[GeriFix]

^^^ Yep, well done Jamie. Working and studying is a real drain ... I did 6 years of it.

Any profession though is a lifetime of study.

[JamieA]

Yes you are definitely right there - gone are the days you went to uni and that did your career for life. I am happy it is over, but I am glad for the journey, which no doubt will continue

[JamieA]

Originally Posted by BMW //MPOWER

Well done mate!
I'm currently studying CFA Level 2.
I finished my MFin a couple of years ago.

Thank you.

I knew you were some high power finance guru

Good luck with the study... how much longer for you to go?

[JamieA]

Originally Posted by vgr02

Congratulations Jamie ..... Well done!!. I know what it's like to study, work and raise a family at the same time and its a great feeling to be free (from the books that is). The funny thing for me was that I was feeling bored for the next 6 months and needed to go looking for things to do.

I know what you mean. I have been coming home and feeling guilty I wasn't reading something or writing a paper or two.

It is very hard to juggle everything, I have heard the MBA nicknamed the divorce course, and you have to have the support and love of those around you to succeed that is for sure. Or be single and used to living in your own stench

Quite often the hardest times were a pressing work and uni deadline concurrently, which as Murphy's Law would have it was all the time. I am sure anyone who has studied and worked knows this.

[BMW //MPOWER]

Originally Posted by JamieA

Thank you.

I knew you were some high power finance guru

Good luck with the study... how much longer for you to go?

Hahaha, thanks mate!
I've got 2 more exams to go (thankfully the course is pretty low maintenance, you get 5kg's of books for each level, study all the material and just rock up for the annual exam sitting in June), Level 2 in June '09 and if everything goes to plan Level 3 in June '10, which will hopefully be it for study for a long time.... Mind you that is what i said when i finished my MFin & i imgaine is what your saying at the moment.... Then again there is a myraid of other professional courses out there like the FRM and alike.

[BMW //MPOWER]

Originally Posted by JamieA

I know what you mean. I have been coming home and feeling guilty I wasn't reading something or writing a paper or two.

It is very hard to juggle everything, I have heard the MBA nicknamed the divorce course, and you have to have the support and love of those around you to succeed that is for sure. Or be single and used to living in your own stench

Quite often the hardest times were a pressing work and uni deadline concurrently, which as Murphy's Law would have it was all the time. I am sure anyone who has studied and worked knows this.

Haha +1

A colleague of mine who completed his MFin a few years back was told in not-so-round-about terms by his wife that if he ever contemplates studying again he that she'll be packing up and leaving.

As for things to fill the void, i honestly reccomend reading a few good books. The Black Swan by Nassim Taleb is a good read for the financially minded.

[JamieA]

Ah yes, reading for pleasure, now there's a novelty Thanks for the tip, I will look the book up.

I guess I should also fill the void on the treadmill and loose the 20kg that seemed to get injected into my body very slowly over the past 4 years of bad eating and extra stress...

[JamieA]

Originally Posted by BMW //MPOWER

Hahaha, thanks mate!
I've got 2 more exams to go (thankfully the course is pretty low maintenance, you get 5kg's of books for each level, study all the material and just rock up for the annual exam sitting in June), Level 2 in June '09 and if everything goes to plan Level 3 in June '10, which will hopefully be it for study for a long time.... Mind you that is what i said when i finished my MFin & i imgaine is what your saying at the moment.... Then again there is a myraid of other professional courses out there like the FRM and alike.

Good luck on those exams.

Yes I have hung up the boots for a while, but will no doubt get a hankering for more sometime in the next few years. It is the only way to stay up with the pack. I am planning to join AIM and do the odd course here and there to keep my hand in. That is after my partner forgets the pain

[1985mb]

Any cricket fans in here?

[WOPALX]

Originally Posted by 1985mb

Any cricket fans in here?

Well it is the Australian sub-forum and that's our national game so more than likely

[astra]

Since when was it our national game? I thought that was more likely in England or India?

[WOPALX]

Originally Posted by astra

Since when was it our national game? I thought that was more likely in England or India?

It's un-australian if your male & born in Australia not to have played cricket at some time, so yes I consider it to be one of our national games, much like AFL and NRL are also national games.

While England was doing it before us they obviously cannot play and India took it up well after Australia.

[BMW //MPOWER]

Originally Posted by 1985mb

Any cricket fans in here?

Over here!

[1985mb]

Nice. Well, not much going on with the Aussie team, but anyone else glad to see RSA beat Eng and SL beat India?

[BMW //MPOWER]

Originally Posted by 1985mb

Nice. Well, not much going on with the Aussie team, but anyone else glad to see RSA beat Eng and SL beat India?

Not much going on with the aussies?
Haven't you heard we're not going to Pakistan?
Brett Lee Splitting up with his wife?
But yes i was very happy to see RSA wipe the floor with England.

