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In the last four years, Purisima, who can safely be described as litigious, has filed lawsuits against the People's Republic of China and several major banks including Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, and Wachovia.

from Yahoo: Chinese paper congratulates Kim Jong Un on being named 'Sexiest Man Alive' by the Onion By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News | The Lookout

drinking sh!t is becoming expensive nowadays [laugh]

Yahoo reported : VW says Porsche deal clears path to global leadership WOLFSBURG/FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) - Volkswagen (GER:VOW3.DE - News) moved closer to its aim of becoming the world's top car maker by buying up the remaining half of Porsche in a deal that ends a protracted takeover struggle which has sparked family feuds and investor lawsuits. The deal will enable VW to escape a tax bill of 1.5 billion euros. It also allows VW to speed up Porsche's integration into a multi-brand empire that aims to sell 10 million vehicles a year to become the world's no. 1 by 2018. "We're wrapping up one of the most significant projects in the automotive world," VW Chief Executive Martin Winterkorn told reporters at the group's Wolfsburg headquarters. "Together we are more capable than ever of becoming the best auto company on the planet," he said, adding that VW was poised to invest "massively" in new shared technologies and production. Joint projects already underway include Porsche's next model, the Macan mid-size SUV, due for a 2014 launch. VW plants already provide the painted car bodies for some Porsche models and will build the Porsche Boxster in new factory in Osnabrueck, Germany. Already a major player in emerging markets such as China, Russia and Latin America, Volkswagen will also need a bigger U.S. presence if it is to win and maintain the global crown. Shares of Europe's biggest automaker rose strongly on Thursday after it agreed to buy the remaining half of the sports-car maker for 4.46 billon euros. "VW is getting a good deal," said London-based Morgan Stanley analyst Stuart Pearson, predicting in a note to investors that its completion would lift VW earnings by 6 percent next year. "Porsche is the world's best premium car story." Holding company Porsche SE had initially hoped to acquire Volkswagen in a leveraged buyout and plunder VW's coffers to fund the deal. The controversial plan hatched by Porsche SE's star CEO Wendelin Wiedeking drove a wedge between the two clans at the time, but they reconciled after Wiedeking's risky manoeuvre pushed the holding company to near bankruptcy. Hmmmmm........ initially, Porsche wanted to buy over VW but instead, VW bought over Porsche ....

I am thinking 1k a month....by the time she turns 19 and ready for university, the money will come in handy. How about the rest? Does it make sense to invest the money for it to roll? I am a complete investment idiot....anyone can guide me?

How much of your salary do you keep aside for your own use/saving? Especially if you are married with or without kids? For me...more than 80% goes to my own family (joint acct with wife which pays the bills and installments and household expenses) and to my parents (which I give a decent sizable sum every month). Is that the norm? According to the salary survey, I am above median for someone in my professor and in my age guy (business analyst, 31-35 yrs) Just curious....appreciate sharings from you good folks here

GT-R is so passe.

HONG Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang made a big impact with his maiden budget speech yesterday - as big as HK$70 billion (S$12.6 billion) worth of goodies, to be precise. And the package, which comes on the back of Hong Kong's biggest ever budget surplus of HK$115.6 billion was generally lauded as having something for everyone. It includes income and corporate tax cuts and rebates and allowances for the poor and elderly. Drinkers will cheer the abolition of wine and beer tax, which is aimed at turning the city into a global wine trade hub. Income tax was cut from 16 per cent to 15 per cent, returning it to pre-Sars levels, and a one percentage point drop in corporate tax, to 16.5 per cent, fulfilled a promise made by Chief Executive Donald Tsang in October. There was also a one-off 75 per cent reduction on income tax for 2007/08, up to a limit of HK$25,000 a person. And for those on lower incomes, a one-off HK$8.5 billion injection will put HK$6,000 into each provident fund of those earning HK$10,000 or less a month. At the same time, Mr John Tsang, who took over as finance chief last July, made it clear that he had an eye on the city's long- term future, devoting HK$18 billion to a research endowment fund to support high value-added economic activity. There was also a HK$50 billion pledge, on top of the package, for a health-care reform plan officials are due to propose later this year. Mr Tsang said that an ageing population meant health care is Hong Kong's 'greatest challenge to the stability of long-term finances'. While the entire budget package is expected to take the city into the red this year, it would be more than cushioned by healthy fiscal reserves of HK$485 billion. But in a speech lasting more than 90 minutes, Mr Tsang warned that 'a substantial surplus will not occur every year'. He said this year's bonanza was only possible because income from sources like land sales and stamp duty on share purchases was 'far higher than expected' last year, thanks to China's boom. Hong Kong's growth, he added, is expected to slow to 4-5 per cent this year, after expanding 6.3 per cent last year, due partly to global economic uncertainty amid a slowdown in Europe and the US. 'We should be aware of the possibility that the situation might deteriorate in the near future and that the fallout may be prolonged,' he said. He also warned of rising inflation, while stressing the need to invest heavily in education and to attract talent in the face of increasing global competition. And to face such problems, he said Hong Kong must 'continue to study options on broadening its tax base' - a comment widely seen as a reference to a possible goods and services tax. The government is wary of broaching the issue again, after its last attempt was shot down in 2006 by an angry public, amid fears that it would place an unfair burden on the poor. And apparently mindful of such resistance Mr Tsang yesterday stressed that the 'tax reform options' he would like to see discussed would be 'equitable and conform to the 'ability-to-pay' principle'. http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Sto...ry_211121.html

possible? i think only chery QQ possible right?