Phantom Money

In a small town on the South Coast of France, holiday season is in full swing, but it is raining so there is not too much business happening. Everyone is heavily in debt.

Luckily, a rich Russian tourist arrives in the foyer of the small local hotel. He asks for a room and puts a Euro 100 note on the reception counter, takes a key and goes to inspect the room located up the stairs on the third floor.

The hotel owner takes the banknote in a hurry and rushes to his meat supplier to whom he owes Euro 100. The butcher takes the money and races to his supplier to pay his debt. The wholesaler rushes to the farmer to pay Euro 100 for pigs he purchased some time ago.

The farmer triumphantly gives the Euro 100 note to a local prostitute who gave him her services on credit. The prostitute goes quickly to the hotel, as she was owing the hotel for her hourly room use to entertain clients.

At that moment, the rich Russian is coming down to reception and informs the hotel owner that the proposed room is unsatisfactory and takes his Euro 100 back and departs.

There was no profit or income. But everyone no longer has any debt and the small townspeople look optimistically towards their future.

-------------------------------------------
The above analysis may help solve the current financial crisis which is largely triggered by "phantom" money.
Tags: Rich Russian, Euro Dollar, Prostitute, Phantom Money

Running Out of Soft Drinks

Yesterday I blogged about Tea. Today it will be about soft drinks.

How often do you drink soft drinks? I seldom knowing that in long term it will not be healthy at all. It will be once in a blue moon kind of thing.

Even at KFC or McDonalds, I would pay a bit more to opt for Milo or Iced Lemon Tea instead. In Malaysia, soft drinks are aplenty. You can find it anywhere, every corner. The sales are good too. No matter how good is the sale it wouldn't have ran out of stock, right?

But it did happen in Ethiopia. The East Africa Bottling Share Company that produces Coke drinks shuts down its plant because it ran out of bottle tops. It was also rumoured that people in the nation are collecting those bottle tops to be sold back to the company at the rate of US$0.20 (£0.13) a kilogram. It's not so much about the bottle tops but it has caused 35,000 Coke sale outlets to be without any soft drinks to sell.

Suppliers to the bottling plant and distributors of the products were badly affected where 150,000 employees in the upstream or downstream businesses could be going without pay if the situation prolongs. It was mentioned that a state of emergency could have been declared.

This East Africa Bottling Share Company in Ethiopia is owned by Coca-Cola Sabco, a South African company, that owns Coke bottling plants in Kenya, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique and Uganda. Their interest don't end there. Coca-Cola Sabco also owns bottling plants in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

I'm not surprised with that "state of emergency". In Sudan here, the sale of Pepsi and Coke are very good in the sense that it's even consumed during breakfast, for some it's not one bottle but two.

Would you have taken softdrinks as your morning beverage instead of the usual coffee, tea, milo, milk, fruit juice or hot chocolate? My morning beverage in Sudan here is Milo. I brought along 2 kilogrammes of those Milo powder form. Hopefully can last till I leave.

Reading: Ethiopia hit by Coca-Cola drought - BBC News/Africa
Tags: Coke, Coca Cola, Pepsi, Ethiopia, East Africa Bottling Share Company, Coca-Cola Sabco

Will You Benefit From Drinking Tea?

Tea - always relate it to the 'teh tarik', tea with sweetened milk, a specialty within the indian muslim restaurant or stalls in Malaysia.

My mom will always mumble that I drink too much of such teh tarik as she said the tea leaves used for such tea is the lowest grade of all. Lowest grade? Why do they do buy such a grade? Because it's so much cheaper. This are actually tea dust gathered from tea producing factory, quoted by mom.

True? After hearing that for years, I'm still into teh tarik. When I travel overseas, the Lipton Tea is my travelling companion too. Don't leave home without it ..... hehe. A few cans of sweetened milk will follow along also.

This time round, I bought the Boh Tea. Went shopping last minute owing to last minute work in office on the day of travel and don't have time to travel round to shop for my preferred brand.

When I'm back in Kuala Lumpur, the next day's breakfast will certainly be at a mamak restaurant for my favourite cuppa of teh tarik and roti telur.

Too much of teh tarik?

The American Heart Association did a study where it was found that drinking three cups of tea a day cuts the risk of brain clots by 21 per cent and also will help in reducing blood pressure. How real is this? I'm on the right track at the moment. Already started drinking tea from my teenage life till now ...... should be living past 100 years old for sure.

