As is my custom, I am highlighting the latest issue of New Perspectives Quarterly, a magazine specializing in big-ticket ideas and issues contributed by thought leaders and diplomats from around the world. The Winter 2008 issue lists the introductory Commentaries for issues of NPQ from 2001 - 2007. Topics covered are 'Civilizations Out of Sync', 'The Future of Anti-Americanism', 'No Shortcuts to the "End of History" ', "From the Faith Gap to Post-Liberalism', 'Globalization's New Left', 'DeGlobalize the Jihad', and 'China: From Democracy Wall to the Shopping Mall and Back', among others. Actual articles included are 'Modernization Will Arrive in Arabia From Asia', 'India: Sacred Cows and Software', and 'Hollywood in the World', for example. And the authors or people interviewed in these issues over the years? Samuel P. Huntington, Rem Koolhaas, Jorge Casteneda, Kofi Annan, General Wesley Clark, Lester Thurow, Amartya Sen, Robert McNamara, Coretta Scott King, Francis Fukuyama, Vladmir Putin, Mohamad Mahathir, Hillary Clinton, Edward Said, Joseph Stiglitz, Paul Wolfowitz, Mohammed Yunus, Henry Kissinger, Carlos Fuentes, Al Gore, Gore Vidal ... and the list goes on. Read all this and more in the latest issue on the Jackson periodical racks.
Scientists who study play in animals and humans are beginning to view it as an important part of neurological growth and development. They believe play can help children build "complex, skilled, responsive, socially adept and cognitively flexible brains." But what about the darker side of 'play'? Read Robin Marantz Henig's complete story of play and its importance in human development in the February 17th issue of the New York Times Magazine.
Has the 'tipping point' toppled ? Guy Kawasaki in his blog cites an article by Clive Thompson in FastWired magazine that takes on the currently popular concept fostered by Malcolm Gladwell. The gist of Thompson’s piece is that the theory that a select few 'key influencers' matter more than 'the rest of us' in viral and word-of-mouth marketing campaigns is flawed. Has Gladwell tipped too far ?
恭喜發財 "Gung Hay Fat Choy!" We wish everyone a happy Chinese New Year, as the lunar new year eve falls today. Chinese and non-Chinese around the world will join in the celebrations, which kick off this evening. Reuniting with one's family at this time is considered highly important. This 'Year of the Rat' is 4706 by the ancient counting, and begins the 12-year zodiacal cycle anew. Accounts of the origins of the calendar vary; they lie in the mythical past. New year parades are held in different parts of the United States, including our local one in San Francisco Chinatown. Check for the parade nearest you !
Can there be peace in a glass of cabernet? In Lebanon’s Bekka Valley they are harvesting grapes that will produce more than 4 million bottles of wine each year. The industry is succeeding, despite Lebanon’s diverse demographics. Christians, Sunni and Shiites work side by side toward a common goal – an exceptional bottle of wine. Religious differences are set aside as workers get to know each other as fellow laborers and human beings. Most Bekka Valley wines are exported, but the focus is to build up domestic sales. This concept may seem surprising in a country where most of the population is forbidden alcohol, but at home behind closed doors, winemakers smile, it is different. Here's a toast -- and a wish -- to an acceptance of differences.
'Made in China: From Tiananmen to Tainted Toys' is the focus of the latest issue of New Perspectives Quarterly. The Fall 2007 issue is now on the current periodical racks in Jackson Library. Included are articles '"Made in China" Label Won't Survive Without Rule of Law' with Minxin Pei, author of China's Trapped Transition: The Limits of Developmental Autocracy, 'Chinese Hacking Signals Age of Info Warfare' with former Director of the National Security Agency Bobby Ray Inman, 'Brangelina vs. Chinese Mercantilism in Africa' with former National Security Advisor Anthony Lake, 'Pakistan at a Crossroads' with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, 'Countdown to War With Iran' with former U.S. chief negotiator on Middle East peace issues Dennis Ross, 'Is America on Course to Fall Like Rome?' with U.S. Comptroller General David M. Walker, and 'The End of Darwinian Evolution' with renowned scientist Freeman Dyson. In addition, a section highlights 'The 11th Hour', a documentary directed by actor Leonardo DiCaprio, and features comments by world thinkers such as Stephen Hawking, Paul Hawken, Paolo Soleri, James Woolsey, Mikhail Gorbachev and others. Come to the Library to learn more.
