Cirque de Soleil.
A must see performance,
The best show on earth.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
Propaganda
We had some lovely days in Dubai, the capital of the UAE.
We left last Wednesday and came back early this morning.
While writing this, Turkish television is broadcasting some propaganda, in the same 'body language' as Goebbels did for the Third Reich: the same style, the same voice, the same features: by Halk Television.
People can inspire a nation, like Mandela, Gandhi, Kennedy, but none of them were subject of blind adoration, with military bombards as Ataturk is seen in Turkey.
What does this means:
a) a nation can not act on its own without a strong leader or
b) a nation doesn't want to learn from its past.
Christmas is not a Christian holiday as Frank White explains. Its the day of light and self reflection. Thousands of Christmas trees will not change anything in the streets of Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara etc.
The propogandists are still out there. We? We can only wait. Wait that one day they can not enslave our thoughts again.
We left last Wednesday and came back early this morning.
While writing this, Turkish television is broadcasting some propaganda, in the same 'body language' as Goebbels did for the Third Reich: the same style, the same voice, the same features: by Halk Television.
People can inspire a nation, like Mandela, Gandhi, Kennedy, but none of them were subject of blind adoration, with military bombards as Ataturk is seen in Turkey.
What does this means:
a) a nation can not act on its own without a strong leader or
b) a nation doesn't want to learn from its past.
Christmas is not a Christian holiday as Frank White explains. Its the day of light and self reflection. Thousands of Christmas trees will not change anything in the streets of Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara etc.
The propogandists are still out there. We? We can only wait. Wait that one day they can not enslave our thoughts again.
The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak
Over the weekend I read The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak. I posted a review on my litblog, but because that is hosted by Wordpress (which is still blocked in Turkey), I repost the entire review here.
______________________________
"What will that innocent lamb tell her friends when she grows up? My father is Barsam Tchakhmakhchian, my great-uncle is Dikran Stamboulian, his father is Varvant Istanboulian, my name is Armanoush Tchakhmakhchian, all my family tree has been Something Somethingian, and I am the grandchild of genocide survivors who lost all their relatives at the hands of Turkish butchers in 1915, but I myself have been brainwashed to deny the genocide because I was raised by some Turk named Mustafa! What kind of a joke is that!"
This passage, shouted out by one of the characters in The Bastard of Istanbul, is what got Elif Shafak in court for "insulting Turkishness", another case based on the by now infamous Article 301. The case against Shafak was eventually dropped, but she became well-known as one of the very few Turkish authors, together with for example Nobel Prize winner Orhan Pamuk, who was not afraid to tackle the issue of the Armenian genocide in a way that was not well appreciated (to put it mildly) by the Turkish authorities.
Armanoush is the child of an Armenian father and an American mother who remarried with a Turkish man. She divides her time between her mother in Arizona and her father's family in San Fransisco. When she feels something in her identity is missing, she sets off on a trip to Istanbul, to stay with her stepfather's family and find out more about her past. In Istanbul, she becomes fast friends with Asya, the youngest member of her stepfather's family.
The Armenian genocide is a major theme in the story, but eventually it is one of the ways the bigger theme of dealing with the past is worked out. All of the major characters have something in their past they have to deal with, either by accepting it or denying it or, even before acceptation or denial, by trying to find out what their past actually is.
The first chapter was hard to finish - I didn't like the writing style, very "flowering" with long sentences and many adjectives. I regularly had to reread a sentence to actually get the meaning. Fortunately, that was only the first chapter, after that I either got used to the language or the style changed (I guess it was a bit of both). Anyway, I got hooked and, having started the book on Saturday afternoon, had finished it Sunday before dinner.
