Internet access has proven to be problematic in the Middle East. Fortunately, I was able to hop on here at the "internet center" at the hotel we are staying at in Cairo.
To fill in, we spent several days in Jerusalem seeing the sites and trying not to loose anyone. We were successful at both.
Jerusalem is as beautiful as I remember it, and I still love the city. They are building like crazy there, but the Old City is as timeless as ever.
I think I am close to 3,000 pictures now. I love having a digital camera because I can capture anything that catches my interest. It has been great taking pictures of the sites, but also the city and the people.
We are now in Cairo. It too is just as I remember it: hot, loud, and dirty. At least this time we are staying in high end hotels. We will be here until 5:00am tomorrow, when we will fly to Luxor to catch a boat that will take us up the Nile, ending in Aswan (I think. Yesterday I thought we were doing the opposite - going to Aswan and floating to Luxor). The boat is supposed to be 5 star, so we will see.
Today we are going to see the pyramids, then relax and rest. We got in at 4 this morning, so Dr. House and I are a little tired.
I might try posting again, though it might have been a fluke that I was able to use the internet this morning.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Second Post from Israel
I am far more busy than I thought I would be, and internet access is a problem.
I thought Israel was ahead of America in terms of internet, but it is not. Hotels still charge by the hour for it.
Anyway, it is late, bjut I am having a great time. We made it to Jerusalem today!
When I get home I will post pictures of the trip. I have taken well over 1000 so far!
More later.
I thought Israel was ahead of America in terms of internet, but it is not. Hotels still charge by the hour for it.
Anyway, it is late, bjut I am having a great time. We made it to Jerusalem today!
When I get home I will post pictures of the trip. I have taken well over 1000 so far!
More later.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Post from Israel #1
I made it alive!
We finally got unlimited internet, so I am going to update everyone.
We flew into Tel Aviv yesterday evening and checked into a hotel on the Mediterranean.
This morning we left Tel Aviv and visited Ceasarea Maritania, Mt. Carmel, Megiddo, and Sepphoris before heading down to the Sea of Galilee at Tiberias.
Having lived here for a semester, seeing sites for whole days, it is a bit disconcerting the pace at which we must travel. For example, at IBEX we saw Ceasarea and Mt. Carmel in one whole day.
I am having a great time taking pictures, videotaping and generally "gopering" for Dr. House. (This is mostly for Bill - I bought a LowePro Primus for the trip, and it is awesome. I took it as a carry-on because I was not about to check my D50. If you are looking for a day pack that also carries a camera, I highly reccomend it).
The weather is in the 90's but breezy, and very hazy. When we were on Carmel you could barely see across the plain toward Nazareth.
I have to go, but I'll post more as I have time.
We finally got unlimited internet, so I am going to update everyone.
We flew into Tel Aviv yesterday evening and checked into a hotel on the Mediterranean.
This morning we left Tel Aviv and visited Ceasarea Maritania, Mt. Carmel, Megiddo, and Sepphoris before heading down to the Sea of Galilee at Tiberias.
Having lived here for a semester, seeing sites for whole days, it is a bit disconcerting the pace at which we must travel. For example, at IBEX we saw Ceasarea and Mt. Carmel in one whole day.
I am having a great time taking pictures, videotaping and generally "gopering" for Dr. House. (This is mostly for Bill - I bought a LowePro Primus for the trip, and it is awesome. I took it as a carry-on because I was not about to check my D50. If you are looking for a day pack that also carries a camera, I highly reccomend it).
The weather is in the 90's but breezy, and very hazy. When we were on Carmel you could barely see across the plain toward Nazareth.
I have to go, but I'll post more as I have time.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Off to Israel!
Well, for those who don't know, I am leaving for Israel and Egypt for 3 weeks. I don't know how much I will be able to post or email, but I'll try.
I will post things when I get back.
Oh, and I double checked the settings. Anyone should be able to post comments here.
Take care all.
I will post things when I get back.
Oh, and I double checked the settings. Anyone should be able to post comments here.
Take care all.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
A friend sent this e-mail they got the other day. How dumb do they think we are?
