Japan withdraws

A major Japanese bank slashed its connections to Europe by dropping debt in countries like ireland, portugal, and Spain. The dramati slash comes from the instability of the market in the region and the Japanese no lnger want to rely on the mercy of the European Market. The bank is slashing these debts also due to a 46.1 billion Yen net losss after the last quarter. The Moody council, a local reviewer for foriegn investors says the company maybe moved down to a level just above junk.The move by the major Japanese bank also caused other Japenese banks to slash their ties to Europe dropping such as the Bank Kakosi. This bank has dropped nearly all of its foregin bonds eventhough the Italian Bond exceeded 7 per cent return.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/28/business/japan-nomura-eurozone-debt/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AdDLhPwpp4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MGagKL_tvS8 (in this video you can hear the protesters chanting: If you let them go, we will let you leave.)

I'm sure everyone has heard about the UC Davis pepper spray incident on November 18th. I have been reading articles and watching videos about the incident and as of right now there is a private investigation going on to see why the police used pepper spray and if they were right in doing so. The popular belief follows the viral youtube video that shows students peacefully protesting on campus and then suddenly being pepper sprayed in the face. I have heard many people talking about the incident and the story on the street is that the pepper spray came almost out of no where. As I researched a few more pieces of the story on the side of the police have turned up: 1. The police warned the students that they were going to be pepper sprayed if they didn't move. 2. Police had been ordered to remove the tents and as they were doing this, students encircled them, blocking their exit. This article: http://www.businessinsider.com/pictures-uc-davis-pepper-spray-2011-11?op=1 is one of the best I have found. It has chronologically ordered pictures showing what happened at the event. Questions about police control are central to this topic. The two police officers that used pepper spray are on temporary paid leave as of right now.

Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise.

World Aids Day is held on December 1st around the world and has been since it's creation in 1988 by UNAIDS.

I feel like I am uninformed about a lot of the AIDS organizational history, so here is just a little background in honor of this week's important day.

The first defined cases of AIDS were documented on June 5th, 1981, and was reported as 5 young gay men with Pneumocystis Pneumonia Carinii (PCP), this infection is only found on individuals with seriously complicated immune systems, cytomegalovirus, and disseminated candida infections (avert.org). And by the end of 1981, every week 6 new cases were being reported of this unknown, undefinable disease.
The Acronym AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) was recognized starting in Fall 1982.
In too many years afterwards (til approximately 1984), no one in the public was sure how the disease was transmitted and thus many stigmas and discrimination came out of the unknowing.
Finally in 1984, the CDC reported that French researches mad possibly located the virus that causes AIDS  “We cannot know for sure now that the LAV virus is the agent that causes AIDS, but the pattern it follows in the human body makes us believe it is” (avert.org).

March 1985 was the month in which there was a test ready to test for AIDS in one's system, and later on in 1986 the government through Surgeon General's Reports and the CDC began to encourage safe sex and condom use as opposed to simply banning HIV positive immigrants- education was starting to decrease the discrimination.

The first drug treatment for AIDS was created in AZT, the first antiretroviral drug, and approved by the FDA in 1987.

In 2009, 33.3 million people worldwide were estimated to be living with AIDS, 15.9 of them being children, with 2.6 million people being newly infected each year.

Even though we are very far away from learning all we can about AIDS, the world is finally begun to stabilize this epidemic and the new infection and death toll numbers have steadily declined.

Che Guevara

Guervara was borin in 1928 to a fairly well off family in Argentina. The son of doctor Guevara had a good education and could have easily lived out the rest of his life in relative peace and quite. Guevara eventually began to fight against the many social injustices he saw in the world of South America. He earned the nickname Che during the Cuban revolution during which he became famous. Che was known by his enemies and friends to be an idealist. He often stood for hardwork, equality, the people and bravery. In fact there was one thing Che could never tolearte and it was cowardice. Che would have deserters shot on sit for leaving the army. Che was also known as one of the most inteligent officers in the Cuban military. The man also was one who would not step down this turned against him when he refused to accept the Soviet Union as Cuba's ally. Instead he turned his focus to fighting injustice in the world he fought a revolution in Africa and eventually went to Bolivia to gain support from the Bolivian peasnats. The peasants however turned him in and he was executed, the weird thing is that he never said a bad word about those who turned them in. The picture that became his symbol was taken in 1968 and gained great fame when it became the symbol of rebellious French students. His picture even today continues to incite the feelings of rebellion in todays youth.

