Agnes Monica born Agnes Monica Muljoto on July 1, 1986, is an Indonesian pop singer, dancer, actress, songwriter, and producer....
Dewa was first formed in 1986 by four students from a junior high school SMPN 6 in Surabaya...
Dewa was first formed in 1986 by four students from a junior high school SMPN 6 in Surabaya. The name Dewa originated as an acronym of the founding members' names: D from Dhani (keyboard, vocals), E from Erwin Prasetya (bass guitar), W from Wawan Juniarso (drums) and A from Andra (guitar). Dewa is also an Indonesian word meaning 'god', or 'deity'. The band was initially based at Wawan's dorm in the Airlangga University complex.
Wanting to take a different direction, Wawan left the band in 1988 and formed Outsider with Ari Lasso. The name Dewa was changed to Down Beat which became a reasonably well-known name in East Java during that time.
When Slank became well-known, Wawan was asked to rejoin Dewa to rejuvenate the band and Ari Lasso was invited too. As the age of the bands members was 19 years at the time, Down Beat was changed to Dewa 19. Due to the lack of a studio that met their requirements in Surabaya, the band was forced was move to Jakarta where after a number of rejections by record companies, a Dewa 19 master was finally recorded by Team Record.
When Slank became well-known, Wawan was asked to rejoin Dewa to rejuvenate the band and Ari Lasso was invited too. As the age of the bands members was 19 years at the time, Down Beat was changed to Dewa 19. Due to the lack of a studio that met their requirements in Surabaya, the band was forced was move to Jakarta where after a number of rejections by record companies, a Dewa 19 master was finally recorded by Team Record.
CEPAS card: a cashless society?!
It sounds rather ominous, I'd say. A cashless society: where people do not have any cash?
Okay, seriously. It actually means that the future when people are to conduct their transaction without using any cash.
That's where CEPAS card comes into the picture. CEPAS (stands for Contactless e-Purse Application) is a Singaporean specification for an electronic money smart card. CEPAS has been deployed islandwide, replacing the previous original EZ-Link card effective 1 October 2009. (Yes, it also has an article in Wikipedia on CEPAS).
From Channel NewsAsia, "CEPAS cards can be used in more places by 2011".
And also a related post published in early November this year:
From Asiaone, "More retail outlets to accept ez-link payments".
Okay, seriously. It actually means that the future when people are to conduct their transaction without using any cash.
That's where CEPAS card comes into the picture. CEPAS (stands for Contactless e-Purse Application) is a Singaporean specification for an electronic money smart card. CEPAS has been deployed islandwide, replacing the previous original EZ-Link card effective 1 October 2009. (Yes, it also has an article in Wikipedia on CEPAS).
It will soon be more convenient for you to pay for your transactions using your CEPAS stored value cards.
The Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and five companies from the industry are spending S$16 million to increase the number of point-of-sales terminals for using these cards. The aim is to increase these terminals from the current 5,000 to 24,000 by 2011.
The five companies involved in the Call-for Collaboration with IDA are EZ-Link Pte Ltd, Nera Telecommunications Ltd, Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS) Singapore, PaymentLink Pte Ltd and Way Systems Solutions Pte Ltd.
This was announced by Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, Lui Tuck Yew, at the Infocomm Industry Forum on Monday.
Singaporeans are currently holding nearly six million CEPAS cards, using them to pay for their travel on buses and MRT trains as well as purchases from some retailers.
This convenient mode of payment is set to be expanded very soon. The infocomm industry is broadening the use of the CEPAS card for payment to many more outlets like shopping malls, food outlets and convenience stores.
It is all about creating awareness of a cashless society.
Jeremy Tan, managing director of PaymentLink, said: "There are a lot of inconveniences in using cash and coins. Because we have been using (this mode of payment) for so many years, a lot of us don't recognise the inconvenience - but actually if you think about it, the coins that you get, the change, the calculations that you need to do, the bowl of coins that we have...
"The consumers already have the cards. It is now (a matter of) getting the merchants to be comfortable (with payment by card)."
