miercuri, 15 iulie 2009
marți, 14 iulie 2009
miercuri, 8 iulie 2009
Day 6 in Aspen... Final Day of the Festival
Just one session attended today... The rest of the time spent in discussions with the rest of the scholars, how we can change the world, maintain the contact with each other and learn....
The session was Postcards from Tomorrow Square with James Fallows. A lot of common sense opinions (common sense seems to be the common denominator of the Festival) on China. Cool quote: The herds of pandas have a geometrical progression of cuteness...Cute...
The closing remarks of the Festival by Fellows of the Institute. Conclusion: We need to change and to ACT!
PS: Got home (with all my luggage) after a lot of hours in flight, delays and mix-ups by (Guess who?) British Airways. Missed meetings with friends in London and meetings at work in Bucharest. That at least explains the delays in posting the final ramblings on the Festival....
The session was Postcards from Tomorrow Square with James Fallows. A lot of common sense opinions (common sense seems to be the common denominator of the Festival) on China. Cool quote: The herds of pandas have a geometrical progression of cuteness...Cute...
The closing remarks of the Festival by Fellows of the Institute. Conclusion: We need to change and to ACT!
Thank you everybody! It was a privilege! Hope I'll be worthy of the trust!
PS: Got home (with all my luggage) after a lot of hours in flight, delays and mix-ups by (Guess who?) British Airways. Missed meetings with friends in London and meetings at work in Bucharest. That at least explains the delays in posting the final ramblings on the Festival....
Day 5 in Aspen.... 4th of July
Day 5 started good and got better. 4th of July, my luggage just got here, no rain.... a perfect day in every way.
The first discussion for the day was a lecture on Superclass (The Global Power Elite), based on the book with the same name by David Rothkopf. Brilliant in writing, Rothkopf (check his view on the festival @ Foreign Policy), is somewhat "all over the place" in person. Maybe due to the limited duration of the talks... Who knows?
Next lecture: GREENSPAN!!!!!!!!!!! A discussion on the crisis and how it should have been averted. Few ideas: banks incorporation is bad, securitization is good, immigrants are good for the housing market (they absorb the extra houses), data used in econometrics models is bad, because it only covers the past 20 yrs (NB: really? Who focuses on just the past 20 yrs apart from Ex-communist countries, which totally makes sense?), there is a need for a regulation system that "does not require one to forecast"....See the whole thing here. It is sometimes difficult to agree to the ideas of the "rock star of economics" (considering there were several 16 year old following him around for autographs), but the entire discussion was immensely interesting. However, sometimes, during the entire explanation on Markowitz, all I could think about is how on Earth did Greenspan manage to marry Andrea Mitchell (her understatement on the first day: I do know something about odd couples...)? I know, I'm superficial :)
After that, the contre-emploi du jour was a lecture on "Weathering the Storm: How
will the Arts Make it Through the Economic Crisis?" with Deborah Borda, Leonard Lauder (from the Estee...), Laveen Naidu and Damian Woetzel. Wonderful the passion for music, dance and museums. Some great ideas about how to get more people to join the club: the use of classical music for community improvement, the ballet classes for kids from economically challenged families, not ignoring other races when discussing classical music and ballet (Naidu's statement: you only see white people on the stage), using new technologies as a support for everything from ticketing to recordings (Borda: Who does record everything that you buy? The Bratislava philharmonic...)... Wonder where Romania is on the map...Well, at least, we have this...
Considering the entire festival is online (with movies and/or audio recordings of everything), I decided to go see the 4th of July parade in Aspen... Unbelievable.... American patriotism and capitalism (everybody is selling something at the parade) at their best...
After the parade, a lecture on the brain with Harold Koplewicz, Patricia Kuhl,Andrew Meltzoff. Cool things: kids have personalities since birth, men have more gray matter than women (we really are different species ...), learning a second language is easier by the time you are 14 than after...
The plenary of the day is Salam Fayyad, the Prime Minister of Palestine... That region needs more people like him, with such a common sense, clear view of the future and the need for peace. Quote: We are building a state under occupation... Inspiring...
The day ends with fireworks on the mountain... Gorgeous, couldn't decide whether to make photos or just enjoy... The latter won... Later on, the Spazmatics at the BellyUp.... The night got better and better: getting IDed (totally flattering :D) and dancing with a ballet legend (Thanks for the spin on the dancefloor, Laveen!) made the 4th of July celebration just perfect!
sâmbătă, 4 iulie 2009
Day 4 in Aspen... Second day of Ideas....
