News Stories

[Mr. DJ]

Originally Posted by GDB

Try my method. Get your wisdom teeth removed to the point that it'd hurt/possibly be dangerous to drink carbonated liquid. By the time you're done, you don't really care if you drink it again.

o_o but...mine never grew in and I hope it stays that way xD

[GundamFan0083]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

Could book publishing suffer the same fate as the comic book industry?

Thanks for the link MrTerrorist.
The fate of publishing in the traditional "dead-tree" sense is rapidly dying off.
Ebooks are the future without a doubt, and the "Big-6" book companies' business model is going extinct like the dinosaur that it is.
Indies, self-pubs, and the larger publishers are having to adapt to the ebook revolution and that means considerably less profit per sale of each book.
With digital devices like the Kindle Fire holding up to 8000 books in its memory, and book costs ranging from Free to $2.99 for the average Indie/small-press book, many readers of fiction simply will not continue to pay $9.99+ for "Big-6" books.
It's a rapidly changing business dynamic and one in which paperbacks and hardbacks will become speciality items for ebooks that sell exceptionally well.

It is certainly a fun time to be a part of the business.

[ganbaru]

Marine insurance: the stranglehold on Iran?
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...83G0BX20120417

[thevil1]

Google Street view finally comes to Israel.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Ne...0#.T41RVNVlnFY

[konart]

Originally Posted by Mr. DJ

o_o but...mine never grew in and I hope it stays that way xD

Have you checked it? Mine grew horizontally - never moticed untill after panoramic x-ray radiography

[Endless Soul]

Originally Posted by flying ^

This is a tough one...

for me it's a spitfire

or this

Spoiler for tidiness:

Ah yes, the famed Mustang. A thoroughbred with mediocre beginnings, but rose to stardom.
And the 190, it wasn't nicknamed the Wurger for nothing.

And now for something on-topic:

European court rules against Russia on 1940 Katyn massacre

It's about time. It's a little late for all this now, but I do think it's important to acknowledge .

Endless "Investigative" Soul

[flying ^]

S.Koreans outraged over campaign pledges
... interesting pledges for someone who's a foreigner





Rumors started last week that Jasmine Lee's campaign pledges include free medical care for illegal aliens, tuition assistance for foreign students studying in Korea, airfare support by the government when foreign brides of Korean spouses visit their home countries and when their parents come to visit Korea and preferential treatment for children of multicultural families in admission to schools here.

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/...041600673.html

[Vexx]

Here is hopefully the start of a trend - successful shareholder revolts against completely-out-of-whack executive lootings/compensation:

http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/04/...er=rss&emc=rss

[ganbaru]

Incensed Spain threatens Argentina after YPF seizure
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...83G0QU20120417
Thank good YPF is from Spain insted of UK...

[flying ^]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Incensed Spain threatens Argentina after YPF seizure
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...83G0QU20120417
Thank good YPF is from Spain insted of UK...

Cristina Fernandez = Hugo Chavez's older sister

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

Incensed Spain threatens Argentina after YPF seizure
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...83G0QU20120417
Thank good YPF is from Spain insted of UK...

Why is it the first response of any SA country when running into economic trouble is nationalize something?

[ganbaru]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

Why is it the first response of any SA country when running into economic trouble is nationalize something?

They might belive than it served well the Venesuela ( which I am not sure), it will work well for them as well.

[Dhomochevsky]

Well, they tend to go for industries extracting natural resources.
This is understandable in a way. If you look at western nations, then it's either the nations themselves, or local industries that get to extract natural resources. Same with OPEC.
To let a foreign company make a profit off the nation's limited resources seems like a bad idea.

Of course, those foreign companies bought their claim to those resources at some point. But typically with those deals, both the individuals in power at the time and the buyers make a huge profit, while the country in general gets screwed. That makes reversing those deals a popular choice for politicians (personal bonus points if they can sell them again later on ).

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by ganbaru

They might belive than it served well the Venesuela ( which I am not sure), it will work well for them as well.

form what i understand, output in Venesula has been droping every year since it was nationalize. Many of the experience Oil engineers, geophysicst and senior executive with experience in oil extraction have left. With Columbia getting lion share of these experts, which has result in Columbia experience a sort of mini oil boom with oil output growing every year.

Originally Posted by Dhomochevsky

Of course, those foreign companies bought their claim to those resources at some point. But typically with those deals, both the individuals in power at the time and the buyers make a huge profit, while the country in general gets screwed. That makes reversing those deals a popular choice for politicians (personal bonus points if they can sell them again later on ).

