My journey in this life...: March 2010

Sports Blimp...

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

World Cup Fever

Yes all you sports fans, the fever has started. The temperature is still tolerable, but it is getting warmer by the day. We have 84 days to go before the World Cup begins. We will start looking at the groups and teams involved. I won't be picking a favorite right now, as I am still learning a lot more about these teams. It is quite fascinating. So lets tie our boots and get ready to kick off our analysis.....

Group A

South Africa Mexico Uruguay France

This could be a mini group of death based on the teams involved. Uruguay and France have won the World Cup one time each, 1930 and 1998 respectively. Mexico is the powerhouse from CONCACAF and have made it to the World Cup 14 times. South Africa the hosts, got a automatic bye, but have shown tremendous improvement, especially last year at the Confederations Cup where they held Brazil and Spain for long periods, with those teams only able to beat them by 1 clear goal.

Tomorrow we will dive deeper into South Africa hoping to deflect any shots that come our way...Bafana Bafana

Bolt to run 300 Meters

Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt will compete in the rarely contested 300m race for the first time at the traditional Czech Golden Spike meet in May. Organisers said on Wednesday that Bolt, who holds the world record in 100 and 200 metres, will attempt to break the world mark in the distance on May 27 in Ostrava. Michael Johnson holds the current mark of 30.85 seconds. “I have done some 300s in training so I am used to the distance but this will be my first time to race it,” Bolt said. “If the weather is good I hope to run a fast time.”

[Source: Indianexpress.com]

David Beckham has successful surgery

David Beckham arrived in London with his wife Victoria on Wednesday after flying in from the Finnish clinic where he had surgery for a torn Achilles’ tendon. With his left leg in a cast, Beckham flew in on a private jet. He injured his foot on Sunday and will be sidelined for about six months, forcing him to miss the World Cup in South Africa.

Investing 101: The Oil Rise

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

Taking a break from penny stocks for a bit. There is some big news in the area of oil. Oil seems to be pushing slowly back to record prices of $100 a barrel. That means more heartache ahead in the midst of a recession. What else could go wrong you might ask yourself? Well the answer is that with the push in oil prices, we will also see an increase in goods and services, as fuel and transportation costs increase. If you thought it was hard to buy groceries now, imagine what may happen in 2-3 months. It is estimated that oil will reach over $100 a barrel before the end of 2010. It is probably due to the growth in the US ecomony, signalling a turn for the better out of the recession. However, before you start opening the Grape Juice bottles, the US is not expected to come out of the recession fully until another 2 years. So guess what, our suffering will continue for a while longer. There are many speculators claiming that oil will reach $200 a barrel, but this is not based on proper analysis. If oil were ever to reach that level then we would be in another great depression. For now, conserve, converse, follow the ant, save for a rainy day.

Quote of the day..

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

"When blessings fall at your feet, don't be afraid to reach out and take them."
DCA

Oprah interviews Jamaican Marvadene Anderson

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

Here are the highlights of the interview:

Oprah Winfrey met "The World's Tallest 16-Year-Old Girl" Marvadene Anderson who goes by the nickname "Bubbles" on Monday.

"Bubbles" currently stands 6'10' and she is still growing. Doctors believe she may reach an astonishing height of 7'1.'' Even though Bubbles has only been playing basketball for four months, Coach Coyle-Klinger believes she has incredible potential."If she continues to work and progress the way she has in such a short time, she'll reach her goals," she says. "She has such a burning desire to be the best."

One look at Marvadene "Bubbles" Anderson will tell you she's not a typical teenager. At 6'10'', she is presumed to be the tallest 16-year-old girl on the planet.

Bubbles, a Jamaica native who got her name because of her good humor and bubbly personality, started to notice she was different when she was 12 or 13 years old. At that time, she says she stood 6'4''. "At that age, I was feeling left out," she says."Then, I found out that I can do stuff with my height."

At age 14, Bubbles began playing sports in Jamaica, becoming a top junior netball player. Last July, Bubbles decided to move from Jamaica to America to live with family friends and learn to play basketball. When Mary Klinger, coach of New Jersey's prestigious Rutgers Prep School girl's basketball team, saw her play, she offered her a position on the team on the spot.

Now, she's the starting center for the 'Argonauts'. She's been making up to 23 points per game, but because of a knee injury, she has to sit out the rest of this season.

Off the court, Bubbles is adjusting to life as an extraordinarily tall teenager. She doesn't have much trouble fitting in…but she does find it difficult to find clothes that fit. "How do you make people at ease with your height?" Oprah asks. "Well, if they ask me a question, I always answer with a smile," Bubbles says.

Bubbles' teammates say that after you get to know their star center, you forget about her height and realize she's just like everyone else. "I want to be an inspiration to others,"Bubbles says. "To all the tall people out there: Don't feel like you're alone. Just be happy and love yourself. Then, you'll get love from other people."

Bubbles is originally from Jamaica but moved to the United States because where she believes that there are more opportunities for tall people, including Basketball.

