From Huffington Post comes What Do a Rabbit, Colored Eggs, and Candy Have to Do With Jesus? The History of Easter Revealed by Kari Henley:

It turns out the celebrations of modern Easter’s egg-toting-rabbit evolves from a mythic German goddess named Ostara, (Oestre / Eastre) who was the Germanic Goddess of Springtime. According to the Encycolopedia Mythica:

“In ancient Anglo-Saxon myth, Ostara is the personification of the rising sun. In that capacity she is associated with the spring and is considered to be a fertility goddess. She is the friend of all children and to amuse then she changed her pet bird into a rabbit. This rabbit brought forth brightly colored eggs, which the goddess gave to the children as gifts. From her name and rites the festival of Easter is derived.”

All other European words for “Easter” derive from the Hebrew word “pasah,” to pass over, thus reflecting the Christian holiday’s Biblical connection with the Jewish Passover. I find it ironic the holiest day in the Christian faith, dedicated to celebrating the Son of God, is named after a goddess.
According to www.godchecker.com: Ostara was very popular with the Anglo-Saxon people, who worshiped her under the name Eostre.

At least now I have a bit of a better understanding of this whole Easter-Risen Christ-bunny-egg hunt connection.  The writer was right; at times, I wondered about the whole connection but never really bothered to find the connection.

Found something interesting about the Earth Hour on March 28th, observed in hundreds of cities around the world.  This event began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia as a way to vote against global warming.  Turning off the lights for an hour could serve as one’s vote, whether a tourist spot or simply a household, for the earth.  Further info from the official website:

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

See the many cities that observed Earth Hour: H-E-R-E. Click the photos and have javascript enabled to see the effects.

Presenting the latest addition to the iPod family- the latest, and smallest, iPod shuffle and MP3 player.

Apply never fails to come up with innovative ways to, well, innovate.  As the latest addition to its product line, this iPod shuffle boasts of a size smaller than a AA battery, a 4GB memory (capacity: 1000 songs), and the newest feature: a voice-over, which allows one to hear the title and artist of a song just by pressing-and-holding a button. And it’s multilingual! It can speak 14 languages: English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanse, Chinese (Mandarin), Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.

Another change to the player is that the controls are situated on the cord, right below the right ear.  Press the middle once to play the song, press it twice to skip to the next, press-and-hold to hear the song info and press-and-hold longer to reveal the playlist/s.  What made it more interesting was that it was only worth $75 bucks, making it more affordable (at least I presume more affordable than its predecessors in the eyes of the public). Battery life lasts for 10 hours per full charge and comes in 2 colors- silver and black.

Whether it becomes the “recession-proof” Apple product is still to be tested.  Its affordability might not necessarily translate to high consumer demand.  If I am to say one thing about its design, I wish the control was either in the center (where the left and right ‘cords’ meet) or somewhere lower.

The AAPL stock reacted to the launching of the product with a 4.5% increase, beating the index, which only rose a percent.  Analysts view this product to be the company’s way of gaining market share on the lower segment of the market.  Some rival companies such as SanDisk and Creative Technology are very aggressive with their MP3 players;  SanDisk is selling a similar 4GB player with a small display screen a third less, $50.  Despite that, AAPL is still a company that relies on brand equity.  Its fundamentals are strong, with strong cash position ($28 of cash per share), no debt and strong profitability.  P/E ratio are 17 (trailing) and a tad cheaper at 15.76 (forward). Just a couple of days ago, the stock closed at 83.11 and since then has moved almost 12 percent to today’s closing of $92.68.  It was $200 stock in December of 2007 and just $10 cheaper sometime in May/June of last year.  That translates to more than a 50% plunge in price.  As a company of innovation, there’s no reason not to love this firm.

I went to the 12mn showing of Watchmen last night.  And I was happy with my decision to not read the last chapter of the novel because the ending of the film made up a big part of the reason why I loved the movie.

I shall return to the book to finish reading later but for now, here’s my review:

I loved the film because it is not your typical superhero story. It is not simply a matter of good versus evil; people perceived the Watchmen to be evil.  The only hero that had extraordinary powers came about not even because he was born with it, but because of a terrible accident in a physics lab.  And maybe Nite Owl’s ship, which is apparently not a hero.  Beyond that, I loved the various ways one can interpret the story and its ending. Why the Watchmen exist is pretty clear- to try to save the world from the destruction it is creating for itself.  But the means by which these individuals accomplish this goal is somewhat different from Batman, Superman or other superheroes.  It is a notch or two more controversial.