Was Jesus white?

One of the most important religious symbols is the image of Jesus Christ. I have often wondered why he is usually portrayed as white when he was born in the middle east and therefore one would think he would look more middle eastern. In my research I found that it was not known exactly what ethnicity Jesus was because the Bible doesn't include any clear physical description of him. The most common images of Jesus as white or sometimes as African come from cultural stereotypes that have been passed down through generations.

I think that the race of Jesus is a really interesting topic because it illustrates the way we create images and stereotypes based heavily on our own cultural norms.

The Great Seal

The Great Seal of the United States is a famous symbol of the U.S. dating back to 1782. It shows the coat of arms of the United States. Pictured is a shield, similar to the American flag, though different. An eagle with it's wings out-stretched holds 13 arrows on his right and an olive branch (traditionally with 13 leaves, though not required legally) on his left. His head is turned towards the olive branch, show the United States prefers peace but is ready for war. The eagle also holds a scroll with the moto, "E Pluribus Unum." Above the eagle is a "glory" with 13 stars.

The Olympic Mascot of Londontown 2012

As I was wandering London this weekend I couldn't help but notice the excitement surrounding the upcoming 2012 Olympics that London is hosting. Also I had to notice the very strange mascot shown here:

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/05/20/article-1279736-09A7FFEB000005DC-301_634x429.jpg

Wenlock and Mandeville are their names and they are said to be "created from drops of steel from the new Olympic stadium".
Wenlock is named after the Shropshire town of Much Wenlock where in the mid 19th century the Wenlock Games because the inspiration for modern day Olympics. Mandeville after the Stoke Mandeville hospital where Dr. Mandeville practiced- a forerunner for Paralympics.

The creative agency, Iris, designed these mascots. Highly controversial for their strange looks, these two mascots are said to be designed in a way that inspires children to exercise. A little of their breakdown is shown in this picture:

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/05/19/article-1279736-09A7F9E8000005DC-924_634x366.jpg

Ski Trail Ratings

With all my friends home for the holiday, my Facebook news feed was riddled with statuses bragging about the snowfall in my hometown and the amazing ski days that ensued. Jerks. Needless to say, skiing has been on my mind and has inspired this week's symbol: ski trail ratings.

The above are the basic ski trail symbols that are used in the US and Australia/New Zealand. They're created to give tourists and developing skiers guidance as to the safest and most ability appropriate way down the mountain.

In Europe and Asia, similar colors are used but shapes and rarely used. Always, easy is represented by green. I think this is because green is most commonly known as a "cool" color. I think the same goes for blue. As for the shape, I think a circle was used because it has no harsh angles or corners and is just smooth. I think black diamonds represent more challenging trails because diamonds are a lesser-used shape and black is the least friendly of the colors.

These symbols become erroneous to locals after some time, but they undoubtedly keep beginner and intermediate skiers safe.

Britain cuts Iran's funding

Monday Briatin cut off Iran from the entire british financial sector. This is the first time britain has banned an entire financial sector from the British treasury. The cut off came from an increasing threat of the Iranian nuclear sector. The alaram came from the International Atomic Energy Agency reported the possible 'military dimensions' of the Iranian Atomic program. The Iranian claimed the reports were false and were politically motivated. The US has placed sanction on Iranian blanks along with many money laundering concrens but they have not completely cut all financial ties with the Iranian bank. The US has however prohibited buisness with all Iranian buissness'. The British have also announced that similar announcements will be made by partner states leaving Iran with very little funding in the global community.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/21/world/europe/uk-iran-sanctions/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2

1.Could pulling the plug on an already desperate country make problems worse?
2. What result will this have on the civilians of Iran and the country's overall infrastructure

Obesity

Recently in October in Seattle, someone graffitied a Burger King billboard in order to raise increased awareness about obesity in the United States and how fast food chains are making the problem worse. 


In 2010, no state had a prevalence of obesity less than 20%. Thirty-six states had a prevalence of 25% or more; 12 of these states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia) had a prevalence of 30% or more (CDC.com). 


The Center for Disease Control also listed he medical costs associated with obesity, the staggering number totals about $147 billion in 2008 alone. 


