house and auto

Reminiscing the Volkswagen Iroc Concept

2007-05-20T10:39:00.000+08:00

It is almost six straight months that the automotive industry have not heard updates about Volkswagen's IROC concept that was unveiled at the Mondial de l'Automobile 2006 or simply known as the 2006 Paris Motor Show that was held last September 2006. Car fans are drooling to see the production model of the IROC concept anytime soon. For those of your who have forgotten the details of the Volkswagen IROC concept in and out, Let us go back and see what the IROC concept has to offer for the millions of car enthusiasts around the world. The VW IROC concept is describe as "a perspective on the sports car of tomorrow" and "transfers the globally successful Scirocco idea into the future, according to the German automaker. Volkswagen aims to bring back the success made by the popular Scirocco hatchback with quality Volkswagen Scirocco parts way back in the 70s and 90s. Actually, the VW IROC concept is the 2008 model year of the Volkswagen Scirocco.According to Volkswagen, the new design expression of the Volkswagen concept shows that the IROC is a car thoroughly designed for dynamics. Outside, this sports coupe concept features a distinctively shaped radiator grille, the first grille design for Volkswagen. The German automaker also equipped other models with distinctive grille designs for their identity. The Volkswagen IROC is noted for its “viper green” paint finish along with other exterior car parts like xenon headlights, hexagonal air intake, additional right and left air intakes, and V-shaped A-pillars. These exterior parts highlight the VW IROC's sporty sleek and aggressive body styling.Now on the technical dimensions, the Volkswagen IROC has a 2,680 mm long wheelbase that also emphasizes its spacious interior. Overall dimensions include 1,400 mm high, 4,240 mm long and 1,800 mm wide. Moreover, the light-alloy wheels is specially designed for the IROC concept measures 19 inch in size along with its and 235 performance tires. Inside the VW IROC concept comes a "uniquely conceived design theme, an interior developed that was uncompromisingly harmonized for potential racing use". The concept is equipped with sporty interior features and atmosphere. These features included the sporty front bucket seats with integrated 5-point seatbelts and central lock, redesigned round instruments, gauges and driver controls. The four seats are accompanied by spacious trunk resembling the functional characteristic of the Volkswagen Scirocco hatchback. The interior color, shapes, and trims include “viper green”, leather with reptile black embossing space fabric in titan black, black leather instrument panel, and hexagonal air conditioning vents in matt silver mirror.Under the sleek hood of the IROC concept comes a 4-cylinder TSI petrol engine both equipped with twin turbochargers (Twincharger) and superchargers. The engine pumps out 55 kW / 210 hp, mated to a DSG (dual clutch transmission) gearbox. This powertrain package for the IROC concept offers improved fuel efficiency without affecting the sports coupe concept's power and driving performance.

Gm Seeks Concessions From Unions

2007-05-20T10:30:00.002+08:00

General Motors Corp. will try to reduce its staggering employee and retiree health care liabilities in the forthcoming contract talks with the United Auto Workers (UAW). This information was divulged in the Securities and Exchange Commission filing which happened last Thursday. GM said its obligation for post-retirement health care and other benefits was $68 billion at the end of last year and could still grow on a global basis. In the United States, the largest automaker spent $4.8 billion on health care last year. It is expected to drop this year to $4.7 billion. The automaker said its internal financial controls are ineffective and that it is working to fix them. It is known that federal authorities are investigating the financial reporting of the automaker. And the company has this to say: “We must continue to make structural changes to reduce our U.S. health-care cost burden, the source of our largest competitive cost disadvantage.”GM said it needs to continue to reduce structural and material costs, and its production must become more efficient in order to return to profitability. But it said that restrictions in labor agreements could limit cost savings. “Our current collective bargaining agreement with the UAW will expire in September 2007, and we intend to pursue our cost-reduction goals vigorously in negotiating the new agreement,” the company said. Moreover, GM added that a UAW strike or threat of a strike could affect its business and impair further cost reductions.GM provides extensive pension and retiree health care benefits to over 400,000 American retirees and surviving spouses. In the filing, GM noted that the UAW agreed to retiree health-care cost sharing in 2005 that reduced its post-retirement health care obligations by $17 billion, and it capped salaried retiree health care spending levels effective in January. The spokesman of the UAW declined to comment on the mentioned filling.The filing said the automaker has continued to improve its internal controls, but if it cannot fix them permanently, “It may adversely impact our ability to report our financial condition and results of operations in the future accurately and in a timely manner, and may potentially adversely impact our reputation with stakeholders,” the filing said. It further added: “A negative outcome of one or more of these investigations could require us to restate prior financial results and could result in fines, penalties or other remedies being imposed on GM.” Early this year, GM said it had hired financial advisers to help restructure its corporate controller’s office. On Wednesday, the company reported a profit of $950 million for the last quarter, but the company still lost $2 billion for the entire year. The company also recorded a $10.4 billion loss in 2005. It is now in the midst of slashing thousands of jobs and closing plants to implement its restructure plan to compete better with Asian automakers, mainly Toyota Motor Corp. GM might need the aid of a Volvo fuel pump to accelerate its adrenaline to fight for its throne in the industry.

Vw Crosstouran, Volkswagen's Newest Crossover Model

2007-05-20T10:30:00.001+08:00

Volkswagen Touran, the German automaker's compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) is getting a new variant to add up to its model lineup. The Volkswagen Touran will have a crossover variant called the CrossTouran, which is the third crossover model of Volkswagen.According to a Volkswagen Group press release: "Volkswagen is extending its line-up of distinctive Cross Models, effective immediately, to include a third level: The CrossTouran. As on the successful CrossPolo and CrossGolf models introduced at the beginning of the year, the CrossTouran is also characterized by wrap-around, robust guard strips, powerful wheel arches, modified bumpers and newly designed 17-inch alloy wheels. Fitting into its powerful appearance is the chassis that was elevated by approx. twelve millimeters. Thanks to its roomy interior it comes highly recommended as an ideal companion for uncomplicated transport of mountain bikes, hang gliders, or any kind of sporting equipment. Aside from all of its practical aspects, the new van with its individual outfit offers an alternative to all those who like things sportier and earthier."New distinctive features for the new Volkswagen CrossTouran are noticeable. On the front fascia, the vehicle is equipped with “Matte chrome” insignia radiator grille along with black headlamp housings, black guard strips, redesigned bumper, standard fog lamps, and distinctive Black grained trim covers in the spoiler area. The Volkswagen CrossTouran also gets black body trim around the doors, rocker panels and fender flares. At the back, the Volkswagen CrossTouran has by taillights with dark lamp bodies and wrap-around black trim on the bumpers. The CrossTouran also has a 17-inch “Funplay” type alloy wheels and 215/50 R 17 tires for the vehicle to ride on.On the inside, the Volkswagen CrossTouran features a variable, comfortable, and spacious interior. High quality materials, textures, and color schemes are also highlighted on the CrossTouran's overall interior feel. A host of standard and functional interior amenities is offered including practical storage pockets on the backs of the front seats, center armrest in front with storage box, drawers under the front seats, an additional 12-Volt outlet in the rear section of the center console. These features are also found on the VW Touran Trendline model. In addition, leather time parking brake lever handle and gearshift knob is also included in the interior package along with three-spoke steering wheel stainless steel plates, and dual-tone horn. Other interior features include climate control system (Climatic), electric window lifts, cargo covers, six airbags, RCD 300 MP3-capable radio with CD player and a speed control system, and a front passenger seat back that folds completely for stowing long cargo items.Moving on the technical side, Volkswagen offers a wide option of engine types for the CrossTouran ranging from petrol, TSI, and TDI diesel engines. These include: 1.6 with 75 kW / 102 PS; TSI with 103 kW / 140 PS; TSI with 125 kW / 170 PS; 1.9 TDI with 77 kW / 105 PS; 2.0 TDI with 103 kW / 140 PS; and 2.0 TDI with 125 kW / 170 PS. These engines are combined with either 5- or 6-speed manual gearbox as a standard powertrain feature or an optional dual clutch transmission (DSG). Other powertrain and suspension parts include Volkswagen spark plugs, quality chassis system, and Volkswagen's patented Park Assist system.

Effective Guides for Buying a New Car

2007-05-20T10:27:00.001+08:00

The automotive market nowadays has become extensive because of the latest trends and automotive technological aspects. Automakers continue to add a new item on the different vehicle segments. Moreover, the competition in the automotive market has also grown stronger. As a result, automakers along with their respective dealers offer pleasing incentives for customers as well as wide range of promotional aspects on their products in order for the customers to have a good taste and motivation to choose their desired car models.According to Philip Reed of Edmunds.com, "Buying a car is a big investment, but it can be exciting and rewarding, especially if you feel like you got the right car at a fair price." So if you are planning to purchase a new car, try to follow these guides to help you out understand what Philip Reed said. The first thing that you should consider in buying a new vehicle is to select a type that suits your driving personality. Basically, vehicles are broken down into several classes or segments. These include compacts and subcompact sedans, 2-door coupes, wagons, sport/ utility vehicles (SUVs), vans and minivans, and pickup trucks. Another factor to consider is your budget. For sure, you will not go for a powerful and expensive sports coupe if you don’t have enough money on your pocket. Your choice will depend on your limited budget in purchasing your new vehicle. The next thing after you had already chosen your desired vehicle type is to narrow down your selection and determine the make and model. There are many domestic and international vehicle models to choose from (e.g. Ford, GM, Toyota, Honda, Audi, and Volkswagen). When it comes to pricing, do not assume that the price offered for you is the best deal out in the market. Most of car dealerships today are more competitive than before. Look at the dealer's brochures for offered incentives and rebates before the actual purchasing. You also need to check and have a good estimate on what to expect to pay for your car.Another thing that matters in buying a new car is the cost to change on your purchase such as how much discount you can get in buying your car, and doing negotiations with the dealer for the lowest possible purchasing price. After doing this, and if you agreed on the price, the next thing you should consider is the additional expenses you would take upon purchasing your new car. These include the sales tax, registration fee, and other miscellaneous fees that vary depending on some certain circumstances like the dealer location or the make and model name.After choosing the car, you are now ready for the payment. Next, review and sign all the necessary contracts and other paper works. This task is extremely important after the payment because this will certify you as the owner of the new car. Finally, try not to get very much excited about your new set of wheels and drive it immediately. In buying a new car, always check it before heading on the road and taking a nice drift. You should check your new car's exterior and interior parts such as paint to see if there are scratches and bumps. Look for other damages inside and out including the mirrors, glasses, wheels, and the seats. It is much better to include the technical parts for the inspection (like (Volkswagen rotors). This task will ensure your driving safety and make sure that you purchased a brand new one.

An Idea On Sunroom Price

2007-05-19T11:01:00.000+08:00

The cost of building a sunroom is cheaper than the traditional houses. The do-it-yourself sunroom kits can save the labor charge. Usually. the sunroom cost includes the material cost and the labor cost. Sunrooms can range from $12.000 - $70.000 depending on the total area. the material and the design. They are economical as they repay you back more than 70% of the investment cost is can be built more easily and quickly than the traditional houses. Placing a sunroom in front of your house may make your house look beautiful. but at the same time it can disrupt your budget plans. Thus. along with selecting the best material for the sunroom. you also need to fit the cost within your budget. In order to do so. you need to properly plan ahead of purchase to solve financial issues from the beginning. For proper planning. you need to know the approximate cost of sunrooms including raw materials. labor cost and furniture items. Only then will you be able to judge the type of material that you need. the roofing system and other furniture items required to decorate the room. The benefit of placing a sunroom is that it adds space to the existing rooms and the whole process takes less than a few weeks. This time is much less compared to the time taken to build the traditional buildings out of bricks and mortar. Moreover. the cost of building a sunroom is also cheaper than the traditional ones. They are the best solution for increasing the living area in a cost efficient manner. There is nothing called a constant sunroom cost. The cost of the sunroom varies depending on the size of the room. the material used to build the room. drainage facility. location. ventilation. style and design of the sunroom. If you are staying in a hot and humid area. you need to spend more on the cooling system. Similarly. if you are residing in a freezing cold region. you have to shell out extra cash to install a heating system for the sunroom. The cost depends not only on the climatic condition of the region. but also on various other factors. It depends on the terrain of the region. Rugged terrain required thick and good quality flooring that can last for longer period of time. Similarly. places covered with snow or having extreme climatic condition required deep flooring system to restrict the floors from expanding and contracting with weather fluctuations. The cost also differs from one contractor to the other depending on labor cost. If you have budget constrains. you can opt for the do-it-yourself sunroom kits and save yourself a lot of expenses. It can be a tiring experience. but if you love outdoor activities and adventure. you are sure going to enjoy it. Other than these factors. you also need to consider the cost of furniture to decorate the sunroom. First chalk out the total expense required for building the sunroom. Depending on the amount spent. you can buy the furniture items accordingly. If you have more money left even after constructing the sunroom. opt for luxurious furniture to give the room an elegant look and appeal. If you find the sunroom construction cost exceeding your budget. restrict yourself to purchase only the necessary furniture items required for that particular room. Chalking Out The CostThe price of sunroom can range from $12.000 - $70.000. It has been estimated by The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) that the sunrooms repay you back more than 70% of the investment cost. The sunroom construction cost includes the cost of materials and labors. It is estimated that an average sunroom may require $10. 400 material cost. For constructing the deck. it required approximately $1500 material cost. For preparing the stairs. the approximate material cost comes to $270. With floor improvements and roofing system. the total amount of material cost for constructing an average sunroom will be around $13.500 - $14.000. The second important factor to consider while chalking out sunroom pricing is the labor cost. For preparing the sunroom. the labor charge will be around $ 11.000. For constructing the deck. the labor charge will be approximately $1650. Similarly. constructing stairs takes up around $200 - $250. Including the flooring and roofing system. the total labor cost for constructing a sunroomcomes to around $12.000. If you merge these two factors. the total sunroom cost will be around $25.000. The sunroom prices also vary depending on the material that is used. You can construct an aluminum sunroom with energy efficient exterior and interior and thermally broken panels. You can even construct the sunroom with wooden panels and beams to lend a classic touch to it. Vinyl cladding sunrooms are common ways of building the Georgian and Victorian conservatories. The sunroom cost also depends on the types of doors and windows that you plan to insert. You can opt for sliding doors and windows with double locking features and childproof handles. You can even select the French doors with removable screens. Investing Well In SunroomsThe cost depends on the style of the sunrooms. There are various roof designs including cathedral. conservatory. straight and curved. The roofs are generally made of aluminum with a special coating to restrict the harmful rays of the sun from entering. Among the building material. vinyl costs the least. Aluminum costs more than vinyl. but its insulating power is not that efficient. Wood is the most expensive of all the materials and demands proper care and maintenance. The sunrooms provide you with all season comfort and luxury. Thus. there is a natural tendency to spend more on sunroom to make it a more luxurious and cozy place to stay. Make sure to chalk out the total amount of money you can afford to spend on this project before you opt for any sunroom design or contractor in order to strike the perfect balance between your need and budget.

