Although letters of credit first existed only as paper documents, they were regularly issued by telegraph in the late 19th century, and by telex in the __24__ half of the 20th century. Beginning in 1973 with the creation of SWIFT, banks began to migrate to electronic data interchange as a __25__ of controlling costs, and in 1983 the UCP was amended to allow “teletransmission” of letters of credit. By the 21st century, the vast majority of LCs were issued in electronic form and entirely “paperless” LCs were becoming more common.

       Anton has jumped right to the top of the ridiculous lawsuit rankings with his legal action. The one that started it all was Stella Liebeck’s lawsuit against McDonald’s. She accidentally spilled a cup of coffee in her lap, and suffered third-degree burns. She ended up being awarded around US$500,000. Another amusing lawsuit is the case brought against the Warner Bros.studio by the mayor of a Turkish city called Batman. The mayor said there is only one Batman in the world, and it’s his city. Warner Bros., of course, owns the rights to the popular Batman movies that star Christian Bale. There is one more to marvel at. In 2004, a woman decided to sue a shopping center because she was attacked by a squirrel in the parking lot outside. According to the woman, the shopping center encouraged the squirrel and didn’t warn customers properly that “squirrels live outside sometimes.” 

      Crazy lawsuits such as these are both funny and sad. As for Anton Purisima’s case, even if he wins, all one can say is good luck for collecting.

        Is your glass half-empty or half-full? How you answer this age-old question about positive thinking may reflect your outlook on life, your attitude toward yourself, and whether you're optimistic or pessimistic, and it may even affect your health. Indeed, some studies show that personality traits such as optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that usually comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits. If you tend to be pessimistic, don't despair. You can learn positive thinking skills.

       Positive thinking doesn't mean that you ignore life's less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you usually think negatively about, whether it's work, your daily commute, life changes or a relationship. You can start small by focusing on one area to approach in a more positive way. Think of a positive thought to manage your stress instead of a negative one. Also, aim to exercise for about 30 minutes on most days of the week. Exercise can positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. Get enough sleep. And learn techniques to manage stress. Next, surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people may increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways. Finally, practice positive selftalk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself. If a negative thought enters your mind, evaluate it rationally and respond with affirmations of what is good about you. Think about things you're thankful for in your life.