The Taj Mahal is to open on moonlit evenings 20 years after security fears ended night visits.
India's Supreme Court will allow the famous monument to love to open four nights a month, initially for three months.
The Taj, built in the 1600s by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a shrine for his wife, is a World Heritage site.
Only 400 visitors will be let in each night, and parking restrictions will be imposed around the marble mausoleum.
The Supreme Court announcement came as state officials in Uttar Pradesh were celebrating the Taj's 350th anniversary close to its site in the city of Agra.
State tourism minister Kaukab Hamid described the ruling as "heartening".
"This reopening of the Taj for moonlight viewing is going to draw fantastic crowds from across the globe," he said.
"We will ensure strict security and follow visitor guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court."
Tourist chiefs said more than 300,000 foreigners visited the Taj Mahal site in 2003, but numbers are down since the terror attacks in the US on 11 September 2001.
Night visits to the Taj, once a romantic highlight of any visit to India, were banned in 1984 amid fears that militant Sikhs battling the government would attack the shrine.
The Sikh insurgency ended in the mid-1990s, but Indian authorities have remained reluctant to let visitors back to the Taj after sunset.
During the height of tensions between India and Pakistan in 2001, officials drew up plans to camouflage the Taj to disguise it from possible Pakistani air attacks.
There were also fears that a militant Kashmiri separatist group, Laskhar-e-Toiba, was planning to try and blow up the shrine.
Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as an expression of love for his wife Mumtaz Mahal.
Situated on the banks of River Yamuna, the shrine is largely made of white marble that reflects the changes of colour visible during sunset and clear, moonlit nights.
It was designated as a Unesco World Heritage site in 1983, meaning the Indian Supreme Court must rule on major works or changes likely to impact on the site.
Friday, 24 October 2008
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Cat and Mice
Mrs Brown went to visit one of her friend and carried a small box with holes punched in the top.
" What's in your box?" asked the friend.
"A cat," answered Mrs Brown. "You see I've been dreaming about mice at night and I'm so scared! This cat is to catch them."
"But the mice are only imaginary," said the friend.
"So is the cat," whispered Mrs Brown.
" What's in your box?" asked the friend.
"A cat," answered Mrs Brown. "You see I've been dreaming about mice at night and I'm so scared! This cat is to catch them."
"But the mice are only imaginary," said the friend.
"So is the cat," whispered Mrs Brown.
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
A Psalm of Life
Tell me not in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!for the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Fneral marches to the grave.
In the world's broad field of battle,In the bivouac of
Life,Be not like dumb, driven cattlt!
Be a hero in the strife!
Thrust no future,howe'er pleasant!Let the dead
Past bury its dead!Act-act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And , departing , leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us , then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any face;
Still achieving, still
pursuing,Learn to labour and to wait.
Monday, 20 October 2008
Snake Talk
Two snakes were crawling along when one snake asked the other, "Are we poisonous snakes?"
The other replied, "You're darn right we're poisonous! We're rattlesnakes Why do you ask?"
To which the first replied, "Because I just bit my tongue."
The other replied, "You're darn right we're poisonous! We're rattlesnakes Why do you ask?"
To which the first replied, "Because I just bit my tongue."
Friday, 17 October 2008
Red Currants Ice Cream
Ingredients200 g Red currants
80 g Crystal sugar
170 ml Cilled milk
120 g Heavy cream
1 pc Egg yolk
Method
1.In a blender, mash the red currants with chilled milk and fine sugar.
2.Whip the heavy cream until soft peak forms. Add in the egg yolks and mix well.
3.Well mix the red currant pur¨¦e and whipped cream mixture and pour into ice cream maker, stirring for about 40 minutes. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
Thursday, 9 October 2008
Egg Custard Tarts A La Hong Kong
IngredientsWater Dough:
250 g All-purpose flour
½ Egg, beaten
25 g Sugar
13 g Lard or shortening
75 g Water
Oil Dough:
150 g Butter
250 g Lard or shortening
200 g All-purpose flour
Filling:
100 g Egg, beaten
1 Egg yolk
90 g Evaporated milk
90 g Water
50 g Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
Method
1.To prepare water dough: place flour in a mixing bowl, add in sugar, egg and shortening, mix well. Then stir water into the flour mixture to form a soft dough.
2.To prepare oil dough: Mix both ingredients together.
3.Place them in the freezer until they are firm and solid. Roll out the oil dough into a rectangle. Roll out the water dough into a rectangle twice the size of water dough. Place the oil dough in the centre of water dough. Fold over both sides to overlap. Roll out flat. Fold the pastry into quarters. Roll out flat. Repeat twice and roll dough into a big rectangle.
4.Mix the water and evaporated milk together in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Add in sugar and cook until the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Add the beaten eggs and vanilla extract. Strain the filling twice through a sieve.
5.Use a pastry cutter to divide the dough and press into tins so that it covers the bottom, and pushes up higher than the sides. Use 2 fingers to shape the edge into an A shape.
6.Pour filling 8/10th full into the tart mould and bake in a preheated oven at 180C/350F for 25 minutes or until the surface of the tart turns golden.
Chinese Egg Pancake
Ingredients3 eggs
1 tsp Salt, or to taste
1 stalk Spring onion, chopped
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
Method
1.Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the spring onion and salt, mixing well.
2.Heat the oil in a frying-pot over high heat until the surface ripples. Add the eggs and swirl the pan so the egg over the surface evenly. Turn the heat to low and low and cook until the bottom of the pancake is set and browned, turn and cook until browned on the other side. Remove and serve.
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Ginseng Spinach Dumplings
IngredientsDough:
300 g All-purpose flour
150 g Spinach juice (60 g Spinach puree+100 ml Water, mix well)
1/3 tsp Salt
Stuffing:
250 g Ground meat
8 g Light soya sauce
5 g Sugar
1/3 tsp Vegetable or chicken bouillon
3 g Salt
White pepper powder
2 teabag / 6 g Ginseng powder
90 ml Warm water
Method
1.Stir the salt into the flour. Slowly stir in the cold water to make a dough and knead until smooth. Cover the dough and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
2.While the dough is resting, prepare the filling ingredients. Combine ground meat and seasonings and mix. Dissolve ginseng powder in warm water. Gradually add into the meat mixture, stirring in one direction until it becomes a paste.
3.Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a long roll and cut into ½-inch slices. Roll each piece out into a circle about 8-cm in diameter. Place a small portion of the filling into the middle of each wrapper. Fold and seal in your desired pattern.
4.To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop in a bit of oil and add in some dumplings. Bring the water to a boil, and add 100 ml of cold water. Cover and repeat. The dumplings will be done when they float to the surface. Drain and remove. If desired, they can be pan-fried at this point.
Braised Loquat-shaped Tofu
Ingredientspc/200 g Tofu
50 g Ground meat
6 pcs Dried mushrooms
1 stalk Green onion
Baby sweet corn
Carrot slices
Green peas
Sauce:
½ tsp Salt
1 tbsp All-purpose flour
¾ cup Stock
1 tsp Light soya sauce
¼ tsp Salt
Corn starch solution
Method
1.Mash the tofu with a tablespoon. Soak the dried mushrooms in some water until soft. Drain and chop. Cut the baby corn and carrots into the same size, green onion into chunks. Set aside.
2.Place the tofu, ground meat, ½ teaspoon salt, and flour in a bowl. Mix all the ingredients. Form them into a loquat-shape with a tablespoon.
3.Heat up a wok with some oil, deep-fry the loquat-shaped tofu until golden in colour. Drain.
4.Leave a teaspoon of oil in the wok, add in baby corns and carrots. Stir for about 1 minute and dish off. Add in spring onion and dried mushrooms, stir until fragrant. Pour in the stock, light soya sauce and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook until boil and return the tofu to the wok. Turn the heat down, cover and cook for a few minutes until all the ingredients well-combined. Dish off and serve immediately.
Nudelsalat - German Noodle Salad
Ingredients 80-100 g Gemelli or fusilli
150 g Cornichons
50 g Bierwurst (or Jagdwurst)
2 Cherry radishes
70 g Green peas, canned
2 tbsp Homemade mayonnaise
2 tsp Brine, saved from cornichons
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1.Cook gemelli according to instructions on box and cool. Chop the cornichon and radish. Dice the sausage.
2.Mix the cooked pasta with the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate salad in a tightly covered container for several hours before serving.
Monday, 6 October 2008
Chinese agricultural tax will be a thing of the past
China's top legislature plans to abolish agricultural tax, which will help unify the tax system between rural and urban areas.
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) discussed a motion over the issue yesterday and is expected to vote on it on Thursday.
Ahead of the legislative move, the State Council has decided to exempt the whole country from agricultural tax next year.
According to Chinese laws, only the NPC and its Standing Committee are granted the power to establish or abolish a category of taxes.
"Abolition of agricultural tax does not necessarily mean that farmers will pay no tax. Rural residents will gradually be moved to other tax categories similar to their urban counterparts," Yang Jingyu, chairman of NPC Law Committee said yesterday at a panel discussion.
Meanwhile, Liu Jibin, vice-chairman of NPC Financial and Economic Committee pointed out that to root out agricultural tax would increase incomes of farmers and ease their financial burdens.
"Currently, the income gap between urban and rural residents is widening," he said in a report at the 19th session of the Standing Committee of the 10th NPC on Saturday.
It is expected that the exemption of agricultural tax will free farmers from paying 50 billion yuan (US$6 billion) per year.
Although China still imposes agricultural tax, 28 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have exempted their farmers from the tax. About 800 million farmers among the total of 900 million are not required to pay agricultural tax.
"China is economically strong enough to abolish agricultural tax," Liu said.
Statistics show that in 1950, the income from agricultural tax made up 39 per cent of the country's total financial revenue. But this proportion dropped to 0.05 per cent this year.
As local revenues will decrease with the abolition of agricultural tax, major grain producing areas and central and western regions will receive assistance from the central government, according to Liu.
The central government supported local governments in these regions by providing 21.7 billion yuan (US$2.7 billion) in 2004. This figure reached 35.7 billion yuan (US$4.4 billion) this year.
Feng Shuping, vice-director of the Commission for Budget Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee said that since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese Government has always upheld the principle of increasing grain output, but reducing taxes.