It is a beautifully told story with an interesting plot, if somewhat constructed at times. I felt as if the author wanted to represent all the different opinions on the Armenian genocide in the book. There is the staunch Turkish nationalist who is absolutely convinced that there was no genocide and that, on the contrary, the Armenians killed the Turks en masse. There is the Turk who acknowledges that the Turks did horrible things to the Armenians during World War I, but that that was in the past and that the current generation is not responsible for it. There is also the Armenian who thinks that Armenians still living in Turkey are being repressed and who is convinced that they'd be better off emigrating. There is the somewhat skeptical Armenian who thinks that striving for recognition of the genocide is the only thing that still binds the Diaspora and that once recognition by Turkey has been achieved, the Diaspora will fall apart. Finally there is the Armenian who was born and raised in Istanbul, feels Istanbulite first and foremost and doesn't want to live anywhere else. This urge to represent all those opinions led to superfluous scenes and even characters in my opinion. I ended up quickly reading the superfluous parts and then diving back into the rest of the book.
There were already so many characters, major and minor, that at times, especially when the perspective changed for example from San Fransisco to Istanbul or from present to past or back, I had to try to remember who was who and what the relation's were between them. On the other hand, this extensive set of characters was also part of why I loved the book. I especially loved Asya's family with all their quirky characters. Armanoush initially started out as an interesting character as well, but soon I started finding her a bit bland, colorless, especially compared to colorful Asya and her equally colorful family.
I am not sure the book is among my favorite reads of this year, but I did enjoy it very much and am certainly interested in reading more by Elif Shafak.
This review is crossposted at The Armenian Odar Reads.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Christmas and New Year Decorations
I wanted to share some photos from here in Dubai; most of the Shopping malls are decorated for Christmas and New Year. I guess we do have more decorations than anywhere in the World:) All for tourists and 60% expats who lives here.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
A big mystery (from wikipedia)
Dr. Fuat Deniz (24 July 1967 – 13 December 2007) was a Swedish sociologist and writer of Assyrian descent.
He worked as a lecturer in sociology at the Department of Social and Political Sciences at Örebro University.
Deniz was born as the oldest son into a Christian Assyrian family in the village of Kerburan in the Tur Abdin region of south east Turkey. He came to Sweden with his parents as an eight-year old and grew up in Örebro.[1]
In his youth he was active in the Assyrian Youth Federation in Sweden, which he also co-founded, and was also a diligent writer for the Swedish National Assyrian Federation's magazine Hujådå.[2] He finished his doctoral thesis in sociology at Uppsala University in 1999.
In his thesis, titled En minoritets odyssé ("The Odyssey of a Minority"), he discussed the experiences of Assyrians coming to Sweden in the 1970s.
Deniz was a well known figure among the Assyrian community in Sweden and was also internationally known for his research on the Assyrian Genocide.
On 11 December 2007, at approximately 15.30 CET, Deniz was stabbed on campus at Örebro University by an unidentified perpetrator.[3] He later died from his injuries at Örebro University Hospital.[4] The Swedish police are investigating several leads and have also been in contact with the Swedish Security Service, due to a possible political motive behind the murder.[5] Several of Deniz' academic colleagues in Sweden have been threatened due to their work relating to the Assyrian Genocide and Armenian genocide, which is a controversial issue especially among Turkish nationalists.[6]
He worked as a lecturer in sociology at the Department of Social and Political Sciences at Örebro University.
Deniz was born as the oldest son into a Christian Assyrian family in the village of Kerburan in the Tur Abdin region of south east Turkey. He came to Sweden with his parents as an eight-year old and grew up in Örebro.[1]
In his youth he was active in the Assyrian Youth Federation in Sweden, which he also co-founded, and was also a diligent writer for the Swedish National Assyrian Federation's magazine Hujådå.[2] He finished his doctoral thesis in sociology at Uppsala University in 1999.
In his thesis, titled En minoritets odyssé ("The Odyssey of a Minority"), he discussed the experiences of Assyrians coming to Sweden in the 1970s.
Deniz was a well known figure among the Assyrian community in Sweden and was also internationally known for his research on the Assyrian Genocide.