This is a story of ends justifying the means, of the need for sacrifices, of the struggles of humanity and what they are capable of doing without some form of mediation, of the need to sometimes keep silent, of sometimes compromising… The story truly presents not a complex plot, but more importantly, a complex look at human nature.  I…(read more)t did not blow me away as much as The Dark Knight did (I personally thought it somewhat lacked the umph!) but having political references (including Nixon, the Cold War, even Fidel Castro was there!) and the closer-to-humanity story there is than other superhero films personally added to the appeal.

I agree, however, what others say.  That without having read the novel first, some might get lost. After all, it was as close an adaptation of the book as it could get. But overall, it was a really entertaining film.  The voice-overs, the beautiful perfectly-selected songs, the gruesomeness (at some point beating the brutality of Kill Bill)… I just loved it.  B+/A-.  Whether it upgrades to an A is still to be tested. Wait until the movie comes out.

Yesterday, AIG reported the biggest loss in America’s corporate history (just a few days after RBS similarly reported the UK’s biggest corporate history- a staggering, but nevertheless still smaller £24.1bn).  With a loss of $61bn, the insurance firm again ran to the government to seek for more aid, which they got in the amount of $30bn in exchange of majority ownership in two of their money-makers: American Insurance Association (AIA), its business in Asia and American Life Insurance Corporation (ALICO).  Remember that the firm entered this pit after they decided to issue billions of dollars worth of credit default swaps, the instrument which had it share of the spotlight after other firms, notably Lehmann Brothers, fell victim to the failure to manage risks associated with CDS. The trouble of the firm is further compounded by the news that former CEO Hank Greenberg will be filing a lawsuit against the company for allegedly being misled to buy inflated prices of the AIG stock.  As the firm’s biggest shareholder, Greenberg’s wealth is without a doubt wiped out by what has happened.

It was a rather exciting day for the markets as the Down Jones plunged under 7,000 to 6,763, its lowest level since around 2nd quarter of 1997.  More interestingly, the S&P managed to stay barely above the 700 threshold at 700.82.  With futures on the green, there is a possiblity to escape crossing that threshold… at least for a day or two.  As of 3am CT, there’s about 120-point move to the north so I am hopeful for a bounce after a long time of bloody trading; S&P has been negative in 9 out of the last 10 sessions.

Other major news revolved around other financial institutions with HSBC performing a $17.7bn issue rights as well as cutting its dividend to increase its capital level.  This caused its shares to suffer by as much as a 19% drop in NY. Moving to BofA, CEO Ken Lewis claims the $20bn aid sought for the acquisition of Merrill Lynch was a tactical mistake and it put the bank on the same level as Citi. In the commodities market, while still under 50/barrel, oil saw a 10% drop to a little over 40 a barrel today.

Some random thoughts:

• The market’s been waaay oversold that it would just be quite right (AND REFRESHING) to see a bounce. I need to find out how I can start investing and take advantage of this great opportunity that is the depressed prices.
• As much as I should be appreciating that Obama is keeping his word to bring change, I just don’t think it is viable for him to achieve all the plans  he laid out in his State of the Union Address. It’s just way. too. ambitious.

Meet Vicky…

…and Cristina

…in the romantic city of Barcelona.

In the latest installment by Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona tells the story of two friends, who decided to spend one summer in Barcelona to escape the complex life in New York City. Vicky, who’s engaged to a wealthy man and believes she has everything she could ask for, and Cristina, who’s been unsuccessful in keeping relationships, met a guy both of them unexpectedly fell for. In trying to get the two of them to share the bed with him, Juan Antonio showed them the beauty of the city of Barcelona. I went for the movie with no high hopes and expectations; my only goal was to find out the reason behind Penelope Cruz’s Best Supporting Actress victories from just about every major competition.   Indeed she was worthy.  Playing as the suicidal ex-wife of Juan Antonio, played by Javier Bardem, Penelope’s character exposes you to the extraordinary skill and flexibility she has as an actress.  I was drawn towards her portrayal of a mad ex-wife, before switching to become the romantic spouse she never was and in her sanity, a great companion to Cristina as she explores the city, only to go back again later on to be mad and jealous.

