North Korea Chicken out, while China Freeze with Coal Shortage

According to nz.news.yahoo.com

YEONPYEONG ISLAND, South Korea (AFP) – North Korea forswore retaliation against a South Korean live-fire drill and held out an olive branch over its nuclear drive, raising hopes for an easing to the region’s worst crisis in years.

The communist state said it “did not feel any need to retaliate against every despicable military provocation”, despite previously vowing a deadly riposte to the South’s drill on the border island of Yeonpyeong

According to news.yahoo.com

SHANGHAI – Communities in central and northern China are facing power cuts and rationing as winter coal supplies fall short of surging demand.

Cold weather and transport disruptions typically cause shortages most years, but the problem has been complicated by coal producers’ unhappiness over price controls that are crimping their profits.

The disruptions to supply appear to be worst in major coal producing regions such as Henan, where 40 percent of coal-fired power plants had fuel reserves equivalent to no more than three days of demand, according to a report on the State Grid’s website.

According to startribune.com

TOKYO – Asian stock markets rose Tuesday as tensions on the Korean peninsula eased a few notches.

Investors spent the previous day worried about possible North Korean retaliation against South Korean military drills on a frontline island that was shelled by the North last month.

Instead, Pyongyang backed off threats to strike back and reportedly offered concessions on its nuclear program.

All of the above are result of North Korea backing off any military retaliation in event of South Korea conducting of military exercises.

I think either China had finally pressured North Korea down or given North Korea sufficient aid to “calm down” while both country now suffer one of the harshest winters in the coming days.

Could this event is a simple begging for humanitarian aid by bad boy North Korea using the usual hostage situation to blackmail the region into negotiation & resume more “6 party talk” which may means exchanging of food for nuclear disarmament.

However, if China & South Korea cannot help North Korea in the future…due to unforeseen circumstances…will North Korea really carry out their threats?

Let’s pray they will not, politics & the strategy of conflict negotiation is a very complex chess game that not many countries can decipher North Korea’s next move.

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35 Cool Activities You can do During Earth Hour 28 March 2009 8.30pm to 9.30pm

Since I had joined Earth Hour for this coming Saturday 8.30pm to 9.30pm to voluntary switching off all the lights…(and everything else …if you dare) during this ONE hour.

I do ask around what people will do during this Earth Hour self controlled blackout…and the result is the list below.

  1. Send A Twitter Message “Commencing Earth Hour Blackout 3…2…1…” to all Twitter linked applications.
  2. Join the Earth Hour Concert In the Dark 7pm to 10pm if you are in Singapore.
  3. Gather around with friends indoor at the most windy spot to tell Ghost Stories!
  4. Light all the scented candles, then let loose!
  5. Open All Windows & Doors (not the grills) and let the wind pass through the whole house
  6. 1 Hours before Earth Hour, SMS or Email Everyone to remind them of the countdown.
  7. BUY NOW Glow in the dark T-Shirt and wear during the Earth Hour…(Remember to shine light on it first)
  8. Battery Powered Aquarium Bubble Generator to avoid dead fish.
  9. Go out of your house and get to know your neighbors.
  10. Candle Light Dinner with Love ones
  11. Scented Bed Sex for ONE FULL HOUR in total darkness.
  12. Soak in bubble bathtub with facial mask on, with a candle.
  13. Sleep!
  14. Set a verbal discussion about the future with your friends, family or love ones.
  15. Dance Naked in Darkness
  16. Use manual hand held fans & Torches to do your homework (sucks).
  17. Use hand cranked radio for music
  18. Solar Charged LED lights for moving around the house
  19. Listen to Neighbors talking if nearby
  20. Go around the area with Earth Hour pamphlet (few hours before it happen)
  21. Go Sell Earth Hour T-Shirt, Hand Crank Torch/Radio, Candles, Shopping List.
  22. Get enough bottle plain water or mineral water for the whole family.
  23. Drinking session in the dark!!
  24. Set up a small tent inside the house and pretend to be in the wilderness.
  25. Go camping in the wilderness.
  26. Teach your kids during this hour why Earth is changing climate & the fossil fuel problems that will cause to their future (Research more)
  27. Pray to God for 1 full hour with your cell group
  28. Sing a song without the music.
  29. Play with your iPhone/iPod/PSP/netbook until the battery goes flat (and find ideas how to charge it without electricity from the grid)
  30. Yoga in darkness
  31. Exercise in nude?
  32. Meditate in the dark
  33. Visit places that had pledged to switch of all their lights for Earth Hour (don’t bring valuables).
  34. Gather all available friends with candles inside lanterns to go round the neighborhoods in Earth Hour T-Shirts.
  35. Go to the sea side and listen to the waves in darkness!

Do email me or comment below for what WILL YOU DO during Earth Hour to contribute to the awareness of saving mother Earth (actually our own asses from self destruction!).

Popularity: 2% [?]

Nearly 1m customers in dark after ice storm batters US Midwest


According to Straitstimes:

OKLAHOMA CITY – A MASSIVE storm that dropped sleet and freezing rain across the US’s midsection, causing at least 24 deaths and leaving nearly a million utility customers without electricity, finally tapered off, but another wintry blast was forecast to develop on Wednesday over the southern Plains.

The new system was expected to bring more sleet and freezing rain to Oklahoma, Missouri and Texas, but not nearly as much as the previous storm, according to the National Weather Service.

Ice ranging from a quarter-inch to 2.5 centimetres thick glazed roads in much of the central Plains and Midwest. At least 24 deaths have been blamed on the storm since it developed last weekend. Most resulted from traffic accidents.

Forecasters said more snow, sleet and freezing rain could develop across the northern Ohio Valley and from Pennsylvania into New England on Wednesday.

The power outage was the worst ever in Oklahoma, with more than 618,000 homes and businesses without electricity late Tuesday.

Officials said it could be a week to 10 days before power is fully restored

- One week without power will make anyone crazy, they might be having serious problems keeping food fresh and may run out of non-perishable food as well. This might be just their worst week of their lives!

I bet this event will make them more prone to renewable energies and the importance of being prepared. It won’t be long that another event to take place somewhere in the world of environmental disasters.

Take action now! Go renewable!

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