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The Doctor's Consultation: by Dr. Iain Corness
Knees up Mother Brown! Getting to grips with ‘Arthur’
Hands up all the readers over the age of 60. Hands up all
those readers over the age of 60 who don’t get stiff knees in the mornings.
Not so many hands this time!
As you get older, you will get to meet ‘Arthur’. That’s almost a 100 percent
money-back guarantee. And since it is my money that might go astray, I must
be very confident. The ‘Arthur’ I am referring to is one of the banes of
mankind and is “arthritis”.
Unfortunately, there are many types of arthritis, and descriptions of these
go back into antiquity. Perhaps the oldest known type of arthritis, called
gout or gouty arthritis, has been described since Hippocrates in the 5th
century B.C. In fact, at one time, the term “gout” was used to describe all
types of arthritis. Then it was known as the “Disease of Kings” due to its
association with rich foods and alcohol consumption, something in which the
commoners were not able to indulge. Things have certainly changed.
One of the most common forms of arthritis today is osteo-arthritis, and
rather than being of a biochemical nature, osteo-arthritis is much more of a
mechanical wear and tear situation. In America, the estimated incidence is
that 37 million adults are suffering from it.
Unfortunately, we all wear out. Joints in particular are mechanical devices,
with one bone sliding on another with a slippery bit (called cartilage) in
between as the bearing surface, cum-shock absorber.
Most joints, especially knee joints, are designed to last our three score
years and ten, and that’s about it. We do know why they wear out, and
because they are mechanical, increase the loading on the joint and it wears
out quicker. Imagine that your knee has been designed to hold up 80 kg for
70 years, and now increase that loading to 120 kg. That same knee now has to
support 50 percent more than it was ‘designed’ for, so you can expect it to
wear out 50 percent sooner. Simple.
So they hobble down to the doctor and ask for something for the pain. The
doctor flips mentally through the latest medical drugs for this condition,
and most probably will hand over some Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs
(NSAID’s) and tell the patient to lose weight.
Now I am not saying that this is totally wrong - but - when the NSAID’s
first came out (hands up all those who remember Indocid) they were heralded
as being the answer to these problems. Some were even supposed to ‘grow’ new
cartilage. The answer the osteo-arthitic’s prayers.
Unfortunately, we very quickly found that Indocid and its ilk drilled holes
in the lining of the stomach and were more than slightly dangerous. So we
developed newer and better and more stomach-sparing NSAID’s. Unfortunately,
these too produced problems.
Nothing daunted, we came up with even newer and more wonderful NSAID’s,
which came with even newer and more wonderful array of side effects. So
wonderful that one called Vioxx had to be withdrawn by the manufacturers.
So what can the poor patient do? Most patients have already tried
paracetamol, hot water bottles, someone else’s great new tablets, NZ green
lipped mussels, a cabbage leaf (which does work for mastitis, or so the
ladies tell me), various herbal or homoeopathic medications, yoga,
meditation, magnets, copper bracelets, muttering mantras and goodness knows
what else. Exercise does help to improve the mobility in the knee joint, and
by strengthening the muscles and ligaments around the knee, give it more
stability. But it will not re-grow cartilage.
There is another avenue in the treatment, and that is direct injections into
the affected joints. This produces spectacular results, but unfortunately
are short lived. However, even a couple of weeks can make it such that the
person can go on holidays and actually enjoy some mobility. But it is not
the long-term answer.
Finally, there is surgery, which is currently the treatment of last resort.
Since around 90 percent of patients show lessening of pain, improvement in
functional status and overall quality of life, I think we should be looking
at operation sooner, rather than later. But that’s just my opinion.
The Doctor's Consultation: by Dr. Iain Corness
Biting on a bullet
We have just had three visiting American anesthetists
lecturing at my hospital as part of our CME (Continuous Medical Education)
requirements. It was interesting to exchange medical practices between Asia
and the US.
One of the visitors, Dr. Tony Tsai, mentioned the history of anesthesia, so
I thought we might look at that, this week. We marvel at the surgical
advances in the past century, but while I take my hat off to the surgeons,
the real praise goes to the anesthetists. Without the advances in
anesthetics, brawny assistants would still be holding patients down while
surgeons attacked with scalpels and saws and the patient lay there
screaming.
Yes, that was the way it was up to around the Crimean War 150 years ago. The
best surgeons were the quickest surgeons. The incredible searing pain only
had to be endured for a shorter time. The famous surgeon, Dr. Pott, was able
to disarticulate an ankle and dip the soggy end of the lower leg into
boiling pitch in 15 seconds. Bite on the bullet for quarter of a minute!
Yes, we have improved a little since then.
The first anesthetic agent was ether, dribbled on to a mask to knock the
patient out and allow the surgeon to take his time and become meticulous in
his approach. The first public demonstration of ether anesthesia took place
on 16 October 1846, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The
anesthetist was William Morton and the surgeon was John Warren; and the
operation was the removal of a lump under the jaw of a Gilbert Abbott. Those
three have left their mark in medical history.
While there have been enormous advances since then, I can remember being a
medical student and assisting at an operation in outback Australia in 1964.
The anesthetic was ether, dribbled on to the patient’s gauze mask by the
matron of the public hospital, and it was a Caesarian section for twins.
