Scotching the spirit of independence- Frank McNally's brilliant piece

Scotching the spirit of independence: "There was a time, after all, when it was still acceptable to use the term “Scotch” of Northern Britons, as well as of their whisky and terriers. But such has the word’s stigmatisation over the centuries, by the English mainly, this is no longer the case.
Thanks to the likes of “Scotch bum” (the bustle of a skirt), “Scotch fiddle” (the itch), and even “Scotch mist” (a euphemism for rain), the old adjective gradually came to be considered offensive, at least when applied to humans.
A subtle rebranding process was necessary. Now, when referring to the people – and to most of their achievements outside the distilling sphere – Scottish, or better still Scots, is the preferred descriptive.
Of course the natives of Scotland were not alone in being adjectivally disparaged by their neighbours. The Dutch, for example, still account for a remarkable number of insults in English (“Dutch bargain”, “Dutch treat”, “Double Dutch”, etc) mostly dating from a series of 17th-century wars. Indeed, all of England’s neighbours have had their identities borrowed for some derogatory purpose or other (from “French leave”, to “Welshing” on debts, to that multipurpose slur, “a bit Irish”). But so far as I know, only the Scots have taken it so personally as to shun the adjective."



'via Blog this'

China and India Leaders - tops in emissions, lowest in soluions

China and Indian Leaders Said to Skip UN Climate Summit - Bloomberg: "China is the world’s top greenhouse-gas emitter, and India is third, after the U.S., according to World Bank data. Together China and India account for nearly a third of total emissions, and their carbon footprint is growing while it remains flat in the U.S. and Europe.

“I was completely shocked and very disappointed to read today that Chinese President Xi and Indian Prime Minister Modi may not make it to Ban Ki-moon’s Climate Summit,” said Tony deBrum, the foreign minister of the Marshall Islands, in the northern Pacific Ocean, in a statement. “For the small island states of the world, the science says we might be forced to pay the biggest price of all -- the loss of our countries. We expect solidarity from our developing country compatriots, not excuses.”"



'via Blog this'

Chinese and Indians- Playing stupid games with the world's climate

China and Indian Leaders Said to Skip UN Climate Summit - Bloomberg: "The top leaders of China and India aren’t planning to attend this month’s United Nations summit on climate change, signaling tepid support for a global pact to cut greenhouse gases among two of the largest emitters.

President Xi Jinping of China and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon they won’t be at the day-long meeting of world leaders on Sept. 23, according to two UN diplomats, requesting not to be identified discussing the leaders’ plans. Their absence undercuts the summit, although it may not be fatal for negotiations set to wrap up by the end of 2015."



'via Blog this'

Starbucks Stars as Korea’s Women Battle Demographic Drag - Bloomberg

Starbucks Stars as Korea’s Women Battle Demographic Drag - Bloomberg: "When former kindergarten teacher Kim Sun Sung tried to re-join South Korea’s workforce after five years raising her children, she found it tough. Then 41, Kim was either told she was too old or had been out of work too long.

“It wasn’t easy to find a decent job,” said Kim, now 48 and working as a consultant at a Seoul private-study school. “I didn’t want to end my life like that, with my expertise being wasted.”

Park Geun Hye, the nation’s first female president, is listening. Her administration has named and shamed companies including Hyundai Motor Co. for not having enough part-time jobs for women, while praising Starbucks Corp. (SBUX), Samsung Electronics Co. and Lotte Group. She’s pledged to boost the participation rate of women in the workforce to 61.9 percent by 2017 from 53.5 percent in 2012, warning of a “long tunnel” of depression unless every economic lever is mobilized."



'via Blog this'