The "Come Up" CSS Trick

It seems like I embed a flash file for this blog's header, but actually not. If this "come up" is hovered, a flying bird comes up and moving around. I actually use a CSS trick from DynamicDrive.com.

Below is the trick, and the key is that the image file has to be a transparent animation image.

The CSS:

.thumbnail {
position: relative;
z-index: 0;
}

.thumbnail :hover {
background-color: transparent;
z-index: 50;
}

.thumbnail span { /*CSS for enlarged image*/
position: absolute;
background: transparent; /*important*/
padding: 5px;
left: -1000px;
visibility: hidden;
color: black;
text-decoration: none;
}

.thumbnail span img { /*CSS for enlarged image*/
border-width: 0;
padding: 2px;
}

The XHTML:

Only when I
<a class="thumbnail" href="#thumb">come up<span>
<img src="http://transparent animation" alt="" /></span></a>
with <a href="http://anymatters.blogspot.com">any matters.</a>

Warren Buffett: Transcedence Ratio over 80% !!!

Once upon a time I proposed what I call "Transcendence Ratio", a ratio between selfish capitalism and philanthropy.

I don't believe it if someone makes it 80% !!!

The world has watched with admiration as Warren Buffett, the legendary investor, has made his fortune over the years. Now they can watch the second richest person in the world join forces with the richest to give it away.

This weekend Mr Buffett pledged to give 85 per cent of his estimated $44bn fortune to charity, mainly to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation created by the founder of Microfsoft.

(read more)

What about tax exemption? How many percent may he get for the rest of his wealth?

Say that he has a $100 billion net-worth, which is all assumed as capital gain. $80 billion is given away, and the rest $20 billion to be allocated to estate planning.

Without a donation tax-deduction, if the $20 billion in the form of shares, there are 33% capital gain, so the next of kin only get $13.4 billion upon his death. However, there is another 25% gift tax, the final take-away is $10.05 billion.

So thanks to donation tax-deduction, that can keep the net $20 billions.

Another story, without donation. The $100 billion capital-gain net-worth will be taxed 33% capital gain and 25% gift tax, netting take-away of $50.25 billion.

With donation, just say only $40 billion (40%), The final take-away is $60 billion. Still worth it...

===
Related: Generous Celebs

This is Sealand, not New Zealand

These days, a micronation matters. Find an island, and build one...
Fyi, there are more than 18,000 islands in Indonesia.


Sealand

Flag and Coat of Arms

The Principality of Sealand is a micronation that claims as its territory the artificial island of Roughs Tower, a former Maunsell Sea Fort located in the North Sea 10 km (six miles) off the coast of Suffolk, England, at 51°53′40″N, 1°28′57″E, as well as territorial waters in a twelve-nautical-mile radius. Sealand is occupied by family members and associates of Paddy Roy Bates, who styles himself as H.R.H. Prince Roy of Sealand. The population of the facility rarely exceeds five, and its inhabitable area is 550 m².

Although Sealand's claims to sovereignty and legitimacy are not recognized by any country, it is probably the world's best-known micronation, and is sometimes cited in debates as an interesting case study of how various principles of international law can be applied to a territorial dispute.

(read more)

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on the other part of the world, this is a real nation...
=======

New Zealand

Flag and Coat of Arms

New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean consisting of two large islands (the North Island and South Island) and many much smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island and the Chatham Islands. It is called Aotearoa in Māori, which translates as the Land of the Long White Cloud, but this name, while in common usage, has no legal recognition.

It is notable for its geographic isolation, being separated from Australia to the northwest by the Tasman Sea, some 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) across. Its closest neighbours to the north are New Caledonia, Fiji and Tonga.

The population is mostly of European descent, with Māori being the largest minority. Non-Māori Polynesian and Asian peoples are also significant minorities, especially in the cities.

Elizabeth II is the Queen of New Zealand and is represented by a non-partisan Governor-General; the Queen 'reigns but does not rule', so she has no real political influence. Political power is held by the Prime Minister, who is leader of the Government in the democratically-elected Parliament of New Zealand. The Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands and Niue, which are entirely self-governing, Tokelau, and the Ross Dependency (New Zealand's territorial claim in Antarctica).