In 1949, a farmer had to pay a grain tax of as much as 28 kilograms per capita per year, while this figure was reduced to 13 kilograms in 2000, although the annual grain output increased remarkably during this time.
"I am in full support of the abolition of agricultural tax," Wang Meixiang, an NPC Standing Committee member said yesterday in a panel discussion.
Wang expressed his wish for economic support from the central government for rural education.
According to the draft, agricultural tax will be abolished on the first day of next year.
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) discussed a motion over the issue yesterday and is expected to vote on it on Thursday.
Ahead of the legislative move, the State Council has decided to exempt the whole country from agricultural tax next year.
According to Chinese laws, only the NPC and its Standing Committee are granted the power to establish or abolish a category of taxes.
"Abolition of agricultural tax does not necessarily mean that farmers will pay no tax. Rural residents will gradually be moved to other tax categories similar to their urban counterparts," Yang Jingyu, chairman of NPC Law Committee said yesterday at a panel discussion.
Meanwhile, Liu Jibin, vice-chairman of NPC Financial and Economic Committee pointed out that to root out agricultural tax would increase incomes of farmers and ease their financial burdens.
"Currently, the income gap between urban and rural residents is widening," he said in a report at the 19th session of the Standing Committee of the 10th NPC on Saturday.
It is expected that the exemption of agricultural tax will free farmers from paying 50 billion yuan (US$6 billion) per year.
Although China still imposes agricultural tax, 28 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have exempted their farmers from the tax. About 800 million farmers among the total of 900 million are not required to pay agricultural tax.
"China is economically strong enough to abolish agricultural tax," Liu said.
Statistics show that in 1950, the income from agricultural tax made up 39 per cent of the country's total financial revenue. But this proportion dropped to 0.05 per cent this year.
As local revenues will decrease with the abolition of agricultural tax, major grain producing areas and central and western regions will receive assistance from the central government, according to Liu.
The central government supported local governments in these regions by providing 21.7 billion yuan (US$2.7 billion) in 2004. This figure reached 35.7 billion yuan (US$4.4 billion) this year.
Feng Shuping, vice-director of the Commission for Budget Affairs of the NPC Standing Committee said that since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese Government has always upheld the principle of increasing grain output, but reducing taxes.
In 1949, a farmer had to pay a grain tax of as much as 28 kilograms per capita per year, while this figure was reduced to 13 kilograms in 2000, although the annual grain output increased remarkably during this time.
"I am in full support of the abolition of agricultural tax," Wang Meixiang, an NPC Standing Committee member said yesterday in a panel discussion.
Wang expressed his wish for economic support from the central government for rural education.
According to the draft, agricultural tax will be abolished on the first day of next year.
Wal-Mart’s Rise
How did a peddler of cheap shirts and fishing rods become the mightiest corporation in America？The short version of Wal-Mart’s rise to glory goes something like this：In 1979 it racked up a billion dollars in sales．By 1993 it did that much business in a week；by 2001 it could do it in a day．
It’s a stunning tale -- one that propelled Wal-Mart from rural Arkansas，where it was founded in 1962，to the top of the Fortune 500 this year．Sam Walton，Wal-Mart’s founder，pushed sales growth relentlessly while squeezing costs with sophisticated information technology．He exhorted employees to sell better with the“ten-foot rule”（greet customers if they are that close）．He was，in other words，an early evangelist for the first commandment of today’s economy：Service rules．Wal-Mart，in fact，is the first service company to rise to the top of the Fortune 500．When Fortune first published its list of the largest companies in America in 1995，Wal-Mart didn’t even exist．That year General Motors was America’s biggest company，and in every year that followed，either GM or another mighty industrial，Exxon，was NO．1．
Wal-Mart’s achievement caps a bigger economic shift -- from producing goods to providing services．Manufacturing’s share of U．S．employment peaked in 1953，at 35%．It has been declining steadily since．In the decade that will end in 2010，the Bureau of Labor Statistics figures that goods－producing industries will create 1.3 million new jobs，compared to 20 million for service industries．To look at it another way，today there are about four times as many people working in service jobs as in other kinds of jobs．And even within manufacturing，services are an increasingly large share of operations．
As America got richer consumption got more complicated．With more income to throw around，people started spending more on services -- movies and travel，mortgages to buy houses，insurance to protect those houses，the occasional decadent weekend at a luxury hotel．Economists call this a shift in the demand pattern；Fortune calls it the main reason that 64 of this year’s top 100 are service companies．Over the next few years，only three of the ten fastest-growing occupations（software engineers，nurses，and computer support）pay middle-class salaries．The rest could be called，well，Wal-Mart kinds of jobs -- cashiers，retail assistants，food service，and so on．In short，the service economy is delivering more good jobs than ever before．
It’s a stunning tale -- one that propelled Wal-Mart from rural Arkansas，where it was founded in 1962，to the top of the Fortune 500 this year．Sam Walton，Wal-Mart’s founder，pushed sales growth relentlessly while squeezing costs with sophisticated information technology．He exhorted employees to sell better with the“ten-foot rule”（greet customers if they are that close）．He was，in other words，an early evangelist for the first commandment of today’s economy：Service rules．Wal-Mart，in fact，is the first service company to rise to the top of the Fortune 500．When Fortune first published its list of the largest companies in America in 1995，Wal-Mart didn’t even exist．That year General Motors was America’s biggest company，and in every year that followed，either GM or another mighty industrial，Exxon，was NO．1．
Wal-Mart’s achievement caps a bigger economic shift -- from producing goods to providing services．Manufacturing’s share of U．S．employment peaked in 1953，at 35%．It has been declining steadily since．In the decade that will end in 2010，the Bureau of Labor Statistics figures that goods－producing industries will create 1.3 million new jobs，compared to 20 million for service industries．To look at it another way，today there are about four times as many people working in service jobs as in other kinds of jobs．And even within manufacturing，services are an increasingly large share of operations．
As America got richer consumption got more complicated．With more income to throw around，people started spending more on services -- movies and travel，mortgages to buy houses，insurance to protect those houses，the occasional decadent weekend at a luxury hotel．Economists call this a shift in the demand pattern；Fortune calls it the main reason that 64 of this year’s top 100 are service companies．Over the next few years，only three of the ten fastest-growing occupations（software engineers，nurses，and computer support）pay middle-class salaries．The rest could be called，well，Wal-Mart kinds of jobs -- cashiers，retail assistants，food service，and so on．In short，the service economy is delivering more good jobs than ever before．
Bank robbery
″I wish Central Bank would be robbed,″George Pickens said to himself. He had been making this wish daily from the time he had started work as a teller at the bank. All over the country banks were being robbed, George thought sourly. Why not this bank ？Were robbers scornful of its four－million－dollar capital？Were they afraid of Mr. Ackerman, the old bank guard, who hadn＇t pulled out his gun in twenty－two years？ Of course, George had a reason for wanting the bank to be robbed. After all, he couldn＇t simply take the thick bundles of bills that were under his hands all day long. So he had thought of another way to get them. His plan was simple. It went like this： If Bank Robber A holds up Bank Teller B… And if Bank Teller B gives Bank Robber A a certain amount of money… What is to prevent Bank Teller B from keeping all the money left and claiming that it was stolen by Bank Robber A？ There was only one problem. Where was Bank Robber A？ One morning George entered the bank feeling something was about to happen.″Good morning, Mr. Burrows.″he said cheerfully. The bank president muttered something and went into his office. At two o＇clock Bank Robber A walked in. George knew he was a bank robber. For one thing, he slunk in. For another thing, he wore a mask. ″This is a holdup.″the man said roughly. He took a pistol from his pocket. The guard made a small sound.″You,″the bank robber said,″lie down on the floor.″Mr. Ackerman lay down. The robber stepped over to George＇s cage. ″All right.″he said.″Hand it over.″″Yes, sir.″said George.″Would you like it in ten－or－twenty－dollar bills？″ ″Just hand it over！″ George reached into his cashbox and took all the bills from the top section, close to six thousand dollars. He passed them through the window. The robber snatched them, stuffed them into his pocket, and turned to leave. Then, while everyone watched Bank Robber A, Bank Teller B calmly lifted off the top section of the cashbox and slipped bills from the bottom section into his pockets. The bank robber was gone. George fainted. When he woke he smiled up at the worried faces looking down at him.″I＇m all right.″he said bravely. ″Perhaps you should go home, George.″Mr. Bell, the chief auditor, said. As soon as he was safely behind his bedroom door, George took the money from his pockets and counted it. He had seven thousand dollars. He was very happy。 The next morning when George arrived at the bank, it was not open for business. But everyone was there, helping to examine the bank＇s records for the special audit Mr. Bell was taking. George was called into Mr. Burrows＇s office. The bank president seemed strangely cheerful.″George,″he said,″I want you to meet Mr. Carruthers, who used to be president of our bank.″ ″Good morning, George.″said Mr. Carruthers.″I was sorry to hear you fainted yesterday. Are you all right now？″ ″Yes, sir. Just fine, thanks.″ ″I＇m glad to hear it. That was quite an adventure. It just goes to show how easy it is to rob our bank.″ ″Sir？″said George, confused.″ George, I was sorry to give you a hard time yesterday, but with all the banks being robbed these days I thought it would be a good idea to prove that our little bank can be robbed too. I have retired, but I haven＇t stopped thinking. That＇s why I played my little game yesterday, just to keep everybody on his toes.″ ″I don＇t understand.″said George.″What game？″ The old man laughed and whipped out a mask. He placed it over his face and said,″All right. Hand it over！″Mr. Burrows laughed but George did not. ″And the money？″George asked in a small voice. ″Don＇t worry.″Mr. Carruthers said.″I put it all back in your cashbox, all six thousand. We＇re just finishing up the audit now.″George turned cold with fear. Behind them, the door opened and Mr. Bell, the chief auditor, put his head into the room.″Mr.Burrows,″he said gravely,″may I see you a moment？″
At Your Fingertips
We use touch screens everywhere: tourist kiosks, automatic teller machines, point-of-sale terminals, industrial controls. Half a dozen vendors, plus in-house departments at major manufacturers, produced $800 million worth in 2000. The market is growing because the interfaces are easy-to-use, durable and inexpensive. Touch screens employ one of three physics principles for detecting the point of touch. Pressing a “resistive” design with a finger or other stylus raises a voltage. In “capacitive” models, a finger draws a minute current (this method is often used for cursor pads on notebook computers). In other designs, a finger or stylus interrupts a standing pattern of acoustic waves or infrared lights that blanket the surface. Resistive screens are the oldest, most widely used and least expensive, and they work with any stylus (finger, pen). Capacitive screens must be touched by a finger or an electrically grounded stylus to conduct current. Wave screens are the newest and most expensive. Surface acoustic wave screens must be touched by a finger or a soft stylus such as a pencil eraser to absorb energy; infrared screens work with any stylus. The different technologies may be used in the same applications, although pros and cons lead to prevalent combinations: resistive screens for industrial controls and Palm Pilots; capacitive screens for slot machines; wave screens for ATMs and indoor kiosks. Most people are unaware of the type of screen they are using. But tricks can help you tell, according to Frank Shen of Elo TouchSystems in Fremont, Calif., the largest U.S. maker. Push the screen lightly with your fingernail (not your skin). If it responds, it could be resistive or infrared. In this case, place two separated fingers against the screen at the same time. If the cursor moves beneath one finger, the unit is infrared (software registers the first touch); if the cursor moves between the fingers, it is resistive (the points are averaged). If the unit does not respond to your fingernail, again place two separated fingers against it. If the cursor moves beneath one finger, the unit is acoustic wave; if the cursor moves between the fingers, it is capacitive.
