kueytoc

FOWLR ??? Sure or Not ??? Often sense that U are 'lurking around' during SPS/LPS shipments leh.

So wat are U waiting for ? Let the FAT LADY RINGS !!!

Be careful of its high nutrients load which is 'not forgiving' to ya SPS-Tanky mate.

Shoppers still cashing in...Good Sign ??? Retailers say no significant drop in sales this year—end season Channel NewsAsia - Monday, December 22 SINGAPORE: Singaporeans appear to be heeding the call to shop this festive season despite the recession. Retailers in both Orchard Road and the suburban areas said they have not seen a significant drop in sales. Christmas lights and candy canes line Orchard Road and malls are going all out to lure the crowds. Said one man in the street: "I still maintain the same budget unless I get any bad news for my job. But so far, it is still okay for me." A CapitaLand spokesperson said some of the group’s malls like Raffles City and Tampines Mall have even seen an increase in shopper traffic. Another large retailer is also optimistic. Edward Tan, director, Operations Metro, said: "I expect things to be quite normal. I don’t foresee anything bad until after Chinese New Year." The growth of sales in the suburbs is not surprising as some shoppers said they have adjusted their budgets and are shopping more in the heartlands. Said another man in the street: "I used to shop at the Orchard Road area, but now I go to Chinatown as I find it cheaper here." However, some heartland shopkeepers at Toa Payoh Central reported a drop in sales. But most also acknowledged that while customers may be more particular about what they buy, the economic downturn has not had a significant impact on their sales so far. With extended shopping hours and discounts attracting shoppers, not only in Orchard Road but in suburban areas, retailers appear to be winning the battle against the economic downturn, at least for now. — CNA/vm

Plenty to choose at IWARNA.

Plenty of Coral GEMs at Great Ocean road !

Be careful of 'turf wars' between ya Lobo, Echino & Millis mate. U may want to spread them out further.

Rooney leads United in Club World Cup final By JIM ARMSTRONG,AP Sports Writer AP - Monday, December 22 YOKOHAMA, Japan - Wayne Rooney scored late in the second half Sunday to lead 10-man Manchester United to a 1-0 win over Ecuador's Liga de Quito in the final of the Club World Cup. Rooney, who was named player of the tournament, took a pass from Cristiano Ronaldo in the 73rd minute and fired an angled right-footed blast into the bottom corner past diving Liga goalkeeper Jose Cevallos. "It was a very difficult game especially after going down to 10 men," said Rooney. "I'm very happy to have scored and for us to become the best club in the world is something we can be very proud of." United was reduced to 10 men when defender Nemanja Vidic was given a red card in the 49th minute for elbowing Claudio Bieler in the face. United becomes the first English club to win the cup in its current format. The Red Devils participated in the first Club World Cup in 2000 without making the final, while Liverpool lost the 2005 decider. In 1999, United did win the predecessor to the Club World Cup, the Intercontinental Cup which matched the European and South American champions. United manager Alex Ferguson had high praise for Rooney. "He played well enough to score two or three goals tonight," said Ferguson. "It was a magnificent game that he played." Liga didn't have a shot on target until Alejandro Manso rifled a left-foot blast from the top of the area in the 63rd minute only to see United keeper Edwin Van Der Sar make a spectacular diving save. Manso came dangerously close to equalizing in the 89th minute with a long-range shot that Van Der Sar tipped over the bar. "Now we can say we are the best team in the world," said United captain Rio Ferdinand. "We knew they could create problems but I think today we kept them down to a minimum of chances." Looking to add to their Premier League and Champions League titles, United controlled the flow of play from the outset. Rooney had a superb chance 10 minutes in when he played a long ball from Vidic off his chest and unleashed a powerful volley from the top of the area that Cevallos stopped with a diving save. Ronaldo set up Carlos Tevez 10 minutes later with a cross but the Argentine's low header was saved by Cevallos, who kept his team in the match in the first half. Rooney set up Park Ji-sung after a nifty one-two with Tevez but the South Korean fired into the hands of Cevallos late in the first half. Jairo Campos had Liga's best scoring chance in the opening minutes when he redirected a Manso free kick inches wide of the post. United qualified for the Club World Cup in May after beating fellow English side Chelsea in a penalty shootout in the Champions League final at Moscow. Liga qualified for the competition by becoming the first Ecuadorean club to win South America's Copa Libertadores. Liga defeated Mexico's Pachuca 2-0 on Wednesday to reach Sunday's final, while United advanced after a 5-3 win over Japan's Gamba Osaka. Gamba secured a third-place finish earlier Sunday with a 1-0 win over Pachuca. Striker Masato Yamazaki scored the winner in the 30th minute when he volleyed a superb pass from fellow forward Ryuji Bando past goalkeeper Miguel Calero.