Secured Loans: High Amount at Low Interest Rates

2007-05-19T10:57:00.000+08:00

People avail secured loans for various reasons.Secured loans are loans that need collateral to be pledged. The collateral can be your house, property or any high value possession. There are various advantages of a secured loan which are discussed below:
Low interest rates: -Secured loans are provided at a lower interest rate because of the presence of collateral. The lender gets security of collateral thus he charges low interest. Depending on the worth of collateral, credit ratings and several other factors, an individual may get the loan at a lower rate.
Small monthly installments: - Secured loans have a low monthly installment as the repayment term is longer. The term may sometimes extend up to 30 years. The low interest rate gives you the comfort of taking a higher amount well within your budget.
High amount: - Borrowers can draw a much larger loan amount in secured loans as against unsecured loans. High value of collateral paves way for high amount loan approval.
Readily available: - Secured loans are readily available in the financial market. Mostly all lending companies have Secured loans in their product line. It is because of the relative safety that secured loan gives to the lender. Secured loans are easily the most approved loans in the financial market.
Adverse credit score: - A Secured loans is a help for borrowers with bad credit history as they too can avail a .Secured loans. Since, they are providing collateral the probability of loan approval becomes high.

Home Insurance and Alternative Accommodation

2007-05-19T10:56:00.000+08:00

To most people the benefits of home insurance are obvious. Contents insurance will cover your furniture, clothes, electronic equipment and other prized possessions while buildings insurance will cover damage caused to your property, from fire and flood damage to vandalism and third party damage.Of course when you are looking for a home insurance policy you will want to save money. However it is important to remember that the cheapest house insurance may not necessarily be the best. It is vital that you check all the elements of your policy to ensure you are suitably covered.One such area that is vital to check is whether or not your home insurance offers alternative accommodation in the event your home becomes uninhabitable or needs to be rebuilt following extensive damage. If you take out a home insurance policy without alternative accommodation cover you could be left facing hefty hotel or rental costs if you are forced to leave your property for a sustained period of time.Simply finding a policy that offers this feature is not enough. The type of accommodation cover offered will vary from one insurance company to the next. Some house insurance companies only pay towards alternative accommodation for a finite length of time while others will only cover your accommodation costs in a limited number of circumstances. In addition to these factors you also need to know how much money you will receive for your accommodation costs or what accommodation will be made available to you; will you be able to place you and your family in a clean, safe environment?Knowing your home insurance will cover any rebuilding costs can provide great peace of mind. However having no access to suitable accommodation for you and your family during this period can be a very stressful time. When taking out your home insurance policy always remember to check that suitable accommodation cover is available in all the appropriate circumstances. A small increase in your home insurance premium can help to avoid a potentially traumatic experience.

How To Save Money On A Mobile Home Owner Insurance Quote

2007-05-19T10:54:00.000+08:00

A home is a home, whether it is a tradition brick home built from the ground up, or a manufactured mobile home you have selected and had personalized to your specifications. Therefore, just because your home is a mobile home does not mean you shouldn't purchase a home owner's insurance policy for it.Thanks to the Internet, you can get a free mobile home owner insurance quote pretty quickly online. Just find a Web site owned by an insurance company that specializes in mobile home owner insurance, or a Web site that has access to many different insurance companies that specialize in mobile home owner insurance. Any insurance company from which you choose to get your mobile home owner insurance quote needs to specialize in mobile home owner insurance. Sometimes there are factors that go into mobile home owner insurance policies that don't go into regular home owner insurance policies, so make sure the company you choose does indeed specialize in mobile home owner insurance before agreeing to anything.You'll then begin entering the necessary information. When you search for a mobile home owner insurance quote online, you are usually asked questions about your contact information; the manufacturer of the mobile home and the year it was manufactured; the size; the current lien holder if there is one; how far the mobile home is from the coast; and how close the mobile home is to the nearest fire department.Some Web sites that offer mobile home owner insurance quotes will offer the quote instantly online; others will pass your information to an insurance agent who specializes in mobile home owner insurance. Regardless of how you receive your mobile home owner insurance quote and from what insurance company, make sure you talk directly to a live insurance agent and receive thorough paperwork about your mobile home owner insurance quote - and policy, should you choose to purchase one - before agreeing to anything.

The Challenges Of Home Health Care

2007-05-19T10:52:00.000+08:00

Acting as a caregiver for a friend or relative who is sick or disabled can be a rewarding but challenging experience. If you do not have a background in a health profession such as nursing or physiotherapy, the physical and emotional intensity of your new caregiving role might be daunting for you. There are many emotional challenges that you may face, as well as practical challenges that you will encounter on a daily basis.Personal challengesCaregiving is not an easy task. You will be dealing with a person who may be completely physically and emotionally dependent on you. If you have never been in this role before, you may be unprepared for the demands this places on you. Looking after a sick friend or relative can be confronting. You may need to undertake basic nursing procedures, such as changing a catheter bag, assisting with showering or going to the toilet, or cleaning up urine, feces or vomit. Your patient may be very embarrassed that they must rely on you to help them. The situation can be very degrading for the patient and it will be important to let them know that you are willing and capable of dealing with their nursing. Your manner can allow your patient to feel that they are maintaining their dignity through their illness, which is an important gift.If your friend or relative is sick, it is likely that they may be in considerable pain or discomfort. In this situation, patients may be argumentative, ungrateful or rude. You will need to understand their situation, but also be prepared to gently remind them that you wish them to treat you with respect, despite their physical pain.It can be difficult to maintain your own lifestyle when you are caring full time for a relative or friend. In this time, it is critical that you do not lose contact with your other friends and family. Making time for yourself is important, both for you, and for your patient. A day spent shopping or receiving a relaxing facial can rejuvenate you, give you a break and ultimately offer your patient better care.You may need to be prepared for your patient to, intentionally or otherwise, make you feel bad for taking time out. This is not uncommon, but you need to stick to your guns. Take the time for yourself and do not feel that you are letting your patient down. If necessary, explain to them how important it is for you to spend some time by yourself. Bringing them home a small gift, or taking some photos of your trip might be a good way to share the experience with them. Preparing your home for health careThe advantage of hospital care is that all the facilities and equipment are available to your patient. Bringing them home for care means that you will need to buy or hire the right equipment to make your friend or relative comfortable. Depending on their condition, you may need a hospital-style bed, commode, shower chair, wheel chair or walking frame. Other equipment such as a blood pressure monitor or oxygen machine may also be required. Talk with your patient's medical team about the best place to hire or buy the equipment.You will also need to consider the safety of your home. Do you have stairs that will need to be modified into ramps? You may need to consider installing a mechanical lift to assist with accessing your home. Grab rails might be necessary in the shower or the toilet, if you patient is able to walk but lacks strength. Non-slip rubber mats are also a great idea for the bathroom if you are nursing a frail or elderly relative. Meals can be a stressful part of caring for a patient. Sometimes they will have special dietary requirements, which can mean extra hours in the kitchen. If it is possible, cook only one meal for your whole family. Cooking and freezing large batches of food is also a great idea - get your family to help you prepare a stock of frozen food. Again, planning is important. Prepare a menu when you do the shopping and try to stick to it. Planning ahead for emergencies is also important. Using a baby monitor or personal alarm may be necessary so that your patient can let you know if they get into trouble during the night or when you are not in the room. Keep a list of important phone numbers - doctors, ambulance and pharmacists - by the phone, so that you or others can call for advice quickly. A medications schedule can also be helpful - you can show a medical professional what your patient is taking and when. It can also be helpful to have a back up plan for the rest of your family - if you need to rush your patient to hospital, you need to know that your children, house and pets can be cared for at short notice.

How To Incorporate Mediterranean Decorating Into Your Home

2007-05-19T10:49:00.000+08:00

When you think of the Mediterranean, immediately, locations like Italy, Spain, and Greece come into mind. These are the areas that create the basis for much of the decorating that goes on in homes all over this country. Rich, earthy colors, and many decorative pieces displayed throughout the home are some signature items that reveal this decorating style.A home with a Mediterranean touch is a colorful and textured home indeed. There are rich, earthy tones plastered on all of the walls. There are rusty colored pots with herbs growing on kitchen window sills. If there are no real herbs growing, there are pictures on the walls of herbs growing so lightly that one could almost smell the pungent oregano scent wafting through the kitchen inviting one to a freshly cooked spaghetti dinner. Throughout a home of this type, there will probably be knickknacks reminiscent of the old country. There may be pottery with olives painted on them. There may be religious relics that would bring one back to the holy city of the Vatican. There may be scenery of vineyards and bottled wine. There will most likely be a wine rack with Merlot, Chianti, and Sauvignon. These items will adorn a house fashioned after a Mediterranean spirit. This home is furnished with a variety of types of furniture. There may be very simple and practical furniture. Chairs and couches that are functional as well as eye catching may be in this type of home. There also may be very ornate and heavily decorated furnishings. This type of furniture may have textures such as raised velvet paisley on a colorful pillow. There is truly a large variety of furnishings in a house decorated after the Mediterranean style, but again, these furnishings will have color. The colors of the furniture will either contrast with or match the colors in their chosen rooms. Either way, they will show their origination with not much more than a glance. Tile is a necessity in a Mediterranean home. It can be fixated on a kitchen backsplash, or adorn a foyer. No matter if it's permanent or decorates the side of a mirror or other accessory; rest assured, there will be tile in this home and it will be mosaic. Mediterranean style design does not see tile just for practical flooring, rather, tile is seen as artwork. It enhances the color scheme that is laid out on the walls or it adds texture to a decorative piece in the home. No matter how it's used, it will be present and it will be gorgeous. It's hard to compare to a mosaic tile that was painstakingly pieced together into perfection. A home decorated in the Mediterranean style is indeed a piece of artwork. It's a beauty to see and pleasant to live in. The best feature of all, it's easy to create this style in your own home.

Insight of Mumbai Real Estate Market

2007-05-19T10:40:00.000+08:00

To own a beautiful house in first-rate area of any city is everyone’s dream in India today. But not every dream comes true. And this dream becomes all the more difficult to come true if you would like to own a house in big cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, and Bangalore. In big cities and above all in Mumbai, it takes a gigantic task to come across to an appropriate house within your means. But this tricky task can be made trouble-free if you can engage the services of a competent property consultant who knows each and every thing about Mumbai Real Estate market.Mumbai property market is the largest real estate market in India. With a population of around 19 millions people, Mumbai and its suburbs encompass one of the biggest urban agglomerations in the world that is only second to Tokyo. The population of Mumbai is increasing at a massive rate. Unfortunately, the rate of developing new residential and commercial property in Mumbai has always been lower than the rate increase in population. As a result, you come across families in Mumbai who are forced to live in small rooms. According to the national census of India of 2001, every other person in Mumbai is living in slum. All these facts point to the amount of intricacy you can face while locating a suitable property in Mumbai either to buy or rent-in.To stay away from this difficulty, my advice for you would be to take into service a competent real estate consultant in Mumbai. There are many fine real estate agencies in Mumbai like Better Homes India who can do that for you at less commission. These agencies have years of practical experience of working in Mumbai real estate market to come good for you. They can help you under different circumstances. They can buy a commercial or residential property in Mumbai for you as well as they can be a great helping hand if you want to sell property in Mumbai. They can even help you in case you are looking for long or short term rental in Mumbai.Since population graph of Mumbai shows an upward trend, it means that property prices in Mumbai would be higher when compared to any other Indian city. Lack of space for new property development from Juhu Beach to South Mumbai, has made the property prices in this area to shoot skywards. Of-late there has been a new craze of redevelopment of property in posh Mumbai areas like Bandra. But the property prices in areas like, Juhu, Bandra are to some extent unaffordable to middle class. With the intention to win this segment of the society, the market of real estate in Mumbai is developing various projects in the suburbs of the city. Navi, a suburb of Mumbai, is their main target in order to provide affordable commercial and residential property in Mumbai. Navi is known as twin city of Mumbai with a population of 0.75 million. The future of real estate in Navi Mumbai is very bright and property prices here are already started to move upward quickly. And to me it is the best moment in time to buy property in Navi Mumbai.As a Mumbai real estate consultant my advice to you would be to buy property in Mumbai suburbs in place of main old Mumbai. These suburbs like Navi Mumbai are being developed to sound and modern plan and have every facility of life. The property prices here are another plus to go with these areas. The choice is yours but there is one thing certain. The property value in Mumbai is going to increase with course of time and an astute investment in Mumbai real estate market can earn you massive profit in future.

House Refinance

2007-05-18T15:52:00.000+08:00

When to do a house refinance
When considering doing a home or house refinance, every homeowner is unique. The right time for a house refinance will vary with each case. Typically, effective house refinancing means lowering your current mortgage loan rate by at least one percent. Within the house refinance you might also want to consider changing the length of your loan or receiving cash from the house equity. There are many house refinance calculators available online to see which mix of variables will give you the houses refinance result that you are searching for.
House refinancing benefits.
House refinance that lowers your monthly payment can help in achieving better cash flow. This is often done to offset the short term costs of perhaps a business loan or another short term need such as providing an education for the children. Again a house refinance calculator can assist in seeing the benefits that the house refinance could have. If the goal of the house refinance is to shorten the term of the house loan, it is sometimes advantageous to move from an inflexible house loan arrangement taken out many years ago, to refinance with a progressive income offset or other more modern institution. A quick search for house refinance on the internet will provide you with a huge array of companies that will often give you a free house refinance quote.
House equity considerations.
House equity is often used to borrow against and the cash utilized to make house improvements. Commonly, up to 90 percent of the appraised value of your house can be used to make home improvements. Useable house equity is based on the value of the home and what you currently owe, subject to individual state laws. Often, if you do a house refinance with a new rate and term, you may still qualify even if you have little house equity. Sometimes up to 90 percent (LTV) loan-to-value. In this case, for a house refinance to be accepted, a reappraisal of your home may be required.
Costs of a house refinance.
To do a house refinance, you will have associated closing costs that include various processing fees. Often you will be able to roll these into your new house refinance package to help minimize out of pocket expenses. The online calculators for the different house refinance companies should include these costs in there quotations.
House refinance in conclusion.
Depending on your circumstances and goals, a house refinance can be a profitable option. Be aware of noting all of the set up costs involved in the house refinance, and balance the total end of loan figures against any momentary gains. There are many house refinance companies vying for your business. Do not be afraid to ask for a better deal than what is being offered, as the amount of house refinance competition is huge and companies can often come up with a better house refinance package when pushed to do so.
Happy refinancing.
Marc is interested in many facets of life as can be seen on his website.http://www.healthywealthywiseonline.bigpondhosting.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marc_Brook

Nokia N95: Give Life to Images

2007-05-18T15:50:00.000+08:00

With the introduction of its prolific N-series, Nokia has redefined the way people use their mobile phones to connect and entertain. The introduction of every new handset by the manufacturer creates ripples in the mobile telephony market. The latest in the bloc, Nokia N95 is one such mobile phone which has grabbed the attention of mobile users. The handset is a high-quality multimedia device which endeavors to empower you with an amazing range of features including a digital camcorder, MP3 player and a high-definition 5-mega pixel camera. Nokia N-series mobile phones have a reputation of offering superb multimedia capabilities and the Nokia N95 model doesn't disappoint you, here. The handset supports top notch imaging and music features (compared with handsets available in the market) which have the potential to replace dedicated digital cameras and Walkman stereos. A 5-mega pixel camera with support for auto-flash and digital zoom shoots clear and brighter images. Integrated video-recording features like video recording/streaming/playback allows you to shoot DVD-quality videos.Nokia N95 mobile phone boasts of Symbian operating system. The user-friendly Symbian operating system allows you to edit images and videos in addition to adding effects to tracks. A second CIF camera placed in the handset facilitates face-to-face video-calling across any geographical distance. Handy features like document viewer and conference calling help you in meeting urgent requirements of your professional life. Nokia N95 offers high-speed browsing and fast data transfer, thanks to an array of applications like HSDPA,GPRS, EDGE, Wi-Fi and a WAP browser. The Blue tooth technology enabled in the handset helps you in sharing snaps, videos and songs with your loved ones. Seamless connectivity in addition to good messaging options complete the profile of the Nokia N95.