Hence, IDA and the five companies involved in setting up point-of-sales terminals will be providing incentives to encourage merchants to install the devices. Among the perks is a terminal rental waiver for at least a year.
The key to encouraging Singaporeans to go cashless is also to ensure that there are adequate facilities for them to top up their CEPAS cards with sufficient money so that they can use the cards to pay a whole range of transactions, thus avoid using cash.
Nicholas Lee, executive director of EZ-Link, said: "We recognise this issue from the start and we have been working with DBS bank to equip its islandwide network of DBS-POSB ATMs to (enable customers) top up the EZ-Link cards as well when they withdraw cash. That will span over 900 machines islandwide."
He added that EZ-Link is also working with the operator of the AXS machines, which number 200 now, to accept the EZ-Link card as a means of top up.
When fully implemented by 2011, IDA believes the additional point-of-sales terminals can generate over 94 million e-payment transactions per year.
From Channel NewsAsia, "CEPAS cards can be used in more places by 2011".
And also a related post published in early November this year:
From next year, consumers can use their ez-link cards at more shops and restaurants.
PaymentLink - card operator EZ-Link's partner, previously known as QB - plans to expand the number of shops that accept the new Contactless e-Purse Application Standard (Cepas) card by three times.
More than 5,000 retail points accept this payment method at present. They include 7-Eleven stores, SMRT taxis and eateries in National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University.
The company, which started ez-link payment services in 2002, hopes to triple the number of retail points to 15,000 by the end of next year.
It has already roped in retail giant Dairy Farm Singapore, which will install 1,000 terminals in 226 branches of its supermarkets and convenience stores, including Cold Storage and Giant, by the second quarter of next year.
Dairy Farm Singapore came on board because ez-link is a very convenient form of payment and has a large consumer base, said its spokesman.
"Many users of ez-link are also our customers, hence we decided that it would be beneficial to add ez-link to our portfolio of services," said the spokesman.
More than six million ez-link cards are in circulation here.
This is the right time to expand the network as infrastructure for the Cepas system has been completed, said PaymentLink's group managing director, Mr Jeremy Tan.
The card's stored-value capacity has also been increased from $100 to $500, opening up more avenues for consumers to use it for retail transactions, he said.
"We are optimistic about the growth potential for contactless card payment here," he added.
Last month, Network For Electronic Transfers (Nets) launched its multi-purpose contactless card, FlashPay, breaking EZ-Link's monopoly over the $1.3-billion transit market.
This card can be used at 2,500 stores, such as Old Chang Kee and Polar Puffs.
About 39,000 of these cards have been sold, said a Straits Times report two weeks ago. IT executive Hor Woei Ming, 24, uses his ez-link card to pay for taxi fares and buy drinks from vending machines.
"It is especially helpful when you don't have cash," he said.
But he does not foresee using it for more expensive purchases, as he will not store too high a value in the card, which is not password-protected, he said.
From Asiaone, "More retail outlets to accept ez-link payments".
Kseniya Simonova, sand animator: 2009 Winner of Ukraine's Got Talent
Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of "America's Got Talent." She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and "sand painting" skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII. (Oh, and she has earned herself a place in Wikipedia post on herself. Heh.)
Check out the amazing video as she does the magical painting here or in YouTube, "Kseniya Simonova - Sand Animation (Україна має талант / Ukraine's Got Talent)" which has so far gathered 9,005,753 views!
Not many people around the world watched the inaugural season of Ukraine's Got Talent on TV last spring. But since then, the winning performance—a live sand drawing by Kseniya Simonova—has received more than 7 million views on YouTube and won raves for its mesmerizing depiction of the Soviet Union's fight against Nazi Germany. Gracefully manipulating handfuls of sand atop a light box, Simonova created ever-transforming images that were projected onto a screen: a bucolic village disintegrates into a war zone, a woman grows old waiting, her piteous face transforms into the Ukrainian monument to its Unknown Soldier.