On 11 December 2007, at approximately 15.30 CET, Deniz was stabbed on campus at Örebro University by an unidentified perpetrator.[3] He later died from his injuries at Örebro University Hospital.[4] The Swedish police are investigating several leads and have also been in contact with the Swedish Security Service, due to a possible political motive behind the murder.[5] Several of Deniz' academic colleagues in Sweden have been threatened due to their work relating to the Assyrian Genocide and Armenian genocide, which is a controversial issue especially among Turkish nationalists.[6]
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Cartoon crisis in the Netherlands?
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Last week the Dutch retailer Dixons distributed its new special Christmas magazine.
But some Christian clubs complained at the Dutch Advertisement Code and Ethics commission.
For them several cartoons about the birth of Jesus are blasphemy.
On one of the cartoons you see the Three Wise men of the East looking for Jesus with a TomTom (GPS system). Another one shows Jesus laying down and listening with his iPod to 'Dreaming of a White Christmas'.
I think they have a slight chance to stop the distribution of these magazines.
It's now waiting on the first threats...))
Monday, December 17, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
How brain dead you can be...
Here is our friend, Ali Kulebi. Again with an article for which he would be prosecuted under several international laws for inciting hate, giving false information and providing fake statements to provoke war. But the guy seems to be a hero for some Turks. And for sure, he hates everything which is not 'Turkic': Today the primary and the particular threat for Turkey is not the Middle Eastern or Near Eastern countries where our brothers live but it is Greece, which aims to weaken us by every means and supports the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), and which overcharges us at every international platform, and makes alliances with our neighboring countries against us. It is absolutely clear that if Greece believes that it has reached our military power at one day, it would certainly attack Turkey without any question.
That he can write this statements freely in Turkish Daily News, shows how mature this newspaper is. But at the same time, how immature he is.
My dear friend Erkan wrote on his blog that I am biased against Turkey-EU. Yep, I became since Turkey is biased about everything which has to do with the EU, USA, in fact the whole world...'Give up your arms' and 'Make Peace not War'...would be an proper strategy for Turkish foreign policy.
Here Ali his points.
Smoking in Turkey
For people who came to Istanbul, these kind of taxi's is familiar for them: the Tufas.Lined up here at a taxi place. They were (and are) still cheap. But several things changed dramatically.
First, there is a legal ban of smoking in taxi's, both for the driver's as the passengers as well. And second, the Tufas is not there anymore. Most taxi's are now Fiat's, Honda's and even VW's etc.
And about smoking in taxis', just asked the driver if you can light up a cigarette, he will do it as well, as he will be relieved by the words: 'Can I smoke'. Most of the time he will offer you a cigarette and show a hidden ashtray..))
Day Opening - December 16
The Amalfi coast is maybe the most beautiful areas in the world I've travelled to and through.
Its extraordinary coastline, mixed with the beautiful Mediterranean sea, and its extra ordinary views, makes this part of Italy a 'go-go' place.
The Amalfi coast is often used in famous movies...we can mention some big names..))
Its' fun to drive there, but be sure that you drive on the right side of of the road. Some British tourist are sometimes so confused because of all the beauty...they take the wrong lane..
One of the most beautiful points.
Can you live here? I have amazing pictures of the Greece Islands. But too bad, not that many of the Turkish touristic areas, which are polluted, spoiled, and desolated by their owners.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Get Educated and shut up?!
Not that long ago a co-blogger and friend of mine described the Turkish educational system as that one of 'Get Educated and Shut up'. In fact, many Turkish friends, especially those who went abroad for an additional education, always complained about how Turkey 'maintain' their 'teach and learn' system. In professional life, I encountered often the will of the Turks to learn and the will to work. But often they didn't know how to be pro-active, or anticipate on, or plan situations. And yes, I miss some creativity as well.
Super Hero wrote about the influence of YOK, unique in its sort in the modern world. I agree completely with his comments.
