The remotest place on Earth

Where would you exile an inept leader who ruined your country?

Probably as far away as possible! Short of launching him into space, consider this island - the most remote inhabited location on the planet. There are other distant places, but they are uninhabited, mostly barren and unexciting - but here life is established in a very British way, so our world-leader-in-exile would not mess it up so easily, one hopes.



(images credit: 1, 2)

Tristan da Cunha, the Loneliest Island on Earth

When Napoleon was sent to St. Helena by the British, they annexed the closest chain of islands to prevent the French from attempting to rescue him. After all, who wouldn't travel a mere 2430 km over rough and hostile seas in order to rescue the Emperor himself? Yes, that's right, the islands of Tristan Da Cunha closest neighboring land mass, the island of St. Helena, is 2430 km away.



The island is so small that cartographers can't even put it on their maps (not enough resolution). Located in the South Atlantic between Africa and South America, this volcanic outcropping has the honor of being the remotest inhabited island on the planet, and that's including Antarctica and the North Pole. One of the islands in the archipelago is called "Inaccessible", which only seems appropriate, together with their motto: "Our faith is our strength"


Maps Courtesy of Jean-Pierre Langer of Monaco

Capital: Edinburgh of the Seven Seas
Language: English, Population - barely 300 people.
Religions: Christianity (Anglican and Roman Catholic)
Monetary Unit: Pound Sterling (GBP)


(images credit: Manuel Bauer)

Tristan Da Cunha is home to a population of 270 very isolated people, with an economy based in the fishing industry. The climate is sub-tropical, with very little variation in temperature from season to season, and it would probably be a pleasant place to stay... if there were more arable land: the only sort-of level bit of land is located at the northwestern edge of the island, and the rest is moutainous and rocky.


(images credit: Peter Balwin and Sue Scott)

The group of islands is a huge volcanic formations which rose out of the South Atlantic about a million years ago. They are located on the edge of the caldera of the very active volcano! In 1961 a cone near the town, Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, began to erupt and the whole community was evacuated to England. After 2 years, an investigation was conducted and it was found that damage was minimal and the residents were allowed to return.





(photos courtesy Rob Crossan & Simon Dunston and Sue Scott)

The islanders frequently face the full wrath of Atlantic storms: the gusts of wind of almost 190km per hour once were so strong that they swept the grazing cows and sheep from the fields and into the ocean... Think about looking out of your window and seeing woefully mooing bovines sailing past... perishing in the waves...

Refreshment - away from the maddening crowds

Islands of Refreshment, this is how self-proclaimed ruler (remember our little "despot" joke in the beginning?) Jonathan Lambert called these islands in 1811. "Lambert declared himself sovereign and sole possessor of the island group", but he did not last long, as he drowned while fishing a year later.

And here are the "refreshments" - Genuine Tristan Lobster Tails - the tastiest in the world!


(image credit: Roland Svensson)

"The island now boasts a convenience store, a radio station (broadcasting the World Service four days a week), a cafe, a video shop and a swimming pool. Tristan is now connected to the world by one telephone and a fax machine in the Administrator's office, and is visited once a year by the only mail ship in the world, the RMS St. Helena. This ship brings not only mail, but canned food, videos, books and magazines, medical items, and the occasional visitor." (source)


(images credit: sthelena.se)


(images credit: Manuel Bauer)


(images credit: Rob Crossan)

"Unemployment on Tristan is almost unknown, with both girls and boys guaranteed jobs when they leave school, even if posts have to be specially created for them. In recent times, girls have increasing started to continue their education (usually at St. Helena) - young women are increasingly becoming an intellectual elite on the island."


(images credit: sthelena.se)

Here is another kind of native: yellow-nosed albatross chick -


(photo courtesy Sue Scott)

and you might recognize this character ( Northern rock-hopper penguin, made popular by "Surf's Up" animated movie ) - 90% of the world population breed on Tristan:


(photo courtesy Sue Scott)

For an intrepid explorer of "abandoned & haunted places", there is something as well
- the whole abandoned and grounded oil rig!


(photo courtesy Sue Scott)

Nakheel suspends work on landmark Dubai projects

PROJECT DELAYS: The Trump tower (pictured) is one of several projects Nakheel has put on hold. (Supplied)

Dubai-owned real estate developer Nakheel is delaying several of its flagship projects, including the Trump International Hotel and Tower, in addition to axing 500 jobs amid the global financial crisis, the company said late on Sunday.

"Nakheel is delaying long-dated infrastructure work on some of our projects in order to ensure that our business model is aligned to meet market demand," the company said in a statement.

"We have the responsibility to adjust our short term business plans to accommodate the current global environment."

Nakheel said the Frond N villas, Gateway Towers and the Trump tower on the Palm Jumeirah, one of three palm-shaped islands the developer is building off Dubai's coast, would all be delayed.

