DON'T DRIVE CLOSE TO CONTAINERS
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Travel Alert: Heavy Rain, Floods in Thailand and Rome
Flood map of Thailand (2011) - Google map
Travel Alert: Heavy Rain, Floods in Thailand and Rome
As a major agricultural exporter and top rice producer, there are concerns about shortage of rice supplies, especially to the ASEAN countries, China, Japan and Korea, who are the main consumers of rice. Major industry affected by this monsoon disaster is the automotive, where Toyota and Honda have to suspend some assembly operations and suffer hundreds of million dollars in damage. Meanwhile, Western Digital, the hard drive manufacturer, has two major production facilities in the flood zone and they have to cease operations.
Rome, Italy
Rains and flash flood is causing significant disruptions to several ground transportations a couple of days ago. Several major roads in the city like around the Piazza di Porta Capena are closed and metro record travel suspension along lines A and B. Buses are also having some suspensions on their routes.
Intercity rail travel between Rome and Lido and Viterbo are also affected with delays in service. Rome's Fiumicino Airport (FCO) is expecting moderate delays in flight departures and arrivals which would disrupt domestic and international travel if the heavy rains won't ease up and continue to fill up the drains which cause flooding.
So far, one casualty has been reported and several reports of missing persons received by the local police. Rome city mayor is looking forward to declare a state of emergency if situation worsens.
http://sekupang.net/travelista/post/2011/10/22/Travel-Alert-Heavy-Rain-Floods-in-Thailand-and-Rome.aspx
Friday, October 21, 2011
Cheap & Exotic: 8 Great Places to Retire Abroad
Cheap & Exotic: 8 Great Places to Retire Abroad
by Richard Eisenberg | Sep 7, 2010
Whether your inspiration is Hemingway in Paris, Kerouac in Tangiers, or some other generation of American expats, there’s something oh-so-romantic about retiring abroad. There’s also a practical consideration: A buck goes a lot farther in Costa Rica. At a time when nearly half of Americans approaching retirement age don’t have enough dollars stashed away, the best retirement planning decision you can make might be to change planes in Florida instead of settling there. More than 500,000 retirees live overseas, and the number is increasing.
To make your expat dreams a reality, however, will take a whole lot of research. The easy path is to flock to Boca with all those other snowbirds; it’s quite another thing to head off to a place where English isn’t spoken everywhere, the water may or may not be potable and SportsCenter isn’t even one of the premium channels. If you complain about Obamacare, just wait till you need to get cataract surgery in a hospital that doesn’t take Visa.
The good news is that there are scads of Web sites, media outlets, authors, and bloggers who can help guide you to the best, most affordable places. CBS MoneyWatch.com reviewed recommendations from the most prominent list makers for their best advice and favorite destinations. We’ve also put together a list of sources for further research, and explained how to use them.
Most Recommended Countries
First, the bottom line: The eight countries or regions below came up repeatedly as great, affordable places to live, based on recommendations from International Living, AARP, Forbes, U.S News, Kiplinger’s, Retiring-Overseas, and Global Post — as well as from expat Barry Golson, author of Retirement Without Borders and Gringos in Paradise.