Bubbles says she wants to become a pediatrician and play professional basketball in the WNBA.

Lessons from time...

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:"

Ecc. 3:1

When bad things would happen to me or anyone in my family, my mother would always say, "time is the master". From the moment we become a living being we are on a timetable, we have a race with time. Ecc 3:2 tells us that there is a time to be born and a time to die.

You see we are not the master of time, we only exist in it. Time is controlled by God, he knows when our time will be over. He sets the hands of time in motion once our first breath enters our lungs.

In the time of writing this, the world says we are going into Day Light Saving Time, and our clocks will be set forward by an hour. However, this does not change time in any way or form. The fact is man cannot control time.

With the time that we have at hand, we should be thinking about the real master of time. We should be drawing closer to God in the time that we have. By his example, we should be using our time to love each other as he loves us. If we believe that we will have the time when we are dead, then we are in a trance.

We only have this limited time now to act, to ensure that our place is set with God on high.

You see no matter how we try to stop the hands of time, it keeps on moving. At times it seems as though the years go by quickly, but nothing has changed since creation. Even with the different earthquakes that scientist say have shifted time, the master time keeper is still in control.

When I look at my gray hairs I realize that my time is moving swiftly. Those younger years are far behind me now, and I have to make my place right with God. I have to rise from the depths of sin and lift my eyes to heaven. Time is not on my side anymore, even if I think I have many years, that is no comfort, as none of us know how long our time on this earth will be.

Let us all seize the time now, because now is the only time we have.

Quote of the day...

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

"When you allow God to lead you, your path is always clear."
DCA

Lessons from the ant...

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; Consider her ways, and be wise:" Proverbs 6:6

When I was 12 or 13 years old my favorite hobby was watching ants. I would spend hours studying their movements, trying to figure out why they do the things they do. I studied ants for over 5 years, even while I was in the Science Club at my high school.

Ants are a very unique creature. They are meticulous in everything they do, from building their nest to caring for their queen. Ants do not have a king or a president or even a ruler over them, but they work hard to store for the future[or a rainy day]. Proverbs 6:6-8 tells us of the wisdom of the ants, they need not a commander or ruler, yet they store their food in the summer and gather it at the harvest.

One interesting lesson from the ant is the love it shows for its fellow ant. You will never see an ant pass another ant without a greeting. You will often see them act as if they are shaking hands. There is so much that we can learn from them about love and peace.

In the ant world you may have different races also, such a red ant, white ant, black ant, duck ants, etc. It is very rare to find ants fighting. The only time you will observe an ant in battle is when they fear that their territory is under attack. The aim is always to protect the queen and her eggs. They are very protective of their family.

In the church a lot of times Christians are not so protective of each other. Most times it seems like it's just lip service. We say we love each other, but where is the action. We say we care about how each other are living, but we never see when others are hungry or in need. Do we even ask? The ants are wiser than us, they are always communicating and working as a team. If we are all of the faith, then why are others better than some? Why aren't we working as one? The ants have figured that out, yet we still don't understand the concept of love.

Another great thing about the ant is there willingness to travel miles and miles to find food for their family. There is no journey long enough that they won't take to accomplish their mission. Yet in the human world we complain about being tired and how much work we have to do. The ant never complains, but understands that without his effort the colony/family will be dead. Are we willing to go beyond the call of duty for each other? Are we willing to go beyond the call of duty for our family? Even when our eyes are falling out, or our shoulders are sore, will we quit. Our Saviour, Jesus Christ was always willing to go the extra mile for us, even when he was tired, even when he was beaten and humiliated, he stuck to the course so we might have salvation. Have we not lost our way, when we think that life revolves around us. The ant never thinks like that.

If we are to have wisdom, we need to think like the ants. We need to love without words, we need to go beyond the mountain top, we need to sacrifice for each other. If not, then we would not have learnt anything about what life is all about..

On my mind, in a day, month or year...

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

When I'm gone,
let tears be sealed in the tomb,
and flowers be placed in a garden,
let sorrows be cast in the ocean,
and grief be silenced in a hymn,
let voices be raised to God,
and reflections be left in the mirror,

When I'm gone,
and my last breath is taken,
turn your attention to your soul,
fear not for me anymore,
I'm with my Saviour now,
the words that pierced my heart are gone,
I shall not tremble with doubt,
for I am at peace,

When I'm gone,
spend my earthly treasures,
don't store them in a box,
don't hide them under a tree,
my use for them is over,
I shall not miss them anymore,

When I'm gone,
I'll miss the one I love dearly,
but at death we do part,
let her live with joy flowing daily,
let her never long for love,
she is free,

When I'm gone,
my prayer will be for happiness,
in the unforgiving world,
may honesty once again reign,
and unconditional love be found,
the way that God intended man to be...

Dayne-Christopher

Quote of the day...

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

"When you do good, don't expect mankind to love you."
DCA

Quote of the day..

