some frequently asked questions about managed futures accounts, for more information on getting a managed Futures account in Indonesia please email me – psymon@gmx.com

1. What is a managed futures account?
2. What types of investors utilize managed futures accounts?
3. What has been responsible for the growth in managed futures?
4. How are profitability, volatility, and risk affected whenmanaged futures are included in an investment portfolio?
5. Why can investment portfolio performance be improved byincluding managed futures?
6. Is a managed futures account appropriate as a short-terminvestment?
7. Does having a managed futures account lessen the risk offutures trading?
8. How does the performance of managed futures accounts comparewith that of self-directed accounts?
9. Are there other reasons why managed futures accounts aregenerally more profitable?
10. Don’t trading advisors differ from one another in theirinvestment results?
11. How important is an advisor’s past trading performance?
12. What should be considered in examining an advisor’s trackrecord?
13. Which futures markets would I be trading in with a managedaccount?
14. How do trading advisors differ in their investment approaches?
15. Where will my money be held when I establish a managedaccount?
16. Who regulates Commodity Trading Advisors?
17. How do I monitor the status of my account?
18. What mistakes do investors somtimes make reqarding managedfutures?
19. What are the costs, and how do trading advisors get paid?
20. Is there a minimum investment to establish an account?
21. Are there any restrictions in withdrawing funds from myaccount?
22. What is a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA)?
23. How much money should I invest in managed futures and howdo I open an account?
24. Why would I need managed futures if I were already tradingfutures?
25. Can I invest a portion of my retirement porfolio in managedfutures?
26. Are managed futures riskier than stocks?
27. Are there any tax benefits to investing in managed futures?

1. What is a managed futures account?

A professionally managed futures Account is like any other brokerage account

established to trade futures except that you give permission to make all trading

decisions on your behalf through a revocable power of attorney to a Business Consultant (BC). In this sense, the advisor is the account “manager.”

The advisor’s compensation is normally a set value per trade per lot. top

2. What types of investors utilize managed futures accounts?

It has traditionally been individual investors seeking the profit opportunities

of futures trading but without the responsibility and demands of day-to-day

account management. Recently, however, growing numbers of corporate and institutional investors have been allocating some portion of their total portfolio assets

to specially designed and professionally managed futures trading programs.

The total amount of capital in managed futures programs is estimated to exceed

$50 billion. top

3. What has been responsible for the growth in managed

futures?

A variety of things. As traditional investment markets have become increasingly

volatile and vulnerable to often-unexpected events, institutional money managers

and other sophisticated investors have sought to more effectively manage overall

portfolio risk through diversification.

A number of studies indicate that a portfolio that includes managed futures

can yield appreciably higher and more stable return over time than a portfolio

that includes only stocks and bonds. The same evidence indicates this can

be achieved without added risk, or even reduced risk. One such study conducted by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, “Portfolios with as much as 20% of assets in managed futures yielded up to 50% more than a portfolio of stocks and bonds alone.”

Still another factor in the growth of managed futures has been the tremendous

broadening of futures markets to encompass stock indexes, debt instruments,

currencies, and options as well as conventional commodities. This has created

whole new categories of profit opportunities. The increasingly global nature

of today’s futures markets also has expanded the scope of investment

opportunities.

Finally, from the standpoint of an individual investor, managed futures

accounts have proven to be considerably more profitable on the average than

accounts that individuals trade on their own. top

4. How are profitability, volatility, and risk affected

when managed futures are included in an investment portfolio?

Harvard Business School Professor John E. Lintner found that including managed

futures in a portfolio “reduces volatility while enhancing return.”

And those portfolios “have substantially less risk at every possible

level of return than portfolios of stocks, or stocks and bonds.” Research

studies demonstrate that managed futures have a low or negative correlation

to the stock and bond markets. Additionally, the futures markets provide profit

opportunities on a highly leveraged basis in either bull or bear markets in

the financial and commodity markets.