The unavailability of fresh fruits and vegetables, and the increase in consumption of fast food is some of the reason for these new, higher numbers. 

Nazi Sensitivity Prominent in Germany

Last week, a neo-Nazi organization was blamed with the murder of ten people over a decade. Now Germany tries to explain where they went wrong in solving the murders and continue to plead the case of Germany's wide acceptance of outside cultures. Really, the murders have just unravelled the thin cover on the sensitivity regarding Germany's dark past. In this article the point is raised that perhaps German authorities were becoming to relaxed in regard to right-wing extremists. How much do these murders set Germany back in their conquest of becoming an open and accepting country? Are these murders being portrayed in a more extreme light solely because of Germany's past? Will Germany ever be able to effectively move on from their adverse past?

Skull and cross bones

The skull and cross bones has been used many a times throughout history to symbolize , death , certain organizations, and even pirates. The earliest use of the skull and cross bones goes back to the middle ages when the symbol was used to mark grave yards and places of rest for the dead. The symbol gained greater meaning during the black death when cemetary workers would mark cemetaries to warn people not to enter in fear of contracting the plague. The symbol was brough to the Americas by the Spanish and used in Spanish graveyards as well as in Spanish churches. The symbol was adopted by the knights templar and was added to their tunics to srike fear into muslim soldies they fought. People also believe the nknights templar spawned the jolly roger when they flew a skull and cross bones when attacking ships loyal to their enemies.
http://www.ehow.com/about_4600218_meaning-skull-crossbones.html

On the theme of the joys of Christmas...

Kissing under the mistletoe is an ancient tradition. These plants are partially parasitic because they live off of the trees in which they live. In ancient Scandinavia, if two enemies happened to meet under a mistletoe they had to leave their weapons on the ground for at least the night. The Greeks believed that it was a plant of fertility. In the 18^th century a king made a kissing ball of mistletoe and said that if a girl was standing underneath it she couldn’t refuse a kiss. If you were not kissed underneath the mistletoe it meant you would be married in the next year. In some places they would burn the plant after 12 nights to make sure no more couples kissed under it and risked never getting married.

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree!

While walking through Alicante this past weekend I noticed my first Christmas tree of the season and immediately visions of sugar plum fairies danced through my head... or something along those lines. Anyways, Christmas trees seem to have become the universal symbol of Christmas, but exactly who was the first person to start putting shiny things on coniferous trees in honor of the holiday spirit?

During the 15th century, Germans in Livonia began decorating evergreen trees. One family of brothers in particular is said to have placed a tree in their home until Christmas Eve and then brought the tree to the town center where it was lit on fire while men and women danced around it. From that point in time, the significance of the tree developed into somewhat of a dessert tray by holding candy, nuts, and other holiday snacks for visitors in businesses. Despite remaining in Germany for a few centuries, the tree was eventually brought across the ocean to Canada for a Christmas party thrown for soldiers.

No matter the origin and use of the tree, it undeniably brings delight to everyone.

Bringing it back to Spain...la Caixa

In 1980, the "Caixa" finally decided on a logo that was fitting of the ideas that they wanted to convey. They had been looking for a symbol that was original and recognizable but yet easy for Spaniards to identify with. Thus it was an easy decision to go along with the idea that Joan Miro would create a tapestry for Caixa, and from that an emblem would be taken.

The emblem that was taken is the one shown above, that is symbolic of a child dropping a gold coin into a red coin purse. 

Un-hatin

There was quite a stir last week over some pictures featured in United Colors of Benetton's UNHATE campaign. These were photos that had been photo-shopped to feature two world leaders kissing, including the likeness of President Obama, the Pope, President Chavez, Merkel and Sarkozy, just to name a few. The company explains their UNHATE campaign as:

What does UNHATE mean? UN-hate. Stop hating, if you were hating. Unhate is a message that invites us to consider that hate and love are not as far away from each other as we think. Actually, the two opposing sentiments are often in a delicate and unstable balance. Our campaign promotes a shift in the balance: don’t hate, Unhate.

It's a controversial message from a company that is well known for their controversial advertising. Benetton, an Italian company, has seen many controversies, including anger against a 1991 ad featuring a man dying from AIDs. They also have seen anger over adds featuring a new born baby with an umbilical cord still attached and a priest and nun preparing to kiss. The fall out from this recent line of kiss ads has been overwhelming as they have covered the internet. The Vatican threatened legal action over the removal of a photo of the Pope kissing a Egyptian Imam. Benetton removed the picture.