Sunday, 5 October 2008
What not to say in an application
Never say "never" but always mention your "achievement", is the advice for job hunters trying to fill in application forms.
Admissions advisers and psychologists at the University of Hertfordshire have drawn up a list of the 10 top words to make a good impression in applications.
They have also listed the 10 worst words, including "hate" and "nothing".
This advice also tells applicants not to say "mistakes" but to mention their "valuable lessons".
If applicants are worried about having too many valuable lessons, the Hertfordshire academics also recommend avoiding other less than positive words, such as "panic", "problems" and "awful".
None of these words are good ways of selling your skills to employers.
If you want to push more positive buttons, there is a list of feel-good words for applications, which will produce a more appreciative reaction.
These good words include "experience", "involved", "planning" and "developed".
The advisers say companies or universities will see many similar application letters - and that the choice of language generates a positive or negative impression.
For instance, over-emphatic words such as "never" and "always" could give a negative impression that "the applicant is making an exaggeration which is seldom true".
"Every recruiter and admissions officer will have to assess hundreds if not thousands of personal statements from hopeful applicants and will make their decisions based on what they can see on paper.
"Choosing the right words is therefore vitally important if your application is to stand out from the rest," says Karen Pine, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire.
Admissions advisers and psychologists at the University of Hertfordshire have drawn up a list of the 10 top words to make a good impression in applications.
They have also listed the 10 worst words, including "hate" and "nothing".
This advice also tells applicants not to say "mistakes" but to mention their "valuable lessons".
If applicants are worried about having too many valuable lessons, the Hertfordshire academics also recommend avoiding other less than positive words, such as "panic", "problems" and "awful".
None of these words are good ways of selling your skills to employers.
If you want to push more positive buttons, there is a list of feel-good words for applications, which will produce a more appreciative reaction.
These good words include "experience", "involved", "planning" and "developed".
The advisers say companies or universities will see many similar application letters - and that the choice of language generates a positive or negative impression.
For instance, over-emphatic words such as "never" and "always" could give a negative impression that "the applicant is making an exaggeration which is seldom true".
"Every recruiter and admissions officer will have to assess hundreds if not thousands of personal statements from hopeful applicants and will make their decisions based on what they can see on paper.
"Choosing the right words is therefore vitally important if your application is to stand out from the rest," says Karen Pine, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire.
25 years experience in the Secretary of the candidates who
QUALIFICATIONS: －Over 25 years secretarial/administrative experience. －Skills：Typing (65 wpm), Dictaphone.Multi-line Phones/Switchboard, Ten key (110 kspm) Digital DECmate computer,bookkeeping, credit checks, statistical typing. Extensive business experience including accounting firms, legal firms, financial firms, insurance companies, transportation companies, medical environments, government agencies and non-profit groups. Offer common sense, ability to take initiative, quality orientation and the ability to see a job thorough. Outstanding communications skills... Extremely hardworking and dedicated. EMPLOYMENT:MARSTON CONVENT, Laramie,WY, 1988-PresentReceptionist －Answer phone, greet visitors and provide information, tours, and literature. Record and monitor thank-you notes for all received donations. Perform light typing, filling, and word processing.WYOMING PUBLIC TELEVISION,Laramie,WY, 1987-1988Telemarketer －Solicit donations.Monitored the ordering of informative pamphlets,placards,buttons,tee-shirts,etc.RINALDO RANCH,Laramie,WY, 1983-1988Secretary －Provided word processing,customer relations,some accounts payable processing. Implemented new system for check processing,increased prompt payment of client bills.WOMANPOWER INC.,Laramie,WY, 1975-1983SecretaryActed as liaison between public and CEO.STATE HEALTH COALITION,Laramie,WY,1965-75Statistical Typist －Prepared health record documentation of infectious disease patients at State hospital.Managed training of new hires.EDUCATION:TRAINING,INC.,Boston,MA,1965An office careers training program in bookkeeping, typing,reception, word processing, and office procedures.ST.JOSEPH’S ACADEMY,Portland,MaineHigh School Diploma
EMPLOYEE NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT
FOR GOOD CONSIDERATION, and in consideration of being employed by ________ (Company), the undersigned employee hereby agrees and acknowledges:
1. That during the course of my employ there may be disclosed to me certain trade secrets of the Company; said trade secrets consisting but not necessarily limited to:
a) Technical information: Methods, processes, formulae, compositions, systems, techniques, inventions, machines, computer programs and research projects.
b) Business information: Customer lists, pricing data, sources of supply, financial data and marketing, production, or merchandising systems or plans.
2. I agree that I shall not during, or at any time after the termination of my employment with the Company, use for myself or others, or disclose or divulge to others including future employees, any trade secrets, confidential information, or any other proprietary data of the Company in violation of this agreement.
3. That upon the termination of my employment from the Company:
a) I shall return to the Company all documents and property of the Company, including but not necessarily limited to: drawings, blueprints, reports, manuals, correspondence, customer lists, computer programs, and all other materials and all copies thereof relating in any way to the Company's business, or in any way obtained by me during the course of employ. I further agree that I shall not retain copies, notes or abstracts of the foregoing.
b) The Company may notify any future or prospective employer or third party of the existence of this agreement, and shall be entitled to full injunctive relief for any breach.
c) This agreement shall be binding upon me and my personal representatives and successors in interest, and shall inure to the benefit of the Company, its successors and assigns.
Signed this _____ day of ____________________, 19____.
______________________________ _______________________________
1. That during the course of my employ there may be disclosed to me certain trade secrets of the Company; said trade secrets consisting but not necessarily limited to:
a) Technical information: Methods, processes, formulae, compositions, systems, techniques, inventions, machines, computer programs and research projects.
b) Business information: Customer lists, pricing data, sources of supply, financial data and marketing, production, or merchandising systems or plans.
2. I agree that I shall not during, or at any time after the termination of my employment with the Company, use for myself or others, or disclose or divulge to others including future employees, any trade secrets, confidential information, or any other proprietary data of the Company in violation of this agreement.
3. That upon the termination of my employment from the Company:
a) I shall return to the Company all documents and property of the Company, including but not necessarily limited to: drawings, blueprints, reports, manuals, correspondence, customer lists, computer programs, and all other materials and all copies thereof relating in any way to the Company's business, or in any way obtained by me during the course of employ. I further agree that I shall not retain copies, notes or abstracts of the foregoing.
b) The Company may notify any future or prospective employer or third party of the existence of this agreement, and shall be entitled to full injunctive relief for any breach.
c) This agreement shall be binding upon me and my personal representatives and successors in interest, and shall inure to the benefit of the Company, its successors and assigns.
Signed this _____ day of ____________________, 19____.
______________________________ _______________________________
Stallone to Star in Sixth 'Rocky' Movie
Rocky is planning another comeback. Fifteen years after starring in "Rocky V," Sylvester Stallone is reprising his role as the boxing champ in the sixth "Rocky" movie, publicist Michelle Bega said Monday.
The 59-year-old actor will write and direct "Rocky Balboa," which will begin shooting in Philadelphia and Las Vegas next year.
Stallone told the Daily Variety trade magazine the movie will focus on an aging, widowed Rocky who is reluctant to get back in the ring but ends up doing it "just to compete, not to win."
"I am drawing on a lot of my feelings that are in sync with many people's feelings aboutfacing the last chapter of their lives and how they want it to be written," Stallone said.
Dan Taylor, president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which is co-producing the film, said the movie focuses less on boxing and more on character.
"It's about self-examination, an opportunity to see what kind of person he is and act on it," Taylor said.
It wasn't immediately clear whether Talia Shire, who appeared in five previous "Rocky" films as the boxer's love interest, Adrian, will return in the sixth installment, said Stuart Herriot, a spokesman with Revolution Studios, which is co-producing the film.
"In the script, she did pass away, but it's unsure whether she might appear in a flashback or in older footage," Herriot said. "It's too early in the production to tell."
But, Herriot said, Burt Young is expected to return as Adrian's brother, Paulie.
Stallone wrote all the "Rocky" films and directed the second, third and fourth entries. The first movie, released in 1976, won three Oscars, including best picture and best director for John G. Avildsen.
The 59-year-old actor will write and direct "Rocky Balboa," which will begin shooting in Philadelphia and Las Vegas next year.
Stallone told the Daily Variety trade magazine the movie will focus on an aging, widowed Rocky who is reluctant to get back in the ring but ends up doing it "just to compete, not to win."
"I am drawing on a lot of my feelings that are in sync with many people's feelings aboutfacing the last chapter of their lives and how they want it to be written," Stallone said.
Dan Taylor, president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which is co-producing the film, said the movie focuses less on boxing and more on character.
"It's about self-examination, an opportunity to see what kind of person he is and act on it," Taylor said.
It wasn't immediately clear whether Talia Shire, who appeared in five previous "Rocky" films as the boxer's love interest, Adrian, will return in the sixth installment, said Stuart Herriot, a spokesman with Revolution Studios, which is co-producing the film.