Also, today Mustafa wrote an excellent column about this issue. Here the start and link.
Why Turks love conspiracy theories (I)
Saturday, December 15, 2007 - Turkish Daily News
Why conspiracy theories are so popular and credible in Turkey? Here are some of the answers I have found
Mustafa AKYOL
Anybody who spends time in Turkey will notice that conspiracy theories are amazingly popular here. Many Turks believe that there are so many evil powers in the world, and in our own society that perpetually play tricks in order to weaken our country. Mapping out these imagined plots is a sort of national pastime.
Since a belief in conspiracies is deeply embedded in culture, politicians use them very often. Most political leaders, or pundits, blame “foreign powers” or “internal enemies” for our problems. Even whey they are caught by paparazzis during inappropriate meetings with their “secretaries,” they confidently accuse their rivals to have designed that “conspiracy.” It is always someone else who must be guilty.
But why? Why are conspiracy theories so popular and credible in Turkey? I have been thinking on that for sometime, and here are some of the answers I have found.
Why not move on?:
First, one has to acknowledge the weight of history. The two final centuries of the Ottoman Empire was an era of continuous defeats and land losses to hostile powers. Moreover, when the Empire finally fell, Turkey proper was occupied by the British, the French, the Italians, and the Greeks. The infamous Treaty of Sevres (1920) gave great chunks of land to all these nations, and it also introduced the idea of a greater Armenia and a Kurdistan on Turkish lands. If Sevres were executed, Turkey would be one-fifth its current size.
Read further here.
Super Hero wrote about the influence of YOK, unique in its sort in the modern world. I agree completely with his comments.
Also, today Mustafa wrote an excellent column about this issue. Here the start and link.
Why Turks love conspiracy theories (I)
Saturday, December 15, 2007 - Turkish Daily News
Why conspiracy theories are so popular and credible in Turkey? Here are some of the answers I have found
Mustafa AKYOL
Anybody who spends time in Turkey will notice that conspiracy theories are amazingly popular here. Many Turks believe that there are so many evil powers in the world, and in our own society that perpetually play tricks in order to weaken our country. Mapping out these imagined plots is a sort of national pastime.
Since a belief in conspiracies is deeply embedded in culture, politicians use them very often. Most political leaders, or pundits, blame “foreign powers” or “internal enemies” for our problems. Even whey they are caught by paparazzis during inappropriate meetings with their “secretaries,” they confidently accuse their rivals to have designed that “conspiracy.” It is always someone else who must be guilty.
But why? Why are conspiracy theories so popular and credible in Turkey? I have been thinking on that for sometime, and here are some of the answers I have found.
Why not move on?:
First, one has to acknowledge the weight of history. The two final centuries of the Ottoman Empire was an era of continuous defeats and land losses to hostile powers. Moreover, when the Empire finally fell, Turkey proper was occupied by the British, the French, the Italians, and the Greeks. The infamous Treaty of Sevres (1920) gave great chunks of land to all these nations, and it also introduced the idea of a greater Armenia and a Kurdistan on Turkish lands. If Sevres were executed, Turkey would be one-fifth its current size.
Read further here.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Turkey and the EU
It became clear the last weeks that the Turkey will never be an EU member.
The hopes were high until last year, but its obvious that the Turkish government stalled the reform process which makes it necessary for each aspirant member to fulfill its obligations. No excuses anymore. So simple is that. In the meanwhile, the EU moves on.
While some Turkish columnists believe that Turkey is the only country which is left out by the EU, they forget that Israel and Morocco where immediately rejected by the same council. And it shows how badly the Turkish public is informed about the EU process. Not the EU but the current Turkish government are using the EU as a carrot.
Its for me simple: deeply in their heart both sides don't want to go further, but for the sake of promises which were made long time ago, they keep on talking.
I remember ten years ago a discussion, in the Netherlands. People don't want that 'Turkish generals have a say' in EU politics. They have a say in the NATO.
