Photos from last weeks aurora borealis. It was most powerful solar storm in six years.
Several images at the below link. ::db/news/New/2012-02-02_1242__northern lights::
Sit back, Relax, It's The End Of the World
Global economics in a nutshell
An insightful comment from a blogger.
::db/news/New/2012-02-02_1201__money moves::
Sit back, Relax, It's The End Of the World
China high speed rail
In 1993, commercial train service in China averaged only 48 km/h (30 mph) and was steadily losing market share to airline and highway travel on the country's expanding network of expressways. In 1997 the MOR begoan focusing on modernization efforts on increasing the service speed and capacity on existing lines.
Today, China is the first and only country to have commercial high-speed train service on conventional rail lines that can reach a top operational speed of 350 km/h (217 mph).
High-speed train in China refers to any commercial train service in the People's Republic of China with an average speed of 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph) or higher. By that measure, China already has the world’s longest high-speed rail (HSR) network with about 7055 km (4,383 mi.) of routes in service as of September 2010, including 1,995 km (1,240 mi.) of rail lines with top speeds of 350 km/h (220 mph).
China's high speed rail lines consists of upgraded conventional rail lines, newly-built high-speed passenger designated lines (PDLs), and the world’s first high-speed commercial magnetic levitation (maglev) line - They Float.
China's HSR network is undergoing a building boom. With generous funding from the Chinese government's economic stimulus program, 17,000 kilometres (11,000 mi) of high-speed lines are now under construction. The entire HSR network will reach 13,000 kilometres (8,100 mi) in 2012.
Click the below link for a full album of images. ::db/news/New/2012-01-25_0056__china high speed rail::
Sit back, Relax, It's The End Of the World
The global middle Class
For the first time in history, a truly global middle class is emerging. By 2030, it will more than double in size, from 2 billion today to 4.9 billion.
Brookings Institution scholar Homi Kharas estimates that the European and American middle classes will shrink from 50 percent of the total to just 22 percent. Rapid growth in China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia will cause Asia’s share of the new middle to more than double from its current 30%. By 2030, Asia will host 64% of the global middle class and account for over 40% of global middle-class consumption. ::db/news/New/2012-01-24_0848__global middle class::
Sit back, Relax, It's The End Of the World
Low wage America
The U.S. government creates many low-wage jobs without realizing that the current economic system does not allow for a high rate of capitalization on these workers. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston explains the problems with an increasing rate of low-wage jobs that are being created in America.
Northern Lights, Jan 2012
