Some of the most fruitful times I've experienced in church staff meetings have been those occasions when we've thought through the theological foundations for why we do what we do. Obviously, there's an abundance of tools for generating those conversations, not least among them, Scripture itself.
One non-inspired book that I've found to be unusually helpful for guiding our examination of pastoral ministry is Charles Bridges' The Christian Ministry. You won't agree with Bridges across the board. You certainly shouldn't. But it raises a wide range of important conversations. It's also an old book, and a significant advantage of using an old book is that we can explore the underlying, abiding principles that shape our ministry while maintaining some distance from the pressures that perpetuate our allegiances to our traditions.
I've just learned that the book is now available in paperback at a much lower price than the Banner of Truth hardback. And it's on Kindle for less than $1.
20 Eylül 2012 Perşembe
Shirking the Problem of What Is Good
I'm not sure whether it's more remarkable to me that G.K. Chesterton wrote these words from Heretics when he was about 30 years old, or that he wrote them over a century ago:
Every one of the popular modern phrases and ideals is a dodge in order to shirk the problem of what is good. We are fond of talking about "liberty"; that, as we talk of it, is a dodge to avoid discussing what is good. We are fond of talking about "progress"; that is a dodge to avoid discussing what is good. We are fond of talking about "education"; that is a dodge to avoid discussing what is good.
The modern man says, "Let us leave all these arbitrary standards and embrace liberty." This is, logically rendered, "Let us not decide what is good, but let it be considered good not to decide it." He says, "Away with your old moral formulae; I am for progress." This, logically stated, means, "Let us not settle what is good; but let us settle whether we are getting more of it." He says, "Neither in religion nor morality, my friend, lie the hopes of the race, but in education." This, clearly expressed, means, "We cannot decide what is good, but let us give it to our children."
(p. 13 in this edition, paragraph break added)
An Alphabet Soup of Militancy
In this interview, Rick Phillips (senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina) describes the struggles within the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) over the regulative principle of worship, Roman Catholic-derived forms of the Lord's supper, and theistic evolution. It's a fascinating perspective from a militant conservative, if you're at all interested in the PCA or the broader trends within American evangelicalism. Phillips sounds as if he wouldn't be a bit surprised if the denomination split down the middle within the next decade.
Though the PCA's membership in the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) hasn't yet become a focal point of contention, Phillips expressed his frustrations and hopes that the relationship could be severed. For any of you who appreciate irony, Phillips couldn't resist mentioning that Bob Jones University (BJU) prohibits faculty and staff from attending his church, precisely because of the PCA's affiliation with the NAE—an organization that Bob Jones Jr. helped to found. Perhaps he might be more fondly received if he were to abandon his defense of the regulative principle and host, say, a local drama team. [wink]
Though the PCA's membership in the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) hasn't yet become a focal point of contention, Phillips expressed his frustrations and hopes that the relationship could be severed. For any of you who appreciate irony, Phillips couldn't resist mentioning that Bob Jones University (BJU) prohibits faculty and staff from attending his church, precisely because of the PCA's affiliation with the NAE—an organization that Bob Jones Jr. helped to found. Perhaps he might be more fondly received if he were to abandon his defense of the regulative principle and host, say, a local drama team. [wink]
Apologetics: Fertile Soil for Heresy?
Though I didn't attend T4G this year, one of the themes I appreciated from the talks and the panels was the explicit recognition that a desire to see people embrace the gospel often dilutes the gospel through attempts to make the gospel palatable to unbelievers. In this panel discussion, Peter Williams said we need to be careful to understand that apologetics often leads to heresy. Al Mohler argued that apologetics, detached from biblical authority, becomes a mechanism for denying Scripture.
Not all apologists and apologetic approaches make these concessions. (See "White, James R.") In fact, my experience is that many apologists understand the centrality of Jesus' resurrection to the Christian faith better than most evangelical pastors. (Thank you again, Christopher, for all those reminders of how badly we pastors fail on this point.)
Having said all that, I've been listening to a series of apologetic addresses in secular contexts. I've been grateful for some of them, but I have to say I've been more disappointed than encouraged. Few things are more frustrating to me than when the person designated to represent the orthodox Christian position, simply doesn't.
Here's one example from John Stott's Veritas Forum at Harvard University. In response to a comment about the arbitrariness of demands for faith in Christ, and a question about the people who've never heard, Stott replied:
Not all apologists and apologetic approaches make these concessions. (See "White, James R.") In fact, my experience is that many apologists understand the centrality of Jesus' resurrection to the Christian faith better than most evangelical pastors. (Thank you again, Christopher, for all those reminders of how badly we pastors fail on this point.)
Having said all that, I've been listening to a series of apologetic addresses in secular contexts. I've been grateful for some of them, but I have to say I've been more disappointed than encouraged. Few things are more frustrating to me than when the person designated to represent the orthodox Christian position, simply doesn't.
Here's one example from John Stott's Veritas Forum at Harvard University. In response to a comment about the arbitrariness of demands for faith in Christ, and a question about the people who've never heard, Stott replied:
With regard to those, for example, who have never heard the name of Jesus, I would want to say this—that the only people that I feel fairly confident will be lost on the last day are those who have heard and have deliberately rejected the word of salvation which they have heard and understood. That seems to be very clear in the New Testament. But with regard to those who've never heard, I don't find the New Testament clear at all. Certainly, none of us deserves to go to heaven, and none of us can enter the presence of God in heaven by our own morality or righteousness. Christians certainly can't. We don't trust in our own righteousness to get to heaven, and nor can anybody else. Self-salvation is out, because if he caught a glimpse of the majesty, the glory, the holiness of God, we know that we're utterly unfit to come anywhere near him in the tattered rags of our own morality. So I know that, and I'm prepared, therefore, to leave the rest to God. Meanwhile, our responsibility is to take the good news that, by his grace, we've come to accept, and to spread it—make it known—as far as we can.In addition to the point I make about apologetics above, I believe these comments also serve as an illustration of the fact that people who write really good things can also believe things that are contrary to Scripture. They also provoke a discussion about the influence of ecumenism and perhaps even the long-term effects of paedobaptist ecclesiology—how it may predispose its adherents to embrace ecumenism because they've already deliberately welcomed unbelievers into the church. But those conversations are for another time.
"Eat Mor Chikin . . . Just Not Today?": Reflections on Clumsy Evangelical Cultural Engagement
Though I've had some fun with the Chick-fil-A controversy over the past week, I've also had some more serious questions rattling around in my head. Brighter folks actually figured out what they thought in advance, and wrote about it days ago. They also tended to write in traditional essay form, whereas I've just tried to answer my own questions in a goofy self-interview thing. So it is what it is . . .
How many Chick-fil-As (hereafter CfA) are there within five miles of your home?
Four or five.
Did you check on that before you moved there?
Of course.
Why are so many people eating CfA today?
Probably one or more of several reasons, depending on the person.
1) Because it's tasty, and this made a good excuse to eat a piece of nicely-seasoned white meat chicken, fried under pressure in peanut oil to retain it's juiciness. I mean, it's not like the big-city mayors were putting the squeeze on White Castle.
2) Because CfA has become a symbol for the culture war. Evangelical Christians and other cultural "conservatives" feel like they're losing their grip on the America that they know and love, and they want to put their money in the pockets of someone who's on their side, rather than another politician who pretends he is.
3) Because this issue has been cast as a gay-rights issue, and that's one of a relatively small number of issues that's particularly polarizing—as illustrated by the decisive role traditional marriage initiatives on swing-state ballots had in the 2004 election.
4) Because there's a very real First Amendment, religious freedom issue in play. Right or wrong, there is no question that a wide spectrum of religious Americans feel that their rights are increasingly and unprecedentedly threatened by numerous local municipalities, the current presidential administration, judicial decisions, and cultural-commercial forces.
5) Because this was a way to cast a sort of vote, and in a public way. Unlike the polls in November, people know what you're voting for when you stand in an hour-long line. It created a social media event that could be splashed all over Facebook and Twitter.
What message did it send?
I'd be stunned if CfA didn't smash its previous single-day all-stores sales record. That says there's still a significant commercial force that's poised, at least in some cases, to overwhelm any negative impact of a boycott. I'm sure it also sent another in a long series of "us vs. them" messages—that evangelicals hate/fear/are disgusted by the homosexual lifestyle and those that practice it.
Is that latter message the one people were trying to send?
I don't think that's what it was about, at least not for the most part. My sense is that this was about a perceived threat to a way of life, not a statement about a category of people.
Why the breakdown in communication then?
Both sides are at fault. The cultural progressives tend to label theological or ideological disagreement as intolerance. And intolerance must not be tolerated! (As D.A. Carson has pointed out, they're completely blind to the irony of their own inconsistency.) They assume that disagreement—especially one that leads to a moral conclusion—entails personal animosity, even hatred. Cultural progressives can't separate ideas from the people that hold them. That poisons public discourse, whether it's in the political, cultural, or—in this case—commercial sphere.
Evangelical cultural conservatives have sent mixed messages on whether they're more interested in conserving culture or proclaiming the "evangel"—the gospel. That's probably because evangelicals themselves aren't too sure. If you ask a cultural progressive what evangelicals are, he's going to tell you they're religious people who want to impose their beliefs on America by getting political power. Gospel theology is going to be the furthest thing from his mind. And that shouldn't surprise us, because most evangelicals don't talk much about the gospel, and many of them couldn't articulate authentic gospel theology, let alone live a life that's shaped by it. They're certainly not interacting with non-Christians in a way that portrays an accurate picture of the gospel. And by "an accurate picture of the gospel," I mean a biblical understanding the universality of both human depravity and the offer of grace and forgiveness. These foundational truths have not penetrated cultural evangelical hearts in a transforming way: We are all equally deserving of the full outpouring of divine wrath, and none of us has merited the grace we have received.
Should believers have eaten at CfA today?
That depends on two things, I think: 1) why they went, and 2) what the outcome was. Both are difficult to assess, but the latter is particularly troublesome. This opens a conversation that's much too large to resolve in this context, but suffice it to say that I believe Christians may, even should, engage publicly in political and cultural issues. Nevertheless, we walk an arduous path when we do. What will that engagement communicate about our priorities? To what degree will our mission as ambassadors be compromised? How will we guard our own hearts from the corruption that accompanies proximity to power and the hope of possessing it? And what do our Facebook posts and tweets communicate to the hundreds of people reading them, many of whom are presumably not believers and justifiably draw conclusions (whether accurate or not) about what is most precious to us?
Did you eat CfA today?
Yep, sure did. (But only once.) I chose not to rub my homosexual neighbors' or unbelieving Facebook friends' noses in it, but that doesn't mean my presence and money didn't contribute in some way to a cultural polarization that's rooted in miscommunication and misdirected priorities, and which ultimately obscures the gospel.
How many Chick-fil-As (hereafter CfA) are there within five miles of your home?
