Enochian Crescent has started to record new MCD last weekend. The band will record six songs. One song will be used on Hammer of Hate compilation, while the rest will be featured on MCD. The still unnamed MCD will be released in spring 2010.
The songs that are planned to be recorded on these studio sessions.
- Lyijysiipi
- Mato Musta Maanalainen
- Golgotha
- Muisto Sorkasta
- Ystävämme Nukkuu
- Black Metal Finland
http://www.enochian-crescent.com
http://www.woodcutrecords.com

Ucapan selamat tersebut saya tujukan khas buat saya. Ya, saya. Bagaimana dengan azam yang dibuat pada tahun sudah? Alhamdulillah, ada yang terlaksana dengan sempurna, ada yang separuh jalan dan ada juga tak terlaksana (oh tidak). Saya baru je semak list azam saya. Saya rasa saya boleh buat lebih baik dari itu. (yes I can. Why not? Thanks Ms Mollie). Jadi azam untuk 1431H ni belum siap lagi. Sibuk ngat. Sibuk ke tak efisen? Jawab sendri ha..sungguh saya sibuk + bermalas-malasan + menjaga Mak kesayangan saya yang tidak berapa sihat (Ya Allah berikan kesihatan yang baik untuk ibu bapaku). Saya baru sahaja selesai mengikuti short course iaitu Flash CS4 diikuti dua hari kelas untuk softskills. Saya tak pernah belajar Flash. Alhamdulillah, result ok. Orang tua belajar mende-mende gini. Di hujung-hujung kelas, Mak saya masuk wad di SALAM. Darah tinggi. Mak saya takde darah tinggi. Bacaan sistolik tinggi, tensen la tu. Tensen ke makhluk tu. Kesian Mak. Mak punya jaga makan. Dah nak kena ujian Tuhan. Ayah pun ada darah tinggi tapi dari masa muda, Ayah selamba je. Risau bangat aku. Alhamdulillah semua ok. Skang ni Mak tengah memantangkan Ayah. Payah tul nak pantangkan Ayah ni, Mak cakap. Semua Mak kena cakap dan pesan. Kalau tak Ayah belasah je heheh. Itu pun Mak tak makan kambing. Doktor cakap faktor genetik. Wan aku tu takde darah tinggi, tetibe je strok belah kiri. Kolestrol tinggi agaknya. Ha, jangan makan organ dalaman. Maklumlah, deme-deme ni nege sate. Sambil-sambil cucuk sate tu, ratah sikit hati ke pedal ke. Kulit duk tengah sate (klu tadek kulit tengah sate, tak sedap). Tapi klu selain dari sate, kitorang memang tak makan kulit pun. Aku pun kena hati-hati. Rasa macam tak makan daging sangat tapi aritu, McD wat offer gelas Coca-Cola, peh makan sampai rasa muak. Aku beli nak wat collection. Bukan apa, Ayah cakap, masa Mak mengandungkan aku, Mak nak minum Coke, tapi nak Coke dari Kuala Lumpur, tanak Coke Kuantan. Ada beza rasa kot. Tu yang aku beli tuh. Tujuh warna x 2. pat belas. Mau tak muntah. Plus angah ada beli dalam 3-4 biji.

Jadi saya bercadang malam ni (ececeh) nak buat azam baru tu. Masa pergi ke bengkel assessment, ada 1 cadangan yang best dan ianya baru bagi saya. START, STOP, CONTINUE. Apa yang patut dimulakan. Apa yang patut diberhentikan dan apa yang patut diteruskan. Simple kan? Saya suka dan sangat suka. Nanti kalau rajin saya publish kat sini apa azam saya dan yang bersifat peribadi, saya simpan sendiri heheh.

Introduction

DOW dividend investment strategy may be attractive to the fact that carry it out do not give a lot of time and the results can be startling. At least historically, the strategy returns about twice the annual average market rates. The strategy is based on the same world-known Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) index. It consists of 29 large, multi-sector companies. Therefore, for a beginner investor, these stocks may be a good starting point for individual investments. Using this strategy, you will learn useful things needed for further investment in your business.

Initially, we create a list of all the shares with the price and dividend yield (div yield – the annual dividend divided by share price. Expressed as a percentage).

The shares sorted by div/yield. All information about Dow Jones stocks, prices and div/yields you can find here:

http://finance.yahoo.com/

For example:

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=vz

There are three main strategies of variation.

The first is called “Dogs of the Dow“

The portfolio #1 created in September 29, 2009.

This means, we take 10 shares with the best yields:

1. Verizon Communications Inc.- VZ
2. AT&T Inc. – T
3. E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company  - DD
4. Merck & Co., Inc. – MRK
5. Pfizer Inc. – PFE
6. McDonald’s Corporation – MCD
7. Chevron Corporation – CVX
8. The Home Depot, Inc. – HD
9. Caterpillar Inc. – CAT
10. Johnson & Johnson – JNJ

There is our portfolio #1. Hold it about a one year or new div/yield of companies will be clear. If someone from the shares held outside the new top 10, then they are sold and replaced by new shares. The method is really very simple, does not require much work.