What Do We Do With Our House and Floor Plans?

2007-05-18T15:48:00.000+08:00

Everyone wants to have a good job which brings a lot of money and a house with it. What do you have to do after you pick one? You have to make a plan in your mind on how it should look like or how big you would want it to be. Then you should talk with an architect to help you accomplish your plans. If we want to build the house of our dreams we must be carefully with the details. A good communication between the specialist and the customer helps both parts enrich their collaboration. Thinking that the house we build is the place we are going to live we must plan it as well as we can to resist in time and against the weather which is the most unkind enemy.
What we have to do is to use the best construction materials on the market. We must understand that what we do now must last years without doing much changing. The house plans are important and the project must suit our personality. The house has to reflect us.
The house we build is the place we want to feel comfortable and free to do everything we like. A welcoming house is a nice place to live. The house we build must be the place where our kids are going to grow up which will influence their life. The house of our parents is the house of our youth, the place where we became what we are and which has a special meaning to us. Everyone remembers the house where everything began. How many floors we plan it depends on us. Some houses have one or two floors, some do not have any. Everything depends on us. If we want a numerous family maybe it is better to have one or two floors.
If you find this information useful you should visit the site shipping container house plans where you will find lots of interesting articles related to this topic, all original and wrote by Michael Lastun.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Lastun

Whole House Air Cleaners

2007-05-18T15:45:00.000+08:00

Air Cleaners are machines that perform the task of cleaning the atmosphere of pollutants and impurities that exist. Though we can't see them, they can be quite harmful to our health and our wellbeing. House air cleaners can be rather small devices that fit in a room or an office to make sure it is pollutant free.
However, to avoid the complexity of fitting each and every room in a house or an office with an air cleaner, many air cleaner companies have come up with 'whole house air cleaners' that act like centralized air conditioners. They are centrally located in the house, and they perform the task of purifying the air throughout the house or office. They are bigger than small room air cleaners and are more powerful and intense using oxidation and ionization systems that decontaminate the atmosphere. They have many advantages and can be easily cleaned and repaired if required.
Electrostatic whole house air cleaners can be mounted into the ductwork near the furnace in a house or a centralized air conditioner. A static electric charge is added to the dust particles that are then deposited on an oppositely charged plate in the unit. This plate must occasionally be removed and washed. The effects of this kind of air cleaner can be seen all over the house.
The main disadvantages of whole house air cleaners are they are costly and need to be installed in a place that is central to the entire house. There is also an electrical operating cost associated with these systems. Often, their effects fail to reach all the rooms in the house.
Air Cleaners provides detailed information on Air Cleaners, Air Cleaner Filters, Electronic Air Cleaners, Home Air Cleaners and more. Air Cleaners is affiliated with Ionic Air Purifiers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Morris

House Design

2007-05-18T15:43:00.000+08:00

It is said that 'only a woman can make a house a home.' Interior design is the design makes a house pleasurable to live and draws on aspects of environmental psychology, architecture, product design and furniture design, in addition to traditional decoration and wall paint and artistic articles.
The important part of designing a house include things like concept or theme, color, proportion, balance and function of design. Although all interior designers are different, they are all an essential part of the look and feel of a house or a room in general. Designers integrate the above seven elements of design to generate a particular experience that the house imparts.
The first and foremost in house design is the theme of the design. Some individuals may prefer a modern theme, some a traditional one, some a natural one and some others an artistic one. According to the theme that the occupant decides on, the color, the furniture, the accessories and the fabric that is used in the house will differ. Furniture selection and the placement of furniture plays an important part in house designing. If the furniture is not placed in coordination with the walls and spaces, there is a chance that the house will look cramped. The material of the furniture must also compliment the theme and the spatial statistics. Accessories for the house can range from wall paintings to show pieces to draperies, blinds and curtains.
The design of a house can really affect the way a family feels, moods and emotions. Hence, people spend enormous amounts of money in the interior designing of their houses.
Design provides detailed information on Design, Logo Design, Web Site Design, Interior Design and more. Design is affiliated with Bedroom Decorating.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elizabeth_Morgan

10 Things Not To Do If You Want To Stop Foreclosure on Your Home

2007-05-18T15:39:00.000+08:00

If people took necessary steps before hand and knew how to stop foreclosure, very few people would lose their homes. There are a certain guidelines that should be followed, if you wish to stop a foreclosure. These could come handy to stop the foreclosure of your home way in advance or just before the auction. 1. Do NOT ignore savingsMany people opt to save, to be prepared for any kind of emergency. Some emergency or the other always stares at us in the face every other day, very often, when we least expect it. When it comes to homeowners, they ought to have at least six months of mortgage payments kept aside as savings. 2. Do NOT get caught without a Home Equity Line of Credit in place.More than 90% foreclosures might have been delayed or prevented, if home equity lines of credit were activated before hand. Setting up of a credit line at no extra cost can lock rates as low as 4%. There are cases when you dont access the line, but are yet asked to pay for it. When such emergencies occur, it could get hard at times to acquire a loan. This is when a home equity credit line comes handy. You at least have access to money whenever you need it. 3. Do NOT miss a mortgage payment.Skipping mortgage payments is a serious issue, more serious than missing a credit card or utility payment. Do not spend frivolously, neglect bill payments or spend the savings before the mortgage obligation. 4. Do NOT fail to ask for help.When you feel that it is high time you ask for assistance from someone, do so. Feeling embarrassed or scared that the request for money would be turned down would only increase the possibilities of losing your home to foreclosure. Usually people do not admit that they have a foreclosure coming up. 5. Do NOT ignore the lender.Many people harbor wrong notions about moneylenders. However, in times when you are left in the lurch, the moneylenders are the first to come to your rescue. In fact, moneylenders appreciate the individuals initiative to contact. They need to know the reason for the financial emergency and the securities in place. 6. Do NOT overlook the fact that you have a problem.If you ignore something, it does not just go away. Whether it pertains to daily life or a major financial upheaval, problems do arise at the least expected times. If you are under the wrong impression that the problems will pass by if you dont pay any heed to them, you are wrong. 7. Do NOT be under this impression that you dont have optionsThere are options to foreclosure woes. You could keep your house and stop the foreclosure. However, timely action is the key, the sooner you act upon this the better.8. Do NOT spend what money you have on other bills.Many end up using the minimum resources they have in paying other bills. Do not ignore foreclosure. There could be a time when you will need the money to save your house. 9. Do NOT stop making payments.Until and unless the bank decides not to take any more payments from you, you should continue with the repayment. 10. Do NOT miss bankruptcy-filing deadlines.If you file Chapter 13 Bankruptcy in time, you can stop a foreclosure before it gets you. If a person fails to make any payments, the creditors have no option but to initiate the foreclosure.

How To Make A House Look Larger

2007-05-18T15:35:00.000+08:00

When selling a house there is one thing you can do to make the house easier to sell. This thing is make the house look bigger. Some people won’t buy a house if it looks too small. One way you can make a house look bigger is paint the walls a light color. Darker colors tend to make a room look smaller. It is recommended to choose an off white or a color close to that. One other thing when it comes to light colors is when your showing the house to a potential buyer, it is a good idea to keep all the rooms well lit.
A well lit room with light color walls can make any room seem a bit larger. Another way to make a house look bigger is having less furniture in every room. If a house has too much furniture it can make any home seem smaller then it really is. If your selling the house unfurnished this is even better. Once the house is well lit it will look larger to anyone looking to buy it. One last way to make a house look bigger is to hang up mirrors on the walls.
Nothing makes a room look larger then some well placed mirrors on the walls. This should be use in moderation if it is over done you can turn off a potential buyer. Making a house look bigger is one of the best ways to sell a house faster, if you use some of the tips you read here you will be able to make any room look a bit larger.
A good web site where you can see more information on topics like this is Real Estate Facts which is highly recommended. Thank you and enjoy.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Cox

what's ur eyes on house?

2007-05-16T11:01:00.000+08:00

i want to live in a big house and the colour is yellow(for old),if rains,i can sit on my bed with a cup of tea and watch books!

strange house

2007-05-15T12:02:00.000+08:00

house show

2007-05-15T11:57:00.000+08:00

Towards a University Lifestyle

2007-05-09T15:21:00.000+08:00

In both the classroom and the community in general, Hurtwood offers a unique preparation for life after school – a real stepping stone between school and university. Life at Hurtwood is close to that of a university campus. While always under the pastoral care of the Housemaster and his staff, students earn and are granted respect and freedom of choice. Hurtwood treats students as responsible adults, and responsible adults they prove to be.
The code of conduct is clearly defined and well-enforced, but it is neither petty nor over-restrictive and overall there is a freshness of approach to life, a warmth to relationships and a friendly atmosphere of trust between staff and students. Everyone within the school is in no doubt that learning to be mature in their dealings with others is as important a lesson as anything learned in the classroom.

The end result is one of "managed independence". Always mindful of the fact that sixth formers may still have many uncertainties about life, Hurtwood fosters an environment within which a student can develop their individuality at their own pace.

Five Car Insurance Mistakes You Should Avoid

2007-05-09T14:40:00.000+08:00

Recently Five for the Money took a look at some of the biggest mistakes consumers make when buying life insurance. This week we'll tackle car insurance. Auto insurance isn't as fraught a subject as life insurance; buying a sensible policy doesn't need to be a reminder of inevitable death. But that doesn't mean it's easy to negotiate. Having the wrong car insurance, or making the wrong claims, can put a serious ding in someone's financial health.As with life insurance, some of the rules are straightforward: shop around to ensure a fair deal and review your policy annually to make sure that it still fits your life and financial condition. Here are a few other common mistakes policyholders should swerve away from:1. Don't assume the insurance salesman is your friend.The best insurance policies for consumers aren't necessarily the ones that bring in the best numbers and bonuses for salespeople, says Andrew Tignanelli, president of Luthersville (Md.)-based money management outfit Financial Consulate. Remember that the next time you go shopping for car insurance. Often it's in the salesman's best interest to sell the "least amount of insurance that they can possibly justify." Smaller policies leave insurers less exposed to risk and proportionately tend to be more expensive. As a result, they're more likely to be profitable for the insurer. Because of this conflict of interest and other factors, Tignanelli says he finds that even wealthy clients are often underinsured.Make sure you have "liability" coverage, which is usually mandatory in most states and covers the costs of another person's car damage and injury. "Comprehensive" will protect you if your car gets stolen, catches fire, or is damaged without coming into contact with another car. And "collision" covers damages if your car collides with another vehicle or object, no matter who's at fault.2. Don't have a tiny deductible.When buying auto insurance, consumers frequently think of it as a way to protect themselves against every ding and scratch. That's a bad idea. "You should insure for what you cannot afford to lose," says financial planner Jeffrey Bogue of Bogue Asset Management. That means, don't have a miniscule deductible of $100 or even $250. "If you nickel-and-dime the insurance companies with these small claims, you may get socked with a premium hike or they may say 'we're not going to insure you,' " he says.Policies with higher deductibles (Bogue says $1,000 is often sensible) that extend to higher coverage levels are not necessarily more expensive and protect drivers from costs associated with more serious car problems. Higher-deductible policies also cost less.3. Don't assume all cars need the same insurance.Just as you shouldn't waste insurance on minor incidents, Bogue says some cars just don't need the full insurance package. Drivers always need to maintain their liability insurance in case they cause an accident but some cars just aren't worth the hassle and expense. For example, Bogue's third vehicle is an old Toyota pickup that he uses sparingly. He wouldn't miss it if it "fell off a cliff tomorrow." Insuring it with a reasonable deductible would be useless, he says; it would irritate insurers without promising much upside in the event of a claim.4. Don't ignore car ownership.This won't necessarily come up when buying insurance, but vehicle ownership can make all the difference in potential payouts. "There's absolutely no good reason to own a car jointly," says Dr. Steven Podnos, principal at Wealth Care, a financial planning and investment advisory firm in Merritt Island, Fla. If a husband and wife share ownership, both are exposed to liability if one causes an accident. Both can be sued.Parents should be aware of the age of majority (usually 18) in their state. When the kids reach it they should assume title for their cars so that parents can avoid liability for any mishaps caused by drivers who are of age, but still young.5. Don't forget your umbrella.Umbrella policies tend to be very cheap and can help drivers (and homeowners) weather the most severe storms. Say there's been a severe car accident that involves significant property damage extending beyond what a solid insurance policy covers. When this happens, policyholders need umbrellas to shelter them from liability extending beyond the limits of their standard policy.Since these umbrella policies protect against only the worst accidents, they rarely pay out and so can be bought for very little, sometimes $200 for a policy stretching from where the liability stops to around $2 million in damages, according to John Discepoli of Discepoli Financial Planning near Cincinnati. This could be an amount of car insurance coverage that allows most drivers a smooth ride.Copyrighted, Business Week. All rights reserved.