Four or five.
Did you check on that before you moved there?
Of course.
Why are so many people eating CfA today?
Probably one or more of several reasons, depending on the person.
1) Because it's tasty, and this made a good excuse to eat a piece of nicely-seasoned white meat chicken, fried under pressure in peanut oil to retain it's juiciness. I mean, it's not like the big-city mayors were putting the squeeze on White Castle.
2) Because CfA has become a symbol for the culture war. Evangelical Christians and other cultural "conservatives" feel like they're losing their grip on the America that they know and love, and they want to put their money in the pockets of someone who's on their side, rather than another politician who pretends he is.
3) Because this issue has been cast as a gay-rights issue, and that's one of a relatively small number of issues that's particularly polarizing—as illustrated by the decisive role traditional marriage initiatives on swing-state ballots had in the 2004 election.
4) Because there's a very real First Amendment, religious freedom issue in play. Right or wrong, there is no question that a wide spectrum of religious Americans feel that their rights are increasingly and unprecedentedly threatened by numerous local municipalities, the current presidential administration, judicial decisions, and cultural-commercial forces.
5) Because this was a way to cast a sort of vote, and in a public way. Unlike the polls in November, people know what you're voting for when you stand in an hour-long line. It created a social media event that could be splashed all over Facebook and Twitter.
What message did it send?
I'd be stunned if CfA didn't smash its previous single-day all-stores sales record. That says there's still a significant commercial force that's poised, at least in some cases, to overwhelm any negative impact of a boycott. I'm sure it also sent another in a long series of "us vs. them" messages—that evangelicals hate/fear/are disgusted by the homosexual lifestyle and those that practice it.
Is that latter message the one people were trying to send?
I don't think that's what it was about, at least not for the most part. My sense is that this was about a perceived threat to a way of life, not a statement about a category of people.
Why the breakdown in communication then?
Both sides are at fault. The cultural progressives tend to label theological or ideological disagreement as intolerance. And intolerance must not be tolerated! (As D.A. Carson has pointed out, they're completely blind to the irony of their own inconsistency.) They assume that disagreement—especially one that leads to a moral conclusion—entails personal animosity, even hatred. Cultural progressives can't separate ideas from the people that hold them. That poisons public discourse, whether it's in the political, cultural, or—in this case—commercial sphere.
Evangelical cultural conservatives have sent mixed messages on whether they're more interested in conserving culture or proclaiming the "evangel"—the gospel. That's probably because evangelicals themselves aren't too sure. If you ask a cultural progressive what evangelicals are, he's going to tell you they're religious people who want to impose their beliefs on America by getting political power. Gospel theology is going to be the furthest thing from his mind. And that shouldn't surprise us, because most evangelicals don't talk much about the gospel, and many of them couldn't articulate authentic gospel theology, let alone live a life that's shaped by it. They're certainly not interacting with non-Christians in a way that portrays an accurate picture of the gospel. And by "an accurate picture of the gospel," I mean a biblical understanding the universality of both human depravity and the offer of grace and forgiveness. These foundational truths have not penetrated cultural evangelical hearts in a transforming way: We are all equally deserving of the full outpouring of divine wrath, and none of us has merited the grace we have received.
Should believers have eaten at CfA today?
That depends on two things, I think: 1) why they went, and 2) what the outcome was. Both are difficult to assess, but the latter is particularly troublesome. This opens a conversation that's much too large to resolve in this context, but suffice it to say that I believe Christians may, even should, engage publicly in political and cultural issues. Nevertheless, we walk an arduous path when we do. What will that engagement communicate about our priorities? To what degree will our mission as ambassadors be compromised? How will we guard our own hearts from the corruption that accompanies proximity to power and the hope of possessing it? And what do our Facebook posts and tweets communicate to the hundreds of people reading them, many of whom are presumably not believers and justifiably draw conclusions (whether accurate or not) about what is most precious to us?
Did you eat CfA today?
Yep, sure did. (But only once.) I chose not to rub my homosexual neighbors' or unbelieving Facebook friends' noses in it, but that doesn't mean my presence and money didn't contribute in some way to a cultural polarization that's rooted in miscommunication and misdirected priorities, and which ultimately obscures the gospel.
Indian stock market, Nifty outlook 10-14 2012
Indonesia stock info - Indian stock market, Nifty Futures outlook 10-14 2012, best stock to watch next week 10 september 2012, ; The Nifty opened the week on a subdued note and traded in a narrow range for the initial days. The Nifty recorded a low of 5215, before picking up strong momentum toward the end of the week.
The Nifty finally closed at 5358, after recording a high of 5366 level. Nifty has closed strongly by witnessing rising gap in Friday's session, which lead index to register weekly close above cluster of moving averages.
Currently the index is forming a rising wedge pattern on daily chart. In the near future index is likely to consolidate at higher levels. The index has an immediate resistance at 5400 followed by swing high of 5448 levels.
On the downside index has strong support in the range of 5310 -5275 levels.
We believe it is a good sign but the pockets of strength remain. Pharma, FMCG and IT continue to remain strong. We believe that this will continue for this series. We look positively in these sectors whether it is Cipla , Aurobindo Pharma or Dr Reddy they all look good in the pharma space. In FMCG, you can carry a position in Dabur , ITC those corrected today but, can be looked at positively. These are the stocks which are looking positive now
* Investors' anxiety may increase as the prolonged wait for much touted reform measures gathers further pace next week, ahead of RBI's policy meeting on Sept. 17.
* Indian stock markets are keenly watching if the government can push forward FDI and fuel price hike via executive decisions as the monsoon session of the grid-locked parliament ends on Friday.
* Markets also await key macroeconomic data next week. July industrial output data to be released on Sept. 12 and August headline inflation on Sept. 14.
* Data points will also be key ahead of RBI's monetary policy review on Sept. 17.
* Markets expect August inflation at around 7 percent and IIP growth to be flat to slightly negative.
* Hopes of Fed launching another bond-buying programme got a boost after ECB's action. Investors will look to U.S. jobs data due at 1230 GMT for further hints.
* Indian stock trading in both Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange will be opened for 1-1/2 hours on Saturday, Sept. 8 as the BSE is testing its disaster recovery software.
The top five trading ideas for the week are:
Hexaware Technologies:
The price of Hexaware had registered a breakout from a key resistance during February 2012. Thereafter the stock retested the breakout level and consolidated at higher levels. The share price has broken this consolidation and closed near new 52-weeks high.
The stock has also been sustaining above its cluster of moving averages over the past few sessions of trade which is also a bullish sign. The momentum indicators are in rising trajectory and are in buy mode.
Hence, we recommend buying on dips between Rs 131—132 levels with a stoploss placed below Rs 129.40 levels, for targets of Rs 138.50 and Rs 144 levels.
Dr Reddy's Laboratories:
The share price of Dr Reddy's Laboratories registered breakout from an ascending triangle pattern on Saturday. The stock has also sustained above its cluster of moving averages.
The momentum indicator is also rolling upward. The above mentioned evidences suggest that the stock is likely to head towards the levels of Rs 1,778 - 1,814 in the near future.
We recommend a buy at current level and again on dips up to Rs 1,705—1,718 with a stoploss placed below Rs 1,673.80 for the above mentioned targets.
HDIL:
The price of HDIL has been trading upward after registering 52-week low of Rs 52.05 level. Currently the stock has once again taken support from rising trend line. On the weekly chart the stock has formed a bullish candlestick pattern.
The stock is also trading above its near term moving average. The momentum indicator has exited from oversold zone and registered a fresh breakout.
Traders can look to buy at CMP and again on dips to Rs 70.50 - 71 with a stoploss placed below Rs 69.40 levels for targets of Rs 74.50-76.50 levels.
Godrej Industries:
The price of Godrej Ind. has been trading in a narrow range after registering a high of Rs 283.35 level. This consolidation has taken a form of a descending triangle pattern. In this week the stock has registered breakout from above mentioned pattern.
The stock is also trading above its cluster of moving averages as well as lower Bollinger band. The momentum indicator has turned into buy mode which displays strength in the counter.
Thus, traders can look to buy now with a stop loss placed below Rs 251.80 levels, for the target of Rs 270 -278 - 284.
IRB Infrastructure:
The share price of IRB Infrastructure is about to register breakout from an ascending triangle pattern. The stock is also sustaining above its cluster of moving averages.
On the intraday chart the stock has registered a breakout from a rising inverted head and shoulder pattern. The momentum indicator is gaining upward momentum. The above mentioned evidences suggest that the stock is likely to head towards the levels of Rs 135-138 in the near future.
We recommend a buy sustaining above Rs 129 with a stoploss placed below Rs 124.40 for the above mentioned targets.
Feel free to forward this Op Ed and follow our Blog stock market news today
The Nifty finally closed at 5358, after recording a high of 5366 level. Nifty has closed strongly by witnessing rising gap in Friday's session, which lead index to register weekly close above cluster of moving averages.
Currently the index is forming a rising wedge pattern on daily chart. In the near future index is likely to consolidate at higher levels. The index has an immediate resistance at 5400 followed by swing high of 5448 levels.
On the downside index has strong support in the range of 5310 -5275 levels.
We believe it is a good sign but the pockets of strength remain. Pharma, FMCG and IT continue to remain strong. We believe that this will continue for this series. We look positively in these sectors whether it is Cipla , Aurobindo Pharma or Dr Reddy they all look good in the pharma space. In FMCG, you can carry a position in Dabur , ITC those corrected today but, can be looked at positively. These are the stocks which are looking positive now
* Investors' anxiety may increase as the prolonged wait for much touted reform measures gathers further pace next week, ahead of RBI's policy meeting on Sept. 17.
* Indian stock markets are keenly watching if the government can push forward FDI and fuel price hike via executive decisions as the monsoon session of the grid-locked parliament ends on Friday.
* Markets also await key macroeconomic data next week. July industrial output data to be released on Sept. 12 and August headline inflation on Sept. 14.
* Data points will also be key ahead of RBI's monetary policy review on Sept. 17.
* Markets expect August inflation at around 7 percent and IIP growth to be flat to slightly negative.
* Hopes of Fed launching another bond-buying programme got a boost after ECB's action. Investors will look to U.S. jobs data due at 1230 GMT for further hints.
* Indian stock trading in both Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange will be opened for 1-1/2 hours on Saturday, Sept. 8 as the BSE is testing its disaster recovery software.
The top five trading ideas for the week are:
Hexaware Technologies:
The price of Hexaware had registered a breakout from a key resistance during February 2012. Thereafter the stock retested the breakout level and consolidated at higher levels. The share price has broken this consolidation and closed near new 52-weeks high.
The stock has also been sustaining above its cluster of moving averages over the past few sessions of trade which is also a bullish sign. The momentum indicators are in rising trajectory and are in buy mode.
