Future of the GOP post election
Mitt Romney’s loss raises question about the future of the Republican party. What future does Mitt Romney have now that he has changed direction politically so many times?
Will he be able to reinvent himself? More importantly how will the republican party reinvent itself.
The most interesting answer to the Romney question was written by Gary Wills in a post for the New York Review. In his analysis Wills said that many politicians who lost their races went on to do great things for their party.
Al Gore continued to advocate for action in regards to climate change.
Barry Goldwater retained the influence to advise Nixon to leave the White House.
Wills asks this question:
“What vestige of a backbone is Romney left with? Things he was once proud of —health-care guarantees, opposition to noxious emissions, support of gay rights and women’s rights, he had the shamelessness to treat as matters of shame all through his years-long crawl to the Republican nomination.”
If Romney was at all sincere about his campaign promises, now is the time to go out and prove it by doing good dispite his loss. That would show true strength of character.
As for the second question: NPR commentary all week about the election has raised the question about how the Republican party is going to have to reinvent itself.
In my opinion the problem that the Republican party is having is illustrated within my own family.
Right after the election my mom posted on her Facebook wall:
“Is anybody else just sick about the election? What makes me very sad is that I guess christian values really are in the minority in this country. Obama said that this country is no longer a Christian Nation. According to the election, the majority agrees with him.”
My mom is a Republican, as this post exemplifies, because she is a Christian. The GOP has made this awkward marriage between the interests of the wealthy and the interests of conservative Christians.
What continues to boggle my mind is that Christians are supposed to care for the poor and to embrace everyone where they are, without judging them. I’m not sure how that messes with interests of the wealthy.
In my opinion if the Republicans are going to win they are going to need to reinvent their platform.
In the next Presidential election the Republicans may have a much better chance because they won’t be going up against an incumbent.
I think it is likely the Republican candidate will have a platform that is more center, be less aligned with a religious party and will work hard to appeal to the Latino vote. It will be interesting how Marco Rubio will shape the discussion and movement toward a less extreme position within the party.
Marco Rubio, the new face of the Republican Party?
“Crisis of Credibility”
Having Stephen Buckley of the Poynter Institute give his perspective on the digital future of journalism was extremely insightful. As he talked about news in today’s social media and citizen-journalism landscape, he repeatedly mentioned the term “crisis of credibility”. He explained that as news consumers become flooded with a wealth of available information (whether through blogs, or Facebook or websites), it is becoming increasingly harder for legitimate journalism entities and individual journalists to keep a reputation of integrity.
How do we know who to trust in the digital space? …. especially when it comes to social media like Twitter?
I couldn’t help but think of two prominent Twitter-related cases within the past month: the report of Joe Paterno’s death while he was still alive, and false tweet from actor Rob Lowe about the retirement of Peyton Manning.
source: http://www.penn-olson.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/twitter-bird-confused.jpg
While each of these spawned media reports, internet buzz, and trending topics, one thing remains true in each case: these false rumors were quickly debunked in favor of verified reports. What this indicates to me is a somewhat comforting feeling in today’s “crisis of credibility”. Verified information will always find its way to the top. The internet has merely given a wider platform from which to speak. Before the internet days there were no fewer people out spreading misinformation, they just didn’t have as many outlets from which to spread rumors. With Twitter and Facebook, “rumor-spreading” has been given a global platform. In the end, however, rumors are still rumors. While the instantaneous access to media spawns the ability to mislead, it also spawns the ability to correct reports in an instant.As a blog post by Ken Mueller about the Joe Paterno story states:
“Fortunately, the social web is incredibly self-correcting. While rumors can erupt online, they are generally corrected almost as rapidly. This doesn’t excuse the dissemination of false, or unverified information, but it is comforting”
We need to realize that with the wider spread of the internet, false information will come out. It’s inevitable. We aren’t used to it yet, but the internet and journalism are still relatively young in their relationship. What we can work on is working to combat and correct false reports as timely in as timely a manner as possible. Integrity and verification will find a way through the mess.