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ATM CARD OFFICE <engel_john_diane@charter.net>
Date: Sat, May 10, 2008 at 7:10 AM
Subject: To: SENATE COMMITEE ON APPROPRIATIONAND FINANCE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OFNIGERIA.NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLEXTHREE ARMS ZONE P.M.B 141ABUJA NIGERIA
ATTENTION:HONOURABLE BENEFICIARY,THIS IS TO OFFICIALLY INFORM YOUTHAT WE HAVE VERIFIED YOUR CONTRACT /INHERITANCE FILE AND FOUND OUTTHAT WHY YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR PAYMENT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOTFUFILLED THE OBLIGATIONS GIVEN TO YOU IN RESPECT OF YOURCONTRACT/INHERITANCE PAYMENT.SECONDLY WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT YOUARE STILL DEALING WITH THE NONE OFFICIALS IN THE BANK ALL YOURATTEMPT TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF THE FUND TO YOU. WE WISH TO ADVISEYOU THAT SUCH AN ILLEGAL ACT LIKE THIS HAVE TO STOP IF YOU WISHES TORECEIVE YOUR PAYMENT SINCE WE HAVE DECIDED TO BRING A SOLUTION TOYOUR PROBLEM. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ARRANGED YOUR PAYMENT THROUGH OURSWIFT CARD PAYMENT CENTER ASIA PACIFIC, THAT IS THE LATESTINSTRUCTION FROM MR. PRESIDENT,CHIEF MUSA YARADUA (GCFR) FEDERALREPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.HOWEVER, KINDLY FIND BELOW THE CONTACT PERSON: DR. EZE AYOGU, Email:atmcardremitt04@live.comPhone:+2348054333073YOU ARE TO SEND US YOUR FULL CONTACT INFORMATIOM such as; 1. FULL NAME2. PHONE AND FAX NUMBER3. ADDRESS WERE YOU WANT THEM TO SEND THE ATM CARD TO(P.O BOX NOTACCEPTABLE)4. YOUR AGE AND CURRENT OCCUPATIONPAYMENT DEPARTMENT EMAIL: THE ATM CARDPAYMENT CENTER HAS BEEN MANDATED TO ISSUE OUT $5,500,000.00 AS PARTPAYMENT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR 2008.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ATM CARD OFFICE <engel_john_diane@charter.net>
Date: Sat, May 10, 2008 at 7:10 AM
Subject: To: SENATE COMMITEE ON APPROPRIATIONAND FINANCE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OFNIGERIA.NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLEXTHREE ARMS ZONE P.M.B 141ABUJA NIGERIA
ATTENTION:HONOURABLE BENEFICIARY,THIS IS TO OFFICIALLY INFORM YOUTHAT WE HAVE VERIFIED YOUR CONTRACT /INHERITANCE FILE AND FOUND OUTTHAT WHY YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR PAYMENT IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOTFUFILLED THE OBLIGATIONS GIVEN TO YOU IN RESPECT OF YOURCONTRACT/INHERITANCE PAYMENT.SECONDLY WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT YOUARE STILL DEALING WITH THE NONE OFFICIALS IN THE BANK ALL YOURATTEMPT TO SECURE THE RELEASE OF THE FUND TO YOU. WE WISH TO ADVISEYOU THAT SUCH AN ILLEGAL ACT LIKE THIS HAVE TO STOP IF YOU WISHES TORECEIVE YOUR PAYMENT SINCE WE HAVE DECIDED TO BRING A SOLUTION TOYOUR PROBLEM. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ARRANGED YOUR PAYMENT THROUGH OURSWIFT CARD PAYMENT CENTER ASIA PACIFIC, THAT IS THE LATESTINSTRUCTION FROM MR. PRESIDENT,CHIEF MUSA YARADUA (GCFR) FEDERALREPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.HOWEVER, KINDLY FIND BELOW THE CONTACT PERSON: DR. EZE AYOGU, Email:atmcardremitt04@live.comPhone:+2348054333073YOU ARE TO SEND US YOUR FULL CONTACT INFORMATIOM such as; 1. FULL NAME2. PHONE AND FAX NUMBER3. ADDRESS WERE YOU WANT THEM TO SEND THE ATM CARD TO(P.O BOX NOTACCEPTABLE)4. YOUR AGE AND CURRENT OCCUPATIONPAYMENT DEPARTMENT EMAIL: THE ATM CARDPAYMENT CENTER HAS BEEN MANDATED TO ISSUE OUT $5,500,000.00 AS PARTPAYMENT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR 2008.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Sunday, April 20, 2008
I was sent this in an email. Not sure who the credit goes to, but I have modefied it to more accurately reflect the current state of things, and what might happen if certain persons are elected to lead our country.
