4 replies to this topic

[OldNeo]

Well I tried to introduce my self earlier - and failed with honours. So without hesitation I would like to say Hi Everybody I'm OldNeo and I hope to make your aquaintance real soon.

[Dragon Warrior]

Hello there and welcome to Lair of the Dragon.. Come in and enjoy!

[Dragon Slayer]

Welcome aboard oldneo.

[feifan]

The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched（草盖的）roof cottages around a church; a drive through a narrow village street lines with thatched cottages painted pink or white; the sight in parts of England.Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.

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　　Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts practiced in the British Isles（英论诸岛）. Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too.　　
　　Thatching is a solitary（独自的）craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practiced toady has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, maintaining and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Manyproperty owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.

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　　In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often reluctant to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to import the necessary materials.Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months.Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heatThe researcher organized an experimental tournament（锦标赛）involving four youth teams. Each match lasted an hour， divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge.

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Observers noted down the referees’ errors， of which there were 61 over the tournament. Converted to a standard match of 90 minutes， each referee made almost 23 mistakes， a remarkably high number.

The researcher then studied the videotapes to analyse the matches in detail. Surprisingly， he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident. When the officials got it right，http://www.2moons-dil.org, they were， on average， 17 meters away from the action. The average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters. The research shows the optimum（最佳的）distance is about 20 meters.http://www.replicawatchesweb.com,

There also seemed to be an optimum speed. Correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second. The average speed for errors was 4 meters per second.

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If FIFA， football’s international ruling body，wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next World Cup， it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance， rather than rushing to keep up with the ball， the researcher argues.

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He also says that FIFA’s insistence that referees should retire at age 45 may be misguided. If keeping up with the action is not so important， their physical condition is less critical.

Thatching is a solitarycraft,

[Ljunki]

Rich people spend how much would be satisfied?

For the wealthy, 2007 was the year that bigger was better -- from yachts and incomes to personal staff and art collections.

In 2008, the rich are likely to be uttering a new mantra -- downsizing. (http://www.lowxx.com...us-wow-gold.asp)

The fallout from the debt-market crisis, along with growing concerns about inequality and the environment, are likely to usher in a year of moderation for the rich. Don't worry: Conspicuous consumption won't disappear.

Yet the recent surge in the population of millionaires and billionaires is likely to slow, at least in the near term. Buzzwords like 'mass luxury' and 'exclusive' are likely to be replaced by terms like 'authenticity' and 'sustainability.' In 2008, the rich will strive to be more down to earth, even as they take off in their new G550 private jets.

'I think there is increased anxiety among the wealthy,' says Peter White, a New York-based counselor to rich families. 'But I also think there is a greater understanding of the interconnectedness of things, that what they do in their individual lives can have broader implications.'

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Here are some of the most likely trends among the super-rich for 2008.

Conventional wisdom today says the wealthy are exempt from the forces of economic gravity. Luxury real-estate sales are booming, say real-estate agents, even as the rest of the housing market craters. Neiman Marcus is outshining Wal-Mart. The rich will continue to spend, we're told, because they're receiving the lion's share of the nation's wealth and income growth.

This has held true -- so far. The rich (especially the super-wealthy) will fare better than the broader consumer, since they have more of a financial cushion. Yet because so much of today's wealth is tied to financial markets, the wealthy will feel the effects of any dramatic decline in stock markets, hedge funds and private equity. One key issue: Mergers and acquisitions -- the main drivers of big wealth -- could die down with tighter credit.

The rich have also been funding their lifestyles with debt -- from art loans and jumbo mortgages to jet financing. So if credit contracts further, high-end spending also will shrink.

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Gregory D. Curtis, chairman of Greycourt & Co., a Pittsburgh-based wealth-advisory firm, says he knows several wealthy families who already have been burned by investments linked to subprime lending. 'The wealthy may have a bigger cushion between themselves and the wolf at the door,' he says. 'But they're not immune.'

The runaway prices for art, wine, vintage cars and other collectibles are sure to slow next year. The bubble may not pop, per se, since there is so much demand from the newly rich in China, Russia, the Middle East and Latin America. And so far, prices of collectibles have held firm. Yet the markets have become so overrun with financial speculators -- with art becoming the new 'non-correlated asset' and wine becoming the ultimate liquidity event -- that there's bound to be a correction. Look for price drops of 10% or more for some of the secondary artists and wine makers that rely on American buyers.

Private-jet makers are all touting their new 'green' programs, helping the wealthy ease their consciences about burning 600 gallons of fuel to fly to Florida. Carbon-offset programs will grow in popularity, along with efforts to reduce the number of jets flying empty on return trips.

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Green-friendly homes, or eco-mansions, will also make headlines, oxymoron or not. Look for more solar-powered home theaters, drought-averse (yet expensive) gardens and indoor bowling alleys made from recycled wood chips.

With the presidential election casting a spotlight on inequality, the rich will feel more like targets. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama vow to raise certain taxes on the wealthy and liberal billionaires like Warren Buffett and Bill Gross have said the rich don't pay their share.

Whether it's out of enlightened self-interest or self-preservation, the rich may tilt left in 2008 in an effort to damp the growing populist streak in American politics. As Mr. Gross, who made his money in the bond market, put it in a blog post earlier this year, 'Now is the time, long overdue in fact, to admit that for the rich, for the mega-rich of this country, that enough is never enough, and it is therefore incumbent upon government to rectify today's imbalances.'

Any mere millionaire today can buy a Bentley, Hatteras yacht or Gucci bag. Yet how many people can say they've been to outer space?

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Experience and access are quickly becoming new status symbols for the wealthy. The most prized experiences have an educational or altruistic bent, which help deflect populist criticism. Rather than buying another house or Swiss watch, the rich are trekking with penguins at the South Pole, having lunch with Nelson Mandela in South Africa or visiting a village in Bhutan to help build a school.

The final frontier in conspicuous consumption: space. In the end it's all about quality dinner conversation, and a rare trip aboard the space station will always outshine stories of another yachting trip to Greece.