Thursday, November 24, 2011

The European Central Bank cut interest rates by a quarter point to 1.25% in a surprise move on Thursday (3 November), acting boldly to support the ailing eurozone economy at the first policy meeting where President Mario Draghi's was in charge

The Italian has walked into a maelstrom in his first week at the ECB's helm, with eurozone leaders contemplating a future without Greece and economic policy paralysis in his home country threatening to push Rome into the eye of the storm.  But he offered no commitment to scale up the central bank's bond-buying programme to support the likes of Italy and Spain.  "What we are observing now is ... slow growth heading toward a mild recession by year-end," Draghi told a news conference.  "A significant downward revision to forecasts and projections for average real GDP growth in 2012 [are] very likely," he added.  Global markets rose after the annoucement that coincided with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou's decision to scrap a national referendum on the European rescue plan for his country.  The decision to cut rates was unexpected and came despite inflation in the 17-country eurozone staying at 3.0% for a second month running in October, well above the ECB's target of just below 2%.  Draghi said the ECB expected inflation to subside below 2% next year.  "What a starter. It is obvious that the ECB has caught the crisis virus and is trying everything it can to prevent a full-fledged recession," ING economist Carsten Brzeski said.  European leaders said earlier they were prepared for Greece to leave the eurozone to preserve the 12-year-old single currency if Athens does not decide quickly to implement a bailout program, putting the likes of Italy and Spain, and even France, firmly in the markets' sights.  Draghi headed to the G20 Summit in Cannes, France, after his debut news conference as ECB chief.  Europe's ultimatum to Greece, after Prime Minister George Papandreou's decision to call a referendum on a bailout plan, has deepened the crisis and raised pressure on the ECB, which many analysts see as the only institution with the firepower to bring calm.  No shift on bond buying  Draghi gave no hint that the ECB's bond-buy programme, a controversial tool that has led to the resignation of two German policymakers, would be accelerated despite the chaos in Greece threatening to engulf the much larger economies of Italy and Spain.  "Our securities market program has three characteristics: it is temporary; it is limited; it is justified in restoring the functioning of monetary transmission channels," he said.  Draghi succeeded France's Jean-Claude Trichet as ECB chief on Tuesday – a day that saw the ECB buy Spanish and Italian bonds but barely manage to cap a rise in yields on the debt of the eurozone's third largest economy.  He must balance an eagerness to curry favour with the German contingent at the ECB against growing financial market pressure to intervene on a bigger scale to lower the borrowing costs of Italy and Spain.  The premiums investors have to pay to hold Italian and French 10-year government debt over benchmark German Bunds rose on Thursday with signs growing that the Greek government may fall.  Trichet had signalled previously that the ECB was keen to withdraw from the bond-buying policy once the eurozone's rescue fund, the European Financial Stability Facility, gained new powers to intervene on bond markets.  Draghi said the ECB was "closely monitoring" developments in Greece.

Libya Protests vs. Egypt Protests

The widespread Egyptian protests that led to the ouster of that nation’s leader has been a hot item in the news recently. Quick to follow on its heels were the protests in Libya, which seemingly heralded a change in political climates in the region. While it remains to be seen if the Libyan protests will result in a similar change in government, there are numerous parallels to be drawn between the protests in both countries, as you will see in this comparison article.

Profile The Libya protests of 2011 started out as a series of confrontations between citizens and government forces. The thrust of the protests was geared against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. These protests started on February 15, 2011, and are still ongoing at present. The Egypt protests of 2011 followed in the wake of an uprising that started on January 25, 2011. This protest was marked by numerous demonstrations, acts of civil disobedience, and strikes, as well as violent confrontations between protesters and government forces that remained loyal to Hosni Mubarak. These protests took place simultaneously in many Egyptian cities including Cairo and Alexandria.

Triggers/Mitigating Factors The Libya protests are seen by many to be part of a larger series of similar movements in the Middle East and in North Africa. By February 22, Richard Engel of NBC announced that the protests had escalated to full-blown war. While the uprising was seen as an effort to reclaim the country from Gaddafi, who is the longest-ruling autocrat in the world, Gaddafi himself said that it was largely due to the al-Qaeda and "drugged kids". The Egypt protests mirrored similar events in Tunisia, where the country's long time president was overthrown. In Egypt, the protests were comprised of millions of people from different socio-economic backgrounds and religions, all of who united with the goal of overthrowing Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Current Status On February 27, an effort was made by the National Libyan Council to consolidate opposition forces. Rather than attempting to instill an interim government however, this move simply intended to coordinate resistance between the different rebel factions, and to present the opposition with a recognizable a political identity to show to the world. On February 10, 2011, Mubarak formally addressed the nation amid reports of an imminent military coup. Instead of announcing his resignation as many expected however, Mubarak announced the transfer of presidential powers to Egyptian Vice President, Suleiman, while he himself would remain the head of state of Egypt. In response to this, protests continued in even greater numbers and intensity, and by February 11, 2011, Mubarak's resignation was finally announced by Suleiman. Similarities and Differences Libya protests Started out as a series of confrontations between citizens and government forces Thrust of the protests was geared against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and are still ongoing at present Egypt protests Followed in the wake of an uprising that started on January 25, 2011 Resulted in the February 11, 2011 resignation of Mubarak

