Rabu, 13 Januari 2010

Realistic LEGO Models of Famous Trucks by Maciej Drwiega



The first time I laid eyes on Maciej Drwiega’s LEGO trucks, I thought they were life-size, that’s how real they look. Of course the photo angle helped a lot, too.

Maciej Drwiega (let’s see you pronounce that) is a big LEGO fan who likes to build replicas of trucks, using the popular bricks. His 1:13 scale creations look as good as the real vehicles and even have detailed interiors and detachable hoods that reveal the engine. How cool is that? I wonder how long it takes the Polish LEGO master to build one of these babies.
















War of sexes through the prism of insurance

The modern Western society is at war, which influences and affects virtually all domains of life and forces people to reconsider traditions, judgments and practices. This is the war of sexes. And if some domains women are left by men behind, when it comes to insuring one's life, the strong sex is clearly losing it, with women going far ahead. But why is that so?

Back in February, the Society of Actuaries has conducted a study concluding that high amounts of testosterone (i.e. the male hormone) lead to more harmful effects on health and behavior, not to mention the overall risk-taking property of this substance, which makes men more prone to undertaking hazardous activities than women. Higher blood pressure and lower immune system activity is the cause of the substantial difference in mortality rates and serious health issues, which are most obvious at the age of 22, when men have the highest amounts of the hormone in their blood.

For a long time the common belief was that women live longer because they are not subjected to serious stress and hazards, traditionally working at home. But with the modern tendencies of women undertaking tasks that are traditionally done by men, researchers have observed that women who are making part of the working force actually have a longer duration of life even compared to those who stay at home.

Another study has analyzed the overall demographic mortality rates in men and women of the same age. As a result, not only men typically live less then women, but they are more likely to suffer from potentially fatal health conditions such as cancer, diabetes, heart diseases, strokes, infections, and other serious health issues. That's why men usually pay more for life insurance then women. Another common threat for both sexes is smoking, which is more prevalent in men (however, today now women tend to smoke a lot too). And comparing the life expectancy of a smoker and non-smoker, the difference is as much as nine years, in favor of the non-smoker of course. That's another factor contributing to higher life insurance rates.

Still, these overall tendencies can be reversed if you take in consideration all of the risks you are prone to and make everything possible to minimize them. If you feel that you are prone to some disease, lower the risk by kicking bad habits, exercising regularly and switching to a healthy lifestyle in general. This will not only improve your overall quality of life but will also lower your life insurance rates substantially. Even if you are a woman, reading this, then you should think about improving your healthy lifestyle too as there's no point in overpaying for insurance just because you have a bad habit like smoking that is hurting you in general.

Remember that lowering your insurance rates is possible, it only takes a few steps towards a healthier way of living your life that will pay off in the long run far beyond simple life insurance costs.

The law changes and, for once, protects employees

Washington likes acronyms when it comes to lawmaking and this new law is no exception. This is the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) and this November sees it finally come into force. Because it affects both employers and the insurance industry, this has been a hard-fought change and was only signed into law last year. Now it should prevent you from obvious discrimination. Sadly, it does not rule out discrimination by backdoor means. If an employer overhears you talking at the water cooler or routinely surveys local news including the obituaries, it is legal to use this information. But, overall, you should find some improvement. It covers two different situations with the same type of result. Firstly, it prohibits employers from asking you to go through a genetic test or making genetic information the basis of deciding whether to hire, promote or fire you. Secondly, it prohibits insurers from testing or demanding genetic information about you or your family in deciding whether to offer you coverage, in setting the premium rate and level of the deductible, or continue the cover.