(read more)

Just pay it with your Finger, not Cash or Card.

A Tampa Coast to Coast convenience store has installed a device that scans your fingerprint to process payment through a debit account.

By MARK ALBRIGHT, Times Staff Writer
Published June 20, 2006

TAMPA - Customers can pay with cash, plastic or their index finger at a new Coast to Coast Family Convenience store here.

Taking a big step beyond the ease of the Mobil SpeedPass, Coast to Coast has installed what's claimed as Florida's first biometric payment system.

There are no cards or PIN numbers to remember. Just stick your finger in the scanner and be on your way.

(read more)

How to Grill Chicken

This how-to guide is part of eHow.com, the world's largest source of how-to information. With thousands of articles on a wide range of topics, eHow has the step-by-step guides you need. For everything from how to throw a knuckleball to how to muzzle a dog, www.ehow.com is your how-to solution.

The challenge in grilling chicken is to cook it long enough so that the inside of the chicken is done without the outside being charred. Allow about 1/2 pound of chicken (bone in) per serving.
Ingredients:

* 1 chicken
* Oil or nonstick spray
* Salt and pepper
* Barbecue sauce - optional

Steps:
1. Buy chicken parts or cut up a whole chicken. Remove skin and fat, if desired, then rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Prepare a bed of medium-hot coals in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-hot. Coat the grill rack with oil or nonstick spray for easier cleanup later.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken parts on grill rack.
4. Cook chicken for about 30 to 45 minutes. Turn chicken every 10 minutes for even cooking.
5. Baste with barbecue sauce only in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
6. Check for doneness by cutting into the middle of a piece of chicken. The juices should run clear when you cut into the thickest part of the piece.
7. Serve immediately or cool, chill and serve cold. click photos to enlarge

Tips:
Don't apply barbecue sauce until the last 10 minutes of cooking. Most sauces have a high sugar content and will burn if cooked too long.
Partially cooking chicken in the microwave (about 8 to 10 minutes on high) and then putting it on the grill to finish cooking saves time.
Chicken fat can drip onto coals and cause flare-ups, so you might want to consider cooking over indirect heat. Use a covered grill and place a foil drip pan under chicken, with coals pushed to the sides of the grill. The chicken will take about the same length of time to cook.
Marinades boost flavor in grilled food. Marinate the chicken for an hour or up to 24 hours, refrigerated. Try these combinations: lime juice, cilantro and onion; yogurt, cumin, coriander, cayenne and cilantro; lemon juice, garlic and olive oil; or soy sauce, garlic and ginger.

Warnings:
Partially raw chicken is not safe to eat. Bone-in chicken parts are done when juices run clear and a meat thermometer shows they have reached an internal temperature of 170 degrees F.

Cost of Capital in Pricing Monopoly in Communist Country

People are sometimes confused with the term of monopoly. Wherever it is conducted, monopoly is defined as a market set by only one provider of the product or service. For example, in most communist countries there is only one provider of telecommunication, transportation or electricity, which is normally in the form of state-owned enterprise (SOE), as this type known as a natural monopoly. Yet this monopoly market can also be applied in a liberal country like the United States, or other Western countries. The term used is softer, a quasi monopoly, and the example unsurprisingly are like Intel and Microsoft.

Monopoly is monopoly and the pricing decision of the product or service has to be influenced by public regulation in one country in order to get a fair price. In pricing a product, a company usually calculates the capital budget in a feasibility study of a project to finally find the suitable profit margin. In capital budgeting, the cost of capital is used as a comparative parameter with the rate of return. The rule is that the return rate must exceed the cost of capital. Once exceeded, an additional parameter like profit margin can then be considered with, of course, the role of public regulation set by the authority (Kiwicap, Roger Bowden).

