What’s that spread?

The ‘spread’ has become something of a synonym of Europe’s debt crisis. There is barely a news program that does not mention it. It usually means disaster when it goes up and plain sailing when it goes down. But is that true? What is it anyway? And does it have any significance for our everyday life?

Elections – Europe is looking to France once again

On April 22 France will hold the first round of its presidential elections. Since the first voting is unlikely to provide any of the running candidates with an absolute majority there will be a ‘shoot-out’ between the 2 leading contenders on May 06. Polls suggest that François Hollande of the Socialist Party is leading the sitting President Nicolas Sarkozy by a slender margin. The race to the Elysée is far from over. All depends on who is making it into the second and decisive round and who attracts more votes of people who had previously backed unsuccessful candidates.

Review: Interesting Times: A Twentieth-Century Life

Interesting Times: A Twentieth-Century Life by Eric J. Hobsbawm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Interesting Times: A Twentieth-Century Life is the autobiography of Eric Hobsbawn. It was first published in 2002. My copy is of the paperback edition published and reprinted by Abacus. The first book I read by this author was The Age Of The Capital 1848-1875 which I picked up rather accidentally in the bargain section of my local book store. Well structured and written in an accessible style, it turned out to be a good introduction into the history of that period. It left a lasting impression on me in the way that I wanted to learn more about the author himself.

What’s wrong about health care for all?

What’s wrong about health care for all? This question crossed my mind last week when I learnt that the constitutionality of President Barak Obama’s health care reform (commonly known as ‘Obamacare‘) is being contested. The ruling of the US Supreme Court on this may turn out decisive in the presidential elections to be held on November 6th. Here is some background.

USA – Payday for Apple’s shareholders

Apple announced the other day that it will pay a dividend to its shareholders. It could have been a company communication like millions of others, but it wasn’t. There is only one Apple, a hugely successful company that hasn’t paid out a single nickel for 16 years. It is understood that the cash pile has risen to about 100 billion dollar (the GDP of Ireland stood at 180 billion in 2011). 45 billion dollar will be made available for payment over 3 years. I have 2 questions regarding this announcement, the first is economical, the second rather ethical.