Hence, we recommend buying on dips between Rs 131—132 levels with a stoploss placed below Rs 129.40 levels, for targets of Rs 138.50 and Rs 144 levels.
Dr Reddy's Laboratories:
The share price of Dr Reddy's Laboratories registered breakout from an ascending triangle pattern on Saturday. The stock has also sustained above its cluster of moving averages.
The momentum indicator is also rolling upward. The above mentioned evidences suggest that the stock is likely to head towards the levels of Rs 1,778 - 1,814 in the near future.
We recommend a buy at current level and again on dips up to Rs 1,705—1,718 with a stoploss placed below Rs 1,673.80 for the above mentioned targets.
HDIL:
The price of HDIL has been trading upward after registering 52-week low of Rs 52.05 level. Currently the stock has once again taken support from rising trend line. On the weekly chart the stock has formed a bullish candlestick pattern.
The stock is also trading above its near term moving average. The momentum indicator has exited from oversold zone and registered a fresh breakout.
Traders can look to buy at CMP and again on dips to Rs 70.50 - 71 with a stoploss placed below Rs 69.40 levels for targets of Rs 74.50-76.50 levels.
Godrej Industries:
The price of Godrej Ind. has been trading in a narrow range after registering a high of Rs 283.35 level. This consolidation has taken a form of a descending triangle pattern. In this week the stock has registered breakout from above mentioned pattern.
The stock is also trading above its cluster of moving averages as well as lower Bollinger band. The momentum indicator has turned into buy mode which displays strength in the counter.
Thus, traders can look to buy now with a stop loss placed below Rs 251.80 levels, for the target of Rs 270 -278 - 284.
IRB Infrastructure:
The share price of IRB Infrastructure is about to register breakout from an ascending triangle pattern. The stock is also sustaining above its cluster of moving averages.
On the intraday chart the stock has registered a breakout from a rising inverted head and shoulder pattern. The momentum indicator is gaining upward momentum. The above mentioned evidences suggest that the stock is likely to head towards the levels of Rs 135-138 in the near future.
We recommend a buy sustaining above Rs 129 with a stoploss placed below Rs 124.40 for the above mentioned targets.
Feel free to forward this Op Ed and follow our Blog stock market news today
Related Post:
NCD issue next week september 10 2012
Indonesia stock info - NCD issue next week september 10 2012 ; Religare Finvest Ltd (RFL), a non-banking finance company focused on SME lending, plans to raise Rs 250 crore through Non-Convertible Debenture (NCD) issue next week, its Chief Executive Officer Kavi Arora has said. There will also be a green shoe option of Rs 250 crore, making the total size of the issue Rs 500 crore.
RFL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Religare Enterprises, which is a listed entity and holding company of the Religare Group.
The fully secured NCD issue has received the SEBI nod recently and the company will begin roadshows early next week, Kavi Arora said.
Investment Options
Investors will have an option to buy NCDs with a tenure of three years or five years. The coupon rates for the NCDs will be decided in the next few days, the CEO said.
The NCDs will be listed on the NSE and the BSE.The company had mopped up close to Rs 750 crore through an NCD issue, around this time last year.
On whether RFL will list its shares, Arora said listing is still couple of years away.
RFL is quite well capitalised for now and has a capital adequacy ratio of 18 per cent. There is enough headroom to grow the business, he said.
In 2011-12, about Rs 350 crore of private equity funds got deployed in RFL, adding to the financial strength of the company.
RFL’s loan book grew 40.22 per cent in 2011-12. For the current financial year, the company is eyeing loan book growth of 18-20 per cent, according to the CEO.
Feel free to forward this Op Ed and follow our Blog stock market news today
RFL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Religare Enterprises, which is a listed entity and holding company of the Religare Group.
The fully secured NCD issue has received the SEBI nod recently and the company will begin roadshows early next week, Kavi Arora said.
Investment Options
Investors will have an option to buy NCDs with a tenure of three years or five years. The coupon rates for the NCDs will be decided in the next few days, the CEO said.
The NCDs will be listed on the NSE and the BSE.The company had mopped up close to Rs 750 crore through an NCD issue, around this time last year.
On whether RFL will list its shares, Arora said listing is still couple of years away.
RFL is quite well capitalised for now and has a capital adequacy ratio of 18 per cent. There is enough headroom to grow the business, he said.
In 2011-12, about Rs 350 crore of private equity funds got deployed in RFL, adding to the financial strength of the company.
RFL’s loan book grew 40.22 per cent in 2011-12. For the current financial year, the company is eyeing loan book growth of 18-20 per cent, according to the CEO.
Feel free to forward this Op Ed and follow our Blog stock market news today
Related Post:
NCD issue option from Shriram City Union Finance
Indonesia stock info - NCD issue option from Shriram City Union Finance ; With interest rates on bank deposits beginning to dip sharply, non-convertible debentures (NCDs) from companies offer a good option for investors looking to lock into higher fixed returns. These are, however, suitable only for investors with some risk appetite, as they are not as safe as bank deposits.
For such investors, the three-year NCD option from Shriram City Union Finance appears a good bet. Shriram City is a deposit taking non-banking finance company that lends mainly to retail customers and small/medium enterprises. For individual investors, the yield on the cumulative option for investments of less than Rs 5 lakh is an attractive 11.5 per cent. For more than Rs 5 lakh investments, the yield offered is 10.6 per cent. For high net worth investors, there are better options in the market at that rate. The NCDs are secured.
The rates look compelling, especially in the light of some banks cutting their deposit rates. The rates on this secured option is 1.75 percentage points more than the highest rate offered by banks. The best rate offered by similarly rated NBFC deposits is 10.75 per cent.
Go for three-year option
While the NCDs offer both three- and five-year options, the shorter-term option appears better given the regulatory uncertainties for NBFCs. The rate on the five-year option, at 11.75 per cent, is only marginally more than on the three-year option. Additionally, for investors in higher tax brackets, longer term tax-free bonds of development finance institutions may be a better option. After accounting for tax, the yield on the cumulative option of this NCD works out 8.23 per cent, 9.32 per cent and 10.4 per cent for investors in 30, 20 and 10 per cent tax brackets, respectively. NBFCs are expected to come up with more public offerings of NCDs given the constraints on fund raising through traditional channels such as banking. This would mean no dearth of NCD issues. Investors have to also take note that high exposure to NBFCs increases the risks to their debt portfolio.
Business
The NCD has Crisil’s investment grade rating of AA- which is three notches below the highest rating. But it signifies “high degree of safety regarding timely servicing of financial obligations.” Such instruments carry very low credit risk.
As of June 2012, the loan assets managed by Shriram City amounted to Rs 14,889 crore . Loans against gold and lending to small enterprises account for 70 per cent of the total assets, followed by vehicle loans. The net profits for the year ended March 2012 and the quarter ended June 2012 were Rs 342 crore and Rs 103 crore, respectively. Profits have grown 41 per cent compounded annually during the period 2007-08 to 2011-12. The net NPA ratio as of June 2012 was 0.38 per cent. The capital-adequacy ratio is 15.8 per cent against the RBI requirement of 15 per cent.
Issue details
The NCD issue size is Rs 250 crore with an option to retain oversubscription of another Rs 250 crore. The issue opens on September 12 and is on a first-come-first-served basis. NCD holders can trade in these debentures in the secondary market (NSE and BSE) on listing. However, investors could face liquidity risks as the bond market is relatively illiquid.
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For such investors, the three-year NCD option from Shriram City Union Finance appears a good bet. Shriram City is a deposit taking non-banking finance company that lends mainly to retail customers and small/medium enterprises. For individual investors, the yield on the cumulative option for investments of less than Rs 5 lakh is an attractive 11.5 per cent. For more than Rs 5 lakh investments, the yield offered is 10.6 per cent. For high net worth investors, there are better options in the market at that rate. The NCDs are secured.
The rates look compelling, especially in the light of some banks cutting their deposit rates. The rates on this secured option is 1.75 percentage points more than the highest rate offered by banks. The best rate offered by similarly rated NBFC deposits is 10.75 per cent.
Go for three-year option
While the NCDs offer both three- and five-year options, the shorter-term option appears better given the regulatory uncertainties for NBFCs. The rate on the five-year option, at 11.75 per cent, is only marginally more than on the three-year option. Additionally, for investors in higher tax brackets, longer term tax-free bonds of development finance institutions may be a better option. After accounting for tax, the yield on the cumulative option of this NCD works out 8.23 per cent, 9.32 per cent and 10.4 per cent for investors in 30, 20 and 10 per cent tax brackets, respectively. NBFCs are expected to come up with more public offerings of NCDs given the constraints on fund raising through traditional channels such as banking. This would mean no dearth of NCD issues. Investors have to also take note that high exposure to NBFCs increases the risks to their debt portfolio.
Business
The NCD has Crisil’s investment grade rating of AA- which is three notches below the highest rating. But it signifies “high degree of safety regarding timely servicing of financial obligations.” Such instruments carry very low credit risk.
As of June 2012, the loan assets managed by Shriram City amounted to Rs 14,889 crore . Loans against gold and lending to small enterprises account for 70 per cent of the total assets, followed by vehicle loans. The net profits for the year ended March 2012 and the quarter ended June 2012 were Rs 342 crore and Rs 103 crore, respectively. Profits have grown 41 per cent compounded annually during the period 2007-08 to 2011-12. The net NPA ratio as of June 2012 was 0.38 per cent. The capital-adequacy ratio is 15.8 per cent against the RBI requirement of 15 per cent.
Issue details
The NCD issue size is Rs 250 crore with an option to retain oversubscription of another Rs 250 crore. The issue opens on September 12 and is on a first-come-first-served basis. NCD holders can trade in these debentures in the secondary market (NSE and BSE) on listing. However, investors could face liquidity risks as the bond market is relatively illiquid.
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Central bank auction NCD interest rates september 2012
Indonesia stock info - Central bank auction NCD interest rates september 2012 ;TAIPEI--The weighted average interest rate in the latest auction of negotiable certificates of deposit (NCDs) by the central bank fell to a 20-month low amid high liquidity in the local market.
In the auction held Friday, the central bank sold NT$100 billion (US$3.35 billion) worth of 364-day NCDs. Then it witnessed the weighted average interest rate of the auctioned NCDs fall further on strong demand from many local financial institutions, dealers said.
The financial institutions participating in the auction offered more than NT$360 billion in funds to bid for the NT$100 billion NCDs, sending the weighted average interest rate lower at 0.829 percent from 0.853 percent recorded in the previous sale.
Dealers said as there are no imminent solutions to the lingering debt problems in the eurozone and few signs of an immediate turnaround in the global economy, financial institutions have been keen to find a safe haven to park their funds.
The central bank's NCD auctions have become a relatively safe instrument for these fund holders amid volatility in the global financial markets, they said.
The NCD auctions are open to local financial institutions, including banks, credit cooperatives, bills finance companies and Chunghwa Post Co., which operates post offices island-wide that take deposits.
