kueytoc

Another WRASSEY GEM spotted at CF...this time it's the fabulous Sri Lankan's Longfinned Fairy Wrasse aka C.Rubriventralis. The Wrasseys often erect dorsal finnage, blue spots on their bodies & brillant red pelvic fins will certainly win a few hearts !!!

it's Scollymia Australis.

Singapore unemployment rises to 3.2 pct in Q1 Reuters - Thursday, April 30 SINGAPORE, April 30 - Singapore's unemployment rate rose to a seasonally adjusted 3.2 percent in the first quarter amid the city-state's worst ever recession, from 2.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008, preliminary government data showed on Thursday. "Falling external demand has severely affected the manufacturing sector," the Ministry of Manpower said in a statement. The manufacturing sector saw the largest contraction of employment in the first quarter of 2009 with a loss of nearly 20,000 jobs from the previous quarter. The construction and services sectors, however, saw an increase of 8,500 and 10,300 jobs respectively. Unemployment is rising around the world as the global economic recession has wiped out demand for goods and services, prompting manufacturers to lay off their workers. Most of the retrenchment in the first quarter came from the manufacturing sector, which laid off 9,000 workers, mainly in the electronics industry, the ministry said. Southeast Asia's most open economy and the first to enter a recession in 2008, has been hit hard by the global downturn. The government expects the economy to shrink 6-9 percent this year. Singapore's manufacturing sector, which accounts for about a quarter of the economy, should pick up slightly on the back of global restocking, but its key electronics sector may slip back as demand remains weak and new orders could go to lower-cost foreign rivals, the central bank said in a report on Wednesday.

Ogles Mesoscope Design Features: * Nominal 12 x Magnification. * Two optical systems allowing a range of focus down to 70mm. * Fully coated optics for maximum light transmission. * Highest quality lenses providing unparalleled detail. * Precision engineered aluminium body for fine focusing. * The suction device eliminates stray light and optical aberrations. * Interchangeable aperture for increased depth of field. * Removable eyepiece allowing for a range of accessories.

After last weekend discovery of Cirrhilabrus naokoae aka Naoko's Fairy Wrasse, what are the surprises in store this week ???

United thrash Spurs to retain pole position 25 April 2009 12:12 Manchester United moved a step closer to the Premier League title after coming from two goals behind to beat Tottenham 5-2 in a superlative second-half performance at Old Trafford on Saturday. Sir Alex Ferguson's side, having seen Liverpool move top of the table on goal difference with victory at Hull earlier in the day, put a lacklustre first-half display behind them in a stunning 15-minute spell that brought them their first four goals - two each for Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. But it was the half-time introduction of substitute Carlos Tevez, the Argentine international who was quoted this week in his homeland bemoaning his lack of first-team opportunities, which was the catalyst for the crucial victory. And the win was not without its controversy, as referee Howard Webb seemed to err when he awarded United a 56th-minute penalty for a foul by goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes on Michael Carrick, Ronaldo converting the kick impressively. Ten minutes later, former Spurs striker Berbatov started a move which ended with Tevez finding Rooney inexplicably unmarked at the far post, the England forwards shot helped into the net by the palm of Gomes. Tottenham, so disciplined in the first half, were in complete disarray and the 68th minute saw Rooney's cross converted by Ronaldo's diving header, the noise generated by 75,458 inside Old Trafford now reaching a crescendo. The deluge was not over. Just three minutes on and United counter-attacked effectively, Berbatov springing Ronaldo clear for the winger to pick out Rooney whose strike was blocked by Jonathan Woodgate only for the officials to judge that it had crossed the line. At 4-2, the contest was finished although United were not. In the 78th minute, Rooney's left-wing cross picked out the head of Berbatov with Gomes initially saving the attempt before the United striker forced the ball home to make it five goals in 22 minutes. There had been little hint of the drama to come in the opening half hour as United seemed to take control of affairs. But the game shifted unpredictably just before the half-hour mark when Darren Bent and Luka Modric both benefited from Aaron Lennon's dominance down the right wing. First, Lennon's short pass opened up the angle for Vedran Corluka to cross into the area where Rio Ferdinand was slow to detect Bent's presence. Having failed to connect with one header, Bent still had time to gather the loose ball and drive it past Edwin van der Sar. Just three minutes later, Patrice Evra again failed miserably to deal with the threat of Lennon and the England winger's cross was missed by the entire United defence, allowing Modric the time and space to take a touch and finish emphatically. Finally provoked into life, United responded with Gomes saving well from Rafael Da Silva's running shot and then the keeper producing a quite stunning, one-handed save to keep out a Ronaldo half-volley, attempted after the United man's initial free-kick had struck the Tottenham wall. But Ferguson acknowledged the dire situation by bringing on Tevez as a half-time substitute for the ineffective Nani. The switch paid off almost immediately with the Argentinian picking out Rooney in a crowded area, only for the former Everton star to try and place his shot into the far corner, succeeding only in putting the ball behind. Tevez himself raced clear on goal and was denied by a brave Gomes save, but United's strong opening to the second half was a mere prelude to the devastating blitz that was to come.

