Quotes

Typos are very important to all written form. It gives the reader something to look for so they aren't distracted by the total lack of content in your writing. -- Randy K. Milholland

Denial is the most predictable of all human responses, but rest assured, this will be the sixth time we have destroyed it, and we have become exceedingly efficient at it. –Matrix Reloaded

What man desires is not knowledge, but certainty- Churchill

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt –Russell

How an analogy makes the argument vivid!

What is worrying is the failure of China to be at peace with its own history, even though it has come a long way to evolving into a great country. What is worrying is its quickness to pay a huge cost (both in denying the entry of an internationally renowned movie, and in denying alternative interpretation/version of Chinese history in a strong armed manner). The emotional baggage is holding back China from truly "growing up". Like a young adult who, despite how rich and successful he is nowadays, shows his anger openly whenever someone mentions or remotely implicates his less glorious history.
What China needs is the capacity to face history as it is. It is natural to have emotional reactions, but China has yet to learn to show its stance in a legitimate and gracious manner.

--From Emily So.

GDP and GNP

Though I often heard them in TV, newspaper and daily talk, I do not know what they actually mean until I did a little search in answers.com.

GDP: Gross Domestic Product, the total market value of all the goods and services produced within the borders of a nation during a specified period.

GDP = consumption + investment + exports − imports

It is one of the measures of national income and output. It may be used as one indicator of the standard of living in a country, but there may be limitations with this view.

GNP: Gross National Product, the total value of final goods and services produced in a year by a country's nationals (including profits from capital held abroad).

GNP = GDP + income earned by domestic residents through foreign investments - the income earned by foreign investors in the domestic market.

Since World War II, GNP has been generally regarded as the most important indicator of the status of an economy.

It is important to differentiate Gross Domestic Product from Gross National Product (GNP). GDP includes only goods and services produced within the geographic boundaries of the U.S., regardless of the producer's nationality. GNP doesn't include goods and services produced by foreign producers, but does include goods and services produced by U.S. firms operating in foreign countries.