More boring stuff from the Net :|

• Use Vinegar and Baking Soda to Recharge Your Towels – Household – Lifehacker
  That's right, most of the time stinky towels aren't a result of failing to wash your towels enough but using too much detergent and fabric softener. The short of it is this: more isn't better and over time soap residue can accumulate within the fibers of the towels ensuring that not only do they fail to absorb as much water as they can but they also don't dry as effectively as they should. When your towels seem to get a funky smell immediately upon getting wet again, failure to dry completely thanks to soap residue is usually the culprit.
  (tags: household)

More boring stuff from the Net :|

• RIGZONE – Deloitte Prepares Upstream Cos for Seismic Shift in Accounting Rules
  Graham Hollis, a Partner in the Audit practice of Deloitte in Aberdeen, said, "In an industry like oil and gas where many companies operate on a global stage and across multiple countries, it is vital that these businesses understand the fundamentals of the proposed changes to accounting policy to safeguard the future of their exploration, development, production and decommissioning activities.

  "These are the first insights into the biggest shake up in the oil and gas accounting rules since the 1980s so the level of interest from companies is high."

  (tags: oil)

More boring stuff from the Net :|

• The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity
  Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals. In particular non-stupid people constantly forget that at all times and places and under any circumstances to deal and/or associate with stupid people always turns out to be a costly mistake.
  (tags: stupidity)

Pickpocketed in London? Now what?

Girlfriend just got pickpocketed in the tube between Hyde Park & Knightsbridge. Some guy (caucasian, tall) bumped into her just before the train stopped and in that few seconds of chaos, she found her handbag opened & the Salvatore Ferragamo purse I just bought her stolen!

Anyway, a loss is a loss, what was difficult is that there's not much info online to tell you what to do next? Basically you need to act fast, pickpockets take as little as 15-20 mins after incident to max out your credit cards, etc.

So, after some googling, here's what to do, if any of you got into the same situation:

1. Cancel all the bank cards i.e. debit/credit. Here are some numbers:

Natwest – 08706000459;
HSBC – 08456007010;
Abbey – 08459724724 option 3

2. Make a police report. Before calling, it's recommended that you've inventoried from memory what you have in your wallet. If you're pickpocketed in the tube/National Rail, you need to goto the British Transport Police (0800405040). Any other place, goto London Met. They have an online service for non-urgent cases:

https://online.met.police.uk/

3. Get replacement for your lost driving license:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/NeedANewOrUpdatedLicence/DG_4022085

4. You'll need to contact your embassy for replacement of ID card. For Malaysians, you'll need to go to Malaysian High Commision (45 Belgrave Square SW1X 8QT) and get replacement IC with following documents:

- A copy of the police report
- A copy of the Malaysian Passport
- Other documents that can be used as proof of citizenship
- A self-addressed envelope with stamps

http://www.jimlondon.net/page28-16.htm

More boring stuff from the Net :|

• West vs. China in solar war – UPI.com
  Europe's solar energy industry is facing a wave of bankruptcies because Asian companies offer their products much cheaper.

  Several German producers of solar cells, panels and modules, including large market-leading companies, have reported massive first-half losses.

  Q-Cells, one of the world's largest makers of solar cells, said it would cut 500 jobs, nearly a fifth of its workforce, to ensure its survival after it reported a first-half loss of $69 million before interest and tax. The sales of Conergy, Germany's second-biggest solar firm by revenue, were slashed in half in the first half of 2009 compared with a year earlier. Solarworld sales dropped 6 percent to $585 million in the first half, the company said in July.

  (tags: solar)
• Solar Is Gaining Momentum: Will the U.S. Be Left in the Dark? — Seeking Alpha
  First Solar, which makes more solar cells than any other company, said it struck a tentative 10-year deal to build in China's vast desert north of the Great Wall. The project would eventually blanket 25 square miles (64 sq. kilometers) of Inner Mongolia — slightly larger than the size of Manhattan — with a sea of black, light-absorbing glass.
  The solar field would dwarf anything in operation in the U.S. or Europe. At 2 gigawatts, or 2 billion watts, the solar plant could pump as much energy onto China's grid as two coal-fired plants, enough to light up three million homes.
  "The potential is enormous" for projects like this in China, CEO Mike Ahearn told The Associated Press before the announcement. "The Chinese government is further along in its thinking about solar than we've imagined."
  (tags: solar)
• First Solar to Give China What It Wants – A Solar Farm — Seeking Alpha
  I was right…this could mean a step change in investment attitudes towards Chinese solar companies!!!

  The company's CEO, Michael Ahearn, said in an interview that he will be dispatching a team to China to work with one or a couple of Chinese construction companies that will effectively teach the Chinese companies how to go big with solar.

  (tags: solar)
• Student Debt vs. Average Income – Kiplinger
  College is expensive. Even students who receive substantial financial aid often graduate with a debt that keeps them up at night. And with the current state of our national economy, and the growing unemployment rate, students and parents alike are searching for ways to save costs on education. Kiplinger.com's guides to the best values in private colleges and public colleges can certainly help. But to gain a larger sense for the state of student debt in the United States, within the context of average salaries, check out the map below.
  (tags: education)