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

"If you breathe in the sorrow of this world, misery will hold your hands when you are alone."
DCA

On my mind in a day, month, year.....

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

When shall peace emerge from this cold world,
when will happiness smile,
when will sadness stop its tears,
oh what a wretched place,
this place called earth,
the turmoil,
the rage in its eyes,
when will hatred cease its pain,
oh Lord you know the hurt,
you watch from clouds beyond the stars,
when will love speak,
when will the peace dove fly,
is there any hope here,
oh Lord hear our despair,
answer the tremors in our heart,
we are but a grain of sand on your shore,
protect us even though we are lost,
we know the cost that was paid for our forgiveness,
help us to carry our cross each day,
we're weary and tired,
our feet are sore from the journey,
we need you right now..

Dayne-Christopher

Sports Blimp...

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

World Cup time....

In the next weeks and months I will be dedicating my time and effort to look at the upcoming World Cup that will be held in South Africa starting on June 11 with the host country playing Mexico in the opening match. I will examine the teams, venues and history of the country. Football is my passion and the World Cup is very special in my mind. It is the ultimate tournament, which is watched by billions of people.

Jamaica captain, Tamar Lambert

Jamaica clobber T&T to win Regional cricket title..

Jamaica hammered Trinidad and Tobago on the third day to win the WICB regional cricket tournament by an innings and 72 runs. The win was never in doubt, it was just a matter of when T&T would have been bowled out. Jamaica is winning the tournament for the third straight time. Apart from their defeat against Barbados, Jamaica had no real test as they dominated all opponents making a mockery of the tournament. The level of competition, highlights the poor state of West Indies cricket, and makes one wonder if Jamaican players should just play against international teams, without lowering their standards by joining the West Indies team. Food for lots of thought I guess...Congrats Jamaica....

Investing 101: Penny stocks revealed 2

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

Before we dive into my recommendations of Penny Stocks, let's examine some fundamentals which typically affect the stock market and in effect penny stocks. These factors include:

Gold prices
Oil prices
Other minerals or precious substance prices
Agricultural byproducts, such a grain, wheat, etc
Competitor companies
Other stocks globally
Currencies
Company news, such as financial reports, valuations, etc
Demand and supply for products and services

These are just a few of the fundamentals that influence the price of a stock. That is why it is so important to take the time to analyse the workings of the market. One should never have tunnel vision and focus on just one variable, but should spend at least one hour a day to watch recaps of news, visit sites that offer stock news, subscribe to a good financial magazine and always keeps your ears to the ground. Working as a team with other friends is a must, you can make a plan to look at different fundamentals and have meetings at least 2 times a week. In the coming week, I will give some advise on possible research sources that can be useful in the analysis of stocks.

Financial quote for today: "Money in the bank is like throwing a brick in a well, it will never really rise in value."

Quote of the day..

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

"We dare not live in the future, unless we know the now."
DCA

On my mind in a day, month, year.....

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

What is this life?
a mere shadow that passes the wall,
a mist that rises to the heavens,
moon light lost in the river,
a breath that fills the lungs,
it comes, it goes,
its born,
raised to live,
then is buried in sorrow,
and then the journey,
the wait,
the hope of salvation,
without God,
its pointless,
with him,
paradise,
a new beginning,
a new life....

Dayne-Christopher

News Blimp...

Author: Daynes Journey Posted under:

Chile death toll reaches 700...

Following the devastating earthquake in Chile, the death toll have moved to over 700 persons dead. The deadly earthquake was the strongest since the Haiti earthquake, measuring a staggering 8.8 on the Richter scale. Fears remain that the number of fatalities will rise as rescuers still search through rubble for survivors....

NBC snub Winter Olympics closing ceremony...

Following its record viewership of over 19 million viewers for the recent Winter Olympics, NBC decided that the closing ceremony was not worth a full broadcast. Instead of carrying the entire ceremony, the network decided that it should cut the show short so that it could show the premier of a new TV show. Sorry I can't even remember the name of the show, that is how irrelevant it was. All I can remember is that Jerry Seinfeld was in it.

This has irritated many Canadian and American viewers. However, many people forget that these networks are all about money, not necessarily about what you want them to do. It is sad that they cut the ceremony short, by about 1 hour, but money is the bottom line for these guys. It should be noted that NBC did not carry most of the Olympic events live, most were delayed, and made to look as if they were live. This was made possible by the monopoly which NBC has over the Olympics in the US. No other networks are even allowed to carry highlights. There goes any possibility of choice, but the Americans seems to like this arrangement, so why are they complaining anyways.

I didn't watch the ceremony, but if I was interested I would have wanted to watch the entire ceremony, and not be interrupted by some premier or by news.

Surprise, surprise, General Motors is set to recall 1.3 million cars..

So we all were made to believe that Toyota is such an evil Company by the Americans. Well, General Motors (GM) is set to recall 1.3 million Compact cars to fix power steering problems. The announcement was made today by GM.. It seems that all motor vehicle companies have their issues..