One of Sir Terry Pratchetts creations:
The Luggage
The Luggage is a large chest that follows Rincewind literally wherever he goes- even onto Roundworld, which Rincewind only visited virtually. It is made of sapient pearwood (a magical, intelligent plant which is nearly extinct, impervious to magic, and only grows in a few places outside the Agatean Empire, generally on sites of very old magic). It can produce hundreds of little legs protruding from its underside and can move very fast if the need arises. It has been described as "half suitcase, half homicidal maniac"
Its function is to act as both a luggage carrier and bodyguard for its owner, against whom no threatening motion should be made. The Luggage is fiercely defensive of its owner, and is generally homicidal in nature, killing or eating several people and monsters and destroying various ships, walls, doors, geographic features, and other obstacles throughout the series. Its mouth contains "lots of big square teeth, white as sycamore, and a pulsating tongue, red as mahogany." The inside area of The Luggage does not appear to be constrained by its external dimensions, and contains many conveniences: even when it has just devoured a monster, the next time it opens the owner will find his underwear, neatly pressed and smelling slightly of lavender.
One of the most notable features of The Luggage is its ability to follow its current owner anywhere, including such places as inside its owner's mind, off the edge of the Disc, Death's Domain, inside the Octavo, the Dungeon Dimensions, and even (literally) to Hell and back. Like all luggage, it's constantly getting lost and having to track its owner down. It has only one way of overcoming obstacles, and that is by simply ignoring them and smashing a hole through them — including a wall to a magic shop that had since relocated to another city by magical means.
If you want to see real museums go to Europe. The US has been around only a very short time. Londons museums are huge. You will need a week to skim each one. La Louvre in Paris is on many floors, and each wing is well in excess of a mile. Museums in Europe have stuff going back millenia, not just 200 years or so.
Bear in mind the Europeans helped themselves to other countries treasures in days of empire. Even European cities go back in many cases to Roman times.
Just suggesting that the world is not just the US.
1. House prices and property keep on rising. If you buy a house now you can sell it next year for say 15% more. Gear up, buy and then let out your property to make even more money. Look at all the TV proggys on making money from houses to prove this point. Whatever price you pay is not an issue. Borrow at 7 times your earnings and 125% of the said value of the property is no problem. Fill your boots and make a ton of money, guaranteed. No risk.
(Don't listed to those old type bank managers who were so unhelpful and whom banks fired years ago in favour of salesmen selling whatever they could. They knew nothing).
If in the unlikely event someone could not pay their mortgage (very rare event) the property would absolutely be worth more than their mortgage arrears. Even better sell the loans to some other sucker. No risk here.
2. As you all know interest rates are undeniably under control and will never significantly rise as our central banks are such clever chaps (and chapesses) and have everything under control. So we will see a low interest rate environment for many years, so no risk here.
3. Inflation is absolutely under control and will never get out of hand, again thanks to the geniuses managing our economy. So no worries here.
4. Gearing is good and isn't risky, if you are really clever. Gear up as much as you want and to make even more money at little risk. Better still borrow in say Yen at very low rates. The Yen will never rise against the $/£ to any degree, so no risk here.
5. Banks and bankers are very clever people and know what they are doing. Look at their pay and bonus packages to see how astute they are. Shareholders would never allow incompetents to have such large pay packages if they were not undoubtedly geniuses. With the bankers at the helm nothing can go wrong, obviously. No risk here.
Risk Calcs = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = naff all risk so fill your boots.
Get on two wheels, powered or unpowered, ride in traffic and sooner rather than later you will find yourself splatered on the road or otherwise taken out.
Once off the bike and injured the response is always the same. Sorry mate didnt see you.
Since the US became a Crown Dependency (except for Utah) the following apply (extracts):
1.
You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium." Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour', skipping the letter U' is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters. You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee') and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise." You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra'. Edinburgh. You are welcome to respell Pittsburg as 'Pittsberg' if you can't cope with correct pronunciation.
Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary." Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up "interspersed." There will be no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn't have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary then you won't have to use bad language as often.
2.
There is no such thing as "US English." We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize."
The idea of a point car is superb, and self financing and maybe a profit centtre for Indian Railways.
Consider a "point car" as a no-expense-spared levitating vehicle with AI and a battery of gizmos to help in the safety of the train.
Scenario 1 - "Point Car" sees a truck on the track potentially causing a derailment. "Point Car" (PC) hails truck driver,
"Clear the track"....."Clear the track please truck"....."Truck clear the track"
PC drwas blaster and "BLAM", no more truck on the track.
Scenario 2 - PC finds a cow laying down on the track. PC hails cow, "Move on cow"....
"Shift lady"......"Get away girl". If no response PC draws prodding stick, not a blaster as cows are sacred.
Scenario 3 - Man evily laughing next to screaming girl tied onto the track ahead of the train. PC
blasts evil man and draws camera to record screaming girlie with pay-per-view access streamed to the world.
Voting to decide whether girlie is freed by the PC or not (to vote online costs money, hence revenue for
Indian Railways)
Every quarter Indian Railways can release videos of action on the line to finance the
cost of the PC such as More Trucks on the Line, More Screaming Girlies etc.
Think its an excellent idea and should be put into effect immediately,
Phil
(just been called back to my padded cell....)
Slashdot Mirror
Prior art......