If I see how careless they still deal with this for Europeans sensitivity issue, its the best to opt out and look for another option. Together with so many issues, it really doesn't make sense to talk further. Turkey has to become a democracy first, a real one. No place for radical Kemalism, and or radical Islamism.
The hopes were high until last year, but its obvious that the Turkish government stalled the reform process which makes it necessary for each aspirant member to fulfill its obligations. No excuses anymore. So simple is that. In the meanwhile, the EU moves on.
While some Turkish columnists believe that Turkey is the only country which is left out by the EU, they forget that Israel and Morocco where immediately rejected by the same council. And it shows how badly the Turkish public is informed about the EU process. Not the EU but the current Turkish government are using the EU as a carrot.
Its for me simple: deeply in their heart both sides don't want to go further, but for the sake of promises which were made long time ago, they keep on talking.
I remember ten years ago a discussion, in the Netherlands. People don't want that 'Turkish generals have a say' in EU politics. They have a say in the NATO.
If I see how careless they still deal with this for Europeans sensitivity issue, its the best to opt out and look for another option. Together with so many issues, it really doesn't make sense to talk further. Turkey has to become a democracy first, a real one. No place for radical Kemalism, and or radical Islamism.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
How to pay a bill...
We’ve all experienced it, an awkward situation when the bill comes up after a dinner with a group. You know the drill… some people say they didn’t drink and some of them probably actually are telling the truth, but you’ve been having to much ‘fun’ to notice or to care about it. Others didn’t order a 18 YTL starter and emphasize that but forget to say that they had that Irish Coffee… Well whatever it is, it is always a hassle.
So here are five ways how to settle the bill:
1. Go Dutch, as the Americans would say. This means that you divide the bill through all people.
2. The pricky way. This is hard and you need to have some calculating skills. Everybody is paying for what they ordered. What did you have? ok that’s 35 YTL then. next…
3. Banking style. Everybody pays whatever they think they should pay and than there is one guy or girl who will cover ‘the rest’.
4.The Entrepreneurial way! One person pays for all of it and says: I’ve had a great dinner and time with you and as I just sold my company I’ll be more than happy to take care of the bill. You were my guests tonight.
5. Play for it! The Credit card game. (probably my favorite) This is fun! If everybody is wining about not splitting the bill equally (or nobody has sold their company lately) I suggest to put everybody their credit card into a hat and let the waitress pick one card who pays for all!It is very exciting (as you probably can imagine).
But there is a way out, as not all people are risk seekers/entrepreneurs, every one can ‘buy’ oneself out for the average price of the bill plus a small “chicken out” premium of lets say 2 euros (hey I’m Dutch, we have euros).
The funny thing is that a lot of people finally will agree to put it the average price plus the premium although they didn’t agree with splitting the bill in the first place. Some people stay in the game for the fun and excitement of it, the others who chickened out are watching the ‘ceremony’ with the waitress picking one card and have fun as well.
This is a win-win-win situation. The people who chickened out feel winners because they paid their part, had a great evening and didn’t lose the game, the people who put in there credit card and won the game win for obvious reasons (they had a free dinner which made their evening) and the loser is a winner because he/she has a story to tell (its bloggable)!
So here are five ways how to settle the bill:
1. Go Dutch, as the Americans would say. This means that you divide the bill through all people.
2. The pricky way. This is hard and you need to have some calculating skills. Everybody is paying for what they ordered. What did you have? ok that’s 35 YTL then. next…
3. Banking style. Everybody pays whatever they think they should pay and than there is one guy or girl who will cover ‘the rest’.
4.The Entrepreneurial way! One person pays for all of it and says: I’ve had a great dinner and time with you and as I just sold my company I’ll be more than happy to take care of the bill. You were my guests tonight.