There was no air-conditioning and it was 43 degrees in the theatre, where
the fumes were making us all woozy. Amazingly everyone survived the ordeal,
mother, twin sons, the local doctor, the matron and me.
Despite outback Australia, anesthesia progressed in the rest of the world.
Chloroform was introduced by James Simpson, the Professor of Obstetrics in
Edinburgh, in November 1847. This was a more potent agent but it had more
severe side effects, including sudden death. However, it worked well and was
easier to use than ether and so, despite its drawbacks, became very popular.
The next major advance was the introduction of local anesthesia - cocaine -
in 1877. Things definitely did go better with ‘coke’! Then came local
infiltration, nerve blocks and then spinal and epidural anesthesia, which in
the 1900s allowed surgery in a relaxed abdomen, and is still used today,
especially in obstetric anesthesia, where the mother can be anaesthetized
without the baby being affected as well.
The next important innovation was the control of the airways with the use of
tubes placed into the trachea. This permitted control of breathing and
techniques introduced in the 1910s were perfected in the late 1920s and
early 1930s. Then came the introduction of intravenous induction agents.
These were barbiturates which enabled the patient to go off to sleep
quickly, smoothly and pleasantly and therefore avoided any unpleasant
inhalational agents. Then in the 1940s and early 1950s, there came the
introduction of muscle relaxants, firstly with curare (the South American
Indian poison, but not administered by native blowpipe) and then agents less
dangerous.
In the mid 1950s came halothane, a revolutionary inhalation agent, which was
much easier to use, but now superseded by even more potent, but less
dangerous anesthetic agents.
According to Dr David Wilkinson of the Association of Anesthetists of Great
Britain and Ireland, “Anesthesia is now very safe, with mortality of less
than 1 in 250,000 directly related to anesthesia. Nevertheless, with today’s
sophisticated monitoring systems and a greater understanding of bodily
functions, the anesthetic profession will continue to strive for improvement
over the next 150 years.”
On behalf of all patients requiring surgery in the future, may I thank Dr.
Tony Tsai and his colleagues all over the world. No longer do they have to
bite on a bullet!
Sweet dogs need a home together
Daeng & Emma
Introducing Daeng & Emma! These two 2 year olds have never been
apart and spend all their time together at the shelter. They are
both very healthy and incredibly sweet-natured. Emma is often shy
around new people and can be a little nervous – so no toddlers!
Unless we can find someone who has room for them both, they will
never have a chance of a life outside the shelter. Contact Care for
Dogs English (08 47 52 52 55) or Thai language (08 69 13 87 01) if
you could be a good match for these 2 special girls.
Heart to Heart
with Hillary
My Dear Hillary,
You jumped right on my malapropism 'campain' which was incorrectly
spelled on purpose. I know I have caused you much work on your spell
checker and am so solly. Butt, your attack on my abbreviated moniker
KOTW (keeper of the WOW) was questionable. Do you ever read this paper?
Do you read the mail from KOTO (keeper of the ocean)? He has stolen a
slogan that is actually a reference to an acient (sic) Japanese stringed
instrument that is used today. Being that his quest is to get left over
cigarette butts off the beach so it doesn’t gag the wildlife (katoyeys
after dark?), he should be forced to change his slogan to KOTB: Keeper
Of The Butt. I have had enough exposure to the overused ‘WOW’
exclamation that I will now suggest that adverts use the word “SEX!” to
grab the pubics (sic) attention.
KOTW
Dear KOTW (aka Singha Jerry),
I am glad I have given you something to do with your time, between
Singha beers, in looking up esoteric information. I am sure you also
found that the Japanese koto is similar to the Chinese guzheng during
your ‘Googling’, neither of which are played in your adopted country of
Thailand. And while we are on about your pronunciations, just where did
you get “katoyeys” from? The more usual English spelling of the Thai
word is “katoey” as it is a transliteration (feel free to look it up, my
Petal). I am also quite sure that your use of “pubic” rather than the
correct word “public” was just an involuntary Malapropism, but never
mind, it ended up quite apt. However, “acient” for “ancient” doesn’t
quite cut it, I’m afraid. Please say ‘Hello’ from me to you other
friends on the steps of the 7-Eleven.
Dear Hillary,
I have just had my 1 baht gold chain torn from my neck as I was riding
my motorcycle along Beach Road. I fell off as they yanked and broke it,
and they just scooted away. Nobody stopped them and I think the passers
by just thought I was drunk and fell off. Nobody got the number plate of
the bike they were on, either. I went to file a report with the police,
but there’s not much hope of getting it back. The police said they
thought it was part of an organized gang, but that doesn’t do anything
for me either. Does this go on all the time? Not good for tourism, I
tell you. I’m not coming back.
Pete
Dear Pete,
Sorry to hear of your loss, Petal, but tourists are warned not to
display wealth in a flashy way. The robbers must have spotted your gold
chain being worn outside your shirt, to know that you were an easy
target. I am not trying to put the blame on anyone, but there are
certain dangers in all tourist resort cities throughout the world, and
that is why there are these types of robberies going on. Please don’t
let it spoil your holiday, but just put it down to experience, which
will stand you in good stead anywhere in the world at a later stage.
Dear Hillary,
Year after year, I see and hear many lonely, ignorant, old, fools
complaining about bar girls and freelancers. But can you really blame
them? What do they expect? Thai girls, well as all girls in the world
want to be with someone their own age and not someone who can be their
grandfather’s age.