WOW! Overwhelming day at the AI... Early in the morning, the walk to the Institute is a solitary experience in silence. Wonderful silence, broken from time to time by one or two cars or participants to the AI, with their red bags and pomegranate juice bottles. I finally get to meet the fellow scholars for the second session, among them: Robert (wonder what's it like to raise 25 million $ in one night), Val, Lana (such an inspiration...the optimism in the woman that has to see war and hate everyday, and struggles to bring normalcy in a region that has not had it for so long is a powerful lesson), Abby, Satoshi (or a Japanese in the Middle East), Jenni and some many others, each with its own quest to change things, to make it better for one and all... both inspiring and humbling... Also humbling, a first session scholar, Don "Ask me about Lucy" Johanson. Never thought paleoanthropologhy will be such an interesting subject for me...
After the too brief discussion masterfully moderated by Peter Reiling, the day starts with a bang, or to be more precise, with a Hennessy. The Stanford President John Hennessy. The passion for his job, for his university, for education, for innovation should be inherent in all Universities Presidents. During the speech, I kept on wondering how such an academic can make a difference, be a role model for his students, be down-to-earth about his objectives, inspire and drive, have a vision. A real leader in the academia. We need more people like him in the Romanian education system, and not just because we mentioned as a possible way to drive forward the system the doubling of the math and science teachers in schools :). He talked about the need for a change in teaching techniques, more internships, mentors and role models for youngsters, collaboration between various areas of research, more women in physics and engineering, the fact that "not everybody belongs in a 4year school or a research university" (so true in Romania as well, and we have to acknowledge it at some point). Quote for the day: "Universities are hard enough to change, government is harder"...
The Stanford discussion is followed by a great talk healthcare with one of the Emanuel brothers (not Rahm :D) and Gerard Kleisterlee. The need for more human touch in a healthcare system where people are just the disease from which they suffer.
Tim o'Reilly's presentation on Government as a platform is all I thought a technology presentation should be like. Practical, with examples and normal lingo, understandable in all its implications. Main idea: the gov't should not be a "vending machine"... I am so twitter following him from now on!
Next, a discussion on Microtrends with Mark Penn. Some of the conclusions: AI participants do not search the net before buying a vacuum cleaner (I'm not sure some of them know what a vacuum cleaner is...), should get more tattoos (in order to fit in with the American public), listen to classical music and read (OMG, they read??!?!?! :P ).... Apart from the fun in it, the presentation focused on the ever increasing gap between elites and "normal people" and how that may affect leadership and initiatives... Wonder if that is true in Romania as well? Considering illiteracy rates, I think it is.
Serendipity caused a change in the planned schedule, so, instead of going to the "change in the global financial system" (I know, the horror, me not in a finance panel), I went to a small panel and met a legend: John Seeley Brown and an inspiration: John Hagel. Topic: Shaping Serendipity, that is increasing the chances of luck encounters through environment manipulation, practices and preparedness. Speechless. Everything I thought, expected, hoped and dreamed the AI Festival is and should be.
Next in the plan of the day: Book signing, with Madame Secretary Albright (as usual, an inspiration), Don Johanson (wonderful)... Pictures coming soon...
The presentation of the afternoon is a actually a conversation with another legend: Frank Ghery. The word is artist, with all its meanings and implications.
Evening Exchange. The Room to Read founder, John Wood, is a walking talking textbook example of a wonderful salesman. Another OMG moment of the day: Katie Couric is in the audience.
The day ended like it began, with a wonderful discussion over burgers (never thought an avocado, bacon and Cheddar cheese burger would be so good, tlak about prejudices) with friends and scholars on similarities, differences, changing the world and ourselves.
Today: The 4th of July!!!! Looks good so far...
After the too brief discussion masterfully moderated by Peter Reiling, the day starts with a bang, or to be more precise, with a Hennessy. The Stanford President John Hennessy. The passion for his job, for his university, for education, for innovation should be inherent in all Universities Presidents. During the speech, I kept on wondering how such an academic can make a difference, be a role model for his students, be down-to-earth about his objectives, inspire and drive, have a vision. A real leader in the academia. We need more people like him in the Romanian education system, and not just because we mentioned as a possible way to drive forward the system the doubling of the math and science teachers in schools :). He talked about the need for a change in teaching techniques, more internships, mentors and role models for youngsters, collaboration between various areas of research, more women in physics and engineering, the fact that "not everybody belongs in a 4year school or a research university" (so true in Romania as well, and we have to acknowledge it at some point). Quote for the day: "Universities are hard enough to change, government is harder"...