Learn Chinese in United Kingdom

2007-05-09T14:39:00.000+08:00

As China has a huge population and is growing stronger and stronger, Chinese is spreading around the world. Meanwhile, more and more people come to China for vacation or learning. So, Chinese learning turn out to be so necessary and important.1. Learn Chinese in Canterbury, UKThe cathedral city is set in the heart of Kent, the garden of England. Britain's very own Venice, tourists can tour the town's attractions almost entirely by punt. The town is also famous for its rich literary heritage, from Chaucer's brilliant and bawdy Canterbury tales to Christopher Marlowe's dark morality tales, Canterbury has been the inspiration for countless works of fiction. If you are looking to learn a language in one of the most scenic, quintessentially English towns, Canterbury is the perfect destination.St. Peter's School is in the middle of the historic city of Canterbury and has been teaching English to foreign students since 1966. A small school with 40-60 students outside the summer months, it has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. St. Peter's is recognised by the British Council and is a member of ARELS. The school has 7 classrooms with use of video and audio equipment. There is also a video room/computer centre where students can work on language programmes individually in the afternoons from 15.00 - 16.45.2. Learn Chinese in Edinburgh, UKThe capital city of Scotland and has a long and proud history. Home to the Scottish parliament and a beacon of resistance against the English during the medieval ages, Edinburgh is the political and cultural heart of Scotland. A city that manages to combine the ancient and the new, tourists can explore gothic and Georgian architecture then take in an avant-garde show. Visitors to the city should see the Edinburgh Film Festival, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the military tattoo and the world famous Hogmanay celebrations.The EAC Group was founded in 1992 and we pride ourselves in providing the highest quality English Language courses for people of all ages across the world. EAC is accredited by the British Council and are full members of English UK. The school extends over five floors and this impressive property comprises twelve classrooms, a large common room, a computer suite where students have unlimited Internet access looking out onto a pleasant private garden. All the main shops of George Street and Princes Street are within two minutes walk and this lovely area of Edinburgh is also home to an extensive range of bars, cafes, restaurants and nightclubs.3. Learn Chinese in London, UKLondon. Who hasn't seen images of the bright red double decker buses, the staunch Beefeaters at Buckingham Palace, Big Ben overlooking the Thames, and wondered what it's really all about? Grandeur and glamour it is…gorgeous expanses of park, superb Victorian architecture, more galleries than can be listed, and a glitzy restaurant and theatre land to rival that of New York or Paris. But in one of the oldest industrial and imperial cities of the world, you also have to expect the crowds, the pollution and the expense. Somehow it's the bustle that shows you London at its best though: street markets, buskers, old book and antique sellers…a whole fusion of cultures and characters, in some way bound to capture a little piece of your heart.We offer Chinese courses in five London locations:Canary Wharf:Our school at Canary Wharf is located in the business centre at the Reebok Sports Club right in the heart of Canary Wharf. The centre is located above Waitrose Food and Home in Canada Square, just minutes from the central shopping mall. The window-facing training rooms offer excellent views over London and provide the perfect environment for learning languages.Piccadilly Circus:This school is located in the heart of London and is easily accessible from all areas by bus and tube. The school runs three centres across London, each of them equipped with modern and comfortable student facilities. As at the other two centres, students at Piccadilly Circus can enjoy free use of a fully-equipped library, café, student lounge, TV and DVD facilities and free high speed internet. They are also welcome to use any of the facilities at the school's other two centres.Russell Square:This school is housed in a prominent 100 year old building in the heart of London. Completely refurbished and modernised, is is equipped with some of the best and most up-to-date language learning resources available. Classrooms are modern and spacious, and there is also a language laboratory, a self access centre and a computer laboratory which students can use for self-study. Other facilities include a fully-stocked bookshop, a large student canteen serving Italian-style food and snacks all day, a free internet café and a large, attractive roof garden on the fifth floor - a wonderful quiet spot in the heart of London!The Strand:This school is situated in a bright, freshly decorated period building, just off the Strand near Trafalgar Square. Students are greeted by friendly reception staff and a welcoming reception area, complete with flat screen TVs, ambient music and colourful spaces. The building's 13 fully-equipped classrooms extend over five floors of this Georgian town house. As well as offering foreign language evening courses,WimbledonThis school was established in 1964 to offer English courses to students from all over the world and, with our joint expertise and knowledge, Cactus have now come together with them to offer foreign language courses to local students. The school is located in the centre of the attractive London suburb of Wimbledon and is just five minutes from the train and underground stations, shops and other amenities. Students can enjoy their studies in the school's attractive building, make the most of its multimedia centre and free internet access, and relax after class in its large, peaceful garden.4. Learn Chinese in Manchester, UKThe city that sparked the Industrial Revolution has come a long way since its coal-burning and cotton-spinning past. Manchester is now England's third largest city and is a buzzing and cosmopolitan centre for sport, arts and entertainment. It exudes confidence, originality and ambition - and an irrepressible party spirit. With trendy bars, cafés and first class dining venues popping up all over the place you certainly won't be caught hungry or thirsty. You may however find yourself broke or hoarse after visiting the irresistable shops or watching a game at Old Trafford - football being the local passion. Fortunately nothing is ever too far, with the Metrolink tramway transporting you from one end of the city to another in no time. All in all you'd be forgiven for wondering why Beckham ever left in the first place...Established in 1991, the school is accredited by the British Council and is a member of the Association of Recognised English Language Services (ARELS).It is situated in the heart of Manchester - you only have to step outside to be part of all that the exciting cosmopolitan city of Manchester has to offer. The teachers are all qualified to British Council standards in teaching English as a foreign language. Their aim is to deliver high quality, enjoyable courses, with a lot of personal attention. The classes are small and friendly, with a maximum of 12 students. Last year the school welcomed students of over 50 nationalities. Many of the students return year after year.Manchester is composed of many different and fascinating districts, ranging from the Bohemian Northern Quarter and trendy Deansgate Locks to a colourful Chinatown and lively Gay Village. Albert Square is right in the heart of it all and it's here that many of the city's historic and cultural buildings are found, such as the town hall, the former railway station and the G-Mex Exhibition & Event Centre. The IRA bomb in 1996 destroyed one of Manchester's biggest eyesores, the Arndale Centre, but in true Mancunian spirit this has now been spectacularly renovated into the Millenium Quarter. The great thing is that no matter where you go there's always a bar, an open-air café or a stylish restaurant to pop into and just soak up the atmosphere. And you'll probably need a rest in a city where you can be sure there is always something going on, 24 hours a day.5. Learn Chinese in Oxford, UKHome to Oxford University, the oldest university in the English speaking world, "the city of dreaming spies" has been home to royalty, scientists and scholars. Oxford has long represented the cultural and academic elite in British society, since the university was established in the 12th Century. The town has a cosmopolitan character with medieval churches and gothic architecture. Notable tourist attractions are the Radcliffe Camera, the Covered Market, the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the University of Oxford Botanical Gardens.Abacus College is one of Oxford's oldest established colleges of pre-university education, founded over 30 years ago. The college has been accredited by the British Accreditation Council since 1989 and was most recently inspected in February 2005. The college has a reputation for highly qualified and experienced teachers, an excellent record of students achieving successful entry to University degree courses and individual attention in small classes.

Why Need Distance Learning (E-Learning)

2007-05-09T14:37:00.000+08:00

1. What is Distance Learning?At its most broad level, distance learning is any educational or learning process or system in which the instructor is separated geographically or in time from his or her students; or in which students are separated from other students or educational resources. Contemporary distance learning is effected through the implementation of computer and electronics technology to connect instructor and student in either real or delayed time or on an as-needed basis. Content delivery may be achieved through a variety of technologies, including satellites, computers, cable television, interactive videoconferencing, electronic transmissions via telephone lines, and others. Distance learning does not preclude traditional learning processes; frequently it is used in conjunction with face-to-face tutoring or professional training procedures and practices. Distance Learning TechniquesDistance learning represents the whole category of technology-based learning which includes a wide set of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications and processes. Distance learning tools include web-based learning, computer-based learning, videoconferencing, virtual classrooms, and digital collaboration. Sad to say, the benefits and advantages of the distance learning haven't yet fully recognized and acknowledged in many parts of the world. In actuality, distance learning is a credible, efficient and effective alternative to classical education. Typical ICT-Based Models of LearningThe recent revolution in Information and Communications technologies has produced a variety of ICT-based models of learning. Here, we may cite a few examples:Learning by "correspondence".Learning through "Pressure Sensitive Blackboards".Learning through "Video Taped Lectures".Learning through Interactive CD's".Learning through "Web-based courseware".Learning through "Satellite delivered courses".2. What is e-learning?One of the most vital modes of distance learning is e-learning which is the delivery of content via all electronic media, including the internet, intranets, extranets, satellite broadcast, audio/video tape, interactive TV, and CD-ROM. e-learning is defined more narrowly than distance learning in the sense that it excludes text-based learning and courses conducted via written correspondence.3. Benefits of e-learningThere are many significant benefits for all those who engage in e-learning which include:Convenience:e-learning delivers just-in-time training to the desktop, taken at the learner's convenience. On-demand access means that the student can access training instantly at the office, at home, or on the road, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Customization:Through e-learning, academic institutions are capable of addressing individual and group needs, then tailor the learning modules to specific interests, career objectives, and geographic places.Customization:Through e-learning, academic institutions are capable of addressing individual and group needs, then tailor the learning modules to specific interests, career objectives, and geographic places.Learner Controlled:e-learning technology has offered learners greater authority over the learning environment where learning is self-paced giving them a chance to speed up or slow down as necessary. Besides, learning is self-directed, allowing students to choose content and tools appropriate to their differing interests, needs and skill level.Personalization:e-content can be developed with individual users in mind. Courses and programs can be created to deal with each individual's strengths and weaknesses.Cost Effectiveness:One of the major benefits of e-learning is that it eliminates the expenses of getting the instructor and students in the same place. Learners are given the chance to save travel expenses including residence, food, child care卐tc. Besides, employees don't experience the "opportunity cost" created from the working time being lost to training. In addition, the tuition fees for e-learning programs are usually less than traditional learning programs.Interactivity:The e-learning technology allow for the optimum interactive online environment and foster the greatest student/instructor content through the rich array of interactive we-based learning tools that are available for the learner.Effectiveness:Online training results in superior retention compares to traditional learning. Studies confirm that online learning processes lead to 60% faster learning curve. Moreover, the delivery of content in smaller units further contribute to a more lasting learning effect.Consistency:The information delivered can be consistent to all users , therefore, reducing the possibility for misinterpretation.Measurement:e-learning software empowers administrators to track learners' performance, measure their progress, and produce detailed usage reports. This enables trainers to carry out assessments and evaluate cost-effectiveness.Global Opportunities:With e-learning, the global learning community is at your fingertips. The technologies utilized provide learners with the unique opportunity to access global resources that may never be accessible in a traditional classroom. 4. The Rising Need for e-learningThere are several recent changes that have led to the rising need for e-learning in today's globalized world:Economy is evolving to a knowledge-based economyIn the last decades, the global economy has been shifting to what so called "Knowledge-Based Economy" where knowledge is created, acquired, disseminated, and utilized more efficiently and effectively by enterprises, organizations, individuals and communities for greater socioeconomic development and global competitiveness. The new knowledge economy puts a premium on intellectual capital making lifelong education more important than ever. However, the education constraints (whether time, money卐tc) are becoming more prevalent. Accordingly, e-leaning is a vital asset for all employees in the new knowledge economy.A paradigm shift in the way education is viewed and deliveredAt the dawn of the new millennium, learning is increasingly viewed as a competitive weapon. Business success depend largely on high-quality employee performance, which in turn necessitates high-quality training. In the quest to remain competitive in today's hyper-competitive market, companies are exploiting technology revolution in order to train more rapidly, efficiently, and cost effectively.Exponential growth of the internet provides the ideal delivery vehicle for educationThrough its increasing reach and simplicity of use, the internet has paved the way for a global learning community to exist where language and geographic barriers to education have been erased

What Your Auto Insurer Knows About You

2007-05-09T14:34:00.000+08:00

When you apply for an insurance policy or submit a claim, you're probably unaware of the streams of information about you that flow to your insurance company, private businesses, and your previous insurer। Mark Twain once wrote that insurance companies are a "power behind the throne that [is] more powerful than the throne itself," but that was more than 100 years ago. Today, the true power lies in the hands of the database companies that make their money by selling information about you.

Scoring your finances
What the insurance industry calls "credit scores" are actually "insurance risk scores." Both scores are based on information contained in your full credit report, but they put weight on different factors in order to calculate a final score. Thus, even if you purchase your credit score from one of the major credit-reporting agencies, you still don't know your "insurance risk score," which is not available to you.
According to Craig Watts of Fair, Isaac & Co., a provider of scores, a regular credit score weights data in order to evaluate your use of money. But insurance scores give weight to data in order to evaluate your stability. So, if you've paid your bills in a timely manner and you've had accounts open for a long time, you would be considered more "stable" than someone who has been delinquent and opens and closes accounts frequently. Credit scores and insurance scores generally move in the same direction as your credit history changes (meaning move up or down), but there could be cases where you have credit activity that impacts one score more than the other.
If you have some unusual activity within the month before you buy auto insurance, your insurance score could be downgraded. Insurers may then consider you a bad risk (where allowed by law) and refuse to sell you a policy, or charge you a higher premium for a policy. However, if you decrease your credit activity and wait a month to purchase your insurance, you could help your chances. Remember that there are many factors that insurers use when evaluating you as an auto or home insurance customer, including your driving record (for auto insurance only), your personal claims history, and where you live.
ChoicePoint and ISO
ChoicePoint, with the help of a Fair, Isaac and Co. scoring formula, and the Insurance Services Office (ISO) offer insurers extensive nationwide resources that contain your name, address, phone number, credit report, claims history, and motor vehicle report — and that just scratches the surface. ChoicePoint also compiles aliases, criminal records, and histories of vehicles. "If you've got a car that's been in 35 accidents, that's something the insurance company is going to want to know," says Mark Wheeler, spokesperson for ChoicePoint.
ChoicePoint, which is an offshoot of the Equifax credit-reporting company, maintains a database called CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange). The company uses the information it gathers and maintains for "casualty loss" scoring, claims history reporting, and driving-record reporting. When a consumer fills out a new auto insurance application, the potential insurer queries ChoicePoint for an insurance score. ChoicePoint caters to nearly all property and casualty insurers.
The ISO says the databases it maintains, called the All Claims databases, are strictly for detecting fraud and expediting the claims process. If the ISO sees a series of claims that looks suspicious — for example, the same name appears on all the claims with a different social security number — the company will notify the insurance company and the insurer will investigate. The ISO also has information about any of your claims that might have ended up in court.
Some insurers have their own "scores"
After investigation, State Farm — the country's largest auto insurer — decided to use "prior loss history and certain credit characteristics" to create a model that helps it determine an underwriting score for a policyholder applying for a homeowners or auto policy.
State Farm says, "It is significant that we are combining credit characteristics and prior claims history for these models and that we have developed the models using our own book of business. Our models are not designed to assess wealth, income, or creditworthiness, but focuses on the prediction of future insurance losses."
State Farm adds that it believes the "use of this model will lessen the extent to which those who represent higher potential risk are subsidized by those who represent lower potential risk."
Checking your records
Most of the information that insurance companies collect and use for rating purposes is available from government agencies credit-reporting companies. For example, you can get a copy of your motor vehicle report from your state's department of motor vehicles, and you can get your credit history from Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion.
You can get a copy of the ChoicePoint CLUE report by calling ChoicePoint's Consumer Disclosure Center at (770) 752-6000. The report will cost between $8 and $10, depending on how the consumer wants the information, says Wheeler of ChoicePoint.
You can acquire a copy of the ISO All Claims report if you dispute the information it contains. The ISO Auto Property Loss Underwriting Service (A-Plus) report provides insurance underwriters with the means to independently investigate and evaluate potential risks. Consumers can call (800) 709-8842 to obtain copy of their report. A "request for disclosure" form must be completed.
Courtesy of Insure.com
Please note that this description/explanation is intended only as a guideline.