For the period of January 1, 1980, to December 31, 1998, data show that

managed futures investments (measured by the Barclay CTA Index) had a compound

annual return of about 15.8%. That compares very favorably with the 17.7%

return that common stocks had during the same period, one of the strongest

stock markets in U.S. history. Further, it exceeded the 11.8% return on bonds.

Moreover, during a similar period (January 1, 1980, to December 31, 1997),

analysis showed that a portfolio that comprised some managed futures had similar

profitability with far less risk. top

5. Why can investment portfolio performance be improved

by including managed futures?

There are several reasons, but high on the list is that managed futures

may perform best when other investments are performing relatively poorly.

On the occasions of the S&P 500®’s worst two declines during

the past decade, managed futures recorded net profits of 9.7% and 18.6%. A

study by University Of Massachusetts finance professor Thomas Schneeweis compared

the S&P’s worst twelve months and best twelve months and found that

managed futures posted gains during both periods. top

6. Is a managed futures account appropriate as a short-term

investment?

Yes. Futures markets, like most markets, tend to be cyclical. In addition,

even an advisor who is highly successful over the course of a year will probably

experience some months in which losses occur. Thus, while you are free to

close an account at any time, it’s probably not a prudent investment

strategy to establish an account that you don’t plan to maintain for

at least 3 years. This allows the account to recover from any temporary losses

in equity and to benefit from longer-term returns.

top

7. Does having a managed futures account lessen the risk

of futures trading?

There is no method of futures trading that doesn’t involve risk. The

same leverage and price movements that can produce trading profits can produce

trading losses. Any loss that can occur when an individual directs his own

account also can occur in a professionally managed futures account. However,

one of the things that you should definitely look for in a trading advisor

is a long-term demonstrated ability to manage risk. top

8. How does the performance of managed futures accounts

compare with that of self-directed accounts?

Some individual investors, those who have experience, time, access to information,

and necessary temperament, are highly successful in directing their own futures

trading. The record suggests that only a small percentage of “do-it-yourself”

futures traders possess these requisites for success. Studies indicate that

somewhere between 65 and 90 percent lose money. However, of the 119 funds

and pools in the Managed Account Reports Fund/Pool Qualified Universe Index

that traded from January 1990 through October 1996, 81% were profitable over

the full time period. top

9. Are there other reasons why managed futures accounts

are generally more profitable?

The growing complexity of the markets is one factor but by no means the

only factor. As in most areas of investment, trading experience and trading

skills are ultimately major determinants of trading success. Profitable futures

trading requires the discipline and temperament to respond to market realities

if and when they conflict with market expectations. It requires a keen knowledge

of when and how to liquidate positions. It requires the development and implementation

of carefully considered trading strategies, a trading plan, and a trading

system. Effective account diversification demands an insightful understanding

of how various markets react with and to one another. Otherwise, attempts

to diversify could prove illusory. Even institutional and corporate portfolio

managers who may have experience in futures, such as for hedging applications,

generally choose to use professional advisors to manage their futures trading

investments. For most individual investors, the advantages can be even greater.

top

10. Don’t trading advisors differ from one another

in their investment results?

Definitely. In any given year, some will realize impressive profits and

others will incur losses. Still others will be anywhere in between. The success

of your managed account will depend on the success of the advisor you select.

top

11. How important is an advisor’s past trading performance?

As advisors and prospectuses are required to state, past performance is

no guarantee of future results. An advisor who has performed well in the past

may perform poorly in the future. And it is possible that someone who has

performed poorly may begin to perform well. This notwithstanding, in any endeavor

some individuals are obviously better at what they do than others and a track

record is at least an indication of past performance. In addition, a track

record can provide other valuable information about an advisor’s experience,

approach to trading, and amount of money under management. You’ll also

want to note whether performance data included in the disclosure document

refers to actual trading results or to “hypothetical” or “simulated”

results. top

12. What should be considered in examining an advisor’s

track record?

