Jim Paull

The key to a good “sorry I’m late” apology isn’t how you say it, it’s what you actually apologize for.

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Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) plans to cut expenses by as much as RM50bil (US$11.4bil) over the next four years and defer some projects, the Wall Street Journal reported.

This is my favorite smoothie to make in the morning. It's an easy way to sneak some greens in without eating a salad. I make a bunch of smoothie packets for my freezer in advance – like 14 of them – and then I just dump one of them in the blender in the morning for a breakfast that is quick, filling, and totally delicious.

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Is your office thermostat locked behind a plastic guard box? This clever trick can help you raise the temp of your freezing office building a little without having to touch the thermostat at all.

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Shopping for a new TV is daunting. From screen size to color ratios and more, choosing a TV seems like a scientific endeavor, and it feels like only engineers can make sense of the numbers, phrases, and technology. In actuality, most of these claims and statistics are simply sales pitches. With some smart buying and insider knowledge, you can cut through the static and buy the perfect TV.

EditSteps

EditChoosing the Right TV for Your Room

1. Choose the TV's location before shopping. The room's lighting, the size of the wall, the distance to the couches: all of it will matter when choosing a new TV. To get the best bang for your buck, you want to know where the TV is going. That way you can maximize the picture quality and size now instead of scrambling to rearrange the room later. You should know:
   
   • How far most people will be from the screen.
   • How/when sunlight in the room will hit the screen.
   • How big the wall for the TV is.
2. For the best results, get the biggest TV you can fit comfortably in the room. Think about how far away people will be from the TV. As a rule of thumb, you should be sitting 1 ½ - 2 ½ times the screen size away from the TV. So, if you want a 70” TV, you should account for at least 9–15ft of room between the TV and your couch. At the end of the day, the size of the TV is the most important factor to consider.
   
   • As a baseline, think of a 30" minimum for bedroom TVs and 50-70" for living room TVs.
   • TV sizes are measured diagonally, from the top left corner of the screen to the bottom right corner of the screen.^[1]
3. Pick the right type of TV for your room’s lighting. One of the biggest considerations when buying a TV is the type of lighting in the room around it. When properly matched, the right lighting will lower the strain on your eyes as you watch TV and make your picture quality even better. OLED (organic light-emitting diode) TVs, while the most expensive, have the best picture quality in every scenario. That said, you have some options:
   
   • Dark or Dim Rooms: Plasma and OLED screens are best for dark rooms.
   • Bright, highly lit rooms: LED or LCD screens show off the clearest picture in bright light.
   • Normal lighting: LED or OLED generally work best in a variety of situations.^[2]
4. Don't neglect the thickness of the TV when shopping. TV is furniture, and is often the centerpiece of the room. So you need to make sure it will fit seamlessly into your living room without overcrowding or becoming unwieldy. Of course, thin TVs are easier to work with, but there are several other features that can make the difference:
   
   • Will you be buying a new TV stand, or using an old one? Ensure that the base of your TV fits securely on the stand and does not just out or balance precariously.
   • Can you mount the TV to a wall? This often saves the most space and eliminates the need for a bulky stand. You may, however, need an installation team if you are uncomfortable with carpentry.
5. Use resolution guidelines to determine picture quality. Resolution is how precise your image looks.The more pixels, the higher the resolution. This is why 2160p, also known as “4K Ultra HD,” is more expensive than 1080p, “Full HD,” or 720p. The "p" stands for how many pixels run up and down the screen in one row. More pixels give the picture better clarity and color.
   
   • As of 2016, 4K (4,000 pixels) is the current resolution champion, and prices are rapidly falling. By 2020, these TVs will be standard, and will thus last the longest. That said, 90% of consumers cannot tell the difference between 4K and 1080p -- the pixels are just too small for your eyes.
   • Don't buy a TV less than 1080p, since 720p is already dated and is not getting any younger.
   • Some systems are labeled with an “i.” such as 1080i. Just know that the picture quality is roughly the same as 1080p. 1080p has simply “won” the war over consumers.^[3]
6. Know what inputs you need, specifically any device that can't use HDMI. Luckily, this has only gotten easier, since almost everything uses HDMI cables these days. However, there are some devices, like a Nintendo Wii or the old VCR you can't part with, that will need older inputs. If this is a necessity for you, make sure you have a list of all your essential ports and inputs while shopping.
   
   • In general, 3-4 HDMI ports will cover all of your entertainment needs.
   • If you're confused about inputs and names, simply take a picture of the inputs and bring it with you to the store. Someone there will be able to give you specific advice.^[4]

EditUnderstanding TV Features

1. Understand which TV specifications don't mean anything at all. If it feels like there are eight billion TVs on the market, all with different stats and figures, you're not alone. These stats are meant to overwhelm you into buying something more expensive, but you don't have to fall for it. You can safely ignore the following terms and words when shopping -- they are just sales tactics:
   
   • Refresh rates (anything above 120Hz is fine)
   • Contrast Ratio
   • Motion Rate, ClearMotion, TruMotion, etc.
   • Viewing Angles
   • Premium HDMI ports (all HDMI will look the same, no matter the port).^[5]
2. Opt for the highest color range possible only if you're serious about perfect quality. HDR, or High Dynamic Range, is a newer color format meant to capture the greatest array of colors possible. The problem is that most sources (cable, Netflix, etc.) don't even send HDR quality color yet, so you'll likely notice little difference. That said, to better "future-proof" your TV, it might be a good option.
   
