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The hexograms have spoken. Pegasus Fund Managers recently unveiled the firm's forecasts for stocks in the mainland, Japan, Hong Kong and the United States.

 Their technique was simple.

 First, Pegasus staff did their own 'fundamentals analysis'.

 Then they consulted the Oracle.

 The 'Pegasus 1999 I-Ching Investment Forecast' uses the divination method to peer into the economic future.

 The ancient method is based on the interpretation of lines making up a hexogram.

 These lines sketch the shape of things to come.

 In Japan, Thunder, Earth and Wind are doing a symbolic balancing act.

 What does this mean for the market?  The Tokyo Stock Market will face one of three scenarios this year, the Pegasus report tells us.

 It may reach the bottom.

 Or it could experience short-term rebound.

 Then again, we might see a long-term bull market.

 Sounds like the fund managers are hedging.

 But they wander right off topic when they turn their attention to the United States.

 Or perhaps they've just decided to spice up their press release with a bit of off-beat conspiracy theory.

 'Bill Clinton, for the sake of avoiding impeachment, suggested using the budget surplus to invest in the stock market which will inflate the market further,' their press release states.

 Lai See finds this a little unfair.

 We don't for a moment believe that the scandal-plagued president stooped to such tactics.

 He was far too busy bombing third-world medicine factories.

 But on to Hong Kong.

 What are the Oracle's investment suggestions?  I-Ching teaches us that the best time to buy is when stocks are cheap.

 Ideally when the Hang Seng Index drops below 9,000 points.

 'In contrast, once the market reaches the peak, one should sell one's stock holdings,' the prediction concludes.

 So there you have it.

 The fund managers, the hexograms and the Oracle have put themselves on the line and published their advice for all to see and test:  Buy low, sell high.

It is inspiring to discover journalists who aren't afraid to take the bull by the horns.

 One such newsman works for Kompas CyberMedia, whose on-line service provides up-to-the-minute reports in a variety of languages.

 Yesterday, Kompas offered extensive coverage of the evacuation of Ambon, Indonesia.

 Reader Bill Glenwright logged on for the latest update, and discovered this dispatch:  'Society had the opinion that the riots which erupted on Tuesday afternoon only indicated that the peace agreement between the Muslim and Christian groups was just bull shit.' The constitutional crisis is at last starting to recede.

 Our Court of Final Appeal judges have explained their controversial judgment and reassured Beijing that they weren't trying to usurp the power of the NPC.

 The disputed ruling grants right of abode to all mainland children with a Hong Kong parent.

 Naturally this raised some concerns.

 Local husbands have been slipping across the border for extra-marital entertainment since time immemorial.

 Now the mainland mistresses can bring in their illegitimate offspring through freshly opened floodgates.

 Politically concerned Lai See decided to address this important issue by playing with the letters in the words: 'Court of Appeal'.

 We ran them through the computer at a new Web site specialising in such games.

 It produced the ten longest words that can be created with the letters.

 Lai See selected five of them, threw in an 'of', and got this.

 Court of Final Appeal: 'Unilateral reallocation (of) out-of-place copulation population.' It seems that Hongkong Telecom has fallen behind the times.

 Reader Bob Evans tells us he received a letter alerting him to the latest crop of discounts.

 'Chinese New Year Frequently Called Numbers Promotion. Save up to 50 per cent on calls. Please call now for registration,' the literature said.

 It was dated February 19, and 'signed' by Lawrence Tsong, general manager of International Service Marketing.

 The offer was posted on February 26, arriving in the valued customer's Discovery Bay mailbox the next day.

 As his eyes scanned the text, Mr Evans' heart hammered with the thrill of impending savings.

 It was than that he noticed the fine print at the bottom.

 Expiry date: February 27, 1999.

 'I took solace in the fact that Hongkong Telecom is promising 'many more special offers',' Mr Evans said.

 'I just hope it won't be more of the same old Tsong.' 



Pegasus predicts on a wing and a prayer