Space Tourism Business

More and more companies are targetting this area of tourism industry. Ever thought of travelling up to the open space and see earth. Most have to go thought extensive training in order to become an astronaut but technology advancement will make it possible for an ordinary guy like to have a taste of it.

Only issue is $$$$$$$$.

EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company), an aerospace giant, has jumped onto the bandwagon of space tourism under a space division called EADS Astrium. Plans are in store for fare-paying passengers on a sub-orbital ride more than 100km above the planet. Wow!!! The price for this trip will be around 200,000 euros (£135,000). First commercial flight expected to be available in 2012, still long time more and maybe enough time for you to save those money up. You'll get to experience weightlessness while travelling for about 3 to 5 minutes, not bad but too short a time after paying so much for the trip.

EADS Astrium said that such space development could incur as much as 1 billion euros. EADS Astrium is the fourth company that has announced such development apart from The Spaceship Company, Blue Origin and Space Adventures Ltd. Quite a tight competition too especially with such an expensive development cost and there were no examples to follow.

Tags: EADS, EADS Astrium, Space Tourism, Space Travel, Space

Leakage Again?

With all the leakages in goverment buildings and those 'bocor' case during parliament sessions, a leakage in one of the largest shopping centre's basement carpark should not be a shock to many people now.

This leakage happened at Mid Valley's new wing's basement carpark, which is at section of the up and coming The Gardens. This picture was taken 2 weeks back on a rainy day. I wonder how the rain water flowed down to the carpark.

Tags: Mid Valley, The Gardens, Leakage, Bocor, Carpark, Kuala Lumpur

What's Happening to Zimbabwe?

The nation of Zimbabwe seems to be going from bad to worse under the leadership of President Robert Mugabe.

Life in Zimbabwe has taken a 180 degree turn from the yesteryears. Its economy has reduced by 50% as compared to 10 years ago. During those days, the country was a net food exporter. The government has an unsustainable budget deficit of 50 percent of gross domestic product. Inflation rate has shot up to 3,700% now. The worrying part is 4 out of 5 Zimbabweans are unemployed.

Well, if you knows Robert Mugabe, then your life won't be as bad. It's the same old story in Malaysia also. It's the connection! In International Herald Tribune's article - How Mugabe Co. Prosper - it stated that "This system requires political connections and ensures loyalty. It demands economic schizophrenia, operating simultaneously inside and outside the market economy. Few legitimate businesses can turn a profit in Zimbabwe."

Situations as follow have happened in Zimbabwe:-
* University of Zimbabwe's students found it hard to pay their tuition fees or for notebooks. Worse still, sometimes you need to buy it at the black market.
* Official exchange rate for US$1 is 250 Zimbabwean dollars but on the black market US$1 can net you more than 40,000 Zimbabwe dollars.
* Price of cooking oil @ 90,000 Zimbabwean dollars.
* 1 in every 5 of its people has been afflicted with HIV/AIDS. Goodness me, works out to 20% of their population???
* Life expectancy has dropped all the way down to 36 years old only.

According to economists, Zimbabwe's economy could last for another 6 months if the same situation continues. Robert Mugabe still say that the economy could sustain by outside forces were trying to bring it down.

Sadly, even when they celebrates the 27th independence day, the public in general was trying to figure out how to purchase a loaf of bread @ 8,000 Zimbabwean dollars. And if you thought you were early to the petrol station, think again as hundreds were lining to purchase petrol which has ran into shortage.
Tags: Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, Economy, Inflation, Africa

University Entrance & Greetings

The new intake for the year 2007/2008 in Malaysia's university is just right around the corner. Students are now getting information on which degree course are being made available to them. Some found out that their top choices have been disregarded despite having high grades.

This dilemma is a yearly affair where those with good STPM results are denied their degree course of their choice (as made in application). The Higher Education Ministry in various states would be deluged by students/parents making their pleas/appeals.

Sometimes I really wonder how the Higher Education Ministry assess those applications. Is there something else behind those assessment, like unwritten/hidden rules, unknown to the public at large. In the next few days, we'll get to see newspapers' reports highlighting such sad situation hitting top students in the country.