   • Obviously, more color is better. That doesn't mean that this small uptick now, however, is necessarily worth the extra $2-300.
3. Only pay for 3D TVs if you're committed to the recurring extra costs. Unless you love watching 3D movies, skip this feature. Most companies have already passed over them, quietly shuffling 3D TVs out of their inventory because consumers were largely unimpressed. Why? Because you need expensive glasses for every viewer, a 3D compatible player, and extra-expensive movies that cannot be played on non-3D players. So, unless you really want to recreate the home theater experience at any cost, skip this feature.
   
   • All 3D TVs can play normal 2D movies. If you want the option, and money is no concern, you might as well go big for the 3D capabilities.
4. Purchase a Smart TV only if you don't have another streaming source. Smart TVs have apps built in to show Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and other popular internet videos. While this may seem appealing, there are so many other streaming devices you can get cheaply that Smart TVs are often redundant. If you already have a way to stream media, skip the extra cost of a Smart TV.^[6]
   
   • You can get a Google Chromecast, Roku, Amazon FireStick, Apple TV, or video game system with all the same features for $40-200.
5. Avoid paying extra for curved TVs. They are really just a fashion statement, with no real bearing on picture quality or enjoyment. Some people even lobby that they are worse, making it harder for a large group to all enjoy the screen from multiple angles.^[7]
   

EditGetting the Best Deal

1. Set your budget before you go shopping. TV's are sold more and more like cars, with gifted salespeople or advertisements attempting to up-sell you with fancy features and a load of techno-jumbled words. The best way to prevent spending more than you want is to come up with your maximum price before you enter the store or head online. When possible, be upfront about it -- tell the salesperson you will absolutely pay no more than this number, preventing them from showing you certain items. Basic pricing estimates, as of 2016, are:
   
   • 32-inch: $150 to $500
   • 39- to 43-inch: $250 to $1,100
   • 46-to-52-inch: $380 to $1,600
   • 55- to 59-inch: $450 to $2,500
   • 65-inch: $700 to $5,000^[8]
2. Shop during November or March for the best prices on new TVs. TVs are expensive investments, and should last you many years when bought correctly. Waiting a month or two for enormous Christmas and Black Friday sales can be worth it, helping you get potentially better TV for your budget than you expected.
   
   • November is overwhelmingly the best time to get a cheap TV. Prices are always lowest on and before Black Friday, and you can usually buy them online.^[9]
   • March, after the companies have debuted their new sets at the beginning of the year, is the next best chance at a cheap TV before the new models hit store.^[10]
3. Remember to save money for the sound system, which most TVs ignore. The slimmer TVs get, the worse they sound. Speakers need physical room to work, so ultra-thin sets often sound tinny. A basic sound bar is often your best bet if you don't already have a stereo system, and they are generally under $100. Still, remember to consider the sound when buying a TV -- it is worth accounting for when pricing.^[11]
   
4. Spend your money on size, not fancy buzzwords and features. There are some features that will matter -- if you want a Smart TV, built in DVR, etc. -- but at the end of the day the picture size is the most important consideration. If you want a TV that will last and satisfyingly display everything from sports to video games, then bigger is better.^[12]
   
   • Do not, however, just buy a big TV without accounting for the room size. Remember -- you want to sit roughly 1.5 to 2 times the size of the TV away for comfort, so a 60" TV should have at least 90" to 120" of space in front of it.
5. Never buy a TV purely based on its performance in a showroom. TVs in stores have artificially cranked up brightness and contrast meant to deceive you. They look great in a big row, with specially designed footage made to seem exciting, but they will under-perform when placed in your house and showing normal shows and movies. The bright, harsh florescent lighting in a store is leagues different from that in your home. This causes the picture to look far different than it will later.
   
   • Specially designed "theater rooms," with more natural lighting and a darker background, are much safer ways to test TVs in person.^[13]
6. Read reviews before making any purchases. Ultimately, TV quality is much more than the sum of a few spec sheets. If you want a top-notch TV, you'll need to do some digging. Make a list of potential TV's in your price range, then plug them into an internet search with the word "reviews." How people feel watching the actual TV is far more informative than any sales pitch.
   
   • If you just want the biggest TV for your dollar and don't care about the features, head to Amazon or Best Buy and simply purchase the cheapest on at your size -- the quality may not be perfect, but size is still the most important consideration when buying a TV.^[14]

EditTips

• You can buy an extended warranty through the manufacturer, retail location or third-party business. However most manufacturers offer a one-year parts, 90-day labor warranty on all new televisions.

EditRelated wikiHows

• Buy a TV Tuner Card
• Buy a Plasma TV
• Buy a TV Antenna
• Buy an LCD TV
• Buy a Good 3D TV

EditSources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

KUALA LUMPUR : UOB Kay Hian Research has downgraded its rating for SapuraKencana Petroleum Bhd (SAKP) to ‘Sell’ with a target price of RM1.43 as it sees more earnings risk arising from further headwinds in the oil and gas industry.