Culture Tour: Hip Hop Dancing
This post is not in any way related to Journalism, “social media”, leadership or management. That being said, let Tye take you on a tour of American Culture:
[photo by Tye Rabens
Oscar Arias, a leader of peace
Óscar Arias Sánchez is arguably the most influential figure in Costa Rican politics and one of the most prominent in recent Latin American history. His audacious yet conciliatory leadership style not only provoked profound changes in his country but historic ones in Central America, too.
He became the president of Costa Rica in 1986 after defying the traditional structures within his party, the leftist “Liberacion Nacional” party. His strategy of separating himself from the founding leaders of his party was considered a bold move in the political landscape of the time, where friendship and money often took you further than your actual capacities.
Educated at Essex, Arias strongly believed in “meritocracy”. Therefore, he chose the members of his Cabinet based on their merits more than on their political experience or, merely, their support to his campaign. As a result, he also encouraged a more active participation of women in politics. For the first time in Costa Rica’s history, he chose a woman as Vice-president and urged his party to elect the first female President of Congress, which happened during the first year of his term.
While he was redefining domestic policy-making in his own country, Arias was gestating a complete overhaul of the geopolitical forces throughout Central America. With the exception of Costa Rica, all the countries in the region were consumed by a war that to everyone seemed everlasting – to everyone but Arias.
Since he took office, Arias focused his foreign policy in finding a peaceful ending to armed conflict that killed thousands. Coming with a first proposal was the easy part of a time-consuming and challenging process. The main hurdle was to get longtime enemies to sit down at the same table.
Arias not only managed to get presidents, military forces and insurgent groups talking, but he also convinced them to concede. He implemented the peace-making process that ended war in Central America in the late 1980’s. For that he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987. With the money he received he funded a non-profit organization.
His second term as President was preceded –and defined- by controversy. In 2000, Arias asked the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional an amendment forbidding re-election. He lost but in 2003, a group of citizens presented a similar request and the Justices allowed the non-consecutive reelection. He was the only former President who had expressed interest in running again… and so he did. This time, Arias won by a narrow margin.
During his most recent term, trade not peace was his main interest. He reestablished diplomatic relations with China and after a referendum he implemented the Central American Free Trade Agreement with the United States.
Leader as Role Model (?)
I don’t intend to weigh in too heavily on the whole “leadership vs. management” debate with this post. Just wanted to share one alternate interpretation of what it means to be a “leader” of others. It involves the service aspect of Leadership we talked about in class a couple weeks back, but takes it to another level. It’s imagining Leader as Role Model, pushing him/herself on the front lines of an organization or cause rather then elevating him/herself to the top.
[leader, role model, or both?]
Lost and found
One week ago, I lost my wallet. After paying in a restaurant and walk few feet to where my rental car was parked, I found out my wallet was not with me. My first reaction was to go back to the restaurant and saw if it was there. I had no luck. Then, I reenact my short trip to the car looking carefully on the sidewalk. It was not there.
My hopes of finding it were gone with my credit cards, my driver’s license, my ASU ID and my insurance card. I called my banks in Costa Rica -and here- to cancel my cards. There was no chance to get them back, I thought. It was time to get Arizona’s driver’s license and get new documents, again.
On monday, when I told the story to the Humphrey program manager at ASU, Kristi Kappes, she said that hopefully someone may have found my wallet and will return it. “I hope so, but I don’t think that will happen”, I told her.
Fortunately, I was wrong. Three days later, Kristi called me with good news. A woman named Megan found my wallet, saw my ASU ID and tracked me down until she got her called transferred to our newsroom.
Megan didn’t ask for anything in return. She was happy to help. I was happy, too. Megan showed me that we are surrounded of good people.
Resilience
The dictionary defines resilience as “the ability to recover readily from adversity.” When you read it from a book, it seems easy -almost natural- to be resilient. When you listen to people affected by tragedy, you start to realize its true meaning
During this weekend, as the United States commemorated those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, I had the chance to look back and see that tragedy from another perspective. I saw it through those who survived and, especially, through those who lost someone that day.
