painting, stake 2009-no.01, 16″x20″ acrylic on canvas, by alyse radenovic,  at http://www.aelisheva.com

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) –

October 9, 2009

Canadian auto parts maker Magna and its Russian partner, state-owned lender Sberbank, struck a preliminary deal last month to buy a 55-per cent stake in Opel from US parent company General Motors.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government, keen to safeguard the jobs of Opel’ …

Source: Doubts grow over Opel deal: report

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Balance inicial

Como ya comenté en la presentación del blog, mi intención era la de dividir ésta “aventura” en varios objetivos, los cuáles iría explicando a medida que hubiese cumplido el anterior. El objetivo inicial de duplicar un bankroll de 200€ ya está cumplido, pues en el último pronóstico se ha conseguido la cantidad de 403,56€. Todo éste beneficio sucede también al haber definido anteriormente un stake; en mi caso un stake 10 correspondía a un 20% del bankroll acumulado.

Así pues, voy a hacer un pequeño balance de la 1ª etapa:

- Pronósticos publicados: 14

• Apuestas simples: 12
• Apuestas combinadas: 2

- Pronósticos acertados: 11

• Apuestas simples: 11
• Apuestas combinadas: 0

- Pronósticos fallados: 3

• Apuestas simples: 1
• Apuestas combinadas: 2

- G-P total: +203,56€

- Yield: 61,02%

En resumen, que en 14 pronósticos realizados se ha obtenido un beneficio de un 61,02% acorde con la cantidad total invertida en los pronósticos, que ha sido de 333,60€. Óbviamente es un yield muy elevado, ya que los 3 pronósticos fallados han sido con un stake bastante bajo. No es normal que haya un yield tan elevado, pero a la que se entre en una racha de pronósticos negativos, éste % de beneficio bajará muy rápidamente, y debería estabilizarse entre un 5% y un 15%, para poder decir con claridad que se está invirtiendo el dinero correctamente; y es que nadie te da hoy en día un beneficio que se sitúe entre un 5% y un 15%.

.

Objetivo

Cualquiera que se dedique al mundo de las apuestas debe tener una buena gestión de bankroll si quiere tener éxito en forma de beneficios. Así como una parte de la gestión consideramos que es la definición de nuestro stake, otra parte importante es definir unos objetivos.

En mi caso el objetivo inicial fue el de doblar un bankroll inicial de 200€. Una vez cumplido el primer objetivo, es cuestión de definir el siguiente. Actualmente, seguir pronosticando con todo el bankroll acumulado tiene el riesgo de poder perderlo todo, por lo que el beneficio real sería de -200€, cosa que no debe pasar si las cosas van bien.

De los 403,56€ que hay actualmente de bank, me quedaré solamente con el beneficio obtenido que es de 203,56€, con el que seguiré la “aventura”. Los otros 200€ restantes, que son los invertidos inicialmente, no los voy a tener en cuenta, por lo que se puede decir que ya se ha recuperado la inversión inicial y que, como mínimo, no habrán números rojos. Con todas éstas premisas, el objetivo que me propongo a partir de ahora es el de volver a doblar el bankroll, ya que vuelvo a estar como al inicio, pero sin tener el riesgo de los 200€ iniciales.

Así pues, el bankroll actual pasa a ser de 203,56€, y definiré el stake de la misma forma que al inicio, es decir:

• Bankroll * 20% = stake 10

Una vez se consiga el objetivo propuesto, haré un balance y definiré un nuevo objetivo.

.
Lionelmessi
.

Check out the Vampire Photo shoot!
Beware it’s a little bloody

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) –

General Motors Co and Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Corp finally signed the much-anticipated deal to sell the brand on Friday, according to a joint statement issued by both companies.

Tengzhong will get an 80 per cent stake in the company, while Hong Kong investor Suolang Duoji, w …

Source: GM sells Hummer brand to Chinese firm

Barbecue Stake
Barbecue Stake

Barbecue Stake Game
Barbecue Stake Game Description : Press Space bar at the right moment to skewer all of the pieces.
How to Play Barbecue Stake Game? Space bar – To interact.