The company, part of state-owned conglomerate Dubai World, said much of its Waterfront project, a series of man-made islands set to be twice the size of Hong Kong, would also be pushed back.

Nakheel said work would continue on Madinat Al Arab, Venetto, Badra and the Canal District, but areas of the project, including construction of six man-made islands, would be put on hold.

The Universe, a series of man-made islands in the shape of the sun, the moon and the planets that wraps around Nakheel's The World project, has been delayed, the company said, with work restricted to preliminary engineering studies.

On the Palm Jebel Ali, the second largest of the three Palm islands, Nakheel said work on the fond villas and infrastructure for the crescent would continue, while other phases would be delayed.

It did not give details of how long any of its projects would be delayed for.

Nakheel said work on all other projects - which include The World man-made archipelago and Palm Deira, the largest of the Palm islands - would continue as planned.

Earlier on Sunday Nakheel said it had cut 15 percent of its workforce as it scales back projects due to the economic climate.

Nakheel is the latest in a long line of Dubai-based real estate developers to announce layoffs, which includes Damac Holding, Omniyat and Tameer Holding Investment.

Many other developers have relaxed payment plans in a bit to stimulate demand for real estate, which has slowed significantly due to the global financial crisis.

The crisis has hit demand from foreign investors, which make up a large percentage of buyers, while tightening liquidity has made home financing more difficult.

HSBC said in a report earlier this month property prices in Dubai fell four percent between September and October, with the price of villas tumbling 19 percent, the first time prices have fallen in the emirate.

Nakheel cuts 500 jobs
Dubai developer reduces workforce by 15% as it scales back projects amid global financial crisis.

INTO THE DARK. DAY 365 / SSPU

this and that.

in the making of our second full length album, we've been lucky enough to work with a lot of the same talented people that helped us out on carnavas. darren waterston is one of them, and he is the shit. he was instrumental in giving carnavas a visual to our sound, and not to mention he has become a dear friend to us. since we're on the topic of artwork, also returning is the very creative graphic designer sara cumings. she's the one that gives our name some class. because of her, fonts will never be the same to us again. with their combined artistry, we're confident that swoon, like carnavas, will be a breath of fresh air in the dying art form of album artwork.

tony hoffer is back in the studio mixing swoon. its great to have him back and we know the songs are in very good hands. he and dave cooley are working very hard to meet our mastering deadline at the end of this month. you couldn't even imagine how many knobs are turned and frequencies embellished to make us sound pretty. its getting close to the finish line and we all await with baited breath...

new album means new band photos - that's the ugly truth. we love meeting and hanging out with photographers, but the act of being photographed is not a natural or comfortable proposition for us. but steve gullick loosened us up quickly. not only is he an amazing and storied photographer, he's a good and funny man all around. to get us at ease with him and the shoot, he started telling us jokes - some dirty, some grade school - but all hilarious. the raspy british accent may have also helped a bit. my personal favorite was -

TWO GOLDFISH IN A TANK. AND ONE SAYS TO THE OTHER, "HOW DO WE DRIVE THIS THING?"


so we're trying out this twitter thing. basically, if you want quick updates about what tricks and schemes we're up to at a moments notice, you can follow us on www.twitter.com/sspu. right now the updates are far and few between, there's not a lot to talk about as of yet, but as we get back into the swing of things - tours, new locales, shenanigans - we'll be updating a lot more and putting up photos and what nots. it may get a little more interesting. or not.

as for other things internet and web like, we are in the process of revamping our website and myspace/facebook pages so they don't look like they're from 2006...

as for us, we're hard at work wrapping our heads around the idea of playing these new songs live. we're not quite sure yet how many smoke machines and fun house mirrors we need to make it possible, but maybe if we take our time and plug everything in correctly, we may be able to make it happen. i guess we'll find out at the upcoming U.S. music festivals later this year. you and me both.

there's no secrets this year. except for secret warm up shows. we'll keep you posted...

-------------------------

the landscape of swoon from up here.

INTO THE DARK EPILOGUE

its been almost a year to the day when we entered our rehearsal space to start work on a new album. and even though it easily feels like that was just yesterday, living with swoon every single day for a whole year is the duality. we worked our asses off, tried to push the right buttons, tried not to blow up too many recording studios(that one time wasn't our fault). we tried to do something new and uncomfortable, yet have it be recognizable and reassuring. and throw in some strings and horns while we're at it. whether we reached our goal to get to the highest peak of our own proverbial mount everest, or whether we're balancing precariously atop a heap of rubble which we've created - only one thing is certain to us - we're standing on top of a mountain that is of our own making, and we're intent on enjoying the view from up here.

hopefully you'll enjoy it as well...