"In the script, she did pass away, but it's unsure whether she might appear in a flashback or in older footage," Herriot said. "It's too early in the production to tell."
But, Herriot said, Burt Young is expected to return as Adrian's brother, Paulie.
Stallone wrote all the "Rocky" films and directed the second, third and fourth entries. The first movie, released in 1976, won three Oscars, including best picture and best director for John G. Avildsen.
"Super Voice Girl" Zhang Hanyun to star in a movie
Last year's "Super Voice Girl"Zhang Hanyun plans to shoot a movie at the end of this year, which is especially tailored for her.
The 16-year-old visited China Radio International on Tuesday and had a chat with fans both on the radio and in an online forum for three hours.
Zhang said that she has been trying hard to be a professional singer after making her reputation from the "Super Voice Girl"competition.
She plans to strike a balance between her career and studying since she is still a high-school student in Beijing.
In talking about her new album released this month, Zhang gave a mediocre score to it and promised to make progress in the future.
Also, a book collecting her private diary and photos from her daily life since she entered the spotlight as a "Super Voice Girl" will be published at the end of this month.
This adolescent starlet has gain wide popularity in China for her pure, cute image and sweet voice since last year's "Super Voice Girl".
The 16-year-old visited China Radio International on Tuesday and had a chat with fans both on the radio and in an online forum for three hours.
Zhang said that she has been trying hard to be a professional singer after making her reputation from the "Super Voice Girl"competition.
She plans to strike a balance between her career and studying since she is still a high-school student in Beijing.
In talking about her new album released this month, Zhang gave a mediocre score to it and promised to make progress in the future.
Also, a book collecting her private diary and photos from her daily life since she entered the spotlight as a "Super Voice Girl" will be published at the end of this month.
This adolescent starlet has gain wide popularity in China for her pure, cute image and sweet voice since last year's "Super Voice Girl".
Ang Lee film tops Venice festival awards
Ang Lee's tale of the homosexual love between two cowboys set in the conservative West of the 1960s won the Venice Film Festival's top award Saturday.Brokeback Mountain, starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, topped 19 other competitors, including favorite Good Night, and Good Luck, George Clooney's black-and-white movie set in the McCarthy era of the early 1950s.
Receiving the Golden Lion award, Lee described his movie as a "great American love story" that is "unique and so universal."
"I'm so glad it's prevailed here and was received so warmly here," he said.
Based on a novella by The Shipping News author E. Annie Proulx, the movie has sweeping vistas, lonesome men, bucking broncos and smoldering campfires. It also has sex scenes between two men whose lives are changed, disturbed and entwined after being hired to tend sheep for a summer in Wyoming.
Lee's other films include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,Hulk,The Ice Storm and Sense and Sensibility.
One of the stars of Clooney's film, David Strathairn, got the top acting award for men. Strathairn played American broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow, who systematically scrutinized the methods of Sen. Joseph McCarthy's quest to root out communists and their sympathizers.
Strathairn said the movie was a reminder of the responsibility of journalists, addressing his remarks to "all of you here, and all of those who will see this movie, all of those who are out there trying to bring truth to all of us so that we can make better decisions about our lives."
The top acting award for a woman went to Italian actress Giovanna Mezzogiorno for her role in the movie La Bestia nel Cuore (The Beast in the Heart).
The film tells the story of an apparently happy woman who suddenly is plagued by dreams that reveal a dark part of her childhood, when she was abused by her father. She eventually uncovers her past with help from her brother. It is based on a 2004 book by Cristina Comencini, who also directed the movie.
The Silver Lion for directing went to Philippe Garrel for his film Les Amants Reguliers (The Regular Lovers),
French actress Isabelle Huppert was given a special award for her contributions to cinema, and Italian Stefania Sandrelli received a lifetime achievement award.
Clooney and Grant Heslov took the prize for best script for Good Night, in which Clooney plays a principled and practical CBS television producer, Fred Friendly, who later became a professor at Columbia University and encouraged a generation of journalists to ponder responsibility and ethics.
The festival's special jury prize went to the movie Mary, by Abel Ferrara.
Receiving the Golden Lion award, Lee described his movie as a "great American love story" that is "unique and so universal."
"I'm so glad it's prevailed here and was received so warmly here," he said.
Based on a novella by The Shipping News author E. Annie Proulx, the movie has sweeping vistas, lonesome men, bucking broncos and smoldering campfires. It also has sex scenes between two men whose lives are changed, disturbed and entwined after being hired to tend sheep for a summer in Wyoming.
Lee's other films include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,Hulk,The Ice Storm and Sense and Sensibility.
One of the stars of Clooney's film, David Strathairn, got the top acting award for men. Strathairn played American broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow, who systematically scrutinized the methods of Sen. Joseph McCarthy's quest to root out communists and their sympathizers.
Strathairn said the movie was a reminder of the responsibility of journalists, addressing his remarks to "all of you here, and all of those who will see this movie, all of those who are out there trying to bring truth to all of us so that we can make better decisions about our lives."
The top acting award for a woman went to Italian actress Giovanna Mezzogiorno for her role in the movie La Bestia nel Cuore (The Beast in the Heart).
The film tells the story of an apparently happy woman who suddenly is plagued by dreams that reveal a dark part of her childhood, when she was abused by her father. She eventually uncovers her past with help from her brother. It is based on a 2004 book by Cristina Comencini, who also directed the movie.
The Silver Lion for directing went to Philippe Garrel for his film Les Amants Reguliers (The Regular Lovers),
French actress Isabelle Huppert was given a special award for her contributions to cinema, and Italian Stefania Sandrelli received a lifetime achievement award.
Clooney and Grant Heslov took the prize for best script for Good Night, in which Clooney plays a principled and practical CBS television producer, Fred Friendly, who later became a professor at Columbia University and encouraged a generation of journalists to ponder responsibility and ethics.
The festival's special jury prize went to the movie Mary, by Abel Ferrara.
Saturday, 4 October 2008
Sony forecasts bright profits in high-end TVs
Japanese electronics giant Sony hopes to become the biggest player in the Chinese high-end TV market by expanding production and launching new products.
Tadanobu Matsushima, president of the consumer sales and marketing unit with Sony China, said his company wants to become number one in the "high-end" segment in the world's biggest TV market.
"The market is changing very rapidly and we will continue to launch products to meet new demands," said Matsushima.
The Japanese firm has decided to expand production at SSV Shanghai Suoguang Visual Products Co Ltd. Although Sony has presence in all segments from products as cheap as 2,000 yuan (US$250) to luxurious models sold at over 40,000 yuan (US$4,800), it only produces low-end products in China and high-end ones are imported.
According to Tomihiro Kasuya, SSV Suoguang's president, a joint venture with the Chinese electronics company SVA, his company produced 400,000 TV sets last year and all of them were traditional cathode ray（阳极射线） tube sets.
After the expansion, SSV Suoguang's capacity will reach 1 million units next year and the product range will cover all series of products like high-end plasma display panel (PDP)（等离子显示器） TVs, liquefied crystal display (LCD) TVs, and micro-device projection (MDPJ)sets. The products will go toward supplying the Chinese market.
Besides the introduction of high-end TV sets at SSV Suoguang, Sony will release 15 new models by the end of this year and high-end products will be top priorities.
Matsushima believes the demand from Chinese customers for large- and wide-screen TVs and the need for high definition models with the country's push for digital TV programmes will stimulate the high-end demand.
It is said that 35 per cent of TV sets sold this year will be large-screen models and the proportion of 16:9 wide-screen TV sets will rise from last year's 14 per cent to 26 per cent. MDPJ TV sets, or LCD projection TV sets, will play a big part in Sony's ambition.
Noriaki Negishi, general manager of the East Asian area with Sony's TV Group, said that out of 100 TV sets sold in China during April to July, only 22 were projection TV models, but the ratio in the United States was 43 per cent and the sales value of MDPJ TV sets already reached one-fourth of the total projected TV sales. That means there is huge potential in the Chinese market for such models.
"Now is the best timing to launch our top products," he said.
Tadanobu Matsushima, president of the consumer sales and marketing unit with Sony China, said his company wants to become number one in the "high-end" segment in the world's biggest TV market.
"The market is changing very rapidly and we will continue to launch products to meet new demands," said Matsushima.
The Japanese firm has decided to expand production at SSV Shanghai Suoguang Visual Products Co Ltd. Although Sony has presence in all segments from products as cheap as 2,000 yuan (US$250) to luxurious models sold at over 40,000 yuan (US$4,800), it only produces low-end products in China and high-end ones are imported.
According to Tomihiro Kasuya, SSV Suoguang's president, a joint venture with the Chinese electronics company SVA, his company produced 400,000 TV sets last year and all of them were traditional cathode ray（阳极射线） tube sets.
After the expansion, SSV Suoguang's capacity will reach 1 million units next year and the product range will cover all series of products like high-end plasma display panel (PDP)（等离子显示器） TVs, liquefied crystal display (LCD) TVs, and micro-device projection (MDPJ)sets. The products will go toward supplying the Chinese market.
Besides the introduction of high-end TV sets at SSV Suoguang, Sony will release 15 new models by the end of this year and high-end products will be top priorities.
Matsushima believes the demand from Chinese customers for large- and wide-screen TVs and the need for high definition models with the country's push for digital TV programmes will stimulate the high-end demand.
It is said that 35 per cent of TV sets sold this year will be large-screen models and the proportion of 16:9 wide-screen TV sets will rise from last year's 14 per cent to 26 per cent. MDPJ TV sets, or LCD projection TV sets, will play a big part in Sony's ambition.
Noriaki Negishi, general manager of the East Asian area with Sony's TV Group, said that out of 100 TV sets sold in China during April to July, only 22 were projection TV models, but the ratio in the United States was 43 per cent and the sales value of MDPJ TV sets already reached one-fourth of the total projected TV sales. That means there is huge potential in the Chinese market for such models.
"Now is the best timing to launch our top products," he said.
Dollar hits new low against euro
US Treasury Secretary John Snow has reiterated the US commitment to a strong dollar, as the greenback hit another record low against the euro.
He told the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London that US policy "is for a strong dollar".
European policymakers have called the dollar's slide "brutal", blaming the euro's strength for dampening growth.
