Wall Street II

Hands down Gordon Gekko is my favourite character in all movie history, and nobody can do it better than Micheal Douglas. I am so thrilled to learn that there will be a Wall Street part II in light of recent market events.
I really hope they bring in some good writers for the sequel, and Gordon's character will be just as fierce, if not more than the original. Some of my favourite quotes from this fierce, sexy, unforgiving wall street hotshot:
"Greed is good"
"if you need a friend, get a dog"
"whats worth doing is worth doing for money"
"lunch is for wimps"
"ever wonder why fund managers can't beat the S&P 500? Because they're sheep and sheep get slaughtered!"

Being another Florida could save Dubai

As a very very small investor in the Dubai real estate market, I am very concerned about the falling real estate prices in the emirate. Canceled and delayed projects is one thing, but the potential large outflow of expat population who lost their jobs with the credit crisis is very worrying - and whats worse is that we are still to see that effect: Most people who lost their jobs get 6 months pay, and probably won't move out of the city until their children's school year ends in the summer. So come July in 2009, a large community of expat families will be fleeing back to their homelands, and emptying various residences in the emirate. Supply will be larger than demand, and prices will plummet down further.

That being said I do believe a city like Dubai has hope... but it all depends on the government decisions and visions for the emirate. Dubai has the potential to be the Florida of the European retirement community. It has great all year warm weather that no European country has, it has great health care and medical infrastructure that is equipped to treat elderly patients, and the social/ cultural structure that would attract the retirement age group ; golf tournaments, polo matches, tennis, museums, spas, and art galleries.

So does the Ministry of Planning in dubai have this kind of plan in mind to stabilise the now frighteningly plummeting real estate market? I don't know, but I don't see why not. Being a potential host for the elderly european retirement community will only be positive for the emirate: they are consumers, they don't earn money, they are known to be active in the cultural and arts scene which will only add value to the cultural segment of Dubai, they increase demand for medical care which will attract improved and qualified professionals into the medicine field, and they will bring in more tourism when their families and grandchildren from Europe come to visit them, magnifying the luxury image of Dubai as a vacation spot.

Ironically, that is how Florida established itself as a luxury, artsy and hip destination afterall.

  

Dating in the financial crisis

I'm sure all the ladies are feeling me on this one: it seems that all eligible single dudes these days are b.r.o.k.e.

Yes the economy is tanking, yes we all went broke because of what happened to Agility but we had Zain, and then Zain went down below 2 kd :s. Yes Global illegally took our cash intended for a Saudi investment to pay off its own debts. Yes the overall market has plummeted way beyond the Dirty Thirties. But surely the notoriously high flying, jet setting, crocodile LV luggage sporting, St Tropez summering, +50 ft yatch owning, Courchevel apres-skiing, valentino suit rocking single men had other sources of income besides the Kuwaiti stock market….no?
Please tell me that you do.

I'm not a gold digger, but like any independent self-respecting diva with a mind and a lifestyle I'm ain't interested in no broke niggah!

The good thing is that an economy like this really sheds light on the level of intelligence of men. You can now easily weed out the smart, creative, out of the box thinking leaders from the ones that lived off inflated company earnings and followed the herd at the stock market like a dumb sheep. Now is the time to ask, Is your guy the type that studies his decisions carefully and excersises logic and caution, or is he part of the pool of failures that made hasty impulsive and delusional investments –a reflection of his own future psychological behaviors? The financial crisis has indeed been a revealing marriage-o-meter that enables women to discern the value of datable guys and their marriageability potential.
For me personally, it has brought down the marriage ratings of several guys I used to be in awe of.
Yes, not only do I not want a broke niggah, I also NOT want a guy that lacks brains, common sense, and innovative thinking.

So...I wanna know..... who is the guy (other than George Soros) that shorted the dollar a year ago and made money out of this crisis?