Arsenal director Stan Kroenke buys more shares in the football club, moving nearer the threshold that would trigger a takeover bid…. From BBC News. Full story

This site may contain information about: football team. The blog is also related to: football club.

What is sovereignty and does anyone still have any?

By Ismael AbduSalaam

Apparel licensing company and Rocawear manufacturer Iconix has completed a new deal that gives them a 51% stake in the Ecko clothing brand.

The deal gives Iconix a majority stake in Ecko’s private portfolio, and was finalized for the amount of $63.5 million.

Iconix expects a quick turnaround on their investment, projecting the venture to generate $42-$44 million in revenue by the end of 2010.

If the projection proves accurate, Iconix will post a $26 million share of the proceeds.

Iconix chief executive Neil Cole expects the success to stem largely from Ecko’s diverse brand which currently boasts 12 distinct lines such as Ecko Unlimited (men), Ecko Red (women), Zoo York (skateboarding), and Marc Ecko Scopes (eyewear).

“Ecko already has strong licensing partners and a robust European platform, from which we could leverage the rest of our portfolio,” Cole explained in a statement.

In addition, Cole verified that Ecko founder Marc Ecko will retain his position as the brand’s chief creative officer. Ecko was founded as a small, urban clothing line in 1993.

Over the past 16 years, Marc Ecko has expanded his brand from its initial strong Hip-Hop following to mainstream acceptance and recognition.

The new agreement follows Ecko’s previous marketing and merchandising deal with G-Unit Clothing, which spanned from 2003-2008.

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) – Australian stocks were steady on Monday, with the banking sector turning lower and major miners BHP Billiton (ASX: BHP.ax) and Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO.ax) a touch firmer

The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index .AXJO fell 2.1 points to 4,750.8 at 0236 GMT, off a morning high of 4,786.3.

New Zealand’s benchmark NZX 50 index .NZ50 rose 0.4 percent to 3,177.2.

STOCKS ON THE MOVE

* Shares in asset manager Babcock & Brown Infrastructure BBI.AX fell 13.2 percent or A$0.007 to A$0.046 after the firm said an independent expert declared a proposed deal with Canada’s Brookfield Group BAMa.TOBIP.N was fair and reasonable. [ID:nSYU007366]

0234 GMT

* Casino group Crown Ltd CWN.AX Shares jumped 8.1 percent to A$9.18 after Crown Chairman James Packer increased his stake in the company on Friday by 3 percent to just over 40 percent.

2350 GMT

* Shares in Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX: FMG.ax) , Australia’s third-largest iron ore miner, gained 2.4 percent after the company reported a near-20 percent jump in ore shipped in the September quarter as it looked to secure up to $6 billion in development finance. [ID:nSYD501366]

Source: Australia shares steady; Crown and Fortescue jump

Bienvenida!

Blog de apuestas deportivas que nace con la finalidad de compartir con los usuarios todo lo relacionado con el mundo de las apuestas (pronósticos, actualidad, …).

Hará referencia al deporte por excelencia, el fútbol, y es que, sin lugar a dudas ha sabido y aún sabe despertar pasiones en todas las partes del mundo. Y como no podía ser de otra manera, al hablar de juegos y apuestas, las apuestas de fútbol también lideran el ranking en su tipo. Millones de personas alrededor del mundo realizan apuestas de fútbol, tanto en salas virtuales como en casas de apuestas.

Sumado al fanatismo por éste deporte, en los últimos años, y gracias a la aparición de Internet, las apuestas de fútbol se han potenciado a límites difíciles de creer. Cada día los sitios de apuestas virtuales ven desbordadas sus entradas al momento de ponerse a andar apuestas de fútbol. Ante ésto, nunca está de más una série de consejos para que los resultados sean fiables. Cuestiones que todo apostador debe tener en cuenta y tomar en consideración para cada una de sus apuestas.

