TOP 10 DON’TS WHEN STAYING IN A HOTEL

            Join Anthony Melchiorri, host of Hotel Impossible, as he gives you his list of the top 10 things not to do when checking in to a hotel. From treating the staff correctly to keeping your cool, you'll be sure to have an even more enjoyable escape by using his extensive checklist.

1. Don't yell at the staff. Ever.

2. Don’t tell anyone your room number. (A desk agent should point to your room number, and not announce it to the world.)

3. Don't get bent out of shape when the night desk agent asks to see your “new friend’s” identification.

Additionally, do not let a hotel employee into your room if they do not have an I.D.

4. Don't blame hotel staff for stealing your stuff. My personal experience is that the guests eventually find 99% of the items that guests report stolen from their rooms. However, it is your right to ask the manager to call the police to file a police report.

5. Don’t order from room service if you notice the pages are dirty and torn. Don’t order if the menu reads “Winter Menu” when it's spring.

6. Don’t use the bathroom washcloths to take off your makeup or shine your shoes.

7. Don't throw anything in the room garbage if you don't want the hotel staff to know about it, including insulin needles (or any needle) without properly disposing of it.

8. Don’t abuse the privilege of late checkout. If you really need one past 1:00 p.m., ask for the manager.

9. Don’t leave your luggage unattended in a hotel lobby – even for a second.

10. Don't be embarrassed! Call the hotel after you’ve checked out, and they will send your forgotten laundry.

BRAZIL CAN OVERTAKE FRANCE AND BECOME

                                   WORLD’S 5TH LARGEST ECONOMY

            The Brazilian economy became the 6th largest in the world last year, surpassing the U.K., and is likely to reach 5th next year, overtaking France.

            The forecast by the U.K.’s EIU (Economist Intelligence Unit) consultants show that Brazil is rising quickly in the rank of largest economies.

            “Such development would seem unlikely five years ago, but they reflect how the wealthiest economies were affected by the crisis and how the Brazilian economy has been expanding, boosted by the export of commodities,” says EIU senior economist Robert Wood.

            “The changes also reflect a stronger Brazilian real.” Although the Brazilian expansion in 2011 was considered weak, 2.7%, it was higher than the U.K.’s, 0.8%.

            Such expansion made Brazil’s GDP, measured in dollars, surpass the U.K.’s by a small margin.

            The same is likely to occur regarding the French economy. The EIU forecasts that Brazil will grow 3.3%, while France’s economy will be stagnant. Exchange rates will help Brazil surpass France.

            EIU forecasts that the Brazilian real will be stable compared to the dollar, while the euro will devalue. With the changes, the Brazilian economy will only have a lower GDP than the U.S., China, Japan and Germany.

            The economic data forecast involves significant risks. But analysts say that Brazil’s rise in the rank of largest economies is very likely to happen.

The forecast of Indian economist Arvind Subramanian, however, shows that, despite its growing economy, Brazil’s participation in the world’s GDP will be stagnant until 2030, close to 3.3%.

            That is because Brazil will grow more than the developed countries, but less than other emergent ones. The figures are from a recent book by Subramanian, “Eclipse: Living in the Shadow of China’s Economic Dominance”.

            Subramanian says that indicator is important because it is used, for example, to measure the countries’ voting power at the IMF.

            Economist Otaviano Canuto, vice-president of the World Bank for Poverty Reduction, agrees that the importance of countries’ economies to the global GDP can help to increase their influence.

            Canuto says, however, that the most important aspect of Brazil’s advance in the rank of largest economies is the evolution of the per capita income: “What is crucial is Brazil becoming a high income country.” The Brazilian per capita income was about one third of the U.K.’s and less than 30% of the U.S.’s in 2011.

                                                                                                          (Folha.com)

        SENDER OF TEXT MESSAGE MAY SHARE BLAME IN CAR CRASH

MORRISTOWN, N.J. – A woman who repeatedly texted her boyfriend as he drove from work could be held liable in a civil suit if a judge Friday refuses to dismiss her as a defendant.

            David and Linda Kubert of Dover, N.J., initially sued Kyle Best of Wharton, N.J., after he changed direction abruptly and hit them on Sept. 21, 2009, as they rode their motorcycle. Each lost a leg in the wreck, and Best pleaded guilty earlier this year to using a cellphone while driving, careless driving and failure to maintain a lane in Montville (N.J.) Municipal Court.

            But the Kuberts’ lawyer, Stephen “Skippy” Weinstein, amended his lawsuit to include Shannon Colonna, then 19, as someone who aided in Best’s negligence even though she wasn’t in the vehicle.

            Cell phone records revealed during the suit’s process show the pair exchanged more than two dozen texts during the day but stayed off the phone for about five hours while Best worked, Weinstein said.

            In a deposition, Colonna said she didn’t know whether Best was driving when she texted him after work.

            “The sender of the text has the right to assume the recipient will read it at a safe time,” Joseph McGlone, Colonna’s lawyer, said earlier this month in Morris County Superior Court. He knows of no court ruling anywhere in the country that says the sender of a text is liable if the receiver causes injury while reading the message.

            “It’s not fair. It’s not reasonable. Shannon Colonna has no way to control when Kyle Best is going to read that message,” McGlone said.

            As punishment for his traffic offense, Best was ordered to speak to 14 high schools about the perils of texting and driving and to pay about $775 in fines.

            Right before the crash, Best said he glanced down at his phone to see who had sent him a message.

            A time sequence of the exchanged texts that was read in court showed he was the last to text before the crash. Best texted Colonna seconds before 5:48 p.m. She responded 31 seconds later. Best texted her back, and seconds later he called 911 to report the collision.

            “She may not have been physically present, but she was electronically present,” Weinstein said.

            Superior Court Judge David Rand said he expects to decide Friday on whether to keep Colonna in the suit.

                                                                                  (USA Today – Adapted)

PARALYSED MAN TAKES HOPEFUL FIRST STEPS

            A medical breakthrough has given hope to millions of people who are unable to walk. Doctors pioneered a special procedure that electrically stimulated the spine of ex-athlete Rob Summers. Mr Summers, 25, was paralysed below the chest in a hit-and-run car accident in 2006. Professor Susan Harkema, of the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, gave the revolutionary treatment to “dead” nerves in Mr Summers’ spinal cords. He was able to move his legs and toes and take a few steps with the help of a walking frame. Dr Harkema said: “This is a breakthrough. It opens a huge opportunity to improve the daily functioning of individuals but we have a long road ahead.” She said this is “going to have a major impact” on people with disabilities.

            The treatment is called epidural stimulation. It has taken over three decades of research to get to this stage. The process works when electrical signals go round the brain to tell the spinal cord what to do. The signals allow the limbs to function independently of the brain. Mr Summers said the treatment has been life-changing. “This procedure has completely changed my life. For someone who for four years was unable to even move a toe, to have the freedom and ability to stand on my own is the most amazing feeling,” he said. He added: “My sense of well-being has changed. My physique and muscle tone have improved greatly. Most people don’t even believe I’m paralysed.” Five other patients are also taking part in the trial.

                                                                                  (breakingnewsenglish)