You’ve got mail! A Flight Attendant on an unnamed airline reportedly received a note scribbled on a napkin seeking for help against a farting passenger on board.

The note asks in graphic words that the flight attendants please make an announcement to stop a passenger in the cabin from continuing to fart.

A type of note you don’t get every day. Maybe flight attendants sometimes get a secret note with a phone number or email address but this is certainly unique.

I read about the story in The Daily Mail (access here) that also published an image of the note in question.

Inconsiderate passengers can make even the smoothest of flights a stressful experience.

Just ask one disgruntled traveller who took issue with one particular neighbour – in the areas of rows 10 to 12 – who kept passing gas during the journey.

In fact, things got so bad at one point that the unhappy passenger even went so far as to pass a desperate note, written on a napkin, to a flight attendant.

The story continues:

The plea for help was then posted to Reddit (access here) by user Garwee20, who wrote: ‘My flight attendant mom got this napkin from an upset passenger.’

‘I don’t know if you can make an announcement,’ the note reads. ‘But if you can, you should say that whoever is farting in the areas of rows 10 to 12 should definitely see a doctor because they might have ass cancer’.

Of course, many Reddit users were curious as to whether the flight attendant actually made the announcement. (She didn’t.)

This isn’t the first time flatulence has caused trouble in the air.

Just last November, 2,186 goats caused a 747-400 freighter plane to make an emergency landing in Bali Denpasar after their gas allegedly set off smoke alarms.

I remember writing about that incident with the goats back in November (access it here). It’s one thing though to to have a Cargo Plane making a landing due to a sensor message or if you sit on a passenger plane and a fellow passengers is making your ride a cruel journey of torture because he can’t hold his Burrito in.

Conclusion

I can’t imagine what brings someone to write such an explicit note and then hand it over to the flight crew. Nevertheless the passenger in question must have felt really frustrated.

Not all aircraft these days have individual air vents anymore that could provide relief in such a case. Sometimes sh*t happens I guess.

PARIS: European aircraft maker Airbus has said it is teaming up with global ridesharing service Uber to test plans for offering an on-demand helicopter service.

Airbus’ new Silicon Valley-based innovation centre “is collaborating with terrestrial mobility provider Uber on a market pilot to provide an on-demand transportation service”, it said in a statement Sunday.

It would offer on-demand rides on Airbus’ H125 and H130 helicopters, it said, without giving an indication of their likely price.

Its goal would be “proving out a new business model for helicopter operators to access a broader customer base”, it added.

Uber has expanded to hundreds of cities around the world in at least 68 countries, allowing people to use smartphone applications to summon and pay for rides provided by drivers using their own cars.

– AFP

Rice and other grains are fine when cooked in water, but adding another liquid to the mix can give them an extra tasty boost. Stock is an obvious choice, but fruit juice, wine, and coconut milk are all delicious contenders.

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KUALA LUMPUR: Those who commit offences against children will soon face punishment as a new registry will be set up under the amendments of the Child Act 2001.

Women, Family and Community Development Ministry policy division secretary Dr Waithcalla R. R. V. Suppiah said that the registry will have details of pedophiles and convicts who committed various offences.

“Employers, for instance, those running a nursery, can refer to the registry before hiring staff.

“We will know if the person had committed any offences against children,” she said at a media briefing at the National Social Institute today.

She added that the registry will be supervised by the Welfare Department, and that members of the public will also be able to check with the department if they have any suspicions about certain individuals on social media.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim said that amendments to the Act were tabled in Parliament in December.

“The amendments were tabled for the first reading on December 2 and we hope to debate it in the next session in March,” Rohani said.

According to Rohani, under the amended Act, child abuse will be punishable with a fine of RM50,000 or 20 years imprisonment. Currently, abusers are fined no more than RM10,000, or face up to 10 years in jail, or both upon conviction.

Last week, Attorney-General Mohamed Apandi Ali said that children will have a greater voice in the decision-making process on matters that affect them, with the appointment of two child representatives under the proposed amendments to the Child Act 2001.

“The appointment of these representatives is a manifestation [of our goal] to include children in decision-making in issues that affect them,” he said.

NEW YORK: Free of international sanctions, unfettered Iranian oil exports might be expected to drive prices further below $30 a barrel.

But market participants say the removal of trade restrictions was so well trailed that price moves on Monday should be limited.

On Saturday, the UN nuclear watchdog said Tehran had met its commitments to curtail its nuclear program, and the United States immediately revoked sanctions that had slashed the OPEC member’s oil exports by around two million barrels per day (bpd) since their pre-sanctions 2011 peak to little more than 1 million bpd.

Growing signals from around a month ago that the move would occur earlier than traders initially expected fueled a selloff which sent Brent crude LCOc1 tumbling 24 percent since the beginning of the year, the biggest such fall since the financial crisis of 2008.

Iran has said that it hopes to increase its post-sanctions crude exports by around 1 million bpd within a year, with most analysts expecting an increase of 200,000-500,000 bpd within six months of restrictions ending.

“Iran is now free to sell as much oil as it wants to whomever it likes at whatever price it can get,” said Richard Nephew, program director for Economic Statecraft, Sanctions and Energy Markets at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.

Yet most analysts don’t expect a huge reaction once markets open again after the weekend.