Dealers said the central bank's NCD auctions aim to absorb idle funds from the market and the effect of the NCD sale is equivalent of the hikes in the bank deposit reserve ratios by the central bank.
During the period of April 2010 and September 2012, the central bank constantly auctioned off 364-day NCDs to take back hot money from the market.
So far, the outstanding 364-day NCDs have totaled NT$1.2 trillion, and the sale has the same effect as the central bank raising the bank deposit reserve ratios by about 4.5 percentage points.
The weighted average interest rate of the central bank's NCD auction hit a recent high of 1.054 percent in August 2011, but the rate kept falling as the central bank has decided to leave its key interest rate unchanged since then.
In the last quarterly policymaking meeting in June, the central bank again left the interest rates intact after it stopped its interest rate hike cycle in the third quarter of last year to boost the local economy.
The market is watching closely what conclusion the central bank will reach in the upcoming policymaking meeting scheduled for late September.
Feel free to forward this Op Ed and follow our Blog stock market news today
In the auction held Friday, the central bank sold NT$100 billion (US$3.35 billion) worth of 364-day NCDs. Then it witnessed the weighted average interest rate of the auctioned NCDs fall further on strong demand from many local financial institutions, dealers said.
The financial institutions participating in the auction offered more than NT$360 billion in funds to bid for the NT$100 billion NCDs, sending the weighted average interest rate lower at 0.829 percent from 0.853 percent recorded in the previous sale.
Dealers said as there are no imminent solutions to the lingering debt problems in the eurozone and few signs of an immediate turnaround in the global economy, financial institutions have been keen to find a safe haven to park their funds.
The central bank's NCD auctions have become a relatively safe instrument for these fund holders amid volatility in the global financial markets, they said.
The NCD auctions are open to local financial institutions, including banks, credit cooperatives, bills finance companies and Chunghwa Post Co., which operates post offices island-wide that take deposits.
Dealers said the central bank's NCD auctions aim to absorb idle funds from the market and the effect of the NCD sale is equivalent of the hikes in the bank deposit reserve ratios by the central bank.
During the period of April 2010 and September 2012, the central bank constantly auctioned off 364-day NCDs to take back hot money from the market.
So far, the outstanding 364-day NCDs have totaled NT$1.2 trillion, and the sale has the same effect as the central bank raising the bank deposit reserve ratios by about 4.5 percentage points.
The weighted average interest rate of the central bank's NCD auction hit a recent high of 1.054 percent in August 2011, but the rate kept falling as the central bank has decided to leave its key interest rate unchanged since then.
In the last quarterly policymaking meeting in June, the central bank again left the interest rates intact after it stopped its interest rate hike cycle in the third quarter of last year to boost the local economy.
The market is watching closely what conclusion the central bank will reach in the upcoming policymaking meeting scheduled for late September.
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India Infoline Finance NCD issue closed september 7 2012
Indonesia stock info - India Infoline Finance NCD issue closed september 7 2012 ; The public issue of NCDs of India Infoline Finance Limited ("Company"), which opened for subscription on September 5, 2012, and was scheduled to close on Tuesday, September 18, 2012, with an option for early closure, has successfully closed on September 7, 2012. According to the stock exchanges data, the subscription figures show that the collections crossed the Rs. 5,890 million mark on September 7, 2012, indicating a subscription of over 2.36 times. The authorised committee of Directors of the Company in a meeting held on September 6, 2012 vide resolution dated September 6, 2012, decided to close the issue on Friday, September 7, 2012.
All the categories under the Issue were oversubscribed. As per the stock exchanges data, Categories III (retail individual investors and Hindu families) has been subscribed to approximately around 2.57 times under the issue were oversubscribed. As per the stock exchanges data, Categories II has been subscribed to approximately around 2.35 times under the issue were oversubscribed. As per the stock exchanges data, Categories I (Institutions) has been subscribed to approximately around 2.09 times under the issue were oversubscribed.
Mr. R. Venkataraman, Director, India Infoline Finance Ltd., said, "We thank investors for their enthusiastic response to our NCD issue. These funds will further boost our capital adequacy and finance our growth in days to come. I am glad that our NCD issue got a very good response from all classes of investors – be it retail, HNI or QIB."
The Company had planned to raise upto Rs. 2,500 million, ("Base Issue") with an option to retain over-subscription upto Rs. 2,500 million, aggregating to a total of upto Rs. 5,000 million, ("Overall Issue size"). The NCDs are in the nature of subordinated debt and eligible for Tier II capital. The NCDs will be listed on National Stock Exchange of India Limited ("NSE") and BSE Limited ("BSE") and will have a tradable lot size of 1 NCD.
The NCDs under this Issue have been rated '[ICRA]AA- (stable)' by ICRA, and 'CRISIL AA-/Stable' by CRISIL. The above ratings indicate high degree of safety for timely servicing of financial obligations and these instruments carry very low credit risk.
The lead managers to the public issue of NCDs are Axis Bank Limited, SBI Capital Markets Limited, Edelweiss Financial Services Limited, Trust Investment Advisors Private Limited and India Infoline Limited (only for marketing of the Issue), while the Co-lead managers to the Issue are RR Investors Capital Services (P) Limited and Karvy Investor Services Limited.
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All the categories under the Issue were oversubscribed. As per the stock exchanges data, Categories III (retail individual investors and Hindu families) has been subscribed to approximately around 2.57 times under the issue were oversubscribed. As per the stock exchanges data, Categories II has been subscribed to approximately around 2.35 times under the issue were oversubscribed. As per the stock exchanges data, Categories I (Institutions) has been subscribed to approximately around 2.09 times under the issue were oversubscribed.
Mr. R. Venkataraman, Director, India Infoline Finance Ltd., said, "We thank investors for their enthusiastic response to our NCD issue. These funds will further boost our capital adequacy and finance our growth in days to come. I am glad that our NCD issue got a very good response from all classes of investors – be it retail, HNI or QIB."
The Company had planned to raise upto Rs. 2,500 million, ("Base Issue") with an option to retain over-subscription upto Rs. 2,500 million, aggregating to a total of upto Rs. 5,000 million, ("Overall Issue size"). The NCDs are in the nature of subordinated debt and eligible for Tier II capital. The NCDs will be listed on National Stock Exchange of India Limited ("NSE") and BSE Limited ("BSE") and will have a tradable lot size of 1 NCD.
The NCDs under this Issue have been rated '[ICRA]AA- (stable)' by ICRA, and 'CRISIL AA-/Stable' by CRISIL. The above ratings indicate high degree of safety for timely servicing of financial obligations and these instruments carry very low credit risk.
The lead managers to the public issue of NCDs are Axis Bank Limited, SBI Capital Markets Limited, Edelweiss Financial Services Limited, Trust Investment Advisors Private Limited and India Infoline Limited (only for marketing of the Issue), while the Co-lead managers to the Issue are RR Investors Capital Services (P) Limited and Karvy Investor Services Limited.
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Asian stock markets september 20 2012
Asian stock markets september 20 2012 : Asian markets are set to edge higher on Thursday after U.S. stocks eked out small gains on a better-than-expected existing home sales report. The Bank of Japan's move to expand a bond-buying program could also support sentiment.
Japanese shares are set to climb. The Nikkei average had hit a four-month closing high on Wednesday after the Bank of Japan eased monetary polic
The Nikkei ended 1.2 percent higher at 9,232.21 on Wednesday, while the broader Topix index gained 0.9 percent to 764.80.
Investors will be watching out for the country's trade data for August.
Japanese retailer Aeon is likely to be in focus on a report it is in talks to buy Carrefour's Malaysian business, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday, as the struggling French retailer exits non-strategic markets.
South Korean stocks are set to inch higher as well, tracking Wall Street's lead.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 0.2 percent to close at 2,007.87 points in the previous session.
Australian stocks are set for a mixed start. There's a boost from the positive close on Wall Street, but a fall in global miner BHP Billiton's U.S. ADRs could cap gains.
BHP's shares are expected to open 0.8 percent lower in Australia.
Local share price index futures fell 5 points to 4,410, a 8.4 point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close of 4,418.36 on Wednesday.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index rose 0.5 percent to 3,817.7 points in early trade. The country posted stronger-than-expected domestic economic growth in the second quarter.
Official data showed GDP rising 0.6 percent in the three months to June 30, against expectations for a 0.3 percent gain.
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Gold Prices for september 20 2012
Gold Prices for september 20 2012 : Gold futures traded higher in U.S. afternoon trade Wendesday, after the Bank of Japan eased monetary policy further, making it the latest major central bank to announce action to shore up slowing global economic growth.
On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for October delivery traded at USD1,771.45 a troy ounce during U.S. afternoon trade, easing up 0.17%.
Earlier in the session prices rose by as much as 0.60% to trade at a session high of USD1,779.25, the strongest level since February 29, when prices touched USD1792.15 a troy ounce.
Gold prices were likely to find support at USD1,751.95 a troy ounce, the low from September 18 and near-term resistance at USD1,792.25, the high from February 29.
Gold futures rallied to the highest level since late-February during the Asian trading session, following the Bank of Japan’s surprise decision to boost the size of its asset-purchase program by JPY10 trillion to a total of JPY80 trillion, in an effort to stimulate slowing economic activity and to counter the strengthening yen.
The BoJ move follows the Federal Reserve's QE3 stimulus program announced last week and the European Central Bank earlier this month adopting a bond-buying scheme to lower borrowing costs in troubled euro zone countries seeking aid.
The precious metal has rallied on past monetary stimulus measures. Investors tend to flock to gold on fears that excess liquidity would erode the value of fiat currencies and spark inflation.
But prices came under pressure as the U.S. dollar strengthened after reports surfaced that some German lawmakers are seeking to water down proposals for a European banking union and supervision of euro zone banks by the European Central Bank.
Dow Jones Newswires reported that the German government not only wants a strict separation of bank supervision and monetary policy in Europe, but also favors a separate bank-supervision body that would give large countries more votes.
Investors also remained jittery amid reports Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is uncertain about asking for help from the European Central Bank's new bond-purchasing program, which would mean signing up to a permanent bailout fund.
Elsewhere on the Comex, silver for December delivery shed 0.3% to trade at USD34.60 a troy ounce, while copper for December delivery rose 0.55% to trade at USD3.808 a pound.
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gold prices prediction Hindu festival season 2012
gold prices prediction Hindu festival season 2012 ; Gold futures traded higher in U.S. afternoon trade Wendesday, after the Bank of Japan eased monetary policy further, making it the latest major central bank to announce action to shore up slowing global economic growth.
On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for October delivery traded at USD1,771.45 a troy ounce during U.S. afternoon trade, easing up 0.17%.
Facing record gold prices at home, buyers of the yellow metal in India are swapping old jewelry for new as they prepare for the country's festival season.