Panama
Currency tied to dollar; retiree discounts; some hospitals have U.S. affiliations; favorable tax treatment on earned income and new homes
You may need to travel for top medical care; rural and quiet in many spots; some corruption and infrastructure issues
Ecuador
Currency tied to dollar; super cheap; rated Top Retirement Haven by International Living; beaches; hiking
Limited health care outside major cities; political instability; some crime pockets
Uruguay
Great beaches; Montevideo rated best in Mercer’s 2009 South America Quality of Living city rankings
You may want to head back to U.S. for serious medical issues; may be too quiet for urbanites
Mexico
Easy to visit U.S.; many expats; good health care near big cities; can import household goods tax-free
Avoid border towns due to drug cartels; expect petty crime and corruption
Costa Rica
Good economy; retirement income and real estate profits are untaxed; beaches and birdwatching; lush Central Valley
More expensive than other Central American countries; infrastructure is straining; Golson rates food variety a C+
France
Food and culture; No. 1 in 2010 International Quality of Life Index; health care rated best by World Health Organization
High taxes and maddening bureaucracy; prices high in Paris, Riviera and Provence
Argentina
European vibe; low housing prices; English spoken freely; wine and tango
Though inexpensive, it’s getting pricier; red tape; cold in the south
Italy
Food and culture; weather; best bargains are mostly in the south
Labor strikes; hot summers; big cities — and some regions aren’t cheap
Read more: http://moneywatch.bnet.com/retirement-planning/article/8-cheap-places-to-retire-abroad/462345/#ixzz1bP2aOy85
by Richard Eisenberg | Sep 7, 2010
Whether your inspiration is Hemingway in Paris, Kerouac in Tangiers, or some other generation of American expats, there’s something oh-so-romantic about retiring abroad. There’s also a practical consideration: A buck goes a lot farther in Costa Rica. At a time when nearly half of Americans approaching retirement age don’t have enough dollars stashed away, the best retirement planning decision you can make might be to change planes in Florida instead of settling there. More than 500,000 retirees live overseas, and the number is increasing.
To make your expat dreams a reality, however, will take a whole lot of research. The easy path is to flock to Boca with all those other snowbirds; it’s quite another thing to head off to a place where English isn’t spoken everywhere, the water may or may not be potable and SportsCenter isn’t even one of the premium channels. If you complain about Obamacare, just wait till you need to get cataract surgery in a hospital that doesn’t take Visa.
The good news is that there are scads of Web sites, media outlets, authors, and bloggers who can help guide you to the best, most affordable places. CBS MoneyWatch.com reviewed recommendations from the most prominent list makers for their best advice and favorite destinations. We’ve also put together a list of sources for further research, and explained how to use them.
Most Recommended Countries
First, the bottom line: The eight countries or regions below came up repeatedly as great, affordable places to live, based on recommendations from International Living, AARP, Forbes, U.S News, Kiplinger’s, Retiring-Overseas, and Global Post — as well as from expat Barry Golson, author of Retirement Without Borders and Gringos in Paradise.
Panama
Currency tied to dollar; retiree discounts; some hospitals have U.S. affiliations; favorable tax treatment on earned income and new homes
You may need to travel for top medical care; rural and quiet in many spots; some corruption and infrastructure issues
Ecuador
Currency tied to dollar; super cheap; rated Top Retirement Haven by International Living; beaches; hiking
Limited health care outside major cities; political instability; some crime pockets
Uruguay
Great beaches; Montevideo rated best in Mercer’s 2009 South America Quality of Living city rankings
You may want to head back to U.S. for serious medical issues; may be too quiet for urbanites
Mexico
Easy to visit U.S.; many expats; good health care near big cities; can import household goods tax-free
Avoid border towns due to drug cartels; expect petty crime and corruption
Costa Rica
Good economy; retirement income and real estate profits are untaxed; beaches and birdwatching; lush Central Valley
More expensive than other Central American countries; infrastructure is straining; Golson rates food variety a C+
France
Food and culture; No. 1 in 2010 International Quality of Life Index; health care rated best by World Health Organization
High taxes and maddening bureaucracy; prices high in Paris, Riviera and Provence
Argentina
European vibe; low housing prices; English spoken freely; wine and tango
Though inexpensive, it’s getting pricier; red tape; cold in the south
Italy
Food and culture; weather; best bargains are mostly in the south
Labor strikes; hot summers; big cities — and some regions aren’t cheap
Read more: http://moneywatch.bnet.com/retirement-planning/article/8-cheap-places-to-retire-abroad/462345/#ixzz1bP2aOy85
Thursday, October 20, 2011
The Simplified Chinese Language...
The Simplified Chinese Language...
For most of us, Chinese is a very difficult language to learn or understand. Hopefully, these simplifications will help you understand the Chinese language just a bit better!
Ai Bang Mai Ne - I bumped into the coffee table
Chin Tu Fat - You need a face lift
Dum Gai - A stupid person
Gun Pao Der - An ancient Chinese invention
Hu Flung Dung - Which one of you fertilized the field?