All dividends reinvested.

Performance since the beginning of the portfolio:

Dogs of the Dow – 7.42%;

Dow Jones – 5.81%;

S&P500 – 3.34%.

Brand measurement is a popular exercise. Several major business magazines run brand value lists. The annual Brand Z and Interbrand lists always get heavy press coverage. Companies are concerned about their rankings and what they will brag to customers, investors, and consumers about how the world sees their products and services. The Tiger Woods fiasco brought up the issue of how much a brand’s value can be undermined by a rapid and negative change in the fortunes of an important endorser.

Most brand valuation analysis focuses on dollar value, sales and earnings momentum, and how much an individual brand helps a company’s market capitalization. 24/7 Wall St. looked at several major systems to determine brand value and the brand lists based on them. We then looked at the future earnings forecasts for those companies and the recent movement in their stock prices to decide which brands should have the most appreciation in their values in 2010. 24/7 used brand valuations from Brand Z and Interbrand to set 2009 values and then made its own adjustments based on anticipated 2010 improvement. Each brand on the 24/7 list is expected to have an increase in value of least 20% next year.This list is restricted to brands based in the US.
1. Amazon (NYSE:AMZN) has increased its dominance among e-commerce companies, and holiday figures show that traffic to its website is running well ahead of the No.2 shopping destination, Walmart.com. Amazon should sell about two million of its Kindle e-readers this year and there is no competitor that is likely to blunt the increasing sales of the Kindle or the e-books and e-magazines that Amazon sells. Amazon’s share price is up 150% over the last year compared to the NASDAQ, which is up 40%. The stock has continued to outperform the market over the last three months as well. Brand value: $25 billion.
2. BlackBerry, the smart phone made by RIM (NASDAQ:RIMM), maintains its dominance over all of its competitors, and its recent earnings show that its profitability is still increasing and its subscriber base is rising quickly. RIM’s market cap is $40 billion, which as a multiple of sales is extraordinary. The Blackberry may not be competition-proof, but Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and the Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android do not seem to be taking away its momentum. Brand value: $35 billion.
3. Nike (NYSE:NKE) shows no signs of losing its spot as the world’s premier sportswear company. Its earnings were especially strong in the last quarter. Worldwide future orders are up 4% to $7 billion for the period from December 2009 to April 2010. Brand value: $20 billion.
4. Goldman Sachs’ (NYSE:GS) brand dropped rapidly during the credit crisis and some brand analysis companies pushed down their valuations of the firm by as much as 40%. Last quarter, Goldman posted record earnings and most of its investment banking businesses are doing better than they were before the federal government had to step in and support the financial industry. Congress and some taxpayers are unhappy with Goldman’s compensation practices, but Wall St. has always paid winners well. Brand value: $13 billion.
5. Oracle’s (NASDAQ:ORCL) dominance in the enterprise software industry is growing despite competition from Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), SAP (NYSE:SAP), and Salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM). Oracle’s profits were up 13% in the last quarter even in a market where IT spending is slow. License revenue and support sales are up 14%. Oracle has strengthened its business in the server software industry substantially by buying Sun. Brand value: $26 billion.
6. JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM) is another example of a financial services company that had its brand valuation battered during the credit crisis. It is viewed by investors and customers alike as the most successful money center bank. Its CEO Jamie Dimon is considered the strongest senior manager in the industry. JPMorgan’s stock has outperformed its peers Citigroup (NYSE:C), Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC), Bank of America (NYSE:BAC). The company paid back its TARP funds earlier than the other banks. Dimon is conservative in his guidance, but the company results show that future earnings should be impressive.  Brand value: $15 billion.
7. Google share price has risen as it has become clear to investors that the company’s earnings were only slightly dented by the recession and the performance of its core text advertising business is recovering very rapidly, which should improve earnings sharply. Several Wall St. firms have raised their earnings estimates for the company and its stock price has more than doubled from its 52-week low. Google’s move into the mobile operating system business with its Android open-source product is making the company one of the most important providers of software for smartphones and that should extend its search dominance from the PC to the mobile environment. Brand value: $140 billion.
8. Ford (NYSE:F) was pushed off most top 100 brand value lists along with GM as US sales of domestic cars dropped more than a third in 2009 and the market share of American cars kept dropping in their own country. US brands were replaced on brand list by nameplates including Nissan, Porsche, and Honda (NYSE:HMC). Ford is the only American vehicle manufacturer that can claim it has engineered a complete turnaround. It is likely to make money in its home market next year. Its line-up of new fuel-efficient cars has gotten strong reviews from industry experts and is selling well. Ford’s stock is up almost seven times from its 52-week low. Brand value: $28 billion.
9. Avon’s (NYSE:AVP) sales were up for the first through the third quarters of 2009. The same was true with operating income. Avon’s stock price has more than doubled off lows. Despite a poor economy, Avon’s revenue was essentially flat in the last quarter at $2.6 billion. Analysts estimate revenue will rise 10% next year to $11.4 billion. EPS should rise from $1.72 to $2.22. Brand value: $14 billion.
10. McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) is extending its dominance in the world’s fast food business. Same-store sales have been modestly increasing, but that they have impressively risen every month during the recession. Revenue is Europe and Asia are rising quickly, and the company is making inroads in China. McDonald’s is adding close to 200 stores a year in the world most populous market. The company has been aggressively buying back stock and increasing returns to shareholders. Earnings per share are expected to rise from $3.96 in 2009 to $4.14 next year.  Brand value: $75 billion.

