Don't use this bank! Unless you look for trouble

In the category "Most client unfriendly bank" on the planet, the award goes to HSBC, HK, SAR.

They are unable to:
- Tell you the status of your bank account over the phone (the 24 hour hotline that is)
- Call you back if you need to talk to them urgently
- Process overseas transfers properly
- Have the Singaporean branch help you with the Hong Kong account as they are separate businesses (WHAT????)

In addition they WILL:
- Transfer money from one of your accounts to another without telling you
- Close down your account without warning or notification
- Promise you to call you and never do so
- Respond to your mails saying they are busy with a high volume of incoming mails (Hire more people to anser them OR start working on reducing problems!)
- Take ages to answer your requests in the end

Summary: If you want to make your life difficult, chose HSBC as your bank!
PS: I am not using them here in Singapore. Wonder why?

Good old times

Spoke to Hagen last night. We agreed. There was only one (1) really bad movie we have seen in the entire 90s. Batman. And it WAS a bad movie. And we have been to the cinema EVERY week. Once. At least!

Now here is a clipping from Rotten Tomatoes on Rambo 4:
Stays on the verge of being a rousing dumbass flick at all times -- you've never seen so many mid-air organs --

Another one from a forum on the same movie (Movie???)
Bottomline, if you somehow have a sick fetish for watching people’s heads get blown up and chopped off everywhere, then RAMBO to you would be like Christmas in January.

Now go back and check the ratings on Rotten Tomatoes for
- HEAT - Terminator - Rambo 1

Guess what all the above have in common (at least in my opinion): Right, an amazing story. In case of Heat there is actually ... errr about 8 stories weaved together.

Hope this year will not be the same as 2007 when it comes to movies. Kind of sad that TRANSFORMERS turned out to be my highlight last year.

Helpful tips for life - Wine

White wine stains can be easily removed by dabbing some red wine on the fresh stain!

German anger at Nokia grows

Business times reported that Nokia is planning to close their German plant and to move it to Romania. Kurt Beck and Per Steinbrueck are boykotting Nokia and Anghard Schroekel says "Germans should have a right to buy appliances MADE IN GERMANY.

What a bunch of freaks are ruling this country?
- Nokia is simply bashing parts together that are premanufactured outside Germany anyway. All the workers do is to bash together stuff from China, Malaysia and Korea
- The company looks at their bottom line. The right move to move maybe
- There are no GERMAN mobile phones, one would have to buy a foreign product anyway
- The product is a foreign one to begin with as Nokia is not a German company
- Great signal to all potential investors: Come to Germany. We offer high taxes, difficult laws, rigid labour regulations and if you decide to move on we blackmail you guys
- Name ONE appliance that is truly German. Even a Mercedes contains some 49% of parts manufactured outside Germany. You call THAT made in Germany
- Once the I-Phone is available no one would want a Nokia anyway
- Has anyone EVER thought of trying to KEEP Nokia in Germany?
- I bet any amount: all these politicians ot their phones free
- Brussels is not granting Nokia subsidies for the Romania operations. So what? You think they got money to set up camp in Germany?

Folks, you go on follow such calls for boycott and I am sure the next thing you know is that other foreign companies will pull out of GER as well.

Now...Critique is good. Solutions are better. Even this sounds easier than it is, but here it is:
MAKE GERMANY AN ATTRACTIVE COUNTRY TO INVEST IN! Then companies may actually expand their business.

Sweet dreams my Germany!

Curry can cause cramps!

Home cooked curry is the best. While Nicole went on a business trip I still had to eat, right? So we cooked a HUUUUGE pot of curry. Lasted Sunday - Wednesday.
Endresult: Curry intoxication. In stomach felt like a plane crash and I lost appetite as all the curry revolted inside me.

Some greasy western food last night solved the problem.

Bottom line: I now believe in what the government promotes "Eat all foods in moderation".

Mahlzeit!

Stefan alone at home...

Nicole is heading to Bangkok on a business trip, leaving me alone with the four-legged terrorist. Means that I will endulging myself in real Bachelor's meals... Pizza and Beer. Four days long. I will improve on my microwaving skills and on couch-crushing.

This also means I have to entertain the dog during her absense. But that should be easy.
All I am gonna do is to order some stuff from http://www.hotdog.com.sg/ for him.

Like this:

Supersize me too???

Finally we have gotten around to see "Supersize Me". Interesting idea. Having said so, after an hour the movie starts to become a bit tiring as it always the same. Anyway, the interesting bit is that this fellow set out to proof the at the food served at Mc D and similar place is not exactly good for you.

Now, I have been eating this stuff for years, on a weekly basis. Toghther with chips, chocolate, late night snacks, beers... you name it.
How come I am not getting flubby? Is that an attitude problem of my body? Saying "Ey, everyone else might, bit I am not getting big, just out of protest. Period!"

Or, more likely, is it the overall lifestyle??? I wish the producers of supersize me would do the same experiment again with the guy working out or doing sports 4 times a week.

Maybe I do that if I have time.

Folks, keep being critical!

Haven't and I am not

Interesting... People always welcome me with either "You have lost weight, your face so skinny" or "You look tired". Why?

My weight has been stable for the past 17 years. Ok, give and take 500g, that is beard stubbles.
As for my sleep habits: Saturdays and Sundays naps in the afternoon, weekdays minimum of 7 hours sleep.

Two Tongues Together...

Frohes Neues 2008!!

Sylvester mal anders... Dieses Jahr habe ich mit Panadol und Antibiotika begruesst. Sylverster Abend KZH (Krank zu Hause).

Gut nur, dass wir das Feuerwerk von unserer Haustuer aus sehen koennen.

Na denn: Frohes Neues!