There's this Tea Advisory Panel who agreed with the findings. Why not? They can't disapprove it hehe else the tea producers will go after their necks.

On the contrary, the American Stroke Association gave a warning where they mentioned that 'excess caffeine intake is believed to contribute to high blood pressure'. Who is telling the truth now? Or whose findings are more reliable and better researched?

Out of nowhere, I bumped into this article where the British Medical Journal mentioned that drinking black tea at temperatures of 70C or higher increased the risk. Am I supposed to bring along a micro termometer when I go for my teh tarik time? Or you just tell the tea maker to reduce the boiling temperature of the hot water?

I find that sipping the tea once it's being served is the best time to taste the tea aroma. After it has cooled down, though easy to gulp down the throat, I find the taste a bit bland already.

Whatever it is, I'll try as many type of tea brands as possible as tea leaves prices are increasing by the day. The black tea is about of US$2.70 per kilogramme nowadays. Why is the price increasing? This is economics lesson ........ drought has hit Kenya and India which caused shortfall in the crop.

Maybe not the teh tarik as it's the lowest grade of tea dust ?!??!!?

Any drop in the production in Kenya - largest grower of tea or in India - world's biggest producer of tea will certainly cause Russians and British, being the world's largest tea consumers, to pay more. Why the Russians and British? The people who's doing those counting should just drop by in Kuala Lumpur (yeah, this city itself will convince you). Walk around those mamak restaurant and you'll be shocked on the number of people drinking tea way past midnight.

Reading: Three daily cups of tea can reduce risk of stroke - Daily Mail
Reading: Steaming hot tea linked to cancer - BBC News/Health
Reading: Tea prices are surging. Is your mug next? - BBC News/Business

Tags: Teh Tarik, Lipton Tea, Boh Tea, American Heart Association, Tea Advisory Panel, American Stroke Association, British Medical Journal, Black Tea, Kenya, India, Tea Dust, Tea Grade

3 English Clubs To Sue Man Utd

When you fail, you blame someone else and sue them in the process for causing your own failure. This will be the highest calling of blaming other people.

The media has hyped that three relegation threatened English Premier League clubs, notably Middlesborough, Newcastle, Sunderland are reported to be doing that. For one whole football 2008/09 season, they have 38 league matches to play. With one match left, two of this three teams could be relegated if they fail to win their last match.

But what has it got to do with Man Utd?

Man Utd is scheduled to play Hull City, another relegation threatened team. In that case, why should you worry when the champion is surely going to beat a lowly team. The thing is Man Utd may not play with their top players who are being safe for the coming Champions League Final on 27 May 2009.

If Man Utd fails to beat Hull City, it may cause two of the said three clubs to be relegated as Hull City's points and goal difference are slightly better.

The said three clubs, as mentioned by the media, may sue Man Utd if they fail to field a full-strength team which is a requirement in accordance with the English Premier League law.

I always believe in this following story:-

I have a good news and a bad news for you. Which one do you want to hear?

The good news first ........

The good news is your future is in your hands.

What about the bad news then?

The bad news is your future is in your hands.

It goes to say that your future / destiny is in your hands and you can't blame others if you fail to do anything about it.

By the way, the football chiefs of the respective three English clubs have denied involvement of court proceedings and that such news were created by the media to boost their sales.

Whom do you believe?

Reading: Relegation-threatened trio dismiss Man Utd suit - Soccernet
Tags: Middlesborough, Newcastle, Sunderland, Manchester United, Man Utd, Hull City, Soccer, Football, English Premier League

China Satellite Crashed Into Moon

USA's trip to the moon may be matched by China soon. Although China's astronauts have not landed on the moon yet, it's gonna be sooner or later.

A China lunar satellite, christened Chang'e 1, has finally landed on the moon. What on moon is the satellite doing there? Well, it didn't actually land properly but crash landed hahaha.

Nevertheless, China's ambitious space project will see the setting up of a similar space station, with long term target to resemble the International Space Station that is being jointly-manned by Russia and USA.

According to leaked news, China do not want to be left behind in the space technology and has targetted to launch Tiangong-1, a space module, by Oct 2010 . This space module will be able to house China astronauts to conduct scientific research in zero gravity.

Tiangong-1 is only part of the humongous China project called Project 921 which will have China Human Spaceflight Project Office, China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and 3,000 other companies being involved.

It will take a number of years and spaceflights to bring their dreams come true in setting up the China space station.