~xoxopher

New Arcade Fire Documentary Now Available

Arcade Fire Fans,

For those that do not know, at the end of 2008, Arcade Fire released their new documentary film, Miroir Noir. The 76-minute film, directed by band friend and collaborator Vincent Morisset, follows Arcade Fire through the making and touring of their 2007 album Neon Bible, including live footage and short films made on the road.

The film is available exclusively at http://miroir-noir.com/fb2/ in three different digital download formats (Small, Medium, and Large) for immediate access and pre-order for the DVD and Limited Edition DVD, which includes Arcade Fire's live performances on Jonathon Ross, Saturday Night Live, and at Maida Vale.


Thanks and enjoy the film!


----------------
Now playing: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
http://foxytunes.com/artist/arcade+fire/track/neon+bible

2009 Car of the Year: Hyundai Genesis

DETROIT (CNNMoney.com) -- The Hyundai Genesis won the prestigious Car of the Year Award Sunday at the start of media preview days for the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. The redesigned Ford F-150 won the Truck of the Year award.

To be eligible for the top prize, a vehicle had to be all-new, completely redesigned or "substantially changed," and available to customers during calendar year 2008.

From among those vehicles, a jury of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada narrowed the list down to three cars and three trucks that were eligible for the final award.

The three finalists for Car of the Year this year were the Genesis, Ford Flex, and Volkswagen Jetta TDI. The Jetta is powered by a diesel engine.

The nominees for truck of the year were the F-150, Dodge Ram and Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC. Like the Jetta TDI, the ML320 BlueTEC is a diesel-powered version of the Mercedes SUV.

Genesis a jump

The Hyundai Genesis represents a big leap for Korea-based Hyundai. The sedan is part of Hyundai's attempt to reach upscale drivers while still maintaining the brand's roots with low-cost economy models such as the Accent.

With prices starting at about $32,000 for V6-powered versions, the Genesis looks and drives much like a Mercedes-Benz or Lexus. While it has the size of one of those brands' top-of-the-line cars, though, it's similar to one of their smaller entry-level models.

Hyundai executives considered starting a totally new brand, as Toyota did with Lexus and Honda with Acura, but decided instead that it made sense to create new models under the Hyundai name.

Hyundai has sold large luxury cars overseas for quite some time, but this was the brand's first attempt to launch such a car in the United States.

F-150 top truck

The Ford F-150 has been the top-selling vehicle of any kind in America for the last 27 years. It managed that in 2008 despite truck sales that were depressed by high gas prices early in the year and by the overall economic crisis.

The redesigned 2009 model features the new, angular flat-nosed look of Ford trucks. A new Chassis was designed with a lighter weight for better fuel economy. The new F-150 also boasts safety improvements. It won a Top Safety Pick Award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Like the other Detroit automakers, General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) and Chrysler, Ford (F, Fortune 500) has been working to shift its focus to cars, although trucks remain a mainstay. At this year's Detroit Auto Show, Ford is also unveiling the 2010 Ford Taurus, a car that will attempt to win back more car buyers. Of the three U.S. automakers, Ford has been the only one not to request federal funding to stave off bankruptcy.

But winning the North American Car or Truck of the Year Award doesn't always mean a huge leap in sales. Last year's winner, the Chevrolet Malibu, was a huge success for General Motors. But the year before, GM's Saturn Aura, a car very similar to the Malibu, won the award but was been considered a sales disappointment.

Storm sinks Indonesian ferry, 250 feared dead

PAREPARE, Indonesia – Huge waves and driving rain hindered rescuers Monday as they searched for about 250 people missing and feared dead after a ferry packed with passengers and cargo capsized in a cyclone off Indonesia's Sulawesi island.

Many passengers were sleeping when the 700-ton Teratai Prima was struck by tropical cyclone Charlotte before dawn Sunday while traveling from the western port of Parepare to Samarinda on the Indonesian half of Borneo island, officials and witnesses said. It sank about 30 miles (50 kilometers) off the coast of western Sulawesi.

"People were screaming, 'Help, help!,' " said survivor Sampara Daeng Gassing, 35, who clung to a tire for two hours in the pounding storm but lost his 9-year-old son and father-in-law in the disaster.

"I lost hold of my son and my father-in-law when a big wave hit me," Gassing said, weeping.

Gassing, who arrived with other survivors in the port of Parepare on Monday, said the ferry had been slammed by 13-foot-high (4-meter-high) waves and that he awoke about 10 minutes before it went down.

The captain — who also survived — was being investigated for allegedly ignoring warnings from the Indonesian weather agency that conditions on the crossing were too dangerous, Transport Minister Jusman Syafi'i Djamal said.