Douglas A. McIntyre

It’s down to the wire and your long-lost brother announces that he’s coming for a visit. Or you’re checking your list for the last time and you realize that you completely forgot your mother-in-law in Dallas. Or you get a windfall the week before Christmas and want to spend it on presents you didn’t think you could afford. It’s too late to mail a gift and too tacky to send flowers….so now what?

A couple of years ago, I was faced with that exact dilemma on my mother-in-law’s birthday. Completely slipped my mind. The day before, I went online and found a local spa and bought her a day of indulgence…massage, facial, mani-pedi, haircut. Sinful. She loved it…and the spa even delivered an invitation card outlining the gift.

One Christmas when Mom-in-law was visiting, we got a bonus at the last minute and decided to up the ante on her gift. She was in town for a week and a quick search revealed that Tom Jones was playing at a nearby venue. Buying tickets to his show was a stroke of pure genius. He may seem passe to young folks, but to her generation, he’s the bee’s knees. Seriously, my mother-in-law adores me.

The moral of the story is that if you’ve got a few days, one way to go is to order online from a local source. Some flower shops go beyond flowers and will deliver gift baskets, small presents, live plants, or sweet treats. It’s still a tiny bit impersonal, but it shows effort. One of my favorite party-themed gifts is Fruitflowers.com. Who could resist a beautiful display of fruit (even including chocolate dipped if you like) arranged in a flower-like bouquet? Certainly not me.

Another way to go is ticketmaster.com. Find local concerts, sporting events, theater, ballet, even ice-capades. A quick search of post-Christmas Atlanta dates turns up a wide variety of events to please almost anyone, and you can make it happen on Christmas morning if you really mess up. Here are some examples from the Atlanta area:
The Nutcracker Ballet at Fox Theater -Tickets range from $30 – $102
Atlanta Falcons vs. Buffalo Bills at the Georgia Dome – Tickets range from $80 – $170
Jeff Dunham at the Phillips Arena – Tickets are $50.50
Lady Gaga at the Fox Theater – Tickets range from $48 – $89
Kingsized Elvis Birthday Bash at the Variety Playhouse – Tickets are $25
U.S. Hot Rod Monster Jam at the Georgia Dome – Tickets range from $10 – $35

You get the idea – something to fit any taste with a wide range of pricing. The bonus is that you get to print out the ticket, pop it into a nice card and your loved one will never have to know that you nearly forgot about them! It’ll be our little secret.

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) will offer free Wi-Fi at almost all of its U.S. restaurants starting early next year. Until now, the fast food chain has been charging $2.95 for two hours of service. McDonald’s U.S.A. Chief Information Officer, David Grooms, told The Wall Street Journal that the service will operate in 11,000 of the firm’s 14,000 American outlets.

The benefits of the program are simple; McDonald’s hopes people will linger at its stores and buy more food and coffee. This probably increases its competition with Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX), where many people go to work using the Wi-Fi connections.

Read more….

Reuters:   Galleon’s Raj Rajaratnam was indicted for securities fraud.

Reuters:   Concerns about interest rates hurt the markets.

Reuters:   Inconix broke off buyout talks with Playboy (NYSE:PLA).

Reuters:   Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) settled a US probe.

Reuters:   US shopping activity fell behind last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

Reuters:   GE (NYSE:GE) sees flat earnings next year and will invest in its core industrial businesses.

WSJ:   Debt fears about Greece pushed down European markets.

WSJ:   Boeing’s (NYSE:BA) Dreamliner flew but the plane may still have trouble passes government tests.

WSJ:   Abu Dhabi wants Citigroup (NYSE:C) to tear up a deal that would cost the kingdom money from investing in the bank.

WSJ:   GM says it will pay its US loans by June.

WSJ:   China Pacific Insurance raised $3 billion.

WSJ:   Deflation hit sellers of consumer electronics.

WSJ:   AT&T (NYSE:T) is working on adding wireless capacity to e-readers and toys.

WSJ:   Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) is rolling out a Web-TV service.