As I read and watched the stories of wives, brothers, bosses and mothers who faced the unimaginable that day, I understood how long the emotional journey has been for them since 2001. For some, overcoming the tragedy it’s still difficult while others seem to have reconciled with their past. All of them, though, meet in their willingness to reborn from the ashes.
They taught me that it takes time, strength, support, willpower and hope to be resilient.
Image from: time.com
Decision fatigue, do you suffer from it?
What to wear? Which course to take? How to tackle a project? What source to interview? We spend every day making decisions. Sometimes is easy to choice; some others is less than pleasant. In other words, decision-making is a process that wears you out.
New studies suggest that you will pay a biological price after making decision after decision. You will be low on mental energy, research have found. According to an article published on The New York Times Magazine, ”decision fatigue” differs from ordinary physical fatigue. With the former, you will be aware of being tired while with the latter there’s only a lack of mental energy.
Simply put, the more choices you make, the harder each one becomes for your brain. At the end of the day, your ability to make them well will be reduced. Why? Your brain will look for shortcuts, researchers have concluded.
Does decision-making fatigue you? Have you ever think about it?
Here’s the complete article. Make a decision and read it!
Illustration: The New York Times Magazine.
Homeless in America
Downtown Phoenix is probably my favorite part of the city, and luckily I have excuses to travel there twice a week. Mondays, it’s our Humphrey seminar. Fridays, I trek downtown for a very different reason. (more…)
Point of view
There are always two sides to every story. The thing is, more often than we think, only one side gets to be told. Usually, History is written by winners not by the defeated. Ask those involved in uprisings or those who are part of a minority. Their voices are frequently ignored by the larger audience. Therefore, we don’t get the bigger picture.
African-americans in the United States know that first-hand. Not so long ago -less than 6 decades- they were still facing segregation in this country. The “colored” had no right to speak freely against the abuse of power they were subjected to. It was dangerous to do so but no impossible. Some courageous men and women took the risk and raised their voices. They had something to say and they wanted to be heard. They spoke with actions more than with words.
The Help is a book-turned movie that shares the point of view of african-american maids in Mississippi during the 1960′s, a decade dominated by racism. With humor and intelligence, it makes you reflect on how important it is to listen to the “other”. It reminded me of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, who stood up and provoked changes. They were brave enough to show the world their point of view, the other side of the story. Their story.
Blake in TOMS Shoes
In my last post I promised to say something more about Blake Mycoskie and TOMS Shoes. Contrary to what many people think, there is no Tom. 
Blake and TOMS are the same person. In fact, Blake invented TOMS as an abbreviation for ˝tomorrow’s shoes˝. You can read the story of their life on the TOMS official website .
But why I am so excited about it? Why I can’t stop thinking about it since I’ve heard Blake’s speech at the South By Southwest Interactive Conference that took place March 11-15 in Austin, Texas? Well, he is a good-looking guy at some point. But that’s not the point. I am actually thinking of him in the same way I’ve been thinking for several years now about the elderly gentleman – Bangladeshi businessman Dr. Muhammad Yunus , inventor of the Bank For The Poor and Nobel prize winner.
What makes those shoes different than any other textile shoes known for centuries as ˝espadrilles˝? 
The ˝One For One Movement˝ began in Argentina in 2006, when the young American salesman befriended children who had no shoes to protect their feet. He made an Internet offer: for every pair you buy, somebody who can’t afford it gets one. The response was almost frightening. Now TOMS is everywhere where the need is, recently Haiti.
You can also join the ˝One Day Without Shoes˝ Action on April 5, just to see how it is to walk around barefoot, like many people in this world do regularly. Or you can wait for the lock to fall from the new secret TOMS action starting on June 7. Whatever you do, you will surely feel good about it.
Because Blake said clearly: ˝Giving is not just feel-good. It’s good for your business and your brain˝. The proof: it involves not only thousands of customers, but other businessmen too. For example, baby-Blake is the first company boss that Ralph Lauren collaborated with. Ever. Also, TOMS sold extra 100.000 shoes after the commercial they made for AT&T.
