Wednesday, 24 February 2010

Emotional politics: An evolution of the political smile

A historical analysis of the political smile.

Starting with...


Oh yes we can...



OK maybe we can't afterall...



He thinks he can though..



OoOoOo rah! She thought she could.
But really she couldn't.



Oh dear! No comment.



Ooops wrong one. If only he was sober he probably could.


20 years later. Still not sober.



Oh the French. Thought they could so much that their President took it to the next level...and....


decided to beatbox on National television...and...


(wait let me clean my nose first)

...and had a go at the Robot dance:


(note the facial expression)

No, but really, politicians are a happy bunch, aren't they?


Genuinely happy.



Genuinely passionate.


Or maybe just truly demented.

But some are kind, and,


Some are truly Great,


Others you just don't want to mess with:

For they never smiled.

A smile is a facial expression formed by flexing those muscles most notably near both ends of the cheeks. It is customarily an expression denoting pleasure, happiness or amusement. Although the contents of this post are to be taken lightly, most recently, the smile has been used by politicans as part of their electoral armoury. Emotional politics - or the method by which politicians use their public display of emotion as a way of increasing their popularity - highlights the duality of a politician's role: to be a representative whilst being somewhat of an actor. But we must ask ourselves this: who do they act for, and most importantly, who do they represent?

Monday, 22 February 2010

Bleak winds from Greece: A summary of January 2010 (in Economic poetry)

A sleeping giant awakens, tomorrow,

When an old man is desperate to borrow.

A communist clears his throat and speaks,

Of European bleak winds from Greece.


Today's News Update: Petrobras may be most profitable oil company in world


On Petrobras’ financial results:

  • Petrobras may have scored the best worldwide financial results (in terms of profit) for any oil company.


Source: http://portalexame.abril.com.br/negocios/petrobras-deve-ser-petroleira-maior-lucro-2009-534791.html

On Renuka buying Equipav:

  • Renuka (Indian Company) has bought Equipav (a Brazilian sugar company) for $329m.

Source: http://portalexame.abril.com.br/mercados/noticias/renuka-compra-51-equipav-us-329-mi-acoes-sobem-534827.html

On Vale’s MOU for the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant :


  • Vale signed an MOU with Andrade Gutierrez, Neoenergia Investimentos and Votorantim Energia to participate in the bidding process of the Belo Monte hydroelectric plant.


Source: http://portalexame.abril.com.br/negocios/vale-entra-consorcio-disputa-belo-monte-534853.html


On BOVESPA performance:


  • The Bovespa stock index fell the most in more than two weeks as concern that Greece will struggle to pay its debt dragged down most commodity producers, overshadowing a rally in the nation’s biggest oil company.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=ah81wCRLpCLs

On Brazil Growth (by Goldman Sachs):


  • Goldman Sachs raised its forecast for Brazilian growth to 6.4 percent for 2010 from 5.8 percent previously. This forecast may be revised again, to as high at 7 percent.


Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=arbYdpk2RTa8