5. Play for it! The Credit card game. (probably my favorite) This is fun! If everybody is wining about not splitting the bill equally (or nobody has sold their company lately) I suggest to put everybody their credit card into a hat and let the waitress pick one card who pays for all!It is very exciting (as you probably can imagine).
But there is a way out, as not all people are risk seekers/entrepreneurs, every one can ‘buy’ oneself out for the average price of the bill plus a small “chicken out” premium of lets say 2 euros (hey I’m Dutch, we have euros).
The funny thing is that a lot of people finally will agree to put it the average price plus the premium although they didn’t agree with splitting the bill in the first place. Some people stay in the game for the fun and excitement of it, the others who chickened out are watching the ‘ceremony’ with the waitress picking one card and have fun as well.
This is a win-win-win situation. The people who chickened out feel winners because they paid their part, had a great evening and didn’t lose the game, the people who put in there credit card and won the game win for obvious reasons (they had a free dinner which made their evening) and the loser is a winner because he/she has a story to tell (its bloggable)!
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
According McKinsey...
...the GCC states (Gulf Cooperation Council) account for nearly a quarter of worldwide announced capacity expansions planned over the next five years.
-Natural gas costs much less in the Gulf region than in other markets.
-Structural advantages make aluminum production 30 percent cheaper in the Gulf than in China or Western Europe.
Its now waiting how Turkey will 'behave' as a transit country...
Here the report.
-Natural gas costs much less in the Gulf region than in other markets.
-Structural advantages make aluminum production 30 percent cheaper in the Gulf than in China or Western Europe.
Its now waiting how Turkey will 'behave' as a transit country...
Here the report.
Day Opening - December 11
The former American Vice-President Al Gore and chairman Rajendra Pachauri of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) received in Oslo the Nobel price for Peace.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Euro against the US Dollar?
I moved in August 2002, from Miami to Istanbul. Immediately, a Turkish company hired me as an International Communication manager. My first advice to them: 'Change your contracts from US dollars to Euros, which they didn'. The US Dollar/Euro was 1.10. Now almost 1.50. Other companies which I helped since then, changed their contracts into Euro contracts. Below a compilation of articles and my opinion regarding the Euro-US Dollar situation. I predict that that the Euro will go up to 1.75 against the US Dollar by the end of 2008 (the people who told me that I was nuts in 2002/3/4/5/6 etc. are the same people who are telling you that I am an idiot by saying this)
Maybe some candidate on the presidential front in the USA have some really good new ideas. For sure not the Republicans candidates: The USA is in depth with the EU for 600 billion Euros (no dollars) now. In fact, the European consument pays the depths of the Americans. He...and soon we will have a 'Free of Green Bucks zone's': stop with hedonism and greediness...))
---
The decline of the dollar, symbol of US global hegemony for the best part of a century, may have become so entrenched that some experts now fear it is irreversible.
After months of huge and sustained turmoil on the money markets, lack of confidence in the world's totemic currency has become so widespread that an increasing number of international traders are transferring their wealth to stronger currencies such as the euro, which recently hit its highest level against the dollar.
The problem is so serious that there are people who in July or August might have been thinking, 'I'm paid in dollars, how annoying' for whom it's now a question of, 'Do you have a job; do you have a bonus?' "The collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market in the US, which is fuelling the dollar unrest, has already brought down one British bank, Northern Rock, and has forced others to declare vast losses.
Huge numbers of US homeowners are still cushioned by introductory interest rates set when they took out loans in 2005 or 2006. When these introductory offers run out, their interest payments will increase, setting off another wave of defaulting and repossessions. And the dollar is enduring its rockiest spell in recent memory.
Kenneth Froot, a Harvard university professor and former consultant to the US Federal Reserve, warned: "Part of the depreciation [of the dollar] is permanent. There is no doubt that the dollar must sink against periphery currencies to reflect their increase in competitiveness and productivity."
