Rubrics » Bridging News
Foundation: The Very Basis in Makeup
Perhaps everyone who uses makeup has wondered at least once about its origins? Every little thing has its own past but not a lot of people know the history of foundation. Surprisingly, its antecedents are not as pretty.Foundation traces its origins back to Ancient Greece and Rome. Its first name was “white lead” due to the fact that it was used to make Mediterranean skin appear “fairer”. It was actually made from poisonous chalk which remained through the Middle Ages and Renaissance. In Queen Elizabeth I’s time, the “white lead” became “Venetian ceruse”, which was then formed of lead and vinegar in order to cover up smallpox scars. Unfortunately, this product had horrible side-effects such as hair loss, rotten teeth and permanent skin discoloration. Because of the toxic formula, makeup took a turn in the 19th century, making foundations out of zinc oxide, glycerine and calamine lotion. Still having the same purpose as the “Venetian ceruse”, it only came in three shades: white, pink and red. More
Central Asia: The World’s Next Powder Keg
Firstly, we shall explain the geographic and historic situation background of Central Asia. The name is self-explanatory when referring to the location of the region but what stands out is the climate, history and demographics. The land is mostly arid and sparsely populated while the Northern part is dominated by the Eurasian steppe, a flat grassland which stretches from Ukraine all the way to the northeastern parts of China. Historically this steppe was inhabited by nomadic or semi-nomadic peoples whose economic activity was herding and one of their main assets was the horse. The region was dominated by Iranian peoples until the Turkic migration (some 1000 years ago) happened. The land was fought over multiple times in history as it was once seen as an important connection between East and West due to the Silk Road. The inhabitants earned a reputation as great warriors especially when riding a horse (horse archery was one of their strong traits). For reference, here is a brief listing of the most important empires who ruled over Central Asia: the Persian Empire, Göktürks, Mongol Empire (and its successor states), Seljuk Turks, Timurids, Russian Empire (later U.S.S.R.) and even incursions coming in from China. More
Some Thoughts on the “Global Competitiveness”
Despite the argument by Krugman that “economists, in general, do not use the word competitiveness”, a cursory survey of the literature reveals a wide range of definitions of competitiveness and frequent usage of the concept. Moreover, although research on competitiveness has been popular for forty years, in recent time it appears to be flourishing as many economic phenomena are assessed according to whether they are competitive or non-competitive. This probably explains why the last several years have witnessed a growing academic and political debate over better ways to conceptualize and measure competitiveness. More
A Short Behavioural Analysis of the Changes to the Social Security Tax in Romania
Starting with January 1st 2018, the payment obligation which is automatically withheld regarding the social security contributions (for state pensions, health, and unemployment insurance) will be moved from the employer to the employee. In order to preserve the nominal net wage, the nominal gross wage was increased by an adequate rate. In fact, a combination of nominal gross wage increases and contribution rate decreases was used to this end. I would like to broach some predictable effects of the mentioned normative measure: a) the monetary illusion effect; b) the nominal income effect; c) the consumption and savings effects; d) the effect of social solidarity erosion; e) the efficient wage effect. More
Together We Can See Much Further
In 2018, Romania celebrates one of the most important landmarks in its history which has consecrated our country’s openness and attachment to the principles of understanding, friendship, and mutual respect within nations – the Centenary of the Great Union of all Romanians. Since fulfilling the age-old aspiration of the Romanian people, our country has made significant efforts to mitigate and eliminate conflicted and vengeful mentalities by promoting an example of cooperation, inclusiveness, tolerance, and respect, values that we constantly stand by today in our foreign policy. More
A Turkish Scenario for the Romanian Economy?
Since the Social Democratic Party’s (PSD) ascent to power in 2012, which was sealed by the 2016 Romanian parliamentary and local elections, some commentators and opposition leaders have compared the actions of Social Democratic leaders – such as former PM Victor Ponta or party chairman and Chamber of Deputies President Liviu Dragnea – not only with those of their peers in Hungary and Poland, but also to those of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. More
From the Intelligent State to the Responsible One
The state is not a manager only with regard to the society as a whole. If it was to be like that, a performant computer could have better accomplished whatsoever administrative tasks. The social contract on the basis of which the state is supposed to be generated implies both much more and much less than that. Let me provide some analytical explanations: More
How the Evolution of ITC Shaped the Field of Diplomacy
When looking at the historical evolution of diplomacy and foreign policy, for centuries they have ended up relying on the traditional establishment of delegations or ambassadors, formalizing bilateral and multilateral agreements regarding various issues.Today's diplomatic scenario appears solidly anchored to its legal ecosystem within the confines of the international community. The evolution of technology seems to have had a significant impact both on the way diplomacy is conducted and on the emergence of new, less traditional actors. More
BTS – The Freedom of Musical Expression Remains Unlimited
In the past, there was The Beatles. In the second half of the 20th century, The Beatles became the most popular band in the entire world. Time passed and the 21st century brought new legends to the music industry. Most likely the biggest boy band in the world, BTS scored, in only 7 years since their debut, numerous records worldwide and they will not stop here. More
Accelerating University 4.0 by Technology Shifts and Pandemic Drifts
The intersection between the technological and the pandemic shock became a real paradox to be managed by the higher education institutions. It all started in March 2020 with the decision to suspend face-to-face teaching activities and the following week thousands of students were learning online until the end of the semester. The main challenges regarding the business model of higher education institutions remain unresolved – as there is a general feeling of uncertainty and anxiety regarding the end of the pandemic and the resumption of normality. More
Culture Makes Us Neighbours
Few things are known, on both sides, about the relations between Romania and Luxembourg. And maybe many Romanians wonder why Romania’s presence is needed in one of the smallest (geographically speaking) European countries. The reasons are many, and so are the opportunities which have led to a very dynamic relationship, with substance and significant potential. I will address all of these aspects: the context of our relationship with Luxembourg, the arguments in support of this relationship, the results achieved so far and, finally, the opportunities that are still open to us in the future. Of course, such a close relationship could not have been built without the existence of shared common values and ideas that animate both countries: European values. More
Populism, Bank Tax Edition
The Romanian government has approved, almost overnight, through an Emergency Government Ordinance, a new bank tax. The idea of imposing a special tax on banks is an old one and tends to resurface during times of financial crises. Thus, the bank tax was floated around by the Left and radical Left in the West, when the 2007/2008 Crisis began, from where it was most eagerly adopted and put into practice mainly by Eastern Europe’s Right-wing populists. The Crisis which began in 2007/2008 is now over and even the governments that have instituted a special bank levy, like the Hungarian and Polish governments, have now reduced it or plan to eliminate it. This is a first indication of how ill-thought and ill-advised this late decision of the Romanian Government to institute its own special bank tax really is. More
