US senators opposing an almost US$1 trillion economic stimulus package are struggling to find ways to explain just how big that one with 12 zeroes after it really is.
Republican Senator John Thune said you could circle the equator 38.9 times with 100-dollar bills stretched side-by-side, and showed a picture of Earth encircled in greenbacks to emphasize his point.
“One trillion dollars is a terrible thing to waste,” he said. “We shouldn’t spend money we don’t have on things we don’t need.”
PHOTO: AFP
A day earlier, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell also grappled with ways to illustrate how big the US$888 billion stimulus plan, which could easily grow before a final vote, really is.
“Just to put a trillion dollars in context, if you started spending the day that Jesus was born and you spent a million dollars every single day, you still wouldn’t have spent a trillion dollars. This is a lot of money,” he said.(AFP)
對近一兆美元的經濟振興方案持反對立場的美國參議員，正努力用各種方式解釋這個後面有十二個零的數字到底有多大。
共和黨參議員約翰．圖恩表示，若將一兆美元以百元鈔票一張一張相連起來，可繞行赤道三十八點九圈，他並秀出一張地球被美鈔繞行的圖片來強調他的論點。
他說：「一兆美元不應該拿來隨便浪費，我們不該舉債支應我們不需要的東西。」
就在前一天，參議院共和黨領袖米區．麥康奈爾也努力想辦法凸顯這次紓困計畫的八千八百八十億美元究竟有多少，預算金額在最終表決前很可能會再追加。
他說：「我告訴你一兆元有多少，如果你從耶穌誕生那天開始每天花一百萬元，到今天也還花不完一兆元。這真的是很大一筆錢。」（法新社�翻譯：袁星塵）
A: Apart from the musical Sunset Boulevard, Japanese pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki is also touring Taiwan after a 17-year wait. She’s holding two concerts starting tonight. B: Ayu has the most No. 1 hits of any Japanese solo artist, with 33 total. A: “Time” magazine even crowned her as “The Empress of Pop.” B: She staged shows in Taipei back in 2007 and 2008, causing an “Ayu fever” across Taiwan. A: Unfortunately, the singer has been deaf in her left ear since 2008, and is gradually losing hearing in her right ear. I’m so excited to see her singing in Taipei again. A: 除了音樂劇《日落大道》，日本歌后濱崎步睽違17年，今晚起在台北熱唱兩場。
Denmark’s state-run postal service, PostNord, announced that it would cease letter deliveries at the end of 2025 due to the impact of digitalization. As 95% of its residents now use the Digital Post service, Denmark has seen a 90% decline in letter volumes since 2000, from 1.4 billion to 110 million last year. On top of that, the Postal Act of 2024 removes the government’s obligation to provide universal mail service and puts an end to postal exemptions from value-added tax, raising the cost of a single letter to 29 Danish krone (US$4.20). As a result, PostNord is switching
A: After touring Taipei, the play Life of Pi is now heading to Taichung. You wanna go? B: Did you forget? We’re going to Taipei this weekend to see the musical Sunset Boulevard and go to Japanese pop diva Ayumi Hamasaki’s concert. A: Oh yeah, that’s right. The classic composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber is touring Taiwan for the first time. B: I heard that it’s adapted from a 1950 film with the same title. A: And the show will feature legendary soprano Sarah Brightman, who is finally returning to the musical stage after 30 years. We can’t miss it. A: 在台北巡演後，戲劇《少年Pi的奇幻漂流》本週起將移師台中。要去嗎？
Although sending you an SMS (Short Message Service) verification code provides some security, many apps now use code-generating apps and two-factor authentication instead. But more recently, passkeys now use a biometric approach to logging in. Biometrics can offer an even more secure alternative. Following this trend, Google is reportedly planning to replace SMS verification codes with “QR code” scanning. SMS codes are currently used to verify user identity and prevent fraudsters from creating fake Gmail accounts to distribute spam. However, these codes present several challenges. They can be phished through suspicious links, and users may not always have access
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