Eating fast makes you fat

While reading this article on the BBC website, a number of people whose eating habits I know came to my mind. The study by Osaka University scientists found that fast-eating men were 84% more likely to be overweight. Women were just over twice as likely. Also those, who, in addition to wolfing down their meals, tended to eat until they felt full, were more than three times more likely to be overweight.

In other words, if you eat slowly, savor your food and enjoy the company, you will probably eat less and live a healthier life.

Extreme sport: tower jumping

Ever thought of doing some rock climbing?

Well, it seems this was not enough adrenalin for the Czechs who invented tower jumping. After climbing up rock, they sort of jump themselves down.

Watch this video to believe... crazy!

I don't want to pay more than three times my salary

That is what a young professional told the BBC when asked about how much was she ready to pay for her mortgage. This young lady earns some £30,000 (€37,500) a year, meaning that the mortgage she aims for should be less than £90,000 (€112,000). How she will manage beats me, considering the housing market. If she does, and if many Brits do, I shall envy them. Why?

Take a look at Malta. If I would like to have a maximum mortgage of three times my annual wage, that would put me in the range of €40,000 to €50,000. Now, a decent unfurnished, shell form flat / apartment in a decent location would have a price tag of at least (and this is optimistic) double the maximum mortgage of three time my annual wage.

Looking forward to forking out that money? NO WAY!! But the time will come...

I fully share the thought of the people in the BBC article:

"I'm not looking for an investment. I'm looking for somewhere to live" - Izzy Miyaghi

"...an entire generation of young professionals has been unable to get on the housing ladder as a direct result of immoral lending" - Heidi McFadden

BBC

Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all of you who read this blog!

As usual, money goes to the wrong priorities

The US Air Force has just announced that it awarded a multi-billion dollar contract to a company called Northrop Grumman to replace its aging air refuelling tankers. The deal is first to replace 179 tankers and eventually the whole 500 of them.

The cost?

$40 billion dollars for replacing 179 expanding to over $100 billion dollars for the whole fleet.

Also, the US military has recently awarded the largest ever contract in history for a $200 billion Future Combat System programme.

The Pentagon is furthermore expected to award a contract of over $200 billion to the future F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

And then they accuse Iran, Russia and all the guys on the 'Axis of Evil' of rearmament. What is that they are spending the money for?

AND THEN the US finds it hard to sign an international treaty to curb CO2 emissions because it will hurt its economy BUT, it is ready to pay those billions of taypayer dollars to enhance its military fleet. Not to mention of the poor of course. This my friend, is the real unjust world.

Europe's map according to the Maltese

I could not let this go unnoticed...so good. The words are in Maltese of course!

Update: Election on the way...

An example of the structures I was referring to can be seen here below. And my thoughts were reflected in an article in The Times.

Election on the way...

How do you realise that finally the election is really due?

Look at the main arterial roads.

This morning I noticed more than 5 new structures that were placed along main road on my way to work. The concrete / steel structure were painted blue, a sign of to which party they belong (I should have got a picture).

What are they?

They are the footings for billboards that will haunt us from now on till election on all the good thing the government did, and all the bad things the opposition would have done.

What bullshit! Junk mail at its worst

Just take a look and read carefully the image below. I found this piece of paper placed face down between the front wiper and windscreen of my car. I realised there was something while I was driving and thought it was some comedy, you known Mr. Hero ... but then!

There is so much bullshit around these days. I wonder how such people manage to survive.

As for the services he offers..wow! It seems godly with all those guarantees.

Even Achmed would manage to get his promised 72 (female) virgins!

Mr Hero, help him!

My God is that real?

By late 2008, it will be the highest man-made free-standing structure in the world. Interesting to note that the proposed height is still a secret, though it is expected at 816m.

Have a look at the tower website and you shall get more impressed. Furthermore, wikipedia suggests that other competing high rises are in the pipeline; all are to be located in the Middle East

This should further confirm the rising status in the global arena of the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.

The irony of it

Isn't it ironic that at Coconut Grove, Paceville, while the DJ spins tracks such from bands such as Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Korn, Ozzy as well as other contemporary metal, the TV screens show music videos by 50 Cent?

Dinosouar Race

Just have look and see what some researchers have been up to.

The have created a computerised race between five virtual dinouars, a human, an emu and an ostrich. Apart from the fun and curiosity, let me increase that awe to highlight the findings arising from this study:

Top speeds:

3kg chicken-sized compsognathus: 40mph (18m/s)
20kg velociraptor: 24.2mph
430kg crested dilophosasurus: 23.5mph
1½-tonne allosaurus: 21mph
6-tonne T rex: 17.9mph (8m/s)
Emu: 30mph
Ostrich: 35mph
human: 17.7 mph

For the latter, is should be noted that world class 200m sprinters may reach a top speed of 27mph (12m/s).

Sources: The Guardian and BBC