Thanks in part to Simonova's performance, live sand drawing—also known as live sand animation—is quickly winning new fans and widespread notice from Mexico to China. Part performance art, part visual art and part storytelling, the craft has been featured at Cirque du Soleil and Christian youth camps, Russian nightclubs and corporate events. Live shows enchant audiences not only because the visual effect is riveting, but because they tell a story, typically about love, war, or faith. Artists, who can command tens of thousands of dollars for a single gig, storyboard their shows the way directors do their movies, so that each image flows seamlessly into the next. The effect is like a patriotic fireworks show or a pop concert, designed to pluck heartstrings and astound crowds.
So far, there is just a handful of well-known sand artists. But Mexican-American artist Joe Castillo, who also performed live sand drawing on America's Got Talent, expects that to change. "Right now sand art is new and unique," he says. "There are lots of artists out there, and once they get light tables ... well, I've got a couple years before there's a sand artist on every corner."
Sand-animation films first appeared in the late 1960s. But Canadian filmmaker and animator Caroline Leaf, a pioneer of the art who completed her first film while at Harvard, doubts the performance-based live form grew out of her work. "I was always alone in a dark room doing very meticulous adjustments," she says. "It seems instead they're responding to the plasticity of the material."
Although sand is malleable, it is not easily controlled. Once it is poured, pinched, or flicked away, there's no going back. Artists must relinquish perfectionism. "You can't fix or erase it," says Ilana Yahav, an Israeli artist who has performed at the Kremlin accompanied by four live bands. "You have to move your hands with the music, so you can never stop for a second." As a result, no two shows are the same—and oftentimes, says French artist David Myriam, an accident creates a "marvelous effect."
The most established live sand artists—Castillo, Yahav, and the Hungarian Ferenc Cakó—also create TV commercials for clients such as Qwest, Animal Planet, and Mercedes-Benz. But they say nothing compares to the energy of working a live crowd. After Castillo performed at the September opening of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology outside Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, people approached him weeping. Even the judges at Simonova's winning appearance sobbed. With such strong reactions, it's little wonder companies—and countries—increasingly hire these artists for big events. "There's a natural fascination with artists at work," says Leaf, who regrets she has only seen live sand drawing on YouTube. It won't likely be long before she can see it on any street corner.
From Newsweek, "Drawing Lines in the Sand".
Higantes Noon at Ngayon
Postcard po yan ng Higantes Fiesta na nabili ko sa National Book Store. Kuha noong naka saya pa ang mga kababaihan. Sa ibaba naman ang bidyo na kuha nina Eulogio Johnbek Tiamson Jr. at Ethelyn Tiamson sa katatapos na Higantes Festival noong Nobyembre 22, 2009 sa Angono, Rizal. Sa kasamaang palad ay hindi pinayagang sumali ang duwende ng Malakanyang.
Higantes Festival from El Nuno on Vimeo.
Michaele and Tareq Salahi: White House gatecrashers; Michaele Salahi facebook displays state dinner photos!
The complete photos of the state dinner that Tareq Salahi and his beautiful wife, Michaele gatecrashed confidently can be found in Michaele Salahi's facebook page here. Yes, the photos are accessible for all!
When India’s soft spoken Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was talking business with his host United States President Barack Obama who had thrown a grand party for him, he had no idea that two people were there uninvited. In India even those invited to such parties are turned away if they don’t possess invitation cards and their cars don’t show parking slips issued by authorities.
Oh yes, Khabrein.info in "Tarek and Michaele Salahi couple crashes state dinner and Tareq Salahi Facebook" has a refreshing way to tell the story. Heh.
The Secret Service may pursue a criminal investigation of the couple who crashed a White House dinner honoring India's prime minister, but events at the security checkpoint may determine whether the security breach is a crime or just an embarrassment.
Jim Mackin, an agency spokesman, said the possible turn toward criminal charges is one reason the Secret Service has kept mum about what happened when Michaele and Tareq Salahi arrived at the checkpoint Tuesday. They were not on the guest list for the dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Federal law makes it a crime to knowingly and willfully falsify statements on matters within the federal government's jurisdiction.
