2012-02-15, 21:47 | Link #19681 |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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Models with LCD screens that scan bar codes or rfid of what you put in, then it either lets you know you're low ... or it could auto-order refills for delivery.
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2012-02-16, 00:45 | Link #19682 | |
Not Enough Sleep
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: R'lyeh
Age: 48
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Quote:
at least one branch of the government still has a partially functional brain.
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2012-02-16, 01:37 | Link #19683 |
Obey the Darkly Cute ...
Author
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: On the whole, I'd rather be in Kyoto ...
Age: 66
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Talk about getting publicly hoisted by the virtual petard.... I think its great when conservative judges *actually* *think* conservatively - instead as fascist/corporatist puppets.
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2012-02-16, 04:24 | Link #19684 |
books-eater youkai
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Betweem wisdom and insanity
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Oldest Swiss private bank is newest U.S. target
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...81F0CE20120216 Fighters, radar, marine patrols top Asia's military wish-list http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...81F0DO20120216
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2012-02-16, 08:40 | Link #19685 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: France
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Switzerland Plans 'Janitor Satellite' to Clean Up Space Junk
http://www.space.com/14584-space-jun...one-swiss.html PlanetES finally starting to become reality. (surprisingly, before a lethal accident took place, unlike the manga) |
2012-02-16, 11:10 | Link #19686 | |
Gamilas Falls
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Republic of California
Age: 46
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Israeli official: Iran embellishes nuclear gains
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2012-02-16, 11:26 | Link #19687 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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Quote:
Come to think of it, for the past 3-4 decades Iran has been dominated by Islamic supremacists. If it wasn't for oil, the country would have turned into another Afghanistan.
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2012-02-16, 11:47 | Link #19689 |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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If I remembered the history right (I read a pretty biased history book on Iran/Persia back in the 1990s, thanks to Wikipedia now I know how one-sided the book is), Afghanistan became what it is because US only thought of that place as a way to get back at the Soviets for Vietnam, not going in and turning it into a permanent US ally because there is nothing there.
What I have heard from an oil engineer who once worked in pre-zenga-zenga Libya is that Afghanistan has oil, same as a couple of old traders. I am not sure about that, but either the people are too laid backed being bankrolled by the Soviets (they did the same to Vietnam and almost killed their economy) to explore for oil. Then again, it is the reliance on oil that set back the Mideast economies, or rather, their sale of oil to US. Iran is pretty technologically advanced as compared to other ME countries (other than Israel, which is about 20 years ahead of them).
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2012-02-16, 14:44 | Link #19690 |
books-eater youkai
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Betweem wisdom and insanity
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Putin's state sector crackdown short on substance
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...81F0NC20120216
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2012-02-17, 07:04 | Link #19691 | |
Moving in circles
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Singapore
Age: 49
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Quote:
As of last year, Singapore's population stands at around 5.2 million, out of which around 1.4 million are non-residents, that is, foreigners. These figures are publicly available at the Department of Statistics Singapore (SingStat) website. To get a sense of how fast the population is growing, SingStat also provides a time series on population. As you can see, Singapore's population grew from 4.1 million in 2001 to 5.2 million last year, or 26.8%. In contrast, the resident population (which comprises citizens and permanent residents) grew from 3.3 million in 2001 to 3.8 million last year, or 15%. So, it's clear that Singapore has been nothing but all-welcoming to foreigners. This is not new, actually, for the country's openness to foreigners has always been one of the cornerstones of its success. Singapore has one of the most transparent systems in the world for granting foreigners with permission to work. The schemes range from work permits for low-skilled labourers and domestic helpers to employment passes for graduates. The government's official stand is that immigration is indeed needed to boost the population and, more importantly, to reduce its rate of ageing. Mr Lee Kuan Yew said as much back in January last year, that Singapore needs young immigrants to compensate for its dismal total fertility rate. Mr Lee repeated his views in September, this time backed up with the results of an Institute of Public