Sunday, October 31, 2010

Russian Energy Videos



(Thanks, Claire)

Mr Wang Says So: Life And How To Survive It

Check out Adrian Tan's speech at an NTU convocation ceremony for the class of 2008. (Thanks, Freed)

Filling the Gap Between Farm and Fair Trade

Have you ever wondered how Fair Trade products actually get from the farmers to your table? Who finances the bigger cooperatives that with loans that are too big for traditional microfinance? Find out in the NYTimes Opinionator. (Thanks, Gloria)

David Foster Wallace on Life and Work

"Adapted from a commencement speech given by David Foster Wallace to the 2005 graduating class at Kenyon College. Mr. Wallace, 46, died last Friday, after apparently committing suicide." If you are a little lost post-college and wondering what life looks like 20 years down the road, this is a poignant speech of some of the dangers to avoid. Read the speech in the WSJ.

NYT Wedding Announcement

Patricia Sexton and Jesse Phillips have a fun (and absurdly worldly) wedding announcement in the NY Times this week. (Thanks, Clare)

Saturday, October 30, 2010

People Are Awesome


(Thanks, Cassie)

The Business of Sharing

"For most of the past 50 years, renters have been conceding ground to owners. But renting is now ascendant, thanks to trends in technology, austerity, and sustainability. The Internet makes it easy to compare prices, which makes rental cars and hotel rooms cheaper. It also allows new ways of renting and sharing to thrive. For example, car-sharing is booming even as car sales languish.

"Zipcar, an American firm, has 400,000 members who pay an annual fee and can then rent cars by the hour. People are renting things they never used to rent, such as clothes and toys. Some pioneers of "collaborative consumption" have dispensed with inventories and act purely as brokers, helping people sell their spare capacity in everything from parking spaces to energy..." Read the Economist article.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Having a Sister Makes You Happier

Glad I have two!
“Having a Sister Makes You Happier”: that was the headline on a recent article about a study finding that adolescents who have a sister are less likely to report such feelings as “I am unhappy, sad or depressed” and “I feel like no one loves me.”
Read the NYT article here. (Thanks, Clare)

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Daily Puppy

Meet Molly.

Meet Sophie.

D.I.Y. Foreign-Aid Revolution

A recent NYT Magazine article digs deep into the life of volunteers in developing countries, and how they reconcile their American and developing lives. (Fun fact: my friend at MIT help Elizabeth Scharpf design her product!).

Read the NYT Magazine article written by Nicholas Kristof. (Thanks, Claire)

How the world feels about green brands

Check out the GOOD article. (Thanks, Gloria)

In addition to checking out Kayak when you search for flights...

Take some time to check out Hipmunk.com. It's a great visual interface.

A look into how much a pet cost

Read the VisualEconomics post.

New York Whitewashes a Million Square Feet of Rooftop

"Geoengineering, or manipulation of the planet's climate, can be a dangerous practice--so much so that the UN is attempting to ban it. But there is little downside to painting rooftops white--making them reflect sunlight, cutting down on temperatures in crowded urban areas, and reducing the need for air-conditioning. That's why New York City's Cool Roofs initiative, which just whitewashed its one millionth square foot of rooftop, has become so popular."
Read the FastCompany article.

20 questions: Suzan Sabanci Dincer

Two of my favorite question/responses:

How important is money to you?

You’d have to look hard for the banker who pooh-poohs money. But that’s not the same thing as material wealth. Money gets things done. Bling is a waste of time.

What is the most treasured possession in your office?

The door. It opens and, best of all, it closes.

Read the FT post.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Footwear concepts of Andreia Chaves




Check out more at Yatzer. (Thanks, Cassie)

I want one!

Check out the Geekologie blog here. (Thanks, Cassie)

Who Owns Congress? A Campaign Cash Seating Chart

"What if members of Congress were seated not by party but according to their major business sponsors? We gave it a try." Check out the Mother Jones article. (Thanks, Cassie)

Goodbye, Free Trade?

"High tariffs and currency wars cost us big in the 1930s. We can avoid making the same mistakes again." Read the WSJ article.

An App That Makes Android Smarter Than Ever

Brilliant:
Google's Android operating system may not be as pretty or easy to use as Apple's iOS -- but it is more powerful and customizable. Case in point: the Tasker Android app, which makes your Android phone automatically perform certain tasks based on its environment, its location, even its rotation.

Imagine turning off your ringer by just setting your phone on the table face down, automatically texting your wife when you reach the nearest train station without taking the phone out of your pocket, or setting the screen timeout to "never" when the Kindle app is running. You'll have to navigate a deep set of menus, buttons and dropdowns, but if you're willing to brave its bewildering interface, Tasker can do all that and more. Here's how...
Read the FastCompany article.

I Can Afford Higher Taxes. But They’ll Make Me Work Less.

Greg Mankiw writes about his marginal tax rate. Any guesses on the number? 90%. Read his NY Times article.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

U.S. Military Orders Less Dependence on Fossil Fuels

The US Military is realizing the strategic importance of "Going Green." Check out some of the initiatives in the NY Times article.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Mailarang

Ever have trouble updating companies when you move? A new start-up, Mailarang, keeps your mailing address up to date by providing free Mail Keys. Check it out here.

The Value of a Piece of Facebook

Facebook's Mark Zuckerburg donated a $100 million challenge grant for Newark, NJ's troubled schools. But since Facebook has not yet gone public, where did that money come from? Read the answer in the NY Times.

Project Vote Smart's VoteEasy

Want to see who is voting for what in the US? Check out VoteEasy's clean and interactive website.

China's quiet power grab

The Washington Post's Anne Applebaum, wrote an Op-Ed piece about China's recent military bulling and power reach, without deploying any of its soldiers or diplomats. (Thanks, Claire)

Martin Aircraft’s commercial jetpack looks to take flight

The Martin jetpack, a commercially developed jetpack, may soon be heading to a sky near you. Check out the Yahoo article. I want one (hint, hint)! (Thanks, Cassie)

What to Do If Hackers Steal Your Online Accounts

Read the NY Times Personal tech post here.

Crises of Capitalism


(Thanks, Andrew)

Why Women Aren’t C.E.O.s, According to Women Who Almost Were

"It’s not a pipeline problem. It’s about loneliness, competition and deeply rooted barriers." Read more in the NYT .