YPF bought it is shares in repol in 1999. i haven't seen any report of either the president or any Cabinet members at the time serving jail sentence for corruption.

[Dhomochevsky]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

YPF bought it is shares in repol in 1999. i haven't seen any report of either the president or any Cabinet members at the time serving jail sentence for corruption.

If the amount of jail time would be a good indicator for corruption, then those countrys would have no problems at all.

[Sumeragi]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

Could book publishing suffer the same fate as the comic book industry?

Maybe in the US. Elsewhere? BS!

Originally Posted by flying ^

S.Koreans outraged over campaign pledges
... interesting pledges for someone who's a foreigner

Not getting what's so interesting about a person who's a naturalized citizen of ROK. It'll be as if I got into the National Assembly myself.

[Kokukirin]

Originally Posted by Dhomochevsky

Well, they tend to go for industries extracting natural resources.
This is understandable in a way. If you look at western nations, then it's either the nations themselves, or local industries that get to extract natural resources. Same with OPEC.
To let a foreign company make a profit off the nation's limited resources seems like a bad idea.

Um, how do you attract foreign investments if you don't let them make profits? You make it sound like almost a crime to make profits off natural resources in another country. Do you actually have data showing Repsol doing more harm than good to Argentina?

Of course, those foreign companies bought their claim to those resources at some point. But typically with those deals, both the individuals in power at the time and the buyers make a huge profit, while the country in general gets screwed. That makes reversing those deals a popular choice for politicians (personal bonus points if they can sell them again later on ).

"Typically" eh? Can you link me to some news article suggesting wrongdoing in Repsol's purchase of YPF shares?

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

Not getting what's so interesting about a person who's a naturalized citizen of ROK. It'll be as if I got into the National Assembly myself.

And what will you do? Open up the stretch of road right beside the open field of military camps where the soldiers are practicing taekwondo grappling so the girls can drop by for inspiration for their doujins?

On a serious note, offering money for that kind of stuff is outrageous for almost any nation in the world. Not only is it ridiculous to offer free medical CARE for foreigners, it is also a conflict of interest with regards to the national interest of putting their own people first.

And not again.

Singapore : NSF dies during training at Lim Chu Kang

If the photo provided is an indication of our training, it would mean that our training is getting more relaxed and the guy is simply just not well-trained enough - my field pack used to be packed to the brim with the top cover barely able to hold my rolled groundsheet in, and it weighs close to half/quarter of my body weight at that time (around 20-25kg when my weight is around 50-60kg).

Of course, what most of the people is saying in the comments are right.....our medical centers usually dish out Panadol and Attn B or Excuse RMJ, then it is BTU. There were suggestions of Heli-evac being implemented at all camps, but for the Budget Committee....."its cost outweighs its usefulness". I don't know if foreign militaries have this Heli-evac plan for their militaries, but I personally feel that not having one is just one hell of a huge risk because anything can happen in a military camp.

Condolences to that Singapore Son who couldn't make it through his rite of passage.

EDIT : North Korea's stark contrast between city and countryside :

Secretive North Korea Unveils Public Face

Please note that the latter part of the video is not for the faint-hearted.

[Sumeragi]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

And what will you do? Open up the stretch of road right beside the open field of military camps where the soldiers are practicing taekwondo grappling so the fujoshis can drop by for inspiration for their doujins?

I'll probably go for militarizing Jeju on a very strong basis to deal with those pesky Chinese, and also discuss sharing rocket technology with Japan. Then, I say we march North to the Amur

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

On a serious note, offering money for that kind of stuff is outrageous for almost any nation in the world. Not only is it ridiculous to offer free medical CARE for foreigners, it is also a conflict of interest with regards to the national interest of putting their own people first.

It's a bunch of false rumors spread by bigots. Nothing to be concerned about

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Sumeragi

I'll probably go for militarizing Jeju on a very strong basis to deal with those pesky Chinese, and also discuss sharing rocket technology with Japan. Then, I say we march North to the Amur

I always knew you are a control freak.

Come to think of it, since Jeju is a tourism island, won't militarising it turn it into potential hotspot for conflict with Japan to the South, and give the Japanese Nationalist radicals an excuse to take control of Japan?

It's a bunch of false rumors spread by bigots. Nothing to be concerned about

Would you actually equate the news agency which reported it to be nothing but a mere tabloid? I am not very familiar with Korean news and their networks.