Obama's half-brother.

Mark Ndesandjo is the son of Barack Obama’s late father and his third wife, an American woman named Ruth Nidesand who runs the up-market Maduri kindergarten in Nairobi.
Obama, however, refers to him simply as “my brother” and says he was the only uncontested heir after their father, a Kenyan, died in a car crash in 1982.
His half-brother submerged himself in the crowds of the most cosmopolitan city in China. Friends say he has a long-term Chinese girlfriend in her 20s from Henan, a poor landlocked province that sends millions of migrants to the coastal cities.
He lives in Nanshan, a brash new district of high-rises and streets teeming after dark with young migrants eating spicy street food and cramming into bars, karaoke joints and massage parlours.
Ndesandjo, who had an elite education in the United States, collecting a degree from Brown University, a masters in physics from Stanford and an MBA from Emory, did not share Obama’s emotional view of his roots.
Barack Obama senior fathered eight children by four different women.
(source:timesonline.co.uk by Michael Sheridan Shenzhen, China )
Tracking the Dow on Friday,10/07/09.(4 market days to Index Futures Expiry)

9:30am:--Opening slide of 40.0 points followed by bullish spin within the body.

A disappointing consumer sentiment number provided by the University of Michigan got in the way.

10:30am:--Opening gap-down being completely filled with a double top.Bearish hammer.

The U.S. trade deficit fell to the lowest level in more than nine years in May as exports posted a small gain while the weak American economy pushed imports down for a 10th straight month.

11:30am:--The morning session low with the bull being checkmate by the bears but managed to squeeze through.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Friday the Obama administration's economic stimulus plan is on the "expected path."

12:30noon:--A technical rebound to MAV line usually at this time.

The Treasury Department is selling its financial stakes in bailed-out banks for one-third less than they're worth, potentially shorting taxpayers up to $2.7 billion, a bipartisan congressional watchdog says.

1:30pm:--After touching the MAV line, a slight pullback but still bullish.

Benchmark crude oil for August delivery fell 52 cents to settle at $59.89 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, but at one pointed traded as low as $58.72.

2:30pm:--Another pullback but again the bulls provided the support.

Investors have sent major indexes down about 7 percent since mid-June on the belief that a more than 40 percent run-up in stocks this spring was unwarranted considering the problems that still plague the economy such as rising unemployment and flagging consumer confidence.

3:30pm:--It's injury time,the indicies are holding strong near the MAV.A morning star seen.

Expectations are generally low for the news expected to come out of the second-quarter earnings season.

4:00pm:--The bulls have taken it up above the MAV line and hold it securedly in the bull county but the triple doji stars are blowing off the lighted candle again.

An extremely low trading volume equivalent to that of 1st day of July.

The overall candlestick for July is now very bearish.

Any rebound will be shortlive and to struggle to reach the MAV is still promising but difficult task.
The spinning dojis at the bottom of the bearish Tuesday candle is a signal of short-covering to come near Dow futures expiry day.

The Thai Kingdom

American-born King Bhumibol, 81, whom many Thais regard as semi-divine, ascended the lotus throne in 1946, when Harry Truman was in the White House and Josef Stalin ruled the former Soviet Union. He has been the lone stabilizing presence in a land that has been rocked by 15 successful or attempted coups d’etat, 16 different constitutions and 27 changes of prime minister during his reign. The stern-faced monarch with few official powers but much influence has at least twice intervened to halt bloodletting.
Street demonstrations organized by the rival factions led to the occupation of Bangkok’s two main airports in November and triggered the cancellation of an April meeting of Asian leaders -- events that brought unwelcome publicity to the Land of Smiles.
Amid the chaos, some investors see opportunity in Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy behind Indonesia.
Marc Faber who manages $300 million in Asian shares at Hong Kong-based Marc Faber Ltd. has been buying shares in Thai banks and food producers this year.
Swiss-born Faber first visited Thailand 36 years ago and moved his home there in 2000. Today, he lives in baronial splendor, surrounded by first editions of books such as Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, in a teak house on the banks of the Ping River just outside the 1,000-year-old walled city of Chiang Mai.

Tracking the Dow on Thursday,09/07/09.(5 market days before Dow Index Futures expiry on 17/07/09)

9:30am:A bullish 40.0 points lift-off but a spin at the upper shadow blew the lights -off.

