often lures it into overindulgence. As with all Moon signs in Taurus, these natives are capable of assuming great responsibility, and possess determination and inner resolve to push to the top of the ladder.
However, there is great temptation to remain in a state of pleasing, comfort; a tension-free environment, and thus avoid a faster, more competitive pace of life. Because of this, these natives often pass up many challenging opportunities and settle for instant gratification. This includes a less demanding career and even a ‘convenient’ marriage because to choose otherwise would involve taking more risk and giving up some security. This sign has a slight tendency toward laziness if goals are not set early in life. If the Libra-Taurus is lucky enough to establish self discipline while still young, future achievements will abound.
Like all those who are ruled by the planet Venus, Libra-Taurus natives all have keen intelligence, and wonderful imagination. Art, music, visual or engineering design, politics, teaching are all fields of endeavor at which these natives will excel. They also have an instinctive feel for money and money management, so business is also another avenue open to them. The inherent diplomatic flair of the Libra always does well in fields where working with people is required such as social work and human relations.
Soft-spoken and easy to please, these individuals are really rustic spirits. Therefore they must get out into the countryside now and then, especially when pressures begin to mount. Of course they can always escape into that vivid imagination they all possess, but they should take care not to forget to come back to reality.
In love, heartbreak is common to the Libra-Taurus. Not as objective as their fellow Librans, this combo is sentimental. Emotions often carry these people away and distort their otherwise sound judgment. It is advisable for them to detach themselves occasionally in order to achieve a more objective view. All are impossible romantics and tend to idealize their partners. When in love, these natives ignore any flaws their lovers may have. Unfortunately in real life, partners are not perfect. Better to take off those rose-colored glasses and be more realistic. A more sensible approach to love could save them a lot of grief and disappointment.

PC Basics: Keeping your cool

by Jason Rowlands

Your PC can generate a surprisingly high amount of heat. In a tropical climate, there can often be problems caused by components overheating and causing your computer to crash. A little preventive maintenance and a few sensible precautions can ensure that this won’t be a problem for you.
A PC is cooled by the use of various fans inside your PC case. Typically, there will be one on the power supply, one on the processor, and possibly one on your graphics card. Sometimes there will be another on the back of the case to draw air through the case. A common problem with these fans is that they can get clogged up by dust. Assuming you feel comfortable working inside your PC, there are a few steps you can take which will help a great deal. If you take the cover off of the case you should be able to see the processor fan on the motherboard. If there is any dust on the fan blades, carefully clean it using a slightly damp cloth and cotton wool ear buds. Check to see if any other fans need cleaning as well.
While you have the case open, see if you have any boards which are located close to each other or your graphics card. If you have a powerful 3D graphics card in your machine, try to avoid placing a PCI card close to it. The newer 3D cards can generate a terrific amount of heat, and should have a heat sink and possibly a fan mounted on them. If your card has just a heat sink on it, placing a PCI card next to it means that that card will absorb the heat from the 3D card.
Of course, you may have limited scope in which to rearrange your cards. In which case you need to consider increasing the number of fans in your case. First, try to establish the wattage of your power supply. If it is below 300, it is unlikely that there will be sufficient power to add additional fans. If it is 300 or over, it should be OK, as long as you are not running a large number of other devices (hard drives, CD-ROMs, zip drives etc.).
There are three different types of fans that can be added to your system case. First, you can get a PCI board which typically will have three or more fans mounted on it. Simple, cheap and fairly effective. Second, a fan can be located at the rear of your case which will allow air to be drawn through the system and help keep all your components cool. The third option is a set of fans mounted in a 5 1/4" sized box which fits into an empty drive bay. Again, air is drawn through the system.
For the power users out there, such measures may not be sufficient, especially if you over-clock your PC by increasing the Front Side Bus speed or the processor and memory speed on a high end 3D card. A fairly new piece of hardware slots into a drive bay, and all the fans in the system are powered through device. Temperature sensors are attached to the hot parts of the system such as the processor, motherboard etc. and whenever the device senses that a component is overheating, it increases the power to that fan and cools it down. However, fitting the device is not simple as the sensors have to be exactly positioned, and the cost can be around 3000 baht. Also, the noise from the fans can make it sound like you have an air conditioning unit and not a PC.
Finally, and moving a little into the realms of the slightly ridiculous, there are water cooling systems available. A pump will flow water next to the components in the system, and carry heat away. These systems cannot really be described as compact, and they can also compete with the fans in the case in terms of noise levels.
If you have any PC related questions please send them to pcbasics@pattayamail .com

