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I find it interesting that only one of my two questions was answered. The fact that my question ( Q&A #5 )
was omitted leads me to believe that HRCT will once again miss a stated deadline. Oh, well, there's always 2003!
OT: I heard rumor that people are getting ' high ' and then clicking on the IHUB HRCT board for the Holiday light show. Hey, whatever works to attract new investors!
OT: EZ - Rule of thumb #1: When CALY goes under a dime, it's buying time! :)
Hey, what's going on around here? You people sleeping? Wake up!
It's time for HRCT to Rock & Roll!!! Looking for a BIG market day. Congratulations to all the MIAMI HURRICANES fans for an outstanding season. Ohio State, don't even bother to show up...go to Hawaii.
OT: Found this story appropriate for Thanksgiving Weekend.
http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/11/29/ring.memories/index.html
OT: And then there was one ( to go )....
No. 1 Miami Pounds Syracuse
For 33rd Consecutive Victory
By JOHN KEKIS
The Associated Press
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (Nov. 30) -- Miami played like the No. 1 team right from the start against Syracuse. Just one more victory, and the Hurricanes will defend their national title in the Fiesta Bowl.
Ken Dorsey threw for two touchdowns and Willis McGahee scored on runs of 61 and 51 yards as the Hurricanes won 49-7 Saturday to extend their winning streak to 33 games, the best in Division I-A.
Barring an upset by Virginia Tech in Miami next week, the 'Canes (11-0, 6-0 Big East) will finish No. 1 in the Bowl Championship Series standings, setting up a showdown against No. 2 Ohio State (13-0) for the national title in Tempe, Ariz., on Jan. 3.
The Orangemen (4-8, 2-5), who finished with their first losing season since 1986, came in as 20-point underdogs, and they were no match for Miami, which had won the previous two meetings by a combined score of 85-0.
Financial Times ( FT.com ) Article Worth the Read.
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=103...
Shanghai polishes its PR to woo big business
by Richard McGregor in Shanghai
Published: November 28 2002 21:02 / Last Updated: November 28 2002 21:02
If Shanghai's leaders want advice on attracting multinationals to establish their regional headquarters in the city, they could ask someone like Daniel Vassella, the chairman of Novartis, the Swiss pharmaceuticals company.
As the handpicked head of the mayor's international business advisory group, Mr Vassella was full of praise for the city when he and other foreign executives met city leaders in Shanghai earlier this month.
But he is not yet ready to move his company's Asian base there. It was not an option right now, he said, listing off the top of his head some of the immediate obstacles: flight connections; does your family want to go there; is there a school available for children and so on.
The Novartis headquarters is in Singapore, but Shanghai's main competition is with Hong Kong, the city that supplanted it as China's gateway to the world after the Communist revolution in 1949.
The battle between Shanghai and Hong Kong may not be a zero sum game, as both sit at the entrances to the vast and largely independent economic regions of the Yangtze and the Pearl river deltas respectively.
But as politely as the game between the two cities is played on the surface, the brutal truth is that attracting business to one can mean a real economic loss for the other.
Shanghai has rolled out a series of policies to attract companies, constantly refining and tweaking them. Multinationals that make Shanghai their regional base get immediate national treatment in some sectors, easier access to import and export licences and a range of other privileges.
In spite of limited success, Shanghai has so far displayed an acute sense of public relations that has helped it gained a clear psychological edge over Hong Kong.
Shanghai's vaulting ambition, backed by a decade of double-digit economic growth and the promise of much more to come, has also proved intimidating for cities trying to compete against it.
At this month's meeting, Chen Liangyu, now the mayor and party secretary, said Shanghai wanted to be one of the world's most prominent business educational and cultural centres by 2010.
The city's success has also galvanised the two provinces around it, Zhejiang and Jiangsu, which have thriving private economies and export-oriented industries. "All of the cities around here want to develop with the help of Shanghai," said Shi Haiyan, of the Hangzhou Textile Bureau.
But as the example of Mr Vassella's own company illustrates, not every foreign multinational trying to crack the China market has compelling reasons to be based in Shanghai.
The first company to make the move, and receive the benefits, was Alcatel, the French telecommunications company, which had just completed a sensitive takeover of its Shanghai-based joint venture partner.
Siemens, the German conglomerate, has recently moved the regional base of its mobile phone division from Hong Kong to Shanghai, motivated by much the same reasons as Alcatel. Both companies get political points, but, more importantly, get closer to the fastest growing telecoms markets in the world and its mobile subscriber base of 170m people.