Chairman of the House Appropriations committee David Obey explains why he’s not going to approve the President's request for an additional $46 billion for the war in Iraq. Obey plans to slow down the supplemental funding until the country gets a better idea of what the future spending for the war is going to look like. Listen to this interview on NPR
"Long lines, late flights, near collisions -- everyone is unhappy with the state of the U.S. air travel system. Unfortunately, no one, especially not the FAA, seems able to do anything about it." So begins the cover story of BusinessWeek September 10 issue, Fear and Loathing at the Airport. 68% of flights in arrived on time in June 2007, down from 78% in 1998. After this latest 'Summer from Hell', authors Christopher Palmeri and Keith Epstein lament that the situation in the air is only likely to get worse. The FAA predicts that by 2015 there will be one billion passengers a year, a 30% increase. Agency chief Marion C. Blakey is stepping down this month after five frustrating years of trying to bring order out of chaos. Blakey is quite frank about the rising risk of flying; there have been 339 incidents this year where planes were dangerously close to other planes, including a case at Los Angeles International last month when a jet came within 37 feet of another. The authors distribute blame across the board -- passengers, airlines, unions, Congress, and the FAA, among others. Timesaving tip? Don't fly between 8 and 9 PM; half of all U.S. flights departing this hour are delayed.
"Lock-box." Not long ago, he was the butt of jokes, putting on weight, a wanderer in the wilderness. No longer. Al Gore is back. Fast Company magazine (July / August 2007) features a cover story on "the untold story of how an epic loser engineered what may be the greatest brand makeover of our time." Gore has cannily used Silicon Valley and Hollywood to restore his image -- and his net worth, which at one time was a paltry $1-2 million but now exceeds $100 million. He's known worldwide for his championing of environmentalism and, in particular, his clarion call on global warming. An adviser to Google, a boardmember of Apple, notable author ( The Assault on Reason ), Chairman and co-founder of cable's Current TV, with almost 40 million subscribers, he is also the star of An Inconvenient Truth. Recently he helped produce the Live Earth concerts, seen and heard by millions -- if not billions -- to raise climate awareness. Ready for the 2008 Presidency? Well ... read the article.
What you do or say in public can be your undoing, your 15 minutes of infamy. Tom Friedman points out in a thought provoking June 27 New York Times op/ed piece that around every corner lurks a potential, publisher, filmmaker or paparazzi. No one is safe. If you have a little too much to drink and dance the night away with the proverbial lampshade on your head, you can emerge from your hangover a star in your own film, courtesy of YouTube. Friedman contends that our reputations are set in stone much earlier than in past generations. In the Good Old Days, young adults could make mistakes, learn from them and be none the worse for wear. The present generation does not have this luxury; their foibles are recorded for all to see in Face Book, My Space or YouTube. So boys and girls, remember that when you grow up and start looking for a job, there is a good chance your employer will do a Google search and download all those skeletons in your electronic closet.
An article in the June 17th New York Times Magazine discusses a study by Harvard Political Science Professor Robert Putnam ( Bowling Alone ), that contends that people living in ethnically diverse environments tend to "hunker down" and distrust those around them. The more diversity, the more of a cluster the group becomes. The distrust is not limited to those of another race, but also affects those of the same race. For some reason a diverse mix drives down social capital and makes people withdraw. In spite of his findings, Putnam himself sees long-term benefits from diversity. Read his complete study in Scandinavian Political Studies, June 2007, Vol. 30 Issue 2, p 137-174.
