================================================= Expat Worlds Bi-Monthly Digest ================================================= 6 December, 2004 Vol. 6, Issue 20 .....IN THIS DIGEST..... ==== THE STORY =================== -=A Dose of Hedonism=- ==== OTHER EZINES ================ ==== EW SPECIAL ================== -=International Drivers License=- ==== HUMOR, TRIVIA, NEWS AND MORE... == -=Trivia=- -=News Story=- -=Traveller's Tales=- -=Jokes=- ==== THE RESOURCE TIP ============= -=Ace Zip Compress Tool=- ==== INSIDE THIS MONTH EXPAT WORLD == -=Table of Content=- ==== THE STORY ================================== A DOSE OF HEDONISM By Peter Culshaw Peter Culshaw demonstrates the connection between Brazil and Janet Jackson's nipple Brazil seems to be flavour of the month. Selfridges is devoting virtually the whole of May to a celebration of Brazilian life called Brazil 40°. Films, notably City of God and the forthcoming Carandiru, are being hailed for their fresh energy. Innovative music releases seem to stream out of the country - most recently the latest album by world-class diva Virginia Rodrigues and several discs of adventurous electronic music from the futuristic city of São Paulo. There is something inherently absurd about an entire country becoming fashionable, like the latest chic appliance. But in this case, there may be something more fundamental going on under the modish surface. Anthropologists such as Daniel Miller have written about the way that countries such as Brazil are more modern than the USA - only in the past few decades have we been a truly multicultural society, but for 500 years they have been trying to find ways of living with different cultures, a key to the country's relative tolerance. Seeing a dance group such as the wonderful Grupo Corpo, from Belo Horizonte in central Brazil, the range of dancers on stage is an almost utopian vision. Blondes, Asians, mulattos and blacks dance together with the utmost naturalness. When I met Gilberto Gil, musician and minister of culture for Brazil, he painted a bigger picture, suggesting that one big reason why the West is fascinated by Brazil is a reaction to the current rise of puritanism in the world. I was considering his thought while in the States recently, reading stories on the continuing moral outrage about Janet Jackson''s "wardrobe malfunction", where she exposed a nipple at the Superbowl. Live TV shows have now instituted a time-delay mechanism to stop such horrors happening again. Harry Potter books are banned in many schools, accused of "encouraging witchcraft and black magic", while a new Californian law will ban smoking on beaches. All of which would seem ridiculous in Brazil, but in the States the march of the pleasure-haters, an alliance between the politically correct Left and the fundamentalist Right, seems unstoppable. According to Gil, the puritan world view sees things in black and white, while the Brazilian view is more complex. In the Brazilian religion Candomble, for example, deities such as Yemaya, the goddess of the ocean, and Chango, the god of war, are both good and evil, like the gods of the ancient Greek pantheon. In psychological terms, says Gil, the problem with puritans is that they have to repress the "shadow" (in Jungian terminology), or project it elsewhere. They have to find an enemy to become the repository of all evil. The real danger comes when one lot of puritans come up against another even more illiberal group, such as extreme Muslims. I told Gil of a surreal conversation I had with a wannabe suicide bomber in Yemen, who told me with absolute seriousness that if he could behave himself on earth or preferably be a martyr, he could look forward to an eternity of non-stop sex with virgins and as much drink and drugs as he could manage. As he had a Kalashnikov I wasn't going to argue. It did occur to me that here was a man who could really use a week at the Rio Carnival. The battle between the hedonists and the puritans is nothing new. Reading Epicurus at Dallas airport at the end of my American trip, I was struck by how subversive the Greek philosopher seemed. "Pleasure is the goal of a happy life," he asserted in about 310 BC. "I don't know how Ishall conceive of the good if I take away the pleasure of taste, if I take away sexual pleasure, if I take away the pleasure of hearing, and if I take away the sweet emotions that are caused by the sight of beautiful forms." The Stoics, the puritans of their time, were outraged by such sentiments. The world could do with a bit more Brazilianness and Epicurean hedonism. I was considering starting up a movement of some kind, but writing this has been rather exhausting. I think I'll go for a pleasurably long lunch and a lie-down instead. ==== OTHER EZINES =============================== ASIAN TIMES ONLINE Asia most trusted source for news, business,commentary and analysis from throughout Asia and our world. (www.atimes.com). ----- Subscribe now to the "Timely Time Management Tips" newsletter. Free tips sent to you to help you get more done in less time, with less stress. Send your email now to: mailto:timemanagement-subscribe@topica.com ----- japan-guide.com Extensive, up to date online guide on Japan living and travel related information. http://www.japan-guide.com/ ==== EW SPECIAL ================================= INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS LICENSE Solve all your driving hassles with this 100% bonafide International Drivers License that is valid in over 160 countries as per the United Nations agreement world-wide. Why you need one ?? If you plan to travel, have present "problems" with your local license, need a photo ID, or you need another form of ID. There is absolutely NO I.D. or documentation required to be issued this drivers license and can be ordered and delivered through the mail. This license is valid for FOUR years. For details email us at office@expatworld.net and put "IDL" in the subject header. ==== HUMOR, TRIVIA, NEWS AND MORE... ================ NEWS STORIES Canadian Inventor Lets Everyone Be an Armchair Spy By Larissa Liepins TORONTO (Reuters) - New Internet-based technology could soon turn regular computer users into armchair spies, a Canadian inventor said on Monday. Vincent Tao, an engineer at Toronto's York University, said he has invented a mapping and surveillance tool called SAME (see anywhere, map everywhere), that produces images so sharp that geographic coordinates typed into a Web site can reveal the make of a car parked on the street. Tao said SAME works by taking satellite images of the Earth and combining them with real-time remote sensors that monitor traffic and weather. The information is reformatted on a searchable Web site that can capture ground-level images of the Earth with little or no time delay. The resolution is 2 feet -- fine enough to determine the make of a car, though not the details of a human face, according to Tao. "This is real-time streaming technology. It's like (the online directory) MapQuest or the navigation system in your car, but three-dimensional," he said in an interview on Monday. "You'll see a globe, like a virtual Earth, and then you can fly in from outer space and zoom all the way in to a city and even to street level, which will be updated by very nice, high-resolution imagery." Tao said the potential applications are broad, including defense, emergency response and environmental monitoring. He added that the technology could become widely available as early as next year. "Our business model is looking at how to make this publicly available." But the technology also poses concerns, said Veera Rastogi, a lawyer specializing in privacy issues with the Canadian law firm Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. "Any surveillance-based technology like this gives rise to the potential for abuse," she said. "Right now it's a tool used by the Red Cross and defense, but, down the road, in whose hands would this technology fall and for what purpose? Bottom line is, it's a case where, these days, the technology seems to be outrunning the law," Rastogi said. Cindy Cowan, the director of a Toronto shelter for battered women, echoed Rastogi's concerns, saying the technology could put women at greater risk of abuse. "Already the Internet has become a place where women are stalked, so to give another tool to abusive men motivated to find and track and stalk -- it frightens me," she said. --- "...Paging Mr Crazy Horse Invincible" JEREMY Brown from Northern Ireland may rue the day he decided to change his name to Crazy Horse Invincible, partly because he did so after one too many drinks, but mainly because his new identity is causing more hassle that it may be worth. The Belfast office of low cost airline Jet2.com recently refused to accept one of his bookings on line, deciding that someone calling himself Crazy Horse Invincible must be up to no good. "Crazy Horse's name raised an eyebrow with the bookings team, so we had to double-check," said Steve Lee, Jet2.com's director, of his decision to request that Crazy Horse made a personal appearance at the airline on Friday to prove his identity. Crazy Horse, 26, decided to officially change his name with the British authorities one night in 2003, after celebrating the victory of his favourite football team, English club Middlesbrough, in the company of a pal and several drinks. "It was one of those nights - I think Boro (Middlesbrough) had won - so me and a mate were celebrating. You have a few too many and you come up with crazy plans. Mine were quite literally Crazy", said Crazy Horse. When the airline staff finally satisfied itself that all was in order, Crazy Horse received his ticket and will now be able to travel to the Czech capital Prague, where he and his friend, who now answers to the name Spaceman Africa - who apparently had no trouble getting a plane ticket - intend to spend their Christmas holidays. --- Bank Machine Distributes Fake Money TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, already taking heat for accidentally faxing customers' financial information to a U.S. scrapyard, apologized on Wednesday after one of its cash machines dispensed fake money. Instead of distributing C$20 bills, the machine, located in the Maritime province of New Brunswick, spat out colorful bills used as incentives at Canadian Tire Corp. hardware stores. "The Canadian Tire money was contained within a bulk of regular currency, and it was apparently loaded into one of our bank machines," said CIBC spokesman Rob MacLeod. The bank has refunded