Start by considering the length of the record. Sprinters aren’t necessarily

successful distance runners. Sensational performance in a short time span

may reflect little more than extraordinarily good luck. Or, of more concern,

it may reflect someone who takes greater risks than you may be comfortable

with over the long haul. Or it could reflect specialization in markets that,

in a given period, were especially active. Track records can be much more

meaningful when you examine a longer record. This provides more information

about how an advisor has performed over the landscape of continuously changing

market scenarios. An advisor’s performance in less than spectacular years

may be an important indicator of risk management skills. top

13. Which futures markets would I be trading in with a

managed account?

Your trading advisor will determine this and in all likelihood it will be

different markets at different times. Futures contracts are available in the

following sectors: top

14. How do trading advisors differ in their investment

approaches?

One way is in how aggressively or conservatively they participate in the

markets. There also could be differences in which markets they trade. Some

specialize in particular areas, such as financial instruments, metals, or

agricultural products, while others pursue profit opportunities wherever they

appear to exist. If you have a preference for a particular approach, this

should be taken into account. Another difference is whether the advisor employs

a fundamental or technical trading system. Fundamental means that trading

decisions are based principally on supply and demand, and “technical”

means that the markets themselves are continuously analyzed for signals to

future price direction. Even then, different advisors have developed and employ

different systems and may read the markets differently. Moreover, the fundamental-technical

distinction has broken down somewhat as fundamental advisors frequently employ

computerized tools to pinpoint the timing of their trading decisions.

top

15. Where will my money be held when I establish a managed

account?

Your money is held in a Customer Segregated Account at our clearing firm,

REFCO, LLC, the world’s largest non-bank Futures Commission Merchant

with more than $4 billion in global equity. While the trading advisor will

direct trading for the account, REFCO performs all other account functions.

top

16. Who regulates Commodity Trading Advisors?

In the USA Commodity Trading Advisors are regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and by the National Futures Association (NFA), the congressionally authorized self-regulatory organization of the futures industry. All trading advisors must be registered with the CFTC and those who manage customer accounts must be members of the NFA. Advisors’ Disclosure Documents are required

to be submitted to the CFTC for review in advance of distribution to prospective

investors. On an ongoing basis, the NFA audits Disclosure Documents (particularly

performance information), promotional materials, and trading activities. Violations

of CFTC or NFA rules can result in a loss of trading privileges and other

penalties.

In Indonesia Commodity trading is regulated by BAPPEBTI or translated into English – Commodity Futures Trading Supervisory Agency and in Australia the Markets are monitored by The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)top

17. How do I monitor the status of my account?

Kopntak Perkasa Futures will provide the same timely reports you’d receive if you

were directing your own account. These are available a few different ways.

First, a complete listing of all the activity in your account, including your

balance, can be viewed on our website 24 hours a day. Second, you may

call us to obtain an up-to-date status of your account. Finally,

you are sent a P&S (purchase and sale) statement, which shows dates, prices,

and net profits or losses for all trade activity, as well as your account

balance. In addition, you will receive a monthly summary of all transactions

showing their results. top

18. What mistakes do investors sometimes make regarding

managed futures?

There are three basic ones. First, because of the risk, futures trading

in any form may not be appropriate for a given person, even if a managed account

seems more attractive than do-it-yourself trading. Unless you’re comfortable

with the risk level and feel it’s appropriate for you, it would be prudent

not to invest at all.

Second, an investor might select an advisor based solely on whether the advisor is currently hot. A prudent investor will select a CTA based on the money management skills and a trading style that has been employed in the past to achieve consistent returns.

Lastly, investors engagein “account jumping,” or prematurely closing accounts out of panicand fear when experiencing a period of flat returns or drawdowns. By doing

this, the investor loses the opportunity to recover from those temporary losses

in equity and benefit from longer-term returns. top

19.  What are the costs, and how do trading advisors

get paid?

There are basically three types of charges involved when a managed account

is handled by a CTA. A management fee usually between 1-4% of the value of

your account is charged for the overseeing of the trading in your account.

The net trading profits are the combined total of profits and losses from trading.