Nobody disputes that the couple, candidates for a reality TV show, were allowed through security. The Secret Service acknowledges that its procedures weren't followed. Yet, it remains unclear whether the couple lied to the security officers and, if so, whether they violated federal law.
'As this moves closer to a criminal investigation there's less that we can say,' Mr Mackin said. 'I don't want to jeopardise what could be a criminal investigation. We're not leaving any option off the table at this point.'
The Salahis lawyer, Paul Gardner, posted a comment on their Facebook page saying, 'My clients were cleared by the White House, to be there.' He said more information would be forthcoming. Several messages left at Gardner's law firm on Friday were not immediately returned.
From Straits Times, "Criminal probe on crashers".
The Storm Warriors: Nice use of 'comics art' in its official website
Yes. Visit the official website of the movie, "The Storm Warriors". Under 'Gallery', you click 'Comics Art' & you'll be presented with a 12-page artwork. The above screenshots are the comics art for the 2 characters 'Second Dream' & 'Chu Chu'.
For those who missed the first movie, The Storm Raiders, you may be interested to notice that Golden Village is offering "The Storm Warriors Movie Marathon". You get to watch THE STORM RIDERS and The Storm Warriors back-to-back on the big screen! It costs you $26 (if you are a GV Movie Club members) or $32 (if you are a non-member). The price includes free flow of popcorn & drinks.
The synopsis of the movie, The Storm Warriors is quite linear (the special effect must compensate the simple plot, I guess). Quoted from Wikipedia post on The Storm Warriors:
The evil Japanese warlord Lord Godless (Simon Yam) desires to conquer China. He imprisons a large number of pugilists and attempts to make them subjugate. Among the captives are Cloud (Aaron Kwok) and the Mou Lam legend Nameless (Kenny Ho). Wind (Ekin Cheng) comes to their rescue and the trio fight with Lord Godless.
However, they are no match for him and suffer grave wounds. Cloud's lover Chu Chu (Tang Yan) is knocked out when she shields him from Godless' attack. The other pugilists sacrifice their lives to buy time for the trio to escape, hoping that the trio will return to defeat Godless one day and save their nation.
Chu Chu is badly injured and remains unconscious. Cloud feels remorseful and vows to take his revenge.
Wind chooses to take the evil path to improve his prowess in martial arts more quickly and defeat Lord Godless. During his training, he meets Second Dream (Charlene Choi), who will become his future lover. Meanwhile, Godless' minions come to attack and they disrupt Wind's training when Wind tries to save Second Dream from the invaders. Wind disappears after killing some enemies.
Lord Godless took The Emperor in captivity and stationed his troops in Heaven Cave. Cloud arrived alone and started a combat with Lord Godless. Lord Godless had the upper hand. Suddenly, the half-evil Wind appeared and joined the battle. Durng the fight, they inadvertently discover the "Lung Mak" (aka Dragon Bones), the spiritual foundation of the Chinese empire. They also recognize that the Japanese invaders were actually planning to seize the secret object and use it for the domination of China. The secret has been concealed in an ancient tomb, a forbidden ground below the Chinese imperial palace.
Holiday season's hottest toy - The Zhu Zhu Pets!
Yes boys and girls. Sina Mr. Chunk, Mr. Pipsqueak, Mr.Squiggles and Mr. Numnums ang hottest toys this year if you can find it. Sila ang Zhu Zhu pets Hamster! Kung noong araw nagsasabunutan at nagsusutukan ang mga kana para bumili ng Furby, Cabbage Patch and Tickle Me Elmo, eh Zhu Zhu naman ang uzu ngayon! Me shortage dahil pinakyaw daw ni Richard Gere ang lahat ng shipments. Humm...saan kaya niya ipapasak ito this time. Where will your Zhu Zhu zhu-oom today?