The Stanford discussion is followed by a great talk healthcare with one of the Emanuel brothers (not Rahm :D) and Gerard Kleisterlee. The need for more human touch in a healthcare system where people are just the disease from which they suffer.
Tim o'Reilly's presentation on Government as a platform is all I thought a technology presentation should be like. Practical, with examples and normal lingo, understandable in all its implications. Main idea: the gov't should not be a "vending machine"... I am so twitter following him from now on!
Next, a discussion on Microtrends with Mark Penn. Some of the conclusions: AI participants do not search the net before buying a vacuum cleaner (I'm not sure some of them know what a vacuum cleaner is...), should get more tattoos (in order to fit in with the American public), listen to classical music and read (OMG, they read??!?!?! :P ).... Apart from the fun in it, the presentation focused on the ever increasing gap between elites and "normal people" and how that may affect leadership and initiatives... Wonder if that is true in Romania as well? Considering illiteracy rates, I think it is.
Serendipity caused a change in the planned schedule, so, instead of going to the "change in the global financial system" (I know, the horror, me not in a finance panel), I went to a small panel and met a legend: John Seeley Brown and an inspiration: John Hagel. Topic: Shaping Serendipity, that is increasing the chances of luck encounters through environment manipulation, practices and preparedness. Speechless. Everything I thought, expected, hoped and dreamed the AI Festival is and should be.
Next in the plan of the day: Book signing, with Madame Secretary Albright (as usual, an inspiration), Don Johanson (wonderful)... Pictures coming soon...
The presentation of the afternoon is a actually a conversation with another legend: Frank Ghery. The word is artist, with all its meanings and implications.
Evening Exchange. The Room to Read founder, John Wood, is a walking talking textbook example of a wonderful salesman. Another OMG moment of the day: Katie Couric is in the audience.
The day ended like it began, with a wonderful discussion over burgers (never thought an avocado, bacon and Cheddar cheese burger would be so good, tlak about prejudices) with friends and scholars on similarities, differences, changing the world and ourselves.
Today: The 4th of July!!!! Looks good so far...
vineri, 3 iulie 2009
Day 3 in Aspen.... Day 1 of real issues....
The first real day of Festival started early in the morning with a brisk walk to the Limelight Lodge. At half past 7 in the morning; the usual hour of traffic jam in Bucharest is in Aspen quiet and peaceful, hardly any cars or people.
The topic of the first discussion, with Kurt Andersen nonetheless, is the way the crisis alters national values, evidently in reference to the American way. Main ideas: there is too much supersizing in the dreams of wishes of the American, therefore leading to an unrealistic and exuberant approach to life. Too much Carpe Diem hurts. I cannot say that I totally agree with him. To me, dreams are supposed to be grand and unrealistic, that's why they are dreams. We must strive to make them happen, obviously with the grain of salt of reality checking in from time to time. The stark reality that Andersen proposes to the "American grasshoppers" comes unnatural to a non-American, especially one coming from a post-Communist, post-transitional, current in recession country. The bleak reality of savings, limiting to your own possibilities, not being able to wish for anything, the stifling of dreams is too much of a recent history to me to agree to Andersen that this is the way to go.
Second discussion: a plenary session on counterinsurgency with Mike McConnell, Michael Chertoff, Jack Keane and Jane Harman. A few ideas of the most interesting discussion: weak states are more dangerous to the world than strong states, there are groups that have currently the same capacity for destruction as states did, therefore the wars cannot be led primarily between states, the need for cooperation between various agencies and, the need for intelligence, in spite of the fact that "America hates spies". Btw, a brief figure on the table: the intelligence "industry" is costing, according to Mike McConnell, close to 40 billion $ per year and employs close to 100.000 people....
Moving on into the third discussion for the day: Consequences of the Bailout with Felix Rohatyn, Ranji Nagaswami, Raghuram Rajan and Roger Ferguson. A dry discussion, at least for me. However, lots of the non-financial specialists in the audience, therefore, the relatively "talk show" -ish discussion had an impact. I should try more topics that are at an angle with my specialization.
Lunch time. Finally I get to meet some of the people behind the scenes at the festival. It is hard to even begin to imagine the effort put a like event. So, congrats for a job wonderfully done!