The popularity of gold recycling, as opposed to fresh purchases with cash, is likely to weigh on demand in India, the world's biggest consumer of physical gold, and moderate the latest upswing in global prices, industry officials and analysts said.
Fall and early winter is a key time for India's gold consumption. That is when roughly two-thirds of annual purchases are made as Indians prepare for the Hindu festival season, which spans several weeks and coincides with the height of India's wedding season. Both traditionally involve the giving of gold jewelry.
But prolonged weakness in the rupee, which has pushed up domestic gold prices in India to records, has forced some to rethink their plans.
Gold futures on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange have shot up 9.4% over the past month, as central banks around the world have embarked on measures to stimulate their economies. The moves, which some analysts say increase the risk of inflation, have boosted gold's allure, as some see the metal as a hedge against rising prices.
While gold futures, which ended roughly flat at $1,769 a troy ounce on Comex on Wednesday, are 6.3% off their record settlement hit in August 2011, gold prices in the Indian market hit a record of 32,421 rupees ($601) per 10 grams (0.35 ounces) on Sept. 13 and are at 31,300 rupees, up 10% from a record notched a year ago.
Central-bank stimulus efforts are a powerful force keeping gold prices buoyant, but falling demand in India, fueled largely by a weaker rupee, will "keep a top" on prices, said Jim Steel, a precious-metals analyst with HSBC.
To be sure, some analysts said demand trends in India could reverse course together with the rupee. Strategists at UBS said the rupee will be bolstered by recent market overhauls introduced by India's government. "The tide could turn for Indian physical buying in the coming weeks as the outlook on the rupee shifts to positive," the strategists wrote this week in a research note.
But if gold prices keep moving higher, the market will likely see more old gold return in the form of scrap or recycled jewelry as some buyers seek to cash in gains. "Traditionally, very high prices have stimulated an increase in recycling, not just in India but globally," Mr. Steel said. The Bombay Bullion Association predicts that gold demand in the peak period from September to December could halve from last year's level to between 200 metric tons to 250 metric tons. "Volumes are sharply down," Mr. Kothari said.
According to the World Gold Council, gold demand in India fell 36%, to 383.2 tons in the first six months of the year compared with a year earlier, as prices rose. Demand for jewelry was down 30%, while investment demand was down 45%. In addition to a weak rupee, patchy rains during the monsoon season have also contributed to falling Indian demand, as farmers poured money into saving their crops, leaving them with less cash for gold purchases.
Girish Choksi, an Ahmedabad-based bullion dealer, said new gold sales would pick up only if prices fall to 29,000 rupees per 10 grams, or 7.3% from current levels. "Then everybody would rush," he said. Only a rise in the value of the rupee, reducing import prices in local-currency terms, is likely to achieve this, he said.
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Astro Malaysia Holding ipo stock price range
Astro Malaysia Holding ipo stock price range : Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd, a pay-TV firm, has set an indicative price range of RM2.70-RM3 per share for institutional investors for its initial public offering (IPO) that could raise up to RM4.56bil, a source with direct knowledge of the deal said.
The IPO, which is expected to be listed by end-September or early October, would be Malaysia’s third-largest this year after share sales by Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd in June and IHH Healthcare Bhd in July.
Astro is controlled by Malaysia’s second-richest man Ananda Krishnan, who has investments in telecom and energy assets.
The institutional book for “Astro would open on Wednesday”, said the source, who declined to be identified as details of the deal were not yet public.
Based on the indicative price range, the total 1.52 billion shares in the offer could be worth RM4.1bil-RM4.56bil.
The deal is being handled by CIMB, Maybank and RHB, while several foreign banks are also advisers including UBS, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan — (Source Reuters )
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Nasdaq plan compensate Facebook ipo
Nasdaq plan to compensate Facebook ipo : Nasdaq Group stood by its proposed $62 million plan to compensate firms affected by the fallout from Facebook's botched initial public offering, taking aim at UBS, Citigroup and other parties that derided the payback plan.
In a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dated Sept. 17, Nasdaq said the proposed compensation pool "goes well beyond what is required under current Nasdaq rules." It noted that if the proposal is not approved, the applicable limit of liability under the approved rule would instead be $500,000 - less than 1 percent of the proposed pool.
Major market makers and broker dealers say they lost upward of $500 million because of technical glitches during Facebook's May 18 stock market debut. Nasdaq's plan to offer $62 million in cash to compensate those who lost money was an increase from earlier discussions, which would have included a $40 million payback fund, made up mostly of trading rebates.
The proposal prompted a series of letters to the SEC in late August from concerned market makers, brokers, a trade group and lawyers who criticized Nasdaq's plan. Many called for changes or the outright rejection of the plan.
UBS Securities, an arm of the Swiss bank, said it lost more than $350 million in the botched IPO, and called the plan "woefully inadequate" in a letter to the SEC dated Aug. 22.
The firm said the types of claims for trading losses that Nasdaq agreed to compensate "should be expanded to include the full extent of losses caused by Nasdaq." UBS said technical malfunctions from the IPO caused its systems to re-enter orders multiple times and left it with a huge position of unwanted stock.
Citi expressed similar discontent in its own scathing letter to the SEC in August in which it said Nasdaq's actions on the day of the IPO amounted to "gross negligence." The No. 3 U.S. bank's market-making arm, Automated Trading Desk, is said to have lost around $20 million in the IPO.
Both UBS and Citi declined to comment.
Nasdaq defended its use of a 45-minute window to determine a benchmark reference price to assess the amount owed on orders qualifying for accommodation after some market participants argued that the amount should take into account trading beyond the release of cross transaction reports at 1:50 p.m. that day.
The exchange said the timeframe "should have been ample time for a reasonably diligent member to identify any unexpected losses or unanticipated positions and take steps to mitigate or liquidate them."
Nasdaq said the purpose of the proposal is not to compensate all losses incurred on May 18 from Facebook's botched IPO, but to modify the $500,000 liability limit in order to make additional funds available for compensation in certain categories of loss outlined in its proposal.
The eight-page letter was signed by Nasdaq Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary Joan Conley.
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5 Essentials to Coping with the Pain of RA
September is Pain Awareness Month in the US and HealthCentral writers are covering topics related to living with pain. This week, my contribution is about my go-to tricks to cope:
"Last week, I cried in the shower again.
It's been a long time since the pain was so bad that my only response upon waking was to cry. Between Humira beating down my RA and having learned well the intricate balance of the right blend of painkillers, my pain is usually pretty manageable. Sometimes high, sometimes less so, but rarely blinding anymore. But here we were again, the pain and I, dancing that old familiar dance. It took a few days before I came out on the other side of it, feeling bruised and fragile, but better. And when I did, I realized that I had automatically clicked into a well-established routine of coping with a high spike of pain. This routine has five essential components"
You can read the rest of the post here.
Life Line
There are times when this stress hits you so hard that youhave made a conscious decision to build a wall against it. The stress can be aphysical flare, unmanageable pain or the life crap that has a habit ofhappening without your consent. For me right now, it is the life crap. There isa lot of it and I feel drained and angry. I have ideas for posts, but thethought of writing them is almost nauseating. I’ve forced myself to sit infront of my computer with a blank document and Dragon on and nothing has come,except the overwhelming need to walk away. From the computer, from everything Ido, from my life, if only for a little while. More than anything, I want twomonths off. To rest, to write, to centre myself and to not think about theShoulds.
And although I did buy my lottery tickets today, the chancesof that happening are about the same as a rasher of bacon on the hoof flyingpast my fifth floor window.
So. The wall. Or perhaps it is not so much a wall, as thedecision to focus on another facet. Instead of looking at the anger, thefrustration and the pressure, to make that conscious choice to look for joy. Toseek out beauty, a burst of laughter and to rest in a sense of peace, even ifit's only for a moment.
To that end, I declare this blog a positive space only forthe remainder of September. Maybe even longer. Barriers to accessibility,boneheaded politicians and other irritants will still be there, but I willchoose to not deal with them. Instead of handing over my energy to people who willnot be careful with it - and the news is not known for being careful with ourtender hearts - I will isolate myself in a bubble and begin to fill it withjoy.
Today's moment of joy was all because of Laurie. Swingingthrough Toronto en route to whatsounds like a blissful retreat from the world, she allowed me to rant on aboutall the things that stress me out. She absorbed so much of what has pummeled mefor rather a long time that I came out on the other side a little. Enough torealize I'm drowning and need to save myself.
The first tool is to practice finding something beautiful orjoyful every day. Today, it is the gratitude I feel to my friend for remindingme that I know the way out of this.
A Bite of Yellow
I've never met a plum I didn't like, but the yellow are myfavorites. They remind me of a Danish plum sort called reinekloder. They havethe same contrast of a very tart skin and a sweet flesh - wait, that sounded abit cannibalistic - albeit a bit more watery than the Danish variety.
These little globes of sunshine are only available for abouta month every summer. I miss them in the depths of winter and start looking forwardto them before the height of summer. I feel about these yellow plums the way Ifeel about Ontario strawberries,but the strawberries now last from June well into September.
I had a bag of four yellow plums in my fridge for while andwas spacing them out, wanting to extend this part of summer for as long as Icould. It's been almost a month since the season for yellow plums ended andearlier this week, I realized I need to be careful about how much slowly I eatthem or they might go bad. By this morning, there were two left. Now there’sone.
I took the other out of the fridge, holding it in my left handas I moved to the sink, the cold seeping through my skin. I rinsed it under thewarm water, taking the chill of the fridge off. Watching the drops of water dewthe yellow skin, stripes of ripe and more-ripe flesh visible underneath, Icouldn't feel my mouth gear up for the joy that is to come. I leaned in overthe sink and took the first bite.
I feel the give of skin under my teeth with its accompanyingtart flavour. Past the skin, I sink into the inside of the plum and the insidesinks into me. An inside that is so ripe it is almost liquid. I take a bite andthen another, the mix of the sweet mush and the almost-crunch of the tart skin makingmy taste buds slightly confused, but very happy. The plum is so ripe I can suckout the pit after only a few bites and then I eat the rest of it, juicesdripping down my hand. It is like eating liquid sunshine.
This is happiness.
Delivery
Sugar Beach got its name not because the sand is as fine as sugar (although it might be), but because it's right next to the Redpath Sugar Refinery. Living this close to a sugar refinery means that if the wind is right, my neighbourhood smells like molasses. It means often seeing really big ships docked right there, loading off raw sugar from the Caribbean so that Redpath to do its thing. And it means often hearing the deep honk of a ship's horn coming through my window in the late afternoon as a ship prepares to leave. It makes me feel like I'm living close to the sea and you know how much I like that.