Professor Riordan Roett, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, told Bloomberg News: "There is a loss of confidence in the dollar and the US. It may only reflect the widespread dismay with the Bush administration, but it is obvious that the next administration, of either party, will have a steep uphill struggle."
As well as reaching its lowest level against the euro, which has been trading at more than $1.48, the dollar has also fallen to its lowest level against the Canadian dollar since 1950, sterling since 1981, and the Swiss franc since 1995.
Its plight was made still worse by a jarring signal from China that it was switching to other currencies.
Cheng Siwei, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, told a conference in Beijing: "We will favour stronger currencies over weaker ones, and will readjust accordingly. "The warning was reinforced by a Chinese central bank vice-director, Xu Jian, who said the dollar was "losing its status as the world currency".
China has stockpiled £700bn worth of foreign currency, and has only to decide to slow its accumulation of dollars to weaken the currency further. Last month, in a humiliating turn of events, the central bank in Iraq, four years after the United States invaded, stated that it wished to diversify reserves from a reliance on dollars.
Korea's central bank has urged shipbuilders to issue invoices in the local currency and take precautions against the weakened dollar, and three of the world's big oil exporters, Iran, Venezuela, and Russia, are demanding payment in euros rather than dollars.
Iran insisted that Japan should make all its payments for oil in yen, rather than dollars.
Warren Buffet, who is reputedly the richest man in the world, was asked on the US network CNBC last month what he thought was the best currency in the world to own now.
He answered: "Not the US dollar."
The Wall Street Journal ran an online poll asking people which currency, they would prefer to be paid in.
The euro came top, ahead of sterling, with others such as the Canadian dollar, yen and Swiss franc trailing far behind.
One respondent wrote: "Being an expat in Europe with a European employment contract, I am paid in euros, and happy to get paid in euros, and shop in the US, just as long as the cycle lasts through my retirement, so I can pick up pension in Europe and retire in the US."
The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates twice since September to revive the US economy, but the cuts – combined with the possibility that more were on the way – made the dollar less attractive to investors.
Christopher Heywood, director of tourism PR for NYC & Company, said he expected the dollar crisis to attract yet more British shoppers. "The savvy traveller who's coming here for the shopping can really get a bargain. They're coming with one suitcase and leaving with two or three," he said."We have people coming over here even for weekend trips to shop for the famous brand names. People are coming for the department stores that everyone around the world knows, but also for the boutique stores out of the centre of Manhattan, anything from Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue to Bleecker Street in the West Village and SoHo."
In fact, all the bully talk about Europe and the EU is to keep our citizens unaware for upcoming dangers: does the USA needs wars?
Maybe some candidate on the presidential front in the USA have some really good new ideas. For sure not the Republicans candidates: The USA is in depth with the EU for 600 billion Euros (no dollars) now. In fact, the European consument pays the depths of the Americans. He...and soon we will have a 'Free of Green Bucks zone's': stop with hedonism and greediness...))
---
The decline of the dollar, symbol of US global hegemony for the best part of a century, may have become so entrenched that some experts now fear it is irreversible.
After months of huge and sustained turmoil on the money markets, lack of confidence in the world's totemic currency has become so widespread that an increasing number of international traders are transferring their wealth to stronger currencies such as the euro, which recently hit its highest level against the dollar.
The problem is so serious that there are people who in July or August might have been thinking, 'I'm paid in dollars, how annoying' for whom it's now a question of, 'Do you have a job; do you have a bonus?' "The collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market in the US, which is fuelling the dollar unrest, has already brought down one British bank, Northern Rock, and has forced others to declare vast losses.
Huge numbers of US homeowners are still cushioned by introductory interest rates set when they took out loans in 2005 or 2006. When these introductory offers run out, their interest payments will increase, setting off another wave of defaulting and repossessions. And the dollar is enduring its rockiest spell in recent memory.
Kenneth Froot, a Harvard university professor and former consultant to the US Federal Reserve, warned: "Part of the depreciation [of the dollar] is permanent. There is no doubt that the dollar must sink against periphery currencies to reflect their increase in competitiveness and productivity."
