Would be interesting to see some figures. What I know is only from what I've seen and heard. For instance, ad agencies having freeze on any employments, factorie zones near the north very quiet three months ago...

Also employment data would not show true picture. For instance, factories giving the workers 2day-4 day a month furloughs, reduced hours, and bonus cuts thus trimming worker's salary. And people are beginning to be more budget conscious. Reducing frequency of shopping, eating outside, choose cheaper brands of shampoo, buying clothes and books on warehouse sales, going to old town rather than starbucks for coffee, etc. It's not just unemployment that could affect an economy...

That for me, is the true, axis of recession esp creating severe reduction of revenue for all manufacturing, retail, consumer sector. Even astute retailers that came up with promos will have to maintain a fine balance between lower margin and volume (ie McDonalds / Parkson).

BTW, have you guys been to carrefour lately? They are selling books at RM5 p/book and RM2 p/classic Penguin books. So nice, I bought 50 books for only RM220. Which is normal cost for 4-5 books for me... MPH and POPULAR just lost one of their most frequent customers.

This post has been edited by omores: May 30 2009, 09:55 PM

That's true..and been my observation too. Many retailers now seem to be prepping to reduce inventory, therefore those huge sale isn't a surprise. I think more will come soon. This recession seems like it is getting worse (or merely started) and - the stimulus plan has yet to kick in, consumers spending are down. Some of my friends who are in retailing all complained sales were down 20%~40% for the past 3 months and some are very worry about their jobs. The only people who aren't afraid are the people working in the public sector.

Ya, I'd like to work for say... EPF?

Ya, our gov hasn't really started any projects yet right? So far, only stimulus funds used is to bail out valuecap and others. There's also some maintenance works... Two weeks ago, they repaired the road outside of my area. I saw 10 trucks, this does not include the machines for flatterning, releasing tar, whatnots. I tot good, gonna fix the whole stretch which is about 1.5km. But after 2 days, they completed only 300m...

300meter still need so many trucks and 2 days to complete ka? Sigh, thats how the stimulus funds are being spent lo. Maybe oso give loan of 400million plus for legoland to build their themepark. I think that's why legoland came, why not with local gov giving you money to build...

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Added on May 30, 2009, 10:24 pmLooks like a possibility now. Never wish for something that deep down inside, you don't want. News update from Channel News Asia.

NORTH KOREA SEEN TO BE PREPARING TO LAUNCH A LONG RANGE MISSILE: V. V. V. BAD


"A train carrying a long-range missile has been spotted at the weapons research centre near Pyongyang," South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted an intelligence source as saying.

The source said it may be a modified version of a Taepodong-2, which the North tested in 2006 and in April and which is theoretically capable of reaching Alaska.

"It usually takes about two months to set up a launch pad, but the process could be done in as little as two weeks, which means the North could launch a long-range missile as early as mid-June," the source said.

Yonhap quoted a presidential official as saying the North may schedule a launch to coincide with a June 16 summit between South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak and US President Barack Obama in Washington.

Two defence officials in Washington told AFP US satellite photos had shown vehicle activity at two launch sites in the North, one in the west and one in the east.

Pyongyang says it will take "additional self-defence measures" in response to any sanctions.

"If the UN Security Council (UNSC) provokes us, our additional self-defence measures will be inevitable," its foreign ministry said Friday



Remember what I said? They would most likely go for Japan's American military base, and Hawaii. If the long range missile can reach alaska, it can reach Hawaii. NIKKEI might drop tomorrow. But I still think it's N. Korea's bluff. They are merely upping the ante.

This post has been edited by omores: May 30 2009, 10:33 PM

I wouldn't worry about North Korea - a small detachment of special forces could collapse the entire country - if China were to allow it.

How many guns do you see??

Very scary picture - but strangely erotic....

aww the skirt... *tabik!*

LOL. Good one.

Why they march with legs raised so much in skirts. LOL.

This post has been edited by omores: May 30 2009, 10:38 PM

I must say - that left legged kick to the goolies they've been practising looks particularly nasty and painful!!

Hahaha now you know why not to p*ss off a N. Korean woman. Especially if she looks familiar to the one in front with the tabik. That's nearly 45 degrees angle you know...

This post has been edited by omores: May 30 2009, 10:42 PM

Ouch!

Guys: ouch!

north korean chick and not as sexy as south korean la.. haha...

Hahah, that's because S.Korea got a lot of plastic surgery clinics ma. Trust me.

north = uniformity
south = diversity
see the difference?

hey.. i love your signature!!! hahaha!!!

Are you getting a boner from looking at those skinny babes?
Btw, if you look carefully.. those aren't real humans.. definitely clones from Kim Jung iI secret
human-cloning labs.

My initial sentiments exactly with N.Korean military. They will be like Iraq,
all will run away with tails between their legs when bombing starts.
Their propaganda touting how great their army and leadership are nothing but all crap!

From market perspective.. if war does break out, it will be good for commodity market.
All metals, food and the Oil price will skyrocket, here's more opportunity to profit!!

This post has been edited by danmooncake: May 30 2009, 11:10 PM

That's true. Plastic surgery is a huge business in South Korea - bigger per capita than in the US.

Not sure which bits are the most popular to have done though
Needs further research...

Omores, In term of stocks advice i do agree with you.
I really think S.Korea chic are much way better.



Thanks.

Facial is a must. Apparently its a common present for girls when they reach 16 years of age. I've been to Seoul and all the chicks I saw there are unfortunately not so ummmm, good looking, even at the cosmetics departments in Lotte shopping mall. I think could be genetics...

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Added on May 30, 2009, 11:12 pmHahaha silver lining huh. And you are right. I've been looking at commodities stocks.

This post has been edited by omores: May 30 2009, 11:12 PM

The operative word being "strangely"
Maybe it's what turns Mr. Kim on - who knows?
Rest of your post is spot on
These people are a total joke and everyone knows it.

You'd be surprise tho. They've been a military country for how many years? In terms of tech, you can't say they are backwards. What's all these nuclear technology then? Why would arm dealers want weapons from them if they are no good?

And the problem is not really about N. Korea invading other countries. It's about them shooting missiles. faster to push a button than the US/S.Korean/China army to launch an invasive attack to negate the missile launch sites

This post has been edited by omores: May 30 2009, 11:21 PM