In finance, the cost of capital can be calculated using the popular capital asset pricing model (CAPM) as the cost of capital (k) equals to risk-free rate (Rf) plus Beta times the market risk premium (MRP), which is the difference between the risk-free rate and the market return (Rm).

k = Rf + Beta x MRP, where MRP = Rm - Rf

To illustrate this calculation, I can use the example of People Republic of China market, picking up the China Telecom Corporation, which is 70% owned by the goverment and listed in Hong Kong and New York stock exhanges. China is a communist country who has a monopoly in telecomunication, however has 3 (three) considerable stock exchanges: Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong exchanges that can be referred to the market risk premium.

To define Rf, I will use the Chinese Government Bond rate. From the three exchanges, I will choose Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HSE) index for calculating the market return (Rm). For finding Beta, I will use the historical prices of China Telecom stock and HSE index. Then, calculate k, the cost of capital.

Whatever the result is, I have to say that even in a communist country, a cost of capital matters. Particularly, in pricing a monopoly product or service.

How about Intel and Microsoft, they are originated in a very sophisticated liberal country? The cost of capital, of course, matters. And also needs to be regulated, as can be seen from the 2004 news on Intel being investigated by the European Commission for quasi-monopoly.

THE European Commission said yesterday that it had re-opened a three-year-old investigation into Intel, the world’s biggest computer chip maker, just weeks after the company’s Japanese offices were raided by regulators on suspicion of anti-competitive practices.

Currency Symbol CHF means Confœderatio Helvetica Franc

I wonder why the currency of Swiss franc is symbolised as "CHF", even my professor does so. Is it supposed to be as "SWF", means Swiss Franc?

First I guess it's related to the city of Zurich so that I take the last two characters of "CH" in "zuriCH". But, that is not the origin of CHF.

Looking up Switzerland in Wikipedia, I found the answer. "Confœderatio Helvetica" (CH) is the official name of Switzerland. That's in a Latin word for, if translated to English, Swiss Confederation.

Confoederatio Helvetica is the country's official Latin name. The use of Latin avoids having to favour one of the four national languages. The abbreviation (CH) is similarly used. The Latin title Confoederatio Helvetica means Helvetic Confederation. The titles commonly used in French, Italian and Romansh translate as Swiss Confederation, while the German name of Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft translates literally as "Swiss Oath Fellowship" or "Swiss Commonwealth of the Covenant".

According to him, they just try to be fancy...

Melindungi-nilai Emas Indonesia

Kelihatannya perusahaan tambang emas asing di Indonesia, seperti Newmont dan Freeport akan selalu untung. Tapi kalau kenyataannya pasar bilang harga emas akan turun di masa mendatang, mereka akan merugi.

Di atas kertas, mereka memang untung sekarang, namun kemudian proses penambangan tentunya akan memakan waktu bertahun-tahun. Pada saat semua emas yang mereka klaim pada suatu daerah terkuras dalam suatu kurun waktu dan harga emas saat itu ternyata jatuh, mereka akan rugi.

Beberapa perusahaan tambang emas ada yang tidak melindungi-nilai (hedge). Dalam hal ini, mereka membiarkan harga saham mereka naik turun atas keterkaitannya dengan harga emas di pasaran. Artinya, mereka berusaha menarik investor yang ingin berjudi melalui harga saham mereka. Walaupun demikian, mereka masih bisa melindungi-nilai saham mereka dengan penjualan-dimuka (short-selling) dengan broker.

Namun selain itu, ada juga perusahaan tambang emas yang selalu melindungi-nilai (hedge) emas mereka. Mereka melindungi-nilai dengan cara mengunci harga emas pada suatu waktu di masa depan melalui transaksi emas berjangka (futures) atau dengan kontrak emas kedepan (forward contract). Mereka biasa menjual emas berjangka atau kontrak emas kedepan dengan harga tetap tertentu dengan perusahaan investasi global, seperti Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Salomon Brothers, dll. Dalam hal ini yang berjudi adalah perusahaan investasi global tersebut.

