Some People Say I’m Bonkerz
Posted on July 21, 2010 in Articles
Bad Boy Bill, will you be my boyfriend?
The Reemergence Of The German Economic Machine
Posted on July 20, 2010 in Articles
The Article: A Keynesian Success Story: Germany’s New Economic Miracle in Der Spiegel on July 19th.
The Text: During the worst of the global financial meltdown, Berlin pumped tens of billions of euros into the economy and spent hundreds of billions propping up German banks. Now, the country is reaping the benefits as Germany is once again Europe’s economic motor.
It was just the sort of photo-op German Chancellor Angela Merkel urgently needs. Peter Löscher, the CEO of electronics giant Siemens, was sitting on a throne-like chair in the governor’s palace in the central Russian city of Yekaterinburg. Contracts were being handed to him in brown leather folders, and every time Löscher signed one of the documents with his malachite green pen, the chancellor clapped with delight. The procedure took place four times, and by the time the round of contract signing ended, Siemens had secured Russian orders worth about €4 billion ($5.2 billion).
The real purpose of Merkel’s five-day visit to Russia and China last week was to hold political talks with the two countries’ leaders, but the most important message of the trip was meant for the German people. Look, Merkel seemed to indicating to German citizens, German industry is in demand worldwide, even if the government at home is divided and lacking direction.
The German economy has indeed come roaring back to life this summer. Two years after the outbreak of the financial crisis, the auto industry is adding extra shifts once again. The machine building, electronics and chemical industries are all reporting a rapidly growing number of orders. Total unemployment is expected to drop below the 2.8 million mark this fall, the lowest level since 1991.
For the first time in decades, the former “sick man of Europe” is back to being an engine for economic growth. According to an internal government assessment, the country’s gross domestic product increased by more than 1.5 percent in the second quarter of this year. In their last prognosis, completed in April, government officials had predicted only 0.9 percent GDP growth. Production in the manufacturing industry increased by 5 percent over the previous quarter. The government assessment also shows that exports grew by more than 9 percent in May.
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The Edification Of Sarah Palin On The English Language By Roger Ebert
Posted on July 19, 2010 in Quotes
Sarah Palin, in a recent guest appearance on Fox News segments and through her Twitter account, asked Barack and Michelle Obama to “refudiate” implications that the Tea Party movement was racist. She also decided ‘misunderestimate’ and ‘wee-wee’d’ are valid English expressions and got angry when she was called out on her questionable use of non-words.
And Roger Ebert retorts:
Coincidentally, does anyone else find it as funny as I do that the ‘we should only speak English’ Tea Party crowd typically can barely speak English themselves? Sarah Palin, case in point.
2010 Half Year In Review
Posted on July 19, 2010 in Articles
We threw everything at it. Trash, dog hair, “containment domes.” We even called in Kevin Costner’s goofy ping-pong ball machine. But the oil kept on gushing. Only BP’s lies could keep up. BP first reported 210,000 gallons were spurting out a day, if that. The latest estimate is between 1.5 and 2.5 million gallons were leaking into the Gulf. (Or one 1989 Exxon Valdez catastrophe every 4-7 days.) We are holding our breath that BP finally capped the leak last Thursday, but you’ll understand if we’re still a tad skeptical.