Thailand and especially the bar areas attract some of the worst quality
tourists and expatriates is the world. We have alcoholics, druggies,
perverts, pedophiles, psychos, delinquents, criminals, crooks, losers
and loners. I know we do have some good “dirty-old-men” here who treat
these girls and women nicely and get along fine.
So stop whining. We have a good thing going here and enjoy Thailand
while it’s still affordable.
Happy Camper
Dear Happy Camper,
Oooh, I must meet your friends! Are all of them alcoholics, druggies,
perverts, pedophiles, psychos, delinquents, criminals, crooks, losers
and loners? No wonder you have such an attitude. I would too, surrounded
by all that lot! However, getting back to your letter, I wonder if it
should have been quite as bitter as it seems to be? In actual fact, the
old adage is very pertinent here, “You get what you pay for!” So if your
motley lot of alcoholics and all the others are happy to pay for the
pleasures, knowing there is no permanence being offered, then let them
continue, and ignore their complaints. By the way, not all the farangs
in the bars are “alcoholics, druggies, perverts, pedophiles, psychos,
delinquents, criminals, crooks, losers and loners”. I met a very nice
chap the other evening. I just can’t remember his name!
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Heart to Heart
with Hillary
Dear Hillary;
You have been bloviating for years over proper spelling and grammar so
it was so tempting to give you something that you really enjoy.
Correcting the writer; whether he/she be of an English speaking country
or not, you (sic) them or correct them with your imperial and vast
knowledge of this language. You column needed some other venue other
than the regular drivel of poor men who come to Thailand to be consumed
by the land shark bar girl. Year after year you give the same advice;
it’s your own fault you ignorant man... and don’t forget to bring me
chocs and bubbly when you return with more money to make the same stupid
mistakes. Bar Girl Love! In your latest column, you made a rediculous
(sic) point of exalting my use of KOTW. If you had paid any attention to
my previous submissions you would have noted that if (sic) stood for
“Keeper Of The Wow”. Sanook (fun), which is dreadfully missing from your
often pointless weekly submissions to your rag. (Slang, English
newspaper.) So, maybe you can put more effort into your column and stop
demonizing the poor guy who submits his ‘new?’ problems to you.
KOTW, Singha Jerry
Dear Singha Jerry, self-styled Keeper of the WOW,
Do you remember Mrs. Malaprop? You would do better at letter writing if
you checked your use of long words in the dictionary first. “Imperial”?
I think you actually meant to write “imperious”, Petal. Now “exalting”?
That means “raising up”, Jerry. Was that what you meant? And
“demonizing”? It all gets too confusing, and I will even ignore the
spelling errors this week. I can only suggest that your next missive (or
even missile) be sent after partaking of only one bottle of your
favorite sanook beverage, not several.
Dear Hillary,
I came to Thailand for a two week holiday and met a young girl, as you
do. We got along well, so I paid for her company for 10 days, up till
the day before I left. That was when she started ringing me up and
asking to see me, saying she was in love with me. Even if she couldn’t
be with me for my last night she wanted to come and see me before the
taxi picked me up. I felt bad about this but all my mates told me to
forget about her, but I kept on answering her calls, and there were
plenty of them, I tell you, but the mates stopped me from giving in, but
I still felt bad about it all. What do you think I should have done?
I’ve been thinking about ringing her from home, but just don’t know.
Mike
Dear Mike,
You forgot where you met this young lady who fell madly in love with you
after 10 days. You paid for her company, my Petal. It was a business
arrangement, not a matrimonial contract. By making you feel indebted to
her, she was much more likely to extract even more money from you, which
is why she wanted the face to face meeting, even on that last morning,
you never know what you can get, even if it is just what is in your
wallet. You don’t say how old you are, but you are obviously a babe
compared to the lady from the bar. What should you have done? Just what
you did do, and that was to cut the relationship once the period of hire
was completed. It was a short-time holiday romance, and a paid one at
that. Next time you come over, you will hopefully be more mature, more
wise and keep a tight hold on your wallet.
Dear Hillary,
I read all these tales of woe that your letter writers send to you about
losing money and getting ripped off. I read the books like Private
Dancer and Money Number 1 and they are full of the same tales of woe. Is
it really that bad in Thailand? Surely there are some good ones out
there, or are they all on the make? Do you know how many marriages to
bar girls go t’s up? Can’t be ‘all’ of them, can it? I’ve met so many
great girls on my holidays each year and I can’t believe that they would
be anything other than great wives for some lucky guys. What is the real
situation?
Gary (from GB)
Dear Gary (from GB),
Even in your own country ‘mixed’ marriages fail, and that’s just
marriages between men and women. You men just don’t understand us,
Petal. Now make it a marriage between cultures and there is even more
chance of failure. And I am talking about people who go into marriage
who are ‘In Love’ and still have the stars in the eyes. Now look at the
marriages you want to examine - the love sick visitor and the hardened
professional girl behind the bar. One has been convinced that this is
the marriage made in heaven. Besotted Bob just wants the ring on her
finger, while business girl Bee can’t wait to investigate a joint bank
account. She is in the banking business, Gary. This marriage lasts as
long as the bank accounts.
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Camera Class:
by Harry Flashman
“Auto” can be good for you
No flash.
