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Archive | December 2014
December 31, 2014  

Happy New Year 2015 To YOU. It Is New Year In Sri Lanka Already ….

.Anura Guruge December 2014 thumbnail
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by Anura Guruge

For other related posts:
>> My Hogmanay 2015 greeting to YOU.

++++ Check category ‘Holidays’ on sidebar >>>>
 ++++ Search on ‘Hogmanay’ & ‘New Year’ for MANY other related posts over the years covering January 1, Chinese New Year and April 14 Sinhalese New Year >>>>

Happy New Year 2015.

It was January 1, 2015 in Colombo, Sri Lanka at 1:30 PM (Wednesday)
Eastern U.S. time.

That is good enough for me.

If it is New Year in Colombo, given that I was born there,
I can start the revelries.

And yes, of course, I have a glass of red
to toast YOU.

It has already been New Year in Australia for 5 hours (or more).
But my associations with Australia are tenuous.

New-Year-Table-Haritha-Wasanthaya-Jayewardenepura-University

Very traditional New Year fare in Sri Lanka — whether it be January 1 or April 14.

This picture from “Trip To Sri Lanka“. There have lots of other pictures. Check them out … here.

What you have to have is the ‘Milk Rice’ — center left. What is in the middle is betel leaves (on a brass oil lamp ready to be lit — hence the match box).

The ‘wagon wheels’ in the forefront are ‘Kokis’, fried dough. Devanee, after Thanksgiving, has cultivated a taste for them.

This, as you can see, is all low-carb, low-fat food. Traditional ‘Keum’, in the characteristic ‘mammary gland’ shape is missing. I think what is right up top, next to the bananas (that grow wild) might be the modern equivalent.

I haven’t eaten, let alone seen, many of these foods in 3 decades!

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December 31, 2014  

‘Flutterbye Flying Fairy’ Makers “Spin Master” Impresses By Offering FREE Parts Or Replacements For Damaged Flutterbyes,

.Anura Guruge December 2014 thumbnail
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by Anura Guruge

Related posts:
 1. Flutterby for Christmas was a success.

++++ Search on ‘Teischan’ for other related posts >>>>

As I had waxed lyrical, even though it broke eventually, the “Flutterbye Flying Fairy” was a great success. I was very impressed.

That is why I immediately ordered another one, without even exploring part options, on Christmas day itself, when a wing broke.

The new one arrived today and it worked. It is still intact. Teischan is happy though she is now also into flying her drone, by herself, again with great success.

This afternoon, a good 4 hours after the replacement arrived, Deanna tried calling the 1-800 number on the instructions.

She was amazed that somebody answered the phone within minutes. Moreover, it appears that the lady who answered, Nancy, was very helpful and said, after Deanna gave her a serial number, that she would mail us a new wing, for FREE. I was pretty happy. But being who I am I had a look at the broken fairy to see how I would have to replace the wing. I then realized that it wasn’t the wing per se that was broken. It was the pivoting, “D”-shaped mount that held the wing. So a new wing would not have helped.

So I called the 1-800 number. It was, again, answered in minutes. It was definitely a gentleman from India. He was GOOD. Very good. He knew at once what I was talking about. He said that the mount can’t be fixed. So they would send us, for FREE, a complete new fairy. I was stunned. Wow.

I explained that my wife and called earlier. No problem. He found the record in seconds just using my name.

What a difference from the treatment I got from TDS’ ‘what a joke’ Jamaica Call Center.

He took care of everything. I had to send in some pictures and the invoice by e-mail.

I asked him where the call center was located. Toronto, Canada. WOW. I am impressed.

Moreover it was ‘Spin Master’ call center. I am impressed.

Well, I will keep you posted. The English on the e-mail was Chinese, but that is OK.

IF they do send FREE replacement units I am not sure how they manage their margins. That has to get expensive. But, lets wait and see.

Click to ENLARGE. The English got slightly more ‘spicer’ towards the bottom.

IMG_4882

.Anura Guruge December 2014 thumbnail
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by Anura Guruge

2014nythmbhhasLast Google Doodle:

∋∋ “Skydive with Santa” Google Footnote — Dec. 12, 2014. ≡ ≡ ≡ ≡ Check CATEGORY ‘Google Doodle’ for other posts —>>> (sidebar)

 

Note the ‘Moments of 2014’ Google footnote.

Permanent access, independent of date,
 provided via the Google Doodle Archive.

 

December 31, 2014  

BJBHX (Aberdeen (Artio) Global High Income Fund) Distributes $0.07 Monthly Dividend In December 2014 — After Cap. Gains.