Clemen Chiang Freely: Sued & Refund
Clemen Chiang, the founder of Freely Pte Ltd was sued by 48 people in the Small Claims Tribunal & ordered to refund close to 80 per cent of their fees for the seminar and a full refund for the cost of the software and 'webinars'.
The latest news today has Clemen Chiang's appeal was dismissed by the High Court.
Thanks to a Straits Times expose on degree mills last August in which the report named ('Dr', yeah right) Clemen Chiang as having a PhD from an unaccredited university, these 48 people realized that they had made a wrong decision. One was quoted to comment: "I signed up because of his PhD. Option trading is a complicated thing. I thought this guy should know what he is talking about since he had a PhD in it".
Well, you know what they say about this: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach". And to make it more relevant in this shameful case of Clemen Chiang's Freely refund, "Those who can't teach yet want to teach, sue them!".
My sincere hope that Clemen Chiang--irregardless of his questionable PhD degree--may indeed a sort of 'expert' in options trading. His option is running low & he has now close to $180K to pay back to the 48 people he almost conned.
Then again if he's really such an expert, he won't have wasted his time trying to educate people in options trading, would he? The logical thing is that Clemen Chiang would just continue enriching himself with his 'expertise' in options trading.
The conclusion is left without saying. People who read his ad, should have felt alarmed. Oh well, maybe his 'PhD' degree indeed was quite convincing.
From Today, "Freely loses appeal against claims payout".
And from earlier news on 13 March 2009 (somehow I missed it. Heh.):
From Straits Times, "Trading 'expert' ordered to refund fees".
The latest news today has Clemen Chiang's appeal was dismissed by the High Court.
Thanks to a Straits Times expose on degree mills last August in which the report named ('Dr', yeah right) Clemen Chiang as having a PhD from an unaccredited university, these 48 people realized that they had made a wrong decision. One was quoted to comment: "I signed up because of his PhD. Option trading is a complicated thing. I thought this guy should know what he is talking about since he had a PhD in it".
Well, you know what they say about this: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach". And to make it more relevant in this shameful case of Clemen Chiang's Freely refund, "Those who can't teach yet want to teach, sue them!".
My sincere hope that Clemen Chiang--irregardless of his questionable PhD degree--may indeed a sort of 'expert' in options trading. His option is running low & he has now close to $180K to pay back to the 48 people he almost conned.
Then again if he's really such an expert, he won't have wasted his time trying to educate people in options trading, would he? The logical thing is that Clemen Chiang would just continue enriching himself with his 'expertise' in options trading.
The conclusion is left without saying. People who read his ad, should have felt alarmed. Oh well, maybe his 'PhD' degree indeed was quite convincing.
A company belonging to a self-styled expert on option trading lost an appeal yesterday against claims awarded by the Small Claims Tribunal to 48 people amounting to $176,583.
They had filed the claims after The Straits Times reported that Freely Pte Ltd's founder, Mr Clemen Chiang, allegedly obtained his doctorate in option trading from an unaccredited university.
The 48 people claimed they would not have attended Mr Chiang's three-day course on option trading or bought a $960 computer program if he was not the holder of a PhD from an accredited university.
In yesterday's appeal in the High Court, Freely alleged that the company was not given a fair hearing by the Tribunal hearing in March.
The Tribunal is part of the Subordinate Courts and a Referee - who can be a Magistrate, a District Judge or a Senior Officer - can hear claims involving the sale of goods or services not exceeding $10,000.
"The Referee appeared to have made up his mind even before the hearing was concluded, as his immediate oral decision, which he read from a prepared text, took about two hours to be read out, with translation into Mandarin," said Freely's lawyer, Senior Counsel Giam Chin Toon.
But Justice Woo Bih Li, who heard yesterday's appeal, countered that it was common for judges to write their judgments and make the necessary changes, even as the hearing is ongoing.
After a day's hearing, the High Court judge dismissed Freely's appeal without citing his grounds of decision. The Tribunal has more than 400 claims against Freely still to be heard.
From Today, "Freely loses appeal against claims payout".