According to the latest government statistics, 565,000 initial jobless claims were filed for the week ending July 4. That is short of the consensus estimate, which called for 603,000 claims
10:30am:--After filling the opening bulls santuary,the bears have penetrated further down.

Just hitting news wires, wholesale inventories for May decreased 0.8%, which is less than the 1.0% decrease that had been expected. Wholesale inventories for April were revised slightly higher to reflect a 1.3% decrease.

11:30am:--The morning session new low has been completed and it's time for a rebound to the MAV line.

Amid the rebound, financials have emerged to trade with the most handsome gains of any major sector; they are up 1.4%.

12:30noon:--It's consolidation time at the MAV indecision line getting ready for the 2nd session assault.(we have the shooting stars,hangmen and bears)

Crude oil prices have surrendered early gains and now trade with a 0.8% loss at $59.65 per barrel. Should the loss hold, oil will log its seventh straight loss.

1:30pm:--An opening bearish harami warning.

Part of the Dow's relative weakness stems from weakness in big pharma stocks like Johnson & Johnson (JNJ 56.49, -0.59) and Merck (MRK 26.94, -1.10), which were actually leaders in the previous session.

2:30pm:--A sudden spike up retracing to the day's high(double top) with a bullish hammer.
A bull trap.Dow component Alcoa started earnings season last night by reporting a loss for the second quarter, but the shortfall wasn't as bad as what had been expected. That has helped the broader market make modest gains in the face of choppy, listless trading.

3:30pm:--Pullback to bear zone but a bullish harami checkmate the slide.

The U.S. dollar has fallen under increasingly stiff selling pressure, which has taken the Dollar Index to a 1.2% loss. The dollar's decline has provided a boon for commodity prices.

4:00pm:--A bullish harami.

There might be some good economic news Friday.(export and import price data for June ,the trade balance report for May, the preliminary consumer sentiment survey for July is due from the University of Michigan .)
Volumes have spiked up on Wednesday,the usual bullish retracement time before index expiry.

The double spinning stars are awaiting to pierce through the bear pivot.
Thursday gains were tempered by weak sales reports from retailers and evidence that the labor market is still hurting.

Credit card delinquencies.

In May, U.S. President Barack Obama signed into law the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act, setting new restrictions on card rates and fees.
But card companies got a break because the law does not take full effect until next February, giving them a window to change some of their policies.
Bank of America Corp and JPMorgan Chase & Co are switching some customers who have fixed-rate credit cards to potentially higher variable rates, acting before a new law takes effect that limits what card issuers can charge.
Soaring unemployment and the housing bust are leaving consumers hard-pressed to make loan payments on everything from credit cards to cars.

Tracking the Dow on wednesday,08/07/09
9:30am;--Bullish 40.0 points gap up with a follow up hangman.
G8 leaders believe that the global economy continues to face significant risks and may need further help.

10:30am:--The first hour high being set with a shooting star.

Sellers are now focusing their efforts against financial stocks.

11:30am:--The second hour pullback with session low followed by bullish inverted hammer.

Oil prices are down 3.7% to $60.60 per barrel in the face of relatively bullish inventory data, which was overshadowed by bearish gasoline inventories.

12:30noon:--The morning session ended with another new low with a bullish spin.

Energy commodities and precious metals were the hardest hit, down 4.0% and 2.7%, respectively.

1:30pm:--Retracement to MAV with a bearish engulfing.

2:30pm:--Another descent to a new low with a dradonfly doji sighted for a rebound.
3:30pm:--Bulls holding position above the MAV line.

4:00pm:--A bearish dark cloud cover closing.

A late-stage rally brought stocks off their lows on hopes that the quarterly earnings season would deliver good news.
Aluminum giant Alcoa Inc (NYSE:AA ) reported a smaller-than-expected loss that gave a positive tone to the start of the second-quarter earnings season. Its shares jumped 7 percent to $10.07 in extended trading.
Wednesday closed with a bullish spin,so we are not having an alternate bear,it's the bull to take over.