Other companies that have headquartered in Shanghai - with each receiving a certificate to mark their decision in a blaze of publicity - include Suntory, Mitsubishi and Honeywell.
In pharmaceuticals, where foreign companies will not be able to gain a large market share for many years to come against China's low-cost producers of mostly generic drugs, there are less compelling reasons to move.
The same applies for a much more strategic sector for Shanghai, finance, where China's closed capital account makes Hong Kong a much better base.
Shanghai's legal system remains years behind that of Hong Kong and is still under the control of the Communist party, in spite of official rhetoric that it should operate independently.
Even China's efforts to turn Shanghai into a thriving domestic finance sector have stumbled on the cautious policies of Beijing's top leaders, who remain suspicious of the sector. There are signs of change here, though, with China on the verge of a consumer banking revolution and a gradual opening of its funds management industry on a timetable laid out by the World Trade Organisation.
The Shanghai government, too, has begun to explore ways to build up the finance sector, something it was reluctant to do too aggressively before for fear of upsetting Hong Kong.
Although it is unlikely to happen soon, another event - the introduction of now-banned direct flights between Taiwan and China - would instantaneously shift business to Shanghai, already a magnet for Taiwanese investors.
Hong Kong's perennially downbeat mood in the face of Shanghai's optimism and drive brings only a patronising dismissal from China's commercial capital.
"They should stop complaining," said one government official this week. "They have had their shark fin soup for too long."
December Q&A~~~~What's on your mind!..Aloha
1. Are we involved with MJ-Ed any more..I have noticed their web site is down..
2. With a larger more profitable Hrct in our future, are there any plans to change exchanges in the near future?..NYSE..AMEX...Nasdaq?
3. While we know part of David Chen's mission was the SHM & meeting w/ shareholders in Miami, NYC and Frankfurt, can you tell us "what else" specific to the business was accomplished on his world tour ?
4. We have heard for an extended timeframe rumors of one or more Hartcourt(subsidiary) financial magazines. What is status?
5. In the last Q&A, it was implied that shareholders would know the direction HRCT was taking by the end of the year ( 2002 ). Is this time frame still realistic?
6. As a LONG, it appears to me that HRCT has encountered various difficulties in meeting deadlines, fulfilling promises, etc. Reasons provided for these delays have been as creative as " it got lost in the mail!" Case in point, ETLK dividend shares. This has resulted in a credibility problem and has hurt the company in the short term. What, if anything, is being done to correct these delays in the future?
December Q&A~~~~What's on your mind!..Aloha
1. Are we involved with MJ-Ed any more..I have noticed their web site is down..
2. With a larger more profitable Hrct in our future, are there any plans to change exchanges in the near future?..NYSE..AMEX...Nasdaq?
3. While we know part of David Chen's mission was the SHM & meeting w/ shareholders in Miami, NYC and Frankfurt, can you tell us "what else" specific to the business was accomplished on his world tour ?
4. We have heard for an extended timeframe rumors of one or more Hartcourt(subsidiary) financial magazines. What is status?
5. In the last Q&A, it was implied that shareholders would know the direction HRCT was taking by the end of the year ( 2002 ). Is this time frame still realistic?
Yes, why worry, as LONG as they are there in time for the Olympics!
OT: Subject: A HALLOWEEN TALE
A COUPLE WAS INVITED TO A SWANKY MASKED HALLOWEEN PARTY. SHE GOT A
TERRIBLE HEADACHE AND TOLD HER HUSBAND TO GO TO THE PARTY ALONE.
HE, BEING THE DEVOTED HUSBAND, PROTESTED, BUT SHE ARGUED AND SAID SHE WAS
GOING TO TAKE SOME ASPIRIN AND GO TO BED AND THERE WAS NO NEED OF HIS GOOD
TIME BEING SPOILED BY NOT GOING.
SO, HE TOOK HIS COSTUME AND AWAY HE WENT. THE WIFE, AFTER SLEEPING SOUNDLY
FOR ONE HOUR, AWAKENED WITHOUT PAIN AND, SINCE IT WAS STILL EARLY, SHE
DECIDED TO GO TO THE PARTY.
SINCE HER HUSBAND DID NOT KNOW WHAT HER COSTUME WAS, SHE THOUGHT SHE WOULD
HAVE SOME FUN BY WATCHING HER HUSBAND TO SEE HOW HE ACTED WHEN SHE WAS NOT
WITH HIM.