Hu Yu Hai Ding - We have reason to believe you are harboring a fugutive
Jan Ne Ka Sun - A former late night talk show host
Kum Hia - Approach me
Lao Ze Sho - Dawson's Creek
Lao Zi - Not very good
Lin Ching - An illegal execution
Moon Lan Ding - A great achievement of the American space program
Ne Ahn - A lighting fixture used in advertising signs
Shai Gai - A bashful person
Tai Ne Bae Be - A premature infant
Tai Ne Po Ne - A small horse
Ten Ding Ba - Serving drinks to people
Wan Bum Lung - A person with T.B.
Yu Mai Te Tan - Your vacation in Hawaii agrees with you
Wa Shing Kah - Cleaning an automobile
Wai So Dim - Are you trying to save electricity?
Wai U Shao Ting -- There is no reason to raise your voice
For most of us, Chinese is a very difficult language to learn or understand. Hopefully, these simplifications will help you understand the Chinese language just a bit better!
Ai Bang Mai Ne - I bumped into the coffee table
Chin Tu Fat - You need a face lift
Dum Gai - A stupid person
Gun Pao Der - An ancient Chinese invention
Hu Flung Dung - Which one of you fertilized the field?
Hu Yu Hai Ding - We have reason to believe you are harboring a fugutive
Jan Ne Ka Sun - A former late night talk show host
Kum Hia - Approach me
Lao Ze Sho - Dawson's Creek
Lao Zi - Not very good
Lin Ching - An illegal execution
Moon Lan Ding - A great achievement of the American space program
Ne Ahn - A lighting fixture used in advertising signs
Shai Gai - A bashful person
Tai Ne Bae Be - A premature infant
Tai Ne Po Ne - A small horse
Ten Ding Ba - Serving drinks to people
Wan Bum Lung - A person with T.B.
Yu Mai Te Tan - Your vacation in Hawaii agrees with you
Wa Shing Kah - Cleaning an automobile
Wai So Dim - Are you trying to save electricity?
Wai U Shao Ting -- There is no reason to raise your voice
Top 30 Failed Technology Predictions
Top 30 Failed Technology Predictions
Throughout history man has been making predictions of the future. With the advent of technology, the predictions moved away from religious topics to scientific and technological. Unfortunately for the speakers, many of these failed predictions have been recorded for all future generations to laugh at. Here is a selection of the 30 best.
Predictions 1 – 10
1. “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” — Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), maker of big business mainframe computers, arguing against the PC in 1977.
2. “We will never make a 32 bit operating system.” — Bill Gates
3. “Lee DeForest has said in many newspapers and over his signature that it would be possible to transmit the human voice across the Atlantic before many years. Based on these absurd and deliberately misleading statements, the misguided public … has been persuaded to purchase stock in his company …” — a U.S. District Attorney, prosecuting American inventor Lee DeForest for selling stock fraudulently through the mail for his Radio Telephone Company in 1913.
4. “There is practically no chance communications space satellites will be used to provide better telephone, telegraph, television, or radio service inside the United States.” — T. Craven, FCC Commissioner, in 1961 (the first commercial communications satellite went into service in 1965).
5. “To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make scientific observations, perhaps land alive, and then return to earth – all that constitutes a wild dream worthy of Jules Verne. I am bold enough to say that such a man-made voyage will never occur regardless of all future advances.” — Lee DeForest, American radio pioneer and inventor of the vacuum tube, in 1926
6. “A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth’s atmosphere.” — New York Times, 1936.
7. “Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical (sic) and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.” – Simon Newcomb; The Wright Brothers flew at Kittyhawk 18 months later.
8. “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” — Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist, president of the British Royal Society, 1895.
9. “There will never be a bigger plane built.” — A Boeing engineer, after the first flight of the 247, a twin engine plane that holds ten people
10. “Nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality in 10 years.” -– Alex Lewyt, president of vacuum cleaner company Lewyt Corp., in the New York Times in 1955.
Predictions 11 – 20
11. “This is the biggest fool thing we have ever done. The bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives.” — Admiral William D. Leahy, Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy during World War II, advising President Truman on the atomic bomb, 1945.[6] Leahy admitted the error five years later in his memoirs
12. “The energy produced by the breaking down of the atom is a very poor kind of thing. Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine.” — Ernest Rutherford, shortly after splitting the atom for the first time.