Are these controversial messages a good way of spreading a message?

As greece's financial problem start t get even more out of hand the possiblitiy of remaining inside the eurozone seems almost unbearabel Due to the economic pressure from the G-20 greece is starting to reconsider its position within the eurozone. The referendum seemed like hope to keep the leadership in power within Greece but its cancelation meant that the leadership maybe ushered out the door.While leaving the E.U> is out of the question reinsituting its previous currency the drachma could happen. This means that greece can choose how much of its foreign debt it would pay back due its own regulation of its currency thiswould devalue the currency by 50% and cause economic trouble. People would push to the banks to withdra their life savings in euros and cause a virtual collapse of banks unless the government stepped in. The longer Greece waits to leave the more problems may have.
Should Greece leave the eurozone?
http://business.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/04/is-greece-angling-for-a-eurozone-exit-and-can-it-leave/?hpt=ieu_r1

Facebook Funeral. Psych!

I don’t know about anyone else, but my facebook has had some obscene images on the news feed recently saying that my friends ‘liked’ certain pornographic or gruesome images or videos. When I was reading the news today I read an interesting article that linked these facebook malfunctions to a hacker group called Anonymous. I have heard of this ‘hacktivist’ group before whose goal is tied to freedom of speech and internet freedom. Supposedly the group was concerned about disrespected privacy issues by Facebook to its users and therefore threatened to attack and take down facebook. However, the attack was supposed to start November 5 of this year in honor of Guy Fawkes day, but as of now it appears that facebook is safe from termination but not from porn hackers. If this group was part of this intrusion of facebook it could be subtly initiating what it wanted to communicate about the lack of internet freedom and freedom of privacy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/11/04/anonymous-facebook-attack_n_1076091.html

Chakras, Kundalinis and red dots

The red dot worn on the forehead can have many different meanings. The area in the middle of the forehead, according to Hinduism is said to be the sixth “chakra”. ‘Chakras’ are areas on the human body that are said to receive and transmit energy, usually spiritual energy. Yoga traditions are highly influenced by the belief of chakras. Chakras are located along the spine and are areas of energy. There are different beliefs about how many chakras are on the human body, but the most common belief is that there are seven. The red dot is placed over the “third eye” chakra which is the sixth shakra and believed to be the seat of “concealed wisdom”. It symbolizes protection from bad luck and increased energy and concentration. This specific chakra is where kundalini power is released. Kundalini power is another interesting concept that is believed to be the energy of human potential coiled within a person that has to be channeled in order to release the power which eventually is released from the person at this red dot. In modern days, there may be far less significant and spiritual reasons why people wear this red dot.

Starbucks.

It's amazing how Starbucks, an American company, has infiltrated Europe. As I was walking around Sevilla, it was easy to notice how easy it is to recognize the symbol.

The Starbucks symbol is one that began as A full size siren:

Starbucks then changed its symbol because customers thought the split tail was too sensual and seductive.

The reason Starbucks chose the siren and it's name is because it began as Moby's Coffee, in honor of the book Moby Dick, but then changed to Starbucks as its a little more customer friendly and recognizable and Starbucks is the name of the first mate's name of the Pequod in Moby Dick.

Suits for Any Occasion

During one of our stops on the long drive back from Sevilla, we played cards to keep ourselves occupied. I never really gave it much thought before, but tonight I realized that I had no real idea what the significance of the symbols, or suits, on each card is. I also thought it was going to be a straightforward answer, but it turns out that there is a long history to cards and suits and even today a lot of countries have different suits. We use the basic French traditional deck in which the four suits represent the four classes. Specifically, the spades signify the nobility, the hearts- the clergy, diamonds- merchants, and clubs- peasants. In Spain people still play with a different deck of cards where the hearts are cups, the diamonds are coins, the clubs are actual clubs (like a bludgeon), and spades are swords.