Despite having seen an awful lot of ships and heard an awful lot of horns, I have yet to see one actually arriving or departing. That changed last week when I hid down on the beach restoring my sanity. I'd been sitting with my eyes closed, absorbing the rays of the sun like a lizard when something made me look up and out over the lake. And that's when I saw this
I know that Lake Ontario is deep. I know it's part of the St.Lawrence Seaway. But it still a bit of a surprise to see a ship that large heading slowly but inexorably, more or less right towards you. It feels a little fraught with danger.
As it got closer, some nutter from Thunder Bay played a game of chicken.it seemed ill-advised
Eventually, he came to his senses and stayed put. When determining right-of-way, big wins.
The closer the ship got, the bigger it became. Maybe it was the contrast between the ship and the beach or maybe it was the contrast between the ship and a tiny little tugboats that hugged its sides
It was a sight to behold - an incredible exercise in precision. The beach continued being the beach, which included the Toronto punk band Billy Talent having their picture taken there on the right
When the ship had done as much as it could (or, I suppose, its captain had done as much as he could), the tugboats in a 90° turn and started pushing. Which explains how the ships get as close as they do to the dock.that was a sight to behold, to - these tiny little boats pushing a behemoth and actually moving it.
In the process, they churned up the water, making the seagulls very happy
And at the end, I saw something which put to shame Mr. Thunder Bay and his game of chicken. The only title I could think of for this photo is 'Cojones."
Myths About Opiates and Addiction Affect Pain Management
This week, I wrote another post for HealthCentral's theme of living with pain for Pain Awareness Month. Since it is also National Recovery Month, I combined the two topics:
"You have the right to effective pain management. In fact, two years ago, the International Pain Summit in Montréal declared that it is a human right for all people to have access to pain management. In reality, many do not.
The Myths of Addiction and Pain Management
There is a myth in our society that taking painkillers means you're a bit of a wuss. We all understand that certain illnesses such as cancer can cause a great deal of pain and there is a great deal of support for terminal cancer patients getting the meds they need to deal with that. But non-cancer pain doesn't get the same kind of respect. In her recent post about opioid treatment for cancer and non-cancer pain, Karen Lee Richards speculates that this may be related to concerns about the risk of addiction. Concerns which thankfully now play less of a role in treating severe pain in people who are terminally ill. However, this brings me to the other myth in our society: that taking opioids for pain will automatically cause you to become addicted."
You can read the rest here.
2013 Coloring Calendar for Kids
We're getting pretty close to the new school year, so I thought it was just about time to put out our new calendar for 2013 for kids. Although this isn't a "school calendar", thinking about the kids getting ready to go back to school (or head to school for their very first time) made me realize that I hadn't yet finished the kid's calendar for next year.Although these kid's calendars look pretty simple, they sometimes involve a lot more work than normal calendar templates because of the hand-draw graphics included on them. Many of the graphics are drawn with a brush in photoshop (by me), but some of them are from free photoshop shapes found across the web. Using those means trying to research where they originally came from to ensure they are okay to use, so as often as I can, I use my own drawings for these. Trying to create new drawings for each year takes more time than just designing a plain template.
This year, the calendar comes in four parts - three months on four different pages (quarterly). If you have access to a printer that will use a roll of paper instead of individual sheets, you can print all four pages on one long sheet (or have it printed at a print shop). If you don't, you can print each page individually and use a hole punch to punch holes in the bottoms and tops (four holes should hold the parts securely) and tie the four sections together with colored ribbons or carabiners, or any fasteners that your creative mind can come up with.
The pages are designed to print at 17" wide by 11" high, making the calendar pages big enough to be useful as a calendar, and easy enough for even little hands to colour. The four pages are included in the zip or rar file - make sure you download the correct format for your computer. These are not available as .png templates or .psd files. The four pages are print-ready .jpg files. The sample file at left shows some of the designs already colored, but the printable download files are just black and white, ready for kids to color. The months are surrounded by a double-line border giving the kids the opportunity or choice to color around the calendars if they like.
DOWNLOAD THE 2013 KIDS COLORING CALENDAR IN .ZIP FILE HERE
DOWNLOAD THE 2013 KIDS COLORING CALENDAR IN .RAR FILE HERE
Here's a small-sized preview of one of the non-colored pages:
Birthday Siguature Quilt (part 7) and chillish weekend fun
We didn't do any big trips on our 3 day weekend, but we did have a great time chilling out at home.
- Listening to the Songza app - love this app, the 'hanging out with your kids' station includes the Wheels on the Bus song, and for under $5, you can split the audio ending arguments and curbing the popular refrain "MY TURN!!" (priceless)
- Checking out indie French band M83's album Saturdays=Youth. Pretty cool, I think.
- Finishing knitting my sweater: yes, yes, I did finally after 6 months finish knitting a sweater. More on that later of course.
- Making Japanese Hamburgers: This is soooo easy to make (especially when your husband is willing to go to the store for you 3 times in order to drum up the ingredients).
- Falling in love with the art of Camilla Engman and the pottery of Karin Ericksson: I'm using one of their small vessels to store my short knitting needles for socks. If you have a few moments to watch a video of Karin making her amazing hand thrown creations, this is one of the most beautifully shot videos I've seen in a while. The light is stunning. Her studio is called Manos and is in Sweden. Teamed up with the art of Engman, the work is to die for.
- Awe stricken that rapper Ice Cube loves Eames architecture: this is such an amazing surprise to me. If you are sensitive to rude language, please don't watch this, there is at least one bad word in this video. Not for kids.
- QuiltMania did some pretty cool quilting videos as a guide to creating Yoko Saito's mystery quilt block. If you speak French, you'll probably enjoy them even more than I did! Parlez vous francais?
If all those links don't keep you entertained, I don't know what will.
The photo at the top of this post is the 7 year old's birthday signature block, in progress.
Playing with Fire: A visit to Higher Fire ceramic studio
With little ones being the usual priority in our lives, taking some time to have a 'date day' with my DH is something I'm not sure I've done before.
We decided to have some good and dirty (literally!) fun at the local ceramics studio in San Jose, CA: Higher Fire.
They offer classes where you and a friend (you can even take your kid!) can go for 2 hours of private instruction on how to throw pottery on a wheel, and how to play with making dishes using flat sheets of clay.
Of course I'm a big sucker for learning something new while getting to play with my hands.
Our private instructor was so patient with us, and made sure we created some successful pieces to take home with us. We could not have had more fun.
I think we will wait a couple of weeks before the pieces are done being fired. It's hard for me to not want to sign up for more classes there.
Their next round of classes start next week. I'll have to keep you posted on how weak I become. It is so close to where we live...the temptation is so great...aaaahhhh!
I will hopefully use one of the pieces that we made to store my scissor collection (ahem, if it's big enough), and hopefully the other one will work for my knitting needles.
We also had lunch at The Table, a new fancy eatery not far away, in Willow Glen. It was overall yummy, but the hard cider by Hogan was insane (so unique, so fragrant), as was the chocolate pudding-ish dessert we ordered: pot de crème au chocolate.
Oh and p.s. - We didn't re-watch famous film Ghost, but gosh, after over 20 years, maybe it's about time to see it again!
If you're too young to remember this movie, you're either one of my baby-young friends named Kathleen or Susan, or lucky enough to have slept through 1990.
Living to see 700
In most cases, you have to be a vampire, or Yoda himself in order to live more than 700 years.
I probably won't live that long personally (unfortunately), but my blog has finally lived to be 700 posts long since its birth almost 6 years ago.
With both kids celebrating birthdays this week and family here to help us get happy, it is fun but also busy times.
More news soon on the sewing and knitting that went along with it all.
For now, I'd like to thank my readers (that's YOU!) for reading along.
If this is your first time vising my blog, welcome to my own personal creative fantasy island.
If this is your 700th time reading my blog, please insert a deep respectful bow here from me to you. Stay tuned for a little something special I'm planning.
If you are my DH and you have now proof-read 700 posts for me, I probably owe you a nice dinner.
Sunflowers above were growing amazingly in my quilting friend Laurel's garden. I had not seen them in this shade of yellow before.
Madelinetosh Beanie
I started and finished a new knit beanie for our 7 yr old this week.It was fun to be able to have a tiny project to take around with me to piano, soccer practice and the like.
Madelinetosh makes yarns in beautiful colors, although I will confess I'm easily confused by their web site. The yarn I used for this project is "Tosh DK" which is a 4 ply.
When you check out Tosh DK on their site, it looks like it's a single ply, so not sure what's going on there. Probably somebody out there can explain this to me.
Anyhow, the colorway is Antler, and it was a simple cast on of 88 stitches, knit in the round with size 6 needles. I did a little 4x4 rib to create a flat band, and the rest is history.
I discovered that I can knit this yarn without looking at it, so I was pretty pleased to look down and realize a hat had been magically created.
I am also wondering what to use as a backing for my modern house quilt. I may go with a solid color, but would prefer to find the perfect print. Will keep thinking on this topic.
Liberty of London Napkins
Liberty of London fabric has become a life-long passion of mine. Collecting it, quilting with it, getting to touch it on a daily basis. It's all so soft and delicious. Like the cashmere of cotton fabrics.
We were running low on cloth napkins, and I had an extra yard of this Liberty of London vintage aircraft fabric.
A sin to create napkins out of it? Perhaps.
Although, eating breakfast with such softness and beauty...is it really a crime?
These napkins were made from 18" square fabric. A nice size for a napkin I think. Maybe the perfect size.
Does your Liberty of London fabric have a higher calling than mine?
Let me know, but while you're at it...pass the ketchup please.
19 Eylül 2012 Çarşamba
Asian stock markets september 20 2012
Asian stock markets september 20 2012 : Asian markets are set to edge higher on Thursday after U.S. stocks eked out small gains on a better-than-expected existing home sales report. The Bank of Japan's move to expand a bond-buying program could also support sentiment.
Japanese shares are set to climb. The Nikkei average had hit a four-month closing high on Wednesday after the Bank of Japan eased monetary polic
The Nikkei ended 1.2 percent higher at 9,232.21 on Wednesday, while the broader Topix index gained 0.9 percent to 764.80.
Investors will be watching out for the country's trade data for August.
Japanese retailer Aeon is likely to be in focus on a report it is in talks to buy Carrefour's Malaysian business, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday, as the struggling French retailer exits non-strategic markets.
South Korean stocks are set to inch higher as well, tracking Wall Street's lead.
The Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 0.2 percent to close at 2,007.87 points in the previous session.
Australian stocks are set for a mixed start. There's a boost from the positive close on Wall Street, but a fall in global miner BHP Billiton's U.S. ADRs could cap gains.
BHP's shares are expected to open 0.8 percent lower in Australia.
Local share price index futures fell 5 points to 4,410, a 8.4 point discount to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close of 4,418.36 on Wednesday.
New Zealand's benchmark NZX 50 index rose 0.5 percent to 3,817.7 points in early trade. The country posted stronger-than-expected domestic economic growth in the second quarter.
Official data showed GDP rising 0.6 percent in the three months to June 30, against expectations for a 0.3 percent gain.