WSJ:   McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) will offer free WiFi.

WSJ:   Wholesale prices rose.

WSJ:   The government has to decide by year-end whether it will increase its bailout of Fannie Mae (NYSE:FNM) and Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE).

WSJ:   Potency issues force a recall of hundreds of thousands of H1N1 vaccines.

WSJ:   Multi-family home construction is still slow.

WSJ:   Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) said it will not sell assets to pay the government.

WSJ:   Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) results may show that retail earnings may be weak.

NYT:   Some observers believe that Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) has put quick profits above all else.

NYT:   SAC is being linked to stories about troubling actions at the hedge fund.

NYT:   The IRS says Citigroup (NYSE:C) can keep a $38 billion tax credit involved with an ownership change.

NYT:   Digital Sky Technologies, a Russian firm, is putting $180 million into Zygna, a creator of online games.

NYT:   Charges were dismissed against a former head of Broadcom (NASDAQ:BRCM)

FT:   The amount of distressed debt in the US is falling.

Bloomberg:   Gold buying by central banks is sending a “sell” signal.

Bloomberg:   Greece sold 5 billion euro in bonds due in 2015 to five banks.

Douglas A. McIntyre

Sebenernya nech aku gak terlalu suka makanan fastfood. Tapi berhubung perut lagi laper berat, dan butuh diisi dgn cepat, jadilah aku pesen Mcd. Menu yang paling (mendingan) aku suka tuh triple cheese burgernya, enak tenan….

Untuk menu lain sih standar lah…cuma aku kurang suka saosnya dicampur gitu, maksudnya saos tomat n sambelnya dicampur. Padahal kan gak semua org seleranya suka dicampur gtu yach. Phalag McD kan lumayan mahal, harusnya mereka kasi pelayanan yg terbaik dunk. Dah gtu mereka gak nyediain merica juga (gk kyk KFC)

Tapi gapapa dech, daripada gk ada, dan gerai McD emang paling dket dari kosku, pilihan akhirnya jatuh ke McD.

Sambil menunggu McD dateng, yuk ngeblog.hahaha jd hobi baru neh.

Oya buat temen-temen yang belum tau cara pesen McD lewat web, ini URL-nya http://www.mcdelivery24hrs.com/

When I hit the defrost button in the refridgerator at 3 in the morning, I didn’t expect it to flood the entire kitchen by the time Nadine was wide awake. It gave her a good excuse to clean out the fridge, no doubt but up till now (which is already 7.20pm) it is still defrosting and still flooding the floor. Oh well…

Speaking of everything moist and watery, Dexter finally had his bath today. The fella becoming more obedient by the day. I didn’t realize that the leash was not hooked onto anywhere, meaning he could be free to run around while I was splashing water on him. He didn’t even move! Instead he stood still while I washed and scrubbed him. So kwai la him.

Last night was pretty good. It is Abdul’s birthday today (HAPPY BIRTHDAY QUARTER CENTURY SULLY!) and last night, since Gan wouldn’t be here when Abdul’s exams finish, we decided we would surprise him in his house. The surprise wasn’t really a surprise. This was what happened before last night.

Gan went “eh lets do something la. I missed that guy’s birthday like god knows how many times already. Lets go to his house on the eve, close to midnight, give him a cake, wish him happy birthday, then cabut la. Can?”

Well, there was nothing really to say no to, so naturally it was a yes. He was in charge of people management and I was in charge of logistics and everything else excluding the people involved. Thinking that Abdul will not say no to me, the genius asked ME to tell Abdul to stay in his house from 11 onwards. When I messaged Abdul, he was begging and pleading us not to come over to his house that day because he has to study. Now, here lies the confusion, I didn’t even ask him to step out of Bangsar. Worse, it is going to be right outside HIS OWN gate! *faints*

So anyways, throughout the whole week, Gan was doing all the calling and messaging and what not and Jun Ming, the dearest boy, had to be the one who had to tell Abdul of the surprise (again!). *rotfl* Not his fault, really, he is just preprogrammed to do that. =D Abdul mentioned that a surprise will only happen if we surprise Jun Ming as well, which I can’t help but find it true (kekekkkekekek, joking la Jun Ming!).

But anyway, there were 11 of us who stood outside his house and shouted the Happy Birthday song while Sue kindly held the cake. =) There was Gan and his darling girlfriend, Wei Theng; there was Sue and Sumita, Chan and Jun Ming, Raymond and Wazir, Sanjeev and Kim and yours truly. Thanks guys! I think Abdul is still feeling the pain caused by Chan smashing the cake unto his nose.

We left at about 2.30 and I was freaking sleepy on the road. I think I am too old for the life of the young and fiesty. Sigh. =D

The McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Dollar Meal has found a new home in the morning. A number of press reports quote the fast food chain management as saying that it will offer $1 breakfast meals beginning early in 2010.

