Minimum wage laws affect workers in most low-paid fields of employment and have usually been judged against the criterion of reducing poverty. Minimum wage laws receive less support from economists than from the general public. Despite decades of experience and economic research, debates about the costs and benefits of minimum wages continue today. Various groups have great ideological, politica..
The hidden message in American companies’ balance-sheets POLITICS in America may be an arena of mutual incomprehension with few settled facts, but the debate about the health of American firms’ balance-sheets is, if anything, even more bewildering. Ranged on one side are those who complain that America Inc is hoarding $2trn of idle cash and that this acts as a powerful drag on the economy. On th..
In some countries, insulting politicians can lead to jail In October 2015, a month before the election that returned Myanmar to a form of civilian rule, a Burmese writer named Maung Saungkha posted a poem on his Facebook page: "On my manhood rests a tattooed/portrait of Mr President/ My beloved found that out/After we wed/She was gutted/Inconsolable." He was found guilty of defaming Thein Sein, ..
Loyalty between relatives has the power to poison both reputations and nations The hereditary principle is not just unAmerican but harms the children of great men, Bengamin Franklin declared soon after the revolutionary war, rumors flew of plots to establish a new aristocracy with George Washington at its head. To honor parents is reasonable, Franklin averred. But to reward descendants for an ac..
1. Dok do - a Symbol of Korean Restored Sovereignty Dokdo is near enough to be visible from Ulleungdo on a clear day. During the days of the Korean kingdom of Joseon, Dokdo and Ulleungdo were part of Uljin County Gangwon Province. In 1900, the Empire of Korea set up Uldo (Ulleungdo) County to govern the islands. Dokdo became the very first prey of Japan's imperialist invasions, falling under Jap..
The Kingdom of Joseon, also known as Choson and Chosun, was a Korean kingdom founded by Yi Seonggye that lasted for approximately five centuries, from July 1392 to October 1897. It was officially renamed the Korean Empire in October 1897. It was founded following the aftermath of the overthrow of Goryeo in what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was reloca..
Polynesia is a subregion of Oceania, made up of over 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are termed Polynesians. They share many similar traits including the language family, culture, and belief. Historically, they were experienced sailors who used stars to navigate at night. The term Polynesia was first ..
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a shared cultural history with two other island regions, Polynesia to the east and Melanesia to the south. The region has a tropical marine climate, and is part of the Oceania ecozone. There are four main archipelagos along with numerous outlying islands. Micronesia is divided politic..
Melanesia Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania (and occasionally Australasia) extending from New Guinea island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region includes the four countries of Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea. Besides these independent countries, Melanesia also includes:- New Caledonia, a special collectivity of France- ..
The outrigger canoe is a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull. Smaller canoes often employ a single outrigger on the port side, while larger canoes may employ a single-outrigger, double-outrigger, or double-outrigger, or double-hull configuration (see also catamaran). The sailing canoes are an imp..
A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic language, where it is the word qajaq (prodnounced [qajaq]). In the UK the term canoe is often used when referring to a kayak. The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler. The cockpit is sometimes covered by a s..
Ju Si-Gyeong (December 22, 1876 - July 27, 1914) was one of the founders of modern Korean linguistics. He was born in Bongsan County, Hwanghae Province. He and his students helped standardize the Korean language, based spelling and grammar of the vernacular. He studied Classical Chinese from his childhood. After studying modern linguistics in Seoul, he established the Korean Language System Soci..
History Hangul was promulgated by Sejong the Great, the fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty. It is often known as a small project done with the king and a group of scholars; however, it is possible that Sejong came up with it by himself. The project was completed in late December 1443 or January 1444, and described in 1446 in a document titled Hunmin Jeongeum ("The Proper Sounds for the Education ..
An American CEO sends an e-mail to his top lieutenants To our management team: When I left the White House yesterday, after another two-hour round-table with the president, I knew in my gut that it was time to put in place "plan C" for this great company. The boxer, Mike Tyson, had a point when he said "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth." But so did Winston Churchill when h..
Privatization can increase efficiency and spur investment. It can also go wrong Donald Trump ran for office promising to spur the private sector to rebuild America's roads, bridges and airports. But it seems that Republicans want to start their modernization in the sky. On June 21st House Republicans unveiled a bill that would privatize air-traffic control, a policy the president announced earli..