Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

16 Feb 2012 18:39

tags

Biz: Still think Detroit’s going bankrupt? Check out GM’s killer numbers

  • $4.7 billion General Motors’ posted earnings for the 2010 fiscal year
  • $7.6 billion General Motors’ posted earnings for the 2011 fiscal year source
  • » What a record to break! One year removed from bankruptcy, American automaker General Motors posted record-setting earnings for the 2011 fiscal year. In recent weeks/months many investors worried that GM’s overseas operations would drag down the company’s year-end totals. GM lost a total of $747 million in European markets, with $562 million of the losses occurring in the fourth quarter alone. In South America, where the company reported $818 million in earnings for 2010, GM reported a net loss of $122 million. However, not only did the company defy global expectations, GM managed to break its former $6.7 billion earnings record, set in 1996.
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Nov 2011 10:52

tags

World: So, humans could be going to Mars soon. That would be a truly giant leap.

  • Over a period of 17 months, everything was strictly regimented. Now they are returning to a life where they must deal with family and professional problems.
  • Mars500 project director Boris Morukov • Talking about the crew of “astronauts” after a 520 day simulated mission to Mars. The mission intended to answer the question: ” can people stay healthy and sane during six months rocketing to the Red Planet?” The participants, from countries like Europe, Russia and China, are expected to have problems adjusting to the “noise and activity of ordinary life.” Still, it seemed to go much better than this experiment in 2000, which ended “in drunken disaster when two participants got into a fistfight and a third tried to forcibly kiss a female crew member.” We would be a little frazzled, too, after hundreds of days of isolation and terrible food. source
Posted by samimain • 0 Comments • Permalink

14 Sep 2011 00:15

tags

World: China’s Wen Jiabao: Developed countries need to show fiscal responsibility

  • Countries must first put their own houses in order. Developed countries must take responsible fiscal and monetary policies. What is most important now is to prevent the further spread of the sovereign debt crisis in Europe.
  • Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao • Telling all the deadbeat European nations to bump up their national credit scores before looking for a bailout from China. Wen previously said the country would lend a helping hand to Europe, which is suffering a crippling debt crisis. So, in case you were thinking of going to China for a little cash, you’re out of luck … unless you’ve proven yourself fiscally responsible (or China has a huge vested interest in seeing you succeed). Then China would be happy to let you into its deep coffers. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Dec 2010 11:08

tags

World: “Europe’s Last Dictator” wins overwhelmingly in Belarus

As contested elections go, the Ivory Coast’s situation is far scarier, but the drama around leader Alexander Lukashenko’s latest election in Belarus is nothing to sneeze at. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Dec 2010 11:07

tags

World: Travelers stuck in Europe, going crazy ’cause it’s almost Christmas

Proof that Mother Nature hates Europeans – it’s the weekend before Christmas, one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, and images like this one exist. Snow sucks. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

13 Dec 2010 10:22

tags

World: Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi could face the music in no-confidence vote

Speaking of fights for one’s political life, Silvio Berlusconi could be out of office after a no-confidence vote on Tuesday. To call the dude controversial in Italy puts it lightly. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Oct 2010 10:03

tags

World: Vague threats: More SCARY TERROR FEAR STUFF in Europe

  • yesterday The U.S. issued a travel advisory suggesting (essentially) that tourists in Europe not hang out near public landmarks, due to a vague al-Qaeda threat.
  • today Japan followed suit, something that country rarely does. Also, the United Kingdom raised their terror alert level to high. There might be something to this. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

03 Oct 2010 01:59

tags

World: The U.S. thinking of advising tourists in Europe of al-Qaeda threat

  • Sure, you might think doing cool touristy crap in London or elsewhere in Europe is cool and all, but the U.S. thinks you should stay away from the guards at Buckingham Palace. Or pretty much anywhere else one might consider a public place. Reports suggest that U.S. plans to offer a travel advisory tomorrow saying that you basically should be vigilant about where you go in Europe. Why? Blame the vagueness that is an al-Qaeda threat. (Photo by Gabriel Villena) source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jul 2010 13:48

tags

Biz: European banks put to the test, couldn’t handle the stress

  • seven banks number of EU financial institutions that failed a stress test
  • $4.5 billion the size of the shortfall the banks collectively faced source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Jun 2010 11:14

tags

World: Who thinks Israel’s flotilla raid was a bad idea? Raise your hand

  • 13 European countries, including Turkey, raised their hands source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 2 Comments • Permalink
 
 
top tags
older >>