Let's be completely clear. The law does not care who is asking for the information If it is going to be used for either purpose, the asking is unlawful. If this happens to you in an interview, it may pose a dilemma. If you cite the law and refuse to answer, the interviewer may think you a troublemaker with something to hide and not hire you. That you can complain to the local Department of Labor and take satisfaction in seeing a civil penalty imposed, this does not replace the offer of employment in these difficult economic times. The temptation to answer will be strong. But when it comes to insurance companies, you must stand up and assert your rights. If the insurer persists, report to your state's Department of Insurance. This will put the insurers at risk of losing their license to sell policies in your state. This is a big stick to wave in defense of your rights. More importantly, the Department can order the insurers to offer you insurance on regular terms which protects you. Once employed, it's just as important to stay alert. The operators of group health plans are known to offer incentives like lower premiums to employees who answer a questionnaire including questions about their family medical history. Obviously, insurers want to know if there is a risk of serious diseases like cancer. You might be more at risk if there is a history of cancer in your family. Everyone should refuse to answer.

The reason for the law is important. Genetic tests are increasingly important in diagnosis and deciding on the best treatment for medical problems. Too many patients were refusing these tests because they feared discrimination should their employers or health insurance companies learn of the results. The medical profession strongly supported this change in employment and insurance law. Doctors want to be able to make an accurate diagnosis which means using the best available tests. With this law in place, your rights should be protected. If you are considering a change in insurer, remember you cannot be discriminated against when the companies give you health insurance quotes. They must always be able to prove their quotes are close to the average for people of your age, gender and general social background. If you think you are being victimized, complain.

Selasa, 12 Januari 2010

Japan Love Hotels Looks like a European Castle



love hotels in Japan (ラブホテル, rabu hoteru?) is a type of short-stay hotel found in Japan operated primarily for the purpose of allowing couples privacy to have sexual intercourse. Similar establishments also exist in other East Asian countries and regions such as South Korea, Singapore,Taiwan and Hong Kong. The same concept also exists in Central and South America, particularly in Guatemala, Chile, Mexico where they are called "autohotels", and in Argentina, often called "albergues transitorios" but also referred to as "telos" (after reversing the syllables of the word "hotel").

Love hotels can usually be identified using symbols such as hearts and the offer of a room rate for a "rest" (休憩, kyūkei?) as well as for an overnight stay. The period of a "rest" varies, typically ranging from one to three hours. Cheaper daytime off-peak rates are common. In general, reservations are not possible, leaving the hotel will forfeit access to the room, and overnight stay rates only become available after 10pm. These hotels may be used for prostitution or by budget-travellers sharing accommodation.

Entrances are discreet and interaction with staff is minimized, with rooms often selected from a panel of buttons and the bill settled by pneumatic tube, automatic cash machines, or a pair of hands behind a pane of frosted glass. Although cheaper hotels are often quite utilitarian, higher-end hotels may feature fanciful rooms decorated with anime characters, equipped with rotating beds, ceiling mirrors, or karaoke machines, strange lighting or styled similarly to dungeons, sometimes including S&M gear.

These hotels are typically either concentrated in city districts close to stations, near highways on the city outskirts, or in industrial districts. Love hotel architecture is sometimes garish, with buildings shaped like castles, boats or UFOs and lit with neon lighting. However, some more recent love hotels are very ordinary looking buildings, distinguished mainly by having small, covered, or even no windows.



Some love hotels have no windows.


A selection of available rooms.


Some love hotels have multiple complex entrances designed for the discretion of customers.


A love hotel sign in Shinjuku, Tokyo.

Senin, 11 Januari 2010

Girls Stuck in Snowy Roads



Like we know a woman is not a good driver on the road, so that's why there's many accidents was happen because the woman is the driver. remember about the accident of woman drivers which is posted several months ago in Crazy World??

In China's Mall there's a special parking for woman, maybe the special parking was made due to this reason. " a Woman is not a good driver"

Ok, there’s a good chance it’s just a bunch of girls posing stuck with ‘their’ cars in the snow ‘cause there’re too many pretty girls in skirts and high heels driving more or less expensive cars in the middle of nowhere to be true situations, but who knows…
Anyway, it’s not less pleasant to see