28.03.2009

Politics & the Nation

• I just can't help falling in love with the third editorials that appear in ET!!
• They may look like they are taking life easy; but there is some continuing strand of argument or position that they take on various aspects of life that concerns us all in general.  In addition, this is one ET piece that consistently did its best to improve our vocabulary.  I suspect the hand of some seasoned littérateur behind it.
• Today it picks up on how Obama's public face should be.  Though it won't be of direct help to you in facing exams, I am sure it teaches you something about adding stuff to your observations/feelings.  These are skills that you would very badly need in things like GD and Interviews.  Can't get anything meaningful out of it?  Don't blame it; blame it on me for my judgment. :(

Finance & Economy

• An excerpt from today ET editorial on pharma R&D spends the world over:
  
• The pharma industry, globally, is far more research-intensive, for example, with R&D spends often exceeding 15% of turnover. In sharp contrast, in chemicals, the standard practice is to set aside no more than 1%.
  
• Titbit about intra-regional trade
  
• Intra-regional trade among developing countries accounts for only 37% of exports in our region compared to Nafta at 51% and the EU at 68%. As a result, the survey calls for more intra-regional and investment linkages so that domestic markets are strengthened to provide a secondary buffer to global market fluctuations. 
• You have heard of the impossible trinity in our blogs.  But did we ever come across the 'triple crises'?
  
• AFAIK, we have not heard of it.  It refers to food security, fuel security and the threat to environment.
  
• Take a look at this report to understand the nuances of price fluctuations in wheat
• Higher production means lower prices; right?  That is conventional wisdom.  But can it be the only reason?  If you read it, you will understand a couple of other factors that are responsible for the price increases as well as decreases.
• Gold production figures: national and global
  
• While India remains a small player globally, gold production in 2008-09 is likely to remain stuck at a shade below 12 tonnes, which the country produced in 2007-08. 
  
• Globally too, gold production has been on a marginal but steady decline in the last two years. From a high of 3,575 tonnes in 2006, production decreased to 3,488 tonnes in 2007, sliding further in 2008. 
  

International

• Obama lowers temperatures on outsourcing jobs?
• If you read this report, this surely is the feeling one will be left with.  Worth a read to stay tuned with the developments as they shape up.
• It is good that Obama is slowly realizing the inevitability of outsourcing.  Not all jobs can be pinned down to their geographies.  This is a reality that everybody has to live with.

Time Pass???

• We were not prepared for the kind of response that this "Time Pass" content evoked in our blog.
  
• One of our readers was quite quick to point out that yesterday's ad was very old... of 2005 vintage.  He pointed us to another site which contained some interesting videos.  It is called flixxy.com.  Those of you who have time, do check it out.
  
• Here is a video that shows a car running on air!!

Sport

• Cricket: II Test with New Zealand
• New Zealand 1st innings: 619 for 9 declared India 1st innings: 305 all out India 2nd innings: 47 for 1 (Virender Sehwag 22, Gautam Gambhir 14 not out, Rahul Dravid 11 not out; Jeetan Patel 1/14).
  

Language lessons

• bully pulpit: Noun
  
• A public office of sufficiently high rank that it provides the holder with an opportunity to speak out and be listened to on any matter
  
• eg: "the American presidency is a bully pulpit"
  
• hector: verb
• Be bossy towards