A desperate disease requires a dangerous remedy

“Vendetta” masks have become the symbol for the Occupy movement worldwide. Guy Fawkes was a Catholic Englishman who tried to blow up the House of Parliament as one of the five members of the Gunpowder Plot. King James I of England had created legislation that he was to be recognized as the head of the Church and those who refused to submit to this law were killed. The use of these masks at the occupy movement is thought to symbolize standing up in the face of injustice and representing the strength of the people over the government. It’s ironic because Time Warner owns the rights to the masks from the movie V for Vendetta that popularized them, so people have to pay a huge corporation in order to protest against huge corporations. Many alternative options have been created to avoid this.

What a Relief!

I don't think language barriers have ever been more apparent than while traveling in Europe, but no matter what country your in and what language you are grappling with at the time, there are always a few essential words you need to know- one of them being toilet. At some point everyone needs to hear Mallissa's story from Paris about the difficulties of French pronunciation, and until we are all able to pronounce the word toilet in every language, there is one trusty symbol we can all depend on.

Since not all men have box bodies and not all women wear dresses all the time, there are some places that use plain, common symbols. For example, in Poland, and now most places in California, use a triangle for a men's restroom and a circle for a women's restroom.

The United Nations

The United Nations was created in 1945 after world war 2 to help bring peaceful resolutions to the worlds problems. The United Nations consists of 193 seperate states and has recently become a paper tiger. The United Nations consist of the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Secretariat, and the International Court of Justice. While the general assembly can only make recommendations the U.N. security council is the only hand that can make binding agreements. The security council currently consists of 15 member states however only five are permanenet. The five permanent are China, France, the United States, Russia and the United Kingdom. These five states form the main policy of the U.N. and are often the main heads of legislation passed by the United Nations. The United Nations also has court which brings war criminals and other high profile leaders to justice. The United Nations has recieved alot of flack over percieved failures such as the war in the Congo and the Rwandan genocide.

Bevo dice "Hook 'Em"

        When I meet someone for the first time, usually one of the first questions I am asked is "Where do you go to school". One's college is important, and also when we talk about identity in class I can't help but to identify and describe myself as a proud student at UT Austin, and as such I hold our symbol in high regard. 
        The University of Texas at Austin is a university in the United States founded in 1883, and as of 2010 has the 5th largest single campus enrollment in the nation with over 50,000 undergraduates and graduate students. The widely known symbol of UT is the longhorn: 

        Interestingly enough, UT didn't start out with a Longhorn as it's mascot. The first mascot was actually "Piggy the pitbull"- Thank goodness that didn't stick. Bevo the longhorn took over due to UT alumnus Stephen Pickney in 1916 bought a longhorn steer for $124 dollars and gave him to the University. 

There are several different rumors surrounding Bevo's name. 

The first is the one I grew up knowing, that after a terrible loss to our rivals A&M, it is believed that A&M students stole Bevo, and branded the losing score on his side (13-0). The only way to salvage the poor longhorn was to save his side and change it to BEVO. (Don't worry- we've stolen their collie many times as well). 

The second, was reported in the University's newspaper, 'The Daily Texan', the student said that "the term 'beeve' is the plural of beef, but is more commonly used as a slang term for a steer that's destined to become food. The term is still used, though it was more common among the general public in the 1910s when Texas was more rural. The jump from 'beeve' to 'Bevo' isn't far, and makes more sense given the slang and national fads of the time". 

         The hand gesture, the "Hook 'em" symbol was then created by Harley Clark, Texas's head cheerleader, in 1955 to encapsulate the idea of Bevo and to use to promote camaraderie at football games. The first game the students used it was against TCU. The 'Hook 'Em' symbol gained popularity quickly, and above is the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1973. 

        -In Spain and other European countries; however, this symbol is used to suggest satanic association or spousal infidelity (the "cuckold"). In fact in 1985 after the Longhorns had a great football win, five Americans were arrested for celebrating in Rome near the Vatican using this gesture. 

Golden Arches of Peace

I was completely at a loss of what symbol to do, so I looked back on Julia's post about Nike, and thought I would do another famous American symbol, McDonald's Golden Arches. This famous symbol came from the physical arches constructed on the first McDonald's franchised outlet store in 1953 in Phoenix, Arizona. The two arches looked like a "M" when viewed from the side. They became the company's new logo in 1962.