But Mr Snow's comments made little impact on the markets, with the euro reaching as high as $1.3047 in London.
In late trading in New York on Wednesday, the euro eased to $1.3032.
Meanwhile, an organisation representing more than 95 industry and agricultural groups accounting for about 90% of US exports, have dismissed European complaints.
"Pundits have forgotten that the dollar's descent began only after it had soared to abnormal and dangerous heights," said Frank Vargo, from the National Association for Manufacturers in a statement.
"After years of stability, the dollar shot up 25% against other currencies, peaking in 2002," he said.
In his speech earlier, Mr Snow said the world "functions best with free trade and free capital flows."
"Nobody has ever devalued their way to prosperity," he added.
He pledged to curb the US massive budget deficit - but said the size of the current account deficit at the moment was evidence of "economic strength".
"Our dollar policy remains unchanged because a strong dollar is in both the national and international interest," he added.
But while admitting that the deficits were hampering growth elsewhere in the world, he said that a "shared responsibility" among nations is needed to solve the problem.
He praised China, saying it had moved towards market discipline for its currency.
He said China's decision to raise two key interest rates last month for the first time in nine years "represents significant steps consistent with China's move to a flexible and market-based exchange rate".
Analysts point out despite the positive comments on the dollar, President George W Bush's administration had done little to stop the currency's slide.
Some analysts maintain the US is secretly happy with a lower dollar which helps makes its exports cheaper in Europe, thus boosting its economy.
They also say the dollar is unlikely to strengthen significantly, until the US economy improves.
He told the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London that US policy "is for a strong dollar".
European policymakers have called the dollar's slide "brutal", blaming the euro's strength for dampening growth.
But Mr Snow's comments made little impact on the markets, with the euro reaching as high as $1.3047 in London.
In late trading in New York on Wednesday, the euro eased to $1.3032.
Meanwhile, an organisation representing more than 95 industry and agricultural groups accounting for about 90% of US exports, have dismissed European complaints.
"Pundits have forgotten that the dollar's descent began only after it had soared to abnormal and dangerous heights," said Frank Vargo, from the National Association for Manufacturers in a statement.
"After years of stability, the dollar shot up 25% against other currencies, peaking in 2002," he said.
In his speech earlier, Mr Snow said the world "functions best with free trade and free capital flows."
"Nobody has ever devalued their way to prosperity," he added.
He pledged to curb the US massive budget deficit - but said the size of the current account deficit at the moment was evidence of "economic strength".
"Our dollar policy remains unchanged because a strong dollar is in both the national and international interest," he added.
But while admitting that the deficits were hampering growth elsewhere in the world, he said that a "shared responsibility" among nations is needed to solve the problem.
He praised China, saying it had moved towards market discipline for its currency.
He said China's decision to raise two key interest rates last month for the first time in nine years "represents significant steps consistent with China's move to a flexible and market-based exchange rate".
Analysts point out despite the positive comments on the dollar, President George W Bush's administration had done little to stop the currency's slide.
Some analysts maintain the US is secretly happy with a lower dollar which helps makes its exports cheaper in Europe, thus boosting its economy.
They also say the dollar is unlikely to strengthen significantly, until the US economy improves.
Cards to replace notes in our affections
Credit and debit cards are expected to overtake cash this year as Britain's most popular method of payment, according to a new industry report.
It will be the first time that card payments have outstripped cash outlay for goods and services. There are 246 plastic card transactions made every second.
Total plastic card use is expected to exceed ￡269bn in 2004, just a whisker ahead of the predicted ￡268bn for cash payments, said banking industry body the Association for Payment Clearing Services.
The group, which represents the major banks, said credit cards had become "demonised" as one of the main causes of ballooning debts, but added: "Without plastic, our society would virtually grind to a halt."
Last year, the number of plastic cards in use in Britain grew by 13m, or 9%, to 160m - the equivalent of 3.5 cards per adult. Two-thirds of card transactions are now made using debit cards.
Plastic accounted for ￡244bn of spending in 2003. "This year, total plastic card use, if business card usage is included, is expected to top ￡269bn. In 2005 it is expected that personal plastic card usage alone will overtake cash payments," said Apacs.
In terms of numbers of transactions, cash will remain much bigger than plastic for some time to come, it added. "Cash will always remain there for low-value payments."
Meanwhile, 2003 was the year that e-commerce "came of age" in the UK. More than 18 million people bought goods or services online, up 50% on 2002. Credit cards accounted for 69% of the 200m transactions, with debit cards mopping up most of the remainder.
Last year was a landmark year for another reason - the first reduction in card fraud for eight years. Fraud losses on plastic cards fell by 5% to ￡402m as measures to combat crooks started to take effect.
A new generation of cards containing computer chips is being introduced, and by the end of this year most people making face-to-face purchases will have to type their four-digit Pin number into keypads at tills and will no longer have to sign receipts.
It will be the first time that card payments have outstripped cash outlay for goods and services. There are 246 plastic card transactions made every second.
Total plastic card use is expected to exceed ￡269bn in 2004, just a whisker ahead of the predicted ￡268bn for cash payments, said banking industry body the Association for Payment Clearing Services.
The group, which represents the major banks, said credit cards had become "demonised" as one of the main causes of ballooning debts, but added: "Without plastic, our society would virtually grind to a halt."
Last year, the number of plastic cards in use in Britain grew by 13m, or 9%, to 160m - the equivalent of 3.5 cards per adult. Two-thirds of card transactions are now made using debit cards.
Plastic accounted for ￡244bn of spending in 2003. "This year, total plastic card use, if business card usage is included, is expected to top ￡269bn. In 2005 it is expected that personal plastic card usage alone will overtake cash payments," said Apacs.
In terms of numbers of transactions, cash will remain much bigger than plastic for some time to come, it added. "Cash will always remain there for low-value payments."
Meanwhile, 2003 was the year that e-commerce "came of age" in the UK. More than 18 million people bought goods or services online, up 50% on 2002. Credit cards accounted for 69% of the 200m transactions, with debit cards mopping up most of the remainder.
Last year was a landmark year for another reason - the first reduction in card fraud for eight years. Fraud losses on plastic cards fell by 5% to ￡402m as measures to combat crooks started to take effect.
A new generation of cards containing computer chips is being introduced, and by the end of this year most people making face-to-face purchases will have to type their four-digit Pin number into keypads at tills and will no longer have to sign receipts.
China and India Brighten Outlook at Boeing
Boeing, which has been surpassed in the last two years by Airbus in the delivery of commercial aircraft, has said it may raise its forecast for deliveries in 2006 because of higher-than-expected demand from Chinese and Indian airlines.
China Southern Airlines, Air India and other carriers from the two nations may order more planes next year, especially smaller aircraft with single aisles, enabling Boeing to deliver "a little" more than an earlier target of between 375 and 385 planes, said Lee Monson, Boeing's senior vice president for sales in the Middle East and Africa.
"Demand is starting to increase rapidly," Monson said in an interview Sunday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "There is more demand than supply," he said, declining to be more specific about next year's target.
Growth among the airlines of Asia, where 10 low-fare carriers began flying last year, is leading global demand for new planes. Chinese airlines may need 1,790 new planes worth $230 billion until 2023, while Indian carriers may need 570 new aircraft, Airbus said on March 8. Boeing put the forecast at 2,300 planes valued at $180 billion for China while India's airlines may spend $35 billion on new orders.
"The demand for aircraft will continue to rise rapidly in China in the next few years," said Sun Liping, an analyst at Tianxiang Investment Consulting in Beijing.
Airbus delivered more planes than Boeing in 2004 for the second year, becoming the biggest manufacturer in the global market for new planes, valued at $64 billion.
Boeing is competing with Airbus for 60 planes worth $3.8 billion in list price. Airbus last week won a contract from AirAsia, Southeast Asia's biggest discount airline.
China is easing travel restrictions to let more people fly abroad for business and leisure. Air travel in China will increase by 8.2 percent every year until 2023, compared with a global average of 5.3 percent, Airbus said, without giving its 2006 deliveries forecast.
India's government plans to spend $20 billion over the next five years expanding two state-owned airlines and upgrading its airports to draw passengers from regional hubs like Singapore and Dubai.
Air India is planning to buy 68 planes from Boeing and Airbus to increase flights to the United States, Europe and Asian countries. It will also expand its network to Australia and Canada.
Indian Airlines, which flies mostly domestic routes, is buying 43 planes and aims to offer more flights to Europe.
China Southern Airlines, Air India and other carriers from the two nations may order more planes next year, especially smaller aircraft with single aisles, enabling Boeing to deliver "a little" more than an earlier target of between 375 and 385 planes, said Lee Monson, Boeing's senior vice president for sales in the Middle East and Africa.
"Demand is starting to increase rapidly," Monson said in an interview Sunday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. "There is more demand than supply," he said, declining to be more specific about next year's target.
Growth among the airlines of Asia, where 10 low-fare carriers began flying last year, is leading global demand for new planes. Chinese airlines may need 1,790 new planes worth $230 billion until 2023, while Indian carriers may need 570 new aircraft, Airbus said on March 8. Boeing put the forecast at 2,300 planes valued at $180 billion for China while India's airlines may spend $35 billion on new orders.
"The demand for aircraft will continue to rise rapidly in China in the next few years," said Sun Liping, an analyst at Tianxiang Investment Consulting in Beijing.
Airbus delivered more planes than Boeing in 2004 for the second year, becoming the biggest manufacturer in the global market for new planes, valued at $64 billion.
Boeing is competing with Airbus for 60 planes worth $3.8 billion in list price. Airbus last week won a contract from AirAsia, Southeast Asia's biggest discount airline.
China is easing travel restrictions to let more people fly abroad for business and leisure. Air travel in China will increase by 8.2 percent every year until 2023, compared with a global average of 5.3 percent, Airbus said, without giving its 2006 deliveries forecast.
India's government plans to spend $20 billion over the next five years expanding two state-owned airlines and upgrading its airports to draw passengers from regional hubs like Singapore and Dubai.
Air India is planning to buy 68 planes from Boeing and Airbus to increase flights to the United States, Europe and Asian countries. It will also expand its network to Australia and Canada.
Indian Airlines, which flies mostly domestic routes, is buying 43 planes and aims to offer more flights to Europe.