May issue of Fortune magazine published Andy Grove’s Open Letter to the presidential candidates where the founder of Intel and our very own GSB professor, Andy Grove, makes his suggestions on improving the health care system. Rather than approaching the problem fundamentally, Andy Grove suggests to take one (or to be more exact two steps) at a time and implement two programs: fix the “emergency room emergency” and “keep parents at home”. Find more details in the article.
Change.org makes it possible for young donors to make small contributions together for a social cause and/or for politics.
“People care passionately about social issues, but many — especially those under the age of 40 — have a hard time figuring out how to translate that concern into practical action, says Ben Rattray, the 26-year-old chief executive officer of Change.org.
Change.org has raised no venture capital to finance the site. But its founders are starting to look for socially minded investors that will be more focused on the site's mission than on getting high returns quickly.”
Story at The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Fascinated with all things New Yawk? Or just a Brooklyn expat on the West Coast, pining for home? Check out Gothamist blog, which tracks odds-and-ends of life in New York City, past and present, from a pavement-level view. In addition to highlighting interesting restaurants and bars, it notes entertainment and events and the occasional (?) New York curiosity -- such as an entry on the mysterious murder in the Hotel Chelsea of Nancy (of the once-famous punk rock couple Sid and Nancy), or a recent stolen vehicle chase which caused an accident in the Village, or a raid on Middle School 54 on the Upper West Side, where -- say it ain't so! -- prohibited cell phones were seized en masse by the NYPD. Da Bronx is up and da Battery's down. Even hardened Westerners like Barry Goldwater might enjoy this slice of life from the Eastern seaboard. Read all about it -- at Gothamist.
iMedia reports that what is different from the 2004 campaign is that the candidates are utilizing blogs, RSS feeds, videos on YouTube, podcasts, and social networking sites such as MySpace, Facefook, etc. to create "candidate-generated" content.
The table below illustrates interactive media adoption by some of the leading candidates.
Official Candidate-Generated Content
Supporter stats by platform for the top candidates are available at the Tech President blog. … and of course it remains to be seen whether the impact of interactive media will actually translate into votes.
According to a New York Times story of May 11, the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) will now consider smoking in films one of the criteria for assigning ratings along with violence, sex and language. Under the new policy, a film will be rated on all tobacco use -- not just use by teenagers, as was the rule in the past. The change in policy is the result of pressure from anti-smoking groups. Many an adult smoker of the past was influenced by the sexy Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart or Paul Henreid and Bette Davis sharing a cigarette in Hollywood's golden age.
As the presidential campaigns heat up, Stanford Professor Lawrence Lessig is calling upon both political parties to eliminate any unnecessary restriction of speech. "Technology has exploded the opportunity for people to comment upon, and spread political speech," Lessig says. "Democracy is all about encouraging citizens to participate in that debate. And all of us, whether Democrats or Republicans, should push to remove unnecessary burdens to that participation." On his blog he posts two letters, one to the RNC and the other to the DNC, requesting, among other things, that no debate get official sanction of these bodies unless contract terms specify that video footage will be put into the public domain, or licensed under a Creative Commons (Attribution) license, so that after the debate the video will be free for anyone. The list of signatories is impressive and bipartisan, including Lessing himself, Jimmy Wales (founder of Wikipedia), political author Arianna Huffington, conservative columnist Michelle Malkin, Kim Gandy (President of NOW), Matt Margolis of GOP Bloggers and Blogs for Bush, Jay Harris of Mother Jones, and Adam Green of MoveOn.org. It will be interesting to see how this affects the ebb and flow in the partisan battles to come.
Double check that parking ticket on your windshield before you send in your check! It may not be yours. According to San Francisco Chronicle columnist David Lazarus (Friday, April 20) the scam is easy. The scammer finds a ticket on his / her windshield, picks it up, walks or drives a few blocks, finds someone potentially in violation, and puts the ticket on their windshield. There's virtually no downside for the scammer, who is betting that the victim will simply accept the ticket and pay it. And if not, the scammer is no worse off, because most municipalities send out a courtesy notice before the original ticket accrues fines. If the scam fails, the scammer can still pay without accruing penalties. The moral of our story? Read first, pay later.