.Anura Guruge December 2014 thumbnail
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by Anura Guruge

Related posts:
1/ BJBHX $0.26 cap gains for 2014.
2/ BJBHX stopped hemorrhaging for a day.
3/ BJBHX depressing news.
4/ BJBHX: sticking it out till 2015.
5/ BJBHX has decent December 2013.
6/ Uncontrollable Infatuation With BJBHX.
7/ BJBHX: I Bailed With Regret.

++++ Search ‘BJBHX‘ for other related posts >>>>

Until I saw the distribution, in my Fidelity account, tonight, around 11:30 pm, I really wasn’t sure whether it would happen. BJBHX has had a chequered history with its December dividends. Sometimes they get lumped in with the middle-of-the-month cap. gains distributions and in other years it doesn’t. Maybe that now it is under Aberdeen they will make sure that the monthly December dividend is given out at month end, as are all the other monthlies.

Yes, for 2014 they sure did have two distribution dates for December and I called and double, triple checked on that. They kept on telling me, ‘yes, there will be a month end’. But excuse me for not believing them. It is not that I am not a skeptic, which I am, it is just that I have had inconsistent stories from BJBHX in the past.

So with this 0.06914 monthly, BJBHX doled out $0.32391 for the month. That is NOT shabby, though, of course, the NAV took a deep hit — as it must. But delivering dividends is what BJBHX is supposed to do. So I am cool. Yes, it will go some distance towards defraying my fairly hefty Christmas time expenses.

I am feeling much more charitable about BJBHX now than I did earlier in the month. I might, as has always been my downfall, persevere with them for a couple more months.

Heads up: If the December distributions were ‘rich’, BJBHX, historically, has skimped on the January monthly. So be prepared. It might be lower than average.

December 31, 2014  

We Take The ’68 Green MGB For A Drive, Dec. 30, 2014, Topless: Temperature 18°F ( -7°C )

.Anura Guruge December 2014 thumbnail
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by Anura Guruge

Related posts:
>> MGB gets Steve Barlow treatment.
>> Steve Barlow at Christmas
>> Tree lighting.
>> MGB goes to Steve Barlow
>> — Nov. 2014.
>> Green MGB — Sep. 14, 2014.

++++ Search ‘MGB’, ‘MG’, ‘Stag’, ‘Jensen’ & ‘cars’ for many other posts >>>>

IMG_20141230_153239
IMG_20141230_153156
1419970903971 IMG_20141230_152010

Though it was rather cold today, 15° F (-9.4° C) when I went running this morning, it has been precipitation free since before Christmas. Quintessential NE bright blue winter skies, with no snow and as such no salt on the road. The roads are as dry, hard and dusty as they would be in August after a week on no rain.

1419971702089The battery, out of the car per Steve Barlow’s very precise instructions, had been on, full-time, on a  trickle charger (from Amazon), for three weeks in my toasty hot workroom (which houses the oil furnace). I have never really had a car in winter hibernation ever before. The MG Midget that I had, which was much, much newer and in good running order, would get used, occasionally in the winter. I had put ‘Star Tron’ gas additive in the tank, again per Steve, and wanted to make sure that it got into the system. Since Boxing Day I had been telling Devanee that we should put the battery in the car and take it for a spin. But all of my ‘spare time’, during the day time hours, got spent with Teischan and her Drone. I knew that time was running out.

So on Tuesday afternoon, around 3pm, with the temperature at 15° F (-7° C), I took a break. Devanee had already brought the battery up.

It took a fair amount of cranking for it to catch. The battery didn’t die on us. I was impressed. Once I got it started it took another 5 minutes before I could get it to idle without conking off. Eventually I got it going. I guess the engine was cold. Once it warmed up it was firing like a champ. Devanee jumped in, with her new phone (which, of course, has two cameras), and we took off. Not sure how far we were going to go. Didn’t want to push it too far home. But it did good. We got brave. Neither of us had gloves on. My hands were fine (though in my old age I now wear gloves, something I rarely did 10 years ago). The engine is running good. Sounds healthy and strong.

In the end I drove it for at least 30 minutes. Devanee got out after about 20 minutes. She was cold. It was fun. I am glad I took it out.

The horn, alas, doesn’t work on a constant basis. Steve will have to fix it again.

Not sure whether we will get another chance this winter to take it for a spin. Definitely not taking it if the roads are frozen. Today the dirt roads around here were dusty as heck. The Alton Town dump trucks were working on Prospect Mountain Road. They were kicking up Tsunamis of dust. They know me. They would stop, way back, when they saw me to let the dust settle. The drivers are very nice like that.