What do TOMS shoes have that no other shoes have? They have the idea of a greater good. It makes the people who work for Blake less stressed, and incorporates feeling good about something every day of their job.
And you know what: these days TOMS is hiring. Check it out!
We could be the Goodwill donors
With an address of a famous mysterious club, 36th ST. at Thomas, I found famous Good Will.
The shop has unique business model that accepting donation from citizens and sell them with cheap price.
The price is really dirt cheap, well, the stuff is also with dirt. Overlooking furniture and other antiques, I bought 6 books with just 10 dollars.
I like this idea, like white elephant gift. You could donate the stuff that you do not need. Maybe others could need them. You also have a chance to do some philanthropy. Maybe when we leave from America, we have these good will.
Shopping with ordinary Americans
I like Black Friday. It is the opportunity to shop cheep stuff.
Three days before I argued with Khandaa whether 12:01 AM is midnight or noon. Then I noticed that I have to go to Wal-Mart during the mid night.
The light rail departed from Van Buren on 11:23 PM. After Alauddin and I arrived at the final stop, the train conductor told us the last train had already departed one hour before. It means that either we take taxi or stay in Wal-Mart for the whole night. We calculated before that we have to stay in Wal-Mart – to take taxi could increase the cost then sleeplessness could be in vain.
Just as Ivy said, there were tons of people in Wal-Mart. Kids as well as adults abandoned sleep. Infants even were taken here with boring facial expression or sleeping soundly. I found that the majority of the people are Latin Americans. You could also found some Arabs, Africans and Asians.
I guess that they are the ordinary people like me – have to calculate the cost of everything. They would like to enjoy their life, even though the life is bitter to them. They would like to have positive attitude towards life, even though fatigue is challenging them time after time. They would like to shop, even though the price is still something. It is the other side of America which I really feel sense of belonging.
Sharing joy
Aleksandra Dukovska
It was the first time for me to spend Thanksgiving holiday with one American host family.
According to the National Geography article, “the birth of the modern holiday was in 1621, even though the ‘real’ Thanksgiving happened two centuries later”. Back in the history, the pilgrims celebrated the end of the harvest season.
Today, this holiday has nothing with a harvest season. Thanksgiving is more about sharing pleasant moments among family members and eats turkey.
In fact, it was a coincidence that I saw the movie Julie & Julia just before the Thanksgiving.
In the relaxing atmosphere of the American host family home, it was a great moment to recall on Julia Child and her famous way of cutting the meat.
I felt great joy to celebrate Thanksgiving with American host family. They were kind enough to share a piece of their life with us.
The American Dream
This week two kind ladies asked me respectively about the plan after finishing study in America. Both of them assumed that I should stay here.
I understand that their standpoints are from their kind hearts. I really appreciate it. I found that the life here is really impressing. I often think that American are very lucky. But frankly speaking, to stay here is another matter.
Then I thought American Dream – It is also Chinese dream. Now our generation is very lucky that we can realize American Dream in China.
Scores of years, Chinese people as well as the people around the world would like to have an American dream. One musical that I prefer – Miss Saigon even has a song for it.
Initially, people think that American dream could be achieved in America. Then they try their best to acquire green cards. A lot of Chinese successfully immigrate to the US. Then they found that it is hard to realize American dream in America.
Gradually people recognize that American dream could be achieved in their own country.
what’s that I smell in the air?
the American dream
sweet as a suite in Bel-air
the American dream
girls can buy tits by the pair
the American dream
bald people think they’ll grow hair
the American dream
call girls are lining time square
the American dream
bums there have money to spare
the American dream
cars that have bars take you there
the American dream
on stage each night: Fred Astaire
the American dream
shlitz down the drain!
pop the Champagne!
it’s time we all entertain
my American dream!
High school students in DC
We have a good opportunity to visit one high school on Oct. 27 in bigger DC area.
The name of the school is McLean. It is a large high school with nearly 2000 students. The school is located in a wealthy neighborhood. Almost all the students don’t worry about the tuition fee of the colleges. But they still want to have part time jobs.
