It fall, and the leaves on the trees are turning from green to an assortment of colors.
It also time for Motor Trend Magazine to decide on the 2008 Car of the Year.Choosing the winner is not just a popularity contest. Far from it. Instead, cars that are being considered must satisfy a host of criteria including Superiority, Significance, and Value. Superiority calls for the editors to evaluate a car engineering excellence and advancement in design.
Archive for November, 2007
Motor Car of the Year
Friday, November 16th, 2007Urumqi
Wednesday, November 14th, 2007UrumqiUrumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is located in an alluvial fan-shaped basin on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains. The city opens on to the Junggar Basin in the north. In the Mongolian language, Urumqi means “Beautiful Meadow.”
Hongshan
Ongshan Mountain is the highest spot in the center of the city. Hongshan’s main peak is 464 meters above sea level. With towering crags, the mountain was named after the cliffs, which gleam red in the sun’s rays every morning and evening. The upper part of the mountain looks like the head of a tiger, so it is also called “Tiger Head Mountain.” It faces Yamalike Mountain, less than 1,000 meters away. At the foot of the mountain is the Urumqi River, flowing from north to south. On the top of Hongshan Mountain is a statue of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) national hero Lin Zexu. Standing at the “Yuantiao (looking far into the distance) Tower” on the mountain, one can view the whole city.
Heaven Lake
Tianchi (Heaven Lake) Natural Landscape Reserve is located at the foot of 5,44-meter Bogda Peak, the highest mountain in the eastern part of the Tianshan range. It covers an area of 158 square kilometers, including the 71-square-kilometer Tianchi Scenic Area, within which are 20 major scenic spots.
Located in the north-central part of the scenic area, Tianchi Lake is 1,910 meters above sea level, 3.3 kilometers long and one kilometer wide on average. The lake stores 160 million cubic meters of water all the year round. Tianchi Lake freezes up in late October and thaws in early May. In the meantime, the lake’s surface is covered with ice one meter thick. In summer, the temperature stays at around 20 degrees C. It is a pleasant and comfortable place. Tianchi is not only a summer resort, but also a good alpine skating rink in winter. Coming from a glacier, the water of Tianchi Lake is pure and the ice surface is smooth. With a gentle breeze blowing most of the time, it is an ideal place for skating competitions.
No.1 Glacier
No.1 Glacier is the source of the Urumqi River, located 120 kilometers form Urumqi on Mount Tiangar. It is 3,800 meters to 4,000 meters above sea level, 2.4 kilometers long, averages 500 meters wide and covers an area of 19,500 square kilometers. Surrounding it are 76 large and small younger glaciers.
Barack Obama, Possibly the next President?
Tuesday, November 6th, 2007As the new American election approaches, there are many candidates that will potentially make American History. One of these candidates is Barack Obama. If elected as the next present, he will be the first ever African American president in history. For those who do not know about Obama, here is a brief yet insightful biography.
Obama was born in August 4, 1961. His first experience in politics was when he was the junior United States Senator for his state under a Democratic Party. While receiving such role, he already contributed to history by being labeled the fifth African American Senator in a whole history of the United States.
In 2008, Obama will be running for Presidency. His Democratic Party’s mission is to end the Iraq War, which is quite turn around for the country. It will be quite interesting to see how the election plays out, which may ultimately show the nation’s current stand on the war. Of course each candidate has their own view on the war and it will not be the sole reason why the American citizens will be voting in favor of a specific candidate.
Barack Obama also wants to implement a universal health care system which allows the right to all citizens (and some permanent residents) to health care, regardless of the fact that they can afford to pay for the services or not. This is essential for the United States since they are the only industrialized country that does not grant all of their citizens the right to health care.
If Barack Obama were to be elected as president, it will show how much the United States has gone through pass their decades of discrimination against the African American. Of course racism has already decreased since the 70’s and 80’s but it still lingers within the country if we admit it or not. The sole purpose of voting for a certain senator is not to chose whether he or she is in a specific group (such as race, class or gender) but rather look through such things into their values as a person and goals for the country. This election will be one of the most important elections as there is lots of potential for history to be made and of course, a major impact in the country’s direction.
The results of Barack Obama’s campaign for presidency is not as predictable since the vote is going to be determined by generations of people who have new mindsets. As opposed to decades ago, if a similar election would be held (with a female and black senator running) the results would be quite obvious because of the discrimination between the two. However, the United States are in a new state, but of course those with the discriminating generation are still alive and voting.
As each candidate tour the country hoping to convince voters to vote for them through their campaign, Obama New York as a win would greatly benefit is campaign along with California Obama majority. Tune into the 2008 election as history will surely be made.
Temporary Health Insurance – Easy and Affordable Alternative to Bankruptcy
Monday, November 5th, 2007Are you one of the 47 million without health insurance? Do you realize that over half of all the bankruptcies in the USA occur as a result of an emergency medical cost? Many medical insurance plans are too costly for people on a modest income. COBRA monthly premiums are shocking to people who are between jobs. Graduating students do not have extra cash to spend on expensive health insurance plans before they get benefits from their jobs.
Short term health insurance plans are designed to give you the coverage of health insurance at a fraction of the cost. These medical insurance plans do not have co payments for doctors’ visits. They also do not generally have prescription drug benefits, nor do they cover pre-existing conditions.
The temporary medical insurance plans do offer major medical coverage for catastrophic situations for a fraction of the cost of co pay plans or COBRA plans. They have a deductible which you choose and an out of pocket maximum. Once the maximum is met, the insurance covers medical expenses at 100%. This coverage could be all you need to keep you out of bankruptcy in the event that you need medical care. While these plans are considered ‘temporary insurance’, they are designed to cover the individual or family for as long as the client pays the premium.
If you don’t know how long you will need the coverage, you can opt for a month-to-month payment plan. But if you know you will have coverage at a certain date, you can save money by selecting the single payment option for the insurance. This is a good idea if you are in a waiting period for a new job before the health benefits begin.
You can get coverage in as little as 5 minutes effective as early as midnight tonight, and apply directly online at several websites. Compare several different options and you will be surprised at how little it costs to insure you in the event of a medical emergency. There is no need to be one of the 47 million Americans in danger of bankruptcy in the event of a medical emergency. These plans are affordable for everyone.