All Ye WRASSEYS Luvers & Wannabes, go & admire the newly discovered labridae species from Indonesia at CF...Cirrhilabrus naokoae aka Naoko's Fairy Wrasse. Ohhhhhh yeah....it's simply GORGEOUS !!! Read more about the wrassey gem here : Cirrhilabrus naokoae, Naoko's Fairy Wrasse

Cirrhilabrus naokoae, a new labrid fish from Indonesia John E. Randall and Hiroyuki Tanaka: Cirrhilabrus naokoae, a new labrid fish from Indonesia, pp. 29-36 Abstract from Aquapress Publishers The fairy wrasse Cirrilabrus naokoae is described as a new species from three male specimens obtained via the aquarium trade; the probable locality is the vicinity of Medan on the northwest coast of Sumatra. It is related to C. joanallenae, C. morrisoni, and C. rubriventralis, which share the characters in the male of an elevated anterior part of the dorsal fin, very large pelvic fins, a single row of scales on the cheek, and some features of colour. It is most similar to C. joanallenae, differing in having the anterior lobe of the dorsal fin about one-fourth of the standard length (instead of a pennant from the first two dorsal spines as long or longer than the standard length in C. joanallenae), having 16 instead of 14 or 15 anterodorsal lateral-line scales, and having a broad bright yellow stripe on the side of the body. More Info: Cirrhilabrus naokoae, Naoko's Fairy Wrasse

We are On Track folks ! United pull clear after punishing Pompey 22 April 2009 15:08 Goals from Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick gave Manchester United a 2-0 win over Portsmouth that saw them go three points clear at the top of the Premier League. Wednesday's victory here at Old Trafford put the reigning champions back on top of the table with a game in hand after Liverpool had briefly been at the summit on goal difference following Tuesday's dramatic 4-4 draw with Arsenal. Rooney's tenth Premier League goal of the season sent United on their way against Pompey before fellow England international Carrick made the game safe with eight minutes left. It was the perfect way for United to bounce back from their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Everton at the weekend. United, who have a game in hand on both Liverpool and third-placed Chelsea, are closing in an 18th English title that would equal Liverpool's record tally and they have now won 14 of their last 16 Premier League matches. Portsmouth had the better of the early exchanges and winger Nadir Belhadj shot high and wide from distance as the visitors enjoyed plenty of early possession in the United half. But with just eight minutes on the clock, United made the breakthrough with their first real attack. Brazilian midfielder Anderson picked out Ryan Giggs on the left flank and the veteran's low cross was stabbed in from close range by Rooney. Despite the early breakthrough, there was a downside for United with captain Gary Neville limping off with what looked to be a foot problem shortly after the goal. But Anderson continued to threaten and after he played Rooney through only for the England striker's effort to be saved by David James, the United midfielder shot wide himself following the Portsmouth goalkeeper's slack throw. Just before the half hour, Giggs' corner was glanced towards goal by Neville's replacement John O'Shea but Belhadj managed to head off the line. And soon afterwards Giggs was played into the area by Rooney only for James to race out to block. James was called into action once again to save from Rooney's low drive. Giggs should have made the game safe five minutes before the interval after Sol Campbell's poor header played Cristiano Ronaldo into space. The Portuguese tore down the right wing and sent over a low cross that Giggs stabbed just wide of James's goal. Seconds before the half-time whistle, Darren Fletcher sent Ronaldo clear down the right and his cross was helped on by Rooney only for Fletcher to drive wide from just inside the area. United continued to hunt for a second goal after the restart and Sean Davis did well to head away Ronaldo's cross with Rooney poised to pounce. Sir Alex Ferguson has had to deal with regular injury problems in his defence this season and he had another when Rafael came on for O'Shea. There was a scare for the hosts when Glen Johnson was allowed to carry the ball into the United area and his cross was palmed away by Edwin van der Sar and then hacked clear by Jonny Evans. United were more than happy to sit back and wait for their chances to come but they were almost caught out again midway through the second period by a Portsmouth side still not yet safe from the threat of relegation. Davis's diagonal ball was misjudged by Patrice Evra. That in turn allowed Jermaine Pennant to cross but Peter Crouch failed to test van der Sar. Paul Scholes, making his 600th United appearance , then set up the goal that took his side close to another title when his typical through-ball released Carrick to break through and guide the ball into the corner of James's net.