SHE JOINED THE PARTY AND SOON SPOTTED HER HUSBAND CAVORTING AROUND ON THE
DANCE FLOOR, DANCING WITH EVERY NICE CHICK HE COULD AND COPPING A LITTLE
FEEL HERE AND A LITTLE KISS THERE. HIS WIFE SIDLED UP TO HIM AND, BEING A
RATHER SEDUCTIVE LADY HERSELF, HE LEFT HIS PARTNER HIGH AND DRY AND DEVOTED
HIS TIME TO THE NEW STUFF THAT HAD JUST ARRIVED. SHE LET HIM GO AS FAR AS HE
WISHED, NATURALLY, SINCE HE WAS HER HUSBAND.
FINALLY, HE WHISPERED A LITTLE PROPOSITION IN HER EAR AND SHE AGREED, SO
OFF THEY WENT TO ONE OF THE CARS AND HAD SEX.
JUST BEFORE UNMASKING AT MIDNIGHT SHE SLIPPED AWAY AND WENT HOME AND PUT
THE COSTUME AWAY AND GOT INTO BED, WONDERING WHAT KIND OF EXPLANATION HE
WOULD MAKE FOR HIS BEHAVIOR.
SHE WAS SITTING UP READING WHEN HE CAME IN AND ASKED HIM WHAT KIND OF TIME
HE HAD. HE SAID, "OH, THE SAME OLD THING. YOU KNOW I NEVER HAVE A GOOD TIME
WHEN YOU'RE NOT THERE." THEN SHE ASKED, "DID YOU DANCE MUCH?"
HE REPLIED, "I"LL TELL YOU, I NEVER EVEN DANCED ONE DANCE. WHEN I GOT
THERE I MET PETE, BILL BROWN AND SOME OTHER GUYS, SO WE WENT INTO THE DEN
AND PLAYED POKER ALL EVENING.....BUT YOU'RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED
TO THE GUY I LOANED MY COSTUME TO."
I believe that HRCT management is being very shrewd. IMO, they have planned for our ETLK shares to be ' delivered ' on Wednesday so that we all have something to be THANKFUL for. Hey, you know what, I like that...a company that plans things out.
MBR - You're in China? I didn't know that!
MBR - I understand, from a very reliable informant, that your " consulting shares " will, in fact, be bundled with your ETLK dividend shares and should arrive in approximately two weeks.
OT: National Military Appreciation Month
Friends,
The Dept. of Defense has an online site where you can go to sign a brief
"thank-you" message to the men and women defending our freedom. As
Thanksgiving approaches, their service is surely one of the things for
which we give thanks. Let's let them know.
Here is the link; http://www.defendamerica.mil/nmam.html
It only takes 10 seconds. Please pass this along.
Many thanks!
OT: Friday Night Humor
HOW TO UNDERSTAND ENGINEERS:
Comprehending Engineers - first story:
*****************************
Two engineering students were walking across
campus when one said, "Where did you get such a great bike?" The second engineer replied, "Well, I was walking along yesterday minding my own business when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike. She threw the bike to the
ground, took off all her clothes and said, "Take what you want." The second engineer nodded approvingly, "Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn't have fit."
Comprehending Engineers - Take Two
*****************************
To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice
as big as it needs to be.
Comprehending Engineers-Take Three
*******************************
A pastor, a doctor and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers. The engineer
fumed, "What's with these guys? We must have been waiting for 15 minutes!" The doctor chimed in, "I don't know, but I've never seen such ineptitude! "The pastor said,"Hey, here comes the Greens keeper. Let's have a word with him." [dramatic pause] "Hi George. Say, what's with that group ahead of us? They're rather slow,aren't they?"
The greens keeper replied, "Oh, yes, that's a group of blind fire-fighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhous from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime." The group was silent for a moment.
The pastor said, "That's so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight." The doctor said, "Good idea. And
I'm going to contact my ophthalmologist buddy and see if there's anything he can do for
them." The engineer said, "Why can't these guys play at night?"
Comprehending Engineers-Take Four
*****************************
What is the difference between Mechanical Engineers and Civil Engineers?
Mechanical Engineers build weapons. Civil Engineers build targets.
Comprehending Engineers-Take five
*****************************
Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body. One said, "It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints." Another said, "No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections." The last said, "Actually it was a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?"