Women’s World: How to walk like a lady Part 2

by Lesley Warmer

CThere are some very strange quirks in footwear; history books say that Henry VIII of England (1509-1547) wore wide-toed shoes, sometimes 12 inches across, which had to be stuffed to keep them on his feet.
It is thought by some historians that the high heel was invented by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) but the evidence is not clear. It gets a little vague around the late 1400’s, but in 1533 the diminutive 14-year-old Italian bride, Catherine d’ Medici, who was married to the Duke of Orleans, wore shoes with two-inch heels to make her look taller.
By 1553-1558 heels were definitely in, Mary Tudor (“Bloody Mary”), another vertically challenged monarch, wore heels as high as possible. From this period until the early 19th century, high heels were frequently popular for both sexes. In the mid 1500’s in Italy, Spain and France an extreme shoe style called Chopines became the vogue. They had pedestals of cork or wood as tall as 24 inches and it took two servants to help a Venetian lady in and out of a gondola.
By 1660 Louis XIV was wearing highly decorated 5" heels made for him by his French shoemaker Nicholas Lestage, who was so clever at his trade that some accused him of sorcery. High “Louis” heels were also fashionable for the ladies.
In 1745 the favorite of Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour, who had tiny feet, made fashionable high, narrow heels that she called “Pompadour”. Other ladies of the court, wanting to imitate this fashion, taped their feet to reduce their apparent size. It was reported that many ended up fainting at court.
Heels became lower again by 1793. Marie Antoinette, for instance, climbed to her death on the scaffold wearing only two-inch heels.
As with all fashion it seems to go round in circles and by the early 1800s flat shoes and Grecian-style sandals became popular again. Then around 1865 the “sneaker” or plimsole, a canvas-topped, rubber-soled shoe, was invented for badminton and tennis. Ladies’ heel heights varied during this time but stayed below two inches during the rest of the century. Shoe fashion didn’t change much either.
Also in the 1900’s the timeless British court shoe “pump” arrived on the scene. At about the same time a range of widths became available in shoe stores.
In the early 1900’s women aspired to the “Gibson Girl” beauty ideal, popularized by artist Charles Dana Gibson’s pen-and-ink drawings of his young, beautiful wife, Irene. She was fresh and elegant, with a tiny waist and hair piled high. She also liked to bicycle, showing off an independent, thoroughly modern spirit and her small feet. Day shoes were still similar to the prim black boots of Queen Victoria’s era that had not disappeared with her death in 1901.
Evening shoes were more diverse; the popular style for women was a court shoe with a small Louis heel. These were often embellished with embroidery or metallic thread and glass or jet beading on the toes; often the only part peeking out from a voluminous skirt.
Evening boots were often made from soft kid or satin, with rows of beaded straps embellishing the shin. A variety of materials were used in shoe construction, including leathers mixed with colored canvas or gabardine to form two-toned “spectators.” Some leathers were reversed to form suede and were used with a kid or patent finish.
Both day and evening pumps were often decorated with removable buckles in cut steel, silver filigree, diamante, or marcasite. People developed a preference for narrow feet, believing it to be a sign of breeding and gentility. Both men and women regularly wore shoes that were a full size too small. Some women even opted to have their little toes removed to achieve narrower feet