Even S'pore pets feeling effects of recession...What's NEXT ??? Pets affected by recession Channel NewsAsia - Sunday, December 21 SINGAPORE: The recession seems to be affecting not just individuals but their pets too. Animal welfare groups report a jump in pet abandonment due to financial difficulties. Although there is more awareness now on pet responsibility, several animal welfare groups said Christmas is definitely not the jolliest time for them. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said it received an increase in the number of animals in the lead up to the festive period. Last month, they received 700 animals, 125 of which were pedigree dogs. And almost two—thirds of that number never gets claimed. Deirdre Moss, executive officer, SPCA, said: "There seems to be a surplus of pedigree dogs. And they do make up half of our total dogs that we take in each month. There are a lot of people out there who may be buying dogs on the spur of the moment, especially near Christmas time. We want them to be very sure of what they’re taking on." Compared to previous years, SPCA said it has seen a slight fall in the number of animals abandoned this festive period. But one animal welfare group, Action for Singapore Dogs, has seen a 20 to 30 per cent increase in the number of people giving up their pets because of financial difficulties. However, it said the loss of jobs or income is not a good enough reason to give up a pet. Ricky Yeo, president, Action for Singapore Dogs, said: "If you sit down and think about it rationally, there are always solutions or alternatives. You could probably cut down on luxuries like grooming and treats." "We certainly hope that people will hold on to their dogs and pets during this time of crisis because, actually, they can be helpful in relieving stress and they’re good companions," Ms Moss added. The SPCA is also partnering various cinema chains to educate people not to buy pets on impulse. Some animal welfare groups are calling for higher fines for pet abandonment and more education at the point of purchase. — CNA/vm

Orangy Monti Python

Kingdom Come !!!

SEALIFE has some nice healthy pui-pui BLUE ASSESSOR for sale ! Hurry Hurry.

Saw a Blue-striped Angelfish aka Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis at SEALIFE yesterday.

COE prices down across the board, biggest drop in big car category Channel NewsAsia - Thursday, December 18 SINGAPORE: COE prices for all categories were down in the latest bidding exercise which ended on Wednesday, with the biggest drop seen in the big car category. The COE premium for cars more than 1,600cc fell S$3,845 to S$2,656. For small cars 1,600cc and below, the COE price was down S$1,521 at S$6,200. The COE price for the Open Category, where the certificates are usually used to buy cars, dropped S$1,080 to S$6,509. The COE premium for goods vehicles and buses went down S$1,211 to S$4,001, while the motorcycle COE dipped a slight S$43 to S$1,059. Car dealers contacted said they were not surprised by the latest bidding results as they reflect current market sentiment. That was why the sharp drop in COE price for big cars was expected, with the erosion of consumers’ spending power. Even with the significant fall, car dealers expect demand for such cars to remain weak in the next two to three months. Though more consumers may go for smaller cars in these hard times, dealers believe demand will not be strong enough to push the category’s COE price up drastically in the coming bidding exercises. According to car dealers from Mitsubishi Cars and Tan Chong Motors, showrooms have turned quiet again in recent weeks. This was in stark contrast to the large crowds which showed up when the COE price for small cars dropped to a historic low of S$2 in mid—November. — CNA /ls

