No sex, please — we’re Singaporean!

You’re not allowed to actually have sex in Singapore Airlines’ A380 double-bed suite. If you do they might want to cane you! But seriously, who the hell is going to pay $14,000 for an 8-hour flight and accept being treated like a teenager visiting his grandmother? It’s not even like the facilities are all that impressive, according to the one passenger to have tried it so far. What IS the point of the double bed then?

Canadian Car Prices File: an Update

This article is off to bigger and better things here: http://ambitiousbutrubbish.com/2007/10/canadian-car-prices-file-an-update/

Responses obtained from car-makers

This entry has moved off to http://ambitiousbutrubbish.com/responses-obtained-from-car-makers/.

Travel pics

I’ve added another photo album to my Facebook account as each album can only contain 60 photos. To see the newest pics click here.

Travel blog

Well, I thought I’d have more time to write a sort of “travel diary”, but my days are pretty packed here in China so I’ve decided to keep most of it for later.

Pictures of my trip so far (I add pictures more or less regularly, as the internet connection here is rather unsteady) can be seen at Facebook.

Essential Shanghai vocabulary: ‘Bu yao’ and ‘zho ba’.

Those who think of China as having the austerity that comes with traditional communism should come to Shanghai. Capitalism thrives here at a level of which even a place like New York can only envy. And to be honest it’s driving me a little nuts. Continue reading “Essential Shanghai vocabulary: ‘Bu yao’ and ‘zho ba’.”

‘Punctuality is one of the cardinal business virtues: always insist on it in your subordinates.’

Texas death row inmate denied final appeal because the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals office closes at 5. The state then went on to execute the prisoner as scheduled. I do hope the people at the Appeals office did not let their dinners get cold that night!

‘And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?’ (Luke 6:41)

The most horrifying X-ray pictures you’re going to see today (unless you’re a trauma surgeon). A Melbourne kid got into a fight outside a club, which resulted in him getting a chair leg stuck through his eye socket. Not only is he still alive today, he even has 95% vision back in the affected eye, which is pretty amazing.

‘The peasants are revolting!’ ‘That’s right, they stink on ice.’

Automakers face $2 Billion class-action lawsuit over Canadian price discrepancies. Given that prices have been so out of range for so long it’s pratically surprising to see this sort of action being taken now. In pratical terms, I really doubt that this will be successful. I don’t think it’s based on solid law, unless the lawyers try and establish collusion between the automakers.

Blog

Well, there seems to be interest in the Canadian car pricing story! It was picked up by Autoblog on Sunday (hello, Autoblog readers!). I’ve actually received some feedback from carmakers, so part 2 of the story is coming soon.