Information for “Car Insurance”

2007-05-09T14:32:00.000+08:00

1. Car Insurance: Car Insurance - Car insurance quotes and policies, along with resources to help you find low auto insurance rates and instant car insurance from leading car insurance companies.2. GEIOC Car Insurance. Get an auto insurance quote and save today. Free online motorcycle quotes.3. Admiral-Cheap UK Car Insurance Quotes: Direct providers of UK motor car insurance and MultiCar insurance, specialising in cheap car insurance for performance cars and customers living in urban areas. Apply now for an instant UK car insurance quote online.4. Esurance Auto Insurance - Free online auto insurance quotes. Get insurance rate comparisons, and buy your auto insurance policy instantly. Buy car insurance online from Esurance quickly and easily.5. Auto Insurance Learning Center.6. Progressive Auto Insurance: Online car insurance quotes from Progressive Auto Insurance. Compare car insurance rates for auto insurance companies. Find an auto insurance agent/broker.

如何确定网页和查询的相关性

2007-05-09T14:31:00.000+08:00

谈谈如何确定一个网页和某个查询的相关性。了解了这四个方面，一个有一定编程基础的读者应该可以写一个简单的搜索引擎了，比如为您所在的学校或院系建立一个小的搜索引擎。]我们还是看上回的例子，查找关于“原子能的应用”的网页。我们第一步是在索引中找到包含这三个词的网页（详见关于布尔运算的系列）。现在任何一个搜索引擎都包含几十万甚至是上百万个多少有点关系的网页。那么哪个应该排在前面呢？显然我们应该根据网页和查询“原子能的应用”的相关性对这些网页进行排序。因此，这里的关键问题是如何度量网页和查询的相关性。我们知道，短语“原子能的应用”可以分成三个关键词：原子能、的、应用。根据我们的直觉，我们知道，包含这三个词多的网页应该比包含它们少的网页相关。当然，这个办法有一个明显的漏洞，就是长的网页比短的网页占便宜，因为长的网页总的来讲包含的关键词要多些。因此我们需要根据网页的长度，对关键词的次数进行归一化，也就是用关键词的次数除以网页的总字数。我们把这个商称为“关键词的频率”，或者“单文本词汇频率”（Term Frequency)，比如，在某个一共有一千词的网页中“原子能”、“的”和“应用”分别出现了 2 次、35 次和 5 次，那么它们的词频就分别是 0.002、0.035 和 0.005。我们将这三个数相加，其和 0.042 就是相应网页和查询“原子能的应用”相关性的一个简单的度量。概括地讲，如果一个查询包含关键词 w1,w2,...,wN, 它们在一篇特定网页中的词频分别是: TF1, TF2, ..., TFN。（TF: term frequency)。那么，这个查询和该网页的相关性就是:TF1 + TF2 + ... + TFN。读者可能已经发现了又一个漏洞。在上面的例子中，词“的”站了总词频的 80% 以上，而它对确定网页的主题几乎没有用。我们称这种词叫“应删除词”（Stopwords)，也就是说在度量相关性是不应考虑它们的频率。在汉语中，应删除词还有“是”、“和”、“中”、“地”、“得”等等几十个。忽略这些应删除词后，上述网页的相似度就变成了0.007，其中“原子能”贡献了0.002，“应用”贡献了 0.005。细心的读者可能还会发现另一个小的漏洞。在汉语中，“应用”是个很通用的词，而“原子能”是个很专业的词，后者在相关性排名中比前者重要。因此我们需要给汉语中的每一个词给一个权重，这个权重的设定必须满足下面两个条件：1. 一个词预测主题能力越强，权重就越大，反之，权重就越小。我们在网页中看到“原子能”这个词，或多或少地能了解网页的主题。我们看到“应用”一次，对主题基本上还是一无所知。因此，“原子能“的权重就应该比应用大。2. 应删除词的权重应该是零。我们很容易发现，如果一个关键词只在很少的网页中出现，我们通过它就容易锁定搜索目标，它的权重也就应该大。反之如果一个词在大量网页中出现，我们看到它仍然不很清楚要找什么内容，因此它应该小。概括地讲，假定一个关键词ｗ在Ｄｗ个网页中出现过，那么Ｄｗ越大，ｗ的权重越小，反之亦然。在信息检索中，使用最多的权重是“逆文本频率指数” （Inverse document frequency 缩写为ＩＤＦ），它的公式为ｌｏｇ（Ｄ／Ｄｗ）其中Ｄ是全部网页数。比如，我们假定中文网页数是Ｄ＝１０亿，应删除词“的”在所有的网页中都出现，即Ｄｗ＝１０亿，那么它的ＩＤＦ＝log(10亿/10亿）= log (1) = ０。假如专用词“原子能”在两百万个网页中出现，即Ｄｗ＝２００万，则它的权重ＩＤＦ＝log(500) =6.2。又假定通用词“应用”，出现在五亿个网页中，它的权重ＩＤＦ = log(2)则只有 0.7。也就只说，在网页中找到一个“原子能”的比配相当于找到九个“应用”的匹配。利用 IDF，上述相关性计算个公式就由词频的简单求和变成了加权求和，即 TF1*IDF1 +　TF2*IDF2 ＋... + TFN*IDFN。在上面的例子中，该网页和“原子能的应用”的相关性为 0.0161，其中“原子能”贡献了 0.0126，而“应用”只贡献了0.0035。这个比例和我们的直觉比较一致了。ＴＦ／ＩＤＦ（term frequency/inverse document frequency) 的概念被公认为信息检索中最重要的发明。在搜索、文献分类和其他相关领域有广泛的应用。讲起 TF/IDF 的历史蛮有意思。IDF 的概念最早是剑桥大学的斯巴克－琼斯[注：她有两个姓］ (Karen Sparck Jones)提出来的。斯巴克－琼斯１９７２年在一篇题为关键词特殊性的统计解释和她在文献检索中的应用的论文中提出ＩＤＦ。遗憾的是，她既没有从理论上解释为什么权重ＩＤＦ应该是对数函数ｌｏｇ（Ｄ／Ｄｗ）（而不是其它的函数，比如平方根），也没有在这个题目上作进一步深入研究，以至于在以后的很多文献中人们提到ＴＦ／ＩＤＦ时没有引用她的论文，绝大多数人甚至不知道斯巴克－琼斯的贡献。同年罗宾逊写了个两页纸的解释，解释得很不好。倒是后来康乃尔大学的萨尔顿（Salton)多次写文章、写书讨论 TF/IDF 在信息检索中的用途，加上萨尔顿本人的大名（信息检索的世界大奖就是以萨尔顿的名字命名的）。很多人都引用萨尔顿的书，甚至以为这个信息检索中最重要的概念是他提出的。当然，世界并没有忘记斯巴克－琼斯的贡献，2004年，在纪念文献学学报创刊 60 周年之际，该学报重印了斯巴克-琼斯的大作。罗宾逊在同期期刊上写了篇文章，用香农的信息论解释 IDF，这回的解释是对的，但文章写的并不好、非常冗长（足足十八页），把一个简单问题搞复杂了。其实，信息论的学者们已经发现并指出，其实 IDF 的概念就是一个特定条件下、关键词的概率分布的交叉熵（Kullback-Leibler Divergence)（详见上一系列）。这样，信息检索相关性的度量，又回到了信息论。现在的搜索引擎对 TF/IDF 进行了不少细微的优化，使得相关性的度量更加准确了。当然，对有兴趣写一个搜索引擎的爱好者来讲，使用 TF/IDF 就足够了。如果我们结合上网页排名(Page Rank)，那么给定一个查询，有关网页综合排名大致由相关性和网页排名乘积决定。

High Paying Keywords of AdSense/AdWords

2007-05-09T14:24:00.000+08:00

These days, webmasters are using adsense to earn money।To get highest pay, you should choose righ keywords. Using Google's AdWords tool, I found the current top 500 highest paying keywords of September 22, 2006.As you can see below, these high paying keywords mostly on loan or insurance of school,college,MBA and auto, as well as life. So, if you want to get highest pay, start a new site choosing one or two keywords from below 500 top pay keywords.Each keyword below has a related information page. Click for information on each item.

$23.90 bill consolidation loan$23.88 cosolidation$23.82 massachusetts dui$23.79 rates mortgage$23.77 management consolidation$23.73 insurance$23.70 sell mortgage$23.69 in consolidation$23.62 lasik financing$23.61 debt consolidation loans$23.55 equity loan calculator$23.51 los angeles botox$23.45 online computer degree$23.42 texas dwi laws$23.40 second mortgage rate$23.39 lasik los angeles$23.39 defense attorney$23.39 bad credit consolidation$23.39 credit chase$23.32 texas dwi laws$23.21 monte carlo casino las vegas$23.16 lasik vision$23.16 mortgage payment calculator$23.12 illinois dui$23.05 attorney criminal defense$23.04 cobra insurance$23.02 illinois dui$23.01 settlement personal injury$22.94 online psychic$22.82 excalibur hotel casino$22.78 settlement attorney$22.77 re mortgage$22.70 mortgage note$22.66 debit consolidation$22.63 online mba programs$22.62 party poker net$22.56 lasik phoenix$22.43 0 credit cards$22.43 credit card zero$22.40 bill consolidation$22.39 drunk driving attorney$22.35 in school consolidation$22.35 business credit cards$22.32 dui info$22.29 equity bank$22.28 lasik doctor$22.25 consolidation of debt$22.25 best online mba$22.23 dui info$22.17 credit counseling services$22.12 refinancing a mortgage$22.07 equity colorado$22.00 lasik boston$22.00 erie insurance$22.00 credit card offers$21.98 credit debt counseling$21.97 washington insurance$21.94 virginia dui laws$21.94 consilidation$21.91 house insurance$21.85 consolidate credit card debt$21.84 virginia dui laws$21.80 asbestos claim$21.79 nelnet consolidation$21.79 credit reports$21.74 dwi$21.70 maryland dui lawyer$21.69 bladeless lasik$21.66 credit application$21.65 dwi$21.61 airline credit card$21.55 cibc online$21.54 lasik kansas city$21.54 california mortgage rates$21.46 consolidate your debt$21.44 lasik nashville$21.43 balance transfer credit cards$21.33 counseling credit$21.30 mortgage in new jersey$21.23 department of education consolidation$21.23 approval mortgage$21.22 mortgage 80 20$21.17 hudson hotel new york city$21.09 bachelor degree online$21.05 lasik utah$21.02 mbna credit$20.94 lasik tampa$20.92 dui arizona$20.89 consumer credit counseling$20.89 mortgage rate$20.85 new york mortgage$20.83 interest rate mortgage$20.81 cancer from asbestos$20.71 mbna debt consolidation$20.70 consolidate debts$20.69 lasik atlanta$20.69 credit card consolidation loans$20.68 lasik chicago$20.67 kansas dui$20.66 debt consolidation lending$20.66 mortgage companies$20.61 0 apr credit cards$20.60 lasik cincinnati$20.58 kansas dui$20.57 liposuction new york$20.54 symptoms of mesothelioma$20.52 dui colorado$20.50 lender mortgage$20.50 master’s degree online$20.44 dui colorado$20.42 aig insurance$20.40 bills consolidation$20.38 personal debt consolidation$20.36 0 interest credit cards$20.32 psychology degree programs$20.23 credit consolidation loan

Steve McQueen's 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso on Auction

2007-05-05T11:50:00.000+08:00

Abstract: Good news for Ferrari enthusiast, Steve McQueen's Ferrari is going to acution. Steve McQueen, one of the Hollywood's coolest actors, was also a racer and car collector. Steve McQueen’s Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso will be sold by Christie’s at an auction in Monterey in August.The car was custom ordered by McQueen in 1963 with a special metallic brown exterior and a beige interior, he used the car regularly for the next ten years. The Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso (The road legal and more luxurious version of the Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta) is considered by many to be one of the greatest Ferrar’s ever made। The car is in perfect condition after having been restored in 1997 in a process which took nearly four thousand hours.

BMW: Sales fall 1.9% in March

2007-05-05T11:04:00.000+08:00

amFRANKFURT (Reuters) -- BMW , the world's largest premium car maker, reiterated on Tuesday it expects new models to boost sales in coming months, after global sales dropped in March.New models, including a convertible and more versions of its Mini brand, will help the German carmaker increase car sales by a "higher" one-digit percentage amount this year, BMW said in a statement, repeating its previous target.In March, sales at its three brands, BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce, slipped 1.9 percent from a year earlier to 141,568 units.Rolls-Royce was the only brand to post an increase in unit sales, of 6.4 percent, while BMW reported a 2 percent decline and Mini a 1.5 percent fall.