And from earlier news on 13 March 2009 (somehow I missed it. Heh.):
A GROUP of 49 people scored a legal victory over a self-styled expert on option trading who turned out to have a dodgy doctorate from an unaccredited American university.
A dozen of the course participants said they had paid Mr Clemen Chiang between $3,600 and $4,000 last year for a three-day course on option trading - a complex and risky investing technique which often amounts to betting on share-price trends.
Several had also forked out another $960 for training software and a handful paid $1,600 to $12,000 more for online tutorials referred to as 'webinars'.
Mr Chiang, a 34-year-old Nanyang Technological University engineering graduate, has been running these seminars for a few years at his Freely Business School in North Bridge Road.
He would tell students his own success story of how he made millions, and he drew hundreds of participants.
He claimed to have a PhD in option trading, a rarity in the finance industry here.
But when it came to light last year that his doctorate was from the unaccredited Preston University in Alabama, the group of 49 wanted their money back.
Yesterday, the Small Claims Tribunal found that Mr Chiang had misrepresented his qualifications. It awarded all participants a refund of close to 80 per cent of their fees for the seminar and a full refund for the cost of the software and 'webinars'.
Mr Chiang, who still calls himself 'Dr', attended the hearing but did not speak to The Straits Times.
The Small Claims Tribunal is part of the Subordinate Courts and can hear claims involving the sale of goods or services not exceeding $10,000.
Outside the tribunal, several participants said they felt cheated when they read a Straits Times expose on degree mills last August. The report named Mr Chiang as having a PhD from an unaccredited university.
Sales representative Terence Tan, 41, said: 'I signed up because of his PhD. Option trading is a complicated thing. I thought this guy should know what he is talking about since he had a PhD in it.
'So imagine my shock when I found out that his degree was not from a recognised university.'
Like some others, he felt the course fell short of providing a good understanding of option trading.
Engineer William Hui, who paid $8,000 for himself and his wife to attend Mr Chiang's course, said: 'He should have called it 'Millionaire mindset', because for a whole day, it was just about how much money he made, his Sentosa Cove bungalow and his wife's Hermes Birkin handbag costing over $10,000.
'When he finally went into his so-called method of trading in options, I found it lacking. And then he tried to sell his software for another $960.'
Mr Chiang still claims to have a PhD on several of his websites, but makes no mention of Preston University, which American education authorities have called a 'degree supplier' offering 'fraudulent or substandard degrees'.
Last August, he told The Straits Times that he was also pursuing another PhD at the University of South Australia.
When asked then why he had opted for a degree from an unaccredited institution, he said he wanted to complete a PhD in double-quick time.
Because Preston University was listed as a partner of a private school registered with the Education Ministry here, he said he thought it was an accredited institution.
It was only later that he realised that Preston was not accredited in the United States, he said.
Like other business people who had bought fake degrees, Mr Chiang said then that it helped to pave the way in business.
Checks last year found more than 200 people - including prominent businessmen and financial consultants - flaunting degrees, MBAs and doctorates from degree mills and unaccredited, substandard institutions.
From Straits Times, "Trading 'expert' ordered to refund fees".
Angela Chang's blur "joke"...I don't get it! Do you??
I don't get this Taiwanese artist Angela Chang reference to Bee Gees' song, "I Started a Joke". How on earth is it applicable to her situation?!
So Angela Chang has a problem with her mum & it's somehow aired in the public. And that is being a joke, because???
Anyway. Perhaps I should just let it be. Let this vagueness pass without any expression of wonderment?
Eleven years ago, she decided to be an entertainer.
But now, Taiwanese songbird Angela Chang is resigned to the fact that her private family problems have become part of public entertainment.
The doe-eyed 27-year-old told The New Paper last Friday: “I started out hoping to provide enjoyment for everyone. But now it’s all coming back to me. My family difficulties have become a joke.”
Angela, who rose to fame acting in Taiwanese drama My MVP Valentine, was in town last week to promote her sixth album, titled The 5th Season.