Who is the real force behind much of the evangelical movement? According to the new book The Jesus Machine, by U.S. News & World Report Senior Editor Dan Gilgoff, it's not Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson, or the usual names in the media, but a relatively quiet man: James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family organization. Dobson's group has developed into perhaps the most powerful organization in the so-called Christian Right. Few people outside evangelical circles know his name or have seen his face, yet he influences millions of Americans through his daily radio broadcasts and Focus on the Family. Consequently, Dobson has emerged as powerful force in American politics. Gilgoff ties together the races and issues in which Dobson has had a hand -- the defeat of Tom Dashchle, the Republican sweep in 2004 and the nomination of Roberts and Alito -- to name a few. The book is being critically acclaimed by both the Left and Right. A refreshing look at Dobson and the evangelical influence on America and its politics.
Tuesday at midnight was the deadline for everyone to file their taxes. Why are taxes due on a Tuesday? Well it’s Emancipation Day in the District of Columbia. The Tax Foundation, based in Washington D.C., puts out a report each year entitled What Does America Think About Taxes? (PDF version). The report originated with Gallup, however the Tax Foundation asks similar questions. Among them are: Is the federal income tax you pay too high? How high should taxes be?
In this years Berkshire Hathaway’s letter to shareholders Warren Buffett covers a lot of ground. He make suggestions on what to name your offspring and quotes Churchill and Ben Franklin. Buffett throws in a joke or two but also speaks of the environment and its effect on business as well as his philanthropic endeavors this year. He even gives a great overview, in plain English, of retroactive transactions accounting. You will also get Buffett’s take on executive compensation which he describes as “Ratchet, Ratchet, Bingo”! Read the letter.
The article in January 2007 issue of Fortune magazine is an essay based on the speech delivered by Bill Gates at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose. Bill Gates was presented with the James C. Morgan Humanitarian Award for his philanthropic work. In his inspirational speech, Bill Gates gives an insight on what made him shift his attention and efforts to the philanthropy. Learn how Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation got started, how it’s evolving in Bill Gates own words, and find statistics on how 13,215 billion dollars of the Foundation money have been spent since its inception in 2000 through 2006.
Warren Buffett wants to see the proceeds from all Berkshire shares he owns at death to be used for philanthropic purposes quickly. ... "I've set this schedule because I want the money spent relatively promptly by people I know to be capable, vigorous, and motivated." He says that these managerial attributes sometimes wane when institutions - "particularly those exempt from market forces" - age. Story at CNNMoney.com.
Fortune magazine has created a map which will tell you exactly how many millionaires are in your state total as well as how many per 1000 households. Take a look at this snapshot of the Almanac of American Wealth.
Our very own California governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is no.1 on the Fast Company magazine annul ranking list, Fast 50. Based on thousands of readers’ nominations, the magazine every year compiles a list of top 50 people and companies which correspond to the selection criteria of "leaders who are fueled by courage, integrity, passion, and a commitment to results". Check out the list in the March 2007 issue of Fast Company in the Library’s magazine display area. The article is not yet available online.
Are husbands and marriage going the way of the Pet Rock?
A recent New York Times study (January 16, 2007, read abstract) found, based on 2005 census results, that for the first time in American history there are more women (51 percent) living without husbands than with them. Unlike their forebears, women today have many options. They no longer need to depend on a man for economic support. More women are financially independent, well educated, and under less pressure to marry. Today the title "wife" is not viewed with the same reverence it once was; increasingly, women today are "single", with heads held high.
Stanford users can access the article online via the Factiva database.