It should be noted that often a CTA will negotiate a lower or no management

fee in exchange for a higher incentive fee. We particularly like these arrangements

because they can mean that the person making the trading decisions on your

behalf makes no money until you do. Brokerage commissions of $10-25 per side

plus a few dollars in fees are also charged. top

20. Is there a minimum investment to establish an account?

Yes, but different managed account programs have different minimums. At

the least, it will be an amount the advisor considers adequate to achieve

account diversification. Minimum account size also may be affected by whether

the managed account program is designed principally to serve individual investors

or institutional clients. According to industry sources, the best CTAs have

$100,000,000 or more under their management. They may not wish to bother with

accounts of less than a million dollars. The CTAs with the worst track records

will take anything that they can get. I Have a recommended initial investment of $50,000 usd and a minimum investment of $20,000 usd. top

21. Are there any restrictions in withdrawing funds from

my account?

Managed accounts offer a high degree of liquidity. The only restriction

is usually that you do not make withdrawals below the minimum required investment.

You are free to withdraw all funds after liquidation of any open positions.

This can be done at any time you choose unless the account agreement stipulates

otherwise. Similarly, if there are profits in the account, you are free to

withdraw them or leave the money available for reinvestment. You have complete

control over your account and can deposit additional funds, withdraw funds,

or stop trading any time. top

22. What is a Commidity Trading Advisor (CTA)?

CTAs are federally licensed and registered, professional money managers

who manage investors’ assets in the futures markets, just as a stock

mutual fund manager would manage assets in the stock market. CTAs are required

by the federal government to submit a Disclosure Document that outlines who

they are, states the fees and expenses charged to accounts, and reveals their

performance track record. Numerous studies have shown professional Commodity

Trading Advisors experience an impressively higher success rate than the individual

“do-it-yourself” trader. Through CTA-managed accounts, investors

can access emerging profit opportunities in important international markets

unavailable in traditional investment portfolios.

top

23. How much money should I invest in managed futures

and how do I open an account?

We recommend that the amount of money you invest be based on your own financial

goals and risk tolerance. This should usually be approximately 5% to 20% of

your overall portfolio. Only risk capital should be used in managed futures

or any speculative investment. Before opening an account you must be supplied

with a copy of the CTA’s Disclosure Document. Read it carefully and go over

any questions you have with your Heritage West broker before you invest. After

your questions have been answered and you feel this type of investing is appropriate

for you, we will help you to complete the CTA management agreement and REFCO

Customer Agreement forms which you will need to return to our offices for

processing.top

24. Why would I need managed futures if I were already

trading futures?

Trading your own account limits your returns to your own ability and system.

By employing CTAs who have a good performance record, you are developing a

diversified portfolio of your own. Thus you can gain even greater benefits

from having futures in your portfolio. top

25. Can I invest a portion of my retirement portfolio

in managed futures?

Absolutely. Managed futures are ideal for the long-term profile of retirement

plans. Investors can choose those products that offer a level of volatility

appropriate to their retirement objectives. Managed futures, therefore, make

extraordinarily beneficial long-term additions to an IRA by diversifying among

asset categories with low to negative correlation. top

26. Are managed futures riskier than stocks?

On a level playing field, managed futures are no riskier than stocks. However,

it is important to understand that the use of leverage available in futures

creates the potential for unlimited risk. The prudent use of this leverage

is one of the most important money management rules in futures trading. Stocks

and futures are both investment vehicles employed by money managers as a means

of making profits. Some managers succeed where others falter. Remember, it’s

not the investment vehicle that makes or loses money, but rather the money

manager’s skills and abilities that will determine results. In his June

2002 academic study, “Benefits of Managed futures,” Thomas Schneeweis,

Professor of Finance, at the University of Massachusetts states:

“Managed futures are not more risky than traditional equity investment.

Investment in a single commodity trading advisor is shown to have risks and

returns, which are similar to investment in a single equity. Moreover, a portfolio

of commodity trading advisors is also shown to have risks and returns which

are similar to traditional equity portfolio investments.” top

27. Are there any tax benefits to investing in managed

futures?

