10 Years of EMU and here is the prize..

Wow 10 years eh. God it seems like only yesterday when I started secondary school and we started talking about the Economic and Monetary Union in Business studies class with our teacher. Back then, all of 1998, I don't know if I really appreciated how important this little acronym would come to be. Some 2000 years of a European idea of having a common currency in order to reinforce either imperial ideals of the Roman Empire or the lustings of a Middle-European country dominated Holy Roman Empire. Finally realised with the downfall of the former-Soviet Union and the integration of Western & Middle Europe more wholly, economically & socially. I certainly do remember the changeover from 1999 onwards of dual-currency bank statements, then dual pricing in the stores and learning the changeover rate (IR£1= €0.787564), before the eventual realization of actually using the new currency in my local stores, with a certain sense of nostalgia as I handed over my Irish pound notes & coins and received my Euro change-rampant nationalism dies hard in the face of the European dream.

Anyway what has brought on this sudden realization of 10 years of EMU I hear you ask!?!, Well it would appear that our lovely administrative staff within the European Central Bank, have decided to mark this 10 year anniversary by allowing us, the gracious citizens of the European Union to decide on what the new logo for the €2 coin should be. So here are the designs....



However is it just me or do they all look like something which would appear in a Museum of Modern Art. They are all very interpretative pieces but I would love if the ECB would elaborate on what each design is meant to signify, at least then it wouldn't be a case of a simple "which one do you like citizen?", but rather an informed decision. Trivial perhaps but not a big ask. A currency is something which represents its citizens and should embody the ideals of that citizenry. In Ireland, it used to be Lady Lavery within our notes and the Harp on our coins. In France, the use of the slogan of the French Republic, "Liberty, Equality & Fraternity" was on their coins. But then again the interpretative nature of these designs is perhaps what some within the European Union would sieze upon as somewhat ironic. ie a Europe that is exactly what you want it to be as long as you toe the line. For those of you who wish to vote for the new design its availble here. Only open to European citizens and residents I am afraid, so all those non-European citizens/residents peeps apologies but I think you will forgive us if we try and sort out what exactly we stand for and what we want our coins to embody.

Myspace : My Age?

We've all been around long enough to know that we all want to conceal our age as much as possible. Well sometimes white lies gets out of control. Most of us, it doesnt really matter, the problem is though, when you have people who are involved in youth lying about their age when problems arise. "tom" from Myspace fame, should have known better. Perhaps he wasnt to know how it was going to pan out, however Myspace has been online now since before 2004, when it ballooned in the states and in 2005 in Europe, It is now Oct 2007, and nearly 4 years later it arises he lied about his age, not even by his own admission, rather by creative investigative journalism . Well i'm sorry, its just not good enough.
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MySpace co-founder busted for faking age
By ASHER MOSES and STEPHEN HUTCHEON - SMH | Wednesday, 31 October 2007

The thirtysomething millionaire who co-founded the popular social networking site MySpace has been outed as an age-faker.

Newsweek magazine reports that Tom Anderson was lying about his age since launching the site in 2003.

Anderson's MySpace profile lists his age as 32. But according to Newsweek, he will in fact turn 37 next week.

And that would have made him a 32-year-old when the site launched, not a 27-year-old wunderkind.

The magazine obtained driving licence information, voter registration and telephone service applications which showed Anderson's birthday as November 8, 1970.

Anderson and co-founder Chris Dewolfe sold MySpace to Rupert Murdoch for $US580 million ($630 million) in 2005 and the pair continue to work for News Corporation. Earlier this month they were reported to have signed a new two-year deal that would see them each earn $US15 million.

[contd: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4256702a28.html]

German motorways

Well there goes Topgear's last refuge of driving at top speeds on Motorways and not getting done by the Cops! or perhaps not...

(2nd story of the day about Germany, god they are on a roll today! Tune in tomorrow, when we choose another European country at random directly)
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German motorways may get speed limit

Germany's speed limit-free motorways may fall victim to fears of global warming after the Social Democrats unexpectedly voted in favour of introducing a top speed of 130kmh.

Studies showing Germany's CO2 output from cars could be cut sharply with a speed limit helped convince a majority of SPD delegates to ignore their leaders at a party congress.

The autobahns were built without speed limits by the Nazis and, after World War 2, Germany's influential car industry pressured lawmakers against introducing any national limit.

During the Cold War, West German carmakers used the slogan "Freie Fahrt fuer freie Buerger" (Free travel for free citizens) and they argue high speeds help them sell Porsches, Mercedes and BMWs worldwide - and protect German jobs.

Opinion polls show about 60 per cent of Germans are in favour of a speed limit. Environmental groups have said a speed limit would cut vehicle CO2 output by 5 percent overnight and 15 percent long-term once more fuel-efficient cars were used.

Nobel laureate Al Gore last week criticised Germany in a Berlin speech for not having motorway speed limits.

The SPD is in coalition with Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU). Saturday's non-binding measure has little chance of becoming law any time soon because Merkel is firmly against a speed limit despite her efforts to persuade other countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

"It's an important symbolic issue," said Environmental Minister Sigmar Gabriel. "But it will probably be hard to pass into law because we won't find a majority for that with (Merkel's) Christian Democrats."

CDU general secretary Ronald Pofalla said the measure had no chance of becoming law.

"There won't be any such patronising from the CDU," he said. "It's another scary proposal from the SPD."

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4253388a4560.html