For the latest updates on the stock market, PRESS CTR + D or visit Stock Market Today
Related Post:
Gold Prices for september 20 2012
Gold Prices for september 20 2012 : Gold futures traded higher in U.S. afternoon trade Wendesday, after the Bank of Japan eased monetary policy further, making it the latest major central bank to announce action to shore up slowing global economic growth.
On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for October delivery traded at USD1,771.45 a troy ounce during U.S. afternoon trade, easing up 0.17%.
Earlier in the session prices rose by as much as 0.60% to trade at a session high of USD1,779.25, the strongest level since February 29, when prices touched USD1792.15 a troy ounce.
Gold prices were likely to find support at USD1,751.95 a troy ounce, the low from September 18 and near-term resistance at USD1,792.25, the high from February 29.
Gold futures rallied to the highest level since late-February during the Asian trading session, following the Bank of Japan’s surprise decision to boost the size of its asset-purchase program by JPY10 trillion to a total of JPY80 trillion, in an effort to stimulate slowing economic activity and to counter the strengthening yen.
The BoJ move follows the Federal Reserve's QE3 stimulus program announced last week and the European Central Bank earlier this month adopting a bond-buying scheme to lower borrowing costs in troubled euro zone countries seeking aid.
The precious metal has rallied on past monetary stimulus measures. Investors tend to flock to gold on fears that excess liquidity would erode the value of fiat currencies and spark inflation.
But prices came under pressure as the U.S. dollar strengthened after reports surfaced that some German lawmakers are seeking to water down proposals for a European banking union and supervision of euro zone banks by the European Central Bank.
Dow Jones Newswires reported that the German government not only wants a strict separation of bank supervision and monetary policy in Europe, but also favors a separate bank-supervision body that would give large countries more votes.
Investors also remained jittery amid reports Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is uncertain about asking for help from the European Central Bank's new bond-purchasing program, which would mean signing up to a permanent bailout fund.
Elsewhere on the Comex, silver for December delivery shed 0.3% to trade at USD34.60 a troy ounce, while copper for December delivery rose 0.55% to trade at USD3.808 a pound.
For the latest updates on the stock market, PRESS CTR + D or visit Stock Market Today
Related Post:
Astro Malaysia Holding ipo stock price range
Astro Malaysia Holding ipo stock price range : Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd, a pay-TV firm, has set an indicative price range of RM2.70-RM3 per share for institutional investors for its initial public offering (IPO) that could raise up to RM4.56bil, a source with direct knowledge of the deal said.
The IPO, which is expected to be listed by end-September or early October, would be Malaysia’s third-largest this year after share sales by Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd in June and IHH Healthcare Bhd in July.
Astro is controlled by Malaysia’s second-richest man Ananda Krishnan, who has investments in telecom and energy assets.
The institutional book for “Astro would open on Wednesday”, said the source, who declined to be identified as details of the deal were not yet public.
Based on the indicative price range, the total 1.52 billion shares in the offer could be worth RM4.1bil-RM4.56bil.
The deal is being handled by CIMB, Maybank and RHB, while several foreign banks are also advisers including UBS, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan — (Source Reuters )
For the latest updates on the stock market, PRESS CTR + D or visit Stock Market Today
Related Post:
Nasdaq plan compensate Facebook ipo
Nasdaq plan to compensate Facebook ipo : Nasdaq Group stood by its proposed $62 million plan to compensate firms affected by the fallout from Facebook's botched initial public offering, taking aim at UBS, Citigroup and other parties that derided the payback plan.
In a letter to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dated Sept. 17, Nasdaq said the proposed compensation pool "goes well beyond what is required under current Nasdaq rules." It noted that if the proposal is not approved, the applicable limit of liability under the approved rule would instead be $500,000 - less than 1 percent of the proposed pool.
Major market makers and broker dealers say they lost upward of $500 million because of technical glitches during Facebook's May 18 stock market debut. Nasdaq's plan to offer $62 million in cash to compensate those who lost money was an increase from earlier discussions, which would have included a $40 million payback fund, made up mostly of trading rebates.
The proposal prompted a series of letters to the SEC in late August from concerned market makers, brokers, a trade group and lawyers who criticized Nasdaq's plan. Many called for changes or the outright rejection of the plan.
UBS Securities, an arm of the Swiss bank, said it lost more than $350 million in the botched IPO, and called the plan "woefully inadequate" in a letter to the SEC dated Aug. 22.
The firm said the types of claims for trading losses that Nasdaq agreed to compensate "should be expanded to include the full extent of losses caused by Nasdaq." UBS said technical malfunctions from the IPO caused its systems to re-enter orders multiple times and left it with a huge position of unwanted stock.
Citi expressed similar discontent in its own scathing letter to the SEC in August in which it said Nasdaq's actions on the day of the IPO amounted to "gross negligence." The No. 3 U.S. bank's market-making arm, Automated Trading Desk, is said to have lost around $20 million in the IPO.
Both UBS and Citi declined to comment.
Nasdaq defended its use of a 45-minute window to determine a benchmark reference price to assess the amount owed on orders qualifying for accommodation after some market participants argued that the amount should take into account trading beyond the release of cross transaction reports at 1:50 p.m. that day.
The exchange said the timeframe "should have been ample time for a reasonably diligent member to identify any unexpected losses or unanticipated positions and take steps to mitigate or liquidate them."
Nasdaq said the purpose of the proposal is not to compensate all losses incurred on May 18 from Facebook's botched IPO, but to modify the $500,000 liability limit in order to make additional funds available for compensation in certain categories of loss outlined in its proposal.
The eight-page letter was signed by Nasdaq Senior Vice President and Corporate Secretary Joan Conley.
For the latest updates on the stock market, PRESS CTR + D or visit Stock Market Today
Related Post:
Birthday Siguature Quilt (part 7) and chillish weekend fun
We didn't do any big trips on our 3 day weekend, but we did have a great time chilling out at home.
- Listening to the Songza app - love this app, the 'hanging out with your kids' station includes the Wheels on the Bus song, and for under $5, you can split the audio ending arguments and curbing the popular refrain "MY TURN!!" (priceless)
- Checking out indie French band M83's album Saturdays=Youth. Pretty cool, I think.
- Finishing knitting my sweater: yes, yes, I did finally after 6 months finish knitting a sweater. More on that later of course.
- Making Japanese Hamburgers: This is soooo easy to make (especially when your husband is willing to go to the store for you 3 times in order to drum up the ingredients).
- Falling in love with the art of Camilla Engman and the pottery of Karin Ericksson: I'm using one of their small vessels to store my short knitting needles for socks. If you have a few moments to watch a video of Karin making her amazing hand thrown creations, this is one of the most beautifully shot videos I've seen in a while. The light is stunning. Her studio is called Manos and is in Sweden. Teamed up with the art of Engman, the work is to die for.
- Awe stricken that rapper Ice Cube loves Eames architecture: this is such an amazing surprise to me. If you are sensitive to rude language, please don't watch this, there is at least one bad word in this video. Not for kids.
- QuiltMania did some pretty cool quilting videos as a guide to creating Yoko Saito's mystery quilt block. If you speak French, you'll probably enjoy them even more than I did! Parlez vous francais?
If all those links don't keep you entertained, I don't know what will.
The photo at the top of this post is the 7 year old's birthday signature block, in progress.
Playing with Fire: A visit to Higher Fire ceramic studio
With little ones being the usual priority in our lives, taking some time to have a 'date day' with my DH is something I'm not sure I've done before.
We decided to have some good and dirty (literally!) fun at the local ceramics studio in San Jose, CA: Higher Fire.
They offer classes where you and a friend (you can even take your kid!) can go for 2 hours of private instruction on how to throw pottery on a wheel, and how to play with making dishes using flat sheets of clay.
Of course I'm a big sucker for learning something new while getting to play with my hands.
Our private instructor was so patient with us, and made sure we created some successful pieces to take home with us. We could not have had more fun.
I think we will wait a couple of weeks before the pieces are done being fired. It's hard for me to not want to sign up for more classes there.
Their next round of classes start next week. I'll have to keep you posted on how weak I become. It is so close to where we live...the temptation is so great...aaaahhhh!
I will hopefully use one of the pieces that we made to store my scissor collection (ahem, if it's big enough), and hopefully the other one will work for my knitting needles.
We also had lunch at The Table, a new fancy eatery not far away, in Willow Glen. It was overall yummy, but the hard cider by Hogan was insane (so unique, so fragrant), as was the chocolate pudding-ish dessert we ordered: pot de crème au chocolate.
Oh and p.s. - We didn't re-watch famous film Ghost, but gosh, after over 20 years, maybe it's about time to see it again!
If you're too young to remember this movie, you're either one of my baby-young friends named Kathleen or Susan, or lucky enough to have slept through 1990.
Living to see 700
In most cases, you have to be a vampire, or Yoda himself in order to live more than 700 years.
I probably won't live that long personally (unfortunately), but my blog has finally lived to be 700 posts long since its birth almost 6 years ago.
With both kids celebrating birthdays this week and family here to help us get happy, it is fun but also busy times.
More news soon on the sewing and knitting that went along with it all.
For now, I'd like to thank my readers (that's YOU!) for reading along.
If this is your first time vising my blog, welcome to my own personal creative fantasy island.
If this is your 700th time reading my blog, please insert a deep respectful bow here from me to you. Stay tuned for a little something special I'm planning.
If you are my DH and you have now proof-read 700 posts for me, I probably owe you a nice dinner.
Sunflowers above were growing amazingly in my quilting friend Laurel's garden. I had not seen them in this shade of yellow before.
Madelinetosh Beanie
I started and finished a new knit beanie for our 7 yr old this week.It was fun to be able to have a tiny project to take around with me to piano, soccer practice and the like.
Madelinetosh makes yarns in beautiful colors, although I will confess I'm easily confused by their web site. The yarn I used for this project is "Tosh DK" which is a 4 ply.
When you check out Tosh DK on their site, it looks like it's a single ply, so not sure what's going on there. Probably somebody out there can explain this to me.
Anyhow, the colorway is Antler, and it was a simple cast on of 88 stitches, knit in the round with size 6 needles. I did a little 4x4 rib to create a flat band, and the rest is history.
I discovered that I can knit this yarn without looking at it, so I was pretty pleased to look down and realize a hat had been magically created.
I am also wondering what to use as a backing for my modern house quilt. I may go with a solid color, but would prefer to find the perfect print. Will keep thinking on this topic.
Liberty of London Napkins
Liberty of London fabric has become a life-long passion of mine. Collecting it, quilting with it, getting to touch it on a daily basis. It's all so soft and delicious. Like the cashmere of cotton fabrics.
We were running low on cloth napkins, and I had an extra yard of this Liberty of London vintage aircraft fabric.
A sin to create napkins out of it? Perhaps.