No flash, but after using Photoshop.
I spend a lot of time in this column suggesting to the weekend
photographer that he or she should take the camera off the
‘auto’ setting and start manipulating the image the camera
records. After all, the ‘auto’ setting is one the camera gives
you as being the ‘average’ reading - but we would like to think
our shots are better than ‘average’.
However, automatic cameras have become so good these days, there
is a tendency to think they are foolproof. You are guaranteed a
great shot every time. Correct exposure, sharp as a tack and
looking professional. Unfortunately in the real world, that does
not necessarily happen, as this photographer found out who
wrote:
“Dear Harry,
A question for you regarding my Sony Cyber-shot. I recently was
a guest at a beautiful wedding, the reception was quite well lit
so I thought rather than use a flash and have everybody look
like ghosts I would turn the flash off.
What I had not taken into consideration was that the shutter
speed would be slower without the flash. Most of the photos were
blurred, either by me shaking, or the people I was photographing
moving during the shot.
At least I am assuming that was the cause of the bad shots, what
is your opinion Harry?
Thanking you, Sunny.”
Your assumption is spot on, Sunny. The clever brain (or
electronic smarts) inside the camera knows that a certain
Exposure Value (EV) is required to produce correctly exposed
shots. That EV has two variables, but which are related directly
to each other, and they are the size of the aperture and shutter
speed.
Now even though you felt the venue was well lit, and I do often
tell people to turn off the flash to stop the rabbit in the
headlamps appearance, that venue’s ambient lighting was not
enough to get to the EV required without some extreme values in
aperture and shutter speed.
The electronic brain knows you can’t hand-hold at much slower
than 1/30th second so will try to use that shutter speed and
open up the aperture to whatever is needed to get the correct
EV. That’s the theory.
However, when the camera runs out of aperture setting, then all
that is left for the camera brain to adjust is the shutter speed
and its little electronic brain gives it an even slower shutter
speed, at which you cannot hand-hold. Blurred shots are the
result.
Now whilst all of the above is relevant, there were a couple of
points in time at the reception where you could have averted the
disaster. When you were composing the shot there would have been
a winking indicator in the viewfinder to tell you that the
camera felt flash was needed. You chose to ignore that, deciding
that your brain was better that the Cyber-shot brain.
Secondly being a digital, you had the opportunity to review all
shots after you have taken them. Instantly. You could have
looked at the first shot on the three inch LCD and would have
seen that it was blurred and worked out then, what you worked
out later, that the shutter speed was too slow to hand-hold,
despite the image stabilization feature. Sometimes we can ask
too much of our equipment!
You could also have then gone into the menu and tried to up the
ASA rating in the camera, since it will go to 3200, albeit with
some ‘noise’ and lack of sharpness as the trade-off. Even at
only 800 ASA, you would probably have got away with it, but it’s
easy to be wise in retrospect.
So what was this practical lesson all about? Really, the message
is to remember that any automatic camera has limits. “Auto” does
not equate with “fool-proof”. The second message was to check
your shots after you have taken them. That is what the
LCD/digital camera can give you over the old film technology,
where you waited for a couple of hours to see if you had a
usable shot.
Thank you Sunny, and please keep taking shots. Photography is a
pastime that does give you the opportunity to improve, and the
more shots you take, the greater the improvement.
Camera Class:
by Harry Flashman
Bag fillers that make photography easier
Do you have a camera bag? Is it full of ‘stuff’? If it isn’t
here are some tips on what really needs to be in the bag. To
start, have you ever stopped to wonder just what pro shooters
have in their very large camera bags? Well there will be a
choice of lenses, two or three camera bodies, and a whole host
of ‘stuff’ that makes photography much easier.
 Best
taken with remote release.
The first item is for all those demented people who want to take
dog pictures. On the few occasions that I have tried to
photograph pet animals it has been hours of frustration and very
little fun. However, the one item that all dog photographers
should have is a box of matches. One little rattle and Rover
pricks his ears up and looks intelligent. Or as intelligent as
Rovers can look. This even works for children (but take my tip
and never be conned into photographing pets or children)!
So after the box of matches, what else should you have? For my
money it is a torch. Any photographer who takes his camera out
at night will need one. Even if just to see what way up the
batteries go in the flash, which always runs out of volts just
when you don’t want it to. Setting shutter speeds in the dark
can also be difficult. Or even seeing what aperture you are
selecting on the lens barrel.
Another small, but definitely handy item is a remote release for
the shutter. Any time you are trying to do a time exposure, it
become very difficult holding the button down and not making the
camera tremble - especially with long exposures. Cheap, does not
take up much space, and very useful.
While talking about time exposures, another useful “camera bag”
item is a miniature tripod. I have one that was made by Polaroid
a few years ago which folds up small and even fits into the side
pocket on the bag. With something like this you can mount the
tripod on the roof of the car and take five minute moonlight
shots if you need it. Often called table-top tripods. There are
some I have seen with “springy” legs but they are not much good.
I’ve got a springy legged one as well as the Polaroid one. Get
one with solid legs.
