Saturday, February 28, 2009

It won't be taken away.


If people “lose” something in life,
it will only because those things are not for their higher good;
such events will change their lives in some way for the better.
If anything is truly serving your higher good, it won’t be taken away.

Looking at such “lost” as your unwillingness to let go,
Somehow nature does it for you for free.

Posted via email from davidkoh's posterous

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Sketch1

Thursday, February 26, 2009

At one corner of King's Park.Perth

Hummer in King's Park

Friday, February 13, 2009

這次金融風暴會很久

I received this from a friend to my email. This explains quite clearly to me the actual mechanism behind the sub-prime and the snowballing effect on global credit squeeze. All the major banks and many of them double as insurers. The conflict of interest in funding is blur as bankers also become major investors.

This topic will be widespread for a long terms as the aftermath effect creates chain-reaction in a vicious cycle beyond anyone's comprehension.

這次金融風暴會很久.......

連動債和基金為什麼會這麼慘的主因

一、槓桿

目前,許多投資銀行為了賺取暴利,採用20~30倍槓桿操作,假設銀行A自身資產為30億,30倍槓桿就是900億。也就是說,這個銀行A以30億資產為抵押去借900億的資金用於投資,假如投資盈利5%,那麼A就獲得45億的盈利,相對於A自身資產而言,這是150%的暴利。

反之,假如投資虧損5%,那麼A銀行賠光了自己的全部資產還欠15億。

二、 CDS合同


由於槓桿操作風險高,所以按照正常的規定,銀行不應進行這樣的冒險操作。所以就有人想出一個辦法,把槓桿投資拿去做"保險"。這種保險就叫CDS。

比如,A銀行為了逃避槓桿風險就找到了機構B。機構B可能是另一家銀行,也可能是保險公司,諸如此類。

A對B說:你幫我的貸款做違約保險怎麼樣?我每年付你保險費5千萬,連續10年,總共5億,假如我的投資沒有違約,那麼這筆保險費你就白拿了,假如違約,你要為我賠償。

A想,如果不違約,我可以賺45億,就算拿出5億用來保險,我還能淨賺40億。如果違約,反正有保險來賠。所以對A而言這是一筆只賺不賠的生意。

B是一個精明的人,沒有立即答應A的邀請,而是回去做了一個統計分析,發現違約的情況不1%。如果做100家的生意,總計可以拿到500億的保險金,如果其中一家違約,賠償額最多不過50億,即使兩家違約,還能賺400億。

A,B雙方都認為這筆買賣對自己有利,因此立即拍板成交,皆大歡喜。

三、 CDS市場

B做了這筆保險生意之後,C在旁邊眼紅了。C就跑到B那邊說,你把這100個CDS賣給我怎麼樣,每個合約給你2億,總共200億。B想,我的400億要10年才能拿到,現在一轉手就有200億,而且沒有風險,何樂而不為,因此B和C馬上就成交了。

這樣一來,CDS就像股票一樣流到了金融市場之上,可以交易和買賣。實際上C拿到這批CDS之後,並不想等上10年再收取200億,而是把它掛牌出售,標價220億;

D看到這個產品,算了一下,400億減去220億,還有180億可賺,這是"原始股",不算貴,立即買了下來。一轉手,C賺了20億。從此以後,這些CDS就在市場上反覆的炒,現在CDS的市場總值已經炒到了62兆美元。

四、 次貸

上面A,B,C,D,E,F....都在賺大錢,那麼這些錢到底從那裡冒出來的呢?

從根本上說,這些錢來自A以及同A相仿的投資人的盈利。而他們的盈利大半來自美國的次級貸款。人們說次貸危機是由於把錢借給了窮人。筆者對這個說法不以為然。

筆者以為,次貸主要是給了普通的美國房產投資人。這些人的經濟實力本來只夠買自己的一棟住房,但是看到房價快速上漲,動起了房產投機的主意。他們把自己的房子抵押出去,貸款買投資房。這類貸款利息要在8%-9%以上,憑他們自己的收入很難應付,不過他們可以繼續把房子抵押給銀行,借錢付利息,空手套白狼。此時A很高興,他的投資在為他賺錢;B也很高興,市場違約率很低,保險生意可以繼續做;後面的C,D,E,F等等都跟著賺錢。