Professor Riordan Roett, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, told Bloomberg News: "There is a loss of confidence in the dollar and the US. It may only reflect the widespread dismay with the Bush administration, but it is obvious that the next administration, of either party, will have a steep uphill struggle."
As well as reaching its lowest level against the euro, which has been trading at more than $1.48, the dollar has also fallen to its lowest level against the Canadian dollar since 1950, sterling since 1981, and the Swiss franc since 1995.
Its plight was made still worse by a jarring signal from China that it was switching to other currencies.
Cheng Siwei, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, told a conference in Beijing: "We will favour stronger currencies over weaker ones, and will readjust accordingly. "The warning was reinforced by a Chinese central bank vice-director, Xu Jian, who said the dollar was "losing its status as the world currency".
China has stockpiled £700bn worth of foreign currency, and has only to decide to slow its accumulation of dollars to weaken the currency further. Last month, in a humiliating turn of events, the central bank in Iraq, four years after the United States invaded, stated that it wished to diversify reserves from a reliance on dollars.
Korea's central bank has urged shipbuilders to issue invoices in the local currency and take precautions against the weakened dollar, and three of the world's big oil exporters, Iran, Venezuela, and Russia, are demanding payment in euros rather than dollars.
Iran insisted that Japan should make all its payments for oil in yen, rather than dollars.
Warren Buffet, who is reputedly the richest man in the world, was asked on the US network CNBC last month what he thought was the best currency in the world to own now.
He answered: "Not the US dollar."
The Wall Street Journal ran an online poll asking people which currency, they would prefer to be paid in.
The euro came top, ahead of sterling, with others such as the Canadian dollar, yen and Swiss franc trailing far behind.
One respondent wrote: "Being an expat in Europe with a European employment contract, I am paid in euros, and happy to get paid in euros, and shop in the US, just as long as the cycle lasts through my retirement, so I can pick up pension in Europe and retire in the US."
The Federal Reserve has cut interest rates twice since September to revive the US economy, but the cuts – combined with the possibility that more were on the way – made the dollar less attractive to investors.
Christopher Heywood, director of tourism PR for NYC & Company, said he expected the dollar crisis to attract yet more British shoppers. "The savvy traveller who's coming here for the shopping can really get a bargain. They're coming with one suitcase and leaving with two or three," he said."We have people coming over here even for weekend trips to shop for the famous brand names. People are coming for the department stores that everyone around the world knows, but also for the boutique stores out of the centre of Manhattan, anything from Madison Avenue and Fifth Avenue to Bleecker Street in the West Village and SoHo."
In fact, all the bully talk about Europe and the EU is to keep our citizens unaware for upcoming dangers: does the USA needs wars?
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Offensive or an insult
The German Sculptor, Olaf Metzel, made this sculpture and called it 'Turkish Delight'. Its placed on the campus of an university in Vienna, Austria.Personally, it not my taste, but I don't see that this sculpture has to be removed what several Austrian citizens of Turkish decent asked for. Is it insulting? No, in my opinion. Can you be offended by this? I really don't know. But there is a fine line between insulting and feeling offended. I saw horrible sculptures about the holocaust, terrible sculptures about all kind of tragic events in world history. But when we are going to mengle in artistic freedom...that's the beginning of the end. That this sculpture is provocative, nothing wrong with. But nothing offensive, and for sure not insulting. I saw terrible insulting cartoons about European leaders etc. here in Turkey. For me is the fine line between insulting and offending a simple one: the first is to harm someone on purpose. The second too often used too break down any form of dialogue. And more a personal reaction on something you dislike.
Also...too much attention for this provocative guy, Olaf Metzel.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Today, exactly 27 years ago
Fans mourn Lennon's death outside the Dakota Building, New York, where he was shot on 8 December 1980.
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