At least 21 people — 18 passengers and three crew members — were rescued from the sea by fishermen before the military launched a search operation at daybreak Monday, Djamal told reporters in Jakarta.

The rest of the people aboard were missing and feared dead, Djamal said.

About 250 passengers and 17 crew were believed aboard the ship originally, Djamal said.

However, passengers lists for such ferries in Indonesia are typically inaccurate, with tickets frequently sold on board without being properly tallied.

He said about 150 people jumped from the ship before it sank, and that their fate was unknown.

Three warships, an airplane and a helicopter searched waters off Sulawesi's west coast, but were hampered by driving rain, strong winds and waves of up to 13 feet (4 meters), said Col. Jaka Santosa, who was heading the rescue operation.

The ferry, carrying about 18 tons of cargo, radioed that it was "hit by a storm" before it went down, said Nurwahida, a port official. He goes by one name, as is common in Indonesia.

Boats are a major form of transportation in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands and a population of 235 million. Poor enforcement of safety regulations and overcrowding causes accidents that claim hundreds of lives each year.

In December 2006, a crowded Indonesian ferry broke apart and sank in the Java Sea during a violent storm, killing more than 400 people.

Next station Punggol

WHEN business development manager Roy Lim moved into Punggol five years ago, he wondered if he had made a big mistake.


HOT: Some flats in Punggol are fetching a higher price than those in Sengkang. TNP PICTURE: DESMOND NG

The infrastructure was lacking and the amenities were inadequate.

As a result, Punggol was often viewed as the poorer cousin to the up-and-coming, bustling Sengkang, which was just a street away.

Mr Lim, 34, who wondered then if he should have bought in Sengkang instead, may have the last laugh after all.

Like many Punggol flat-owners, he is now eligible to sell his five-room flat after fulfilling the minimum five-year occupation period.

To his delight, he found out that resale flat prices in his estate are higher than similar flats in Sengkang.

For example, the median resale prices for five-room flats in Punggol was about $391,500 in the third-quarter of last year, compared to $374,000 in Sengkang, according to figures from the HDB website.

A check on HDB's resale transaction records showed that 20 out of the 58 five-room flats sold in Punggol last month fetched at least $400,000.

In contrast, only 12 out of the 57 five-room flats sold in Sengkang fetched $400,000 or more.

For Mr Lim, all those years of enduring the 'ulu' (Malay for remote) estate and its lack of facilities are finally paying off.

He and his wife put their place up for sale recently. Its current valuation is about $410,000.

They are looking at a tidy profit of about $160,000, as they had bought it for about $247,000 in 2003.

Said Mr Lim: 'I was quite surprised but happy to find out that the valuation is so high. The money will come in useful because it'll be a tough year. We'll also be able to free up some cash to keep aside for a rainy day.'

The couple are planning to upgrade to a condo in the east.

He initially regretted buying a place in Punggol.

Mr Lim said: 'It was frustrating when we first moved in. The LRT station was not opened, there were no coffee shops or provision shops nearby and my block wasn't even cable-ready.

'I couldn't watch soccer and had to go to my friend's place every weekend to catch the matches.'

To make matters worse, his handphone signal was so weak in the flat that it constantly switched to an Indonesian service provider.

Nights were depressing because many of the blocks seemed deserted, with few lights coming from the units. Many owners didn't move in because of the lack of amenities.

But the situation has improved with the opening of the LRT stations, a mall, more bus services and schools over the couple of years.

So, what's the appeal about Punggol?

Its prices received a boost when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong unveiled the Punggol 21-plus vision during his 2007 National Day Rally speech, said property watchers.

The coastal town will boast features such as a freshwater lake and a waterway running through the estate.

Also, Punggol's condo-like and newer units add to their desirability.

HSR Property Group executive director Eric Cheng said that the Punggol 21-plus endorsement stirred up valuation prices in that area.

He said: 'The estate is certainly more bustling now, with more amenities than before. I remember when I was in that estate many years ago and I couldn't get a taxi. The situation is much better now.

'If it's going to be the only water town in Singapore, buyers will pay some premium for it. It will be the next big thing to come.'

Mr Cheng said that Punggol flat-owners typically enjoy higher profits from the sale of their units compared to Sengkang residents.

This is because the first batch of Punggol flats were eligible for sale at the end of 2006, when the property market was already on the mend.

In comparison, the first batch of Sengkang flats were available for sale in 2003, when the property market was still in the doldrums.

ERA Asia Pacific associate director Eugene Lim added that Punggol buyers are also looking at their purchases as a form of investment.

He said: 'With the concrete plans to do up Punggol estate, flats there will command a higher premium compared to Sengkang.

'If you go to Punggol, it's not so congested. Some people are willing to pay more for a less built-up area, even though amenities are still quite lacking.'

Source: http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/st...89134,00.html?

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