I'm so HAPPY !!! Chelsea's title hopes fade after Everton stalemate 22 April 2009 14:06 Chelsea's Premier League title challenge is fading after the Blues were held to a 0-0 draw by Everton on Wednesday. Guus Hiddink's side couldn't break down a stubborn Everton rearguard action at Stamford Bridge and look destined to miss out on the English crown for a third successive season. The west London club are six points behind leaders Manchester United , who returned to the top of the table with a 2-0 victory over Portsmouth, and Sir Alex Ferguson's team can make the gap nine points with a win in their game in hand. After being frustrated by Everton, Chelsea will see the Champions League, where they face Barcelona in the semi-finals, and the FA Cup as their best hopes of giving Hiddink a successful send-off before he returns to his role as Russia coach on a full-time basis. Judging by the evidence of this FA Cup final dress rehearsal, Chelsea will have to raise their game considerably to beat David Moyes' team at Wembley.Moyes' men arrived in west London basking in the afterglow of Sunday's victory over United, which booked their first FA Cup final appearance for 14 years. In a bid to combat the debilitating effects of extra-time at Wembley, Moyes made four changes to his team, with defender Phil Jagielka, scorer of the winning penalty in the shoot-out, relegated to the bench. It was Chelsea who looked more lethargic in the first half. The Blues' defence has been surprisingly porous of late and they were exposed again in the early stages. Jo tested Petr Cech with a header from Steven Pienaar's cross before the visitors created an even better chance. Tim Cahill's pass dissected Chelsea's defence and Jo surged onto it. The goal was at his mercy but the Brazilian shot too close to Cech. Hiddink's side finally threatened when Frank Lampard, playing his 50th game of the season, drove a swerving strike just over the crossbar. But Chelsea were still struggling to impose their usual high-tempo style and Pienaar, Everton's South African midfielder, bent a long-range shot past the far post. Jo was causing no end of problems and he took up a clever position wide on the left before picking out Cahill. The Australian turned and hit a low shot on target but Cech made a sprawling stop. Another astute Pienaar pass gave Jo a sight of goal just before the break, but he slipped and shot wide as John Terry made a last-ditch attempt to block. Hiddink's half-time team-talk didn't seem to have the desired effect as Everton went close again when Cahill met Lars Jacobsen's cross with a diving header that forced Cech to save. Didier Drogba has been revitalised under Hiddink but the Ivorian made little impact against Joseph Yobo and Joleon Lescott. His one contribution was a neat flick to put Nicolas Anelka through, but the Chelsea forward shot tamely wide. Hiddink had seen enough and sent on John Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou for Anelka and Michael Essien. At last there were signs of life from the Blues. Terry tried to raise his team with a fierce shot from 35 yards which Tim Howard pushed away for a corner. Kalou should have broken the deadlock with 15 minutes to go but he headed over from Ashley Cole's cross. Chelsea kept going until the end and Howard made a finger-tip stop to push over Kalou's rasping drive. There was one last chance as Drogba rattled the crossbar in stoppage time but Chelsea's time had run out.

at Ah Beng shop or the other ONE ???