“The Iran deal should not be a surprise to the market and has been expected for a long time. I’d argue this is priced in and already reflected in prices. May be there is a small knee jerk reaction and the market opens lower given the pervasive bearishness at the moment but I’d find it hard to believe it has a bigger effect than that,” said Amrita Sen of consultancy Energy Aspects.

After selling the rumor, some dealers even wonder if a “buy the fact” rebound is in store, particularly if bearish traders opt to realize some of their profits. Big funds’ short positions in New York futures CLc1 have more than doubled to a record over 200,000 contracts since mid-October, when oil was near $50.

Oil markets reopen for business at 6 pm EST (2300 GMT) on Sunday, although trading volumes may be tempered by Monday’s Martin Luther King Day US public holiday. US West Texas Intermediate futures fell nearly 6 percent on Friday to $29.42, closing below $30 for the first time since 2003.

“I think we will see a hard bounce in crude oil – two, three, four dollars back up into the mid 30s,” Phillip Streible, senior market strategist at RJO Futures in Chicago, said on Friday with a weekend Iran deal all but assured.

Full tanks

Others may instead focus to the imminent injection of as much as 500,000 bpd of extra Iranian crude into a global market that is already running a surplus of some 1 million bpd.

On Saturday, Iran’s OPEC representative Mehdi Asali said the country would not hesitate to ramp up production, appearing to contradict comments from other senior Iranian oil officials that Iran would not flood the market at a time of global oversupply.

“We have not moderated our plans regarding increasing output when sanctions are lifted. It will be increased by 500,000 bpd, and by another 500,000 bpd shortly after that,” state news agency IRNA reported.

Whether or not Iran’s investment-starved oil industry can open the taps that quickly is an open question. Some analysts and industry sources say output may be slow to recover.

“I anticipate they will be able to add anywhere from 300-500 thousand barrels per day to the market, probably with an up-front spike as inventories are depleted,” said Nephew, referring to unsold Iranian oil stored on over a dozen Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) super-tankers.

Even without Iran, however, some warn that the immediate outlook for the market is still so dire that there’s likely little cause for anything more than a brief bounce, if that.

Oil economist Philip K. Verleger ticked off five major factors weighing on crude: a slowing global economy; stubbornly resilient US shale drillers; the availability of last-resort oil storage; broad oversupply; and the warm winter weather that has pared heating oil use.

“All the downward pressures will remain Monday,” he said. “In the real oil market – which does not include New York – prices will continue the downward trend. What happens in New York is beyond me.”

– Reuters

PARIS: With global growth moribund, multinational firms have been waiting with bated breath for the lifting of international sanctions against Iran for access to a country in desperate need to modernise.

After nearly a decade of limited access to the outside world, many sectors of the Iranian economy need new equipment including the oil and gas industry, railways, and airlines. Plus there are 80 million Iranian consumers, many of them keen to buy cars and other goods.

Access is expected to begin opening up, now that the International Atomic Energy Agency has issued a report concluding that Iran has fulfilled its obligations under a nuclear deal reached last year with world powers.

Since that deal was reached in July, delegations of officials and business executives from Germany, France and Italy have headed to Iran to prepare the ground to win back some of the market share lost to emerging nations like China and Turkey, or countries like Russia and Japan which kept friendly nations with Tehran.

Germany’s BGA foreign trade federation believes that country will have a difficult time reclaiming its former status as Iran’s largest trade partner as Chinese firms have swooped in during sanctions.

Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Ming of China, the top buyer of Iranian crude, said during a recent visit Beijing intends to fully exploit the potential for cooperation with Tehran in the manufacturing sector and construction of infrastructure.

US companies like Boeing and General Electric are also interested by the opportunities in Iran, but are handicapped by the fact Washington has not had diplomatic relations with Tehran for 35 years and will keep certain sanctions in place.

Meanwhile the Iranians are looking for foreign firms to help modernise the country’s infrastructure, which has suffered from a lack of investment and technology as the economy was largely cut off from the outside world for the past decade.

A resumption of trade should also help put the Iranian economy, which suffers from high unemployment and hyperinflation, back on its feet.

Oil sector still attractive

The slump of global oil prices to under $30 per barrel — partially due to expectations of Iranian crude flooding back onto markets — is not good news for Tehran as it means less money flowing into government coffers.

Nevertheless, with the country holding the world’s fourth-largest oil reserves and currently pumping a million barrels per day less than it did before sanctions, the Iranian energy sector is still attractive for foreign firms and Tehran is looking for $25 billion in investment in the oil and gas sectors.

“The infrastructure and energy sectors offer the best opportunities for our firms”, Italy’s economic development ministry said recently.

Russia, which has maintained close relations with Iran, has a leg up on the competition and is willing to put money on the table to achieve its goal of boosting its annual trade turnover with Tehran from $1.6 billion currently to $10 billion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to open up a $5 billion credit line to Iran during a visit to Tehran in November.

Not only has Russia recently sold long-range S-300 surface-to-air missiles to Iran, but it has received orders to build two new reactors at the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

State-owned Russian Railways is after work electrifying Iranian rail lines.

Russian gas giant Gazprom and the country’s number two oil firm Lukoil are looking not only for production opportunities, but to stocking and transporting energy as well.