Bar Stool Economics
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100.
If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The 1st four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The 5th would pay $1.
The 6th would pay $3.
The 7th would pay $7.
The 8th would pay $12.
The 9th would pay $18.
The 10th man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that’s what they decided to do. Unfortunately the cost of beer continued to rise. Soon the bill came to $200. The men got together and voted that the 7th through 10th man should pay the extra cost, since they made more money than the 1st through 6th. And besides, they out-voted the other group anyway. They also decided that since the 9th and 10th men made more than all the other men combined, they would pick up the bulk of the extra costs.
So the first 4 still paid nothing for the beer,
the 5th $1,
the 6th $3
7th now would pay $13.72,
the 8th $23.52,
the 9th $37. 24
the 10th man $121.52
The ten men drank in the bar every day, but hard times came, and some of the men in the group couldn't afford to come in every day. The bar, having done very well having this group come in so often felt the effects severly. The owner tried to think of a way to get the men to come in every day again, so he came up with a plan. ‘Since you are all such good customers, he said to the group, ‘I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $40. Drinks for the ten now cost just $160.”
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.
But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $40 windfall so that everyone would get his ‘fair share?’
They realized that $40 divided by six is $6.66. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.
So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill according to his financial status. Since it was harder for the men in the middle incomes to make ends meet, they would get the biggest reduction, and so he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
He proposed:
The 5th man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings - he lost his job, so could no longer pay).
The 6th now paid $2.40 instead of $3 (20% savings).
The 7th now paid $10.88 instead of $13.72 (20.6% savings).
The 8th now paid $18.72 instead of $23.52 (20.4% savings).
The 9th now paid $29.76 instead of $37.24 (20% savings).
The 10th now paid $98.08 instead of $121.52(19% savings).
The men began to compare their projected savings.
‘I'll only get 66 cents out of the $40,’ declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,’ but he'll get $23!’
‘Yeah, that’s right,’ exclaimed the fifth man. ‘I'll only save a dollar. It’s unfair that he gets twenty times more than I!’
‘That’s true!!’ shouted the seventh man. ‘Why should he get $23 back when I get only three? The wealthy get all the breaks!’
‘Wait a minute,’ yelled the first four men in unison. ‘We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!’
The nine men shouted to the bartender, "It's not fair that the rich man gets so much more than all of us. If you do this, we'll never come back to this bar!
So the bartender thought some more, and came up with another plan.
The bill would still cost $200, but he would give each man a rebate for thier beers. To be "fair" (placate the poorer men) he would distribute the $40 dollars they would have saved to the nine lower-class men, according to thier need. So:
The 1st through 5th men got back $6.89
The 6th and 7th men got back $2.22
The 8th and 9th got $.55
The 5 poorest men decided they liked the plan, and convinced the 6th and 7th that it was only fair that they receive less, so they voted 7 to 3 for the new plan, and each received his rebate from the bar. As the bartender handed out the cash he said, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need!" Since the poorest men not only could not afford beer, but also dinner, the bar tender paid for thier meals as well.
The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, but the nine sat down and had beers and meals without him. When it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important.They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill, even with the free food. So they convinced the bartender to write up a tab for them. The next night the nine came in and put thier bill on thier tab again. Soon, the men had run up a huge bill. The bartender warned that the men would have to pay or he would go out of business. Not having the cash, the men refused, so the bartender sold his business to a Chinese man, but was hired as an employee.
No sooner had the bartender been hired that the men pleaded with him to let them drink $200 worth of beer, but only pay whatever they had on them. The tough times had continued, and it was beginning to wear on the men. The bartender agreed. But he felt so bad for the men that he also continued to spot them thier dinners. After the men left, he balanced the till with his own money. This continued night after night until even the bartender was broke. He went to his Chinese boss and got an advance on his own salary. But even this wasn't enough. So he convinced his boss to give him a loan. Soon, the bartender was in deep debt to the Chinese owner of what was once his bar. The Chinese man demanded payment for the loan, and when the bartender couldn't pay, he was arrested. The men came in the next night, expecting to get thier dinner and a beer or two, but were met by a new bartender who promptly kicked them out of the bar.