CNN vs. Fox News

Difference between CNN and Fox News
It is hardly surprising that CNN and Fox News would often be compared with one another, what with both news agencies being the biggest players in the industry and notorious in connection with the White House. The competition between the two has become quite fierce at numerous times in the past to say the least and the question of which one is the better source of news comes up with some regularity. While there are a number of distinct differences between the two, along with their own unique advantages and disadvantages, it may be helpful to realize that CNN and Fox News are both mainstream news sources. This means that they are actually a lot more alike than you would think and they do share a number of similarities. With that being said, let's take a look at their more salient aspects.

Content and Focus CNN generally puts out a greater number of stories than Fox News does and it is slightly more focused on news events related to the international scene. CNN correspondents appear to be less bent on promoting a political agenda than their Fox News counterparts. Fox News for its part tends to offer longer news items with a lot more reinforcement for their storylines. Website Features As for their websites, CNN again wins out in this category with a much more well-designed and more aesthetically pleasing homepage. It also offers a number of useful features that make navigation a lot easier and more elegant. CNN has an advantage over Fox News in that it offers a lot more categories of news. Its pages also load more quickly than Fox News’ and it definitely has a much better search function. For instance, you can perform searches that will call up only certain capitalized words. Fox News’ search function leaves a lot to be desired, since it often fails to display the new articles of the day. Fox News featured articles appear to be more sensuous and pop culture with its flashy images and less focused on serious subjects. CNN also always displays a full page of results, while Fox News displays only three or four news items until you refresh the page, revealing a full news page. To its credit, Fox does include links to recent articles related to the news item. Political Leanings CNN is obviously the more liberal of the two. While the more extreme elements of either side would be quick to point to the relative political moderation of both news services, they do clearly exhibit their leanings. Summary CNN Tends to publish more stories More focused on international issues Website offers more news categories than Fox’s site Website loads a lot faster than Fox’s Has a better search function More liberal bent Fox News Usually offers longer stories Website is designed with more attractive images Typically offers three main stories Site displays only the most recent news, with a refresh necessary for the full page Search function could be improved Offers links for similar stories with every article More conservative stance

Democrat vs. Republican: Which is better?

Difference between Democrat and Republican In the history of American politics, no party has dominated the political landscape as much as the Democrats and Republicans. With almost 120 million voters registered to these 2 parties, they are at each and every nook and corner of American Politics. They take diametrically opposite views on major policy issues, governance, and security and are bitter rivals to say the least! It makes for quite interesting reading when we sit out and trace the origins of the party and try to map out their major ideological differences.

Origins
 It may sound impossible, but these two parties have a common origin! In the 1790's the Democratic - Republican Party was formed by Thomas Jefferson and allies to take on the might of the Federalist Party. In 1812, the Party split following differences on who would become the next President and since then the divide between both the parties just seems to have grown larger and larger.

 Symbols
The Republican Party is also known otherwise as the G.O.P or Grand Old Party, an irony in itself as it was established much more lately than the Democratic Party. The Republican party uses the Elephant as its symbol while the Democratic Party is the Donkey. 


Presidents 
The Presidency so far seems to be in favor of the Republicans who have got 18 Presidents elected to the Oval Office, compared to only 15 of the Democrats. Notable Republican Presidents include 1. Abraham Lincoln 2. Theodore Roosevelt 3. Ronald Reagan 4. George Bush { Senior & Junior} Notable Democratic Presidents Include 1. Franklin W Roosevelt 2. John F Kennedy 3. Bill Clinton 4. Barack Obama Registered Voters The Democrats seem to lead in the number of voters registered so far. The Democrats have almost 72 million registered voters compared to 55 million voters for the Republicans. This figure has turned into the Democrats favor recently as they dominate the Senate, the Congress and a majority of the Governors posts across USA. Needless to mention even the present President of the United States is a Democrat. Ideologies Even though both the parties started out together with the same ideologies, now they are just poles apart. While the Democrats lean over the far left, the Republicans are more Right winged. Democrats are more socialist liberals while the Republicans are more social and neo conservatives. Policies The differences in policies become quite evident if we have a look at the budgetary allocation of different Presidents. The Republicans tend to spend more on Defense and Security while Health and Education seems to be the forte of the Democrats. Similarities and Differences So, what do we conclude after our discussion on both the parties Both have a common origin The Democrats have more Registered voters than the Republicans Democrats prioritize on Health and Education, while Defense and Security are the Republicans strong point While the choice of whom you vote for depends on your ideology and thinking there is no disputing the fact that both the parties work for the betterment of the United States of America.

Michele Bachmann vs. Sarah Palin: Who's better?

 Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin are both women that are actively involved in government, particularly with the outspoken Tea Party. Though they are very similar, so much so that some people who are not up with the times could get them confused, the two still have some differences between them. The first being where they received their education, the second being the past government offices held, and the third being the public’s opinion of the women.

Education Both of these women are highly educated women who have made a name for themselves in the polities of the United States government. However, the education of these two women differs so much that this could be why so many dislike these two women. Michele Bachmann attended Winona State University, went on to get her JD degree from Oral Roberts University and finally received her LL.M degree from William and Mary Law School. On the other hand, Sarah Palin has a more diverse educational background. Palin ended up attending around five different colleges, where she finally received her bachelor's degree in Journalism after around six years. The first college was the University of Hawaii-Hilo, followed by Hawaii Pacific University, North Idaho College, University of Idaho in Moscow, Matanuska-Susitna Community College in Palmer, Alaska, and finally ending up again at the University of Idaho. Past Government Offices Both of these women have been involved in government for quite a few years, though their backgrounds and positions that they have held are significantly different. Bachmann started out as an attorney in the US Treasury Department where she handled hundreds of cases for the IRS. She then became a Representative for Minnesota, which is what she currently holds. Palin started off with holding government office in the city of Wasilla, Alaska. She then went on to become the first woman Governor of Alaska in which she resigned from in 2009 for many reasons. She also ran as Vice President with John McCain for the presidential election. Public Opinion Both women receive their fair share of public spotlight. However, Bachmann seems to receive a more friendly reception from the public than Sarah Palin. The reason is that people view Bachmann as being slightly smarter since she did get a degree from a reputable school. Palin on the other hand, many people cite as being somewhat ditsy because people believe that she cannot settle on any one idea. However, both women are held highly by many such as those that support the Tea Party, while others, despite them, such as those Democrats. Similarities and Differences Both women are those that people either love or hate. They are both highly involved in the government and have very outspoken opinions. Though there are some significant differences in the two women: Palin attended four different colleges, before she finally received her bachelor's degree in Journalism her fifth time. Bachmann received her law degree from William and Mary Law School. In the past Palin has held government offices at the city and state level. And has the honor of being the first woman Governor of Alaska, she also ran for Vice President with John McCain. Buchmann has held a lawyer position with the US Treasury Department and is currently a representative for Minnesota. Buchmann is publicly defined as being smarter than Palin, while both women are considered outspoken and harsh on their competition.

Veteran Actress Goes Nude Again: Does It Work?

 The 42-year old actress said it’s “one of those rare things” you do in your career. But she said there was a bit of hesitation initially after reviewing the script. However, the director of the film, who also happens to be her boyfriend, advised her, “There’s nothing a ‘real’ actress should be afraid of,” and so she took the role as a big challenge in her life.

But of course there were people opposed to the idea. Her manager, for example, was concerned of Kim Hye Sun tarnishing the clean and cute image she built over her 22-year acting career. She was able to convince him by saying, “The image I built over 20 years could remain the same, but with this scene, I would be adding an alpha - someone that’s not the real me to that image.” But the manager was still upset to the point where he had to run out of the filming set, weeping out of disappointment.  Now, for those of you who don’t know Kim Hye Sun, she’s a veteran actress who debuted in 1989. She won the “Best New Actress” award the following year and the Blue Dragon’s “Best Supporting Actress” award in 1993. In the early part of her career, Kim Hye Sun was a pop icon with a very sweet image (sort of like Lee Min Jung but less popular). Later in her career, she started playing a lot of older and classy roles.  So her nude bed scene comes as quite a shock to many because it’s something you would never expect from an actress of her status. It remains to be seen how it will be received by the fans, and how much she actually “reveals,” but one thing’s for sure - it generated a lot of publicity and her new movie will attract lots of interest, especially from the older male audience.

In recent years, we’ve seen some of the older, more experienced actresses take drastic turns by taking nude (or semi-nude) photo spreads, or filming bed scenes with a younger male counterpart. The first person that comes to mind is the 64 year old actress, Yoon Yeo Jung. In her 2008 film, “A Tale of Legendary Libido,” Yoon Yeo Jung plays an old woman that gets in bed with the male lead, Bong Tae Gyu. It is still regarded as one of the most surprising acts in Korean film history as the age gap between the couple was 34 years. She later admitted she had to do it for the money, but nonetheless she left a long-lasting impression in Korean film history.

Another example is Kim Hye Su. Despite her hot body and repeated calls by male fans to go topless, Kim Hye Su rejected all offers for sex movie scenes until her 36th film. Since her debut in 1986 at the tender age of 17, Kim Hye Su starred in countless movies and TV series, becoming a popular teen idol star in the 80s and 90s. But in 2004, through the movie, “Hypnotized,” she finally filmed a bed scene, reinventing her image as a sexy yet confident woman. She went nude again in 2006 movie “Tazza: The High Rollers,” which firmly cemented her title as the “Sexiest Female Movie Star” in Korea.

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