McDonald’s most recent domestic sales figures show that its same-store sales have stopped growing. The new $1 AM menu is probably meant to offset that. The recession may be over, but unemployment and the downturn in consumer spending are not.

McDonald’s low-priced morning meal will include the Sausage McMuffin, a sausage burrito, a sausage biscuit, a small coffee and a hash brown.

McDonald’s is probably looking at the competitive landscape as it makes the move. Burger King, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, and other large national fast food chains have cut the prices on many of their offerings. McDonald’s is likely to be concerned about its market share and has the balance sheet to weather what could become a fast food price war.

McDonald’s does not want to have to confront a Wall St. backlash due to falling sales. The firm’s stock trades at over $61 which is close to an all-time high. The financial world has applauded McDonald’s for turning around its business over the last five years and using the yield from that turnaround to increase dividends and stock buy-backs that have returned billions of dollars to shareholders.

The $1 breakfast is for customers and investors alike.

Douglas A. McIntyre

In anticipation of Harry Love’s return to Cover Up tonight, I’m posting some UK Hip Hop gems for your listening pleasure, starting by a little something my mate Benboe has just brought to my attention. Biggest bigups to him.

Absolutely classic, yeah MCD might be a little out of the flow at times, but Black Twang makes me smile all the way through, and as for Skinnyman… SHIT! What happened to him? He needs to stop spending his entire life loafing in the road outside hip hop gigs trying to chirps and get in the studio. He could still be the greatest, but you’d never know nowadays.

Straight out of Fulham, it’s Mystro, a funny man with a great flow, we need more rappers like this, and luckily there are two more on this Louis Slipperz joint. Braintax and Jehst and the mighty Mys-diggy – a mighty triumvirate:

Moving on… one of my all time favourite tunes of all time mate:

If you hear a good beat that was made in the UK in the last decade or so, chances are it was fashioned by West London’s finest purveyor of jazzy niceness, master of cuts and fades, the slick fingered beat juggler, our very own Mr Harry Love:

And lest you forget, Funky DL is still holding it down:

That’s all, see you at Cover Up. Mail me for cheap guest list.

To generate additional revenue to provide “improved quality of civic services”, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has proposed introduction of a new professional tax apart from recommending a 5 per cent increase in existing property tax rates as part of its budget proposals for the year 2010-11.The proposals were presented as part of the budget speech delivered by Municipal Commissioner K. S. Mehra on Wednesday (Dec 09, 2009).

According to the proposal for introducing professional tax, a person earning over Rs.30,000 per month might have to pay Rs.100-200 per month towards the new tax. These persons would include professionals from all walks of life including traders, engineers, lawyers and government officials.The Municipal Commissioner also proposed a 5 per cent increase in property tax in all categories and imposition of 20 per cent commercial tax on rented non-residential properties and high-end non-residential properties like three and above star hotels, malls, air-conditioned gymnasiums and clubs having swimming pools.

According to the Municipal Commissioner, the civic body earned Rs.542 crore in net property tax till November 16 this year which is Rs.85 crore more than the same period last year.To increase revenue, the MCD has proposed allowing of advertisement display in kiosks, radio, taxis, buses and rickshaws. It is also planning to develop several vacant plots or unused buildings for commercial use.He noted that the transfer duty earnings had declined owing to the economic meltdown. The target of property tax for the coming year has been pegged at Rs.1,400 crore.

Refer

The Hindu

Conrats to Melissa Clemente for the dropping of her Spring 2010 collection EPOCH. Inspired. Gorgeous. And Santa Guerrilla was lookin’ hot that night too, featuring Robin Lacambra on lead vocals for the first time. Killing that kulingtang. Bet you never thought Filipino everything could be so hot?!

„It sounds like love (but it looks like sex)“ – Einen besseren Titel hätten sich ZEROMANCER für ihre nächste Auskopplung aus dem Hit-Album „Sinners International“ nicht ausdenken können.
Ja, es klingt wie Liebe: Ihr Gefühl für einschmeichelnde Hooklines, die leicht melancholisch-poppigen Grundlinien… aber es ist am Ende nur eines: Purer Sex! Pure Erotik! Pure Energie! Coole, kraftstrotzende, straighte Rocksongs, die treibend nach vorne gehen und mit fetten Gitarrenriffs, druckvollen Beats, ohrwurmgarantierten Melodien, das Blut zum Kochen, die Herzen zum Schlagen und die Hormone zum Durchknallen bringen.

Lange war guter Rock nicht mehr so emotionsgeladen, so leidenschaftlich, so erotisch wie ZEROMANCER, die spielend einen düsteren, energetischen Hit nach dem Anderen abliefern. Neben dem Titeltrack in verschiedenen Remixen, enthält die EP endlich die lang erwartete DEPECHE MODE Coverversion „Photographic“, die einer der größten Live-Hits von ZEROMANCER ist, und die Kooperation mit PIGFACE „Mercenary“.