After lunch, an Afternoon of Conversion starts in the Music Tent with a discussion with the Israeli Ambassador to the US, Michael Oren. Quote:"Israel has all the means to protect itself", take of that what you may. Next guy on the list: Stephen Breyer. A powerful recollection of some important cases, including the case connected to Little Rock Nine, with its disturbing images of change by force, if necessary. I absolutely loved the speech of Biologist Eric Lander on the timeline of the human genome: the passion, the ability to put huge issues into normal, easy, basic words, the realistic approach to the entire project, while maintaining an optimistic view of things. We need teachers like that, still enthusiastic about their work, and able to see their own wrong ways. Inspiring, and probably, weirdly, the highlight of the day for me, considering the next discussion was moderated by Andrea Mitchell (whose husband was in the room... OMG....) and brought to attention a project involving Madeleine Albright and Hernando de Soto. The focus on property as a panacea by two more than highly intelligent and knowledgeable people is laudable. Disappointment: unilateral view of the issue and a lack of a clear practical solution for acknowledging property: what do you use as criteria to acknowledge property? on what grounds? why do people refuse to have a "proper" identity (ID card, address, ownership). Inspiring, but leaving too many questions open....perhaps it was meant to be like that...
Poet Elizabeth Alexander on Obama and Michael Jackson. Highlight of the discussion: the inaugural poem.
The last talk of the day on America and the world with Madeleine Albright and James Baker. Listening to a Republican like baker acknowledging that Obama did the right thing was mind opening about a type of politics where you can respect and admire your adversaries and strive with them for a better future for the country, not just personal praise and gain. I am not too bitter, am I?
Different approach to the discussions: Damian Woetzel and his success into turning the entire audience in the Music Tent into ballet dancers. A graceful interlude....
The Scholars reception was moved inside, due to rain... Humbling... I need to do more, try more, succeed more....
That pretty much concluded the first "real" day in Aspen. Inspiring in some many ways, and sometimes, just by being in the same room with these people that are shaping the world is changing things...
Looking forward for tomorrow.
On another note: British Airways continues to disappoint....
The topic of the first discussion, with Kurt Andersen nonetheless, is the way the crisis alters national values, evidently in reference to the American way. Main ideas: there is too much supersizing in the dreams of wishes of the American, therefore leading to an unrealistic and exuberant approach to life. Too much Carpe Diem hurts. I cannot say that I totally agree with him. To me, dreams are supposed to be grand and unrealistic, that's why they are dreams. We must strive to make them happen, obviously with the grain of salt of reality checking in from time to time. The stark reality that Andersen proposes to the "American grasshoppers" comes unnatural to a non-American, especially one coming from a post-Communist, post-transitional, current in recession country. The bleak reality of savings, limiting to your own possibilities, not being able to wish for anything, the stifling of dreams is too much of a recent history to me to agree to Andersen that this is the way to go.
Second discussion: a plenary session on counterinsurgency with Mike McConnell, Michael Chertoff, Jack Keane and Jane Harman. A few ideas of the most interesting discussion: weak states are more dangerous to the world than strong states, there are groups that have currently the same capacity for destruction as states did, therefore the wars cannot be led primarily between states, the need for cooperation between various agencies and, the need for intelligence, in spite of the fact that "America hates spies". Btw, a brief figure on the table: the intelligence "industry" is costing, according to Mike McConnell, close to 40 billion $ per year and employs close to 100.000 people....
Moving on into the third discussion for the day: Consequences of the Bailout with Felix Rohatyn, Ranji Nagaswami, Raghuram Rajan and Roger Ferguson. A dry discussion, at least for me. However, lots of the non-financial specialists in the audience, therefore, the relatively "talk show" -ish discussion had an impact. I should try more topics that are at an angle with my specialization.
Lunch time. Finally I get to meet some of the people behind the scenes at the festival. It is hard to even begin to imagine the effort put a like event. So, congrats for a job wonderfully done!
