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This morning while going into CBD on nicoll highway, at that very famous bridge, spanning from promenade MRT to concourse, got white ants on ops... becos their van parked at the reserved bay. as i inched forward, i saw opposite cars zooming... some very obviously over the 70kph limit how to warn them of the impending danger? i tried to flash highbeam, but opposite cannot see clearly. instead the one in front of me thought i got bad intention. - about 15min later while heading in the same road in the opposite direction, i saw the white ant hiding behind the pillar. he was hard to spot from far, really. i tried to maintain my speed at about 65kph, and wind down window and waving my hands, even sounding the horns... but others thought i road-hogger and crazy.... some overtake and zoom past me, maybe kena neoprinted. one of the taxi jam the brakes near the bridge when he/she realised got white ant... dont know kena or not feeling uneasy, i know i definitely didnt get snapped, but the others...

To all car buyers, if the prediction comes true, waiting for the COE to plunge is within the year of Snake. Be patience and the carrot is near

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/sugar-dumb-us-sci...-190918147.html Eating too much sugar can eat away at your brainpower, according to US scientists who published a study Tuesday showing how a steady diet of high-fructose corn syrup sapped lab rats' memories. Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) fed two groups of rats a solution containing high-fructose corn syrup -- a common ingredient in processed foods -- as drinking water for six weeks. One group of rats was supplemented with brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while the other group was not. Before the sugar drinks began, the rats were enrolled in a five-day training session in a complicated maze. After six weeks on the sweet solution, the rats were then placed back in the maze to see how they fared. "The DHA-deprived animals were slower, and their brains showed a decline in synaptic activity," said Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Their brain cells had trouble signaling each other, disrupting the rats' ability to think clearly and recall the route they'd learned six weeks earlier." A closer look at the rat brains revealed that those who were not fed DHA supplements had also developed signs of resistance to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar and regulates brain function. "Because insulin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss," Gomez-Pinilla said. In other words, eating too much fructose could interfere with insulin's ability to regulate how cells use and store sugar, which is necessary for processing thoughts and emotions. "Insulin is important in the body for controlling blood sugar, but it may play a different role in the brain, where insulin appears to disturb memory and learning," Gomez-Pinilla said. "Our study shows that a high-fructose diet harms the brain as well as the body. This is something new." High-fructose corn syrup is commonly found in soda, condiments, applesauce, baby food and other processed snacks. The average American consumes more than 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of high-fructose corn syrup per year, according to the US Department of Agriculture. While the study did not say what the equivalent might be for a human to consume as much high-fructose corn syrup as the rats did, researchers said it provides some evidence that metabolic syndrome can affect the mind as well as the body. "Our findings illustrate that what you eat affects how you think," said Gomez-Pinilla. "Eating a high-fructose diet over the long term alters your brain's ability to learn and remember information. But adding omega-3 fatty acids to your meals can help minimize the damage." The study appeared in the Journal of Physiology.

A married man was visiting his girlfriend one day, when she requested that he shave his beard. "Oh James, I like your beard, but I would really love to see your handsome face." James replied, "My wife loves this beard, I couldn't possibly do it. She would kill me!" "Oh, please?" the girlfriend asked again, in a sexy little voice. "Oh really, I can't," he replied. "My wife loves this beard!" The girlfriend asked once more, and he sighed and finally gave in. That night, James crawled into bed with his wife while she was sleeping. The wife woke up somewhat, felt his face and replied "Oh, Michael, you shouldn't be here. My husband will be home soon!"

How to inform them? If at the junction, would stop beside them and tell them. But when moving in expressway ? I tried switching off and on my headlight to alert him, instead he switch another lane. He thought I would want to overtake.

Saw a car with a half-inflated tyre on TPE, was trying to alert the driver. Try to drive next to the car but traffic forbid me. When I finally get beside the car, the driver wasn't looking my way. Thinking of tapping my horn but thought he might think I jio him. Even if he turn his head, I wouldn't know what hand signal to show him. Finally due to traffic condition, I end up far ahead and lost him. Come to think about it, what is the most effective way of alerting another driver on the road?

http://summonauntie.com.sg/ The Idea Behind Summon Auntie App! The idea's real simple, it came about when we were just getting too many parking summons. You know how sometimes we really just parked for less than 10 minutes or when our coupons do run out. How does Summon Auntie Work? You simply lock your vehicle's location, and wait. If another user spots and alerts our system of a Summon Auntie near your parked vehicle, a notification is sent to you. IMMEDIATELY run or fly to your vehicle, every minute counts because Summon Aunties will say "Sorry hor, I cannot cancel one"

Hi all, Wanna find out how do you guys warn the cars infront of you if it is obstructing you (cutting in slowly, drive too slowly and etc)? Do you high beam to get their attention, blast your horn or you use both? Or give up and stay behind until the traffic is cleared? Regards,