Disney sees profit climb 30%
Desperate housewives and a potbellied superhero helped Walt Disney Co. continue its financial rebound as the company Wednesday posted a 30% earnings jump in its fiscal second quarter.
Disney's profit of $698 million, or 33 cents a share, was a shade above Wall Street estimates and contrasts with the $537 million, or 26 cents, it earned a year earlier. Revenue in the period ended April 2 climbed 9% to $7.8 billion.
The Burbank-based entertainment giant's results were boosted by the recovery at the ABC network, which has benefited from such hits as "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost." DVD sales from the animated hit film "The Incredibles" also were a key factor.
Theme park results improved and are expected to get a further boost from the company's worldwide celebration of Disneyland's 50th anniversary.
"Overall they had a solid quarter," said Jeffrey Logsdon, an analyst at Harris Nesbitt. "Most of the divisions are operating in a healthy manner."
Disney's top brass predicted double-digit earnings growth for 2005.
"We're on a path right now to continue this trend," Chief Executive-designate Robert Iger said in an interview. "That's very good news."
The robust earnings come at an opportune time for Iger, Disney's president, who was tapped in March to succeed Michael Eisner. Eisner plans to retire Sept. 30 after 21 years as chief.
Disney's profit of $698 million, or 33 cents a share, was a shade above Wall Street estimates and contrasts with the $537 million, or 26 cents, it earned a year earlier. Revenue in the period ended April 2 climbed 9% to $7.8 billion.
The Burbank-based entertainment giant's results were boosted by the recovery at the ABC network, which has benefited from such hits as "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost." DVD sales from the animated hit film "The Incredibles" also were a key factor.
Theme park results improved and are expected to get a further boost from the company's worldwide celebration of Disneyland's 50th anniversary.
"Overall they had a solid quarter," said Jeffrey Logsdon, an analyst at Harris Nesbitt. "Most of the divisions are operating in a healthy manner."
Disney's top brass predicted double-digit earnings growth for 2005.
"We're on a path right now to continue this trend," Chief Executive-designate Robert Iger said in an interview. "That's very good news."
The robust earnings come at an opportune time for Iger, Disney's president, who was tapped in March to succeed Michael Eisner. Eisner plans to retire Sept. 30 after 21 years as chief.
Two Teens Ride Horses to School in Utah
Frustrated by rising gas prices, two high school teens got fed up and decided to saddle up.
Mellissa Evans and Chapa Stevenson made their 30-mile roundtrip trek to school last week on their horses, Nighthawk and Wink.
The seniors live in Rush Valley, a town of about 500 people 45 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.
"When you have a car that gets 10 miles per gallon, you have to do something," Evans said.
The trusty steeds spent their days in a stall inside the high school's animal laboratory.
On Thursday school officials stepped in, telling the girls that horses on school grounds were against the rules.
"I guess we'll have to go back to carpooling," Evans said.
Evans' mother, Karren, is disappointed her daughter can't ride her horse to school anymore. "It took hours for her to get to school," she said. "But hay is much cheaper than gas."
Mellissa Evans and Chapa Stevenson made their 30-mile roundtrip trek to school last week on their horses, Nighthawk and Wink.
The seniors live in Rush Valley, a town of about 500 people 45 miles southwest of Salt Lake City.
"When you have a car that gets 10 miles per gallon, you have to do something," Evans said.
The trusty steeds spent their days in a stall inside the high school's animal laboratory.
On Thursday school officials stepped in, telling the girls that horses on school grounds were against the rules.
"I guess we'll have to go back to carpooling," Evans said.
Evans' mother, Karren, is disappointed her daughter can't ride her horse to school anymore. "It took hours for her to get to school," she said. "But hay is much cheaper than gas."
Friday, 3 October 2008
Tuition Discounts Increase in Popularity
Hungry for the brightest students, many of the country's stronger universities are actively discounting tuition. And it's the high achievers, rather than the needy students, who are getting a good chunk of the money. The practice is remarkably widespread, reaching almost all but the 30 or so Ivy and other elite colleges that ban merit-based financial aid. Schools are also becoming more aggressive in promoting their discounts. At the DePauw University Website, enter an SAT or ACT score, gradepoint average and class rank, and a computer program immediately tells you what kind of " award". Only " the real unlucky" pay full price any more, says Kenneth Redd, director of research at the National Association of Student Financial Aid
Administrators.About 76％ of first-year students got some form of discount this year at 331 private schools polled annually by the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Average award per student: ＄ 7,000. At small schools with tuition under about ＄ 20,000, the average discount is even higher, with some schools returning over half their tuition revenue.
Carnegie Mellon even tells students it will " negotiate" and perhaps match financial-aid packages if kids are offered bigger awards at other schools. Much as banks and insurers offer special rates to their best customers, schools are giving the biggest breaks to their top students. Public four-year colleges, too, are offering discounts.
The flip side of big discounts is that less money is available to improve academic programs and keep school infrastructure up to date. Mr. Redd says he found that universities that have sharply increased their tuition discount rates have seen graduation rates fall, and that's true even among highly selective schools. " They get the students in the door, but don't have the services to keep them," he says.
Wallstreet Journal
Administrators.About 76％ of first-year students got some form of discount this year at 331 private schools polled annually by the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Average award per student: ＄ 7,000. At small schools with tuition under about ＄ 20,000, the average discount is even higher, with some schools returning over half their tuition revenue.
Carnegie Mellon even tells students it will " negotiate" and perhaps match financial-aid packages if kids are offered bigger awards at other schools. Much as banks and insurers offer special rates to their best customers, schools are giving the biggest breaks to their top students. Public four-year colleges, too, are offering discounts.
The flip side of big discounts is that less money is available to improve academic programs and keep school infrastructure up to date. Mr. Redd says he found that universities that have sharply increased their tuition discount rates have seen graduation rates fall, and that's true even among highly selective schools. " They get the students in the door, but don't have the services to keep them," he says.
Wallstreet Journal
"Kung Fu" with a Kangaroo
I never found out how long I had been asleep. It seemed that a lot had happened while I was sleeping. One thing that I did find out in my time in Mr. Borman's class, fall asleep and you are missing a lot. I don't think he ever "caught" me sleeping once. Though he must have known, I was always right under his nose. He probably didn't care and knew that you were missing a reenactment of a good story while your mind was off in dream world. That is exactly what happened that day.
From what I gathered from my friends, Mr. Borman had been talking all day about the lesson then triggered by some question posed by a student, Mr. Borman had launched himselfsintosanother one of his stories.
Though I didn't catch that one, I did hear the next two that he told that same day. It seemed that the conversation had changed from bacteria and cellular functions to how Mr. Borman got beat up by a kangaroo when he went down to Australia.
Mr. Borman: "So we went down to this little animal care center, and there were guys here giving a tour of the place. We went through the tour and saw a bunch of Australian wildlife and crap like that. Then we came to the end of the tour. Has anyone ever seen or heard of a Kangaroo fighting? Yeah, you have? You know how they fight? They don't have the instinct or the teeth to be very effective at biting, but these suckers, man, I'm tellin ya, they can punch! Well the demonstration was this Kangaroo that has been trained to box. The tour leaders were lookin for someone to come down and box with the Kangaroo. No, I swear. Well, it seemed I hadn't had my share of humility for the day and said, "What the hell, I'll kick that thing's ass!" So I walked down there, and I was kinda getting in sort of an Ali position. Now at this point I felt pretty retarded. I was standing in front of about 20 or so people all hoping that this kangaroo kicks my ass. Well, you gotta do what you gotta do. I stared that thing in the face, you know, trying to psyche it out a bit. The damn thing took a look at me and…BAM! Got me right across the cheek. Knocked me out cold! The damn tour leaders couldn't believe it, my wife said they called the ambulance and I was taken to a friggin hospital. So I was sitting in the emergency room and the doctor came in and said,‘So, what happened to you?' I looked him in the eye and tried to tell him with a straight face that I got my ass whooped by a damn Kangaroo!"
Immediately after the Kangaroo story, Mr. Borman launchedsintosanother one about his wrestling match at the state championship tournament. He said, "This one is even more exciting than that kangaroo one…" By the time he finished there was barely two minutes left in the period and the homework that we were supposed to do that night was pushed back a day due to "technical problems".
From what I gathered from my friends, Mr. Borman had been talking all day about the lesson then triggered by some question posed by a student, Mr. Borman had launched himselfsintosanother one of his stories.
Though I didn't catch that one, I did hear the next two that he told that same day. It seemed that the conversation had changed from bacteria and cellular functions to how Mr. Borman got beat up by a kangaroo when he went down to Australia.
Mr. Borman: "So we went down to this little animal care center, and there were guys here giving a tour of the place. We went through the tour and saw a bunch of Australian wildlife and crap like that. Then we came to the end of the tour. Has anyone ever seen or heard of a Kangaroo fighting? Yeah, you have? You know how they fight? They don't have the instinct or the teeth to be very effective at biting, but these suckers, man, I'm tellin ya, they can punch! Well the demonstration was this Kangaroo that has been trained to box. The tour leaders were lookin for someone to come down and box with the Kangaroo. No, I swear. Well, it seemed I hadn't had my share of humility for the day and said, "What the hell, I'll kick that thing's ass!" So I walked down there, and I was kinda getting in sort of an Ali position. Now at this point I felt pretty retarded. I was standing in front of about 20 or so people all hoping that this kangaroo kicks my ass. Well, you gotta do what you gotta do. I stared that thing in the face, you know, trying to psyche it out a bit. The damn thing took a look at me and…BAM! Got me right across the cheek. Knocked me out cold! The damn tour leaders couldn't believe it, my wife said they called the ambulance and I was taken to a friggin hospital. So I was sitting in the emergency room and the doctor came in and said,‘So, what happened to you?' I looked him in the eye and tried to tell him with a straight face that I got my ass whooped by a damn Kangaroo!"
Immediately after the Kangaroo story, Mr. Borman launchedsintosanother one about his wrestling match at the state championship tournament. He said, "This one is even more exciting than that kangaroo one…" By the time he finished there was barely two minutes left in the period and the homework that we were supposed to do that night was pushed back a day due to "technical problems".
