Robrief no. 1: Railway industry makes a big comeback in the new era of high gas prices
Few decades ago, railroad trains used to dominate the entire country in transporting tonnage of goods and materials on several hundred thousands miles of tracks, eventually declined due to cheap gas prices, expanding highway interstates and economic growths in places that doesn’t have railroad tracks. In this news report, railway industry in the United States is facing a resurgence business growth unseen in many years, thanks to the ever-rising prices of gas, hitting most of the big-rig common carriers nationally. A single railroad car can carry tonnage of goods that would take four 18-wheeler carriers. Some railway companies are even hiring more peoples in some of the biggest and busiest railroad yards in the country. This may be a great opportunity for the deaf in some of the hard-hit states to get into.
Robrief no. 2: Last remains of the Czar of Russia’s family finally identified
This has been a stimulating interest of mine for several years: the tragic murder of the Romanov family of Czar Nicholas II of Russia by the Bolsheviks in 1918. For many years, rumors and speculations have been circulating around the fact that only two children survived the Bolshevik execution and fled to Europe or elsewhere with their supporters, awaiting the day of return to power. However, DNA tests were performed on the bones on the last two Romanov children in a U.S. laboratory confirmed the authenticity of these Romanov children, finally putting to rest any further claim from the pretenders (and con artists). Especially the false Anastasias out there. It is ironic that a similar situation that happened less than four centuries before, Russia underwent a period called the Time of Troubles that brought out the False Dmitris, pretenders claiming to be the only surviving son of Czar Ivan the Terrible and seize the throne, resulting in chaos, war and destruction across Russia and eastern Europe, but eventually come to an end by the establishment of a Russo-German royal dynasty known as the Romanovs.
Robrief no. 3: Microsoft still stalking after Yahoo!?
Oh, man. GIVE IT UP ALREADY, MICROSOFT! Leave Yahoo! alone. They ain’t interesting. Microsoft is practically begging for stalking charges. Sheesh. Well, Microsucks anyway.
Robrief no 4: iPhone for the deaf for $40 a month under new TAP deal, thanks to Apple & AT/T
While I do not have an iPhone (and probably cannot afford one), this is the very best news I’d seen in a long time, especially for the deaf people who really wanted an affordable, total Internet/email/texting-accessible cost plan with their iPhones. Here’s one caveat: in order to qualify for a TAP-based iPhone, you must provide a proof of documentation from an audiologist or a doctor confirming that you are indeed deaf. Heh. That’s a chuckle there.
However, if I wanted an iPhone now, I would rather wait until late June when the 3G version of iPhone to come out.