Originally I don’t favor they work during their academic learning. I told them Chinese students have to face severe competition for the higher education entrance examination. So they have to study nearly 20 hours a day especially the 12th grade students.
The German language teacher who is the hostess of the community event responded that the students here have to study and work for nearly 19 hours. They study while they have part time job. They need money for the stuff.
Through this conversation I found that though American and Chinese students face different environment, they both work hard. However, the attitude of the parents are different. Chinese parents can not permit their children working while studying. They even shoulder all the responsibilities on housework. Some students in China even have no ideas on how to wash their underwear.
The result is simple: Chinese students are good at examinations but are not familiar with the fundamental techniques. They have to depend on their parents for a long time. While on the other hand, Chinese parents really have the will to support their children as long as possible. Sometimes we use the word “spoil”.
I want to claim that Chinese students want to be as independent as their American peers. We have to blame the educational system. The system should give more space on the real life for the students. Let them know what is the real life is.
Spontaneous pleasure and organized pleasure
Last night I had one opportunity to enjoy Halloween Festival in Mill Ave. Tempe. It is gorgeous!
People were crowded in the street and almost all of them were dressing differently and they walked in the street receiving others appreciation. I could sort that there are at least five kinds, some like horrible wearings, some like cartoon characters, some like sexy dress, some like animals, some just take some weird clothes, and etc. I can see that they really enjoyed the night.
I found the difference between the two countries. In America, people could have spontaneous pleasure. This word could be illustrated the organizied pleasure.
In my country, leaders are always kind. When they think people should enjoy their life, they will organize a big rally or big movement. Nowadays, some TV gala in the eve of Spring Festival could substitute.
Ok. People should follow the instructions from the leaders. along with the need of the events, leaders will give instructions to the people, When they say you should applause, you applause; when saying you should laugh, then you laugh, “stop!”, suddenly stop. After that you should claims, “I am very happy! Thanks for the Party and motherland.”
I am so accustomed of the organized pleasure with the 33 years in China that I do not know how I can behave or express in the spontaneous carnival last night. With the uneasy mind I asked Tose last night that he could tell me when I should behave correctly.
Arlington Cemetery
From the very beginning I claimed I would like to go to Arlington Cemetery. It is only one stop from Rosslyn.
Time difference, exhausted nightlife, I nearly missed all the chances to go to the cemetery. But before we depart from Reagan Airport, Alauddin and I had one hour free and we went to the cemetery.
It is a good place that I feel different from my country. In my country we have revolutions and cemeteries could always be the targets. The one who received respects but tore down by the next generation. Lack of mutual and everlasting value could be the main problem.
But here, Arlington Cemetery, people are mourning and showing the respect, now and forever.
I was touched by JFK’s graveyard. To my surprise, the couple had two children. Arabella Kennedy died on August 23, 1956 and Patrick Bouvier Kennedy died in August 9, 1963. To Jacqueline, the deaths of two children were a great loss to a young mother. Even worse, his husband also assassinated in front of her.
We also felt a cultural difference that she married with Onassis and her name change to Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. But after she died, she still buried here and still with the name Onassis. We guess but we do not have the answer.
Does someone know the background?
When photos don’t tell the truth.
Photos are just another way of telling stories, and therefore, together with all other mediums is subject to the perspective and interpretation of the storyteller.
I believe it is totally unethical to remove elements from a photography by digitally manipulating it. Maybe a good way to determine how much a photo can be manipulated is to ask oneself, “Is this photo still telling the same story that the photographer intended?”
The June 2010 cover of the Economist
It probably all comes down to the editor’s preference. Just as text piece can be changed from what the original writer intended so can a photograph. Simply by cropping it differently a photo-editor can make the photo tell a totally different story.
The reason why so many people care about it is because you often see the original photo somewhere else but not the original text of an article that has been modified.
The National Press Photographers Association says, “As journalists we believe the guiding principle of our profession is accuracy; therefore, we believe it is wrong to alter the content of a photograph in any way that deceives the public.”
Click to see more on digital tampering.