Enjoy that "rebate" check that's coming...unless you make over 75,000. In which case, tough luck.
Bar Stool Economics
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100.
If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The 1st four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The 5th would pay $1.
The 6th would pay $3.
The 7th would pay $7.
The 8th would pay $12.
The 9th would pay $18.
The 10th man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that’s what they decided to do. Unfortunately the cost of beer continued to rise. Soon the bill came to $200. The men got together and voted that the 7th through 10th man should pay the extra cost, since they made more money than the 1st through 6th. And besides, they out-voted the other group anyway. They also decided that since the 9th and 10th men made more than all the other men combined, they would pick up the bulk of the extra costs.
So the first 4 still paid nothing for the beer,
the 5th $1,
the 6th $3
7th now would pay $13.72,
the 8th $23.52,
the 9th $37. 24
the 10th man $121.52
The ten men drank in the bar every day, but hard times came, and some of the men in the group couldn't afford to come in every day. The bar, having done very well having this group come in so often felt the effects severly. The owner tried to think of a way to get the men to come in every day again, so he came up with a plan. ‘Since you are all such good customers, he said to the group, ‘I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $40. Drinks for the ten now cost just $160.”
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.
But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $40 windfall so that everyone would get his ‘fair share?’
They realized that $40 divided by six is $6.66. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.
So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill according to his financial status. Since it was harder for the men in the middle incomes to make ends meet, they would get the biggest reduction, and so he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
He proposed:
The 5th man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings - he lost his job, so could no longer pay).
The 6th now paid $2.40 instead of $3 (20% savings).
The 7th now paid $10.88 instead of $13.72 (20.6% savings).
The 8th now paid $18.72 instead of $23.52 (20.4% savings).
The 9th now paid $29.76 instead of $37.24 (20% savings).
The 10th now paid $98.08 instead of $121.52(19% savings).
The men began to compare their projected savings.
‘I'll only get 66 cents out of the $40,’ declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,’ but he'll get $23!’
‘Yeah, that’s right,’ exclaimed the fifth man. ‘I'll only save a dollar. It’s unfair that he gets twenty times more than I!’
‘That’s true!!’ shouted the seventh man. ‘Why should he get $23 back when I get only three? The wealthy get all the breaks!’
‘Wait a minute,’ yelled the first four men in unison. ‘We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!’
The nine men shouted to the bartender, "It's not fair that the rich man gets so much more than all of us. If you do this, we'll never come back to this bar!
So the bartender thought some more, and came up with another plan.
The bill would still cost $200, but he would give each man a rebate for thier beers. To be "fair" (placate the poorer men) he would distribute the $40 dollars they would have saved to the nine lower-class men, according to thier need. So:
The 1st through 5th men got back $6.89
The 6th and 7th men got back $2.22
The 8th and 9th got $.55
The 5 poorest men decided they liked the plan, and convinced the 6th and 7th that it was only fair that they receive less, so they voted 7 to 3 for the new plan, and each received his rebate from the bar. As the bartender handed out the cash he said, "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need!" Since the poorest men not only could not afford beer, but also dinner, the bar tender paid for thier meals as well.
The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, but the nine sat down and had beers and meals without him. When it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important.They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill, even with the free food. So they convinced the bartender to write up a tab for them. The next night the nine came in and put thier bill on thier tab again. Soon, the men had run up a huge bill. The bartender warned that the men would have to pay or he would go out of business. Not having the cash, the men refused, so the bartender sold his business to a Chinese man, but was hired as an employee.
No sooner had the bartender been hired that the men pleaded with him to let them drink $200 worth of beer, but only pay whatever they had on them. The tough times had continued, and it was beginning to wear on the men. The bartender agreed. But he felt so bad for the men that he also continued to spot them thier dinners. After the men left, he balanced the till with his own money. This continued night after night until even the bartender was broke. He went to his Chinese boss and got an advance on his own salary. But even this wasn't enough. So he convinced his boss to give him a loan. Soon, the bartender was in deep debt to the Chinese owner of what was once his bar. The Chinese man demanded payment for the loan, and when the bartender couldn't pay, he was arrested. The men came in the next night, expecting to get thier dinner and a beer or two, but were met by a new bartender who promptly kicked them out of the bar.
Enjoy that "rebate" check that's coming...unless you make over 75,000. In which case, tough luck.
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