Now the next one is not so easy to get here, but you can always
get someone to bring you one in from overseas. With the bright
sunlight here, the magic brain inside your camera that sets the
exposure settings can get confused. The answer for consistently
correct exposures is an 18 percent grey card. This you place
beside the subject and take a meter reading from it. You then
set the camera to that f stop and shutter speed and you have the
correct exposure for the main shot. If you are serious about
getting the correct exposure, and particularly if you shoot
slides, one of these is invaluable. You can just fold it up and
slip it in the camera bag very easily. However, another trick is
to select an 18 percent grey camera bag, and you just take your
reading directly from there.
The next item is again not a true photographic item, but is
invaluable. It is a waterproof marker pen. How many times have
you written details, names, etc., on the back of a print, to
find that it has rubbed off on the face of the next print and so
forth? Totally annoying and often requires another set of prints
to be made.
The last item that is worth considering, if you are a serious
photographer, is a battery charger. You will go through heaps of
batteries if you are shooting regularly. This gets expensive.
Buy two sets of the rechargeable batteries and a charger and
your photography expenses will be a lot less. This is
particularly so with the new digitals. They eat batteries, so
keep a freshly charged spare in the camera bag at all times.
Money Matters: Paul Gambles
MBMG International Ltd.
The fallacy of the balance of trade
The rhetoric by the U.S. to pressure China into strengthening
the Yuan is more than a tad interesting. They are saying it is undervalued and
is causing harmful imbalances to world trade, adversely affecting the global
economy given China’s role as the world’s largest exporter. Arguably, this was
the main financial story for 2010. If you knew your history well you may well
conclude that this accusation lacks any basis in reality.
Adam Smith, the great eighteenth century economist, was a keen observer of
contemporary events with a historical perspective and of its causes and effects
on the economies of nations. In his grand work, ‘The Wealth of Nations’, he
states that “Nothing, however, can be more absurd than this whole doctrine of
the balance of trade.” (Book IV, chp III, part II). If trade were perfectly
balanced, there would be no progress, as the advantage of one nation that
creates prosperity in that nation can only come at the expense of another. His
profound statement of the invisible hand also works at the national level as all
exchange is motivated by self interest.
In today’s world, this basically means that China is selling goods on the market
cheaper and other nations are not able to compete. Since the U.S. is the main
importer of Chinese made products and the American dollar is the reserve
currency through which most international trade is denominated, China has
accumulated a huge amount of dollar reserves (2.5 trillion) that it then
recycles back to the U.S. by purchasing U.S. Treasury Bonds effectively lending
the money back so that the American consumer can continue purchasing more goods.
This summarises the commercial relationship between these two nations and it has
been going on for more than a decade.
Just like most other things in life, trade is a zero sum game where if one
nation is getting richer by selling goods and getting money in return, another
by definition is poorer, buying and consuming giving up money in exchange. This
was how England in the nineteenth century and America in the twentieth became
the wealthiest nations in the world. They simply were the manufacturing
powerhouses of the world and provided goods the people of other nations world
wanted at the most competitive rates.
The moral in this is that all nations have and will continue to act in their own
self interest and any talk of a group of nations co-operating in a kind of
idealistic utopian world for the benefit of everybody is completely unrealistic
and unsupported in history. The only motivating force that has ever bound
nations, industries, groups or individuals to co-operate with each other was
that of self interest.
Penalising Peter to give to Paul was the mantle of communism which led to its
collapse in Russia and Eastern Europe a couple of decades ago. People also
remember what led to Tiananmen Square. Profit motive or individualism was taken
away by force. At the national level this cannot be enforced by one nation upon
another except by force of arms.
In this latest battle of words the U.S. has used an old trick of blaming
currencies for its ills. Instead of looking at decades of failed policies and
tax regimes that has driven capital and jobs offshore seeking a lower cost to
make goods and services, the U.S. politician has sought to point the finger at
an easy target, in this case supposed currency manipulations by China.
In the U.S., it now takes a husband and wife to provide the same quality of life
that a generation ago only required one. The government has subsidized the
public sector at a cost of half the national private income for the last three
decades. Since the average American consumer can now no longer afford to buy
more expensive locally made products, it is China that has benefitted by filling
the gap.
Just recently, the U.S. congress, to back up its accusations, passed a bill
through the House but is still pending Senate approval that will impose duties
on imports deemed given unfair subsidies by foreign governments. If the bill
becomes law this will effectively make goods even more expensive for the average
American rendering their condition all the more intolerable with real
un-employment above 15% and over 40 million people on food stamps.
It is not a wise strategy for America to antagonize the Chinese, with its huge
spending and lending power and ability to produce cheap goods, given the fragile
state of the U.S. economy. In retaliation and possibly as a prudent investment
strategy China can sell its holdings of U.S. Treasuries, given the policies
coming out of Washington and the Federal Reserve, to further weaken the dollar,
and to align China’s long term strategy of evolving to a consumption based
economy relying on regional and other emerging market economies for trade that
is surely to decline from the U.S. and other developed economies. Asia is
already exporting within itself and this will only increase. For the Americans
to take the strategy they are pursuing is probably about as sensible as sensible
as Napoleon invading Russia.
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The above data and research was
compiled from sources believed to be reliable. However, neither MBMG
International Ltd nor its officers can accept any liability for any
errors or omissions in the above article nor bear any responsibility for
any losses achieved as a result of any actions taken or not taken as a
consequence of reading the above article. For more information please
contact Paul Gambles on paul@mbmg-international.com |
Money Matters: Paul Gambles
MBMG International Ltd.
