Crime scene

Aug 31st 2009From The Economist print edition

Violent crime is falling in most of America's big cities

HEADLINES screaming out the latest horrifying tales of violent crime might suggest that Americans have extra reason to lock their doors at night. But, as it turns out, the big picture is not that frightening. The most recent report from the FBI shows that during 2008 violent crime dropped by 2.5% compared with 2007. Individual cities have also put out their statistics for the first half of 2009: most of America’s ten largest cities have posted drops in violent crime compared with the same period last year. The declining rates may help people to shake off the idea that crime rises during economic downturns.

Bilibala comments
For many years, some Christianity commuity proclaims that our ethical standards and crime has kept rising in the past decades. In fact, the crime rate keeps droping (in the past 15 years) and so as during this 2008/09 economic downturns.

I mean, less crime doesn't mean better ethical standard, but if we compare the 1st century world of what Paul descrided in Roman C1. I don't think we are too bad or worse (doesn't mean we are good or better either).

My point is:
For every culture and society during every century, there is some unique plus some general issues going on. We can't really say one is better than the other, all we know is Jesus and His gospel is good fit to forgive and transform everyone.

How many hours to get a Big-Mac

The Economist:

THE size of your pay packet may be important, but so is its purchasing power. Helpfully, a UBS report published this week offers a handy guide to how long it takes a worker on the average net wage to earn the price of a Big Mac in 73 cities. Fast-food junkies are best off in Chicago, Toronto and Tokyo, where it takes a mere 12 minutes at work to afford a Big Mac. By contrast, employees must toil for over two hours to earn enough for a burger fix in Mexico City, Jakarta and Nairobi.

Bilibala comments:
It remind me how treasure and thankful my daily living is. Also it remind me there is a lot of people who are poor and needy, that I should keep them in pray and offer helps.

Biggest losers & gainers

Banks' profits
Red and black ink
Jun 24th 2009

From http://www.economist.com/

Banks with the biggest profits and losses last year
THE balance sheets of many banks took a pounding last year.

• Royal Bank of Scotland, which received a government bail-out of $3 billion, posted the largest loss of $59.3 billion, according to an annual review of the world's leading banks by The Banker magazine.
• Citigroup and Wells Fargo also fell into the red by over $45 billion. But all three are still counted among the 12 biggest banks in the world by tier-one capital, albeit at a lower rank than in 2007. Not all was doom and gloom.
• ICBC turned a $21.3 billion profit, one of four Chinese banks to make the top ten.
• HSBC and Barclays, British banks that showed better risk management than RBS, also saw a decent profit.