Tuesday 10 January 2012
penny dreadful
catagories: ๐ง , America, Europe, foreign policy
Monday 2 January 2012
¡achtung!
H and I are finding an unlimited stream of documentaries on Justin.tv and the latest saga that we are engrossed with is the history of submarine warfare during WWII, endearingly produced by the Royal Spain Marine.
catagories: Europe, lifestyle, transportation
specie
The rampant and entrenched fear of euroblivion for the common currency and for Europe's economic and political future relevance seems to me rife with dishonest and expedient bursts of fright. The currency union, many skeptics and hand-wringers argue, was conceived with errors, primarily citing that the push for economic integration without political alignment was too naive.
On the surface, that is a compelling argument but maybe that also smacks a bit of sophistry: Greece and Spain may not have the same tax regime and collecting mechanisms as Germany or France, nor perhaps the exact same philosophy when it comes to maintaining social programs, but I think that peace, cooperation, and willingness to participate in the EU parliament and abide by those rules does suggest a good degree of coming together politically. Differences that are not mutually exclusive, even in the context of the shared euro, and there is no politics or policies incompatible with the whole of the community. And granted financial inequalities glossed over made it possible for some nations to secure more and more cheap credit, but all that virtual money is created in a vacuum, betting on making good on outrageous debts, without the backing of property or manpower hours behind it—on both sides. Now these ledgers threaten a renewed stripping of that varnish, moves to create inequalities artificially and enhance competition. I am sure there was greed all around and not all players had the purest of intentions, but the goal of the EU was not this inversion. The fear that is visited on the economies and governments of Europe is not only a diversion-tactic and is going to spur the change that will safeguard these ideals, but rather help vouchsafe the lenders and usurers who've exhausted the opportunities elsewhere. Responsibility, fairness and stability are not fast-moving commodities.
catagories: economic policy, Europe, labour, philosophy
Thursday 22 December 2011
taxiway
catagories: environment, Europe, transportation, travel
Friday 2 December 2011
booster-shot
catagories: economic policy, Europe, labour
Thursday 1 December 2011
metonymy
Tuesday 15 November 2011
utopian gesture
catagories: America, economic policy, Europe, foreign policy, revolution
Thursday 10 November 2011
entente or cabbages and kings
catagories: economic policy, Europe, foreign policy, holidays and observances, revolution
Wednesday 9 November 2011
heurism or green fairy/blue tooth
catagories: Europe, food and drink, holidays and observances, technology and innovation
Monday 31 October 2011
flik und flak or endless summer
catagories: Europe, holidays and observances
Friday 21 October 2011
viennese waltz or ballroom blitz
catagories: economic policy, Europe, philosophy
Sunday 2 October 2011
transparez
catagories: economic policy, Europe
Wednesday 28 September 2011
appellation d'origine controlee and prussian blue
catagories: ๐ง, Europe, food and drink
Monday 26 September 2011
significant digits
With all the talk and nerves, one would reasonably conclude that Europe and the euro are being assaulted on all fronts not by a debt-burden or over-wrought speculation but rather by a crisis in the currency and partnership itself. European manufacturing and innovation has not been overtaken, and there is no talk of war-mongering--there has been quite a bit of thinking out loud and gloomy scenarios that have been other than helpful and have stoked panic, so I think every possibility on one's mind has already been voiced, inflation is not galloping in the marketplace (other than through shortages caused by environmental changes, like the wildfires in Russia, etc), and the euro, relative to other currencies) has only lost fractional value and is certainly one of the more stable ones. A tenth of a cent in the exchange rate does make a difference to traders and those with dollar denominated loans--or try to out-smart the next moves, like me--being paid in US dollars. The bailout, relief programs of the States are echoed in the plans for a euro rescue fund, having wealthy member countries contribute to a pool credit that will be made available to poorer members on contingency.
catagories: economic policy, Europe
Monday 12 September 2011
cogitative bias
catagories: America, economic policy, Europe
Thursday 14 July 2011
cosmic architektonik
catagories: Europe, graphic design, revolution
Wednesday 6 July 2011
kraken or there be dragons here
catagories: ๐ฆ, Europe, foreign policy, language
Monday 20 June 2011
englischer garten or alpengeist
Wednesday 15 June 2011
althing
Gleichzeitig mit den Kontroverse um Stuttgart 21 Bahnstations-projekt und um den Zufรผhrungen zu Rรผckstellungen fรผr Entsorgung im Kernenergie-bereich, aus den letzten Meinungsumfragen geht hervor, dass viele Deutsche wollen direkten Demokratie: mehr Volksabstimmungen, ungemilderte Teilnahme in der Regierung. Niemand denkt daran, der Pรถbelherrschaft sollte geschehen, und ich glaube, dass machen die Politikeregos vertretende Regierung die anerkannte Norm, unabhรคngig davon, ob es Tyrannei der Mehrheit ist oder die Minderheit geschรผtzt wird. Ein islรคndisches Experiment ist Crowdsourcing seine Verfassungsentwurf: die Wรคhler werden gebeten, Ideen รผber das Zivilrecht und Politik vorzuschlagen. Im Gegensatz dazu hat Deutschland kein echt Bundesverfassung sagen die Einen (die umstrittend Weimarer Verfassung ausgenommen), und sondern hat stattdessen Gerichte und das bรผrgerliche Gesetzbuch, was sehr eindrucksvoll und bรผndigen ist. Darรผber hinaus empfiehlt in der Island die Ideen von Wรคhler geleitete รผber gรคngigen Sozialisierungsarten, aber vielleicht dieser innovat Erprobung wird mehr bรผrgerlichen Beteiligung und Bildung erreichen und geben helfen uns Design bessere Werkzeuge - so gut wie der Wahlzettel.
catagories: ๐ฎ๐ธ, Europe, revolution, technology and innovation
Friday 10 June 2011
they
catagories: economic policy, Europe, foreign policy