Michel
Fellows From 93 Countries Gather at GLF-2010 in Washington
By Malik Siraj Akbar
WASHINGTON DC: The Global Leadership Forum (GLF-2010), which is an essential component of the State Department-sponsored Hubert Humphrey Fellowship, was an implicit demonstration of increasing relationship between the United States of America and different countries of the world in the domain of education and cultural exchange.
The five-day long conference kicked off on Sunday in the US national capital in connection to a ten-month long program which the Fulbright Exchange Commission administers with the collaboration of the International Institute for Education (IIE).
Pakistan, with twenty-seven Humphrey Fellows, is currently the highest recipient of the coveted mid-career fellowship.
The Hubert Humphrey Fellowship, founded in 1978, to respect the services of former US Vice President and senator Hubert H. Humphrey, has a network of 4,200 alumni in 157 countries of the world.
Amy Nemith, Assistant Director of the Hubert Humphrey Program at the IIE, told The Baloch Hal that the GLF was the first of two times when the Fellows were brought together in Washington DC to introduce them with the US capital and fellows working at different campuses across the United States.
Amy said 218 Fellows from ninety-three (93) different countries attended the Global Leadership Forum this year.
“It is a chance for all to Humphrey Fellows to discuss what it means to be a (better) global leader. The Forum is one of the benchmarks of the fellowship year,” she said,”We are expecting from the Global Leadership Forum to give the Humphrey Fellows a broader understanding of the program. Previously, the Fellows were based at their individual campuses but now we have made them a part of a larger global community.
On the opening evening of the GLF,Dr. Allan Lichtman of American University spoke about the legacy of Hubert Humphrey whom he described as a man who proved his leadership skills even without becoming the president of the United States.
Dr. Lichtman started his talk about Hubert Humphrey amid applause when he said he truly felt the legacy of the former senator after seeing Fellows from India and Pakistan dinning on one table. ” That is what Hubert Humphrey stood for!” said Lichtman who offered a chronological description of Humphrey.
According to Lichtman, Hubert Humphrey staunchly advocated civil rights and pushed the Democrats to struggle for equal rights for all citizens. He was opposed to nuclear weapons and the war in Vietnam.
” Hubert Humphrey played a significant role in introducing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which remarkably ended discrimination and segregation in the United States,” he recalled,”he was an internal critic of the war in Vietnam and wanted it to be transformed into an internal war against disease, poverty and hunger. The War in Vietnam was horrendous for Hubert Humphrey and brought him immense misery.”
Fellows from different parts of the world admired the exchange program and described it as a helpful opportunity for the mid-career professionals to improve their management and leadership skills in order to lead in their respective domains in the future.
Hussein Habeeb Mhawesh, an orthopedic surgeon from Iraq who is currently affiliated as a Humphrey Fellow at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School and Public Health, said the fellowship offered him a “great chance” to meet people from the same profession of other countries. ” America is a relatively new nation in the comity of the world but they have assumed a leading role within a few hundred years because of their hard work,” he said.
When asked what he intended to take back to his home country over the completion of the Humphrey Fellowship year, Hussein said: ” Probably, I am going to implement some of the US health service models in Iraq on my return. The health service in the US is quite limited because of the Health Care Insurance whereas in my country health services are free. I am planning to benefit from the American health strategies in Iraq.”
He opined that exchange programs like the Humphrey Fellowship helped in eliminating misunderstandings between different cultures.
Dr. Attiqullah Amiri from Afghanistan, who is doing a public health professional development program, said health issues posed major challenges to his war-torn country.
” We are facing many difficulties and shortfalls in the health-sector,” he said, ” one of the biggest needs in Afghanistan right now is the need for leaders in the health sector. I wish to take the Humphrey Fellowship opportunity as an advantage to move further in the health field in my country.”
For David Njenjere kabita of Kenya, who is an assistant Director at the Education Department, the Humphrey year is meant to focus on two areas: Leadership capacity building and professional engagements.
“The fellowship provides us an opportunity to share experiences,” he said.
