Thursday, February 28, 2013

SPAIN falls further into recession as GDP plunges by 0.8%; Gloomy figures for final quarter of 2012 offset by news that deficit has fallen to 6.3%, close to EU target.

SWEDEN: top anti-prostitution prosecutor nabbed in prostitution sting.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

A TALE OF TWO COWS.

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

50 UNSEEN Rudyard Kipling poems discovered.

Monday, February 25, 2013

OH, YES! The Science Behind Coffee and Why it's Actually Good for Your Health

THOSE IRANIANS sure love Photoshop: they have covered Michelle Obama's shoulders at the Oscars.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

ONLY IN JAPAN: a clever —and clean— technique for building demolitions.

AND HE KNEW A THING OR TWO: Seven Tips From Ernest Hemingway on How to Write Fiction.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

MUST-READ: 12 years of the Spanish economy in 12 charts.

POURING some cold water on 3D printing.

Monday, February 18, 2013

CAN'T WAIT!

Researchers have reduced blood alcohol levels in intoxicated mice by injecting them with nanocapsules containing enzymes that are instrumental in alcohol metabolism. The treatment demonstrates a novel drug delivery technology that could have broad medical applications.

 

OH, YES! 7 Untold Benefits of Drinking Coffee

WHY the Spanish aren’t entrepreneurs.

What the article says is true, but I find a big barrier to starting out a company which is missing from it: how difficult and expensive —in terms of tax compliance and bureaucracy— to start a business. It takes time, a lot of paperwork, and too many sunk costs. The idea has to be EXTREMELY appealing to be worth the trouble, and as everyone know, that is not the most frequent kind of idea.

BE CAREFUL with chiropractic treatments, they can be really dangerous.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

OH, REALLY?

Spain is set to usurp Germany as the strongman of Europe, due to the increasing competitiveness of its exports, say Morgan Stanley analysts, who think fiscal rebalancing will continue in the country despite its current political turmoil.

No, not really:

But Moorad Choudhry, a professor at Brunel University, disputed Fels's view that high unemployment benefited Spain's economy.

"There is more to productivity and competitive position than unit labor costs. If there wasn't, we could observe Bangladesh's average wage cost of one dollar a day and conclude that it will overtake Germany in the export league table," he said.

He added that Spain's economy has "eight or nine" major weaknesses that must be addressed, on top of export competitiveness.

"The Spanish economy suffers from bottlenecks on the supply side, labor market rigidity, stifling bureaucracy, heavy weight real-estate loan losses still to be recognized on bank balance sheets and an excessive social welfare bill, which is why I would not rush to suggest that Spain is the new Germany."

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

GIDEON RACHMAN at the Financial Times:

A rare beast has reappeared in Europe. In recent years, there were no confirmed sightings. But in the past few weeks, this shy animal – known as “good news” – has been spotted in various European locations.

Last Friday, the beast even appeared fleetingly in Brussels. For once, an EU summit did not end in acrimony or farce . Instead, European leaders reached an agreement on a budget – and nobody laughed.

Good news also made an appearance on Europe’s battered periphery. Ireland reached a deal that will ease the crushing burden of debt on its public finances. Enda Kenny, the prime minister, was applauded in parliament as he announced a “historic step on the road to economic recovery”. The Financial Times also reported a “brighter outlook” for Greece’s economy. In January, Portugal managed to return to the long-term debt market for the first time since the country was bailed out in 2011.

So is this the beginning of the great European bounceback?

Keep reading.

Friday, February 08, 2013

CHINA'S ECONOMIC CHALLENGES, explained in three simple charts.

Tuesday, February 05, 2013

ANCIENT Greek and Roman statues were in color after all.

ADDRESSING concerns about fracking.

Monday, February 04, 2013

BJORN LOMBORG: Organic food is for the wealthy, not for the poor.

Friday, February 01, 2013

REMEMBER the monkey that Iran sent to space and back a few days ago? It was a fake. I'm so shocked...