ZEROMANCER sind mit ihrer markanten Mischung aus Gothic Rock mit Electroelementen immer noch Sex & Rock’n’Roll in seiner besten Form! Ein strahlendes, verführerisches Licht, das sich kraftvoll aus dem Einheitsbrei der Musiklandschaft erhebt und Rockmusik wieder zu dem macht, was sie einmal war. Leidenschaftlich, laut, rebellisch und wild, ohne dabei auf die ganz großen Gefühle zu verzichten.

Bandmember:
Alex Møklebust: vocals
Kim Ljung: bass, vocals
Dan Heide: guitar
Noralf Ronthi: drums
Lorry Kristiansen: keyboards

Release-Date:
30.10. 2009

Musikrichtung:
Industrial / Rock / Electro

Gründungsjahr:
2000

Tracklist:
1 It Sounds Like Love (But It Looks Like Sex)
2 Mercenary
3 Photographic
4 Sinners International (Snifferdog remix)
5 It Sounds Like Love (But It Looks Like Sex) (Red 7 remix)

Diskography:

Studio Albums
2000: Clone Your Lover
2001: Eurotrash
2003: Zzyzx
2009: Sinners International

Singles
2000: Clone Your Lover
2001: Doctor Online
2001: Need You Like A Drug
2003: Famous Last Words
2007: Doppelgänger I Love You
2007: I’m Yours To Lose

Music Videos
2000: Clone Your Lover
2001: Doctor Online
2003: Erotic Saints
2007: Doppelgänger I Love You

Order:

www.poponaut.de

zeromancer @ Myspace:

www.myspace.com/zeromancerzentral

Label:

www.trisol.de

I began writing a blip last night about how the market *could* rebound higher if USD/CAD worked its way through the shares at support and broke its triangle to the downside, thus giving crude a huge boost.  Unfortunately however life intervened as my daughter called suffering from a kidney stone [Mom to the rescue!] so my post sat until I returned in the wee hours of the morning.  Now as the sun rises all bets are off as McDonald’s [MCD] missed almost every estimate possible in their earnings release; then followed by a 3M [MMM] guidance miss and you had immediate shock by investors and causing a new round of risk aversion.  Good thing Bernanke says they recession is over, huh?  Chump.   The USD jumped, and I mean jumped big time as investors sought a safer haven in lower-yielding currencies.  I mean MCD has weathered this entire recession as the champion its known to be so a miss was bound to slap many investors into reality.  Then to make  matters worse, you turn on your TV and see Meredith “The Annihilator” Whitney as guest host on CNBC and you just know it’s going to be a red day. 

ES futures broke down out of its rising wedge and the USD [via DXY] jumped up to $62.11 resistance.  Once the normal trading session opens I expect ES_F to [at some point] rise up and backtest that breakdown resistance [yes, I'll be shorting it further there].  If it does not hold, watch out below, expect a  correction over the next week……………and blame that damn MCD clown.  We could still see a Santa Claud rally but clowns are creepy anyway and this is just gives one another reason to hate ‘em

McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) same-store sales have been one of the corporate bright spots during the recession. Now that the recovery in underway, the world’s largest fast food chain’s traffic has stagnated.

In October, same-store sales worldwide rose only .7% and in its home market traffic dropped .6%. Europe, which has been the strongest region for McDonald’s posted another monthly gain, up 2.5% but Asia/Africa/  sales fell 1% on a same store basis.

done

Investors are left to ponder whether people are able to go to more upscale restaurants because they have more disposable income or whether McDonald’s numbers are a sign that consumer spending is still weak and perhaps getting weaker.

Douglas A. McIntyre

For more 24/7 Wall St. TV visit us here.

Executive Producer: Philip MacDonald

I’ve scoured the web for great gifts for dad on the cheap with real pizzazz! If you only have a little to spend, get something he’ll really love. Here’s a list of gifts that really make a statement – without draining your wallet.

1. 6-in-1 LED Multi-Tool $12.95
This übercool mini toolset is on sale from Brookstone for an amazing price. A pocket knife, pliers, mini saw, flat screwdriver, phillips screwdriver, bottle opener and a super-bright LED flashlight all fold into a compact design that will fit in a pocket and come in endlessly handy.



2.  Eddie Bauer Down Ice Scraper Mitt $14.95

I know you feel sorry for dad on those freezing mornings when he has to go out and scrape ice off his windshield before going to work…maybe not sorry enough to get up early and go do it for him, but still. Ease those feelings of guilt with this toasty down-filled mitten with attached ice scraper from Eddie Bauer.

3.  Carnivorous desktop plant set $19.99

4. Shutterfly PhotoShow DVD $19.99

For a very personal and sentimental gift your dad will treasure, put pictures of special moments together on a DVD. If you’re not expert enough to do it on your own, Shutterfly.com offers an easy-to-use online service that allows you to add up to 400 pictures with music, borders, backgrounds and transitions.