Rolex appeal fades as recession hit Singapore Reuters - Tuesday, December 16 By Melanie Lee SINGAPORE, Dec 16 - Suffering from recession blues and looking to offload that new Rolex watch? Don't turn to us, say second-hand luxury stores in Singapore, who are being swamped with requests from people desperate to sell their luxury goods. Traditionally resilient during times of economic downturn, more than 70 second hand shops in the city-state are feeling the chill of recession, as the appetite for expensive goods has fallen sharply despite big discounts. "Rolex prices have been like a reliable currency in the past, but there are signs that even Rolex is hit by this recession wave," said Ngo Han, an avid watch collector. "New Rolexes are selling at much lower prices than before and that has trickled down to the second-hand market," Ngo said. Home to the highest density of millionaires in the world, Singapore is a wealth management centre and a shopping destination for the region's wealthy. UNAFFORDABLE LUXURIES Second-hand stores that stock luxury goods, such as brand name bags and flatscreen televisions, experienced a boom in the past few years, as rising incomes and the need to upgrade to keep up with fast-changing fashions created a fertile secondary market for designer wares. But with the city-state becoming the first Asian country to slip into recession this year, customers are changing their habits. Where once they would have bought Rolexes or Patek Philippes that can cost over S$10,000, , they now opt for models that cost under S$5,000, , shop owners said. "Business has gone down about 20 to 30 percent. The interest to buy watches is still there, but whether people can afford to buy is another thing," said Alvin Lye of Monster-Time. His online store, http://www.monster-time.com, carries second hand watches from Breitling, Audemars Piguet, Cartier and Longines. During lunch hour in Singapore's financial district, people fill up May Fong's second-hand luxury bag store, but few are buying, even with many of the bags going at a 50 percent discount. "There is definitely a drop in business. People are more conscious spending, even if it's a bargain," Fong said. TEMPORARY SETBACKS? Shops that rent, rather than sell, designer goods, are however reporting a spike in rentals despite the recession, suggesting some locals are still keen to get glamorous goods, albeit temporarily. "New bags are leased out within seconds posted on the website," ex-policeman Tan Ho Ching, who rents out designer bags for about S$125 a week via his online store http://www.thatbagiwant.com, told local press on Sunday. The recession's impact on workers whose salaries are commission-based, such as property agents, could be a likely explanation for the drop-off in sales. "These people tend to earn much more during the boom times, and they are also likely to make up a significant portion of the consumers for these luxury goods," said Alvin Liew, an economist with Standard Chartered in Singapore. However, some watch enthusiasts said they were holding onto their horological investments, keen to turn a profit once the recession lifts. A recent Reuters poll said Singapore would be the worst performing emerging Asian economy next year, but would see a recovery together with the rest of the region in 2010 [iD:nHKG10473]. "Watches are better to keep and are better than cash in a recession. They won't drop in value, and after a recession, the value is still there or more," said collector Yeo on online watch forum http://www.swx.com.sg.

U from Indon ???

So-So lah...using the reliable headache-free BALLING method. So far so GOOD !!!

Shy-Shy leh.

Jobless rate steady at 2.2% Singapore final Q3 jobless rate steady at 2.2 pct Reuters - Monday, December 15 SINGAPORE, Dec 15 - Singapore's jobless rate was 2.2 percent in the third quarter, unchanged from the previous quarter, final government data showed on Monday. Preliminary data in October had also put the third quarter jobless rate at 2.2 percent, confounding expectations firms would cut hiring amid the financial crisis. Total employment in the city-state grew by 55,700 in July-September, the Manpower Ministry said, slightly lower than the preliminary estimate of 57,800 and below the second quarter figure of 71,400. The number of job vacancies in September fell to 36,000, a drop of 10 percent from 40,100 in the previous quarter, while nominal earnings rose 5.5 percent year-on-year compared with a gain of 3.1 percent in the second quarter. Singapore's trade-driven economy fell into its first recession in six years in the third quarter as the global financial crisis reduced demand for Singapore's exports and factory output. Singapore reports unemployment on a quarterly basis.

Coral Triangle

Hi Bro, where did U buy ya MP40W Gen 2 as it has not been launched in Spore yet ?

Thanks Bro...Moi using a modest D300 & Tamron SP AF90mm F/2.8 Di 1:1 Macro Len PLUS

Rapsody in BLUE !!!

ZOAs-topia !!!

Mushies-Mushies