Tapi bagaimana perusahaan investasi global ini bisa melindungi-nilai kontrak mereka dengan perusahaan tambang emas? Caranya yaitu dengan meminjam emas secara fisik dari bank sentral dan langsung menjualnya sekarang dengan harga pasar saat ini. Hampir seluruh bank sentral di dunia memiliki cadangan emas.

Kemudian, pada saat kontrak emas kedepan mereka dengan perusahaan tambang emas habis, mereka akan menerima sejumlah dana dari perusahaan tambang dengan harga emas kedepan (forward price) yang berlaku sesuai kontrak. Dari dana tersebut mereka akan membayar kembali pinjaman mereka ke bank sentral.

Begitulah kira-kira permainan kapitalisme emas di Indonesia. Pada prinsipnya, dengan segala cara perlindungan-nilai, baik perusahaan tambang emas asing, perusahaan investasi global, investor, maupun bank sentral akan selalu punya harapan untuk mengeruk keuntungan.

Sementara itu, bagaimana nasib rakyat Indonesia yang diwakili oleh sikap pemerintah Indonesia? Masa berlaku Kontrak Karya Penambangan Emas yang ada di Indonesia, pada umumnya, 30 tahun. Khususnya berkaitan dalam peningkatan penanaman modal asing (PMA) di Indonesia, hal ini sangat didukung oleh pemerintah RI.

Pemasukan pemerintah sudah jelas diperoleh dari iuran tahunan yang ditentukan dalam suatu kontrak karya penambangan. Tapi itu saja belum cukup. Rakyat Indonesia pasti akan selalu dirugikan dan selalu ada biaya kesempatan yang hilang. Tiga puluh tahun secara matematika keuangan bisa sama dengan lebih dari 60 tahun kalau nilai tersebut dibungakan tiap tahun.

Melindungi-nilai emas Indonesia tidak sama dengan melindungi emas Indonesia. Melindungi emas Indonesia adalah dengan melindungi tambang rakyat Indonesia dengan memberi kesempatan rakyat menikmati waktu 30 tahun itu. Toh teknologi bisa dipelajari, boleh ngutang dan nyewa. Tiga puluh tahun adalah masa yang cukup untuk berkembang.

Sebagai rakyat dari negara kaya seperti Indonesia, tentunya akan sakit hati melihat kenyataan bahwa nilai kekayaan mereka jauh lebih besar dari yang mereka bayangkan tapi masih tidak dapat dinikmati. Semuanya itu karena terkendali oleh sistem kapitalisme pasar global yang sophisticated sedemikian rupa menguasai ekonomi nasional.

Kalau mau sebenarnya bisa saja, yaitu dengan menekan pemerintah untuk menutup semua tambang emas asing secara paksa dengan alasan perubahan darurat kontrak karya. Kemudian, sebagai uang tebusannya adalah hutang dari perusahaan investasi asing untuk membayar balik dimuka kontrak-kedepan (forward contract). Disini, kontrak-kedepan perusahaan emas asing terdahulu akan dibeli oleh pemerintah dengan jaminan sebagian emas yang akan dieksploitasi akan masuk ke cadangan bank sentral yang akan diperdagangkan secara fisik dengan perusahaan investasi global di masa sekarang.

Tidak etis memang kelihatannya, tapi selama kita mampu meyakinkan dengan bukti-bukti bahwa hampir seluruh kontrak karya dibuat dengan dasar KKN, tindakan itu menjadi etis. Lagian risikonya terlalu tinggi bagi perusahaan investasi global untuk memegang kontrak emas kedepan dengan perusahaan tambang asing di Indonesia yang cenderung kurang legitimate karena terpengaruhi KKN. Mungkin risikonya akan lebih rendah, apabila dengan, misalnya, Koperasi Tambang Emas Rakyat Indonesia.

Gito lho, mas.

Anymatters-photoblog turns one year

Started with 40 photos uploaded in the first month last year then 16 photos for the second month, I continued reducing my uploads for time reason. Until now I'm lucky if I can upload 4 photos for the month. I now have more concern with kezianagallery than anymatters photoblog, but some think both are the same.