Certain western oil companies, like France’s Total and Italy’s Eni, are after joint venture contracts where their Iranian partner will retain majority control.

“We will be well placed to examine the opportunties in the gas, oil and petrochemicals and fuel distribution sectors, but all of that will be subject to good contractual conditions,” said Total’s chief executive Patrick Pouyanne recently.

‘Promising market’

The automobile sector is also attractive as the rate of car ownership in Iran is just 100 per 1,000 people — six times less than in Europe — and consumers have had limited access to new vehicles under Western sanctions.

France Renault has already negotiated a minority stake in Iranian auto manufacturer Pars Khodro, according to Iranian officials.

“Iran is a very promising market,” Renault chief executive Carlos Goshn said on the sidelines of the Detroit auto show last week.

“Today it’s more than one million cars, it has the potential to go to 1.5 or 2 million.”

In the food and agriculture sector it may be harder going due to the “strong involvement of public firms and semi-public owners of farm land,” according to a French agriculture ministry report.

Germany hopes it will be able to export five to 10 billion euros of goods to Iran in the coming years, in particular machine tools.

Siemens has already announced a preliminary deal with Tehran to improve rail infrastructure.

Iranian President Hassan Rohani has scheduled a visit to Italy and France at the end of January.

That could prove beneficial for Airbus, which is based in the southern French city of Toulouse, as Iranian airlines need to renew their fleet of aircraft.

Iran “…is potentially a huge market for Airbus and our competitors,” Airbus chief executive Fabrice Bregier was quoted as saying recently by the Financial Times, adding the company had already made some contacts.

– AFP

Need somewhere to store your files but have limited storage space? This inexpensive project tucks away those files in IKEA’s popular cubby.

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By now you've mastered making a pot of grains. You know all about the freestyle route, and how to avoid common pitfalls, but are you in a flavor rut? No worries — that's an easy problem to solve. Simply follow these small and helpful tips for bigger and better flavor in your favorite pot of grains.

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Some things never cease to amaze and this is certainly one of these cases where you first read things twice before believing it: Emotional Support Turkey On Board !!

Mr. Gobble is called ‘Easter’ and turned out to be the best pal of the passenger who lovingly carries him around during her travels to help her overcome grievances.

Mind you that this incident which went viral some time ago took place in the U.S. (where else, really) on a Delta Airlines flight from Seattle to Salt Lake City.

I have seen pictures and hear say stories popping up here and there but this week The Mirror in the UK (access here) brought the first ‘full on’ story on Easter’s travel tales.

A woman who took a live turkey on a Delta Air Lines flight was bringing the ’emotional support’ animal to her family’s home for Christmas. Jodie Smalley, from Seattle, Washington state, was spotted using her yellow-beaked bird, Easter, as a ‘therapy’ pet during her two-hour flight to Salt Lake City in Utah.

After the plane touched down, she lovingly pushed the feathered creature through the airport in a wheelchair, before taking it to her brother’s house for festive celebrations.

This is because, Ms Smalley says, Easter offers her comfort – and reminds her on a daily basis that ‘there is a reason to smile and to care, no matter how bad things are’.

Uh huh… ok I guess whatever floats your boat. If you follow the article and the pictures attached you see that both ‘passengers’ (Easter seemingly was a lap-passenger) had a regular seat and the row was full. Two more passengers right next to them who reportedly found it funny.

Included was also this candid shot of Mr. Gobble enjoying the view from his window seat.

The article goes on:

The turkey was allowed to travel on the flight under the Air Carrier Access Act 1968, which legally permits customers to fly with emotional support animals.

Ms Smalley, who lost her husband in recent years, wrote on Facebook how she adopted the animal after her friends spotted the then-chick shivering in the road on Easter Day. She quickly fell in love with the creature and found it comforting at a hard time in her life. “Easter came to me as a tiny poult at an emotionally difficult time in my life,” Ms Smalley said.

I don’t want to belittle the ladies situation and it’s certainly not my position to question the validity of this therapy in respect to her problems. The only thing that I ask myself is ‘how much is too much?’ since the bowel controls of animals like birds are not exactly known for ‘holding on’. Anyway…

Stunned passengers and cabin crew members snapped photos of the turkey sitting happily on a plane seat and being carted through the airport in the wheelchair. Some of these pictures were later posted them online, where they quickly went viral.

Ms Smalley said her pet’s new-found fame had resulted in inaccurate ‘assumptions’ being made about herself and her pet.

No offense but I guess that comes with the territory if you shuttle your Turkey around in a passenger plane. Do you expect people to just nod and carry on with their business after such a sight?

What does Delta Airlines say about all this?

Although Delta allows ‘domestic’ birds on flights, its rules state that ‘farm poultry’ are ‘unacceptable’ travel companions, meaning Easter was lucky to make the flight.

A Delta spokesman told USA Today in a statement: “Delta complies with the Air Carrier Access Act by allowing customers traveling with emotional support animals or psychiatric service animals to travel without charge in the cabin.

“While we can’t always accommodate all pets, Delta employees made a judgment call based in part on extensive documentation from the customer.

Fair enough. Being considerate is something you don’t see too often from an airline these days and it either proves a high degree of customer friendliness or a high degree of being scared of being sued due to non-compliance with the ACAA.