Se ha de tener en cuenta la motivación y el ánimo de los equipos. La motivación es un factor muy importante en el rendimiento de un plantel de futbol. Lo que esta en juego (título, clasificación para la Liga de Campeones, descenso, …), o el valor del premio del partido son factores clave en la motivación de un equipo, y debe ser algo a tener muy en cuenta al momento de que se tome la decisión de realizar una apuesta.

Al mismo tiempo se ha de estar al tanto e las últimas novedades de cada equipo: jugadores sancionados, nuevas incorporaciones, jugadores con problema. El historial de enfrentamientos anteriores también ayudará, lo mismo que la realidad en la tabla de cada grupo.

Como ya he comentado, el fútbol tendrá gran importancia a lo largo del blog, aunque también haré referencia a otros deportes como el baloncesto y hockey sobre hielo.

.

Bankroll, stake y objetivo

Todo apostador debe tener presente un objetivo a la hora de empezar a apostar, así como un control de bankroll. Sin ésto, tarde o temprano se entrará en el mundo de la ruina.

Voy a dividir ésta “aventura” en varios objetivos, que iré comentando a lo largo del blog, una vez se haya cumplido el anterior. De momento, el objetivo principal será el de duplicar una inversión de capital inicial de 200€. Para ello, voy a definir mi stake como:

• Bankroll * 20% = stake 10

Lógicamente, cada uno puede definir su stake como mejor le convenga, no es una definicón exacta la que existe para éste término.

Sin más, os ánimo a participar en ésta “aventura” e incluso podéis ir siguiendo y comentando los pronósticos que se vayan planteando.

.

Lionelmessi

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) – An initial negative reaction from the market to GUD’s $289 million bid for rival small appliance marketer, Breville group.

GUD’s offer is valued at $2.20 a share for the 80.6% in Breville it doesn’t own.

It has established a solid beachhead in Breville and looks on the verge of grabbing control.

Perhaps that was why GUD shares closed down 14 cents at $8.48 on Friday.

Breville is dominated by Solomon Lew’s 30.5% combined stake through himself and his listed group, Premier Investments.

But GUD, which holds 19.4% picked up in May from New York hedge fund Harbinger (which has a stake in Fortescue Metals and Murchison Metals), also has commitments from other holders of 28% of Breville.

They are institutions and have indicated they will accept GUD’s offer of one of its shares for every four Breville.

Breville shares, which have been in the doldrums, naturally jumped on Friday, finishing up 39% at $2.09, indicating the punters see the deal as almost done.

With the 19.4% it holds and the 28% committed, GUD has just over 47%: its minimum acceptance condition is 50.1%, so Mr Lew’s big stake is irrelevant unless he pulls out a much bigger cash offer.

He won’t want to make a paper offer as that would dilute his 45% stake in Premier, not unless he can come up with a form of paper that would convince the institutions to accept it rather than the GUD shares. 

Including Breville’s net debt of $33 million, GUD says it’s offering one share for every four Breville shares and values Breville at $322 million on an enterprise basis.

GUD said in a statement that it is  an “attractive premium” of 206% to the Breville closing price of 72 cents on May 28, this year, the day before GUD announced it had acquired 19.4% of Breville.

More realistically it is a 47% premium on Breville’s closing price of $1.50 on October 8.

GUD said in a statement that the board believed the offer represented “an extremely attractive opportunity” for Breville shareholders to gain a premium on their shares, while retaining an Investment in a larger company with a stronger shareholder return and dividend track record”.

GUD said it believed the businesses were complementary and would create a company with combined sales of an estimated $900 million.

The company said there was the “potential to create a leading consumer products business in Australasia with a portfolio of highly regarded brands”.

“If we were successful in combining the highly complementary businesses of Sunbeam and Breville, the merged group will be a leading small domestic appliance business in Australasia and will provide a strong platform for expansion in international markets, particularly North America,” GUD managing director Ian Campbell said in Friday’s statement.