In a ruling sure to make cheating spouses nervous, Michigan's second-highest court says that anyone involved in an extramarital affair can be prosecuted for first-degree criminal sexual conduct, a felony punishable by up to life in prison. That is what a literal interpretation of sentencing law would bring to adulterers. Although a life sentence seems unlikely, this Court of Appeals opinion could be construed as a jab at the Republican majority that took over the Michigan Supreme Court, which decreed that judges must enforce statutory language adopted by the Legislature literally, whatever the consequences -- thus taking away a judge's ability to reject literal interpretation of the law if they believe it would lead to an absurd result. A literal interpretation of the law might send some of those same legislators to the Big House .....
There is a new breed of SF bay area philanthropists reports the SF Chronicle. Laura Arrillaga, 36, a Stanford Business school lecturer, has started her own foundation called Silicon Valley Social Ventures. She states that there are many people in their 20's and 30's who have amassed fortunes these days more quickly than a generation ago where it would take a lifetime to acquire such fortunes.
Thomas Carlyle famously pronounced economics the 'dismal science', at least partly because many economists of his day were, in his opinion, fruitlessly trying to measure human happiness. In the wake of research by Nobel laureate and Princeton psychologist Daniel Kahneman, however, many economists now feel that 'hedonimetrists' can achieve a degree of success. "The view that hedonic states cannot be measured because they are private events is widely held but incorrect," according to Kahneman. The article 'Economics Discovers its Feelings' in the Economist goes on to review the work of Robert Frank, Richard Layard and others to illustrate the way the 'dismal science' has been transformed. Feeling happier now?
Fast Company in its December / January issue offers the Social Capitalist Awards for 2007. Quoth the article's author Cheryl Dahle, "We are awaking to the idea that if business inevitably shapes the future, it has a responsibility to choose what that future will be." The fourth annual Awards honor leaders who combine savvy business models with solutions to pressing social needs in a way that challenge normal assumptions about making a profit. This year's winners include ACCION International, which trains banks to be microfinance partners, Aspire Public Schools, which builds and operates public charter schools in underserved neighborhoods, Citizen Schools, which recruits more than 2,000 professionals to provide after-school apprenticeships, Endeavor Global, which helps entrepreneurs in Africa and Latin America build businesses, and the Grameen Foundation, which creates links between large banks, microfinance partners, and impoverished individuals.
Fortune (12/11/06) brings you up to date with the corporate lives of gays and lesbians. 'Queer Inc.' by Marc Gunther surfaces a little-known milestone in corporate America: Last June, for the first time, more than half of Fortune 500 firms offered health benefits for domestic partners. Many workers also get bereavement leave when their same-sex partner dies. Opines Joe Solomonese, President of the Human Rights Campaign: "Corporate America is far ahead of America generally when it comes to the question of equality for GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender] people." Companies are also taking support for gay rights into the political arena; last spring, Microsoft supported legislation to ban discrimination against gays. Said CEO Steve Ballmer, "Diversity in the workplace is such an important issue for our business that it should be included in our legislative agenda." The article notes opposition movements, but it would seem that corporate America is now moving in single direction.
Jackson Library's magazine collection is full of happy surprises. Take the November issue of Ethical Corporation. Included in the issue: a piece on the 2008 Beijing Olympics and how China is responding to increasing scrutiny of its human rights record, what a sustainable global economy would look like, how British Petroleum's U.S. arm may be threatening the goodwill generated by BP's Lord Browne, how Dubai firms are beginning to encounter ethical concerns, highly sceptical views from George Soros on corporate responsibility, and 'BrandWatch', which tracks the latest big brand moves in ethical products (did you know Wal-Mart is helping MTV convert its flagship NYC store into a showcase for green living?)
This latest issue is on the Current Periodicals racks in Jackson Library. Stay tuned to this blog as we uncover other "hidden gems" in our collection.