the money, issued apologies and started an investigation into how the incident, on Monday, occurred, MacLeod said. Last month CIBC was dealt a public relations disaster when it was revealed it mistakenly sent confidential information about hundreds of clients to Wade Peer, a scrapyard operator in West Virginia. Peer, who received the faxes over a three-year period, is now suing the bank for negligence. CIBC has fired back with accusations that Peer violated Canadian privacy laws. ----- TRAVELLER'S TALES SONG SUNG BLUE: A prisoner escaped while his guard was singing karaoke songs (if "singing" is the right verb to use with "karaoke"--"murdering" might be more accurate). The jailbird had been let out of his cell in Solana, the Philippines, to do some shopping. But he, another convict, and the guard who was escorting them, decided to visit a "videoke" bar instead--a hi-tech entertain-yourself centre. While the guard and one of the prisoners were caught up in ecstatic crooning, the other villain sneaked out through the back door. The Philippine Star didn't say what the guard was singing. Dionne Warwick's Never Gonna Let You Go, perhaps. ----- Oxymoron: Work Party ----- "Researchers have discovered that chocolate produces some of the same reactions in the brain as marijuana. The researchers also discovered other similarities between the two but can't remember what they are." -- Matt Lauer on NBC's Today Show . ----- "Last week I stated that this woman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. I have since been visited by her sister and now wish to withdraw that statement." -- Mark Twain ----- ON A PRESSING MATTER OF STATE President Vladimir Putin called President Bush with an emergency: "Our largest condom factory has exploded!" the Russian President cried; "My people's favourite form of birth control! This is a true disaster!" "Vladimir, the American people would be happy to do anything within their power to help you.", replied the President. "I do need your help," said Putin. "Could you possibly send 1,000,000 condoms ASAP to tie us over?" "Why certainly! I'll get right on it!", said Bush. "Oh, and one more small favour, please?", said Putin. "Yes?", replied the President. "Could the condoms be red in colour and at least 10" long and 4" in diameter?" said Putin. "No problem," replied the President and, with that, Bush hung up and called the President of Trojan condoms. "I need a favour, you've got to make 1,000,000 condoms right away and send them to Russia." "Consider it done," said the President of Trojan. "Great! Now listen, they have to be red in colour, 10" long and 4" wide." "Easily done. Anything else?" "Yeah," said the President, "Print 'MADE IN AMERICA, SIZE MEDIUM' on each one." ----- AT THE JOB INTERVIEW One day a man tried to get a job at a great company. He passed every test with flying colours. At the final interview part, the CEO told him that his constant blinking would bother customers. "I can fix that with some Aspirin. Just take some and I'll be better in a second" So, he reaches into his pocket and pulls condom after condom out until he finds the Aspirin. He takes it and his blinking goes away. The CEO says "We don't approve of womanizing!" The guy says "Oh! No! Have you ever tried to ask a pharmacist for aspirin while your winking" ==== THE RESOURCE TIP ============================ ACE ZIP CPMPRESS TOOL Ace Zip can Zip,unzip files and create self-extracting EXE files. You can unzip files with password protection. Create self- extracting EXE files with password protection also. You can select an exe file run after the self-extracting EXE file run. Read/write Zips and self-extracting EXE files with 128 bit encryption. Get it at . ==== INSIDE THIS MONTH EXPAT WORLD =============== EXPAT WORLD NEWSLETTER (VOL.16 ISSUE 09) Table of Content: - TEN SURVIVING OUTPOSTS OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE - BITS & PIECES - PAYPHONE DIRECTORY - BY PASS CENSORSHIP FILTERS - ERASING DATA - DISAPPEARING - BRAZILIAN RESIDENCY AND PASSPORT - RELIGIOUS RIGHT VERSUS EDUCATION - NEW CAMERA WOULD COME IN HANDY IN BEATING THE CHADOR DRESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST - MULLAH, MAY I? - POSTCARDS TO THE WORLD - YOUR EMAILS - PARTIALLY OUT FOXING THE FOX - QUALITY OF LIFE - THE SCANDINAVIANS GET IT RIGHT, ASIA FAR BEHIND - G'DAY MATE - LIFE LOOKING GOOD IN THE LAND OF OZ - STOP THE PRESS, LET EXPAT WORLD READERS CASH IN - OFFSHORE NEWS - THE WORLDS BEST TAX HAVEN - ALDERNEY, THE LITTLE MENTIONED CHANNEL ISLAND TAX HAVEN - INTERNATIONAL SNIPS AND CLIPS - BUYING ABROAD 20 TIPS - THE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATE U - CRAPPER RAPPER - A LETTER TO THE IRS - BREAKING NEWS - FART FACTS YOU MISSING SO MUCH Each week the EXPAT WORLD DIGEST gives you just a smattering of what you can find in the EXPAT WORLD newsletter that we produce once a month. Why not get the whole story and subscribe now to our electronic version for just US $30 per year. Go to our website: www.expatworld.net to sign up. ********************************************************************* EXPAT WORLD - the newsletter of international living URL - http://www.expatworld.net Email - office@expatworld.net ---------- End of Expat World Digest --------------------------------