In the very least Delta could have blocked the seat next to lady and her feathered companion because as considerate their decision is towards her, I find it extremely inconsiderate towards other passengers having to sit next to a Turkey you don’t know how he will behave during the flight (emphasis on the above mentioned bowel activity). I would think that many people (myself included) would have refused to sit next to the animal.

Conclusion

This situation shines a light on passenger rights and I’d be interested to know how Delta would have dealt with passengers who would indeed refuse to be seated next to them. Do you have the right to a Turkey Free Zone?

Certainly an interesting story you don’t see any day. I wish the lady well in her travels with Easter. Turkeys CAN fly after all as you see.

Rice is a very important grain. It is the number-one staple food in dozens of countries, providing an inexpensive and readily available source of energy. In fact, 20 percent of the world's dietary energy comes from rice. It is nutritious — but it is far from perfect due to its high starch content.

Here's why that's an issue — and a surprising way to actually mitigate rice's less-healthy aspects with one simple, surprising cooking method.

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Here are six of the best photos that readers added to the Consumerist Flickr Pool in the last week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or for just plain neatness.

Want to see your pictures on our site? Our Flickr pool is the place where Consumerist readers upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click “Join Group?” up on the top right. Choose your best photos, then click “send to group” on the individual images you want to add to the pool.

You should never be afraid to negotiate a higher salary . Not doing so could cost you $500K in the long run . But even if you don’t get the raise, just asking for it could help your career.

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Run – don't walk – to your nearest contractor, cabinet maker, or handy family member and ask –nay, beg– to have one of these seriously smart solutions built into the storage around your home.

From Apartment Therapy → 10 Clever Hidden Storage Solutions You'll Wish You Had at Home

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Your child is in a school play, and you need to make a pig costume. Maybe you need to make one for yourself for a community play or function. You'll need ears, a nose, and a curly tail, all of which you can make with a few simple items. Finally, you'll need some pink clothes to complete the look.

EditSteps

EditMaking the Head Piece

1. Buy a pink headband.^[1] You can find headbands in a variety of colors at beauty supply stores. You can also find them at big box stores like Walmart or Target. Choose a fairly sturdy headband.
   
   • If you can't find a pink headband, you can create one yourself. Buy one in another color, or use one you have around the house. Paint it pink. You can also wrap it in pink ribbon, using a glue gun to secure the ribbon.
   • To wrap the headband, start by gluing the ribbon to one end. Add glue to one side of the ribbon, only going a few inches at a time. Begin wrapping the ribbon along the headband, overlapping slightly as you go. Keep adding glue and wrapping until you reach the other end. Cut off the extra ribbon, and glue the tail in place.
2. Cut pig ears out of pink felt. When cutting them, fold the felt in half to cut the ears. The bottom of the ears is where the fabric folds and makes a line.^[2]
   
   • Measure 2 to 3 inches along the fold.
   • Cut a curved line up from one side of the fold. Curve it out and then back in, making it about 4 to 5 inches high. You'll be making a point for the top of the ear.
   • Move to the other side, and mimic the line you just cut, ending in a point.
   • If you want, you can also cut a single-layer inner ear out of white felt. Make it the same shape as the bigger ear, but smaller, so it fits inside the boundaries of the outer ear.
3. Open the ears. Lay the headband in the fold of each ear. Fold each ear up over the headband so it matches. Rearrange it so the ears are just to the left and right of the center. You'll need a gap that is an inch or two wide in the middle between the ears. Unfold them so you can add glue.^[3]
   
4. Glue the bottom of the headband into each fold. That is, where the ears are going to fold up, add glue to the bottom of the headband. Press the inside fold into the glue on the headband. The ears should be held in place, but not glued together at this point.^[4]
   
   • You can also add a piece of sturdy cardboard or plastic to the inside for extra support.^[5] Cut out a piece that is slightly smaller than the large ear, and glue it inside the big ear on the inside of the back piece. Leave room around the edges for glue.
5. Glue each ear to itself. Add glue to the inside of each piece of fabric, and fold them closed.^[6] Essentially, you're turning the double piece of fabric into one ear on each side.
   
6. Glue on the white pieces. Arrange the piece in the middle of the ear, and then pick it up to glue it in place.
   

EditMaking the Nose Piece

1. Cut the bottom off of a small paper cup. You can use a larger cup if you are making an adult costume. Cut down from the top until you are an inch or so from the bottom. Turn the scissors to cut around the cup, leaving you with a smaller cup.^[7]
   
   • Alternatively, you can use a toilet paper roll, cut down to an inch or two in height.^[8]
   • You can also use a clean, large plastic bottle cap. Paint the cap pink.^[9]
2. Glue in a piece of elastic. Add a line of glue across the inside middle of the cup or cap, including going up the sides. Press the elastic across the line, being careful not to get your fingers in the hot glue. You can use a pencil to help press it down. The elastic should be long enough that you can measure it on the person and tie it off later.^[10]
   
   • If you're using a toilet paper roll, cut two pieces of elastic to glue to the insides of the roll. Add a line up one side of the toilet paper roll, inside. Press the elastic along the line. Repeat on the other side.^[11]
   • You can also add a ribbon instead of elastic, using the same gluing technique. Just make it long enough to tie.^[12]
3. Cut a round piece of pink fleece or felt. Make it large enough to cover the entire outside of the cup or toilet paper roll and the inside edge, as you will be folding it over at the top.^[13]
   