Structured notes sales ban

Singapore's central bank banned 10 financial institutions from selling structured notes for improperly marketing US$655 million of the bonds that were linked to U.S. brokerage Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.
The banks and brokerages can't sell structured notes for between six months and two years, the central bank, known as the Monetary Authority of Singapore, said in a statement late Tuesday.
The bank said some of the financial institutions assigned risk ratings that were inconsistent with warnings stated in the notes' prospectus, and salespeople were ill-trained to sell the notes.
The structured notes were linked to the risk of a bankruptcy occurring to one of the reference entities, such as Lehman.
The Lehman collapse last fall led to a default on the dividend payment of some of the bonds, most of which had a maturity of 5 to 7 years and a yield of about 5 percent.
About 10,000 investors bought the notes, and financial institutions have compensated about 4,000 of them, the bank said.
Similar structured notes were sold in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Indonesia.
The 10 financial institutions banned by the central bank are DBS Group, UOB Kay Hian, OCBC Securities, ABN AMRO's Singapore branch, Maybank Singapore, CIMB-GK Securities, Hong Leong Finance, DMG & Partners, Phillip Securities and Kim Eng Securities. -

Tracking the Dow on Tuesday,07/07/09
9:30am:--A bearish 20.0 point gap down followed by graveyard doji.

There are no market-moving earnings announcements, economic data, or Fed speakers scheduled for today.

10:30am:--Session low with bearish engulfing.

President Obama said a second stimulus package could be a possibility.

11:30am:--Three bearish crows at another low.

Losses are steepest among energy stocks (-1.2%). Oil prices is now at $63.50 per barrel.

12:30noon:--Another 3 black crows

Health care is the only major sector to trade with a gain.

1:30pm:--A technical rebound to only the bear pivot to end the morning session with a graveyard doji.

Optimistic and encouraging comments from Alcoa's (AA 9.59, +0.33) chief executive have won support for shares of the metals and mining giant.

2:30pm:--A double graveyard doji mourning the death of king of pop icon.
Michael Jackson memorial currently held at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

3:30pm:--Bearish harami.

Mariah Carey and Trey Loenz sing "I'll be there" but the market said "Beat It"
4:00pm:--A closing bearish hammer again.
The afternoon sell-off was generally an extension of the market's recent weakness, which became more recognizable following last week's disappointing jobs report. Buyers are also showing reluctance ahead of earnings season.

Whenever the market got no economic news nor Federal speakers,the market will always sing to the tune of "Beat It"

It's the beginning of the raining season and wall street is going to be very slippery with the beating of the falling rain.
This is going to be a bearish month with a long black candlestick.Any rebound will be near to the MAV line and another hammer.
The bulls are being cornered and left in Islands in the Stream.

King of Pop financial backers.

The late Michael Jackson not only have music lovers but also financial firms seemed to "get a kick out of having a big celebrity as a client".
Wooed by his global fame and earning power, a bevy of financial firms ponied up tens of millions to finance the singer's luxe lifestyle and kick-start his troubled career.
Financial firms including Colony Capital LLC, Fortress Investment Group and Barclays Bank PLC poured tens of millions into the singer over the years. The cash allowed Jackson, a notorious binge spender, to maintain a lavish lifestyle befitting a global pop star.
Jackson's singular earning power and worldwide appeal seemed to make him a safe bet to lenders, who sometimes seemed starstruck.
In March 2008, the singer defaulted on a $23 million loan to Fortress and nearly had to give up Neverland, the 2,500-acre Santa Barbara property he used to secure the loan. Barrack's Colony Capital stepped in at the last minute and agreed to cover the owed amount. Jackson later signed Neverland over to a joint venture between Jackson and an affiliate of Colony Capital. Jackson got $35 million in the deal -- money Colony hoped to recover from the eventual refurbishing and sale of Neverland.
Colony was also reportedly involved in plotting Jackson's planned comeback, which included 50 sold-out dates in London to begin this month. The shows, which were being staged by promoter AEG Live, brought in some $85 million in ticket sales, according to Billboard magazine. AEG says it will offer full refunds on the tickets.

Tracking the Dow on Monday.06/07/09.

9:30am:--Opening gap-down of 40.0 points.

The relatively downbeat bias comes amid a lack of overall news flow, though there are reports that suggest the U.S. dollar will most likely maintain its status as a primary world currency for many years and won't be discussed in the G-8 meeting.