Uploaded from using Picasa+Hello until now blogged directly from Flickr using "blog this". Blogging from Flickr, I need however to omit the style tag in order to be valid XHTML. I also joined Photoblog.org, but no one has tagged me. That's okay.

Anyway, I realy enjoy it.

I will never be a pro, but look this photo, titled "a big click, a big archive". This photo was exhibited in one gallery in my town for a local photo competition. However, this was not a winner, only a nomination. That's okay.

In creating a topical photo in my photoblog, I first use my instinct for making a snap of something. I sometime snap people by snipping and sneaking, eventhough it sounds illegal in this country. Then, I use my imagination to title the photo. There's no particular topic I choose to maintain as it comes after "anymatters".

This one is my favourite and was actually the first uploaded photo.

How to change and lay a new carpet

When it comes to winter, it's important to take attention to the carpet. Such an old and thin carpet would not be sufficient to restore heat in a room. Below is how to change and lay a new carpet. Credits for Michael Lynch, Huntly, NZ.

Empty the rooms. Stuff can go to yard and kitchen. You can put your stuff in the toilet but it is not recommended because you're gonna need it. It's one day job. In the kitchen, make sure no stuff blocks the fridge and microwave in case of having lunch.

Strip off the old carpet and the old padding lied underneath, using hand and a stripping scoop.

Lay the new padding (rubber is recommended) using a stepgun and install the new tackless stip if necessary. The carpet end is to be attached over the tackless strip. The seam glue is to be applied over the padding. After the seam glue is applied, the capet needs to be attached immediately.

To attach the carpet, use a power stretcher, a knee kicker, a hammer and a slider. This should start from one corner. Attach the carpet in one corner using the knee kicker and the hammer to hook the carpet onto the tackless strip. The slider is used to slide the carpet edge under the skirt board. After carpet is attached in one corner of the room, stretch the carpet in the other corner using the power stretcher that is put across the room, where the base holds the wall at the other end that was just hooked. Press down the lever to stretch the carpet and attach it to the tackless strips.

Manado Food Recipe: RW (Rintek Wuuk), but Beef (halal)

RW (Rintek Wuuk) is one popular dish from Manado, which is part of the culture of Minahasa people. It's cooked in such a long hour, thus don't think on saving electricity or gas bill to get the best result. How to cook it with beef (halal):
First, prepare the ingredient: chili, galangale (lengkuas), ginger (jahe), lemongrass (sereh), tumeric (kunyit), onion and garlic, lemon basil (kemangi), spring onion (daun bawang), lime leaves (daun jeruk)

Blend all, except the lemon basil (kemangi), spring onion (daun bawang), lime leaves (daun jeruk).

Second, fry the blended ingredient with some amount of oil and add lemon basil (kemangi), spring onion (daun bawang), lime leaves (daun jeruk). At high heat.






Third, add cubed beefs.









Fourth, cook beefs until brown. At medium heat.








Fifth, add some water. At low heat, for about 1.5 hours. Stir every 15 minutes.








Sixth, if the beef turns into dark brown and soft, it means ready to serve.








Enjoy it.

Update
According to most Minahasans resided in the US, it is much more nice with duck meat instead.

Creative Commies: it's okay

This is sort of old post from Boing-boing that convinced me to subscribe for the Creative Commons button that time. I thought it's okay as long as being implemented in the context of the internet environment.

Bill Gates: Free Culture advocates = Commies
I imagine my blog-mate Cory might have a few things to say about this when he's online again. :-) In an interview on news.com, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates described free culture advocates as a "modern-day sort of communists." Well now. (Boing-boing)

“There are some new modern-day sort of communists who want to get rid of the incentive for musicians and moviemakers and software makers under various guises.”
This comment, directed at the Creative Commons and Open Source movements, set off a flurry of debate and sparked what could become a bit of a revolution. In a flash, the creative commons and copyleft logos were mashed up and turned into communist posters, t-shirts, and flags. (Purchase these)

More Gates "Copyleft = Commies" propaganda
My fellow travelers -- feast on this fine assortment of Copyleft Flag desktops for your commie computers! (Boing-boing)