Too Much Information – Week Ending May 6

by | May 6, 2011 | English

What follows is a hyperlinked version of the weekly newsletter of the Information Program of Open Society Foundations. Next week Becky Hogge will take up the newsletter one again. You can continue to follow new editions at her blog. News Turkey’s 138 Forbidden...
The Expansion of Ignorance is Inevitable

The Expansion of Ignorance is Inevitable

by | Jul 2, 2009 | English

In The Omnivore’s Dilema Michael Pollan reminds us that food is an inelastic good, which is to say that, obesity aside, there is a limit to how many calories a person can consume in a single day. Any more and we would explode. Once we all reach that caloric...

Redgrass

by | Apr 30, 2009 | English

Oh my god. I love bluegrass, I love Chinese instruments, and I love cultural globalization. (And, yes, I’m doing my bluegrass dance as I type this.) [via Jeff via Ingrid and John]

Attention and Empathy

by | May 15, 2008 | English

I’m in Houston International Airport, one of my least favorites, waiting for my delayed flight to Las Vegas, probably my least favorite city in the entire world. I left Buenos Aires filled with sweet sadness. There is so much that I’ll miss. Here in...

Atención y Empatía

by | May 15, 2008 | Español

Estoy en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Houston, uno de mis menos favoritos, esperando mi vuelo a Las Vegas, probablemente la ciudad que menos me gusta en todo la planeta. Me fui de Buenos Aires lleno de una dulce tristeza. Hay tanto que echaré de menos....
An Ode to Zheng Shanbing, The Lonely Samaritan

An Ode to Zheng Shanbing, The Lonely Samaritan

by | Oct 15, 2007 | English

For my friends, it’s kinda become a running joke. “Don’t get mugged.” This is how they say goodbye to me now. Truth is, I’ve only been mugged twice in my life (not counting the incident with the Russian prostitutes in Athens –...

The End of Men?

by | Oct 9, 2007 | English

There is an inconsistency in my thinking. On the one hand, I agree with the truism that education (especially higher education) is the fastest road to both development and peace. And yet, I would also agree with anyone who says that formal institutions of education...
Que Pongan en Libertad a Hao Wu

Que Pongan en Libertad a Hao Wu

by | Mar 20, 2006 | Español

Hace un mes mi colega, Hao Wu fue detenido en China. ¡Pedimos al gobierno de China que pongan en libertad a Hao Wu inmediatamente! ¿Que pasó a Hao? Hao Wu (nombre chino: 吴皓), un director de documentales chino que vivió en los Estados Unidos entre 1992 y 2004, fue...

A Gustito Con La Vida

by | Mar 13, 2005 | English, Globalization, Politics

It’s Sunday morning … and true to the name, the sunlight, roughly eight minutes after leaving its home, is blasting furiously outside. So is the wind. And my honey and I are taking refuge from both in the cool shade of our upstairs bedroom. What are we...