五、次貸危機

房價漲到一定的程度就漲不上去了,後面沒人接盤。此時房產投機人急得像熱鍋上的螞蟻。房子賣不出去,高額利息要不停的付,終於到了走頭無路的一天,把房子甩給了銀行。此時違約就發生了。
此時A感到一絲遺憾,大錢賺不著了,不過也虧不到那裡,反正有B做保險。

B也不擔心,反正保險已經賣給了C。那麼現在這份CDS保險在那裡呢,在G手裡。G剛從F手裡花了300億買下了100個CDS,還沒來得及轉手,突然接到消息,這批CDS被降級,其中有20個違約,大大超出原先估計的1%到2%的違約率。每個違約要支付50億的保險金,總共支出達1000億。加上300億CDS收購費,G的虧損總計達1300億。

雖然G是全美排行前10名的大機構,也經不起如此巨大的虧損。因此G瀕臨倒閉。

六、 金融危機

如果G倒閉,那麼A花費5億美元買的保險就泡了湯,更糟糕的是,由於A採用了槓桿原理投資,根據前面的分析,A賠光全部資產也不夠還債。因此A立即面臨破產的危險。

除了A之外,還有A2,A3,...,A20,統統要準備倒閉。因此G,A,A2,...,A20一起來到美國財政部長面前,一把鼻涕一把眼淚地遊說,G萬萬不能倒閉,它一倒閉大家都完了。財政部長心一軟,就把G給國有化了,

此後A,...,A20的保險金總計1000億美元全部由美國納稅人支付。

七、美元危機

上面講到的100個CDS的市場價是300億。而CDS市場總值是62兆,假設其中有10%的違約,那麼就有6兆的違約CDS。

這個數字是300億的200倍。如果說美國政府收購價值300億的CDS之後要賠出1000億。那麼對於剩下的那些違約CDS,美國政府就要賠出20兆。

如果不賠,就要看著A20,A21,A22等等一個接一個倒閉。無論採取什麼措施,美元大貶值已經不可避免。

以上計算所用的假設和數字同實際情況會有出入,但美國金融危機的嚴重性無法低估。.......So.........金融寒冬漫漫.......

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Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Coop Himmelb(l)au's Shenzhen projects








The first is a scheme for two museums – one of contemporary art, the other of architecture and city planning.

Coop Himmelb(l)au described the building as " a dynamic monolith", serving as a focus point at the new Futian Cultural District element of Shenzen's masterplan.

The second is the Dalian International Conference Centre. In August last year Coop Himmelb(l)au beat practices including Zaha Hadid Architects to win a competition to the centre, which will create a 100,000 sq m building housing a conference centre, an opera house, and an exhibition centre.

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Porsche Museum








Porsche Museum completes in Stuttgart

A symbol of speed, agility, style and prestige, the Porsche is the car that every man, woman and child has dreamed about driving, even just once. Now, in Porsche's home city of Stuttgart, stands a place where all of those dreamers can drool freely - if not at the shiny speed-machines, then definitely at the monolithic car cathedral of the Porsche Museum.

Open to the public as of 31st Jan the museum, designed by Austrian firm Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, offers dramaturgy from every perspective. "The new Porsche museum represents our conception of architecture which is constantly moving in the field of interaction between buildings and their users," says Roman Delugan, co-founder of Delugan Meissl Associated Architects.

The exterior is simultaneously engaging and appropriately reflective of the stature and confidence of the brand. Textural surface alterations and varying levels and angles offer a structural complexity reflecting the manufacture of a well-oiled machine, while slashes of glazing allow the building to shine outwardly and beckon passers-by inside, further lured by a gently sloped ramp towards the entrance.

Once inside visitors are welcomed by a restaurant, museum shop and coffee bar and can view product development at work in the Classic-Workshop archive surrounding the two-level space. Taking enthusiasts towards the exhibition space is a dramatic cathedral-esque elevator space which narrows in anticipation of the abyssal exhibition space beyond. Stretching into a far-fetching gallery the collection unfolds and meanders through varying levels connected by sloping roads that visitors can steer themselves through and experience over 100 years of automotive design prowess.

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