   • Skip this step for the bottle cap.
4. Glue the fabric to the bottom of the cup, centering the circle. If you're using a toilet paper roll or bottle cap, skip this step. ^[14]
   
5. Glue the fabric up the outer sides. If it is not laying flat, you can cut wedges out of the circle, like cutting a piece of pie. Then fit the edges together as you glue. Cut a space for the elastic to go through on both sides.^[15]
   
   • Skip this step if you painted a bottle cap.
6. Glue the fabric over the edge into the inside. Overlap the fabric, being sure to leave space for the elastic to come out.^[16]
   
7. Add two black ovals to the front. Cut and glue two small black ovals to the front to complete the snout. They should sit vertically rather than horizontally.^[17]
   
   • You can cut out holes instead of adding ovals.^[18]
   • You can also add a small button to complete the snout instead of ovals. Pink or black would be the most appropriate. Glue it in the middle.^[19]
8. Measure it to the person. Cut the elastic or ribbon shorter as needed. Tie the elastic in a knot, as it will slip on easily later because it stretches. Leave the ribbon undone until you want to put the costume on the person.
   

EditMaking the Tail

1. Fold a piece of pink fleece or felt in half. Cut a spiral shape out of the fabric, starting with a flat piece on one end and ending in a point. You're essentially cutting out two pieces at once so they match.^[20]
   
2. Sew the two pieces together. Sew down either side of the fleece pieces to sew them together. Leave the flat piece at the end open.^[21]
   
3. Turn the tail inside out. You're placing the edges of the seams on the inside so the tail looks better. You can use a pencil to help.^[22] . Some crafters use hemostats for this purpose, by pushing them inside, grabbing the other end of the tail, and then working the fabric over the hemostats.
   
4. Sew the end together. Tuck the flat end into the tail, and sew it together.^[23]
   

EditCreating the Body of the Costume

1. Buy a pink shirt. Add matching tights or pants. Don't be afraid to add a little pizzazz, such as striped white and pink pants.
   
2. Cut an oval out of white felt or fleece. You can also use pale pink. Make it large, but keep it small enough to fit inside the boundaries of the front of the shirt.^[24]
   
3. Glue the oval on the shirt. Use fabric glue to add the oval to the center of the shirt. You can also sew this piece on.^[25]
   
   • If you want to add some stuffing to your costume, only add glue around the edges. Leave a couple of inches open on one side. Let the glue dry. Stuff the belly. Glue or sew the edge in place.^[26]
4. Sew the tail on the back of the shirt. Stitch it to the bottom.
   
5. Add boots or shoes. Find some black, brown, or gray shoes to complete the outfit.
   

EditTips

• Check around the house for items you can use before buying something new.
• If you need to buy items, try a dollar store first to save money.
• This costume can be scaled up or down to fit any size.
• If you can't find pink shirts, pants, or tights, buy them in white and dye them. You can use a kit or try a home dying method, such as ones that use Kool-Aid.

EditWarnings

• Always be careful when using high-temperature glue guns, as they can burn your fingers.
• This costume shouldn't be used for toddlers, as they can get tangled in the elastic of the nose.

EditSources and Citations

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At least three people were killed Tuesday when several blasts rocked the Indonesian capital Jakarta, an AFP reporter said. Three bodies were seen lying on the ground on a main road in the city after the explosion, the reporter said....

PETALING JAYA: Seorang pelancong wanita warga China menerima nasib malang apabila hidungnya digigit seekor ular sawa ketika cuba mencium reptilia itu pada pertunjukan ular di sebuah taman haiwan yang terletak bersebelahan Zoo Phuket, di Thailand.

Phuket News melaporkan, akibat kejadian tersebut, wanita berusia 29 tahun itu yang dikenali sebagai Jin Jing terpaksa dikejarkan ke hospital untuk menerima rawatan dan jahitan.

Rakaman video yang diambil oleh seorang pengunjung mengenai kejadian itu menjadi viral di media sosial.

Menerusi rakaman berkenaan, Jing yang berambut panjang mendekati ular sawa yang dipegang oleh pengendali ular untuk menciumnya namun, secara tiba-tiba reptilia itu bertindak menyerang dan enggan melepaskannya.

Orang ramai yang menyaksikan kejadian itu menjerit ekoran panik melihatkan Jing yang kesakitan digigit ular sawa berkenaan.

Tidak dimaklumkan sama ada aksi Jing yang cuba mencium ular sawa berkenaan adalah atas arahan pengendali ular terbabit atau atas kemahuannya sendiri.

Akibat insiden itu, pihak taman tema berkenaan telah memberikan pampasan kepada Jing sebanyak $3,200.

Ular sawa merupakan sejenis reptilia dari spesis `phyton’ yang tidak berbisa dan mempunyai saiz tubuh yang besar.

 

HONG KONG: Hotel Lotte Co Ltd could raise up to US$5 billion in what would be South Korea's biggest initial public offering, IFR reported on Wednesday, citing people close to the deal.