Wifey was in driving off car when a van stop beside her n a AhBeng in uniform signal her to stop n wind down windscreen, Ah beng ask my wife for help n ask her if she have a moment to spare, wifey come down n they ask her if she can take their goods-some speakers into our car, wife say dun wan but Ah beng say they really can't bring this speaker back to their office or they will be in trouble, They told wifey that these speaker cost $2999 n show her a mag wth the picture of the speaker, wifey say no need but they block her n refuse to let her get back into her car n beg her to help them, n ask for some "beer money" $800... wifey knows something is fishy but as she is all alone n worried that they turn violent, she told them only have $50, they ask if she have ATM card to draw more money, as wifey is rushing for time n these r 3 ah bengs corner her she no choice but relent, she brought the speakers fr them.... it is actually a low-end speaking selling at a mid-range speaker price.... In future if any forumer saw this van stop beside u n ask u for help to take their speaker n ask for coffee money, just drive off immediately, don't entertain them...it is a scam!! btw, the van no. is GW 5884 A but the alphabet may be wrong... anyway this van is not white but green/blue colour; May refer to this site for more info...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_van_speaker_scam it is a long time scam but many pple is still fallen for it, n they seem pretty aggressive recently.

If you are not aware do be careful. Last week, I drove into the Malayan rail station at Tangjong Pagar but decided to drive out immediately. By driving around a loop, the attendance charge me $1! This is much more expensive than any other CBD car park where you get a 10 mins grace period. Luckily they will close soon, it is day light robbery. Try not to park there.

Errrr...... beside my avarta, there is this wording "warn (0%)" and few small squares........ (Only me having it) May I know what I had been warned for ??????

...thanks and good karma to you, for flashing lights to cars opposite side of road to warn them about TP on bridge this morning. i slowed down and the TP I saw is the hiding sort, out to fine people... different from those TP who i know is just doing their job but they very good heart, stand openly in hot sun to warn drivers to slow down by their presence. actually, i find that drivers in msia more often flash lights to warn of tp than in sg. but my personal experience, cannot quantify.

Hi all, More new features have been added. 1) Warn Level Now you can see what is your warn level. Warn level will reflect the number of times you have violated the forum guidelines. When your warn level hits 100%, you will be banned. Note that you can only see your own warn level. 2) Online/Offline icon Now you can see if a user is online or offline from their forum post.

Don't turn elections into auctions S'pore not immune to populist calls to spend more, says PM Lee, on need to protect reserves By Jeremy Au Yong WHEN politicians bid to outdo one another with more and more goodies for voters, expect trouble in paradise. That was the message from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday when he cited Norway and Australia to make a case for protecting Singapore's reserves. In both countries, he said, the populist call for government handouts had coloured local politics. In Australia, the war between its two main political parties prompted newspapers to introduce a 'pork-o-meter' to track the race to offer voters more and more goodies during the last election. In Norway, the clamour was for more money to be taken from a reserve fund meant for the future. Newsweek magazine, in describing the situation, headlined it Trouble In Paradise. Yesterday, PM Lee gave an extensive account of what went on in both countries when he spoke during the debate to amend the Constitution to allow the Government to tap more of the returns from investing the country's reserves. In Norway, the saga began with the discovery of oil in the 1970s. It became rich. In 1990, it started a Petroleum Fund, into which was channelled the sales proceeds from its oil and gas. The reason: It did not want to be left with nothing when the oil wells dried up. Today, the fund has an estimated US$350 billion (S$519 billion). 'Even Norway, famously prudent, with conservative, hard-working, frugal people, finds it difficult to resist a populist push - spend just a little more.' In 2001, Norway's government included some of the fund's money in its budget. Parliament capped the sum at 4 per cent of the value of the fund. 'But once they had set the rules, they broke the rules,' Mr Lee noted. The Norwegian government exceeded the 4 per cent limit from 2002 to 2005, arguing the economy was not doing well and it was thus necessary to spend more. In 2005, they renamed the fund the Government Pension Fund - Global, to remind Norwegians that the money was not to be touched. Spending slipped below the 4 per cent ceiling in 2006 and last year, and that is because oil prices soared. Still, some Norwegians clamoured for more. Said Mr Lee, referring to Newsweek's story: 'This is a country which had everything - oil, gas, welfare state, womb to tomb, all provided for - but still there is an opposition party arguing you should pump more oil and have more profits, improved services and lower taxes. So there is no way you can avoid these pressures.' Elections are due in Norway by next year. 'Then, we will see whether the majority of Norwegians continue to uphold the principle of saving for the future,' Mr Lee added. For Australia, the events played out during last year's election. Then-prime minister John Howard announced a A$34 billion (S$34.3 billion) tax package on the first day of the campaign. Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd responded with a A$31 billion package. Mr Lee said: 'So major newspapers in Australia started to keep track of the cost of campaign promises. They called it a pork-o-meter. So as you put in more, the dacing (weighing scale in Malay) goes up.' In the end, Mr Howard's promises hit A$65 billion and Mr Rudd's, A$56 billion. 'Finally, the election was not decided on the pork-o-meter. The people wanted a change...and they chose Kevin Rudd.' In telling these stories, Mr Lee stressed he was not out to criticise others but to show the nature of election politics, to which Singapore was not immune. 'We too, face the reality of election politics. Opposition parties often demand the Government spend more, particularly near election time. They never ask where the money will come from, least of all do they explain where the money for their programmes will come from at election time.' Mr Lee added: 'Therefore, we have to take extra care to safeguard our reserves for the future, to frame the rules to prevent our elections from becoming auctions. Therefore, we need to put in place a system that will subject the Government to tight fiscal discipline regardless of which party is in power.' [email protected] LUP, NSS, GST credits anyone? "buy votes, fix oppositions?" hehehehe seems to me they dont really know what they are saying...