And Angela knows the public is more interested in her season of domestic disputes. In September, her parents went to Taiwan’s Next Magazine with allegations that she had refused to take care of them.
Her mother also accused Angela’s Vietnamese friend Jenny of putting a hex on Angela.
Angela’s mum commented that the stick-thin singer-actress looked like she was in a trance and had dark circles around her eyes, insinuating that she could have been taking drugs.
Legal action
Later that month, it was Angela’s turn to spill the beans about her parents when she held a press conference in Taiwan.
According to Angela, the eldest of three children, she had cleaned cars and delivered lunch-boxes to support the family since the age of 15, after her dad stopped working due to a heart problem.
And last year, after recovering from a heart ailment in Canada, she returned to an empty home in Taiwan. She claimed her mum had taken off with her savings, amounting to NT$100 million ($4.3m).
Angela’s music label Linfair Records has since issued a statement dismissing all the allegations about her, and indicated it may take legal action against Next Magazine for its “non-factual” reporting, to protect Angela’s reputation.
But Next Magazine insisted it was merely “reporting whatever she (Angela’s mum) told us”.
The magazine’s spokesman added that if Linfair Records plans to take legal action, they should be clear about the facts involved or risk being guilty of making false allegations.
Angela’s family argument escalated quickly to become a public dispute between the two companies – and it all took place during the final stage of confirming the songs in her new album.
Angela self-deprecatingly included a cover version of the Bee Gees classic I Started A Joke in The 5th Season. It is the only English song on it.
The lyrics go: “I started to cry, which started the whole world laughing, oh, if I’d only seen that the joke was on me.” Angela told The New Paper: “That was exactly how I felt at that time.”
Privacy
Is the domestic dispute resolved? “Thank you for the concern, but I hope to settle this on my own,” said Angela with a weary smile.
She did reveal, however, that she is tired of losing her privacy, but has accepted it as part of her job as a public figure. “You gain some, you lose some,” she added philosophically.
She also said her working schedule is draining – up to 12 hours on a short day, but longer when there’s filming to be done.
Yet, having the love and support of her brother, 18, and sister, 26, makes it all worthwhile, she said.
Both siblings are now working. Her sister had accompanied her to the Taiwan press conference where Angela spoke out against their parents.
Said Angela: “I have always been a responsible daughter and sister, and I hope to give my family a better life.”
But most people wouldn’t wash their dirty linen in public. So was all this staged by Angela to milk publicity for her new album? She denied it, saying:“When such a family problem happens, nobody really knows what to say or do.
“Every member of the public is entitled to his own opinion, but not all are true.”
Angela added that after more than a decade in showbiz, she has discovered that “everyone learns different things due to his unique experience in life”.
“I’m actually just like any normal human being.”
From Diva, "Angela Chang: ""I started a joke"".
Hafary Holdings IPO
Hafari Holdings IPO seems quite appealing at 20 cents per share. However, it's only through placement. Can't apply it using ATM. Darn!
The business model might not be attractive. But I like the fact that Hafari Holdings is quite established (it has a history of about 30 years and recognised as one of Singapore's leading suppliers of tiles). And at least for the last 3 years, their financial record seems quite solid (the past three financial years saw the group's revenue grow from $19.9 million in FY2007 to $30.8 million in FY2009. Net profit rose from $2.9 million to $3.4 million).
From The Edge, "Tile supplier Hafary launches IPO of 32.5m shares at 20 cents each to raise $4.8m".
From Channel NewsAsia, "Hafary Holdings to raise S$4.8m in Singapore IPO".
From Business Times, "Tile supplier Hafary Hldgs launches IPO".
The business model might not be attractive. But I like the fact that Hafari Holdings is quite established (it has a history of about 30 years and recognised as one of Singapore's leading suppliers of tiles). And at least for the last 3 years, their financial record seems quite solid (the past three financial years saw the group's revenue grow from $19.9 million in FY2007 to $30.8 million in FY2009. Net profit rose from $2.9 million to $3.4 million).