电脑白吃和黑客的对话

2007-04-30T14:17:00.001+08:00

黑客：我控制了你的电脑
小白：怎么控制的？
黑客：用木马
小白：。。。。。。在哪里？我没看不见
黑客：打开你的任务管理器
小白：。。。。。。。任务管理器在哪？
黑客：。。。。。你的电脑下面！！
小白：“我的电脑”里面没有啊
黑客：算了，当我什么也没做过

黑客：我已经控制了你的电脑
小白：哦
黑客：害怕了吧？！嘿嘿
小白：来的正好，帮我杀杀毒吧，最近我的机子毛病很多耶
黑客：。。。。。。

小白：你怎么总是在我电脑里随便进进出出
黑客：你可以装防火墙
小白：装防火墙，你就不能进入了吗？
黑客：不啊，我只是想增加点趣味性，这样控制你的电脑让我觉得很白痴耶

小白：听说你会制造“病毒”？！
黑客：嗯
小白：你可以控制别人的电脑？！
黑客：一般是的
小白：那你可以黑掉那些网站吗？
黑客：当然，没听到人家叫我“黑客”吗？
小白：。。。。哦~~~`我还以为那是因为你长得很黑。。。。。
“咣~~”

黑客：我又来了！！
小白：你天天进来，不觉得很烦吗？
黑客：是很烦，你的机子是我见过的最烂的一台了
小白：不是吧，这可是名牌
黑客：我是说你的机子里除了弱智游戏就只有病毒了
小白：哦~~那你看到我的“连连看”了吗，不记得装在哪，找了好久了耶
黑客：。。。。。再见

黑客：嗨~~~我来了！
小白：好几天不见你，被我的防火墙挡住啦？
黑客：哈哈，笑话，上你的机子比我自己的还容易，不是想我了吧
小白：我是想请你帮一个忙
黑客：什么事？
小白：你能不能进入电力系统修改一点数据
黑客：。。。。。。你想干嘛！！
小白：求求你，帮我把我家这个月的电费消了吧。。。。。。
黑客：去死！！

黑客：你死哪去了？！！！
小白：。。。。出去玩了几天啊，找我干嘛
黑客：我要找点东西
小白：在我这儿找什么东西？
黑客：病毒，找一条前几年的老病毒，只有你的机子上病毒保存的最全啦

黑客：我来了！！
。。。。。。
黑客：怎么不说话？
小白：心情不好
黑客：谁欺负你了？
小白：我的一个Q号搞丢了，里面有我的网上初恋
黑客：这个简单，我帮你拿回来
小白：拿不回来了
黑客：不可能，告诉我，多少号？
小白：呜~~~~就是不记得了

小白：你给我出来！！！！
黑客：怎么啦？！
小白：你是不是用我的ID去论坛玩了？！！
黑客：。。。。不好意思，忘了告诉你了，不过，我没干坏事，就瞎编了个贴子，我保证下次再也不玩了
小白：那不行！！！
黑客：你还要怎么样？
小白：你发的贴子得红脸了耶，我第一次得红脸，好开心哦，你必须再给我编一个
黑客：倒！

黑客：嘿嘿，刚才我做了一件很有趣的事
小白：什么事
黑客：我到论坛上去顶贴了
小白：这很平常啊
黑客：我见贴就顶，尽情的骂楼主是猪，好解气
小白：哇塞，太过瘾了，我可从来不敢，会被封杀的！
黑客：没错，已经被封杀了。
小白：这还有趣？！
黑客：是啊，因为我用的是你的ID

小白：你是高手吗？
黑客：可以说是吧。
小白：高到什么程度？
黑客：嗯，我无聊的时候就自己黑自己
小白：哈，这个我也会！
黑客：#￥%！你也可以？！
小白：是啊，一关机它就黑了。。。。。
黑客：滚！

该黑客目前正住在海淀医院，经确认已呈现出精神病前兆.

看MM如何发短信哄男友

2007-04-30T14:16:00.001+08:00

MM：你怎么啦啊？

　　GG：……(未回短信，下同)

　　MM：你生我气了呀？

　　GG：我们已经分手了，没有必要生气了。

　　MM：喔！什么时候的事呢？我怎么不知道？

　　GG：……

　　MM：下班了要过来看我喔！

　　GG：我们已经分手了，你不要这样。

　　MM：嗯，那我们还是朋友吗？

　　GG：是的。

　　MM：作为朋友你以后还是会关心我的是吗？

　　GG：是的，但仅仅是关心。

　　MM：如果我生病了你会来看我对不对？

　　GG：是的，可是你并没有生病！

　　MM：我会生病的。今天不来吧，明天一定要来喔！

　　GG：……

　　MM：我决定今天晚上用凉水洗澡，而且我坚决不会盖被子。放心，我明天一定会感冒的。

　　GG：……

　　MM：：(好郁闷，我在凉水下冲了五分钟，没有擦干身体，也没有盖被子，为什么没有感冒呢？

　　GG：……

　　MM：我继续！！

　　GG：……

　　MM：报告！我现在开始有头痛的预兆了，估计感冒先生会在中午的时候来临，我会随时向你汇报，以便您即时掌握最新情况。

　　GG：……

　　MM：我终于感冒了，冷死我了，这是我用凉水冲了四次凉的结果，我身体什么时候变得这么好了？

　　GG：你真蠢！你真的用凉水洗澡？

　　MM：是啊，说到要做到啊。

　　GG：……

　　MM：完了，我发烧了，怎么办？？？

　　GG：我马上过来！！！

　　MM：你明天晚上要继续过来看我喔！

　　GG：你听话，我们真的已经分开了，你要自己照顾自己，不要再这样了。

　　MM：我知道啊，可是我生病了耶！

　　GG：定时到医院打针！自己平时记得吃药啊。

　　MM：医生说：生病的人心理非常脆弱，家人应该多关心，但妈妈不在身边。我也不能告诉妈妈，她会担心的，你作为朋友就应该照顾我啊，我妈妈会非常感谢你的。

　　GG：……

　　MM：医生还说：病人应该保持乐观的心态，这样有助于身体健康，可是你不来陪我，我的心情一下子跌到了谷底了，你想我病死啊？

　　GG：……

　　MM：医生又说了：病人需要有人经常在身边照顾，这样才会有良好的精神状态！可是我身边一个人都没有，我会得忧郁症的。

　　GG：……

　　MM：你吱一声儿行不行啊？？？

　　GG：……

　　MM：呜……我好可怜，生病了都没有人疼，我不吃药了，也不盖被子，病死我好了。

　　GG：姑奶奶……我怕你了，好好好，我明天过来陪你！宝宝你听话，要按时吃药啊。

中国十三亿人都笑了你也笑吧

2007-04-30T14:14:00.000+08:00

学校开学点名，有一个班主任别出心裁，对学生说：“我念学号，你们自己报一下名字，这样大家就认识了，好不好？”
　　“001号！”
　　“报告老师，我姓焦，我叫焦配。”　老师有点晕，问道：“这是谁给你取的？”
　　“我爹。”　“你爹是干什么的？”
　　“开种猪厂的！”
　　“002号！”
　　一个女生站起来：“报告老师，我姓张，我叫张德开。”
　　“003号！”
　　“报告老师，我是张德开的孪生弟弟，我叫张不开。”　“这是谁给你们起的名？”
　　“是我爸，他是卖钳子的。”　老师赶紧喝了口水。
　　“004号！”
　　“报告老师，我姓区（这个字念”欧”）我叫区夜（哦也），这是我妈给我取的名，她说生我的时候刚好打爆了一个电脑游戏。”　老师的心脏有点不舒服了。
　　“005号！”
　　“报告老师，甘妮娘！”　“你怎么骂人啊？！”
　　“没有啊！老师，我是说我姓甘，叫甘妮酿，我老爸是造酒的。”　老师吃了一片药。
　　006号！”
　　“老师，我姓苟，叫苟不理。”
　　“你老爸是开包子铺的吧？！”
　　“老师，您真聪明！”　老师已经有点站不稳了。
　　“007号！”
　　“我姓蒯（读快，发第三声。）叫蒯货。”
　　“你别告诉我你老爸是开货栈的。”
　　“老师，你可真老土了，我老爸是拉皮条的。”　老师的嘴角已经渗出了血。
　　“008号！”
　　“老师，你去死！”　“什么？你说什么？！”
　　“我是说我姓倪，叫倪去寺。我老妈是个信佛的人，我的名字有意思吧？”
　　“有意思，有意思。”　老师快哭出来了。
　　“009号！”
　　“老师，下回说。”　“为什么要下回说，你现在就说！”
　　“不是的啦！老师，我姓夏，叫夏汇烁，我老爸是个说评书的。”　老师已经感到天旋地转了。
　　”010号！”
　　“老师，我姓高，叫高完。”
　　“我姓梅，叫梅良心。”
　　“我姓吴，叫吴晴。”
　　“我姓毛，叫毛蓉蓉。”…………
　　老师仰天长哮：“天啊，我碰上了一群什么学生啊！”老师口喷鲜血，倒地气绝.

不怪刘德华，怪“造星文化”

2007-04-30T12:58:00.000+08:00

"全职追星族”杨丽娟自1994年迷上刘德华后，便不上学、不工作；父母为满足女儿心愿倾家荡产，甚至想到了卖肾；当杨丽娟见到刘德华、并与其留影纪念后，其父仍在香港跳海自杀，留下的遗愿竟是希望刘德华再见女儿一面。

都知道“追星”会让人疯狂，但没想到能疯狂到这样悲壮的地步。

事件传出，一片哗然。杨丽娟因为失去父亲而痛哭的场景，也减轻了人们对她的不满和指责。大家不约而同地问：悲剧何以酿成？

我留意了网民们的反应，很庆幸，在诸多反思的声音中，人们表现了可贵的理性。新浪网在“你如何看待女粉丝父亲之死？”的调查中，超过三分之一的人 “认为明星不是‘神’，追星也要有限度”，而在“女歌迷追刘德华致父亲自杀，错在谁”的调查中，只有1.72%的人认为错在刘德华。

错不在刘德华。他没有许多明星那样的夸张造作、绯闻逸事、吸毒违章、虚假代言等劣迹，所以他有着比一般明星更亮丽的光环；但即使是他没有这么完美，出了这样的悲剧，仍然不是他的错。明星的光环不是自己加封的，而是追求者自我塑造的。

我还注意到，新浪网的“错在谁”的调查中，超过半数的人认为是追星者自己，超过３０％的人认为是他父亲。这两项合计超过八成，也是出乎我的意料。也许是调查设计者没有给出其他的答案供选择吧，我觉得要批评的不仅仅是杨丽娟本人，以及她的父亲，我们还要反思，社会上的“造星文化”何以弥久而不衰。

还能要求杨丽娟的父亲做什么呢？女儿的痴迷，已经让他深受创伤，他如果拒绝女儿的追星，也许失去的将是女儿的生命，他只有迎合，哪怕放弃自己的生命－－他的自杀，与其看作是对“追星”的“鞠躬尽瘁，死而后已”，不如看作是对这种畸形社会现象的深深无奈。

他的无奈在哪里呢？杨丽娟１３年的追星路，不上学、不工作，媒体报道过多少次啊，现在都说她有心理疾患，那么这１３年里，社会谁关注过她的这种疾患？她的学校、她的社区、一级级妇女儿童权益保护组织，怎么就没人帮帮那位可怜的老人，当他孤军和“追星文化”奋战时，失败是必然的；失败之后，他只有一条路可走：顺从女儿。

我们的社会有意无意存在着对“追星文化”的放纵。掀起一场运动，我们会习惯性地找几个典型，典型之外，无论如何落后，都可以置之不理；我们树的典型，必须是“高、大、全”，不是凡人，不食人间烟火，身上不能有一点缺点；我们搞体育，专注于体育明星的塑造，全民身体素质的下降可以忽视；我们树的舞台明星，只把聚光灯投注舞台中央，忽视了幕后他们的艰辛；我们的教育，老师常常只抓“尖子”，其他的都是“差生”……

只有光环，没有真实；只有完美，没有瑕疵，这是追星文化的土壤。年幼的孩子，怎能不被这种光环迷惑？我儿子小的时候，对一些电影上飞来飞去的武林高手十分崇敬，曾经在家里的沙发上桌子上学着飞啊飞的。后来我给他下载了一个光盘看－－内容是这些武林高手只不过是被机器吊在空中假飞而已－－他从此再不对明星顶礼膜拜了。

孩子们缺乏这种“真”的教育。社会制造出一个个光环，又为这光环陶醉。什么时候，我们都站立在真实的土地上，让孩子看到人人都是有缺点的凡夫俗子，演员只不过是人人都可以选择的一个职业而已，那么，他们将会平视明星，看得起自己，爱惜自己，不迷失自己，那个时候，追星的悲剧也才可能少一些。

50条伟大名言，谁是作者？

2007-04-30T12:50:00.000+08:00

01.早起的鸟儿有虫吃，早起的虫儿被鸟吃！

02.和一MM争论鲸鱼是不是鱼，最后我说“日本人也带个人字”，她这才同意鲸鱼不是鱼。

03.铁杵能磨成针，但木杵只能磨成牙签，材料不对，再努力也没用。

04.如果回帖是一种美德，那我早就成为圣人了。

05.人生不能像做菜、把所有的料都准备好才下锅。

06.听说女人如衣服，兄弟如手足。回想起来，我竟然七手八脚的裸奔了20年！

07.穿别人的鞋，走自己的路，让他们打的找去吧。

08.有一个很古老的传说，说是在北邮校园内能看到美女的人会长生不老……

09.难道全世界的鸡蛋联合起来就能打破石头吗？！所以做人还是要现实些……

10.不怕虎一样的敌人，就怕猪一样的队友！

11.夏天就是不好，穷的时候我连西北风都没得喝……

12.我也曾有过一双翅膀，不过我没用它在天上翱翔，而是放在锅里炖汤……

13.水至清则无鱼，人至贱则无敌！

14.我不是随便的人，我随便起来不是人。

15.今天一群日本人来我校参观——说实话，这是我第一次看到穿衣服的日本人！

16.思想有多远，你就滚多远！！！

17.我很穷，我家的佣人也很穷，我家的园丁也很穷，我家的司机也很穷……

18.银行收费时说：“这符合国际惯例！”服务时却说：“要考虑中国国情！”

19.骑白马的不一定是王子，他可能是唐僧；带翅膀的也不一定是天使，他可能是鸟人。

20.怀才就像怀孕，时间久了才能让人看出来。

21.站的更高，尿的更远。

22.一大学生最低奋斗目标：农妇，山泉，有点田

23.我朋友在他女友手机里的名字是“他”，后来他们分手了，就变成了“它”……

24.没什么事不要找我，有事更不用找我！

25.你以为我会眼睁睁地看着你去送死吗？我会闭上眼睛的！

26.佛曰：“前世的500次回眸才换来今生的一次擦肩而过”。我宁愿用来世的一次擦肩而过来换得今生的500次回眸。

27.我拿什么整死你的爱人……

28.网络就像是监狱，本来是偷了个钱包进来的，等出去的时候就什么都学会了。

29.天使之所以会飞，是因为她们把自己看得很轻……

30.我想早恋，但是已经晚了……

31.师太！你就从了老衲吧！

32.我爱你！关你什么事？

33.学海无涯，回头是岸！

34.生活tmd好玩，因为生活老tmd玩我！

35.这个世界上我只相信两个人，一个是我，另一个不是你。

36.我床上的不知道是谁媳妇，我媳妇不知道在谁的床上！

37.我真想亲口管你爷爷叫声：爹！

38.北科大骗了我大学四年，所以我打算用北科大教我的知识骗社会一辈子！

39.我身边的朋友们啊，你们快点出名吧，这样我的回忆录就可以畅销了~~~

40.当你穿上了爱情的婚纱，我也披上了和尚的袈裟……

41.没见过这么恶心的学校——把期中考试订在5月8号！！！（隐讳）

42.房价越来越高，所以，好男人越来越少……

43.如果我做了皇帝，就封你当太子！

44.我朋友在他女友手机里的名字是“他”，后来他们分手了，就变成了“它”……

45.始终没有沦为一名优秀的大学生，靠的就是坚强品质！

46.妈的，我被人投诉了！客户说我给他的mp3文件没有图像！

47.生活有时就像被太监****一样——反抗是痛苦，不反抗还是痛苦！

48.将每个女生后面的男生数减少到6名！

49.东边日出西边雨，导师无情我有情。

50.拥抱真是个奇怪的东西，明明靠的那么近，却看不见彼此的脸

供求关系决定房价上涨是一种谬论

2007-04-30T12:47:00.000+08:00

供求关系决定市场商品价格，供大于求价格下降，求大于供价格上升，是市场经济基本理论之一。这个每个懂一点经济学的都知道的大道理。但是理论终究只是理论，如果我们每个人都相信经济学的理论，并且遵照他来指导我们的经济发展的话，那么这个国家肯定无法发展，经济肯定无法前行。