One of Sir Terry Pratchetts creations: The Luggage The Luggage is a large chest that follows Rincewind literally wherever he goes- even onto Roundworld, which Rincewind only visited virtually. It is made of sapient pearwood (a magical, intelligent plant which is nearly extinct, impervious to magic, and only grows in a few places outside the Agatean Empire, generally on sites of very old magic). It can produce hundreds of little legs protruding from its underside and can move very fast if the need arises. It has been described as "half suitcase, half homicidal maniac" Its function is to act as both a luggage carrier and bodyguard for its owner, against whom no threatening motion should be made. The Luggage is fiercely defensive of its owner, and is generally homicidal in nature, killing or eating several people and monsters and destroying various ships, walls, doors, geographic features, and other obstacles throughout the series. Its mouth contains "lots of big square teeth, white as sycamore, and a pulsating tongue, red as mahogany." The inside area of The Luggage does not appear to be constrained by its external dimensions, and contains many conveniences: even when it has just devoured a monster, the next time it opens the owner will find his underwear, neatly pressed and smelling slightly of lavender. One of the most notable features of The Luggage is its ability to follow its current owner anywhere, including such places as inside its owner's mind, off the edge of the Disc, Death's Domain, inside the Octavo, the Dungeon Dimensions, and even (literally) to Hell and back. Like all luggage, it's constantly getting lost and having to track its owner down. It has only one way of overcoming obstacles, and that is by simply ignoring them and smashing a hole through them — including a wall to a magic shop that had since relocated to another city by magical means.
Dear Virginia......... http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/
If you have the time take Eurostar from London to Paris at 180mph, takes a little over two hours, Phil
Glad I dont live in the land of the free. Article from the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/8345341.stm
I had Friday 13 for two days in a row. Fiji to Hawaii.
If you want to see real museums go to Europe. The US has been around only a very short time. Londons museums are huge. You will need a week to skim each one. La Louvre in Paris is on many floors, and each wing is well in excess of a mile. Museums in Europe have stuff going back millenia, not just 200 years or so.
Bear in mind the Europeans helped themselves to other countries treasures in days of empire. Even European cities go back in many cases to Roman times.
Just suggesting that the world is not just the US.
Phil
1. House prices and property keep on rising. If you buy a house now you can sell it next year for say 15% more. Gear up, buy and then let out your property to make even more money. Look at all the TV proggys on making money from houses to prove this point. Whatever price you pay is not an issue. Borrow at 7 times your earnings and 125% of the said value of the property is no problem. Fill your boots and make a ton of money, guaranteed. No risk.
(Don't listed to those old type bank managers who were so unhelpful and whom banks fired years ago in favour of salesmen selling whatever they could. They knew nothing).
If in the unlikely event someone could not pay their mortgage (very rare event) the property would absolutely be worth more than their mortgage arrears. Even better sell the loans to some other sucker. No risk here.
2. As you all know interest rates are undeniably under control and will never significantly rise as our central banks are such clever chaps (and chapesses) and have everything under control. So we will see a low interest rate environment for many years, so no risk here.
3. Inflation is absolutely under control and will never get out of hand, again thanks to the geniuses managing our economy. So no worries here.
4. Gearing is good and isn't risky, if you are really clever. Gear up as much as you want and to make even more money at little risk. Better still borrow in say Yen at very low rates. The Yen will never rise against the $/£ to any degree, so no risk here.
5. Banks and bankers are very clever people and know what they are doing. Look at their pay and bonus packages to see how astute they are. Shareholders would never allow incompetents to have such large pay packages if they were not undoubtedly geniuses. With the bankers at the helm nothing can go wrong, obviously. No risk here.
Risk Calcs = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 = naff all risk so fill your boots.
What could possibly go wrong?
Its easy to be invisible and painful to proove.
Get on two wheels, powered or unpowered, ride in traffic and sooner rather than later you will find yourself splatered on the road or otherwise taken out.
Once off the bike and injured the response is always the same. Sorry mate didnt see you.
Nuff said.
Since the US became a Crown Dependency (except for Utah) the following apply (extracts): 1. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium." Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour', skipping the letter U' is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters. You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee') and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise." You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra'. Edinburgh. You are welcome to respell Pittsburg as 'Pittsberg' if you can't cope with correct pronunciation. Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary." Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up "interspersed." There will be no more 'bleeps' in the Jerry Springer show. If you're not old enough to cope with bad language then you shouldn't have chat shows. When you learn to develop your vocabulary then you won't have to use bad language as often. 2. There is no such thing as "US English." We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of "-ize."
The idea of a point car is superb, and self financing and maybe a profit centtre for Indian Railways. Consider a "point car" as a no-expense-spared levitating vehicle with AI and a battery of gizmos to help in the safety of the train. Scenario 1 - "Point Car" sees a truck on the track potentially causing a derailment. "Point Car" (PC) hails truck driver, "Clear the track"....."Clear the track please truck"....."Truck clear the track" PC drwas blaster and "BLAM", no more truck on the track. Scenario 2 - PC finds a cow laying down on the track. PC hails cow, "Move on cow".... "Shift lady"......"Get away girl". If no response PC draws prodding stick, not a blaster as cows are sacred. Scenario 3 - Man evily laughing next to screaming girl tied onto the track ahead of the train. PC blasts evil man and draws camera to record screaming girlie with pay-per-view access streamed to the world. Voting to decide whether girlie is freed by the PC or not (to vote online costs money, hence revenue for Indian Railways) Every quarter Indian Railways can release videos of action on the line to finance the cost of the PC such as More Trucks on the Line, More Screaming Girlies etc. Think its an excellent idea and should be put into effect immediately, Phil (just been called back to my padded cell....)