Climate Change - Have we got it right? Part 2
The science is comparatively simple. Six molecules of carbon
dioxide plus six molecules of water in the presence of chlorophyll in plant
leaves plus incoming solar energy (a.k.a. sunlight) produces one molecule of
carbohydrate plus, and this is the important bit, six molecules of oxygen
- 6 CO2 + 6H2O + solar energy = C6H12O6 + 6O2.
So carbon dioxide is an important part in a plant’s carbon cycle but strangely,
though it is so important, it is actually a trace element in the atmosphere as
well. Therefore, it can be argued that if the carbon dioxide content of the
atmosphere is increased then there is increased plant growth. It follows
therefore that the trees and other plants welcome any increase in carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere and adds to their photosynthetic activity.
If you agree with this then surely it follows on, from the points of view of
trees and plants, that any increase in carbon dioxide in the air from petrol
engines, etc., is welcome. It may be deduced that any attempt by man to reduce
the output of carbon dioxide is actually counterproductive in terms of plant
growth and the production of oxygen. I must state here and now that I completely
accept there are other pollutants such as sulphur which are harmful to the
environment but, given the above, is carbon dioxide?
I am also aware of the counter-argument against carbon dioxide. It is stated
that by having excess CO2 in the atmosphere it captures incoming infra-red rays
consequentially raising the world’s temperature. To deal with this argument you
can do no better than to read John Emsley, The Good Chemical Guide -
Rhone-Poulenc: “The Earth’s atmosphere keeps the temperature reasonably stable,
smoothing out the daily changes and seasonal ones. The vapour that does this so
effectively is water. Without water, the average temperature of the planet would
be 33C colder than it is. Water is very good at trapping a lot of the infra-red
rays which would otherwise be lost to space, and water vapour alone is
responsible for a warming of roughly 32C, or about 97% of the greenhouse effect.
Carbon dioxide helps a little bit as well, accounting for about 1C.”
To the urban dweller in London, trees are pleasant to look at, provide nice
shade in summer but those pesky falling leaves in autumn are a real nuisance.
They do not appreciate the tree is actually taking heat out of the atmosphere
during the process of photosynthesis and, due to the enormous latent heat of
evaporation, by the trees as the water is transported from the roots to the
canopy and evaporated off as vapour in the atmosphere. Just ask anyone living in
the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia what they think of trees. They love them and
not surprisingly, as the moisture content in the air is virtually zero as there
are no trees in that part of the world.
Some cynics say that the carbon dioxide hysteria is nothing more than a ruse by
desperate scientists to get more funding so they are not out of a job. The same
can be said of politicians who use it as an excuse to raise taxes and then do
not spend the money on protecting the environment.
Both groups would be better occupied in using the billions of dollars collected
from the taxpayers to try and save the world’s watersheds and stop the
deforestation to grow bio-fuels.
Whilst it has to be accepted that, at the present rate of consumption, fuel oil
will soon run out as a resource it should not be blamed for the greenhouse
effect. Mankind has to look seriously at the looming energy crisis but without
this senseless and useless diversion of the public’s attention and money to
false global warming scares and the evil carbon dioxide emissions. The powers
that be must examine the causes and not the symptoms.
So what has all this got to do with a financial column in a provincial
newspaper? Well, as stated above, people should be made aware of the potential
misdirection (some might say misappropriation) of their hard earned money. The
other reason is, as a potential investor, caveat emptor. Today, illiquid assets
promising fixed returns are a common feature of some of the more questionable
funds being promoted in the market. The more sinister products also incorporate
assets that are essentially impossible to value.
Some potential investments cater to ethical investors who want to earn decent
returns from socially responsible financial products. Many forestry funds fall
into this category, but on scrutiny more than a few fail to provide a robust
investment strategy to back up their claims of above market rate guaranteed
returns.
Market traded timber, as a commodity, has a verifiable price which can be used
to forecast the value of an investment in that commodity. Teak is a good example
of this. However, for some other timber products, which are not traded, there is
no such data.
With no verifiable market price and no empirical/historical data available it is
impossible for an investor to check the price assumptions that are used to
generate future guaranteed prices and returns on investment. This is something
to bear in mind the next time a ‘once in a lifetime’ forestry fund with
guaranteed returns of 20% or whatever arrives in your email inbox. If you are
interested in these types of funds then look for direct investments into such
companies as Plum Creek Timber as it is large, listed and liquid. Alternatively,
look at funds which invest directly into this sort of company. Above all -
remain liquid.
Please be careful when you are trying to save the planet. You may save yourself
a lot of damage as well.
|
The above data and research was
compiled from sources believed to be reliable. However, neither MBMG
International Ltd nor its officers can accept any liability for any
errors or omissions in the above article nor bear any responsibility for
any losses achieved as a result of any actions taken or not taken as a
consequence of reading the above article. For more information please
contact Paul Gambles on paul@mbmg-international.com |
DVD of the Week:
By Brian Baxter
Brief Encounter (G.B. 1945: Dir David Lean)
Can a
film be perfect? So completely achieved in terms of sound and image that it
is impossible to think of changing one shot. Rare indeed, I’d say, but if
asked I’d cite Bresson’s L’Argent as one example of such perfection. There
must be others.