Although, eating breakfast with such softness and beauty...is it really a crime?
These napkins were made from 18" square fabric. A nice size for a napkin I think. Maybe the perfect size.
Does your Liberty of London fabric have a higher calling than mine?
Let me know, but while you're at it...pass the ketchup please.
2013 Coloring Calendar for Kids
We're getting pretty close to the new school year, so I thought it was just about time to put out our new calendar for 2013 for kids. Although this isn't a "school calendar", thinking about the kids getting ready to go back to school (or head to school for their very first time) made me realize that I hadn't yet finished the kid's calendar for next year.Although these kid's calendars look pretty simple, they sometimes involve a lot more work than normal calendar templates because of the hand-draw graphics included on them. Many of the graphics are drawn with a brush in photoshop (by me), but some of them are from free photoshop shapes found across the web. Using those means trying to research where they originally came from to ensure they are okay to use, so as often as I can, I use my own drawings for these. Trying to create new drawings for each year takes more time than just designing a plain template.
This year, the calendar comes in four parts - three months on four different pages (quarterly). If you have access to a printer that will use a roll of paper instead of individual sheets, you can print all four pages on one long sheet (or have it printed at a print shop). If you don't, you can print each page individually and use a hole punch to punch holes in the bottoms and tops (four holes should hold the parts securely) and tie the four sections together with colored ribbons or carabiners, or any fasteners that your creative mind can come up with.
The pages are designed to print at 17" wide by 11" high, making the calendar pages big enough to be useful as a calendar, and easy enough for even little hands to colour. The four pages are included in the zip or rar file - make sure you download the correct format for your computer. These are not available as .png templates or .psd files. The four pages are print-ready .jpg files. The sample file at left shows some of the designs already colored, but the printable download files are just black and white, ready for kids to color. The months are surrounded by a double-line border giving the kids the opportunity or choice to color around the calendars if they like.
DOWNLOAD THE 2013 KIDS COLORING CALENDAR IN .ZIP FILE HERE
DOWNLOAD THE 2013 KIDS COLORING CALENDAR IN .RAR FILE HERE
Here's a small-sized preview of one of the non-colored pages:
Indian stock market, Nifty outlook 10-14 2012
Indonesia stock info - Indian stock market, Nifty Futures outlook 10-14 2012, best stock to watch next week 10 september 2012, ; The Nifty opened the week on a subdued note and traded in a narrow range for the initial days. The Nifty recorded a low of 5215, before picking up strong momentum toward the end of the week.
The Nifty finally closed at 5358, after recording a high of 5366 level. Nifty has closed strongly by witnessing rising gap in Friday's session, which lead index to register weekly close above cluster of moving averages.
Currently the index is forming a rising wedge pattern on daily chart. In the near future index is likely to consolidate at higher levels. The index has an immediate resistance at 5400 followed by swing high of 5448 levels.
On the downside index has strong support in the range of 5310 -5275 levels.
We believe it is a good sign but the pockets of strength remain. Pharma, FMCG and IT continue to remain strong. We believe that this will continue for this series. We look positively in these sectors whether it is Cipla , Aurobindo Pharma or Dr Reddy they all look good in the pharma space. In FMCG, you can carry a position in Dabur , ITC those corrected today but, can be looked at positively. These are the stocks which are looking positive now
* Investors' anxiety may increase as the prolonged wait for much touted reform measures gathers further pace next week, ahead of RBI's policy meeting on Sept. 17.
* Indian stock markets are keenly watching if the government can push forward FDI and fuel price hike via executive decisions as the monsoon session of the grid-locked parliament ends on Friday.
* Markets also await key macroeconomic data next week. July industrial output data to be released on Sept. 12 and August headline inflation on Sept. 14.
* Data points will also be key ahead of RBI's monetary policy review on Sept. 17.
* Markets expect August inflation at around 7 percent and IIP growth to be flat to slightly negative.
* Hopes of Fed launching another bond-buying programme got a boost after ECB's action. Investors will look to U.S. jobs data due at 1230 GMT for further hints.
* Indian stock trading in both Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange will be opened for 1-1/2 hours on Saturday, Sept. 8 as the BSE is testing its disaster recovery software.
The top five trading ideas for the week are:
Hexaware Technologies:
The price of Hexaware had registered a breakout from a key resistance during February 2012. Thereafter the stock retested the breakout level and consolidated at higher levels. The share price has broken this consolidation and closed near new 52-weeks high.
The stock has also been sustaining above its cluster of moving averages over the past few sessions of trade which is also a bullish sign. The momentum indicators are in rising trajectory and are in buy mode.
Hence, we recommend buying on dips between Rs 131—132 levels with a stoploss placed below Rs 129.40 levels, for targets of Rs 138.50 and Rs 144 levels.
Dr Reddy's Laboratories:
The share price of Dr Reddy's Laboratories registered breakout from an ascending triangle pattern on Saturday. The stock has also sustained above its cluster of moving averages.
The momentum indicator is also rolling upward. The above mentioned evidences suggest that the stock is likely to head towards the levels of Rs 1,778 - 1,814 in the near future.
We recommend a buy at current level and again on dips up to Rs 1,705—1,718 with a stoploss placed below Rs 1,673.80 for the above mentioned targets.
HDIL:
The price of HDIL has been trading upward after registering 52-week low of Rs 52.05 level. Currently the stock has once again taken support from rising trend line. On the weekly chart the stock has formed a bullish candlestick pattern.
The stock is also trading above its near term moving average. The momentum indicator has exited from oversold zone and registered a fresh breakout.
Traders can look to buy at CMP and again on dips to Rs 70.50 - 71 with a stoploss placed below Rs 69.40 levels for targets of Rs 74.50-76.50 levels.
Godrej Industries:
The price of Godrej Ind. has been trading in a narrow range after registering a high of Rs 283.35 level. This consolidation has taken a form of a descending triangle pattern. In this week the stock has registered breakout from above mentioned pattern.
The stock is also trading above its cluster of moving averages as well as lower Bollinger band. The momentum indicator has turned into buy mode which displays strength in the counter.
Thus, traders can look to buy now with a stop loss placed below Rs 251.80 levels, for the target of Rs 270 -278 - 284.
IRB Infrastructure:
The share price of IRB Infrastructure is about to register breakout from an ascending triangle pattern. The stock is also sustaining above its cluster of moving averages.
On the intraday chart the stock has registered a breakout from a rising inverted head and shoulder pattern. The momentum indicator is gaining upward momentum. The above mentioned evidences suggest that the stock is likely to head towards the levels of Rs 135-138 in the near future.
We recommend a buy sustaining above Rs 129 with a stoploss placed below Rs 124.40 for the above mentioned targets.
Feel free to forward this Op Ed and follow our Blog stock market news today
The Nifty finally closed at 5358, after recording a high of 5366 level. Nifty has closed strongly by witnessing rising gap in Friday's session, which lead index to register weekly close above cluster of moving averages.
Currently the index is forming a rising wedge pattern on daily chart. In the near future index is likely to consolidate at higher levels. The index has an immediate resistance at 5400 followed by swing high of 5448 levels.
On the downside index has strong support in the range of 5310 -5275 levels.
We believe it is a good sign but the pockets of strength remain. Pharma, FMCG and IT continue to remain strong. We believe that this will continue for this series. We look positively in these sectors whether it is Cipla , Aurobindo Pharma or Dr Reddy they all look good in the pharma space. In FMCG, you can carry a position in Dabur , ITC those corrected today but, can be looked at positively. These are the stocks which are looking positive now
* Investors' anxiety may increase as the prolonged wait for much touted reform measures gathers further pace next week, ahead of RBI's policy meeting on Sept. 17.
* Indian stock markets are keenly watching if the government can push forward FDI and fuel price hike via executive decisions as the monsoon session of the grid-locked parliament ends on Friday.
* Markets also await key macroeconomic data next week. July industrial output data to be released on Sept. 12 and August headline inflation on Sept. 14.
* Data points will also be key ahead of RBI's monetary policy review on Sept. 17.
* Markets expect August inflation at around 7 percent and IIP growth to be flat to slightly negative.
* Hopes of Fed launching another bond-buying programme got a boost after ECB's action. Investors will look to U.S. jobs data due at 1230 GMT for further hints.
* Indian stock trading in both Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange will be opened for 1-1/2 hours on Saturday, Sept. 8 as the BSE is testing its disaster recovery software.
The top five trading ideas for the week are:
Hexaware Technologies:
The price of Hexaware had registered a breakout from a key resistance during February 2012. Thereafter the stock retested the breakout level and consolidated at higher levels. The share price has broken this consolidation and closed near new 52-weeks high.
The stock has also been sustaining above its cluster of moving averages over the past few sessions of trade which is also a bullish sign. The momentum indicators are in rising trajectory and are in buy mode.
Hence, we recommend buying on dips between Rs 131—132 levels with a stoploss placed below Rs 129.40 levels, for targets of Rs 138.50 and Rs 144 levels.
Dr Reddy's Laboratories:
The share price of Dr Reddy's Laboratories registered breakout from an ascending triangle pattern on Saturday. The stock has also sustained above its cluster of moving averages.
The momentum indicator is also rolling upward. The above mentioned evidences suggest that the stock is likely to head towards the levels of Rs 1,778 - 1,814 in the near future.
We recommend a buy at current level and again on dips up to Rs 1,705—1,718 with a stoploss placed below Rs 1,673.80 for the above mentioned targets.
HDIL:
The price of HDIL has been trading upward after registering 52-week low of Rs 52.05 level. Currently the stock has once again taken support from rising trend line. On the weekly chart the stock has formed a bullish candlestick pattern.
The stock is also trading above its near term moving average. The momentum indicator has exited from oversold zone and registered a fresh breakout.
Traders can look to buy at CMP and again on dips to Rs 70.50 - 71 with a stoploss placed below Rs 69.40 levels for targets of Rs 74.50-76.50 levels.
Godrej Industries:
The price of Godrej Ind. has been trading in a narrow range after registering a high of Rs 283.35 level. This consolidation has taken a form of a descending triangle pattern. In this week the stock has registered breakout from above mentioned pattern.
The stock is also trading above its cluster of moving averages as well as lower Bollinger band. The momentum indicator has turned into buy mode which displays strength in the counter.
Thus, traders can look to buy now with a stop loss placed below Rs 251.80 levels, for the target of Rs 270 -278 - 284.
IRB Infrastructure:
The share price of IRB Infrastructure is about to register breakout from an ascending triangle pattern. The stock is also sustaining above its cluster of moving averages.
On the intraday chart the stock has registered a breakout from a rising inverted head and shoulder pattern. The momentum indicator is gaining upward momentum. The above mentioned evidences suggest that the stock is likely to head towards the levels of Rs 135-138 in the near future.
We recommend a buy sustaining above Rs 129 with a stoploss placed below Rs 124.40 for the above mentioned targets.
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