The bulk foods section, with its various bins of flours and grains, nuts and seeds, sugars and spices, is the very opposite of the brightly packaged, mass-produced foods of the center aisles. There's something charmingly retro about the array of tiny textures on display — and it can be sexy, too! When Amelie sticks her hand in a bin of lentils at the corner market, a tingling effect takes over. (Don’t say you don’t want to do the same!)

We went to the bulk professionals to get the inside scoop on just what to scoop when you’re in the bulk section of your grocery.

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After frequently arriving as well as transiting at Beijing’s Capital Airport in the past few weeks it became clear that for whatever reason the situation (especially for transit passengers) is out of control.

International transit passengers in Beijing have to undergo a passport check (including stamping) as well as security procedures before they can enter the departure area.

Both of these facilities are not sufficiently staffed in the past two months or so. Transiting in Beijing has never been a comfortable experience but after these recent developments people are in real danger of missing their flights.

It’s not uncommon that only one of the two transit counters is open and at the same time only one officer is on duty stamping and checking the passports of the transit passengers. Mind you, this takes only a little bit less time than an entire immigration procedure.

Three days ago I was arriving from Bangkok in the early morning hours (~ 7am) and the lineup of transit passengers for that one counter stretched through the entire length of the arrivals area. I’d estimate the number of people to be between 400-500. And one officer on duty to handle all these passengers.

I myself was in Line for a 72h Visa Free Transit Stamp (also only one officer) and this took roughly 50 minutes wait, mainly due to the fact that 80% of the people in front of me didn’t have their arrival documents filled out. Instead of sending them to the back end of the line the officer allowed them to fill them out at his counter. Good job comrade! Anyway the point is that in this 50 minutes of waiting the lineup for the transit passengers barely moved.

Instead of helping their colleagues to handle the transit passengers, the officers of the regular immigration line disappeared into the break room as soon as their lines were empty.

Conclusion

Air China tries to gain market share and increase their business by offering attractive fares and in cooperation with the Chinese government extending their Visa Free Transit Program.

In my opinion they should start organizing their Customs and Border Protection procedure dramatically if they want to succeed with getting passengers to voluntarily transit through Beijing or spend a few days there. The current situation is unacceptable and I can’t see passengers book a connection through Beijing again if this is the new normality now.

Should your future travel involve a transit there I recommend to plan sufficient and generous connection time in order to avoid issues such as outlined above.

KOTA KINABALU: Business is down by 40 per cent in Labuan in the wake of the crude oil price heading south to USD32 per barrel, 50 per cent of the workers have been laid off and many companies have closed down, been sold or moved out. “Oil is the most important commodity to Labuan as an international offshore financial centre and tax-free haven,” said Labuan Chinese Chamber of Commerce (LCCC) President Wong Kii Yii. “The drastic drop in the crude oil price has affected the hotel, tourism, entertainment, restaurant and other sectors on the island.”

One bright spot, said Wong, was the property sector which has not been affected much by crude oil prices crashing. However, market demand has dropped slightly and sellers are more willing now to negotiate on their prices. Still, he added, a two-storey shophouse near the LCCC office can sell at RM3 million or more. “The buyers are mostly investors who buy properties and lease them to business people.”

“A 1,800 sq feet shop near LCCC can easily bring in RM10,000 per month in rental. Half a shoplot near the Ferry Terminal can fetch RM6,000 per month rental from a food stall operator.

Wong conceded that overall he’s not optimistic for Labuan in the near future and expects things to get a whole lot worse before turning the corner, if at all. “We have to wait for oil prices to recover to see any pick up in activities in Labuan.”

“That would take at least two years. By that time, many new players in the oil and gas industry would be from China.”

If the Labuan Bridge materializes, said Wong, it could attract visitors from Kota Kinabalu who would enjoy the nightlife on the island, the food and drinks. “On the other hand, it would encourage Labuanites to shop in Kota Kinabalu and holiday there and in Sabah. Local businesses would be affected. Labuan would become a quiet town.”

“Government officials and contractors would support the construction of the bridge.”

Wong hastened to add that he personally would not welcome the construction of the bridge. However, if the bridge project went ahead, he would stay in Menumbok on the Sabah mainland — because it’s cheaper – and do business in Labuan. “There are pros and con on the bridge project.”

The Opposition claims that the long-proposed bridge between Sabah and Labuan would only become a reality once it seizes the reins of power from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) in Putrajaya. “Such a project would only remain a dream under the BN.”

“Putrajaya did not do it when the economy was doing better, and now that the outlook has turned gloomy, they certainly will not do it.”

PKR Labuan chief Simsudin Sidek added that had its candidate for the island’s only parliamentary seat, Ibrahim Menudin, won in the last General Election and Pakatan installed in Putrajaya, “the tenders for the bridge would have been awarded by now”.

He estimates the cost of the bridge to be at least RM5 billion. “The amount is huge but we can carry out the project by raising the oil royalty for Sabah, from the present measly 5 per cent, to at least 20 per cent.”

It’s not just you. The first mile of a run (or about the first ten minutes of any exercise) sucks for everybody. Go easy on yourself in that first mile, though, and you can set yourself up for a great workout or race.

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Self-awareness is important. It can help you figure out how to hone certain skills, adapt to situations, and make better decisions. To understand yourself a little better, make a habit of asking for regular feedback.

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