At the same time, there are people doubting the story of USA's landing on the moon ...... wonder why?
Tags: International Space Station, Lunar Satellite, Chang'e 1, Tiangong-1, Space Module, Project 921, China Human Spaceflight Project Office, China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, NASA, USA, China, Moon

Things Seen in Dubai

The view outside my hotel room's window.

A construction spot just opposite the hotel.

No idea on what kind of car was that .... what a limo! The building at the background is high end condominiums.

Then I saw another limo, this time a Hummer limo??!?!?!?!??!?!?!??!?

Dubai airport has quite a number of self check-in machines to process the queues much faster. That is also provided that passengers are well versed on how to operate it. As for me, never used it before.

2,000 raffle tickets being sold at 500 Dirham each. The grand prize is an Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro. Want to buy one of those 2,000 tickets?








The latest 2009 model, made in Germany with good specs.















I wonder which of this lamp has a genie in it. One rub and one of the wishes would be to fly around the world and enjoy life at fantastic tourist places.













I have friends who collect ducks, dogs, cats miniatures for display throughout the house.

I'll start mine with camels then. I think I have two different kinds of camels now.






The camel at the bottom of this picture cost 375 Dirham. The stuff being carried by the camel are made of expensive materials.














It's not cheap but they certainly look colourful and nice. Will start collecting one by one.










This notice board will show you how big is this Dubai airport Terminal 3.

As the airport is big, this notice board will show where you are right now and the probable time you will need to walk to your boarding gates. From one end to the other end - it will take thirty (30) minutes.

You can actually cover it in less than 30 minutes. The 30 minutes timing is for those who wants to walk at ease, still able to look at your favourite items being on sale (no time to queue and buy though), get to see those handsome men and beautiful ladies walking pass you, smell those aroma coming from the cafes or restaurants and to let go your last pint of water in your body system.

I wonder who are they trying to kid around. This L Esprit de Courvoisier whisky is being retailed at 23,500 Dirham or USD6,527.77.













A plane, a plane, it's a plane (fantasy island????)

That's really mine.









Couples who walk down the church aisle after being pronounced as husband and wife may be enjoying that walk. Happiness abundant. Nothing will bother them.

Mine's different ............. why am I on this bridge walking into the plane heading to Sudan?










And the pathetic small toilet for economy passengers.

The toilet for business class is not any bigger also haha.
Tags: Hummer Limo, Audi R8 4.2 FSI Quattro, L Esprit de Courvoisier, Camel, Dubai Airport Terminal 3

Students Told Not To Wear Facemasks

With recent flu cases happening around the world, anybody would have been concern with the spread of the flu virus.

A meningitis bacteria was reported to be spreading in the Road Transport Departments training academy located at Tiang Dua, Malacca which affected people who were attending training classes there. Some of the people were quarantined.

At a nearby primary school (Star stated 300m away only; New Straits Times stated 2km away ...... so who is correct?), SRJK Tiang Dua, the parents-teachers' association took the initiative by buying facemasks for their students to wear as a precaution.

When the Education Ministry knew about it, the ministry sent a directive to the Malacca State Education Department to inform the school that all students be barred from wearing the facemasks. Can you beat that? On what basis was that directive based on?

Reasons given -
* to prevent undue panic among the general public
* assured by the health authorities that the outbreak is not viral in nature but a bacteria
* face masks would affect both students and teachers during classes
* by allowing the face mask, more speculations may arise resulting in undue panic among the general populace living nearby

Reading those reasons really made me faint. The PTA's initiative was to ensure that it does not spread only. It would have been better if the whole town's population was to don the facemask if possible. Personally, I'm sure it wouldn't have caused any panic unnecessary. Moreover, the facemask was bought by the PTA and not the health authorities.

Children are generally weaker in their anti-body fighting against viruses and bacterias. By having them wearing it, it would have been a much better condition for them to be at. It's more prevention than cure.

And then when the media or approach the health authorities and officials at the hospital (where trainees were admitted), both parties decided not to reveal any updates or information. I would say that this will definitely cause unnecessary panic when communication breaks down which will also lead us to more speculations.

Really give up on these fellas. Do you see my point?

The Health Ministry's minister Liow Tiong Lai blogged a bit about the scenario at the training academy.

Reading: Parents irked by mask off directive for students - Star
Tags: Facemask, Road Transport Departments Training Academy, Health Authorities, SRJK Tiang Dua, Malacca State Education Department, Meningitis