13. “There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.” — Albert Einstein, 1932
14. “The cinema is little more than a fad. It’s canned drama. What audiences really want to see is flesh and blood on the stage.” -– Charlie Chaplin, actor, producer, director, and studio founder, 1916
15. “The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty – a fad.” — The president of the Michigan Savings Bank advising Henry Ford’s lawyer, Horace Rackham, not to invest in the Ford Motor Co., 1903
16. “The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.” — Sir William Preece, Chief Engineer, British Post Office, 1878.
17. “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” — A memo at Western Union, 1878 (or 1876).
18. “The world potential market for copying machines is 5000 at most.” — IBM, to the eventual founders of Xerox, saying the photocopier had no market large enough to justify production, 1959.
19. “I must confess that my imagination refuses to see any sort of submarine doing anything but suffocating its crew and floundering at sea.” — HG Wells, British novelist, in 1901.
20. “X-rays will prove to be a hoax.” — Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, 1883.
Predictions 21 – 30
21. “The idea that cavalry will be replaced by these iron coaches is absurd. It is little short of treasonous.” — Comment of Aide-de-camp to Field Marshal Haig, at tank demonstration, 1916.
22. “How, sir, would you make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you, excuse me, I have not the time to listen to such nonsense.” — Napoleon Bonaparte, when told of Robert Fulton’s steamboat, 1800s.
23. “Fooling around with alternating current is just a waste of time. Nobody will use it, ever.” — Thomas Edison, American inventor, 1889 (Edison often ridiculed the arguments of competitor George Westinghouse for AC power).
24. “Home Taping Is Killing Music” — A 1980s campaign by the BPI, claiming that people recording music off the radio onto cassette would destroy the music industry.
25. “Television won’t last. It’s a flash in the pan.” — Mary Somerville, pioneer of radio educational broadcasts, 1948.
26. “[Television] won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.” — Darryl Zanuck, movie producer, 20th Century Fox, 1946.
27. “When the Paris Exhibition [of 1878] closes, electric light will close with it and no more will be heard of it.” – Oxford professor Erasmus Wilson
28. “Dear Mr. President: The canal system of this country is being threatened by a new form of transportation known as ‘railroads’ … As you may well know, Mr. President, ‘railroad’ carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by ‘engines’ which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring the livestock and frightening women and children. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed.” — Martin Van Buren, Governor of New York, 1830(?).
29. “Rail travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia.” — Dr Dionysys Larder (1793-1859), professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, University College London.
30. “The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to no one in particular?” — Associates of David Sarnoff responding to the latter’s call for investment in the radio in 1921.
http://listverse.com/2007/10/28/top-30-failed-technology-predictions/
Throughout history man has been making predictions of the future. With the advent of technology, the predictions moved away from religious topics to scientific and technological. Unfortunately for the speakers, many of these failed predictions have been recorded for all future generations to laugh at. Here is a selection of the 30 best.
Predictions 1 – 10
1. “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” — Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp. (DEC), maker of big business mainframe computers, arguing against the PC in 1977.
2. “We will never make a 32 bit operating system.” — Bill Gates
3. “Lee DeForest has said in many newspapers and over his signature that it would be possible to transmit the human voice across the Atlantic before many years. Based on these absurd and deliberately misleading statements, the misguided public … has been persuaded to purchase stock in his company …” — a U.S. District Attorney, prosecuting American inventor Lee DeForest for selling stock fraudulently through the mail for his Radio Telephone Company in 1913.
4. “There is practically no chance communications space satellites will be used to provide better telephone, telegraph, television, or radio service inside the United States.” — T. Craven, FCC Commissioner, in 1961 (the first commercial communications satellite went into service in 1965).
5. “To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make scientific observations, perhaps land alive, and then return to earth – all that constitutes a wild dream worthy of Jules Verne. I am bold enough to say that such a man-made voyage will never occur regardless of all future advances.” — Lee DeForest, American radio pioneer and inventor of the vacuum tube, in 1926
6. “A rocket will never be able to leave the Earth’s atmosphere.” — New York Times, 1936.