5.  Superman seat covers $19.99 from AutoZone

Tell dad how you really feel with these Superman Plasticolor seatcovers designed for universal fit, which means they’ll fit most single seats. Seat covers protect the value of his interior – and make a personal statement at the same time. These are in sedate gray and black, suitable for even the most corporate kinda guy.

6.  Team Grill Cover $24.99

Dads, sports, grills…they all just go together. Guys who love to grill will love displaying their team colors on this waterproof grill cover.

7.  Team Floor Mats $23.99 and up

These team floor mats are one of my favorite choices because we always seem to need new ones. They may be inexpensive, but they certainly aren’t cheap.

8.  Craftsman Programmable Digital Tire Gauge $24.99

Sears offers this excellent tire gauge handy for any guy with a car. The large number readout lights up in the dark, and the pressure release switch allows you to really fine tune the pressure. With gas prices up and money getting tight, dad might really appreciate something that will save him money in the long run.

9.  NFL® Golf Headcovers $24.95

Golf club covers in his favorite team logos will be a big hit for the golfing sports fan. Most NFL teams are available embroidered with team name and logo and accentuated with accent piping for an expensive look. Unfortunately, the price is per cover, so if your budget is small, don’t plan to cover all his clubs.

10.  Skins $29.99

Choose from thousands of designs or upload your own pictures or custom graphics to skin almost any kind of electronic device. Personalize his laptop, cell phone, PDA or other device with a favorite picture, a team logo, the colors of his alma mater or anything else you think he’ll like.

11.  Waterproof Sport Binoculars from Eddie Bauer for just $29.50 are a great gift for any outdoor dad. Sports fans, boaters, hikers, bikers…even bird watchers will love the compact design and individual eye focus for a clear, crisp view.

12.  Star Wars Sculpted USB Drives $29.99 +

For the dad obsessed with Star Wars and at least passingly familiar with computers, Tymemachines.com offers flash drive that can’t be beat. Pick from Darth Vader, Yoda, Boba Fet or a storm trooper and stay under $50 with 4 – 8 gig memory ($59 for 16 gigs).

Reuters:   The GM board pushed out CEO Henderson.

Reuters:   Bernanke will defend the Fed’s record and his before Congress.

Reuters:   China will let foreigners set up limited partnerships.

Reuters:   Manufacturing is growing again but the recovery is fragile.

Reuters:   The Fed’s Plosser said the agency must be ready to raise rates again.

Reuters:   The COO of McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) will retire.

Reuters:   Credit cards offers are improving for very select customers.

WSJ:   The SEC is picking up the pace of insider trading probes.

WSJ:   Barrick Gold is cutting programs to hedge against falling gold prices.

WSJ:   Two candidates for the CEO job at Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) said the bank should be broken up.

WSJ:   Northrup Grumman (NYSE:NOC) may not bid on a huge Air Force tanker project.

WSJ:   The FCC wants to reallocate more spectrum to wireless carriers.

WSJ:   The Fed has renewed worries about housing and credit bubbles.

WSJ:   The FHA is trying to find ways to increase reserves.

WSJ:   Ford’s Fiesta is in the process of becoming a global car.

WSJ:   A new Airbus transport is making progress toward manufacturing.

WSJ:   A meeting at the FTC caused more debate about charging for online news.

WSJ:   Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) will let some publishers limit the number of articles that appear on the search engine.

WSJ:   AIG (NYSE:AIG) cut a deal to lower its debt.

NYT:   Retailers appear to have done better in November than they did last year.

NYT:   Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) is moving aggressively into the business of treating rare diseases.

NYT:   The New York Fed took ownership piece of two AIG insurance companies.

NYT:   The EPA will raise to 15% the amount of ethanol that can be in fuel blends.

NYT:   Pending home sales were higher based on access to credit for buyers.

FT:   The UN halted funding for Chinese wind farms.

FT:   Gold moved above $1,200.

FT:   GE (NYSE:GE) will not make cash payments to Vivendi for its NBCU stake until next year.

FT:   Fears are growing over overheated debt markets.

FT:   Murdoch of News Corp (NYSE:NWS) attacked news aggregators again.

FT:   Bernanke faces a tough Congressional hearing.

Bloomberg:   Europe’s biggest banks are getting bigger raising concerns about the effects of another credit crisis.

Douglas A. McIntyre

The Russian fastfood chain market is still considerated underpenetrated. McDonald’s (over 40 new outlets this year),  and Subway (> 900 new outlets by 2015) are progressing their expansion in Russia, while Burger King is opening its first outlet in Moscow this year.

The most interesting part is that MacDonald’s is very fond of its McDrive service, which apparently accounts for a huge chunck of its revenue in Russia. Taking the example of Kazan on this map, McDrives are even being opened in the very city centre (as opposed to the one/two floor counter service in most European cities).