Comprehending Engineers-Take Six
*****************************
An architect, an artist and an engineer were discussing whether it was better to spend time with your wife or a mistress. The architect said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a solid foundation for an enduring relationship. The artist said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because of the passion and mystery he found there. The engineer said, "I
like both." "Both?" Engineer: "Yeah. If you have a wife and a mistress, they will each assume you are spending time with the other woman, and you can go to the lab and get some work done."
Comprehending Engineers - Take Seven
**************************************
An engineer was crossing a road one day when a frog called out to him. He went over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket. The frog spoke up again and said, "If you kiss me I will turn into a beautiful princess, and stay with you forever." The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket. The frog then cried out, "If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I'll stay with you and do ANYTHING you want." Again the
engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.
Finally, the frog asked, "What is the matter? I've told you I'm a beautiful princess, that I'll stay with you forever and do anything you want. Why won't you kiss me?"
The engineer said, "Look I'm an engineer. I don't have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now THAT'S cool."
Thanks for both the objective information and your subjective impressions of David Chen. Hopefully, he will be able to accomplish what has eluded his equally impressive predecessors. However, to " guarantee " a good Q1 is either a sign of confidence or naivete. Lets hope it's the former.
OT: I was unable to watch the entire game because of a prior engagement, but we did see the last quarter. Miami needs to be careful, Syracuse has already pulled off an upset this year and playing in the Carrier Dome can be difficult for visiting teams. Also, Virginia Tech can salvage their season by knocking the Canes off. However, for now...
The #1 Miami Hurricanes Remain Undefeated
OT: IMAN, it's called " diversification. " You know, like HRCT's strategy!
OT: Unlike the Arizona D-BACKS ( Sorry, IMAN ) the Canes shall repeat...http://hurricanesports.ocsn.com/sports/m-footbl/mifl-footbl-2001-champs.html
AGREED!!!
DC100 - Listen, if you are tired of waiting for the HRCT ship to come in stop your whining, SELL and MOVE ON...what's wrong with you? lol ( I trust you realize that I am teasing ).
Heck man, this is New York, you don't need to go to a medical facility for meds! LOL
G/M fellow HRCT LONGS! Well, did that NY SHM ever happen? If so, did anyone attend? Knowing that a number of shareholders have emailed the company and that HRCT personnel read this board, I find it amazing that there has been absolute silence from the company. I know, they responded via the Q&A, they held the meetings, yada yada yada...but, have they really told us anything? I think not! Lets go management, let today be the day, break the silence and give us an idea of just what is going on....please!!!! Okay, I feel better. Time to start the day. GO CANES and GO HRCT
OT: The Cane heritage tradition has been established for years. It is common practice for alumni to call current players to discuss the approaching game. Ex-players, if in the vicinity, will also show for games and can be seen on the sidelines. However, in the eyes of the press, they will never be fully free of the bad boy image they once fostered ( recall when the entire team off loaded at an away game in combat fatiques/utilities ).
OT: After Miami defeats Pitt, I would like to see Michigan hand Ohio State another loss...just to further demonstrate the ridiculousness of the current ranking system.
GO CANES and GO HRCT !!!
OT: Remember when the Canes decided to go for the upset win against ND and missed the two point conversion? Very sad night on campus...
OT: solon - are you in Coral Gables? I was there in the late '60s. Freshman football team was housed in the new coed, twin towers dorm. Classmate of the " Stork. "
OT: Well, how's about a little positivity today? I'll start...
Miami Hurricanes Ranked #1 and the NY Rangers win in OT!
OT: 'olddog ' God bless you if you were there to witness the 1849 Gold Rush!
I believe that a number of current HRCT shareholders, including myself, are presently considering that exact scenario. IMO, if HRCT fails to acquire a profitable company and/or show a profit in Q1 2003, today's pps will be looking GREAT in April 2003, if not sooner!
OT: Ways to make money while waiting for the HRCT ship to arrive:
Subject: Stella Awards
It's time once again to consider the candidates for the annual Stella Awards.
The Stella's are named after 81-year-old Stella Liebeck who spilled coffee on herself and successfully sued
McDonalds. That case inspired the Stella Awards for the most frivolous successful lawsuits in the United
States.
The following are this year's candidates:
1.Kathleen Robertson of Austin, Texas, was awarded $780,000 by a jury
of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was
running inside a furniture store. The owners of the store were
understandably surprised at the verdict,
considering the misbehaving little toddler was Ms. Robertson's son.
2.A 19-year-old Carl Truman of Los Angeles won $74,000 and medical
expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Mr.
Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car
when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hub caps.
3.Terrence Dickson of Bristol, Pennsylvania, was leaving a house he
had just finished robbing by way of the garage. He was not able to get the
garage door to go up since the automatic door opener was malfunctioning.
He couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the house
and garage locked when he pulled it shut. The family was on vacation, and
Mr. Dickson found himself locked in the garage for eight days. He
subsisted
on a case of Pepsi he found, and a large bag of dry dog food. He sued
the homeowner's insurance claiming the situation caused him undue mental
anguish. The jury agreed to the tune of $500,000.
4.Jerry Williams of Little Rock, Arkansas, was awarded $14,500 and
medical expenses after being bitten on the buttocks by his next door
neighbor's beagle. The beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced
yard. The award was less than sought because the jury felt the dog might
have been just a little provoked at the time by Mr. Williams who was
shooting it repeatedly with a pellet gun.
5.A Philadelphia restaurant was ordered to pay Amber Carson of
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, $113,500 after she slipped on a soft drink and
broke
her coccyx (tailbone). The beverage was on the floor because Ms. Carson
had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument.
6.Kara Walton of Claymont, Delaware, successfully sued the owner of a
night club in a neighboring city when she fell from the bathroom window
to the floor and knocked out her two front teeth. This occurred while Ms.
Walton was trying to sneak through the window in the ladies room to
avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge. She was awarded $12,000 and dental
expenses.
7.This year's favorite could easily be Mr. Merv Grazinski of Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma. Mr. Grazinski purchased a brand new 32-foot Winnebago
motor home. On his first trip home, having driven onto the freeway,
he set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the drivers seat to
go into the back and make himself a cup of coffee. Not surprisingly, the
R.V. left the freeway, crashed and overturned. Mr. Grazinski sued
Winnebago
for not advising him in the owner's manual that he couldn't actually do
this. The jury awarded him $1,750,000 plus a new motor home. The company
actually changed their manuals on the basis of this suit, just in case
there were any other complete morons buying their recreation vehicles.
solon - I appreciate the sharing of your 'interrogation' and observations at the SHM. For the record, I am not bailing at this time, just questioning the wisdom of my investment. However, it does seem, at times, that the carrot is being constantly moved (i.e." just a few more weeks ")in an attempt to keep investors on the hook. I have waited 3 years and have been supportive of HRCT for the greater part of that time. I am now waiting to see if the latest stated objective comes to fruition. IT IS NOW TIME FOR HRCT TO PRODUCE!!!
EZ - I understand the logic behind your decision to attend the SHMs. I met Dr. Phan in NYC for the same reason. My issue is not with the personalities of HRCT management, but with their consistent inability to actualize stated objectives. However, at some point, no matter how much I might like and respect an individual ( be it doctor, lawyer, or CEO ) his/her failure to achieve results is cause for re-evaluation.
EZ - I'm " just wanting to find something to complain about, " come now, you can do better than that. lol
mmayr -
Personally, I do not wish to hear about any more deals until all the the "i"s have been dotted and all the "t"s crossed! As for traveling over the Holidays, I could wait until January to hear good news...couldn't you? :)
mmayr -
I understand his possible motives, but with this ' big ' deal projected as occurring by the end of the year, the question is
would a month have made such a difference?
Since the HRCT management indicated, in one of the Q&A's, that the company's direction would become clear by end of the year why not wait to hold these SHMs? Having a " big " acquisition or recently completed ' deal ' to discuss would have possibly generated more new potential investor interest and attendance. Would this not have been a more effective use of shareholder money? It appears that these present meetings have added nothing substantial to our fund of knowledge and was a clear case of preaching to the choir. I do not plan on attending another SHM until HRCT management has something of substance to report. However, if I simply need to feel good, I can think of several other more enjoyable activities I could do!
After reading the SHM summaries, this weekend, I had the same thoughts as shovel. It reminded me of the encounter groups of the 1960's and 1970's. Everyone who attended came away feeling good, but once back in the world, it didn't take too long for reality to sink in. I guess in time ( 1Q '03? ) we will know if HRCT truly has a viable business plan or if our dedicated meeting attendees were simply riding an emotional high.
Either way, I do appreciate and thank all those who took the time to both attend and report.
Muell - Last time I bought was at .085 and .08. Hope to see some significant increase in EARLY 2003 if not before. However, you and I are not " new timers " and without them, we
aren't going very high!