The Fall issue of Stanford Social Innovation Review includes 'A New Take on Tithing' by Tim Stone, President of the NewTithing Group, and NewTithing Chairman and noted philanthropist / GSB alum Claude Rosenberg. Be prepared for big numbers. The authors note that individual charitable contributions in the U.S. could increase more than $25 billion if affluent households donated as high a proportion to charity as do the middle / lower classes. "If affluent donors gave as much as we think they could afford, based on our conservative donation benchmarks, charitable giving in the U.S. would rise by about $100 billion per year." Warren Buffett's recent $31 billion commitment to the Gates Foundation is noted. The article includes tables on giving, as well as the authors' suggested giving benchmarks.
Also in the same issue are pieces on corporate social responsibility, the German ProFridA program to retrain sex workers, reshaping social entrepreneurship, and an interview with Alan Bersin, California Secretary of Education. To read these, or to subscribe to the SSIR, check out their Website.
Denmark is the happiest country in the world, according to researchers at University of Leicester.
The first 'World Map of Happiness' covers 178 countries, and was based on a battery of statistics and responses of 80,000 people worldwide. The most significant factors were health, the level of poverty, and access to basic education. Six European countries ranked in the top 10. The U.S. came in 23rd.
The study will be published later this year. You may read a brief summary at BusinessWeek Online.
'Catch the Wave of Wealth' is the title of an interview with pioneering futurist Alvin Toffler in the October issue of Associations Now. Author Apryl Motley notes that Alvin and Heidi Tofflers' new book, Revolutionary Wealth: How It Will Be Created and How It Will Change Our Lives, forecasts how wealth will be generated and distributed in the global economy of the future. According to the Tofflers, who serve as advisors to companies and governments, we are entering a 'third wave of wealth', characterized by the importance of knowledge in wealth creation. Toffler opines: "Today's mass pessimism is a function of the historical upheaval through which we are moving. It's a typical reaction ... The assumption that there are fixed amounts of resources is limited conceptually. Knowledge is becoming our most important resource -- the key to all the rest -- and there are no fixed limits to knowledge."
There's no altar call at 'The Church of the Non-Believers' -- cover story of the November Wired magazine. Author Gary Wolf talks about a growing skirmish in the ongoing Culture Wars: The New Atheism.
Voices in science and elsewhere are taking an ever more aggressive stance against religion, including Richard Dawkins of Oxford University, authors Sam Harris (Letter to a Christian Nation) and Warren Allen Smith (Who's Who in Hell), philosopher Daniel Dennett of Tufts University -- and Vegas showmen Penn & Teller. Whatever side you're on, this is an interesting take on a highly flammable current issue.
September's Entrepreneur magazine hits 'The Right Spot' -- name of its twelfth annual survey of 'hot cities' for entrepreneurs, broken down by US region.
The winners? Phoenix, Memphis, San Antonio and Las Vegas, among others. Plus a number of runners-up, including Denver, Indianapolis, Nashville and Rochester. Interspersed in the article are cameos of successful entrepreneurs from around the nation -- such as Brenda McCaffrey, resident of Phoenix and founder of the circuit-testing company White Mountain Labs, a seven-year-old business which projects $3 million in sales this year.
This is the title of the October 23 U.S. News & World Report cover story, which outlines growing challenges posed to traditional religious and philosophical concepts by ever more sophisticated scientific inquiries. Author Jay Tolson notes that "during the past 20 years or so (consciousness) has become the focus of an expanding intellectual industry involving the combined, but not always harmonious, efforts of neuroscientists, cognitive psychologists, artificial intelligence specialists, physicists, and philosophers." The article notes the evolution of speculation on the 'soul' from Plato to William James, and examines how contemporary science is bringing new insights to bear. Tolson concludes that new findings suggest that "if religion can learn something valuable about the unity of body and mind from science, then science might be able to relearn something from religion about the deepest purposes of our minds."
