Such forums make Columbia University that much more special....

World Leaders Forum,

September 22-26

Schedule of Events:


Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland
Monday, September 22, 2008, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Rotunda, Low Memorial Library, 116th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam

Leonel Fernández, President of the Dominican Republic
Thursday, September 25, 2008, 7:00 -- 8:30 p.m.
Rotunda, Low Memorial Library, 116th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Prime Minister of Denmark
Friday, September 26, 2008, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Rotunda, Low Memorial Library, 116th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam

Danilo Türk, President of the Republic of Slovenia
Friday, September 26, 2008, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Kellogg Center, International Affairs Building, 15th Floor, 420 West 118^th Street

We have come a long way in 178 years ...

Painting by Carl Rakeman (1878-1965)/Courtesy Federal Highway Administration



This day (exactly178 years ago), in 1830, the locomotive Tom Thumb pulls ahead in a famous one-on-one race between muscle and machine. But, in the end the horse wins.



WIRED.COM

CERN: they gave us the internet, now they are trying figure out why we are all here in the the first place

Save Now

Paralympics inspiration ....

I can't believe i am blogging this from the Wien flughafen - airport, that's correct.

National Geographic Museum

My favourite magazine. Finally got the chance to visit the Museum.

  3rd September, Washington DC

Tour of Capital Hill

The tram above is probably the most entertaining part of the tour. The ride only lasts for about 2 minutes.

Thanks to a staff member working at the office of the Junior Senator from Nebraska, Ben Nelson, this tour was made possible at very short notice and was very enjoyable. It lasted for nearly 3 hours.

In return, i had to give the staff member and her friend a tour of the World Bank. Who said bartering was bad? This was definitely a great deal.

4th September, Washington DC

priceless

The place and other two friends' identities cannot be disclosed, but quite a memorable evening.

7th September, Vienna

BreakDANCE bAttLe

12th September at WUK, Vienna, Austria

Fascinating (three part) Documentary on the British EMPIRE

A three hour-long documentaries charting the history of the British Empire. The prospect of viewing the spectacle and grandeur of the British Empire is fascinating.

A surprise fact that i learned: the Empire also left prejudice to its new commonwealth former colonies like Australia and Canada that went out of their way to get people of White European descent to emigrate (only 10 pounds for Australia), but refused entry to most overpopulated Asian neighbours. All of this is very disheartening.



What is the real LEGACY of the British Empire?

Furthermore, how can the former colonies redress the WRONGS of the past? I only hope some day ignorance and prejudice will be forgotten and fade with a new generation of people.

ServiceNation Summit event in Alfred Lerner Hall, Columbia University featuring John McCain and Barack Obama

I wish i could watch this in person, and not on CNN glued to the TV (sitting in Vienna in the early hours).

Culinary Suicide....

Thankfully Politicians, in particular Prime Ministers all over the world apart from Thailand have a lot of work, otherwise it would be just funny if they all started their own COOKING show and lose their jobs as a result.

new face, alas, SAME OLD STORY all over again

China is helping to create a multipolar world

The more balance of power, more sleep humanity gets in peace in a dangerous world.

GREEN Polar bears: Is global warming to blame?

Wait a minute! Not everything can be used to put "global warming" on trial and march it to the gallows. It is important to investigate properly, exactly what the Japanese puzzled zoo officials had to do.

The answer: overgrowth of algae that is hard to clean.

Blaming is easy in life; investigating just as tough.


www.boston.com

TOO many housewives......

This Nigerian religious leader has at the age of 84 has reengaged sanity by accepting a decree by one of Nigeria's top Islamic bodies, the Jamatu Nasril Islam to divorce 82 wives. He has over 170 children.


Population control may be just a myth a for him. Imagine what would have happened if he was born in China in the current "one child" national policy?

BBC

Entering the IPOD AGE finally.....

Today i bought my first EVER itunes song - Walter Meego (forever)

Good way to say goodbye to 99 cents

a blemish that the current Indian Mindset cannot heal

An IHT article brings up a topic that nobody, not even scholars really can find answers to despite India's economic growth; for they themselves have vested interests: if these poor Indians are liberated from this abysmal treatment, then the nouveau riche/scholars will have no one to do their daily chores. It is only then India will have finally arrived in the 21st century, when people realize modernity and technology have no room for lazy-rich Indians.

I believe this will prove the Achilles heel in the Indian story. When Indians don't treat other Indians with dignity and respect, how can a nation move forward. Balancing a budget is easy, take monetary and fiscal tightening/expansion and it should do the trick, but balancing an entire culture to realize that prevailing practice of the middle class relying on an underclass is WRONG - then ONLY can this nation move forward!

"a tendency to treat the hired help like chattel, to taunt and humiliate and condescend to them, to behave as though some humans were born to serve and others to be served." (IHT)