Where to $PEND ???

AM TK got cute, nice size (2.5+") & vibrant body color PBTs. Reefers who have been yearning for one...Hurry Hurry ! Also have some small LPS shipment leftovers from yesterday.

Swee boh ???

WET & WILD !!!

AMANDA ! Oooops ! YASHAS

United stuns Porto in Champions League 15 April 2009 13:56 Manchester United rekindled glorious European nights from their past as a stunning goal by Cristiano Ronaldo fired them to victory over Porto in their Champions League semi-final Wednesday. No English team had ever beaten the Portuguese champions on their own soil, but the winger's first-half wonder strike gave his team a 1-0 win on the night, 3-2 on aggregate, to set up an all-English semi-final tie with Arsenal. Coming into the game as underdogs after a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last week, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson urged his players to bring the spirit of the 1999 treble winning team to the Dragao Stadium. One flash of genius from the Portuguese maestro coupled with gritty defensive play earned United glory and keeps the red half of Manchester dreaming of the quintuple. United boss Ferguson started with the same formation as the first leg but had the luxury of picking a fit Rio Ferdinand in defence while midfielder Anderson was given a start against his old club. The Dragons from Porto were intent on making the same type of start which rocked United last week, but after a promising opening they were stunned by a sixth minute rocket from Ronaldo. There seemed no danger when the winger drove into the Porto half, but the World Player of the Year took a swing of his right foot and unleashed an unstoppable shot from 35-yards into the top left-hand corner of Helton's goal. The home team's attacks were disjointed, and it was through set-plays where they were looking most dangerous with defender Bruno Alves firing a 30-yard free-kick narrowly wide of the post. United had been undone by the Portuguese team's slick positional interchange at Old Trafford, and again it was when Rodriguez drifted in from the left-wing that they looked dangerous. The Uruguay winger found space on the edge of the area and floated a ball to Lucho Gonzalez but the midfielder's acrobatic volley was easily saved by visiting 'keeper Edwin van der Sar. It was therefore against the run of play when Ryan Giggs nearly doubled United's lead. The Welshman fired in a volley from Dimitar Berbatov's cross but Helton did well to smother the shot and recovered before Ronaldo could pounce on the rebound. However, things did get worse for Porto a minute later when midfield general Lucho was forced of with an injury to be replaced by last week's hero Mariano. One of the misses of the season prevented United registering a perfect half which would probably have put the tie beyond their hosts. Giggs whipped in a corner which found defender Nemanja Vidic after Berbatov's flick. Virtually on the goalline and with the goalkeeper nowhere, the Croat somehow sliced the ball over the crossbar. The visiting side, maybe spurred on by a traditional Manchester downpour, started the second period brightly with Berbatov testing Helton a minute into the half. The game settled into a less frantic pattern than the first-half as United drew numbers back and invited their hosts to play in-front of them. With their defence looking much more solid than the first leg, the visitors were restricting Porto to long-range shots, midfielder Raul Meireles coming closest with a 25-yard curler over the crossbar. Again set-plays threatened United and centre-back Rolando should have equalised from Meireles's corner, but put his header wide of the goal with van der Sar floundering. There was time for one last scare for the visitors but Lisandro Lopez hit his six-yard shot straight at van der Sar with the goal gaping.