The movie easily exceeded my expectations. Whether I call this my favorite movie is still to be tested, but I am certain it is almost right up there with every other movie I can easily watch over and over again.

Fall in love with the characters. Fall in love with the arts. Fall in love with the strum of Spanish guitar that tickles the senses. And fall in love with the idyllic scenery only the city of Barcelona can uniquely offer.

Going back to more than 3 months ago, in July, the price of oil peaked at $147 per barrel. While some analysts predicted oil going up even as high as $200 per barrel, many others saw this as nothing but a bubble that soon will burst and undergo price correction. The past couple of weeks, oil has been hovering under $70 a barrel bringing down majority of the prices in gas pumps to less than $3 a gallon. Today, the oil settled at $65.25 pb; it dipped to as low as under 64 just several days ago.

The big spike in oil price months back certainly boosted revenues of major oil producing countries, whose windfall profits helped fatten some of the existing sovereign wealth funds. It is therefore no surprise that Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Qatar and Libya find themselves on the list of the biggest funds. Despite that, it would still be good and interesting to know that not all these states earn, let alone big amounts. Even at $80 or $90, some of these states might still be losing money.

Based on a CNBC report, along with IMF data, following is a table of both OPEC and non-OPEC countries alike and the corresponding oil prices they need to avoid budget deficits (break-even):

Two senators: a Democrat, a Republican.

One a victor, another a fighter.

After two years of campaigning, a day of voting and hours of waiting, one finally wins as the new president.

—–

John McCain’s speech last night, as he conceded the presidency to Barack Obama (D-Il.), was no doubt the best he has given since eternity. Despite the occasional boos from the crowd, there was nothing but nobility, sincerity, and elegance in his speech. Coming to the election, most expected an Obama victory, and quite appropriately so. McCain’s defeat, or the GOP’s for that matter, may be attributed to a lot of different factors that worked to Obama’s advantage. The economy, the much loathed Iraq war, and more importantly, the way the campaign was run. Even I got sick of his Joe the Plumber tactic… and Palin, boy oh boy. Yes, she is charming, articulate, and even hot. But there was just so much about her actions that completely killed those complements. It might be better not to list them down.

McCain is far from the ideal GOP candidate, particularly when one goes head to head against the ever eloquent and disciplined Obama. But how the GOP candidate’s advisers and staff handled things simply made things worse- many times made him and his running mate such laughing stocks. Even with a well-run campaign, I believe Obama still would have won. But the lead also wouldn’t have been that brutal. With even less than half the electoral votes, that tells you it was more than people’s want for “change” that brought the tandem down. Their very own strategies and faux pas ate them alive.

On the other hand, Barack Obama was admittedly a well-educated, eloquent, and pro-middle-class man. His talent for delivering effective and inspirational speeches undoubtedly drew people in; even the red states. One can’t help but have respect for a man like him who is able to give hope to people just when it seems that all has faded. Having said that, he is not my candidate because of the ideologies he stand for. Labeled as one of the most liberal among the liberals, that’s just a complete turn off. As a conservative, I refuse to succumb to the ideas of higher taxes, big government, gay marriage, and pro-life. With the looming tax hikes, I fear and worry for corporate America’s future. But I’d look past that, in the name of a better America. He better deliver. He better set aside partisanship and move 2, 3, 4 steps to the right of ideological spectrum. He needs to shift to the center.

With the depressing economic conditions, maybe he is what the people want, what the market wants. For as long as people wake up to a much better economy by January 2012, where both the middle class and corporate America thrive, I shall not complain.

Moving on to the remarkable speeches given last night, one of concession and the other of election, here are their videos:

John McCain (R-Az.)

Barack Obama (D-Il.)

Both said it best- there is no better strategy for progression than efforts where partisanship is set aside and the red and blue working together.

PS. MSNBC claims they’re THE place for politics. Well, not during primetime. Because they are rather a breeding ground for liberal pigs.

