Check it out

Check it out carefully and see what's so different that I post this pic here before your click the link beneath ('cos when you click the link you'd know why):



http://hk.news.yahoo.com/070405/12/251tf.html

直播臭芝士發酵 80萬網民爭看

Its really amazing! Very post-modern. I just don't know why people would do it! You'd have a screen shot of it. It'd be a video but it seems that its a pic on the page - 'cos everything's static.




(明報) 04月 03日 星期二 05:10AM

http://hk.news.yahoo.com/070402/12/24vl5.html

【明報專訊】僅3個月大的「他」，黃皮膚中帶點藍黑色的「皺紋」，散發近似臭襪味的體臭，但「他」可能是英國 有史以來最不可思議的網上明星。單在最近數日，專誠上網欣賞「他」的擁躉由40萬人次激增至80萬！

暗戀者寄情人卡示愛

更出乎意料的是，人們都只在家中目不轉睛地盯他一動不動的樣子已覺心滿意足。但來自瑞典、澳洲 及新西蘭 的「粉絲」卻忍住不給「他」寫情信傾訴。一班來自美國的女學生更是像收看連續劇一樣，每日定時觀看，並以電郵支持「他」。一名害羞的「暗戀者」更寄情人卡給「他」。

「他」是何方神聖？「他」就是重50磅、直徑達15吋的大芝士！現時，每分鐘都有逾100人登上網頁看其發酵。

「他」的主人湯姆對他寵愛有加，頭兩個月內每周都為芝士掃塵。 這芝士明星要保存在氣溫為10℃及濕度達92％的倉庫內，目的就是要讓細菌慢慢生長，直至聖誕節，令他成為「舉世滋味」的芝士王，屆時身價最少值5700 港元。有意一睹可看網站 http://www.cheddarvision.tv。

每日郵報

Why a pet in Paris could be the perfect tax dodge

Holly Watt and Robert Winnett

http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/
property/overseas/article1596764.ece

AFTER Turkish lira, oriental rugs and gold bars, the latest dodge for the wealthy seeking to avoid paying tax is to buy a pet abroad.

HSBC, Britain’s biggest bank, hosted a seminar in London last week at which millionaires were advised that keeping a pet at an overseas property is one of the best ways for them to convince tax inspectors that they do not live in the UK.

It coincides with a boom in the number of Britons claiming that they are “nonresident” in this country for tax purposes. According to HM Revenue & Customs, the number has quadrupled from 33,000 to 135,000 over the past four years.

There has also been a sharp rise over the same period in the number of so-called “nondom residents” – those born abroad who are now living in Britain – from 65,000 to 112,000.

HSBC, in conjunction with Baker & McKenzie, the multi-national legal firm, hosted the private seminar at the Hyatt Regency, a five-star London hotel, to advise the wealthy on how to avoid a clampdown by the authorities.

It was during this seminar, attended by a Sunday Times reporter, that the unconventional advice about buying a pet was dispensed.

According to the advisers, the key for the wealthy Britons was to convince the Revenue that they had roots in another country.

A lawyer from Baker & McKenzie said: “It’s a very good thing if you’ve got pets there [abroad]. The Revenue gets the [right] impression.”

The advisers said that the residency rules were “all a bit floaty” and that those who understood the system could now treat Britain as “probably better than Switzerland”.

However, the millionaires at the seminar were warned that the Revenue was becoming more aggressive, conducting monthly meetings with their counterparts in America, Europe and the Far East to discuss the tax affairs of various individuals.

The millionaires were also advised to switch banks and accounts every year. “Ideally be at different banks or different branches; make sure terms of accounts are a bit different,” said the adviser from Baker & McKenzie.

The adviser said: “That offshore account the Revenue was not aware of, the Revenue is now aware of.” Another adviser added: “An account in Switzerland really won’t work any more.”

According to a document circulated by HSBC at the meeting: “More and more Britons have been seeking to become nonUK resident for tax purposes as the tax burden in the UK increases.”

Other accountants and private banks claim that the Revenue is becoming particularly aggressive in its approach to policing the growing number of tax exiles – who are allowed to spend only 90 nights in Britain if they are to escape paying tax.

Yesterday a spokesman for HSBC defended the advice given at the seminar.

“As you expect, HSBC advises its customers to remain both within the spirit and the letter of the law with regards to their financial dealings and I’m sure that our colleagues at Baker & McKenzie do the same,” the spokesman said.