The combined company would have much more clout with retailers like Woolworths, Coles Group, David Jones and Myer.

They have been sourcing more of their domestic appliance products direct from Chinese groups.

They will have no option now but to deal with a combined GUD/Breville Group if the takeover is successful.

In many respects it is also a play on the Aussie dollar.

Both companies are big importers of their appliance products, mostly from China.

With the dollar rising against the US dollar (which is the favoured international pricing mechanism), the cost of importing these products will get cheaper in coming months.

China is also cutting prices to try and drive exports which remain depressed because of the global slowdown.

The company said there was the “potential to co-ordinate product development functions with a view to enhancing the product offering of the Merged Group.

“Depending on the extent to which GUD controls Breville, there may be opportunities to combine certain back-office functions which may provide cost reduction opportunities to the Merged Group.”

Source: GUD Wants Breville To Say Yes

A most appropriate read for my R.I.P. IV  Challenge and a great one for my and Fall Into Reading 2009 challenge.

Author :  Elizabeth Kostova

Date of First Publication :  June, 2005 (Hardcover)

Publisher of 1st Edition :  Little, Brown and Company

This Edition’s Publication Date :  January 2006 (Paperback)

This Edition’s Publisher : Back Bay Books

ISBN:  0-316-05788-6

No. of pages : 820  (Paperback)

The Story :

A young American girl stumbles upon an unusual book in her father’s library.  Its pages are empty except for a woodcut of a menacing dragon with the title, Drakulya, on it.  Along with it is a stash of old letters written by a her father’s favorite professor, Bartholomew Rossi, who mysteriously disappeared at the time when her father was still his student.

Her discovery reveals her family’s dark and dangerous quest for the continued existence of Vlad Tepes, the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula.  Slowly , drawn by her father’s accounts, she joins her family’s adventure of pursuing the undead through old letters and ancient texts, from libraries , aged monasteries and closed countries of Eastern Europe.

The Review :

You’ve got to be “in love at first read” with Elizabeth Kostova’s lush, vivid, elegant prose.  Her attention to detail is a constant that keeps the ambience of the book flowing, cloaking the reader with gothic creepiness that blends surprisingly well with romantic elements,  all throughout its eight hundred and so pages.  (By romantic elements I mean the sumptuous descriptions which enamor a reader to places, culture, people, etc. )  To read Kostova’s work is  to experience a story so intimately — you “see” the colorful pageantry of Byzantine culture, “taste”  delectable Turkish food, “smell” the smell of the undead, “feel” the anguish of the tortured.

If she fails to capture your interest in her first one or two hundred pages, chances are you simply cannot love this.  It’s one of those books that will either mesmerize you with its sensual vividness and alluring writing or because of these very qualities, tire you with its ponderous pace and lengthy minutiae.

For me, however, it is exactly Kostova’s way with language and her meticulous manner that are the charms of this novel.  It makes me wish I could absorb Kostova’s prose into my very pores in the hopes I would be able to write as eloquently and as gorgeously as she can.  Aside from being able to string words  so marvelously, she can switch the narrative perspective between a number of characters so effortlessly that the reader is hardly left wondering who is telling the story at certain points.

As a gothic novel, The Historian is superb.  It’s got all those dark elements, creepy atmosphere, but tempered so that it just falls short of being a horror novel.  The story moves like a slow crescendo,  building up bit by bit to a startling peak that gently tapers out toward the end. With all that, the reader is treated also to a well-researched history of Dracula, which makes reading all the more interesting.

In A Nutshell :

A horror novel, The Historian is not.  It may raise a few hairs, make your spine tingle, give you little shivers but it stops short of being truly terrifying.  It wasn’t written to be really such.  Yes, a chiller; but one laden with a lot more history and mystery than visceral terror.

This is a thick, page-laden novel .  But length becomes no object when you have totally immersed yourself in it.

Those who take to the novel quite early are more likely to appreciate this gem.  On the whole, it is worth the time.  To echo  a fellow blogger, KyusiReader, The Historian is indeed a very, very satisfying read.