　　中国房地产住宅价格近几年一路暴涨，到底是什么原因让房价象狗被注射了鸡血一样，一路暴走。我们的开发商和部分惟利是图的经济学家就搬出了供求关系决定房价的“至尊”理论，到处宣扬，现在市场需求如此强烈，要不我不涨价都没有办法。

　　确实，在住宅需求方面，中国经济近年来高速发展，福利分房时代的结束、中国人传统意识里对住房的无限拥有渴望，催生了对住宅的旺盛需求。但是真的是需求旺盛造成今天的房价如此之高吗？

　　经济学上讲的供求关系决定市场商品价格。其理论前提是在完全市场经济竞争环境下供求关系能够决定商品价格。房地产住宅市场要适应供求理论，必须满足两个前提：一是所处市场环境是完全市场经济竞争环境下；二是房地产纯粹是一种商品，无任何公共产品属性。对于以上两大前提，住宅产业符合吗？

　　首先我们来看一下住宅市场到底是一种什么样的市场？

　　大家都知道，住宅产品是多种因素的综合体,与单一功能的消费品有着显著的差异。住宅的地理位置、建筑结构、户型设计、配套设施、社会自然环境、开发商资质和信誉等因素交织在一起，形成一个非常复杂的产品结构体系。正是住宅的这种区位特征和产品差异性的存在，决定了即便是不存在资本性、技术性和政策性进入壁垒，住宅市场也难以发育成为完全竞争性市场，中国房地产市场是一种垄断性竞争市场，垄断体现在土地资源的天然垄断和对开发项目的进入性垄断。

　　市场经济理论表明：在垄断竞争的市场结构下，开发商凭借对房地产的区位垄断和产品差异化的天然优势，利用交易双方市场信息占有的不对称性，享有住宅供给和定价的主导性优势。那么垄断竞争的住宅市场及其市场结果的无效性，无法通过市场自身的力量加以纠正，那么究竟谁能纠正这个市场失灵的结果呢？这里顺便提一下这个答案就是政府，政府必须通过制度建设和政策调控来纠正。

　　其次房地产真的是一种纯粹的商品吗。其具备不具备公共产品属性？

　　住宅作为一种商品，具有非常复杂的特性，其具备居住功能和投资等多种功能。人们的生产、生活都离不开用地用房，住宅作为一种生活必需品，正常情况下它没有替代品可供人们选择。众所周知，在计划经济条件下住宅由国家分配，表现出浓厚的福利品色彩，但在社会主义市场经济条件下就不同了，那么住宅就是一种纯粹商品吗？其实也不对。住宅作为人们的生活必须品，其使用价值人人享有是必须和必然的，但其价值(价格)却不是人人能够承受的。实践证明，保证满足社会成员对住宅的基本需求是政府的基本职责之一。因此，住宅又具有了不同于一般商品的公共产品的特性。特别是对于较低收入社会成员而言，则更是如此。从住宅的功能方面分析，在市场经济条件下住宅不仅具有居住功能，而且具有投资理财的功能。恰恰是这后一功能，与其公共产品的特性之间势必发生剧烈冲突。因此，住宅既具有一般商品的共同属性，又具有公共产品的特殊属性。

　　从上面分析我们可以看出，既然房地产市场不是完全竞争市场环境，我们的住宅又不是100%纯粹的商品特性，因此供求关系决定不了住宅实际价格，事实上确实如此。

　　从北京市来讲，有关部门3月份发布了一份统计报告，说北京目前还有10万套存量房尚未销售出去，拿此来说明北京住宅供给充足。如果按照供给理论分析，空置面积增加说明住宅供给大于需求，一方面住宅价格会因此呈现出下降趋势；另一方面开发商会因价格下降利润降低，而减少住宅供给量，从而达到新的供需平衡。

　　可现实情况却并非如此，大家都看见了房价继续暴涨的现实。造成住宅价格上涨的原因，主要是因为住宅的生活必需品特性和住宅市场的垄断性竞争的特征。我们知道，垄断竞争市场与完全竞争市场的不同之处在于，垄断竞争市场有许多提供略有差别产品的供应商，他们都可以凭借自己产品的特点决定自己产品的价格；完全竞争市场的供应商所提供的产品则是完全相同的，任何一个买者或者卖者都不可能影响价格。所以，在垄断竞争住宅市场里，面对需求弹性为零的住宅产品，开发商完全可以通过自主控制价格，取得高于社会平均利润水平的差别利润。同时，开发商还可以人为制造短缺挤压，通过调剂供应量的办法影响市场需求，抬高住宅的销售价格。

　　因此拿供求理论来证明房价上涨是不合理的，甚至是一种谬论。

股市牛气冲天将促房价继续上涨

2007-04-30T12:44:00.000+08:00

　国内个人投资者在投资时，可选择领域只有只有股市和房地产。那么股市和房地产之间究竟是一种什么样的依附关系，是相互排斥还是相互依存？最近老有言论表面：中国股市如此牛气冲天，吸卷了大量资本，将会造成中国房地产市场需求萎缩，造成房价下跌。对此认识，我认为是十分片面的甚至是错误的。

　　第一、楼市资金来源并非全部都是投资或投机性资金需求。楼市需求在中国主要分为刚性需求（城市化中的移民、被动拆迁户、中低收入阶层等），改善性需求（住房升级换代类需求）、投资性和投机性需求（靠长短期持有物业升值后转让或出租来获取收益）。前两种需求在城市化快速发展过程中，短期很难被消化满足，这种需求不会因为股市的变热而有丝毫转化。投机性和投资性需求自05年以来房地产宏观调控政策不断出台的今天，本身已受到严重打压，其需求量占总需求量的比例越来越小。因此我们做一个假设，即使房地产全部投资和投机性需求全部转移到股市，对房地产整体市场的影响也是不大的。

　　第二、同时股市牛气冲天，投资者从中获取的“巨大财富”向何处去？我向按照中国人的传统心理，有钱之后首当其冲的就是给自己选择一处房产，让自己的余生后顾无忧。房子本身是一种消费品，供人们居住使用，同时房子也是一种保值增值的优良工具，其没有股市风险大，波动程度小。在中国传统思想中：“一铺养三代”就是明证。在1999年至2000年股市因为网络新经济而处于牛市阶段，导致了当年高档住宅在北京脱销的局面，北京市场出现了供需两旺。　

　　第三、股市资金从那里来？资金主要来自储蓄存款，而非来自楼市里的资金。根据央行公布数据：自06年10月人民币储蓄存款额近5年来首次下降以来，近几个月的储蓄存款增速进一步下降。与此同时，股市上证指数突破到3500点。从两者成反向关系来看，证明股市对存款的分流作用十分明显。反过来我们在看看房地产市场的实际情况，北京房价继续上涨的局面丝毫没有改变，新盘上市的热销局面继续存在，继续出现一房难求的现象，楼市并没有因为股市的牛气受到影响。

　　通过以上三点可以看出，股市和楼市之间并没有“此削彼长”的替代效应。不存在楼市火了股票就跌的局面，同样也不存在股市火了，楼市就掺了的现象。相反，有可能会起到互相促进的作用。当股市聚集的“财富效应”不断放大，并转向楼市的时候，会促进楼市价格的进一步上涨。

28万美金在美国能买什么房子？

2007-04-30T11:07:00.000+08:00

中部20万人口的中等城市，房价当然不能跟东，西海岸的比，但至少可以反映除东，西海岸以外大部分地区房价的真实水平。
　　
以下面房子为例，一层是厨房，客厅，餐厅，二层3个卧室，可走出去的地下室有一个卧室和一个娱乐间，使用面积不包括地下室大概150平方，包括地下室大概 220平方。房龄10年，现标价285900，按现在行情大概在27万美金左右可以买到，房价中包括所有厨房设备，地毯，所以可直接入住（新房价格也大致差不多）。

　
另外，此房位于本地最好的学区，也就是说，从小学到高中，小孩都可以免费上本地最好的学校。如果在其他学区差一点的地方，房价还要便宜好几万。

正门

后院

餐厅
客厅

卧室

地下室娱乐厅

厨房
后院

[转]他们说题目一定要爆点！

2007-04-30T10:42:00.000+08:00

话说那本传说中被大家拍着胸口说“一定会跳票”的《悲伤逆流成河》，那本让小四的游乐场荒废了整整三个月的《悲伤逆流成河》，那本一直在预售永远看不见到货的《悲伤逆流成河》终于顺利地登上了全国各地的书架！！撒花~~~~~~

那么应该用什么样的标题才够爆点才够博上版面呢？

《郭敬明新书印量巨大耗光北京存纸！》《<悲伤逆流成河>干掉XX新书》

《郭敬明消失三个月为哪般？》《五一黄金周全国学生忧郁症》

《郭敬明新书尺度劲爆堕胎过层全揭露》

……

好了……我开玩笑而已……

不过对于第一个题目，其实还是挺切合的，因为我们拿到悲伤样书的时候，就发现封面上的腰封的纸和我们提供的纸样不同，问了负责印制的亲爱的小杰同志才知道，因为悲伤印量866666套太过震撼，消耗完了北京这种类型的所有存纸……于是有少部分只能用别的纸来代替了……听完这个消息，我就谦虚而平静地癫狂了……且嚣叫着……哈哈哈哈哈哈

今天白天和长江社的小懒聊天的时候，她和我说云南那边上了两天，仅仅两天就干掉了百家讲坛王立群的《读史记》，我听完就哈哈哈哈地颠笑不止。但是那边又幽幽地和我说：“小四，收敛点，《读史记》也是我们社出的书……”我于是只能^_^了

但小懒又迅速地回了我一句“下个月最小说肯定拿不到排行榜第一名了，哈哈哈哈哈，终于有人来终结了最小说每个月第一的记录”我也只能……了。所以说做人不能太嚣张。

前段时间参加了福布斯举行的名人盛典。

那天的过程最后总结下来，只能说人生何处不癫狂。

在领奖之前按照我的个性和状况，是一定会出KUSO的事情的，但是因为涉及到别的艺人。我就不写啦。

只写我领奖的时候就好，前面半段都是颁发最佳商业机构，音乐类的啦，舞台类的啦，电影类的啦，文化类的啦。每个都是老总上台，然后后面站着他们公司的艺人，非常有气派。我就和小玉一直在下面喝水，顺便一直掐小玉，让她控制压抑“我要找郭德纲签名啊！！”的念头，看着她一直拿眼瞄我座位旁边的郭德纲，我就一直很担心她会突然过去把人家扑倒……怀着这样的念头，我就听到了台上主持人说“文化类最佳商业机构：上海柯艾文化传播有限公司”，“有请董事长郭敬明！”……

我突然一警觉，回过头瞪小玉：“是在说我吗？”

小玉把迷幻的目光从郭德纲身上收回来，严肃地对我说：“好像是。”

于是大家就看到一个高中生样子的人欢快地飘上了舞台，但是表情很凝重。

在我上台之后，我就清晰地听到了下面一片各种音调抑扬顿挫的“啊~”的声音。

我只想说：“啊”个【哔——】（消音）啊你们。

领奖后到媒体联访区，刚在背景板前站好，就无数摄影大哥对我说“笑！”“站好！”“转过来！”“看这边！”“郭敬明！”“叫你呢！”“嘿哥们！”“举手！”“打个招呼！”“看左边”……

我靠……也太忙了吧……

而且主持人刚说：“敬明最近忙什么呢……”就被某个摄影大哥打断：“你等会儿问，这拍照呢！”

我刚要趁机宣传下《悲伤》，结果刚开口微笑，就被打断“别说话，先看这边哥们！”

我……

也不知道是我太久没出来活动而失去了新闻价值而过气，还是大哥们太爱拍照……心有点累……

结束后才猛然发现自己把来前公司交代的一定要说《快乐男声》主题曲歌词刚刚完成非常好听的任务完全抛在了脑后……

不知道回去会不会被公司杀……

最近开始喝一种新的蛋白粉，是我最讨厌的巧克力味道！！为什么不是香草的！！

不过效果还蛮好的，不愧是号称肌平方……

下面这张照片贴一天，明天就删鸟~~~

SHOW TIME~

昨天和落仔一起经历了一个奇幻之旅……可以简称为北京奇幻一日游……

而且是真正的一日游，我和落仔早上六点起床，飞去北京，然后经历了奇幻的一日，当晚又飞回了上海……

早上开车去落仔家楼下接她，本来我以为她会光彩夺目地出现在我面前，毕竟我和她好久没见了，结果开到她家小区楼下，就看见一个带着眼镜，穿着运动衣运动裤的扎着大辫子的女人朝我走来……靠，老子好歹还穿了正装衬衣！我说你这叫穿的什么，她非常平静地和我说：“运动裤呀，而且上面还有狗毛。”……

其实我和落仔都是前一天才接到电话莫名被拖去参加一个什么青年作家讨论会。

到了北京去那边后，奇幻之旅开始了。

路上落落看到了悲伤的样书，对于装帧非常的惊艳，然后又回想了一下自己的《尘埃星球》，就开始频繁地说着“我要呕了”，“我心已死”，“李学健（hansey本名）我认得你！”“李学健你【哔——】啊”“我要呕了……”

中午吃饭的时候，我们同一桌的其他人都在聊着类似“欧亨利的短篇小说”，“卡夫卡精神”，“肖申克的救赎”“XX的女人之XX”之类的高深的问题，我本人没什么感觉，只听到落落在我边上一直“我要呕了”“我要呕了”……对于其中某男作者对某女作家的滔滔不绝，落落总结为“当着所有作协领导的面泡妞”。