Chin Idirisu Medorni of Cameroon, who is a fellow at University fo Minnesota, viewed the Humphrey Fellowship as a drastic change in his personal and professional life: “ I am sure when I go back to Cameroon, things will not be the same because the program is amazing and it has provided me a chance to learn a lot,” he remarked.
Erika Diaz Pascacio, a Mexican fellow at Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said she viewed the fellowship as a “great opportunity” which was going to have a lasting impact on her professional life in the future to analyze what her goals in life are.
When asked what she believed was the most exciting thing to learn during her fellowship in the United States, Erika,
who holds a Masters degree in Environmental Management from the University of Queensland in Australia, said she had found the people in America as very hard working.
” I am so surprised that people in this country have to make their day every day. They really work very hard. If they want to get something, they really have to work hard. I hope I can share these experiences to people in Mexico,” she envisioned.
Earlier in the day, the Humphrey Fellows were taken on a tour of Washington DC as a part of which they also saw the White House, the official residence of the US President, and several other official and historical monuments.
The news report originally appeared in The Baloch Hal, the first online newspaper of Balochistan in Pakistan
Congrats
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil – today became a part of my personal history, thanks to my Fellows and colleagues Alauddin, Malik, Michel and Toshe.
It is a moment I think is worthy sharing with all the world. Not because now I know more about the brave citizen-president. But because it is a step forward on my way to be a better person. The presentation was better than the one my group did and I wasn’t jealous one little bit. I was truly happy for the people who did a real good job. I hope everyone can have that kind of moment at least once in a lifetime. It feels so good.
Congratulations, friends! I am impatient to see the digest version of the presentation on this blog, so many other people can join my joy of learning.
by Daria
Outliers – The story of success
Malcom Gladwell
I’ve just finished reading, actually I should say I’ve just finished listening to Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. This was the first book I listened to on CD and it was a great way to go through a book during my drive to school. I love American libraries! Seriously, that’s something I will miss when I’m not in the US.
Outliers is one of those books that really makes you think and ask yourself questions about all sorts of paradigms that we all have. Gladwell challenges the reader to rethink about what makes people like Bill Gates so successful. He shows through his research and good writing that success occurs as combination of many more elements than we often realize. In an interview in his website Gladwell says, “My wish with Outliers is that it makes us understand how much of a group project success is.”
This book gave me a renewed thankfullness for all the people that have helped me through life and made think again about how much we need other people in order to succeed.
You may read the full interview and some excerpt from Outliers and his other books in his website.
Michel Duarte
Wow, Pow-Wow!
A unique experience for me this weekend on the occasion of the 28th Annual Native American Reccognition Day: Pow-wow. Some write it powwow, pow wow or pau wau.
Anyway, it is a gathering of North America’s Native people for prayer and pleasure. It happened on Saturday in Phoenix Central. Why wouldn’t you check out my personal blog Arizona 4 Outsiders for the bigger story and more pics?
by Daria
Mr. Putin’s Birthday
Vladimir Putin, the actual Russian Prime Minister was born in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg again, on Oct. 7, 1952. He grew up in a communal apartment in a typically modest Soviet environment. He joined the K.G.B. and served as a counterintelligence officer in East Germany from 1985 to 1990. The rest is history…
At the age of 58, he looks healthy and happy despite all the problems he faces as a leader of a world’s superpower. You will read more about it here soon, after our four-team upcoming presentation dedicated to the world’s leaders at Humphrey Seminar.
Now I will stick to the occasion. Talking of birthdays, Mr. Putin certainly knows how to accept presents. He was specially touched when he got a Siberian baby tiger for his 56th birthday two years ago. The Guardian’s web page still keeps the memory of that gentle moment.
Today, following an article on the Times NewsFeed you can scratch a little deeper into the Russian hot spots. On the BBC News Europe you can see the review of Mr. Putin’s interesting birthday presents so far, including the newest one: the calendar entitled ”We love you” featuring 12 pretty girls – Moscow University students. In addition to the very popular and for some say controversial video I Want a Guy Like Putin on Youtube, here comes the music flash of the day: Happy Birthday, Mr. Putin.
by Daria
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