My Mark :  Excellent

]]> http://garythevampyr.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/lesson-3-vampyrs-dying/ Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:59:34 +0000 garythevampyr http://garythevampyr.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/lesson-3-vampyrs-dying/

Okay so here is a big topic, that everyone misunderstands. How Vampyrs die.

Main cause of death? Old age. Yeah, vampyrs live longer – but not forever! I have never known anyone that made 200, which means my time is drawing nearer everyday. Better start thinking about my 401(K).

So here’s the rundown on the storybook methods for killing a vampyr:
- wooden stake through the heart? Yes, but you know what? That will kill you too, so no big surprise. And any kind of stake will do it. I don’t think the cells of my heart will miraculously be impenetrable to an ice pick, but a number 2 pencil can go right in.
- beheading: ummmm, duh!
- sunlight: NO! Yes my pale as all hell, anaemic looking skin will blister up like pork rinds, but I won’t vanish in a miraculous blue flame or turn into dust. A good SPF rating and I would be fine, but I just don’t think I have any right subjecting my 42yo (looking) fat ass pale self on the world during the day. Night time folks are much more forgiving.
- we pretend to be scared of holy water and crosses, due to a pact with the Vatican signed in 1711 to say we would pretend that the Church was a powerful protector, if they stopped sicking torch wielding mobs on us. So they actually protect US from YOU!
- no fear of garlic either. Thank Hollywood for that one. I am a big fan of La Famiglia’s garlic knots (feel free to send me some for this free publicity)
- oh and silver does not burn our flesh. It just looks awful against pale skin. Gold is a much more flattering choice.

Stake Conference is next weekend!  See below for the schedule

Fri. Oct. 16th

Stake Temple Day from 8am to 5pm

Sat., Oct. 17th

Priesthood Leadership Mtg @ 4pm @ Stake Center

Adult Session @ 7pm @ Stake Center

Sun. Oct. 18th

Session @ 10am @ Red Mountain Institute

**Please park in designated areas only – we will not be able to use college parking for future events if cars are not parked in designated areas (and you’ll be ticketed and/or towed)**

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) –

Fresh doubts grew over a rescue deal for Opel on Thursday after a newspaper said that Germany may drop its support unless other European countries join it in providing billions of euros in state aid.

Canadian auto parts maker Magna and its Russian partner, state-owned lender Sberbank, struck …

Source: Doubts grow over Opel deal: report

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) –

Fresh doubts grew over a rescue deal for Opel on Thursday after a newspaper said that Germany may drop its support unless other European countries join it in providing billions of euros in state aid.

Canadian auto parts maker Magna and its Russian partner, state-owned lender Sberbank, struck …

Source: Doubts grow over Opel deal: report

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) –

The paper quoted Business Secretary Peter Mandelson as saying that the present plan had “shortcomings”, adding: “If there are not to be negative consequences for Vauxhall, the plan needs to be redressed in certain ways.”

Accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers have been brought in to scrutinise the p …

Source: Britain will not back Opel plan: report

(CFD.net.au – Contract for Difference, Share, Forex, ETFs, Commodities Traders) – Fortescue Metal Group has failed to complete arranging an estimated $US5-$US6 billion in cheap financing from China.

And it has also not explained what this means for the August 17 iron ore pricing deal with the Chinese steel mills.

Was Fortescue a victim Of the crack down on surplus capacity (See the lead story)?

We don’t know because the company said very little yesterday.

In a short statement to the ASX yesterday, the company said:

“Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (“Fortescue” “ASX:FMG”) advises, with regard to its Agreement announced on 17 August 2009 with the Baosteel Group and China Iron &Steel Association “CISA”, that the condition subsequent relating to the completion Of finance by 30 September, 2009 will not be met in time. Fortescue intends to continue working co-operatively with CISA including the provision Of attractive iron ore pricing if requested.”