By Juan Lagorio and Bill Rigby NEW YORK (Reuters) - Prudential Financial Inc is the latest major insurer to warn its quarterly profits would miss forecasts, as the shares of rivals were pummeled on concern they would need to raise capital. The second-largest U.S. life insurer said on Thursday that third-quarter profit would be cut sharply by losses on poorly performing annuity and investment products and a charge for a legal settlement. That followed recent profit warnings at U.S. life and property insurer Hartford Financial Services Group Inc and MetLife Inc, the largest life insurer in the United States. The latter sold new shares at a discount on Wednesday to bolster its capital, raising $2 billion, while Hartford earlier this week received a $2.5 billion capital injection from Allianz SE, Europe's biggest insurer. "Insurers made big investments in mortgage-related securities and are also big holders of stocks and bonds in financial firms that have been wiped out or badly damaged by the credit crisis, such as Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual, said Alan Rambaldini, a life insurance analyst at investment research firm Morningstar. "On top of that, bigger life insurers like Prudential get fees on the size of stock investments behind annuity products they sell to customers, which will drop sharply as the broader market plummets," he said. 'TRADING ON FEAR' Among other life insurers, Lincoln National Corp, fell 35 percent to $18.31, Principal Financial Group Inc lost 27 percent to $15.79 a share and Unum Group fell 30 percent to $14.77. Life insurance, as measured by the sectoral S&P Life & Health Insurance index, was down 17 percent, making it the second-worst performing sector after automakers. Even beyond life, XL Capital Inc, a large Bermuda-based reinsurer, fell 54 percent to $4.01. "The group (insurers) are trading on fear right now," said Bret Howlett, Standard & Poor's life insurance analyst. "A lot of investors are worried about capital positions in this unfavorable operating environment. "People are worried about whether these companies are going to need to raise additional capital. In this environment, it's going to be difficult to raise that capital." American International Group Inc shares fell 25 percent to $2.39, one day after the company said it would get more liquidity from the government. AIG, once the world's largest insurer, got an $85 billion loan from the government three weeks ago when it was on the brink of collapse. Under the new plan, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York will take up to $37.8 billion in investment-grade, fixed-income securities from AIG in exchange for cash. "The government has effectively provided them support for $110 billion. I think they have exhausted that avenue and so I think as they move forward their options have diminished," said Keith Wirtz, president and chief investment officer of Fifth Third Asset Management. UNDER PRESSURE Citing market volatility and extraordinary events affecting financial markets, Prudential has suspended all purchases of its own stock. It said it has liquidity to meet requirements at the parent company and at all operating subsidiaries and, unless it enters into any strategic deals, its need to access the capital markets before the end of the year would be modest. "We are comfortable with our risk profile and believe that we are in a strong position to manage through the current environment," said Prudential Chief Executive John Strangfeld, in a statement. Prudential did not say when it would report third-quarter earnings. Insurers have been under pressure to keep solid capital positions to maintain their ratings after their investments lost value as financial markets sank in recent weeks. Keeping high ratings is essential for insurers because lower ratings can mean higher costs and, in some cases, even a loss of business. (Editing by Toni Reinhold and Andre Grenon)

http://www.chinacartimes.com/category/brilliance-china-auto/ BS6 from Briilance Auto, ZhongGuo, 1 * for front impact [/url] http://www.chinacartimes.com/2007/03/29/br...-pics-part-two/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F06LjugtIUo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9RbZyrJQ4g

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/28/reveale...fxx-evoluzione/