而就在大家讨论着这样严肃的话题的时候，我和落落正在认真地研究着她是否需要再瘦一瘦脸和我鼻子上黑头减少了很多的问题……

下午的作家讨论会议还要奇幻。落落正在酝酿，我就不多写了。到时候大家可以直接去落落的日志上看。到时候再看落落的，这女人超具喜感，写出来应该更搞笑。

我记忆中比较深刻的就是那个心直口快的女作家一上来发言就说：“我的书也没什么呀，现在杂志上比我的书色情的都多了去了，禁什么呀禁，我挺左派一人，非把我整成右派……”机关枪一样的一通之后，台上领导有点OTZ……

至于后面演变成探讨星座话题，我觉得毫不意外……

本来领导为了活跃气氛，客套地说了一句“大家随便聊嘛，随便发言”，结果XX就站起来真的很随便地说“大家来聊聊星座吧。挨个儿把你们的星座报一遍！”末了还补充一句：“从领导开始！”

我一口水喷了出来。

结果领导咳嗽了几声之后，说：“咳、咳，我主要是搞评论工作的，最近没什么新作。”

……我就非常平静地微笑了……回过头，对面的落仔压抑得很痛苦……

一圈下来，统计结果巨蟹座最多，某个领导为了贴近年轻人，于是对着话筒和蔼地说“巨蟹座怎么了？快给我们说说，我也是巨蟹座。”

于是XX不负众望地说：“今天巨蟹最多，怪不得我觉得阴气重！”

领导在上面小脸儿白白的。

我忍不住掏出手机发给落仔：“好想用力地逃离这个世界！（《悲伤》里的台词”

过了会儿收到落落的消息：“我要呕了。”

反正无比奇幻。

我明明几个小时之前还在我的凯迪拉克里，为何现在坐在这样KUSO的场合中间……点解？

照片上是不知道什么时候我穿正装的样子。忘记了我是要去干嘛。

PS：《悲伤》平装已经全国上市啦。请不要手软，一定要买啊。我两年多没发新书了。要支持！跪！

PPS：封面就是故意用的牛皮纸创造的老旧的效果啦，所以就别再说类似“封面好粗糙像盗版呢”这样让我orz的话了……

PPPS：《悲伤》限量版五一长假之后全国书店随机上市。真的是随机的……看运气了。

当眼保健操成为传统

2007-04-30T10:41:00.000+08:00

“为革命保护视力，预防近视，眼保健操现在开始……”我们这一代人，是每天伴随着这个富有时代色彩的口令长大的。时代早就变了，但是眼保健操却在学生中一代代延续了下来，只不过口令略有变化而已。
然而，有没有什么科学的理论、临床试验或调查统计证明做眼保健操确实能够预防近视呢？没有。某个人自称自己因为做眼保健操所以不得近视甚至逆转了近视，这不是证据，因为个案证明不了疗效。世界上只有中国在推行眼保健操，而中国学生的近视率却排世界第二，小学生为28％、初中生为60％、高中生为85％。不做眼保健操的美国，近视率却只有25％。
我们从小就被告诫，看书时眼睛不要离书本太近、看书每隔30分钟要让眼睛休息一会、不要在昏暗的光线下看书、不要在颠簸的车上看书……否则就会得近视。这些忠告有没有依据呢？也没有。反而有多项调查表明，近距离看书或在昏暗的光线下看书并不会增加得近视的风险。
我们一般说的近视指的是生理性近视，是因为眼球轴长变长，成像不聚焦在视网膜上，而是聚焦在视网膜前方引起的。它在儿童时期开始出现，逐渐变化，到成年时，随着眼睛发育的结束就定型了。
既然生理性近视是伴随着眼睛的发育出现的，那么在这个演变过程中，遗传（先天）因素和环境（后天）因素的影响各有多大呢？国内权威媒体曾报道说“有90％的孩子近视是由于环境因素不良造成的”，据称这是专家观点。而事实上，调查表明近视的产生受遗传的影响比一般人想像的要大得多。如果父母两人都是近视，子女也会是近视的可能性高达33～60％；如果父母只有一方是近视，子女近视的可能性降低到23～40％；如果父母两人都不近视，则子女近视的可能性只有 6～15％。
很显然，近视的发生深受遗传因素的影响。这个影响究竟有多大呢？通过对孪生子进行比较，可以定量地估计出某种性状的遗传率。遗传率的大小在0和1之间。如果人的视力差异完全是由遗传差异引起的，遗传率为1，如果与遗传差异毫无关系，遗传率为0。2001年英国研究者对226对同卵孪生成年人和280对异卵孪生成年人的研究表明，近视的遗传率高达0.89，也就是说，近视主要受基因控制，与后天因素的关系不大。差不多同时丹麦研究者对53对同卵和61对异卵孪生成年人的研究也得出了相同的结论。2004年，英国研究者进一步发现，有一个被称为PAX6的基因可能与近视有关。
这意味着如果你没有近视基因，那么不管你在多么恶劣的条件下频繁用眼，也不会得近视（虽然你的眼睛可能会有其他损伤）。而如果你有近视基因，那么就会逐渐变近视，环境因素是不重要的。不过，基因的表达离不开环境因素的作用，某些环境因素（例如阅读）可能是近视的诱因。调查表明受教育的程度与近视发生率存在相关性，在某些地方近视发生率逐代增加，都说明某些人在某些环境因素的刺激下，天生就比较容易得近视。
目前并没有证据表明有什么可靠的办法能够预防近视的发生，也许从小就什么书都不读，完全去除近视发生的诱因，会是个有效的办法。例如，在爱斯基摩人中，只有受过正规教育的人才会得近视。但是为了预防近视而去当文盲，这种方法一点也不吸引人。各种预防、逆转近视的仪器设备（例如至今仍有人在推销的近视磁疗眼镜）都不过是异想天开。
至于那些有关预防近视的种种“眼睛保健”忠告，也只是想当然尔。遵循这些忠告不会有什么坏处，可能对眼睛还有其他方面的好处，例如消除眼睛疲劳。但是，做眼保健操却并非完全无害的。经常用不洁的手接触、揉按眼睛，增加了眼睛感染乃至呼吸道感染的风险（病毒会从鼻泪管进入上呼吸道），并非一个良好的习惯。
历经几十年的代代相沿，眼保健操已经成为了中国校园文化传统的一部分，变成了一种集体仪式和生活习惯。一种东西一旦成为了传统，就具有了天然的合理性，质疑它会让人觉得难以接受，何况是从小就被灌输的东西，更难以理性地看待。

2007.4.22.

（《中国青年报》2007.4.25）

中国不能永远为世界打工

2007-04-30T10:35:00.000+08:00

中国何时才能摆脱“世界工厂”的“美誉”？何时才能成为具有自主研发能力的科技大国？

中国人不能永远这么便宜

一个普遍贫困的国家，是不可能崛起为真正的世界大国的。过去20年，中国一直遵循着贫困国家的发展战略：利用自己劳动力价格低的优势，在劳动力密集型的产业中，靠低廉的价格打败对手，占领世界市场。如今“中国制造”遍布全球，正是这一战略成功的明证。
然而，当中国发展成一个小康社会后，这样的战略就会失误。在未来几十年，如果中国的劳动力还是这么便宜，就说明中国的大部分人并没有从经济发展中获益，由此引发的社会问题，将制约中国的发展。一个穷国要崛起成一个世界大国，就是像跑一场马拉松。如果只看眼前的便宜，拼命快跑，而完全不考虑后半程的战术，到时就会精疲力竭，被迫退出竞争。
常识告诉我们，一个马拉松运动员的后半程战略，绝对不应该建立在其前半程的身体状态透支之上。中国小康后的发展战略，也绝不能以中国人便宜为前提。相反，我们从现在起，就应该想想中国人“贵”起来以后怎么办。
不错，美国的劳动力价值确实高，但是，高工资带来的，并不仅仅是高消费，而且还有高投资。个人的小规模投资，常常比企业大规模的投资更有效率，就像企业的投资常常比更大规模的国家投资更有效率一样。且不说一半美国人手中持有股票，成为“投资阶层”，高工资还使美国人能够对自己和自己的家庭进行教育投资。干粗活的父母，能够培养自己的孩子上常青藤。结果，干粗活的美国人越来越少，从事高技术、高智能产业的人越来越多。我们这里呢？我们给工人的工资仅仅够他们维持生存，他们很难对自己和自己的家庭进行投资。
劳动力是一个国家最重要的经济资源。要有效地开发这一宝贵资源，第一是要对人进行投资，第二要保证这样的投资是自由的、非计划的（既不能由国家来计划，也不能由企业来计划）。日本明治维新以后，一直靠压低工人的工资来完成初期的资本积累，结果虽然迅速崛起，却是“脱亚”而不“入欧”，在经济上一直没有达到主要西方工业国家的水平。二战后日本再度以廉价的劳动力崛起，但到了20世纪60年代初，及时完成了小康社会的战略转型，把高工资、高生产力作为未来发展的目标，终于改变了战前“跑得完工业化的前半程，跑不完后半程”的局面，一举成为世界第二大经济大国。再看印度，在教育投资、法治、高技术产业等方面，比中国有相当大的优势，但是由于贫富差距太大，占人口大多数的穷人没有资源对自己和自己的家庭进行投资，所以发展的动力一直赶不上中国。中国在崛起过程中，哪怕前半程跑慢些、少吸引点投资，也要保证劳动阶层的基本权利和生活水平，使他们有足够的资源对自己投资、向上发展。这样才能保证我们的人力资源是一种再生的资源，保证我们的“后半程”有足够的动力。

沃尔玛的例子

《华尔街日报》报道，中国一家给沃尔玛提供小电器的企业，10年前出厂批发价为7美元的产品，如今被砍到4美元（在美国销售价则是15～40美元），如此低的价格使企业几乎无法生存。
所以，中国的出口虽然看起来轰轰烈烈，但利润大部分都是这样被别人赚去，中国社会从中获益十分有限。最近，美国政府和国会企图迫使中国升值人民币。但《纽约时报》和《华尔街日报》一反常态，相继站出来为中国辩护。《华尔街日报》一语道破天机：我们与中国的贸易，是天下最好的买卖。中国为我们生产我们觉得没有赚头的产品，而且价格奇低，利润大部分也被美国公司赚走，我们则得到了长时段的高增长中的低通货膨胀率，能够集中精力提升产业的层次和劳动生产率。现在的问题不是担心便宜的中国货，而是要操心这样的好买卖能持续多久。
站在中国人的立场，我们的问题则是：难道中国人要永远像这样为世界打工？
沃尔玛之所以能够如此上下其手，无限压低价格，在于它抓住了中国的几个弱点。
首先，中国的市场经济体制还不健全，亏损企业无法被淘汰，优异企业无法脱颖而出。经济起飞十几年，经济规模在世界上举足轻重，但仍然没有索尼、东芝、尼桑、丰田乃至现代、三星这样的名牌。我们除了东西便宜、劳动力便宜外，没有任何砝码。
其次，劳动力便宜，国内的购买力就低。内需不足，只好依靠出口，于是沃尔玛就成了衣食父母。我们自然也就永远抬不起头来。
中国目前的经济与社会，很像20世纪60年代初的日本，正处于一个战略性的十字路口。
我们不能因为有13亿还很穷困的人口，就认定中国人可以永远这样便宜下去。我们必须对这13亿人进行投资，使他们逐渐“贵”起来。这样，他们不仅有足够的技能从事高层次的生产活动，本身也具有相当的购买力。要做到这一点，就需要提高国民的教育水平，扶植中产阶级的成长。同时，应该迅速健全市场经济体系。这包括独立、高效率的司法制度，自由的信息流动，高度透明的政府行为等等。因为真正国际级的大企业，只有在这样的环境下才能够成长。

中国经济的出路

中国必须提高产业层次，中国的政经界并非没有意识。联想以17.5亿美元的天价买下IBM的PC系统，在国际上被认为是一个大手笔。这笔交易，把人们的目光转向了中国企业的海外扩张。英国《金融时报》最近发表的文章，称中国的一些大企业，如华为、ZTE、海尔、TCL等等，竞相到海外收购、兼并、联营，试图创造中国的世界级跨国公司。
实际上，这些大企业的行为，有极大的风险。企业兼并，并非是在国际竞争中成功的必由之路。相反，野心过大的兼并，最终常常制造“白象工程”。耗资甚巨，高成本压低了盈利，甚至使企业长期负债，最后吃不了兜着走。真正的企业成功，在于提供领先的技术，而不在于规模的大小。像当年的索尼，并不是现在这样的庞然大物，但在电器市场上几乎处处领先。现在的丰田，也比如今的通用汽车规模小，但总是能够比美国的汽车制造商早走半步。
相比之下，中国的企业，在技术上没有一处领先，全处于跟跑的状态。海外收购，一个主要原因是自己没有技术，创不出名牌，于是希望通过收购一些知名的大企业，获得人家的技术和品牌。但是，借来的拳头打不了人。真正技术领先的企业，一般不会让外人染指的。能够收购的，大多是一些垂垂老矣、在技术和品牌上已经丧失了竞争力、并有许多不良债务的企业。如上海的汽车制造商，就收购了这样一家英国汽车公司。这样花大价钱把昔日的名牌买到手，就像是斥巨资请现在已经快走不动的马拉多纳来为我们踢球一样，最后可能输得更惨。
更糟糕的是，这些能够走向世界，斥巨资兼并、收购、联营的大企业，大多是国有或有着国有背景。它们目前的成功，往往不是靠市场上充分的竞争，而是靠自己所占有的优惠性或垄断性的地位。它们的企业行为，常常倾向于好大喜功、不计成本。如果它们算计不精，经营不善，又不能及时受到真正的市场竞争的惩罚，那么盲目扩张的结果，可能会制造一些负债累累的硕大病夫。
实际上，大企业的行为，已经使中国的经济充满危机。比如汽车业，由于大家一拥而上，生产能力已经有过剩的危机。有些人预测，中国的汽车业如果不能在 2010年大规模占领世界市场，国内就会充斥着卖不出去的车。但是，在几年之间我们有能力大规模占领世界市场吗？事实上，大企业的行为，常常是追随式、从众式的，看见人家造汽车自己也造汽车，看人家做电脑自己也做电脑。有创造性的个人，则能够在一些人们想不到的地方异军突起。当年的苹果电脑，如今的 Google，都是这样诞生的。
中国的经济要更新，不应该仅仅从大处做起，还应该从小处做起。国家的责任，是保证个人的经济自由，保证小人物的基本权利。中国的经济要长久繁荣，首先要等民工拿得到体面的工钱。他们有了基本的经济资源，才能够提高自身的素质，创立自己的产业。一大批小企业才能够迅速地崛起。
个人富了，才会发挥自己的创造力。劳动力贵了，才会逼着企业提高经营水平和技术成分。靠肆无忌惮地压低自己员工的工资来竞争，等于把企业越惯越懒，越来越固步自封，最后使中国经济走入死局。

（木易摘自《中国不能永远为世界打工》，云南人民出版社，潘树声图）