But not a word about the details contained in that August 17 statement, such as whether Fortescue would continue with a price discount on 20 million tonnes of “wet” iron ore shipped to Chinese mills from July 1 to the end of the year. Nor was there any confirmation that 20 million tonnes would be shipped.

No explanation was Given about the future financing request revealed in the August statement such as: has Fortescue halted plans to obtain the money, is it still talking to Chinese banks and CISA, plus Baosteel about the proposal, and is there a plan to seek the money elsewhere (very unlikely).

There have been numerous media reports since February of this year that Fortescue was hunting For new money: figures of $US1 billion or more were mentioned, as well as new equity.

Hunan Valin, a major Chinese steelmaker, took a 15% stake in Fortescue in February.

Despite that deal, the stories of Fortescue’s hunt for more money resurfaced in April-May and culminated in the statement on August 17 which for the first time put a figure on the company’s desired amount.

Since then, not a word until yesterday’s brief statement.  

Its brevity was in contrast to the August 17 statement on pricing and the funding news.

“Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (“Fortescue” “ASX”:”FMG”) has achieved a landmark agreement with Baosteel Group Corporation (Baosteel) and China Iron and Steel Association  (CISA) for an agreed China price for all Fortescue iron ore sold to Chinese mills for the period July 1 to December 31, 2009.

“The agreement, signed by Baosteel and CISA, commits Chinese steel mills to acquire approximately 20 million wet metric tonnes from Fortescue for the period between 1 July and 31 December 2009.

“The agreed price is US$0.94 / dry metric tonne unit (“dmtu”) for Fortescue’s Rocket Fines (on an FOB basis) and is around 3% under the price agreed by other Australian producers with non Chinese steel mills. This price equates to approximately US$55.50 per dry tonne for Fortescue grade iron ore. Fortescue has also agreed a lump price of US$1.00/dmtu for high grade lump which is equivalent to approximately US$61 per dry tonne FOB.

“A condition subsequent to this agreement is the completion of finance by 30 September 2009, by Chinese financiers on terms acceptable to Fortescue. This is estimated by Fortescue to be an amount of US$5.5 billion to US$6 billion.

“Under the Agreement, CISA has guaranteed that a priority will be given to FMG to negotiate iron ore prices for 2010 if the annual pricing negotiation is conducted.

“Fortescue Chief Executive Officer, Mr Andrew Forrest, said the agreement breaks the market impasse which has enveloped the Chinese iron ore industry in uncertainty and added risk for the past 12 months.

“This groundbreaking agreement cements the strength of the bilateral relationship between Australia and China in which mutual issues can be resolved and future opportunities identified. It also creates a realistic and agreed iron ore price that delivers value for all parties and provides strong support for Fortescue’s continued growth” Mr Forrest said.

“The ongoing market speculation has promoted unprecedented iron ore and steel price volatility, which in turn has created extreme production uncertainties for Chinese steel mills and for suppliers setting individual contracts with those mills.

“This agreement eliminates that price uncertainty, sets a solid platform for Fortescue to deliver increased product into China and affirms our close working relationship with CISA and all Chinese steel mills.”

“Fortescue notes that while the price of steel in China has nearly doubled over the past three months, it has fallen by 20% over the past 10 days alone, reflecting the continued volatility in the industry.

“This agreement highlights Fortescue’s extraordinary achievement of becoming, in only our first year of production, a critical element in the Chinese steel market and guarantees our short to medium term tonnage volumes and underpins cash flows irrespective of market volatility,” Mr Forrest said.

There were no comments from Mr Forrest in yesterday’s statement.

The August 17 statement was seen in the market as an attempt by Mr Forrest and the company to exploit the stand Off between the Chinese mills and big ore suppliers, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Vale of Brazil.

It was more symbolic than strategic and in the overall picture, would not have made much of an impact on China’s iron ore import costs: prices have been above the levels in the pricing arrangement Fortescue revealed.

Fortescue shares fell 8 cents to $3.82 yesterday. They had earlier touched a low of $3.71.

Source: Fortescue Misses China Loans Bus