According to the Tax Act of 1981, short-term profits (held for less than

one year) in commodities are treated as 60% long term and 40% short term.

On the other hand, short-term trading profits in stocks are treated as 100%

short term. For investors in higher tax brackets, this tax treatment can mean

saving as much as 30% on taxes on short-term gains on commodities versus stocks!

top

Back to top

So what i’m suggesting is that instead of going through the increasingly painful hassle of property, find a local futures exchange and open an account. Kontak Perkasa Futures is one such company. The Bali branch was opened in 2007.

A bit about gold. Following the California gold discovery of 1848, North America became the world’s major gold supplier; from 1850 to 1875, more gold was discovered than in the previous 350 years. By 1890, the gold fields of Alaska and the Yukon were the principal sources of supply and, shortly afterwards, discoveries in the African Transvaal indicated deposits that exceeded even these. Today, the principal gold producing countries include South Africa, the United States, Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, and Russia.

With the banks offering such incredibly low interest rates now is the time to get your money to work for you. Opening an account with a broker and having a trader make money for you sounds great, but there is a flip side. The risk, there is always the chance of losing your money so be careful, when you are meeting your broker go through in detail how much loss is acceptable, this will basically let your broker know how aggressive you want them to be with your account, the general rule of thumb is low risk low reward and visa versa.

for more information on day trading gold please email me

Mr P.

Dealing with the local populous in any way can be a harrowing and frustrating event, from the no returns policy in almost ever store (some now give a 3 day exchange option) to your internet provider mysteriously cutting you off, lets not get into immigration or the police, taxi drivers or beach hawkers just yet, there are an unlimited number of ways your day can be wasted while living in Bali.

• My number 1 time waster is the now horrendous traffic, it used to take me about 15min (by car) to get from double 6 to kuta, it now takes that long just to get out of the car park. I timed a recent trip into Kuta on a Thursday afternoon from Bali Deli it took me almost an hour and a half to get to poppies 2 on legian, its took a further 30min to get to the beach! Sure i was in a car and its much quicker by bike, until its not.

Figures recently released showed that there was a 12% increase in car owners in Bali, with only a 2% increase in new roads over the last year (2010). Doing the math makes my brain hurt so i wont but it seems that very soon there will be total gridlock in the south of Bali. There are several way to combat this apart from the local gov creating new roads, the first thing i would do is put a limit on the number of taxis allowed on the road at any one time. I’m sure i’m not the only one who has looked down a road to see maybe 6 or 7 taxis lined up moving slowly beeping at any pedestrian that is in the area. Of course any ideas that could be helpful will be quickly by-passed by corruption any way so whats the point in wasting time thinking of solutions?

• My number 2 waste of time is a relatively small one, waiting at the petrol station! god seriously while your watching the guy or girl pour petrol into your bike why not get you money out, you all ready know how much its going to cost, take the keys out of the seat and put them back into the ignition and get off your phone! no-one likes stopping for petrol its a ball-ache but its a necessity, one that could take considerably less time if everyone was a little more switched on.

• Number 3 going back to find out the price has increased! oh dear god this annoys the crap out of me. Seriously if you give me a quote i damn well expect that quote to be what i pay, apparently the Balinese don’t think so, a quote is a number plucked out of thin air, and although it will never be cheaper it will most of the time increase. Its is quite commonplace to hear stories of the price of something doubling for no apparent reason! of course its not ready anyway, so its kind of like a late tax that the customer pays. The reality is that most of the time the guy/girl that took your order and deposit has just spent your money on something unrelated to your purchase, and they extra money they are now charging you is the actual price of what ever you asked for.

Trying to get a refund is akin to a tooth being pulled in 1680, one of the big rules of business in bali is once i have your money your not getting it back. Ever. I recently bought a laptop, at about $1200 it wasn’t a small buy, within 3 months the motherboard had crapped out, i took it back to the shop and was told that it would have to be sent to Jakarta for repairs, 4 to 8 week turnaround time! ‘fine but its under guarantee right so its free’ a nodding smile was the only response, worrying, very worrying. 6 weeks later i received a phone call from the TOSHIBA repair center in Jakarta, they were ringing to tell me that there was a water stain on the outside and so the guarantee was invalid and i would be charged $750 if i wanted to fix the laptop! its still sitting un fixed at my feet!