7. “Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical (sic) and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.” – Simon Newcomb; The Wright Brothers flew at Kittyhawk 18 months later.
8. “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible.” — Lord Kelvin, British mathematician and physicist, president of the British Royal Society, 1895.
9. “There will never be a bigger plane built.” — A Boeing engineer, after the first flight of the 247, a twin engine plane that holds ten people
10. “Nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality in 10 years.” -– Alex Lewyt, president of vacuum cleaner company Lewyt Corp., in the New York Times in 1955.
Predictions 11 – 20
11. “This is the biggest fool thing we have ever done. The bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives.” — Admiral William D. Leahy, Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy during World War II, advising President Truman on the atomic bomb, 1945.[6] Leahy admitted the error five years later in his memoirs
12. “The energy produced by the breaking down of the atom is a very poor kind of thing. Anyone who expects a source of power from the transformation of these atoms is talking moonshine.” — Ernest Rutherford, shortly after splitting the atom for the first time.
13. “There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will.” — Albert Einstein, 1932
14. “The cinema is little more than a fad. It’s canned drama. What audiences really want to see is flesh and blood on the stage.” -– Charlie Chaplin, actor, producer, director, and studio founder, 1916
15. “The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty – a fad.” — The president of the Michigan Savings Bank advising Henry Ford’s lawyer, Horace Rackham, not to invest in the Ford Motor Co., 1903
16. “The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.” — Sir William Preece, Chief Engineer, British Post Office, 1878.
17. “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” — A memo at Western Union, 1878 (or 1876).
18. “The world potential market for copying machines is 5000 at most.” — IBM, to the eventual founders of Xerox, saying the photocopier had no market large enough to justify production, 1959.
19. “I must confess that my imagination refuses to see any sort of submarine doing anything but suffocating its crew and floundering at sea.” — HG Wells, British novelist, in 1901.
20. “X-rays will prove to be a hoax.” — Lord Kelvin, President of the Royal Society, 1883.
Predictions 21 – 30
21. “The idea that cavalry will be replaced by these iron coaches is absurd. It is little short of treasonous.” — Comment of Aide-de-camp to Field Marshal Haig, at tank demonstration, 1916.
22. “How, sir, would you make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you, excuse me, I have not the time to listen to such nonsense.” — Napoleon Bonaparte, when told of Robert Fulton’s steamboat, 1800s.
23. “Fooling around with alternating current is just a waste of time. Nobody will use it, ever.” — Thomas Edison, American inventor, 1889 (Edison often ridiculed the arguments of competitor George Westinghouse for AC power).
24. “Home Taping Is Killing Music” — A 1980s campaign by the BPI, claiming that people recording music off the radio onto cassette would destroy the music industry.
25. “Television won’t last. It’s a flash in the pan.” — Mary Somerville, pioneer of radio educational broadcasts, 1948.
26. “[Television] won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.” — Darryl Zanuck, movie producer, 20th Century Fox, 1946.
27. “When the Paris Exhibition [of 1878] closes, electric light will close with it and no more will be heard of it.” – Oxford professor Erasmus Wilson
28. “Dear Mr. President: The canal system of this country is being threatened by a new form of transportation known as ‘railroads’ … As you may well know, Mr. President, ‘railroad’ carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by ‘engines’ which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring the livestock and frightening women and children. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed.” — Martin Van Buren, Governor of New York, 1830(?).
29. “Rail travel at high speed is not possible because passengers, unable to breathe, would die of asphyxia.” — Dr Dionysys Larder (1793-1859), professor of Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, University College London.
30. “The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to no one in particular?” — Associates of David Sarnoff responding to the latter’s call for investment in the radio in 1921.
http://listverse.com/2007/10/28/top-30-failed-technology-predictions/
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Heaviest Woman of the World
Heaviest Woman of the World
After reaching 700 pounds, Pauline Potter has officially entered the
record books as the world's most heaviest woman. But the 47-year-old from
Sacramento, CA now says she wants to lose weight so she can enjoy every
day life again.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
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