Beware of santas bearing bad news.

If you aren’t one of the 3% of shoppers who are actually done with the Christmas shopaganza, welcome to the club. My friend, you need a strategy. Timing is everything, and what you’re in the market for should determine where you go. Here are some things to consider when drawing up the Black Friday shopping game plan.

Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) wants to follow Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT), McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD), Dell (NADSAQ:DELL) and hundreds of other large American companies into China. It is the promised land for consumer spending. The middle class in the world’s most populous nation is growing at an extraordinary rate, even with a modest slowdown in its rapidly rising GDP.

Wang Jinlong, the head of the coffee company on the mainland told Reuters, “It’s absolutely very, very important. This has really become our second home market.” Based on the leveling off of Starbucks business in America, the strategy may be obvious.

Howard Schultz, the CEO of the company, has said he foresees the day that his company will have thousands of stores in China. The comment is not unlike one made by his predecessor when he said the coffee company would eventually have 40,000 locations around the world. Starbucks never got close, and now it has closed some stores in America.

No one knows whether the Chinese are intersted in expensive coffee. Starbucks will find that out as it goes along opening store after store until it is clear that latte sells in the communist country or it does not. It is usually dangerous to brag about success before the fact. Schultz, Starbuck’s founder, should have learned that the last time the company trumpeted it coming success.

Douglas A. McIntyre

MCD, the leading Irish music promotions company, has centralised its entire array of corporate and event websites onto the LetsHost hosting platform.  The array of websites, which includes corporate MCD and the Dublin venue Academy website as well as festival websites such as Oxygen and Bulmers Comedy Festival, were migrated in Month to a single server platform with LetsHost away from multiple vendors and different physical locations. 

Shonagh Hurley, website production manager with MCD, welcomes the new service offered by LetsHost.  “Our collection of websites had grown over time and were hosted with many different providers.  We needed to centralise these websites onto a single server for security and ease of management.  We sought recommendations from peer companies and LetsHost was at the top of the bill.”

LetsHost assessed MCD’s requirements and opted for a scalable dedicated server solution with significant resources to service MCD’s flagship site. The solution had emphasis on speed, high availability and continuous backup of data.

Hurley reviewed the LetsHost solution and was happy to proceed based on a number of positives including the user interface offered by LetsHost, the fact LetsHost is an Irish company and the high standards offered by the company.  Competitive rates were also a further compelling reason to choose the LetsHost service according to Hurley.

Once the migration was complete, Hurley has supervised the ongoing service.  Again LetsHost has offered more than might be expected.  “When our Oxygen site went live earlier in the year, the huge traffic jump caused performance issues.  Luckily for us LetsHost was able to install new software to speed up the sites and as a result our customers were able to access the information they needed and quickly,” she says.

“Every time we have called or emailed them, they answer very quickly, even if our emails are sent in the middle of the night,” says Hurley.  “Our customers access our sites 24×7 and so we need a partner that works along similar lines.  The LetsHost team has proven to be very flexible and responsive to all our demands.”

Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) is the latest large American company to announce it would buyback many more of its shares. This has become popular once again among the cash rich in the Fortune 500. McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) and IBM (NYSE:IBM) have become particularly aggressive.

The arguments against share buybacks are old and hardly worth repeating except for the fact that as a rising number of companies adopt the practice returning to the case the these harm shareholders keeps the debate fresh.

HP had revenue of $30.8 billion for the period ending October 31. That is a drop of 8%. Earnings rose 14% to $2.4 billion. HP’s chief Mark Hurd has been particularly brutal cutting costs, making him the Jack Welch of the current decade.

HP’s forecast for its current fiscal was unusually strong. The firm estimates fiscal year 2010 revenue to be about $118.0 billion to $119.0 billion. HP is blessed to have more than $13 billion in cash and that number grows each quarter. HP will make use of some of that money to triple its old share buyback program to $12 billion.

The “pro” argument for buying back shares is that the fewer the shares, the higher the EPS. No one who is a sophisticated investor is fooled much by this. Profits are profits no matter how many shares are outstanding. HP is not giving any money to shareholders by sharply increasing its $.32 dividend which is only a measly .6% yield. HP could help the people and institutions that own shares by moving that payout up sharply or issuing a one-time dividend.

The buyback also says, to some extent, that HP does not need its cash for M&A purposes. That is too bad. The company has bought other tech operations. If it buys back too much cash, the next purchase will be with debt or shares. A debt-based M&A purchase negates the reason for keeping cash on the balance sheet. A stock-based acquisition offsets a share buyback with new dilution.

More and more tech firms are becoming remarkable cash rich. Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) may be the most visible example. It is not buying back shares, buying companies, or paying a dividend. HP call always point to Apple and claim that it at least is doing something with its cash. Even so, it is an inadequate excuse.

Douglas A. McIntyre