Can a film be perfect, despite imperfections? Certainly and this week’s
choice of DVD (available at the DVD Movie shop at 289 Suthep Road), is
certainly a case in point. Brief Encounter, David Lean’s best work and also
the finest English film I know is not without its imperfections. But they
need not concern any sympathetic viewer: They are the result of the period
in which it was made (mid forties) and the importantly when it was set (the
late 1930s).
The film might easily be dismissed by young viewers or those unwilling to
relish its period setting – or setting of a by-gone age. But do we dismiss
Jane Austen’s novels, even though they are more easily accepted as ‘period’
works? Not that Noel Coward’s 30-minute play, Still Life, on which the film
is based compares with Austen’s masterpieces, but the point is valid The
moral order of the time is perfectly caught and timeless.
In Brief Encounter, the little imperfections which grate – such as the
children or some of the cockney humour – don’t matter a jot. This is art
masquerading as life and life transformed into art.
It is elegant, consummately well made (editing, camera etc.) and contains a
central performance unsurpassed in the history of British cinema. Celia
Johnson as the married woman who meets – by chance – a doctor on a railway
station and falls in love plays with such nuanced delicacy and inner truth
that she became known for a whole generation as ‘Laura’ and never achieved
anything comparable on screen. Trevor Howard in a less complex role shows
just why he became Britain’s best screen actor alongside James Mason.
Brief Encounter started life as one of none half hour plays by Coward,
written in the mid thirties, to be performed over three evenings. It is
considered the best of them. The setting of the playlet was suburban train
station. Here the action is opened up and any resemblance to ‘theatre’
entirely forgotten. The soundtrack is masterly, from the opening sounds of
an express train and the chords of the accompanying piano concerto (used
extensively but integrally) and the dialogue and internal monologue from
Laura is flawless.
The story is simple: a housewife, leading a comfortable, dullish middle
class life with a mild mannered husband and two kids meets a doctor on her
way home, whilst waiting for a train. He too is married, though we never see
his wife. A mark of the film’s maturity is that the concentration is on the
woman’s possible infidelity rather than the conventionally more acceptable
of a man’s likely dalliance.
They fall in love: without willing it, without the possibility – given the
time, the place, the characters – of consummating their love, let alone
having it flourish. Delicately, complex emotions are allowed not to wither
and die but to bloom, yet remain in the dark. The film is, in a word,
heartbreaking. So intense, so understated and so of its time that it
achieves perfection in terms of emotional truth and a rhythm that Lean
maintains from the bravura opening until the devastating conclusion.
Watching it countless times over the years I marvel each time at its timing,
gentle humour, observation and poignant humanity – even in the harsh scene
when their attempt at a private meeting is brutishly interrupted by a (gay?)
friend of the doctor. I have also become convinced (possibly alone in the
world!) that Robert Bresson’s Lancelot du Lac owes much to the earlier film,
emotionally and even physically: another film about sacrifice and chivalry
and also a sublime masterpiece. Watch the Lean first and a day later the
Bresson and see what I mean……..
Let's Go To The Movies:
by Mark Gernpy
Now playing in Chiang Mai
The Rite: US, Drama/ Horror/ Thriller – Anthony Hopkins is at his
spooky best again as the filmmakers trot out the well-worn possessed/
exorcism/ priest scenario. If one can believe such things, this is “inspired
by true events.” We follow a skeptical seminary student as he reluctantly
attends exorcism school at the Vatican, and while in Rome, he meets an
unorthodox priest (Hopkins) who introduces him to the darker side of his
faith. Generally unfavorable reviews.
Fair Game: US, Action/ Biography/ Drama/ Thriller – Director Doug
Liman’s exciting fact-based drama of former U.S. ambassador Joseph Wilson;
his wife, Valerie Plame Wilson; and the events of 2003, when her identity as
a CIA operative was leaked by a revengeful White House after her husband
wrote an op-ed piece criticizing the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Generally
favorable reviews. At Vista only, with thanks for bringing this important
and rousing film to Chiang Mai.
Teng Nong Jiwon Bin: Thai, Action/ Comedy – A comedy about a pilgrim
and a wealthy jeweller whose destiny has brought them together on a plane.
This seems to be tickling all the right funnybones, and looks to be a smash
hit.
The Next Three Days: US/ France, Crime/ Drama/ Romance – I enjoyed
this; it was a nice puzzler. A woman is arrested for murdering her boss with
whom she had a public argument. She was seen leaving the scene of the crime
and her fingerprints were on the murder weapon. Her husband spends the next
few years trying to get her released but there's no evidence that negates
the evidence against her. When the strain of being separated from her family
– especially her son – gets too much for her, John decides to break her out.
Directed by Paul Haggis (Crash), and starring Russell Crowe, Elizabeth
Banks, and Liam Neeson. Mixed or average reviews.
Shaolin: Hong Kong/ China, Action/ Drama – A story of Shaolin monks
who protect and shelter civilians during war, this is a beautifully
photographed, finely acted big budget spectacle that doesn't only rely on
star power and action to deliver the goods, but actually is a thinking man's
film on the philosophical aspects of Buddhism. Unfortunately, it’s shown in
Thailand only in a Thai-dubbed version. Starring Jackie Chan and Andy Lau.
The Green Hornet: US, Action/ Comedy/ Crime – A strange piece,
designed to be nothing but a thoughtless piece of fluff. As such, it’s okay.
