Sunday, October 31, 2010
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
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.
"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
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)
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.
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:Read the FT post.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.
Friday, October 22, 2010
Book Review: What Happens Under Pressure
"Two books investigate the not-so-fine art of choking" in the WSJ.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
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.Read the FastCompany article.
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...
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.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
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
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)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Every country is the best at something.
What is yours the best at? Read more at Information is Beautiful. (Thanks, Cassie)
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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 .
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Even women who earn overwhelmingly positive performance reviews are told that they have ‘personality flaws,’ a new study finds. The double...
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Many talented rural students don't go to elite schools, because they are unaware of the options. Read more in the NYT . Thanks, +Ju...