While I was reading through the history of the Golden Arches, I was even more interested to find Thomas Friedman's Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention from his book The Lexus and the Olive Tree. This theory states that two countries with McDonald's restaurants would would not go to war with each other, as they were countries who had a strong middle class to support a McDonald's and therefore would not be interested in going to war. It this theory, McDonald's symbolizes the greater global system and the want to avoid war in order to maintain their their position in that greater world order. Although their have been exceptions in the past ten years that have challenged this theory, it still brings up the greater question, is globalization the best peace keeper in history?

Counter Productive?

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2011/10/31/graeme-knowles-dean-of-st-pauls-resigns-over-occupy-london_n_1067186.html?ref=uk

This article sparked my interest because it explains that the Dean of St. Paul’s cathedral in London has resigned his position only a few days after the church’s Canon’s resignation. The question now that many people are asking is what really is the Occupy movement accomplishing? The movement is not targeted at the church, but the area in front of the church is the only place that had enough room for them to camp out because the London Stock exchange building is across the street. Many supporters of the Occupy movement are starting to lose faith in it, questioning whether it is doing more harm than good because it is affecting the church, and men of God, not the financial crooks it seeks to influence. The occupation of the square in front of the church caused the cathedral to close its doors to the public for the first time since the last world war and has never been forced to close its doors during a time of peace. Is this really what the protestors want? What message is that sending? Will they lose supporters and respect for these results? Is it going against what the movement itself stands for?

Mind the Gap

Spain has one of the most drastically increasing income gaps. According to El País, only three other European countries have a larger income gap than Spain- Lithuania, Latvia, and Romania. The most interesting statistic highlighted was that, "One out of every three people unemployed in Europe is Spanish." While living in Spain for an extended period of time, have you noticed the effects of the crisis and the income gap? Does Spain seem significantly worse off than other countries you may have visited in your time abroad? What affects does an income gap have on the everyday lives of Spaniards?

Greek Referendum

This week there has been a lot of discussion about Greek debt and the Eurozone bailout they have been offered. Last week, in an emergency meeting the EU decided on loans worth 130 billion euros and a 50-percent debt write-off. The referendum means that Greek voters will get to decide if they are willing to accept the European Union's offer- and this belief has caused many people, including Alexander Stubb the Finnish minister for European affairs, to believe that allowing a referendum may almost equal a vote on Greece's eurozone membership.
What are the repercussions of the bailout to Greece? How will this beginning bailout influence the EU's decision making when it comes to other countries facing crisis? What will happen to the current government in Greece due to all this turmoil?

Crowded, but Stable

http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/10/world-population

This video fits in perfectly with a conversation we were having last class, population control. The world just reached 7 billion people, in the past 12 years the population has risen by one billion people. Yet, according to The Economist (and if they say it, it must be true) the planet will not see another jump this fast for the next few billions. Due to the declining birthrate in many countries, it will take 14 years to reach 8 billion and an additional 20 to reach 9 billion. The video calls this a world that is crowded, but stable. But can the Earth really hold 9 billion people before 2050? Is their ever a sustainable way to live with that many people inhabiting the planet? And what could be the cause of this decrease in birthrates?

Greece's referendum causing shockwaves

Greece has decide to take a referendum on the new deal which has been put forward by the members of the eurozone which will eliminate more than half of the Greek debt. The problem is that it comes with new laws and sanctions the Greek people are not willing to except. A recent poll taken shows that at least 60% of the nation views the new agreement as very harmful or possibly harmful.The referendum has caused stocks to plumit all over the world from china to tokoyo and back to the United States.Rumors have began to circulate that the Greek people may lose their soveriengty as the European debt crisis continues to rage.

Should the Greek government be forced to pass this bill?
2. Will the Greek people pass the new plan?
3.Why is this effecting so many peophttp://money.cnn.com/2011/11/01/markets/world_markets/index.htm?hpt=hp_t1le around the world?

A Symbol of the World...

While in London two weekends ago, I got super excited for the London 2012 Games. That made me think about the symbol we so easily connect with these athletic events, the Olympic Rings.

When the design was introduced in 1912- the five rings were designed to represent the five continents in competition. Some say that the colors of the rings were chosen because these were the colors that appeared on all national flags at the time it was adopted. The rings debuted at the Olympics in 1920. Before 1950, each ring officially stood for one continent- blue for Europe, yellow for Asia, black for Africa, green for Oceania, and red for the Americas. However, now there are no official connection of the rings to a certain continent, they merely stand for the meetings of athletes from all over the world.