Seth Rogen as the Hornet is an unlikely and uncomfortable super-hero, and
almost unlikeable. Cameron Diaz is the romantic interest, but the
unrestrained pleasure is the arch-villain played by Christoph Waltz, the
Austrian actor who took the film world by storm by his marvelous portrayal
of a Nazi officer in Inglourious Basterds. Of special interest to Asians is
the role of the hero’s sidekick Cato, played by Taiwanese superstar Jay
Chou. He acquits himself well in this – his slight acting skills and his
shaky use of English is underplayed, and to cover we are served a number of
funny sight gags and some impressive martial arts. If you approach it with a
relaxed frame-of-mind, you should find it entertaining enough. Generally
unfavorable reviews.
Meet the Parents: Little Fockers: US, Comedy/ Family – These people
are still around, and I still don’t want to meet them. In this third
installment of the series, the test of wills between Robert De Niro and Ben
Stiller escalates to new heights – or would that be depths? Generally
unfavorable reviews.
Sud Khet Saled Ped: Thai, Comedy – Kohtee Aramboy and Tukkie are
among the Thai comedians in this film with an untranslatable title, engaged
in comic antics much like all that has gone before in Thai comedies. Seems
to be what the population wants to see.
Maybe
If these show up, see them.
The Fighter: US, Biography/ Drama/ Sport – Highly praised film up for
Oscar best picture, director (David O. Russell), actor in a supporting role
(Christian Bale), two actresses in a supporting role (Amy Adams and Melissa
Leo), best adapted screenplay, and best editing. A drama about boxer "Irish"
Micky Ward's unlikely road to the world light welterweight title. His
Rocky-like rise was shepherded by half-brother Dickie, a
boxer-turned-trainer who rebounded in life after nearly being KO'd by drugs
and crime. Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale give two outstanding
performances. Rated R in the US for language throughout, drug content, some
violence, and sexuality. Generally favorable reviews.
The King’s Speech: UK/ Australia, Drama/ History – One of the top
contenders for best picture and 11 other Oscars, this is the story of the
suddenly crowned King George VI of England, who suffers from a debilitating
speech impediment. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate
need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), the future
Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist.
Reviews: Universal acclaim.
How does your garden grow?:
By Eric Danell,Dokmai Garden
The Chiang Mai Royal Bamboo Project
Are you interested in bamboos? Although the Khamtieng flower market north of
town has many plants for sale, the vendors can rarely give you a scientific
name or provide information in English. The scientific name is important for
obtaining information whether the plant will die or not in the Chiang Mai
valley. I saw lovely bonsais at Macro north of town, but many of the species
used were temperate Chinese, and therefore they will have problems with our
much hotter climate.
A good option for bamboos is to visit the Royal Project. Simply go to the
roundabout at the Royal Flora show/Night Safari, turn right, and go another
1200-1400 m until you see a wooden sign painted in white on your right hand
side. I have been there twice without finding any staff, so I suggest you
phone ahead: Khun Aad 083-3240961. Khun Aad can provide essential
information if a bamboo is suitable for high or low elevation, or if they
are runners which will take over your lawn or kindly stay within their
clump. He can also tell you their origin and their scientific names. You can
see many species in a tall stage, and purchase small specimens in plastic
bags. One of my favourite species is ’blue bamboo’, Dendrocalamus sericeus.
It grows very tall, has thick culms suitable for construction, but the
loveliest trait is the waxy surface rendering the bamboo a bluish
appearance.
To see fully grown specimens in their splendour, go to Mae Kanin Tai on the
way to Opkhan National Park (simply follow the road signs further down the
canal road). At Dokmai garden we have planted a small specimen in the
parking and one inside the actual garden. Another bamboo is Dendrocalamus
brandisii, a giant! Making a bamboo tunnel is very effective as you can see
at The Tamarind Village Hotel downtown. A bamboo tunnel is also good for
attracting many wild bird species. Dendrocalamus asper is perhaps the most
commonly grown edible bamboo, also available here. www.dokmaigarden.co.th.
www.dokmaidogma.wordpress.com.
Day Tripper: Is it me, or is it Hot?
Staying in town
By Heather Allen
Besides temples, spas and shopping, Chiang Mai has more than a few
interesting things on offer for those who don’t feel like travelling
far. The Chiang Mai National Museum offers an interesting view of
history in the area, from pre-history through Lanna culture to present
day with interesting displays with English information housed in a
beautiful renovated building.
Nearby is the Tribal Museum, located in Rama IX Park, which offers a
really extensive selection of hill tribes handicrafts and textiles.
Covering the range of Akha, Hmong, Karen, Lahu, Lisu and Yao tribes, the
well documented and researched collection clearly explains the
differences in tribal dress and traditions. With exhibitions covering
housing, agriculture, fishing, musical instruments, religious beliefs
and jewelry, this museum is a true gem for those interested in learning
more about the hill tribes people.
Just a little bit further is the Textile & Coin Museum found at the Bank
Of Thailand. This museum has quite a few interesting displays, including
an explanation of how many ancient peoples used textiles to barter and
was used in the early transitional stages to currency. A variety of
textiles from across South East Asia are on display at this museum and
the choices are well made as the finest textiles are on display from
Cambodia, Burma and even India.
So, take a day out in Chiang Mai and learn more about the unique
cultural heritage this city has to offer!
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