Word Power - test your vocabulary

Test for vocabulary by rearranging the letters on the left to form the correct word that fits the definition on the right.

Occupy Wall Street

There is a growing group of people in America who are demonstrating against the greed of Wall Street and politicians .... " yet its two weeks of noisy occupation has lured a sturdily faithful and fervent constituency willing to express discontentment with what they feel is an inequitable financial system until, well, whenever." 

To keep or terminate an existing life insurance policy?

I have been asked quite often on whether a specific life insurance policy taken previously should be terminated for its low yield. The right approach is to calculate the yield on the policy for the next (say) five years and to compare this yield with the yield from alternative investments, e.g. an ETF or a REIT.

This paper explains how to calculate the yield on a life insurance policy. Although a life insurance policy gives a poor yield for its entire duration, most of the expenses are deducted upfront. After the initial loss is written of, the running yield on the policy may be quite acceptable, e.g. close to 4% per annum. In most cases, it is better to continue the existing policy (although the consumers should have avoided it in the first place). 

Scary new plan to drug teens

Researchers say more kids need BP meds

It?s shameless, dangerous, and downright dirty.

A new study opens the door for pumping kids full of blood pressure meds ? even if they?re perfectly healthy and even if they don?t actually have high blood pressure by any standard definition.

(And of course, one of the study?s authors works for a drug company that makes hypertension meds. It just doesn?t get any more predictable than that, folks!)

Researchers set out to ?prove? that hypertension in children is more widespread than previously believed. But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn?t make the link even after crunching the numbers on thousands of Texas school kids who took part in drug company-funded screenings.

All told, they found that only 1 in 200 teens develop high blood pressure in any given year, with similarly low numbers of kids facing the bogus category of ?prehypertension.? (For more on why it?s bogus, read this.)

That won?t sell many meds now, will it?

So instead of using existing standards, they fabricated their own: Any kid who?s ever had a single above-normal BP reading for any reason is suddenly ?at risk? and a possible candidate for medication.

Doesn?t matter if the kid was sick, scared, tired, or just plain having a bad day ? one high reading, and they?re on the list, never mind that BP levels can change from day to day and minute to minute in even the healthiest of people.

Under this new definition, the number of ?at risk? kids suddenly skyrockets to include up to 26 percent of all U.S. teens ? including children who are stringbean-thin and perfectly healthy in every measurable mainstream way with no other signs of hypertension.

Now THAT?S how you sell meds!

It?s an outrage ? and any doc who follows this advice should have his sphygmomanometer taken away permanently.

The fact is, there?s no evidence that kids with hypertension, prehypertension or even ?at risk? BP levels go on to develop other heart risks. There?s no evidence they need to be treated. There?s no evidence they need meds. And there?s no evidence these meds are even safe for children.

How?s that for evidence-based medicine?

Source: http://douglassreport.com/2011/09/30/kids-bp-meds/

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Buying A Used Car - A Guide

If you need to buy a cheap used car but don't want to settle for the worst bomb on the car lot, you need to put together your own used car buying guide. Do your research and find out what make and model best suits your needs, where you can find the best deal and what you should know about the mechanics of an automobile. Some well timed shopping can save you a bundle when it comes time to negotiate a deal. In this article, we'll reveal the secrets used car salespeople don't want you to know and teach you how to take advantage of them to get the best used car deal.

Gathering information geared specifically toward makes and models that interest you will serve as the ultimate used car buying guide too. Read independent reviews, find out what the trade-in value is and check for recalls. The best place to start your research is on the manufacturer's web site. When you're actually looking at the vehicle in person, make sure the used car has never been in an accident, has not had the odometer rolled back and that its performance is up to standard. It's also important to know whether the car has ever been used as a taxi or rental car. Those vehicles take a beating and are a poor option for used cars. Stay away from cars with rust and holes, electrical problems and engine faults. You should also check the quality of the brakes, tires and the interior. The cost of any repairs needed should be deducted from the asking price of the vehicle. Make sure the dealership stands behind its quality assurance policies.

We Buy Any Car

When it comes to buying a used car, timing is everything so use your calendar as a used car buying guide. The best time to buy a used car or truck is on a Monday night. The end of the month is also a prime time to find a good used car deal. Car dealers, sales managers and salespeople have to make monthly quotas, so they are more easily persuaded to negotiate with customers late in the month. The end of the year is perhaps the best time to buy used cars cheap - especially if you're looking for a relatively new used car. This is because the new models are coming in and car dealers want to get rid of the last year's stock. At the end of the year, most sales managers are likely to accept almost any reasonable deal that you offer them.

Purchasing a used vehicle doesn't have to cost a lot of money. You can get a used car cheap if you're willing to take your time and assemble a used car buying guide that meets your needs. Invest some time comparison shopping and wait for just the right moment to approach a salesperson. Waiting can help you take advantage of a good sale or promotion because you'll be able to negotiate the price down even more. Patience is always a virtue - especially when you're hoping to scoop up a great used car at a great price.

Buying A Used Car - A Guide

Mobile apps to desktop

I am some apps developed on the mobile platform (iPhone and Windows Phone 7). I wish to develp the same apps to run on the laptop. Can it be done by adapting the mobile apps or does it have to be completely rewritten? Please send your answer to kinlian@gmail.com.

A wonderful person

Here is a video of a wonderful person, Warren Buffet. He is a multi-billionaire but he thinks for the common people. And he continues to support Barack Obama, in spite of the difficulties that the US President had to overcome. And he is optimistic that the US economy is coming out of a recession. I hope that he is right!

Political cartoons

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Singapore-Says-Political-Cartoon/139514912744152

Casino and money laundering

I heard that casinos are used for money laundering. Here is my guess on how it works.

The customer brings "dirty" money, e.g. obtained through corrupt or illegal means, to the casino and converts them to non-negotiable chips. When the customer uses the chips to bet. When the customer wins a bet, the customer is paid with negotiable chips. The customer can convert the negotiable chips back to cash and is given a receipt by the casino. The customer can report that his wealth comes from winning at the casino. He does not have to report the money that is brought in for the gambling.

Is this how it works?

Read this article on money laundering. There is a mention about betting in a casino.

Occupy Wall Street

There is a protest in New York called the "Occupy Wall Street". 


It is targeted at "bankers and traders who run the financial markets and their enablers in Washington have hijacked the system from ordinary Americans who just want a decent job and a home of their own."


More details here.