Think laws are made at our U.S. Capitol building? Think again. So argues 'The Shadow Capital', cover story from the October 9 New Republic. Quoth author Thomas Frank, "Visitors to Washington who want to see democracy in action traditionally waste their time at the viewing galleries of the Capitol building, where -- if they are lucky -- they might see one or two legislators mumbling mechanically for the C-SPAN cameras. ... My advice to those visitors: Walk across the street to Charlie Palmer Steak. This is the place for political spectatorship in the age of Abramoff ... " The upscale eatery is housed at 101 Constitution, ground zero for shadow policymakers and political operatives, where "10 stories of lobbyists plot their next thrust on behalf of the life-insurance industry, the mining industry, or the retail hardware industry." Light up your $20 cigar and enjoy this walk through the legislative sausage factory, birthplace of more pork than a Virginia hog farm.
Want a new perspective? New Perspectives Quarterly tracks global trends and civilizational changes at the highest level through articles and interviews. Sample items from recent issues:
• 'Planet of Slums' by Mike Davis
• 'Psychopaths of Faith vs. The Muse of Irreverence' by Wole Soyinka
• 'Will Groundbreaking Movies Move the Middle East?' by Graham E.
Fuller
• 'In the End China will Vote Against Iran at UN' by Chris Patten
• 'Populism and Globalization Don't Mix' by Fernando Henrique Cardoso
• 'George Bush's Suicidal Statecraft' by Zbigniew Brzezinski
• 'The Triangle of Peace' by Shimon Peres
• 'Ratzinger is Right' by Rene Gerard
• 'Ending Poverty in Africa: We are Not There Yet' by Jeffrey Sachs
What makes this magazine fascinating is its stunning roster of contributors, a veritable global Who's Who: Salman Rushdie, Rene Girard, Jimmy Carter, Mikhail Gorbachev, Carlos Fuentes, Madeline Albright, Jeffrey Sachs, Andrew Young, James Watson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Milton Friedman, Hans Blix, Shimon Peres, Daniel Barenboim, Jorge Castenada, Chris Patten ... and the beat goes on. Check it out at Jackson Library.
The October Atlantic reports that for most of the Twentieth Century, the typical American workday grew shorter. But since 1970, a paper points out, this trend has reversed itself. The trend is most acute among highly skilled workers. In The Expanding Workweek? Understanding Trends in Long Work Hours Among U.S. Men, 1979-2004, authors Peter Kuhn and Fernando Lozano argue that this reflects a changing attitude toward compensation.
Newsweek (August 28, 2006) in 'Poking a Stick into the "Hive" Mind' observes that Jaron Lanier -- famed virtual-reality pioneer, New Age composer, and artificial intelligence expert -- has got a bone to chew with Wikipedia. Dismayed at trends of digital collectivism, where preferences of thousands or even millions are aggregated on the Web, Lanier has coined the term 'Digital Maoism' -- also the name of an essay he wrote, widely circulated online. In it, Lanier draws comparisons to negative outcomes in China during Mao's reign, and warns against subsuming one's identity into the electronic mass. Retorts Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales, "Lanier is objecting to the writing style of the Wikipedia being neutral rather than biased," and goes on to contend that imbalances in coverage are just a temporary effect in its development. Likewise, Kevin Kelly, author of Out of Control, responds "The hive mind can't do everything, but it's not stupid and boring. There's no evidence that it subsumes individual expression."
Fast Company highlights in its July / August 2006 issue the 'Rise of the Aerotropolis' -- the emergence of giant airport-cities around the globe. An example is Suvarnabhumi, near Bangkok, intended to have the largest terminal in the world when it opens later this year; by 2036, it is estimated that a city of 3.3 million -- larger than present-day Chicago -- will have surrounded it. The immense new Chek Lap Kok airport that serves Hong Kong, the most expensive ever constructed, contains a luxury mall and the city's largest hotel, plus residences for 45,000 workers nearby. And an even larger complex, the $33 billion Dubai World Central, will open late next year -- the size of O'Hare and Heathrow airports combined. It will eventually include housing for over 100,000, one of the world's largest malls, a Four Seasons golf course, |