Julius Baer hires Goldman, UBS bankers for Asia Reuters - Tuesday, April 14 * Swiss bank in talks to hire experienced people * Growth plans intact, 2009 to be tough year SINGAPORE, April 14 - Swiss bank Julius Baer <BAER.VX> has hired two senior relationship managers in Singapore from Goldman Sachs and UBS as it expands its business of banking for Asia's rich in spite of the financial crisis. Thio Tjia Hin was most recently an executive director at Goldman's <GS.N> private wealth management unit and Cindy Tang was at UBS <UBSN.VX>, where she was a director in its key clients team, the Swiss bank said in a statement. Baer, which has its Southeast Asian centre in Singapore, said in 2007 it plans to boost its staff by over 100 staff by 2010-2011. The bank has more than 200 people in Singapore and Hong Kong. Wilfried Kofmehl, head of Julius Baer Southeast Asia, told Reuters that the bank has slowed hiring because of the financial crisis, but is sticking to its long-term plan to expand its business in Asia. It will continue to hire experienced bankers, he said. "We are actually in discussions with a few other very senior people in the market," he said. "Our growth plans are still on track. 2009 is a tough year, but we feel we can manage." He did not reveal how much assets the bank was managing in Asia. Globally it had 352 billion Swiss francs in average assets under management at the end of 2008, down 10.6 percent from a year earlier. Many of Julius Baer's competitors such as UBS <UBSN.VX> and Citigroup <C.N> have shed staff in Asia as clients stay away from markets for fear of losses. Societe Generale <SOGN.PA> last month said it will cut around 10 percent of staff from its private banking arm in Asia excluding Japan. This is a reversal of a trend that peaked two years ago which saw private banks aggressively poaching bankers from each other. Years if fast economic growth and buoyant markets have created more millionaires in Asia than anywhere else. Analysts have said profit at private banks is falling as the financial crisis slashed revenues from fees and financial product sales.

Singapore March exports down 17 pct but China buys more Reuters - Tuesday, April 14 SINGAPORE, April 14 - Singapore's exports fell for the 11th straight month in March due to the global slowdown, but shipments to China rose for the second month running, offering signs that the world's third-largest economy may be headed for a recovery. Non-oil exports fell 17 percent last month from a year earlier, after tumbling 23.8 percent in February and a record 34.9 percent plunge in January. That and a record contraction in gross domestic product in the first quarter prompted the central bank to ease monetary policy to help the trade-dependent economy through the financial crisis. [iD:nSIN444077] Shipments to China rose 14 percent in March to nearly S$1.5 billion , making it Singapore's No. 2 trading partner after Europe and relegating the United States to third place. Total exports to China rose 8 percent in February and fell 51.6 percent in January. "The 17 percent drop in trade is a sign that exports are bottoming up, and consistent with the picture we've seen in major regional exporters like South Korea and Taiwan. China has also turned around," said David Cohen at Action Economics in Singapore. "Taken together, it seems that the first quarter will be the worst and things will start to get better. The trade data is certainly encouraging." Data released last week showed that China's exports and imports fell 17.1 percent in March from year-earlier levels, down for the fifth month in a row, but the government and economists saw signs in the data that the contraction in trade flows may be peaking. [iD:nPEK8623] Singapore's Non-electronic, non-oil exports to China rose 30 percent in March after a 24 percent increase in February, led by higher shipments of ships and boats, food preparation and primary chemicals, trade promotion agency IE Singapore said. March exports, valued at S$11.9 billion rose a seasonally adjusted and annualised 10.8 percent from the previous month after a revised 1.6 percent increase in February. The slump in global demand for exports from trade-dependent Singapore had prompted the economy to contract a record 11.5 percent from a year earlier in the first quarter of 2009. The country's gross domestic product in the first three months of the year fell at a seasonally adjusted, annualised pace of 19.7 percent. In the fourth quarter, the city state's economy contracted 4.2 percent from a year earlier and slumped 16.4 percent in annualised terms.

UBS to cut 240 jobs in Asia-Pacific as regions slow Reuters - 2 hours 9 minutes ago By Saeed Azhar * Job cuts account for 3 pct of company's Asia-Pacific staff * News comes as global private banks shed staff in Asia SINGAPORE, April 14 - Swiss bank UBS <UBSN.VX> said it will cut 240 jobs in Asia-Pacific to cut costs, as Asian economies slow in a global financial crisis. Earlier on Tuesday, banking sources told Reuters the cuts would be made mostly in the wealth management business at all staff levels and included 100 redundancies in Singapore, where UBS is a relatively strong player in private banking. The cuts come two months after the Zurich-based bank brought former Credit Suisse boss Oswald Gruebel out of retirement to be installed as its new chief executive. [iD:nLQ256541] Gruebel has recently signalled further cost cuts would be inevitable. Many of UBS's competitors such as Citigroup <C.N> and Credit Suisse <CSGN.VX> have shed staff in Asia in the last few months as clients stay away from weak markets. Global banks aggressively expanded in Asia in recent years to tap business as years of fast economic growth and buoyant markets created more millionaires in Asia than anywhere else. The financial crisis has slashed revenue for many of the global banks as the rich shun financial products and markets. A UBS spokeswoman in Singapore said the cuts were equivalent to about 3 percent of its staff in Asia. The bank managed about 130 billion Swiss francs in assets at the end of last year, according to company data. The spokeswoman said the staff reduction was a last resort as UBS tries to manage costs due to challenging economic conditions. Despite the cuts, UBS said Asia remains a "strategic priority" for the group" and a region it will continue to invest in. Societe Generale <SOGN.PA> last month said it will cut around 10 percent of staff from its private banking arm in Asia excluding Japan.