There are a couple of everyday annoyances that get to me, I’m late for a meeting now but i know that I’ll still be the first one there by 15min after i have another cup of coffee and a shower…

Mr P.

If anyone has not been replied to i’m sorry, i am in the process of going through the comments and questions now and i will try to answer any questions that still seem relevant.

Have a great weekend

Mr P.

The competition will be used as the instrument to promote and socialization of the event to the society. The young talented Indonesian children participate to the event, especially in Bali. The objective of this competition is to give the new experience to the young musician, in technically and ability to create the songs. The audition systems are submitting the demo on cd and perform on the stage.

On the opening ceremony, 1000 candles will be lit and the winning song will be sung. The location of Kuta Carnival will be at Kuta beach – Bali. The previous of series of event such as Turtle Release, Kite Festival, Balinese Arts, Cartoon exhibitions, Movie Screening, Bali Food Festival, Sand Sculpture Competition, movie screening, DJ session, children playground and lot of other entertainment activities.

Come and enjoy an event featuring fun, entertainment, tasty food, beach activities and lots more happening at Kuta Beach, Bali.

Mr P.

Ketut Teneng, the spokesman for the Bali provincial government, said that 93 people have died after suffering dog bites. Of that total, he said, 41 of those deaths were clinically linked to rabies through laboratory tests on the victims. The remaining victims were buried without aid of laboratory test but after exhibiting symptoms consistent with a rabies infection. The number of new dog bites reported in Bali remains very high.

On an average day 165 people are bitten by dogs in Bali, adding to widespread fear among visitors and local of the danger of contamination with a potentially fatal disease. Teneng said the elimination of stray dogs must continue, adding “this does not have to done by government officials who kill the dogs, but also by the public who undertake the elimination of stray animals.” Saying the threat of infection is before “our very eyes,” Teneng pointed to the high number of stray dogs living in Bali resulting in a greater risk of dog bites and possible infection with rabies.

“We have a clear choice, do you want to get rabies or not? If we allow the dog population to grow it means the chance of getting rabies is also high,” said Teneng. Teneng said that for the year 2010 through September 2nd, a total of 37,901 dog bites have been inflicted on Bali residents. From that total, 34,485 victims have been treated with rabies anti-serum. These figures show a dramatic increase over 2009 when only 21,806 dog bite were reported of which 18,825 victims received anti-rabies serum. According to the chief health officer for Bali, Dr. Nyoman Sutedja, the costs of fighting rabies in Bali is substantial.

In 2009 the provincial government of Bali spent Rp. 6.5 billion, Bali regencies Rp. 3.5 billion and the central government contributed Rp. 15 billion to Bali’s anti-rabies campaign resulting in total expenditures of Rp. 25 billion (US$2.7 million). In 2010 the total spent in combating rabies is expected to rise.

The above is an article taken from bali discovery. If you are coming to Bali soon please make sure that you have your pre-exposure rabies shots.

The Bali Spirit Festival in Ubud has all ready attracted quite a line up of guest stars and more than a couple of very limber looking yoga types! yes I know less about yoga than i do about the process of refining D.N.A!

With the emphasis split two ways, firstly on the yoga, dance and energy movement during daylight and secondly in the evenings a musical theme prevailing there will surely be something to be had for all.

If your into this sort of thing the festival starts at 5pm on march the 31th with a private invitation only ‘party’, for the rest of us the festival runs from the evening of the 31st of march to the 4th of April.

With so much planning that has obviously gone into this singular event and knowing that its the 3rd (annually) gives some much needed credibility to the event its self! Its unsuall for me to be interested enough to go along to something like this but for a day out it seems like its a no brainer.