Hafary Holdings, a local supplier of tiles with almost 30 years of history, has launched its initial public offering of 32.5 million new shares at 20 cents each, in line with its proposed listing on the Catalist today.
The IPO of 32.5 million new shares represents 20% of Hafary’s enlarged share capital of 162.5 million shares. At 20 cents per share, the placement is priced at a historical price earnings ratio of 7.4 times, based on the group’s net earnings per share of 2.7 cents for FY2009 (year ended 30 June 2009) and pre-placement share capital of 130 million shares.
Collins Stewart is the sponsor and placement agent for Hafary’s listing on the Catalist. Listing and trading of the group’s shares is expected to start at on Dec 7.
Hafary says it intends to use the net proceeds of $4.8 million to fund possible acquisitions, joint ventures and/or strategic alliances when opportunities arise, and for the general working capital purposes of the group.
In the past three financial years, Hafary’s revenue grew from $19.9 million in FY2007 to $30.8 million in FY2009, representing an annual compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.4%. Profit after tax grew by a CAGR of 8.3%, from $2.9 million in FY2007 to $3.4 million.
Hafary says repeat customers accounted for about 76.7% of revenue in FY2009.
Since its establishment in 1980, Hafary says it has grown into one of Singapore’s leading suppliers of tiles with a head office, two showrooms and three warehouses occupying an aggregate built-in area of approximately 139,199 sq ft.
Through the group’s robust sourcing and procurement network, Hafary is able to carry a broad variety of tiles from China and Europe; and through economies of scale, has the ability to sell these to customers at competitive prices.
Hafary says it is eyeing Vietnam as a strong potential market, “given the country’s strong economic growth and growing affluence.”
From The Edge, "Tile supplier Hafary launches IPO of 32.5m shares at 20 cents each to raise $4.8m".
Homegrown tile supplier, Hafary Holdings, plans to raise net proceeds of S$4.8 million in an initial public offering in Singapore on Thursday.
It plans to list on SGX's Catalist board and is offering 32.5 million new shares at 20 cents each.
Established in 1980, Hafary is one of Singapore's leading suppliers of tiles with a head office, two showrooms and three warehouses.
The firm's customers include general walk-in customers at their showrooms, interior design or renovation companies, as well as project customers involved in major property developments who make bulk purchases.
The group plans to use all the net proceeds to fund possible acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances when opportunities arise, and for general working capital.
Trading of the shares is expected to start on December 7. Collins Stewart is the sponsor and placement agent for the IPO.
From Channel NewsAsia, "Hafary Holdings to raise S$4.8m in Singapore IPO".
Singapore homegrown tile supplier Hafary Holdings has launched its initial public offering (IPO) for a Catalist board listing.
The company is offering 32.5 million new shares through placement at 20 cents each. This reflects a historical price-earnings ratio of 7.4, based on the group's net earnings per share of 2.7 cents for the financial year ended June 30, and its pre-placement capital of 130 million shares. The IPO shares represent 20 per cent of its enlarged share capital of 162.5 million shares.
Collins Steward is the sponsor and placement agent for the listing.
Application for the shares closes next Thursday.
Hafary, which has a history of about 30 years, is described as one of Singapore's leading suppliers of tiles. The past three financial years saw the group's revenue grow from $19.9 million in FY2007 to $30.8 million in FY2009. Net profit rose from $2.9 million to $3.4 million.
The company aims to pay 20 per cent of FY2010 net profit as dividends.
Hafary intends to use its expected net proceeds of about $4.8 million to fund possible acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, and for general working capital.
Although a significant portion of its business is local, Hafary is looking to expand into Vietnam as it 'shows strong potential', according to CEO Low See Ching.
'Given the country's strong economic growth and growing affluence, we believe that there is space for us to develop and expand there.'
Trading of its shares is expected to start on Dec 7.
From Business Times, "Tile supplier Hafary Hldgs launches IPO".
A Haiku as I slowly walk home
Their branches embrace the sky,
in silent prayer.
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