Well that was fun. Gave Devanee a kick. She still hasn’t driven it, though she now will move the van for me in the drive. Just a matter of time.

Happy New Year.

[All the pictures taken with Devanee’s  Android phone.]

December 30, 2014  

Another AirAsia Accident Even As Bodies Being Recovered From AirAsia QZ8501? This Is NOT Right.

.Anura Guruge December 2014 thumbnail
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by Anura Guruge

Just SOME of the Related posts:
>> AirAsia QZ8501 transponders.
>> AirAsia QZ8501 Java Circle.

 >> Maldives & Sri Lanka – Mar. 15, 2014.
>> 4 hours in air, Sri Lanka, Cell phones … – Mar. 13, 2014.
>> Malaysia flight 370: My Thoughts — Mar. 10, 2014.
 >> Could have landed … — Mar. 11, 2014.

>> 3 month anniversary               >> 4 month anniversary
 >> 5 month anniversary               >> 6 month anniversary
 >> 7 month anniversary               >> 8 month anniversary

++++ Search on ‘MH370’ and ‘transponders’ for MANY other related posts >>>>

2ndairasia

Click to access report from U.K. “Sky News”. Google “AirAsia runway”, in NEWS, for more.

 

This is NOT right.

Fourth Malaysian plane accident, that I know of, in 9 months.

Something very fishy is going on.

Don’t forget that there was, SUPPOSEDLY, a warning on a about AirAsia 13 days BEFORE QA8501.

I definitely think something is up and Malaysian planes are being used as unfortunate guinea pigs. I am not going to elaborate on that. Read between the lines.

We now have open warfare on the Internet following the Sony hack.

I have to think, BUT I could be wrong, that hacking into airline navigation systems is probably easier! WHY? Because nobody thought anybody would try to hack them when they were being designed ’10’ years ago! All systems on planes, by definition, are old — because nobody wants bleeding edge technology on planes. I suspect that ‘somebody’, a foreign nation, is monkeying around with ‘radio’ signals in the “Java Circle“. But, this is so that they can iron out the bugs. Not saying any more.

Hhhmmmm.

Also PLEASE note the difference between Malaysian Air MH370 and AirAsia QA8501.

They FOUND wreckage from QA8501 within 72 hours.

6,500 hours after it disappeared we have not found even one pillow from MH370.

Don’t be duped.

December 30, 2014  

Ottawa (Canada), Thanks To Its ‘Scottish Society’, Is Having Hogmanay Celebrations With Pipes, Fireworks, Paddy Kelly & Whiskey.

.Anura Guruge December 2014 thumbnail
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by Anura Guruge

For other ‘Hogmanay’ posts:
>> 2015 Hogmanay Greetings.

++++ Search on ‘Hogmanay’ and ‘auld lang syne’ for MANY other related posts over the years >>>>

Click to access the ‘Scottish Society’ original.

This, with the pipe bands, Celtic Choir, Ceilidh, fireworks, ‘haggis’ & whiskey has it all. Moreover, my friend, music maestro (and all round ‘nice guy’) Paddy Kelly is playing between 9:00 to 9:50 as the ‘Stewarts Glen’. ‘Stewarts Glen’ consists of Paddy, his duo partner Pat Maher along with Ashley MacLeod. Paddy and Ashley also play with my perennial favorite group ‘The Brigadoons‘. This would be quite the night.

I like Ottawa. They celebrate “Remembrance Day” the way it should and they do Hogmanay. A slice of Scotland in Canada.

Given the amount of folks in the U.S. with Scottish ancestry I have never been able to work out why Hogmanay is an alien word in this country. When I wish folks a happy Hogmanay they just think it must be some obscure Sri Lankan holiday to some darkie deity. Yes, most never bother to Google it.

I wish ‘NH Scot‘, the folks that bring us the ‘Loon Highland Games‘, would consider organizing a NE Hogmanay. Yes, it can be at Loon, but it will have to be indoors. I will gladly volunteer my time to make that happen.

Well …

I wish you all a Very Happy Hogmanay.

Cheers.

stewartsglenn

“Stewarts Glen” with Paddy Kelly and Ashley MacLeod (and you should be able to work out who is who). The third member, Pat Maher, is there — but all you see is his left hand on his bass guitar, that alas, often the lot of bass players when it comes to group photos. Click to ENLARGE. Kindly supplied by Paddy.

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