Everyday, an email gets sent to my inbox from RealAge containing health tips and whatnot. What grabbed my attention two nights ago was a link called “Eat more in front of TV”, which is what I do every single night. With so much eating, and not so much exercise, yes, it’s all building up in the belly. And I need some solutions (outside of having to go to the gym and work out). Here’s what I found from the website:

You can eat up to 6 cups of certain low-fat microwave brands for about the same number of calories you’d get from just 7 or 8 chips. Plus, the popcorn also counts as two servings of whole grains.

A survey of 15,000 people found that popcorn eaters get far more whole grains than people who go popcorn-free. And that’s great news for the waistline, because high-fiber whole grains help you feel more satisfied… And whole grains may help flatten your belly, too…

That led me to grab an 8-bag popcorn box when I went to the grocery store the other day, along with a loaf of 100% whole grain bread. I’ll have my first munch perhaps tonight.

Exploring the site further I found a section on food labels and what to look for in them. Here’s what I found out:

• Pay close attention to the number of calories from fat. Anything over 30% (of Calories per serving) is too much.
• Limit total fat consumption to about 30% of your daily calories, and go mostly for the heart-healthy “un” fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Limit saturated fat to about 1 gram for every 100 calories or less than 20 grams a day.
• Products marked “low cholesterol” must have 20 or fewer milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams or less of saturated fat.
• The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day for healthy young adults who don’t have high blood pressure. For middle-aged and older adults, keep the sodium to no more than 1,500 milligrams. Products marked “low sodium” must have 140 milligrams or less.
• Refined simple carbs- the kind found in white rice and in cookies, cakes, breads, and pasta made from white flour- cause unsteady spikes in blood sugar levels, which can lead to overeating, insulin problems, obesity, diabetes, and more.
• Consuming more than 25 grams of fiber per day can make your RealAge almost 3 years younger than eating 12 grams per day.
• Limit your sugar intake to less than 10% of your daily calories. Rule of thumb: Go easy on foods that have more than 4 grams of sugar per serving, with the exception of fruits.
• Get 15% to 20% of your daily calories from protein.

Pretty useful stuff eh?

When you watch the news, one that always goes with figures relating to T-bills are swap spreads. I had a slight notion of what it was but a news article from the Financial Times (Oct 24, 2008) made it clear to me. Take note of the very interesting event that happened yesterday, one that many perceived to be a “mathematical impossibility”. Bolds below are mine.

Turmoil takes its toll on swap markets as spreads turn negative

By Michael Mackenzie in New York

The turmoil in the financial markets has taken hold of the trade in long-term interest rate derivatives, pushing rates to levels once thought to be a “mathematical impossibility”.

Interest rate swaps are the most widely traded over-the-counter derivative.

Long-term swaps are particularly important for insurers and pension funds that need to fund liabilities decades into the future.

Such investors use swaps to lock in interest rates for 30 years or more, trading a floating rate, based on the London interbank offered rate, for a fixed rate.

The fixed rate is typically based on Treasury yields plus a premium, called a swap spread, which reflects the risk of trading with a private party rather than the government.

Yesterday, the 30-year US swap spread turned negative after briefly flirting with such levels earlier this month.

This implies investors are reckoning that they are more likely to be paid back by a private counterparty than by the US government.

“Negative swap spreads have been considered by many to be a mathematical impossibility, just like negative probabilities or negative interest rates,” said Fidelio Tata, head of interest rate derivatives strategy at RBS Greenwich Capital Markets.

Analysts believe that this reflects aftershocks from the demise of Lehman Brothers and capital constraints at surviving banks rather than a loss of confidence in the US government.

The Lehman bankruptcy is important because it led to the termination of outstanding contracts, many highly complex. With many participants scaling back activities, investors have had trouble finding replacements, upsetting the relationship between the swap spread and the “risk-free” Treasury yield.

For much of this year, the 30-year swap spread averaged between 30 and 55 basis points over the 30-year Treasury yield.

It closed at 15bp on Monday, 0.5bp on Tuesday and a negative 4.25bp yesterday.

Implied 30-year swap spreads for Europe and the UK have been negative since the demise of Lehman.

“Insurance companies and pension funds woke up and realised that their existing swap contracts had been torn up and that they needed to replace them,” said William O’Donnell, UBS strategist.

He added that falling swap spreads also reflect the prospect of more Treasuries.