Policy (IPS) study: Scenarios of Future Population Growth and Change in Singapore. The study highlighted four key population-growth scenarios: 1) If total fertility rate (TFR) remains at 1.24 births per woman (as of 2008) and there is zero net migration — the inflow of migrants minus those who leave — the number of citizens and permanent residents would fall to 3.03 million by 2050 (from 3.8 million in 2011). So, to answer your question, Singapore does, in fact, see no choice but to solve its population problem with immigration. However, this will come at a heavy political price: Many Singaporeans are getting fed up with the perceived competition for resources — homes, public transport and, most crucially, jobs — sparked by the swift influx of foreigners, especially in the last three to four years. Just take a glance at the comments left by irate readers in this independent news site, and you'll get a good gauge of rising unhappiness with the government's relatively loose immigration policies. The grouse arising from increased competition is real and not just perceived. Inflation has risen sharply in Singapore, from an annual inflation rate of 1% in 2001 to 5.2% last year, peaking at 6.6% in 2008. As visiting professor Linda Lim of the University of Michigan told me in March last year, it doesn't take a genius to figure out what's going on: When you cram so many more people in a small island like Singapore, you're naturally going to get much higher demand for resources. Hence, inflation. There's another, more worrying, problem: Singapore's reliance on cheap foreign labour — in services as well as construction and manufacturing — has severely dented all incentive to raise productivity over the past decade. This is a problem that the government has belatedly realised and is only now trying to address. But it's an uphill battle, and the results haven't been rosy: Virtually no growth in productivity in 2011. |
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2012-02-17, 08:58 | Link #19692 |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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^ This.
One thing to note that, the young immigrants process is a vortex downhill. The reason of DINKies making up a large number of the local population is because of the obscene cost of living in Singapore, let alone raising a child. As more couples work harder to save for their future, they realised that the rate of increase in the cost of living would offset whatever they would have in the future, which would be insufficient to raise a child, let alone feed, clothe and send one to school. The increase in the population density, as you have said, increases resource demand and drives up inflation, adding to the weight of the cost of living. Now people can't even feed themselves in the long term, how are they going to set aside money to raise a child? And it goes back to square one - lower fertility rate, immigration policies to boost population, inflation and rising cost of living, less money to have kids, lower fertility rate...... Now where is the Bovansky Process when you need it?
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2012-02-17, 09:12 | Link #19693 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
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Though this is hardly an issue that is in any way unique to Singapore, but to most richer countries. Even if Singapore is only topped by Monaco, Japan, Hong Kong and Germany.
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2012-02-17, 09:21 | Link #19694 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: London, England
Age: 37
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Quote:
Also another issue that cannot be dismissed is out of border factors namely other countries surrounding Singapore also have increasing population or/and increasing levels of affluence. That all creates greater demands for resources which will drive costs up. To illustrate this example I show you how much resources China consumes: This will all have a baring on prices in Singapore. |
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2012-02-17, 09:26 | Link #19695 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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Quote:
We have nothing else other than human beings (and the bloody Jurong and Tanjong Pagar ports Malaysia have been looking jealously at since 1965) to drive our economic growth. If there is a worldwide embargo on us, it is gg immediately, we are incapable of growing or mining anything on our own - the closest country I can think of that shares the same fate as us is Hong Kong.
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2012-02-17, 09:48 | Link #19697 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
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2012-02-17, 10:04 | Link #19698 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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Quote:
German president resigns in setback for Merkel Time to Wulff the fluff in the next German election.
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2012-02-17, 10:19 | Link #19700 | |
NYAAAAHAAANNNNN~
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 35
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Quote:
What I meant was that Singapore's HVA secondary industry is too weak and small to fall back on, despite it contributing greatly to the number of jobs here. The root of the problem is land size - unlike Germany, we don't have the land to let Heckler and Koch test their toys or Lufthansa to build those gigantic overhauling/assembly hangars without digging underground.
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