The 'In' Crowd and Social Cruelty
Among Kids, Competition to Belong Is Fierce
The bully of my middle school in Wilmette, Ill., scared me so much, I dreamed about him. I'd walk blocks out of the way to avoid him. I'm now 55, yet the fear is still fresh.
And I wasn't even a prime target. I was just an average geek, not one of the "bottom 20 percent" - the kids who really worry psychologist Michael Thompson.
Thompson, author of Best Friends, Worst Enemies, says almost every school has an "in" crowd, popular kids who decide what's "cool." The "cool" kids are followed in Thompson's social hierarchy by the roughly 60 percent of kids who are "in the middle." Then there are the "victims," the roughly 20 percent of kids who lack the social skills to make many friends. They are often not only excluded, but picked on or severely bullied.
"There's a ferocious competition at the top," said Thompson. "It's particularly rugged in middle school because the need to be part of a group is so human. It's so primate."
What makes someone popular? For middle school girls, Thompson said, the top three criteria are looks, clothes and charisma. For boys, he said it's athletic ability, stature and humor.
"Everybody knows who's cool and who's not," said a sixth-grade girl in Engelwood, N.J. "It's obvious."
Cruelty Adults Rarely See
ABCNEWS obtained copies of Canadian research tapes that followed bullies in school playgrounds - cruelty that adults rarely see. It's horrifying to watch. The tapes show other kids passively watching as bullies kick and punch victims. Worse, sometimes the other kids all "pile on," joining in with the bully.
"To identify with the victim makes you feel weak," explained Thompson. "To identify with the aggressor makes you feel strong."
The footage also shows that kids are often so desperate to be part of a group, they'd rather be punched and kicked than be alone.
"No attention is worse than this type of attention," said psychology professor Wendy Craig. "If he wants to belong, he has to take it."
Former bullies and former victims agreed to talk about their experiences. One 16-year-old explained that he became a bully because he wanted to stand out.
"I wasn't very popular," said Michael from East Lyme, Conn. "I figured, push people around, get people to see what I'm doing, that'll get my name out there, that'll get people to notice me."
While girls are less likely to bully physically, they do it, too.
"It was fun for me to see people cry," said Jenny, a 17-year-old from New York City. "I used to continue doing it for the simple fact because they used to cry."
Another bully said he was fully aware he was making life miserable for some of his classmates, and he still looks back on those days with apparent pride.
"I made someone bulimic because I was very continuous about that they were fat and stuff," he said proudly.
Helping These Kids
Some kids are permanently damaged by such bullying. They are at greater risk of depression, and of sacrificing their education - because you can't learn when you're afraid.
For the kids who are constantly picked on, said Craig, "recess is the most terrifying moment of their day."
What can be done to help them? Parents and teachers must intervene, said Thompson. "Sometimes adults rationalize bullying as 'Well, that's kids,' when in fact, it's traumatic," said Thompson. "Those kids need to be protected."
In the Canadian study, teachers told researchers that they intervened to stop bullying all the time, but the tapes showed that they actually stepped in less than 5 percent of the time.
Some schools are actively trying to reduce bullying and social cruelty.
Jeff Parker, who runs an anti-bullying program, said good programs don't just fight bad behavior, but they also encourage good behavior. He teaches kids that the key to stopping bullying is in the hands of the bystanders.
If just one bystander says "stop," said Craig, or "don't hit my friend," the bully will stop half of the time. But rarely will that happen, Thompson added, because most kids are either afraid, entertained by bullying, or don't think speaking up will help.
At a school in the New York City borough of Staten Island, George Anthony tries to teach kids they have more choices than just accepting harassment. He runs a class for peer mediators, where he teaches students how to force the warring parties to hear each other's point of view.
Students say such anti-bullying programs have made a big difference.
"It's really helped me a lot," said one child who was the victim of bullies. "Everyone treats me nicer, and I'm not 'Elf Boy.'"
Other students agreed that the programs had reduced the cruelty. "There used to be fighting everywhere," said one girl. "Now I like school … I don't even want to on summer vacation."
Whether it's an adult or student who steps in, what's important, said Thompson, is that someone intervenes.
The bully of my middle school in Wilmette, Ill., scared me so much, I dreamed about him. I'd walk blocks out of the way to avoid him. I'm now 55, yet the fear is still fresh.
And I wasn't even a prime target. I was just an average geek, not one of the "bottom 20 percent" - the kids who really worry psychologist Michael Thompson.
Thompson, author of Best Friends, Worst Enemies, says almost every school has an "in" crowd, popular kids who decide what's "cool." The "cool" kids are followed in Thompson's social hierarchy by the roughly 60 percent of kids who are "in the middle." Then there are the "victims," the roughly 20 percent of kids who lack the social skills to make many friends. They are often not only excluded, but picked on or severely bullied.
"There's a ferocious competition at the top," said Thompson. "It's particularly rugged in middle school because the need to be part of a group is so human. It's so primate."
What makes someone popular? For middle school girls, Thompson said, the top three criteria are looks, clothes and charisma. For boys, he said it's athletic ability, stature and humor.
"Everybody knows who's cool and who's not," said a sixth-grade girl in Engelwood, N.J. "It's obvious."
Cruelty Adults Rarely See
ABCNEWS obtained copies of Canadian research tapes that followed bullies in school playgrounds - cruelty that adults rarely see. It's horrifying to watch. The tapes show other kids passively watching as bullies kick and punch victims. Worse, sometimes the other kids all "pile on," joining in with the bully.
"To identify with the victim makes you feel weak," explained Thompson. "To identify with the aggressor makes you feel strong."
The footage also shows that kids are often so desperate to be part of a group, they'd rather be punched and kicked than be alone.
"No attention is worse than this type of attention," said psychology professor Wendy Craig. "If he wants to belong, he has to take it."
Former bullies and former victims agreed to talk about their experiences. One 16-year-old explained that he became a bully because he wanted to stand out.
"I wasn't very popular," said Michael from East Lyme, Conn. "I figured, push people around, get people to see what I'm doing, that'll get my name out there, that'll get people to notice me."
While girls are less likely to bully physically, they do it, too.
"It was fun for me to see people cry," said Jenny, a 17-year-old from New York City. "I used to continue doing it for the simple fact because they used to cry."
Another bully said he was fully aware he was making life miserable for some of his classmates, and he still looks back on those days with apparent pride.
"I made someone bulimic because I was very continuous about that they were fat and stuff," he said proudly.
Helping These Kids
Some kids are permanently damaged by such bullying. They are at greater risk of depression, and of sacrificing their education - because you can't learn when you're afraid.
For the kids who are constantly picked on, said Craig, "recess is the most terrifying moment of their day."
What can be done to help them? Parents and teachers must intervene, said Thompson. "Sometimes adults rationalize bullying as 'Well, that's kids,' when in fact, it's traumatic," said Thompson. "Those kids need to be protected."
In the Canadian study, teachers told researchers that they intervened to stop bullying all the time, but the tapes showed that they actually stepped in less than 5 percent of the time.
Some schools are actively trying to reduce bullying and social cruelty.
Jeff Parker, who runs an anti-bullying program, said good programs don't just fight bad behavior, but they also encourage good behavior. He teaches kids that the key to stopping bullying is in the hands of the bystanders.
If just one bystander says "stop," said Craig, or "don't hit my friend," the bully will stop half of the time. But rarely will that happen, Thompson added, because most kids are either afraid, entertained by bullying, or don't think speaking up will help.
At a school in the New York City borough of Staten Island, George Anthony tries to teach kids they have more choices than just accepting harassment. He runs a class for peer mediators, where he teaches students how to force the warring parties to hear each other's point of view.
Students say such anti-bullying programs have made a big difference.
"It's really helped me a lot," said one child who was the victim of bullies. "Everyone treats me nicer, and I'm not 'Elf Boy.'"
Other students agreed that the programs had reduced the cruelty. "There used to be fighting everywhere," said one girl. "Now I like school … I don't even want to on summer vacation."
Whether it's an adult or student who steps in, what's important, said Thompson, is that someone intervenes.
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Spotlight on St.Petersburg
St.Petersburg.The very name brings to mind some of Russia's greatest poets,writers and composers:Pushkin,Dostoevsky,Tchaikovsky.The 19th century was a golden age for St.Petersburg's wealthy classes.It was a world of ballets and balls,of art and literature,of tea and caviar.
The golden age ended with the advent of World War 1.Working people were growing more and more discontented.In 1917,Communism came,promising peace and prosperity.
St.Petersburg had become Petrograd in 1914.People wanted a Russian name for their city.Ten years later,the city's name changed again,this time to Leningrad.Then in 1991,Leningraders voted to restore the city's original name.Some people opposed the name change altogether.Others thought it was just too soon.Old,run-down Soviet Leningrad,they said,was not the St.Petersburg of 19th-century literature.
What,then,is St.Petersburg?In the confusing post-Communist world,no one really knows.The quiet,if Soviet-style,dignity is gone.The Communist sayings are down,and gaudy advertising up.Candy bars and cigarettes are sold from boxy,tasteless kiosks.And clothing?Well,anything goes.Everyone wants to be a little different.But many people do not know the true meaning of freedom.Personal crime has gone up,up,up in the past few years.
Yet in spite of this,you can still find some of the city's grand past.Stand at the western tip of Vasilievsky Island.To the right is the elegant Winter Palace,former home of the czars.Its light blue sides and white classical columns make it perhaps St.Petersburg's most graceful building.It houses one of the worlds most famous art museums:the Hermitage.Inside,20km of galleries house thousands of works of art.Look over your right shoulder.The massive golden dome of St.Isaac's Cathedral rises above the skyline.You'll see,too,why St.Petersburg is called a "floating city."Standing there,nearly surrounded by water,you can see four of the city's 42islands.
Cross the bridge and turn behind the Winter Palace.In the middle of the huge Palace Square stands the Alexander Column.It commemorates Russia's victory over Napoleon.The 650-ton granite column is not attached to the base in any way.Its own weight keeps it upright.Hoisted into place in 1832,it has stood there ever since.
Continue to Nevsky Prospekt,the heart of the old city.Let the crowds hurry by while you take your time.Admire the fine carving on bridges and columns,above doorways and windows.Cross over canals and pass by smaller palaces and other classical structures.Let your eyes drink in the light blues,greens,yellows and pinks.
