Dividends for July 2013

Received 4 cheques in the mailbox for this month.

Cheque #1 = $13.03
Cheque #2 = $50.59
Cheque #3 = $87.54
Cheque #4 = $69.07

All the cheques were from U.S. stocks that I own.  Have not been keeping a good record of all the dividends that I have been receiving each month so thought that I should just log this down before I forget.

Overall, my portfolio has changed quite a bit. Many of the higher yielding stocks that I bought have had bad news lately which has affected the value of my portfolio.  At the same time, I am fortunate to have exited quite a fair bit of my stocks during their recent highs.  So there is quite a bit of free cash left to invest.

Financially, I will like to think that I am progressing fine.  There are surpluses each month to invest/save and that is sufficient.  Have been spending more time reading, reflecting and living each day to the fullest.  Life is too short to worry about tomorrows.

Hopefully all readers had a very good long weekend.  It was a well deserved break for me too.

Card Trick That Fools Penn and Teller

Penn and Teller are great magicians.  So when a card trick leaves them stunned or mystified, you can be certain that it is a really good trick.  See how this magician leaves both of them puzzled in the Penn and Teller show.

How do you think this trick was done?

Cut In Half Magic Trick

This is the cut in half prank done by a magician.  See how he scares everyone.  Believe that the first one who invented this trick was David Copperfield.  But I could be wrong.  Anyone knows how this trick is done?  It is actually quite simple.  The person is basically in a sitting position and the clothes are specially made.  At least that is what I think.

Caboki - Amazing Hair Loss Concealer Video. "Grow" Hair in Seconds

Wow.  I must admit that this is the first time I have seen such a product.  This is a hair loss concealer powder.  It does not stop hair loss or promote hair growth.  What it does is conceal hair loss.  It is akin to mascara except that it is used on the head.  So one needs to have some hair left for this to work. Watching the video, I must say that I am pretty impressed at the results.  This looks like an effective hair loss concealer especially for those with balding spots.

Babies Trained in the Art of Escaping

Check out this video of babies that are escaping from their cribs, etc.  Really enjoyable to watch.

Jeff Gundlach on Japan, Apple and Bubbles

Jeffrey Gundlach, the new "bond king", shares with Reuters some wealth strategies and gives his take on Japan, Apple and bubbles.

Marina Bay Sands Wedding

Marina Bay Sands is huge.  Especially their convention centre where all the ballrooms are located.  It is no wonder that many people have been having their weddings at Marina Bay Sands.  Well, it seems that based on their wedding package, there are various options for a Chinese wedding banquet.  The prices don't come cheap though and start from $1088+ per table to $1388+ per table (depending on the choice of dishes).

So if you are attending a wedding dinner there, you know the "market rate" to give.  Simply divide the price by 10 and don't forget that the price does not include service charge and GST.

In terms of location, I think Marina Bay Sands is great.  Ample parking spaces and also easily accessible by MRT. Complimentary parking tickets are usually given out.

The view is also stunning though it is not observable from the ballrooms itself. One will have to walk out to see the view.  Furthermore, people can sneak out for a short break or even to go shopping if they want to!

Food-wise, I will rate it as above average.  The food is good but I won't say that it is spectacular or anything.  It is of a reasonable standards.

The service is average or even below average.  Nowadays, it is really difficult to find good service in Singapore.