Just when some of those who got their choice of degree course, they may not have prepared themselves for what will happen in the university. It's RAGGING. This ragging word has a nicer name now which is called ORIENTATION but actions behind that word were still the same.

I took up a professional course so I didn't have the chance to experience local university life....want to know why I took up a professional course instead of STPM? Most of you would know even if I don't tell you......not my own doing of course.

I have heard of ragging which was fun and laugther would fill the room or hall. Some seniors took it personally as a revenge. Just passing on what they have experienced when they were freshies. Fights would erupt. Threats would arose. Subsequent torturing life in the campus made worse if you had fought against the raggings. The Higher Education Ministry, as usual, is just waiting for a dead body before they will take any actions. As highlighted in a letter to The Star Editor, the fears created in the freshies' mind were so bad that many suffered in silence.

Why did they suffer in silence? For fear of further humiliation and losing their place in the university if such situation was made known to the press/public. The writer has a name for such seniors - sadistic.

Such ragging is not only found in local universities but also in military schools or army camps. What are such seniors trying to show? That they are macho? A year older? More brains?
Tags: University Entrance, STPM, Higher Education Ministry, Ragging, Orientation, Education, University

Ten Commandments

I'm sure you have heard of the Bible's Ten Commandments that were given by God to Moses.

The Ten Commandments are as follows:-
ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.'
TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'
THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'
FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'
FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.'
SIX: 'You shall not murder.'
SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.'
EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.'
NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'
TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'

NOW, after getting used to and have memorised by hard on the above Ten Commandments, the Vatican Holy See came out with another Ten Commandments. Nothing religious but a very practical commandments for all citizens irrespective of your religion.

Out came the "Drivers' Ten Commandments" as listed below:-
1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.

Besides your respective country's road transport laws, you have 10 more to abide now.
Tags: Bible, Ten Commandments, Vatican Holy See, Drivers' Ten Commandments

Pink Airline?

A new airline by the name of Fly Pink will be launched in July 2007 to cater for females only. Wow!! Is there a market for it?

It's initial flight will be between Liverpool in England to Paris of France. It's catered for women who wants to go for a shopping break in Paris. In the aircraft, everything will be in pink. Just imagine having pink champagne and complementary manicures before take-off (many women would love this treatment).

Why pink? Imagine a pink aeroplane!! Your flight attendants dressed in pink as well. Seat covers are in pink, carpet flooring in the plane is also in pink......and when you flush the WC, pink water will appear???? Served with food on pink tray and pink cups. Your flight captain dressed in pink too?

A blog by the name of Mind The Gap by a group of feminist blogged about this flight too. They have no doubt that there will be women who would just fly over to Paris to buy a Euro2,000 dress.
Tags: Female, Women, Fly Pink, Pink, Liverpool, Paris, Mind The Gap, Travel

Two Blond Cowpokes

Back in the old Wild West, there were two blonde cowpokes, Jeff and Dave. One day, the two were enjoying a strong sarsaparilla in the local saloon, when a man walked into the bar with an Indian’s head under his arm.

The barman shakes his hand and says, “I hate Indians; last week the bastards burnt my barn to the ground, assaulted my wife and killed my children.” He then says, “If any man brings me the head of an Indian, I’ll give him one thousand dollars.”

The two blondes looked at each other and walked out of the bar to go hunting for an Indian. They were walking around for a while when suddenly they saw one; Jeff threw a rock which hit the Indian right on the head. The Indian fell off his horse, but landed seventy feet down a ravine. The two nuts made their way down the ravine where Dave pulled out a knife to claim their trophy.

Suddenly, Jeff said, “Dave, take a look at this.” Dave replied, “Not now, I’m busy.”
Jeff tugged him on the shoulder and says, “I really think you should look at this.”
Dave said, “Look, you can see I’m busy. There’s a thousand dollars in my hand.”
But Jeff was adamant. “Please, Dave, take a look at this.”

So Dave looked up and saw that standing at the top of the ravine were five thousand red Indians. Dave just shook his head and said, “Oh . . . my . . . God . . .. we’re going to be millionaires!”
Tags: Jokes, Funny, Humour, Blond, Wild West