Take time to wander among Kazan Cathedral's semi circle of enormous brown columns.Or, if you prefer Russian-style architecture,cross the street and follow the canal a short distance.The Church of the Resurrection occupies the site where Czar Alexander 11was assassinated in 1881.
Travel outside the city to Petrodvorets Palace for a taste of old imperial grandeur.After a visit to France in the late 17th century,Peter the Great decided to build a palace for himself better than Versailles.His dream never came true in his lifetime.It took almost two centuries to complete the palace and park complex.
Seldom does any city have the chance to reinvent itself.That chance has now come to St.Petersburg.A few people might hope to return to the glory of the past,but most know that is impossible.They want to preserve the best of past eras and push ahead.You can bet the city won't be old St.Petersburg,but something altogether different.
Ethiopia's fascinating
Much of the fascination of Ethiopia lies in its myriad historical sites, the obelisks and stele of Axum, the churches and coptic monasteries in the Tigre, in the Lake Tana isles and in the Lalibela: the African Jerusalem with its monolithic churches. In Ethiopia there are also nine national parks, two of which include the mountain groups of the Simien and the Bale, while the others lie in the Rift Valley towards Kenya. The unforeseeable wild landscapes are surely the main attraction of these parks, where many of the animal species are protected, and some of them are endemic to the area. The proximity of Ethiopia to the Equator and the variety of its habitats make it one of the richest countries in Africa in wild bird life.
History and nature are not the only attractions of this surprising country. It is a unique experience to come into contact with its people, so deeply rooted in their traditional culture, to participate in religious rites in one of the many Coptic churches, to meet native populations like the Hamer, the Mursi, the Caro and the many others whose lifestyle is hard to imagine today, so far is it from our modern life.
History and nature are not the only attractions of this surprising country. It is a unique experience to come into contact with its people, so deeply rooted in their traditional culture, to participate in religious rites in one of the many Coptic churches, to meet native populations like the Hamer, the Mursi, the Caro and the many others whose lifestyle is hard to imagine today, so far is it from our modern life.
The Pyramids，Egypt
Built 4,000 years ago, the three great pyramids at Giza, in the Egyptian desert remain the most colossal1 buildings ever constructed. The pyramids were built by Egyptians under the orders of the Egyptian leader, whose title was Pharaoh2. There was a sequence of Pharaohs culminating3 around 2615 B.C., with the Pharaoh Cheops who built the biggest thing ever built, the Great Pyramid, also known as Khufu. Cheops built a pyramid 770 feet on one side and 481 feet tall. How ancient builders managed to build these massive structures has never been fully answered but the effort clearly required brains and brawn4.
Was there engineering genius involved? Yes, there was. For example, when you're putting the block right at the top, how are you going to lug5 a block of stone that weighs several tons 480 feet up a structure? How are you going to do it, and how are you going to do it without leaving scratches6 on all the rest of the structure? And how many people does it take to drag a block weighing several tons 480 feet up into the sky? Approximately, 2.3 million blocks of stone were cut, transported and assembled to create the Great Pyramid. The Pharaohs may have set out to build magnificent tombs for themselves, but in the end they created monuments to human potential. There's a universal message in the pyramids. The pyramids belong to Egypt, but the pyramids also belong to the world. That's why we can all identify the pyramids as an early monument of human greatness.
Niagara Falls, introduced in English
Niagara Falls comprises three distinct cataracts. The tallest are the American and Bridal Veil falls on the American side, separated by tiny Luna Island and plunging over jagged rocks in a 180ft drop; the broad Horseshoe Falls which curve their way over to Canada are probably the most impressive. They date back a mere twelve thousand years, when the retreat of melting glaciers allowed water trapped in Lake Erie to gush north to Lake Ontario. Back then the falls were seven miles downriver, but constant erosion has cut them back to their present site. The falls are colorfully lit up at night, and many say they're most beautiful in winter, when the grounds are covered in snow and the waters turn to ice.The best views on the American side are from the Prospect Point Observation Tower (daily; 50￠), and from the area at its base where the water rushes past; Terrapin Point on Goat Island in the middle of the river has similar views of Horseshoe Falls. The nineteenth-century tightrope-walker Blondin crossed the Niagara repeatedly near here, and even carried passengers across on his back; other suicidal fools over the years have taken the plunge in barrels. One survivor among the many fatalities was the Englishman Bobby Leach, who went over in a steel barrel in July 1911 and had to spend the rest of the year in hospital. That practice has since been banned (though a couple of maniacs did it in summer 1995 and came away with minor bruises), for reasons which become self-evident when you approach the towering cascade on the not-to-be-missed Maid of the Mist boat trip from the foot of the observation tower (summer Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat & Sun 10am-6pm; $8.50; 716/284-4233). From Goat Island, the Cave of the Winds tour leads down to the base of the falls by elevator to within almost touching distance of the water (mid-May to late Oct; $5.50). A combination pass for these and other attractions costs $16. Rainbow helicopter tours (716/284-2800) are a more expensive proposition at $40 per person for a ten-minute ride. To check the view out from Niagara Falls, Ontario, it's a twenty-minute walk across the Rainbow Bridge to the Canadian side (25￠ each way; bring ID, and check with US Immigration officials before heading across), where you get an arguably better view, bigger crowds and even more tawdry commercialism. Driving across is inadvisable: the toll for a car is just 75￠, but parking on the other side is upwards of $15.
As you look on in awe, reflect that you're seeing only about half the volume of water - the rest is diverted to hydroelectric power stations. The full story of this engineering feat is related at the free Niagara Power Project Visitors Center in nearby Lewiston (July & Aug daily 9am-6pm; Sept-June daily 10am-5pm; 716/285-3211). With your own transportation it's also possible to trace the inhospitable Niagara Gorge two miles along the dramatic Robert Moses Parkway to the Whirlpool Rapids, a violent maelstrom swollen by broken trees and other flotsam.
Ten miles east of Niagara Falls, the town of LOCKPORT takes its name from the series of locks that raise and lower boats some 65ft at the western end of the Erie Canal. You can see the impressive flight of locks from the Pine Street Bridge, or up close on canal boat tours (May - Nov daily at 12.30 & 3pm, also 10am on Sat; $9; 716/693-3260).
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Those who drink earn more
People who consume alcohol earn significantly more at their jobs than non-drinkers, according to a US study that highlighted "social capital" gained from drinking.The study published in the Journal of Labor Research Thursday concluded that drinkers earn 10 to 14 percent more than teetotalers, and that men who drink socially bring home an additional seven percent in pay.
"Social drinking builds social capital," said Edward Stringham, an economics professor at San Jose State University and co-author of the study with fellow researcher Bethany Peters. 美国圣
"Social drinkers are out networking, building relationships, and adding contacts to their BlackBerries that result in bigger paychecks."
The authors acknowledged their study, funded by the Reason Foundation, contradicted research released in 2000 by the Harvard School of Public Health.
"We created our hypothesis through casual observation and examination of scholarly accounts," the authors said.
"Drinkers typically tend to be more social than abstainers."
The researchers said their empirical survey backed up the theory, and said the most likely explanation is that drinkers have a wider range of social contacts that help provide better job and business opportunities.
"Drinkers may be able to socialize more with clients and co-workers, giving drinkers an advantage in important relationships," the researchers said.
"Drinking may also provide individuals with opportunities to learn people, business, and social skills."
They also said these conclusions provide arguments against policies aimed at curbing alcohol use on university campuses and public venues.
"Not only do anti-alcohol policies reduce drinkers' fun, but they may also decrease earnings," the study said.
Oil Prices Surge Above 74 Dollars
World oil prices surged above 74 dollars Monday amid concerns over the Middle East. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in September, climbed 1.16 dollars at 74.40 dollars per barrel in closing trades. In London, Brent North Sea crude for September delivery surged 1.76 dollars to settle at 75.15 dollars per barrel. Traders are concerned over the violence between Israel and Hezbollah, which could spread to crude-producing nations in the Middle East. The Israeli army launched an airstrike in support of a ground operation against Hezbollah guerrillas near the southern Lebanese border village of Taibe on Monday. Meanwhile, traders worry about the possibility that Iran's oil exports would halt if the United Nations imposed international sanctions on Teheran for its nuclear activities. The UN Security Council passed a resolution on Monday urging Iran to stop uranium enrichment by August 31 or face possible economic and diplomatic sanctions.
COMPLAINT ON A PROMISSORY NOTE
1. Allegation of jurisdiction.
2. Defendant on or about June 1,1935,executed and delivered to plaintiff a promissory note[in the following words and figures（here set out the note verbatim）];[a copy of which is hereto annexed as Exhibit A]; [whereby defendant promised to pay to plaintiff or order on June 1,1936 the sum of __________dollars with interest thereon at the rate of six percent per annum].
3. Defendant owes to plaintiff the amount of said note and interest.
Wherefore plaintiff demands judgment against defendant for the sum of _________ dollars, interest, and costs.
Signed: ___________
Attorney for Plaintiff
Address: __________
2. Defendant on or about June 1,1935,executed and delivered to plaintiff a promissory note[in the following words and figures（here set out the note verbatim）];[a copy of which is hereto annexed as Exhibit A]; [whereby defendant promised to pay to plaintiff or order on June 1,1936 the sum of __________dollars with interest thereon at the rate of six percent per annum].
3. Defendant owes to plaintiff the amount of said note and interest.
Wherefore plaintiff demands judgment against defendant for the sum of _________ dollars, interest, and costs.
Signed: ___________
Attorney for Plaintiff
Address: __________
Edison, starring "The Grudge 2" into Hollywood
Hong Kong actor-singer Edison Chen on Wednesday confirmed recent reports that he is making his Hollywood debut in the sequel to the horror film "The Grudge,'' also featuring Sarah Michelle Gellar of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' fame."In the fourth week of filming my first Hollywood movie,'' Chen wrote in a posting on his blog Wednesday.
"I have returned to Tokyo. It is exciting this week. I got some crazy scenes to do in the movie. Yep, I am doing 'The Grudge' part two.''
"I am thinking I got something good here,'' Chen said, noting "The Grudge'' made US$178 million (euro147.05 million) in the U.S. and over US$200 million (euro165.22 million) worldwide.
Chen's film credits include the "Infernal Affairs'' trilogy and "Initial D.''
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