Archive for January, 2009
Sunday, January 11th, 2009
Mr. Pollan is the author of In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, published in January 2008 by The Penguin Press. His previous books include The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, named one of the ten best books of 2006 by the New York Times and the Washington Post.
His ideas further resonated with the American public after he published “Farmer in Cheif”–an open letter to the 2008 presidential candidates in the NY Times Magazine.
Your assignment is to listen to this interview of Pollan (OR watch the video below) and to type thorough notes (the notes will be submitted as homework). Be prepared to discuss the ideas presented in this interview. Also be prepared to connect Pollan’s thesis to the Populist Movement of the late 19th Century.
Authors@Google: Michael Pollan
Posted in USH: Populism | No Comments »
Friday, January 2nd, 2009
The Lius are China’s first-generation billionaires, born into a world of Mao suits, food rations, price controls and Communist slogans. And the story of how they made their fortune is considered one of the guiding myths of China’s Communist party, a symbol of this country’s transformation over the last 30 years, since its unlikely embrace of capitalism. But their story also betrays the contradictions of modern China — a country where the average factory worker makes less than $50 a week.
“The puzzle is not why the Liu brothers succeeded, but why there are not more like them in China,” says Huang Yasheng, who teaches at the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is an expert on Chinese entrepreneurs. “Rural China represents a vast pool of entrepreneurial capabilities and substantial business opportunities.”
As the global economy enters its first drastic downturn since China opened to the world, analysts say this country is searching for a more sustainable path to growth.
Read on from The IHT
Posted in AP China | No Comments »
Thursday, January 1st, 2009
Based in Chicago, Sound Opinions is hosted by Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot, two of the finest and best-recognized pop music writers in the nation. In addition, they are the top music critics and dedicated competitors at Chicago’s two daily newspapers, the Chicago Sun-Times (Jim) and the Chicago Tribune (Greg).
Every week, Sound Opinions fires up smart and spirited discussions about a wide range of popular music, from cutting-edge underground rock and hip-hop, to classic rock, R&B, electronica, worldbeat, or just about any other genre you can name.
Jim and Greg save you the time of that pesky listening process, by boiling down their reviews to three easy to use phrases: Buy It!, Burn It! or Trash It!.
Read/Listen to their reviews
Posted in Music | No Comments »
Thursday, January 1st, 2009
NO MATTER what happens in 2009, financial markets can surely not be as turbulent as they have been in 2008. The virtual demise of the independent investment bank, the rescue of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the halving of global share prices—these were sufficient shocks to last investors for a decade.
If 2008 was dominated by a financial crisis, 2009 seems likely to be the year when the bad news comes from the economy and from the non-financial corporate sector.
Read on
Posted in Other News | No Comments »
Thursday, January 1st, 2009
NPR’s picks for best jazz albums of 2008
Kot and DeRogatis picks for best rock and roll albums 2008
Rolling Stones’ Top 50
Me?
Best album I heard for the first time this year:Donny Hathaway Live (thanks Matt!)
Best 2008 Release: Randy Newman, “Hearts and Angels” (which makes me feel old) and/or Girl Talk, “Feed the Animals”. The new Beck album is growing on me and Erykah Badu’s “New Amerykah” is really soulful and smart.
Biggest 2008 Disappointment: Herbie Hancock’s “Joni Letters”. Get back in the game Herbie.
I think I like: Deerhunter’s new one. But I can do without the experimental electronic nonsense.
Best live show: Okkerville River at Postbanhof am Ostbanhof (Berlin)
Posted in Music | No Comments »
Thursday, January 1st, 2009
Dr. Lawrence Lessig of Stanford University, who has been a pioneer in the Free Culture Movement and the founder of Creative Commons, is shifting his focus to fighting corruption in Washington DC. Though I am duly impressed by his efforts to combat corporate greed and influence over licensing arrangements, I am excited that he is devoted to getting to the core of the problem. Lessig has delivered his final lecture at Stanford and will be moving to Harvard to direct the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics.
He writes about his decision to shift focus here and he was recently interviewed by Terry Gross where he spoke about his decision to fight the next noble battle.
Though always the cynic, I am excited about the prospect of Lessig on a crusade, backed by the coffers of Harvard, to tackle corruption at the highest levels.
Posted in Other News | No Comments »