10:30am:--Opening gap being filled up by the bulls and thereafter pulled back to find an early double bottom.(a dragonfly doji)

Oil futures prices are down 4.5% to $63.75 per barrel in electronic trading; oil prices haven't been so low since the end of May.

11:30am:--The first hour session retracement to MAV resistance.(a dragonfly doji)

The June ISM Services Index came in at 47.0, which is better than the 46.0 that was widely expected. The latest reading also marked an improvement from the 44.0 that was registered in May.

12:30noon:--The dragonfly doji hanging slightly above the morning session MAV bullish zone.

The dollar continues to show strength this morning, keeping precious metals modestly lower. August gold is 0.9% lower at $922.30 per ounce, while September silver is 1.5% lower at $13.21 per ounce.

1:30pm:--The ascending soldiers have pierced through the morning high and is now holding on with a shooting star wit intermittent pullback.

2:30pm:--A dark cloud cover with a slight bullish spike holding near session high.

3:30pm:--Bearish spike down but were holding at the bullish pivot neckline.

4:00pm:--Last minute rebound but hangmen were noticeble.An attempt to light up the upper shadow is also seen.
July's candlestick in the early going depicts that it's going to be a volatile bearish month.

The MAV line is a negative 54.30 point and not a good sign of reprieve.
Investors have become more cautious in recent weeks following a strong rally that began in March. Some traders fear they might have been too optimistic about how soon the economy might recover from a recession that began in December 2007.

Thailand Gold Futures.

Thailand Futures Exchange PCL (TFEX) officially launched its latest product-gold futures on the 3rd February 2009.
Trading gold futures is highly appropriate, either to use as a risk management tool or to enjoy the potential profits from that volatility.

Contract specification
Underlying Assets:-Gold Bullion with a purity of 96.5%
Contract Size:-50 Thai Gold Baht (762.20 grams)(1 Thai Gold Baht = 15.244 grams)
Contract Months:- 3 nearest even month : February, April, June, August, October, December
Minimum Price Fluctuations(Tick Size)
Price quoted per 1 Thai Gold Baht
•Tick size is 10 Baht
Price Limit
+20% from previous day settlement price.
Trading Hours
Pre-open: 9:15 - 9:45 hrs.
Morning session:9:45 - 12:30 hrs.
Pre-open:14:00 - 14:30 hrs.
Afternoon session:14:30 - 16:55 hrs.
Speculative Position limit:-Exchange may announce the position limit as it deems appropriate.
Final Trading Day
The business day immediately preceding the last business day of the contract month. Time at which trading ceases on Final Trading Day is 16.30 hrs.
Final Settlement Price
The Final Settlement Price shall be calculated on
• the basis of the London Gold A.M. Fixing price announced by London Gold Market Fixing Limited on the last trading day and the foreign exchange rate for Baht to US dollars announced by TFEX on the last trading day, after conversion for weight and fineness.
• The formula for its calculation is as follows:
= London Gold AM Fixing x (15.244/31.1035) x (0.965/0.995) x (THB/USD)
Note:
1 troy ounce = 31.1035 grams
1 Thai gold Baht = 15.244 grams
London Gold AM Fixing is based on 0.995 gold
The underlying of gold futures contract is 0.965 gold
Settlement Method:-Cash Settlement
Exchange and Clearing Fee:-50 Baht per contract per side
Brokerage commission:-
Freely negotiable.For one to five contracts per day, the commission will be THB500 per contract; for the sixth through twentieth contract, it will be THB400 per contract and for the twenty-first contract on up, the rate will be THB300 per contract.

Trading Procedure:-Under the ThaiClearingHouse’s clearing rules, all traded futures contracts must be cleared and settled on the next business day (T+1).

Why not have a trial trading account at some of the brokers site herein to see how it function.
Maybe the next time when you intend to retire in Thailand,you can still earn a living here without the need of a work permit. Visa extension run can be made at the Malaysian immigration border checkpoint at Bukit Kayu Hitam.
Broker No:1 BLS Bualuang Securities Public Company Limited

Broker No:42 KEST Kim Eng Securities (Thailand) Public Company Limited

TFEX has 41 members, 36 of which of are general members, while the other five members are gold related agents.


International brokers:-
CS Credit Suisse Securities (Thailand) Limited
JPM JPMorgan Securities (Thailand) Limited