After lunch, an Afternoon of Conversion starts in the Music Tent with a discussion with the Israeli Ambassador to the US, Michael Oren. Quote:"Israel has all the means to protect itself", take of that what you may. Next guy on the list: Stephen Breyer. A powerful recollection of some important cases, including the case connected to Little Rock Nine, with its disturbing images of change by force, if necessary. I absolutely loved the speech of Biologist Eric Lander on the timeline of the human genome: the passion, the ability to put huge issues into normal, easy, basic words, the realistic approach to the entire project, while maintaining an optimistic view of things. We need teachers like that, still enthusiastic about their work, and able to see their own wrong ways. Inspiring, and probably, weirdly, the highlight of the day for me, considering the next discussion was moderated by Andrea Mitchell (whose husband was in the room... OMG....) and brought to attention a project involving Madeleine Albright and Hernando de Soto. The focus on property as a panacea by two more than highly intelligent and knowledgeable people is laudable. Disappointment: unilateral view of the issue and a lack of a clear practical solution for acknowledging property: what do you use as criteria to acknowledge property? on what grounds? why do people refuse to have a "proper" identity (ID card, address, ownership). Inspiring, but leaving too many questions open....perhaps it was meant to be like that...
Poet Elizabeth Alexander on Obama and Michael Jackson. Highlight of the discussion: the inaugural poem.
The last talk of the day on America and the world with Madeleine Albright and James Baker. Listening to a Republican like baker acknowledging that Obama did the right thing was mind opening about a type of politics where you can respect and admire your adversaries and strive with them for a better future for the country, not just personal praise and gain. I am not too bitter, am I?
Different approach to the discussions: Damian Woetzel and his success into turning the entire audience in the Music Tent into ballet dancers. A graceful interlude....
The Scholars reception was moved inside, due to rain... Humbling... I need to do more, try more, succeed more....
That pretty much concluded the first "real" day in Aspen. Inspiring in some many ways, and sometimes, just by being in the same room with these people that are shaping the world is changing things...
Looking forward for tomorrow.
On another note: British Airways continues to disappoint....
miercuri, 1 iulie 2009
Day 2 in Aspen.... Getting acquainted....
Aspen Day 2. Strangely, very little jet lagged.
First thing in the morning, breakfast. Open bar at the inn. Brief question: don't people interact at all at breakfast? I mean, saying hello is just normal, or is it?
Afterward went shopping, more out of necessity than shopaholism...Several really cute places, however, Aspen is definitely not a place to buy day to day things. That is, unless you consider Gucci, Brioni or Prada day to day. Romanian shopping assistants have a lot to learn about assisting the customer.
There is a certain feeling of unreal about the town. To me it seems almost too good to be true, like a movie set of small town America. However, it is completely idyllic.
Aspen Institute for registration and lunch. Met some wonderful people, really helpful and supportive. The amount of intelligence, creativity, business knowledge is shocking. Looking forward to meeting the rest of the Second Session Scholars (3S ?) tomorrow. It will be a humbling experience, considering that apparently I am one of the youngest scholars... Also looking forward to tomorrow's session with Ms. Albright...
Anyways, for official photos of the AIF, go to their website here.
For a view of Aspen through my eyes, check out my Flickr account.
In other news, incompetence seems to be the Word du jour for British Airways. And a certain movie star, married to a certain Antonio from Spain, literally bumped into me in one of the Aspen shops. Does this mean I got really close to Banderas? ;)
Tomorrow's post: Day 3 in Aspen.... Day 1 of real issues....
First thing in the morning, breakfast. Open bar at the inn. Brief question: don't people interact at all at breakfast? I mean, saying hello is just normal, or is it?
Afterward went shopping, more out of necessity than shopaholism...Several really cute places, however, Aspen is definitely not a place to buy day to day things. That is, unless you consider Gucci, Brioni or Prada day to day. Romanian shopping assistants have a lot to learn about assisting the customer.
There is a certain feeling of unreal about the town. To me it seems almost too good to be true, like a movie set of small town America. However, it is completely idyllic.
Aspen Institute for registration and lunch. Met some wonderful people, really helpful and supportive. The amount of intelligence, creativity, business knowledge is shocking. Looking forward to meeting the rest of the Second Session Scholars (3S ?) tomorrow. It will be a humbling experience, considering that apparently I am one of the youngest scholars... Also looking forward to tomorrow's session with Ms. Albright...
Anyways, for official photos of the AIF, go to their website here.
For a view of Aspen through my eyes, check out my Flickr account.
In other news, incompetence seems to be the Word du jour for British Airways. And a certain movie star, married to a certain Antonio from Spain, literally bumped into me in one of the Aspen shops. Does this mean I got really close to Banderas? ;)
Tomorrow's post: Day 3 in Aspen.... Day 1 of real issues....
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