Weekly Bilingual News

Dear Friends:

Hello! Welcome to the third Weekly Bilingual News of May 2011 with a brief analysis about how the world was running during the last few days.

From the perspective of our comments posted in blogs in important online publications, you will have different images than normally you catch from the TV or the newspapers. The chapter of bilingual Vocabulary will help you in your conversation in Spanish and English.

NEW KISSINGER BOOK: Wall Street Journal story: "The China Challenge". This article makes an introduction of the new book by Henry Kissinger titled: "On China". (2011/05/15) Our Comment: "We have to recognize that Henry Kissinger made an important work in the construction of a wide bridge between the United States with China. Really this American statesman has the patience and a steady emotional stability to pave a new road to the Far East. But despite all his merits, Kissinger didn't change the arrogant attitude of the Communist Party who always tries to wash the brains of the free people of the world."

THE PC UNIVERSE: Journal Community of WSJ posted the following question for its members: "Will you buy the Google Chromebook?" (2011/05/13)
Our Comment: "With more than 25 years in the technology market, we learned to wait before we make a decision about a new device or platform. Google is a successful Internet search-engine company that also is growing as provider of Android and other software tools. But its experience in the segment of PCs is shorter than other software companies (IBM, Novell...) that challenged Microsoft without success. We have to see how Google assumes the new compromises. By the way, when a company introduces a new operating system for computers, it has to develop a strategy to support the growing of this operating system according to the new state of the art of technology. Despite all the problems that Microsoft had from Windows 98 to Windows XP and after the flaws of Windows Vista, today it is going from Windows 7 to Windows 8. Will Google survive similar difficulties? Will Google create a community of partners like Microsoft has? Now we have to observe the performance of Google as PC (laptops and netbooks) operating system provider before making conclusions."

OBAMA'S RE-ELECTION: Journal Community of WSJ posted the following question for its members: "Will the death of Osama bin Laden guarantee Obama's re-election?" (2011/05/12)
Our Comment: "We don't think the death of Osama bin Laden has opened the door for the President Obama's re-election. The crucial issues of today are the economy and the social problems. When there are more than 13.7 million of people without jobs, the hunger of these people runs across the country."

FUTURE OF SKYPE: Journal Community of WSJ posted the following question for its members: "What do you think of the Microsoft deal to buy Skype for $8.5 billion". (2011/05/11)
Our Comment: "It is a good deal for Microsoft because the software leader will take the technology of Skype and offer new services. But this deal doesn't imply a good business for the Skype's customers. Often, Microsoft strangles its customers with fees and additional costs. Also, thinking as a giant, it commits frequent mistakes in the business with small customers."

WOMEN ABORTION: Journal Community of WSJ posted the following question for its members: "Should states require sonograms before allowing women to have abortions". (2011/05/11)
Our Comment: "This is a very controversial subject. We think each case has its own background. We cannot regulate it only from the results of a sonogram. For this reason, answering your question (yes/no), we are only transferring the responsibilities of the women, couples and doctors to the cold text of a law."

The main indexes of Wall Street closed the week with mixed results. Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 42.99 points or 0.34% to 12595.75, while Nasdaq Composite gained 0.91 points or 0.03% to end at 2828.47 in a week with a lot of economic concerns and growing uncertainty.

In summary, the continuous rise of gasoline prices and other signs of inflation are hitting the population across the United States. During the week different political analysts discussed the subject after the majority of the country price-per-gallon surpassed US$ 4.00.

Moreover, five top executives of the biggest oil companies operating in the country were interrogated by the Senate Finance Committee to explain why the gasoline prices have risen nearly 30% since the beginning of the year.

Other bad news of the week was the Mississippi's flooding. After overflowed extensive areas around its riverbed, the water as well threatens the coasts of Louisiana. Frequently, during the springtime, the big rivers that cross the central plains after thaw in the mountains produce some flooding. This year, the damages produced by the Mississippi River are exceeding past seasons.

The political campaigns for the US 2012 presidential elections returned to the headlines of the newspapers with different announcements from the Republican arena. While Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul announced they will run for president, Mike Huckabee said: "No". Some political analysts wait the decision of Mitch Daniels, current governor of Indiana. (Last minute news: Donald Trump will not run for president).

This was our comment posted on Wall Street Journal about the Huckabee's decision: "Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee answered "NO" despite his first numbers in the polls. We have to respect his decision, but a lot of Republicans and Americans will miss him during the debates of the 2011 presidential campaign. Huckabee has the profile and ideas that an important group of citizens look for when they think about positive changes in the country." ("Huckabee Says He Won't Run for President", 2011/05/15)

From Yemen to Syria, the revolts continued rattling the Arab world. Also in the Palestinian border, Israeli troops repressed protesters. And in Greece, new economic rules produced demonstrations across the streets of Athens and other cities.

The revolutionary group of Libya tries to create an interim legislative and executive bodies and its leaders look for the financial funds the international institutions have frozen to condemn the Gadhafi's regime.

Best regards,

Domingo

Domingo A. Trassens
Spanish-English Club
Electronic mail: domingo.trassens@gmail.com
URL: http://spaengclub.blogspot.com/

Questions - Preguntas:

1) From your point of view, what was the worst news for the week?
1) Desde vuestro punto de vista, ¿cuál fue la peor noticia de la semana?

2) And what was the best news from the week?
2) ¿Y cuál fue la mejor noticia de la semana?

Vocabulary - Vocabulario:

- bicycle = bicicleta
- bridge = puente
- challenge = desafío, reto
- condemn = condenar
- device = dispositivo
- flaw, flaws = defecto, defectos
- flooding = inundación
- gasoline = gasolina, nafta
- hunger = hambre
- inflation = inflación
- moreover = además
- operating system = sistema operativo
- overflow, overflowed = desbordarse, desbordó
- patience = paciencia
- pave = pavimentar
- platform = plataforma
- profile = perfil
- rattle, rattling = golpear, golpeando
- revolt = rebelión
- riverbed = cauce
- sonogram = sonograma
- stability = estabilidad
- statesman = estadista
- steady = firme, fijo, fija
- thaw = deshielo
- threaten = amenazar
- wide = ancho 

MEMBERS AND LIBRARY CORNER

Thanks to Bob, Erika, Harold, Lucy, Peter, and Suzanne your messages about the previous Weekly Bilingual News.

Americans have to follow the European bicycles if they don't want to pay US$ 4.00 per gallon.