Vidic & Co The United Fall Guys... Posted 12/04/09 19:20 A month ago, Nemanja Vidic was many people's pick for player of the season as United's impregnable defence provided a platform that catapulted the champions to the top of the league. Now as United's defence has a whiff of Swiss cheese about it, Vidic's reputation has taken something of a battering. The Serb's fall from grace is emblematic of the malaise at Old Trafford - but it would be unfair to place blame solely at his door. The reality is that United's midfield has a soft underbelly that has been exposed time and again in recent weeks - leaving Vidic and co without protection. The rot seemed to be setting in during the second leg of the Champions League against Inter. United got through, but largely due to the profligacy of their Italian opponents. If United's failings had been covered up by that result, their weaknesses were ruthlessly exploited in their thumping by Liverpool. That victory was a tactical masterclass from Benitez as his side unpicked the lock between United's midfield and back four and then laid waste to United's aura of invincibility. The tactics were two pronged. Firstly, Liverpool's 4-2-3-1 formation saw Anderson and Carrick drawn into a combat with Mascherano and Alonso. In sucking them in, Benitez opened some space between United's midfield and their centre-halves. Liverpool's direct approach - launching numerous, early long passes to exploit the pace and power of Torres - forced Ferdinand and Vidic to play a little deeper than usual thereby widening the critical gap. Gerrard filled the vacuum and United simply could not cope. It was notable that Fergie substituted three of his starting midfield quartet that day. The question then would be whether any other side could similarly exploit United's midfield frailty. The surprise was that their next opponents, Fulham, did so with such ease. Key to this victory was Ferguson's selections on the day - resting Rooney was bizarre, but had less of an impact than his decision to play the ageing legs of Giggs and Scholes in the middle of the park - offering little by way of defensive screen to his back four. Fulham capitalised, bossing midfield with ease - and again exploiting the space and time afforded them in front of United's defensive unit. Many felt that the international break had come at a good time for United, allowing them to analyse their problems and refocus. On the surface, their late late show against Villa suggested that normal service had been resumed. However, on the evidence of Tuesday night's performance against Porto, the concession of two more soft goals against Villa on Sunday suggested that few lessons had been learned by the champions. Yet again, the defensive weakness in United's midfield was there for all to see. If United are still not aware of it, then it seems that observers in Portugal certainly were. Scholes and Carrick and later Carrick and Fletcher were desperately loose both when in possession and without the ball. The performances of Lisandro and Hulk for Porto were reminiscent of Torres and Gerrard in Liverpool's impressive Old Trafford drubbing of United. Both used the space in front of United's defence to great effect - Hulk's power and movement pulled the overworked Vidic into wide areas where he was less than comfortable, while Lisandro (and Porto's midfield runners) probed intelligently in the space provided. So while the spotlight shines on the likes of Vidic as United continue to concede goals and chances at an alarming rate, the truth is that as a team, United have sprung a leak further up the park. No matter how good a defender you are, if your midfield does not fulfil its defensive duties, then you are in danger of being exposed. Up until four or five weeks ago, Vidic and co dealt very comfortably with what slipped past the United midfield - which really wasn't very much. But that defensive screen has become so porous in recent timers, that even the heretofore rock solid Serb has struggled to cope. Paul Little

WHEN & WHERE ???

Size Does Matter !

Dun 'think' too long...