BaliSpirit Festival SINGLE Day Pass!
ONE FULL DAY of Workshops and Music on April 1, April 2, April 3 or April 4, 2010

Includes:

Published Price Rp.1,250,000

Have a look on their web site, for a complete line up of guest speakers, master classes and headlining bands. Names include:

Yoga

• Akasha Tobias a.k.a Sky
• Ananda Leone
• Bridget Woods Kramer
• Carole Baillargeon
• Cat Kabira
• Daniel Aaron

Music

• Afro Moses
• AJ
• Amae Love
• Brian Parks a.k.a BKP
• Cheb I Sabbah
• Cye Wood
• Daphne Tse

Dance & Movement

• AmaLia Wai Ching Lee
• BR Indra Udayana
• Bulantrisna Djelantik
• Circles of Alchemy
• Cloe Jackson
• Cudamani
• Daniel Li Ox

Also of note is the children s programming If your thinking about taking kids, have something for them to do! it seems like there are some sort of classes for the kids but the web site is a little muddy on the subject!

Mr P.

1. Follow Your Curiosity “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

What piques your curiosity? I am curious as to what causes one person to succeed while another person fails; this is why I’ve spent years studying success. What are you most curious about? The pursuit of your curiosity is the secret to your success.

2. Perseverance is Priceless “It’s not that I’m so smart; it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

Through perseverance the turtle reached the ark. Are you willing to persevere until you get to your intended destination? They say the entire value of the postage stamp consist in its ability to stick to something until it gets there. Be like the postage stamp; finish the race that you’ve started!

3. Focus on the Present “Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”

My father always says you cannot ride two horses at the same time. I like to say, you can do anything, but not everything. Learn to be present where you are; give your all to whatever you’re currently doing. Focused energy is power, and it’s the difference between success and failure.

4. The Imagination is Powerful “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions. Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

Are you using your imagination daily? Einstein said the imagination is more important than knowledge! Your imagination pre-plays your future. Einstein went on to say, “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination.” Are you exercising your “imagination muscles” daily, don’t let something as powerful as your imagination lie dormant.

5. Make Mistakes “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

Never be afraid of making a mistake. A mistake is not a failure. Mistakes can make you better, smarter and faster, if you utilize them properly. Discover the power of making mistakes. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, if you want to succeed, triple the amount of mistakes that you make.

6. Live in the Moment “I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.”

The only way to properly address your future is to be as present as possible “in the present.” You cannot “presently” change yesterday or tomorrow, so it’s of supreme importance that you dedicate all of your efforts to “right now.” It’s the only time that matters, it’s the only time there is.

7. Create Value “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”

Don’t waste your time trying to be successful, spend your time creating value. If you’re valuable, then you will attract success. Discover the talents and gifts that you possess, learn how to offer those talents and gifts in a way that most benefits others. Labor to be valuable and success will chase you down.

8. Don’t Expect Different Results “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

You can’t keep doing the same thing everyday and expect different results. In other words, you can’t keep doing the same workout routine and expect to look differently. In order for your life to change, you must change, to the degree that you change your actions and your thinking is to the degree that your life will change.

9. Knowledge Comes From Experience “Information is not knowledge. The only source of knowledge is experience.”

Knowledge comes from experience. You can discuss a task, but discussion will only give you a philosophical understanding of it; you must experience the task first hand to “know it.” What’s the lesson? Get experience! Don’t spend your time hiding behind speculative information, go out there and do it, and you will have gained priceless knowledge.

10. Learn the Rules and Then Play Better “You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”

To put it all in simple terms, there are two things that you must do. The first thing you must do is to learn the rules of the game that you’re playing. It doesn’t sound exciting, but it’s vital. Secondly, you must commit to play the game better than anyone else. If you can do these two things, success will be yours!

Well having recently realized this i decided to take matters into my own hands. When i was younger than i am now my parents were very social creatures, my mom was particularly social. She carried memberships to gyms, running clubs, book clubs, cooking classes, diy evening classes & various other groups and forums.