[1985mb]

Originally Posted by BMW //MPOWER

Not much going on with the aussies?
Haven't you heard we're not going to Pakistan?

Well, go or don't go. Make up your minds and be done with it. All this dithering is a bit weak

[1985mb]

Originally Posted by BMW //MPOWER

Brett Lee Splitting up with his wife?

Dont know how I could have missed this bit of breaking news/ So what's the scoop?

[BMW //MPOWER]

Originally Posted by 1985mb

Well, go or don't go. Make up your minds and be done with it. All this dithering is a bit weak

Last i heard we're not going unless the tournament is moved to a different country.

Originally Posted by 1985mb

Dont know how I could have missed this bit of breaking news/ So what's the scoop?

No idea..

[astra]

Originally Posted by WOPALX

It's un-australian if your male & born in Australia not to have played cricket at some time, so yes I consider it to be one of our national games, much like AFL and NRL are also national games.

While England was doing it before us they obviously cannot play and India took it up well after Australia.

Lol, I also hate Thugby League and Ariel Ping-pong

[1985mb]

Originally Posted by BMW //MPOWER

But yes i was very happy to see RSA wipe the floor with England.

RSA coming along pretty nicely. Could be a good contest when they face Aus next.

Strengths: Settled + in-form top & middle order, combative wk-batsman, battery of fast bowlers, captain at top of his game, currently playing very well as a unit.

Weaknesses: No Test spinner, possibility of Morkel losing his radar and Ntini his pace, enough variety in the bowling? Batsmen haven't done well on prev Aus tours, but then again there is no McGrath or SK Warne to torment them (tho Clark should do well). None except AB De Villiers likely to try to dominate the bowling, which allows Aus to be the aggressor.

Other: doubt they'll tinker with their settled batting order, but I'd like to see AB bat further up. Seems as likely as anyone else to be the 1 of the batting stars of the next decade or at least put up some memorable innings on Aus soil in the post Lara/Tendulkar/Laxman/Dravid world. Let the likes of McKenzie, Amla or Prince shepherd the tail.

[BMW //MPOWER]

Originally Posted by 1985mb

RSA coming along pretty nicely. Could be a good contest when they face Aus next.

Strengths: Settled + in-form top & middle order, combative wk-batsman, battery of fast bowlers, captain at top of his game, currently playing very well as a unit.

Weaknesses: No Test spinner, possibility of Morkel losing his radar and Ntini his pace, enough variety in the bowling? Batsmen haven't done well on prev Aus tours, but then again there is no McGrath or SK Warne to torment them (tho Clark should do well). None except AB De Villiers likely to try to dominate the bowling, which allows Aus to be the aggressor.

Other: doubt they'll tinker with their settled batting order, but I'd like to see AB bat further up. Seems as likely as anyone else to be the 1 of the batting stars of the next decade or at least put up some memorable innings on Aus soil in the post Lara/Tendulkar/Laxman/Dravid world. Let the likes of McKenzie, Amla or Prince shepherd the tail.

Yes AUS is an interesting team at the moment, the thing to remember though is the batting order is as strong as ever with quite a few quality players still waiting in the wings. Which should mean we'll actually see some 5 day tests this summer, as our bowling line up is a little weak and will probably struggle to dismiss teams quickly. I really think Shane Watson is the missing peice in the line up, injury free he could be one of the best and most valuable players in world cricket.

As for no Gilchrist, Haddin gives the team more than Gilly was able in his last few years as Gillys keeping had really started to slide and his batting was the definition of hit & miss. However his still the best batsman-keeper to have set foot on the park.

AB De Villers played quite a few good innings last time they toured AUS, i think they actually had him at the top of the order and he was probably RSA's best bat for the entire tour.

[1985mb]

Originally Posted by BMW //MPOWER

Yes AUS is an interesting team at the moment, the thing to remember though is the batting order is as strong as ever with quite a few quality players still waiting in the wings. Which should mean we'll actually see some 5 day tests this summer, as our bowling line up is a little weak and will probably struggle to dismiss teams quickly. I really think Shane Watson is the missing peice in the line up, injury free he could be one of the best and most valuable players in world cricket.

As for no Gilchrist, Haddin gives the team more than Gilly was able in his last few years as Gillys keeping had really started to slide and his batting was the definition of hit & miss. However his still the best batsman-keeper to have set foot on the park.

AB De Villers played quite a few good innings last time they toured AUS, i think they actually had him at the top of the order and he was probably RSA's best bat for the entire tour.

Watson was a huge hit in the IPL - I agree that if he can stay injury-free, he will be one of the most valuable players in limited overs cricket. I don't think he has done much at Test level yet, so whether he can make the move from LOI jack of all trades to Test-class allrounder remains to be seen...