“This, in brief, is why capitalism won. It’s the only system that understands that we’d all like to change the world, but we are way too lazy for that sort of thing.”

Washington Post Feb.7,2006.

For celebrating my birthday with me and contributing to our little UNICEF fund. So far we’ve raised $690.00 in 2006, well on our way to reach $1,000 by the end of this year.

That is equivalent to about 6 of UNICEF’s school in a box. Each school in a box provides all of the supplies needed to provide children with a makeshift classroom in areas stuck by poverty or disaster.

Originally designed to provide basic education for children living in refugee camps following the Rwanda crisis in 1994, UNICEF’s school-in-a-box is now used in other emergencies worldwide.

The purpose of the kit is to ensure the continuation of children’s education in the first 72 hours of an emergency. Every country affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami received school-in-a-box kits, as did communities in the U.S. Gulf Coast affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

Not because of any security-related reason. Virgin Atlantic (the best way to fly by the way) has banned the use of Dell and Apple laptops on all of its flights and joins Korean Air and Quantas (Australia).

The reason is because these laptops pose a fire risk due to the problem with their exploding batteries.

If you are flying any of these airlines you can use your laptop in seat that provide an electrical outlet (mostly first class and some business class). The laptop batteries must fly in your checked baggage properly wrapped up.

If your seat doesn’t have a plug for your laptop you’ll just have to make due watching movies and sleeping.

Have a safe flight.

*ding*

Baisodrome (noun) pronounced (bay-so-drom) – A place where lots of sex takes place; where high-schoolers like to make out and engage in practices their parents would never allow; the home of a “playa”;my bedroom.

haha – ok, had to sneak that last one in there 😉

There are more vulgar definitions you can find by clicking the links. This is the PG-13 version.

Rented a smartcar today – the cost was 50 francs (about $40) from a small rental place **smartrent.ch** that is all over Switzerland and I think Europe. Without getting lost too much we made to Lake Como from Lugano in about 20 minutes. All the border guards do is wave you by unless you’re in a truck, large SUV, or van. We drove around the city center and parked in the lot of a local shopping center (cost ~$2 for 2 hours).

Lake Como is certainly a livelier place than Lugano and it has all you expect from Italy. An absolutly stunning view of the Lake itself, a piatza with kids playing soccer, and man who wear tight shirts and curse at each other. Lots of cafes and plently of interesting things to look at and eat if you decide to get lost walking around. People are in their own little world and you don’t get the random people trying to sell you garbage as you might find in poorer countries.

We decided to stick to Lake Como and skip Milan because it is closer and the last train to Zurich took off early the night before my next flight.

I rule Como!