One such Group was the Teign Valley Hash Hound Harriers or TVH³, a running group (they like to say that they are drinkers with a running problem!). The basic idea of the hash is for a group of like minded people to get together once or twice a week, run around the country side for a couple of hours then proceed to get drunk.

The Hash was started by an american gi, The Hash originated in Malaysia in the 1930′ies when soldiers adapted the kids game Hares & Hounds -in which a hare creates a trail for a the hounds to follow-. The soldiers made sure the trail ended at “the hash house-”, that poured cold ones.

Now there are some 2000 chapters all around the world, all with the same goals, to break up the weekly monotony of life with a bit of exercise and a couple of cold ones. Having successfully managed to avoid any form of fitness for a couple of years now i was a bit dubious about re-initiating my self into the world of hashing, but a couple of drinking buddies managed to talk me into it. There seem to be 2 Hash chapters here in bali, BH³1 and BH³2. Due to other commitments i was only avilabe on Saturday so we joined the BH³2 for what was to be a simple 1 hour run around the paddy feilds of Ubud!

At this point i feel like i should inform you about some of the finer points of the Hashing fraternity. Firstly Hash names, after a you have done a few hashes you will be awarded a hash name, these are usually crass, crude and or vulger nick names, some examples from the Bali Hash are ‘FUCK CHUM’, ‘SPAGHETTI BENDER’, ‘DRUNKEN BASTARD’ & ‘PASSING WIND’. My hash name is Whinger! I’m quite sure that there is some irony in the choosing of names but its not really something you get any choice about.

Secondly instead of just running around a track or a course you follow what is know as a paper trail, keeping true to the origins there are hares (people in charge of laying the course, setting the meeting point, getting permission for crossing land, sorting out the beer truck etc etc), and there are hounds (people who follow the paper trail, drink beer and generally complain about everything that they can). The Hares usually lay 2 courses, a short and a long. In the course there are times when you will come across a ‘check’, this is usually a split in the road, a junction of some description where there are 2 or more possible ways forward, only one way is the right way, the others are dead-ends.

While hashing there are some key terms that are used to establish whats going on, shouts like ‘ON-ON’, ‘ARE YOU’ &  ‘CHECKING’ are common place and really help to make you feel like part of the group.

People who are new to the Hash are called (obviously) virgins, and accordingly will be called on to do a couple of down-downs. Down-downs are punishments (/awards depending on how you look at it), in which the hasher is called in to the circle at the on-in (the start/finish point) and made to down a glass of beer. Down-downs are awarded for some of the most ridiculous reasons, for example a hasher with new shoes will be made to drink a beer from them!

That I think about covers the basics. The Hash i was on was based out of Goa Gajah close to Ubud. After paying the subs (100,000rp to cover beer etc), and a brief briefing from the hash Master who explained the length, type and difficulty of the long and the short we were off.

Running is running right? well yes and no! About 30min in to the estimated 1h30min run it started to rain, like proper bali rain. my iPod craps out and the new shoes i had thought were the right size turned out to be a little tight to run in. Yes I got lost, yes i went through rice paddys up to my knees, yes i crossed a river at the wrong point and had a quick swim, yes i whinged the whole way through. The Hares had done a great  job in laying the course, even though the rain did its best to wash away the paper trail it was still visible.

Total distance covered 6k, time taken 2hours, physical recovery time est 3 days.

With the end in sight the 3 (yeti, myself & wooden eye) of us who managed to stick together jogged into the on-in feeling a real sense of accomplishment. More over the sight of the beer truck was uplifting to say the least! Everyone (about 40 hashers) mills around swapping stories of getting trapped in bogs, getting lost, and of course drinking that well deserved ice cold beer. Two of the girls had us a little worried as they didn’t manage to get back for another 2 hours, but they did make it back!

Hashing is well worth the effort, its one of those little social gems that can really make your week. If you want more info on the Bali Hash look up their website, or email the hash master.

Nb,If your not so much a runner you can always walk the course.

Mr P.

What does all this mean? I just dont know…