December 2009
38 posts
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November 2009
35 posts
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A Great Meal and the Best Bathroom in India
Security guards surround the perimeter. Metal detectors and x-ray machines block the entrance, while trained dogs sit obediently at their master’s feet. Was I entering an airport? Nope; a hotel. But not just any hotel, it is Mumbai’s finest one — The Taj Palace, which was one of the targets during the 11/26 attacks on the city.
Upon entering the lobby, I believe I can say with confidence, that...
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Introducing the Ashoka Tech Podcast
As many of you know, I’ve been working at Ashoka this semester starting, hosting, and producing a brand new podcast for them on the intersection of technology and social entrepreneurship. I’m happy to say that it has officially gone live, and is now listed in the iTunes store! You can subscribe to the podcast in which I interview social entrepreneurs about how they are changing the...
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Two Contrasting Views on Technology and...
Note: This blog post originally came as an assignment for my course on networked technology and society. It is a response to reading two brilliant books on the current state, and future of the internet. The first, “Wealth of Networks” by Jochai Benkler (available for free on his website), proffers an optimistic view of the potential of the web. The second. “Who Controls the...
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Humanizing Economic Theory
Georgetown Professor Patrick Deneen had a brilliant op-ed today entitled “Humanizing Economic Theory.” In it, he recounts the the discipline’s rise to the forefront of the social sciences, but then argues that it relies upon “…a false anthropology — one in which humans are defined above all by their fears and appetites — undergirds a system that encourages...
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Ode to Berlin
Since Berlin has been in the news quite a bit this week, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I thought I would take you on a quick trip to the Berlin I know and love.
Recently renovated Potsdamer Platz at night — formerly what was “no-man’s land” during the Cold War
I’ve made it no secret that Berlin is my favorite city in the world — the...
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Mr. Yogato Scavenger Hunt
This weekend friends and I took part in a scavenger hunt leaving from Mr. Yogato and organized by the non-profit A Plate for All. Of course it included random trivia, but the crux of the scavenger hunt was to make you do ridiculous things and interact with strangers, all of which led to some great stories, and even greater photos. Some photo highlights of the craziness:
Having a “square...
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Inside the Indian Rat Temple
About thirty kilometers south of Bikaner lies, hands down, the most bizarre place I’ve ever visited. The Karni Mata Temple is a beautiful marble temple, but upon arriving and removing one’s shoes, the carving on the doors make it clear that this is no ordinary Hindu temple. The depictions of rodents foreshadow what is about to become apparent within a couple of steps: running around throughout...
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Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic,...
Last week I had the chance to see the President of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Klaus speak at Georgetown. Despite the fact that we agree on virtually nothing — he is a “Euroskeptic,” and only begrudgingly signed the Lisbon Treaty, and he doesn’t believe in climate change — he was a fascinating speaker. While lacking the charisma that we take for granted in many heads...
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Half a Brecht in Berlin
Brecht is hard to understand when translated to English. It’s even harder in German. It’s a lot harder when it’s performed for you so that you can’t read the text. It’s harder still when you completely miss the first act, are jet-lagged, hungry, and tired. But I somehow made it through my first German play – Brecht’s Mutter Courage – and lived to tell about it.
One of the Professors in the...
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DC in a Nutshell
Travel and Leisure Magazine put out their rankings of “American’s Favorite Cities” today, and, of course, included Washington, DC. Based on DC’s ranking (out of 30) on attractiveness (#27), Friendliness (#28), Romance (#29), and Wildness (#30), but with a cultural ranking of #1, one can only conclude that we are ugly, rude, boring, and dull…but we have siiiiiick...
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Fall Colors in DC
A couple of photos around Georgetown yesterday, showing the colors of Autumn.
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Travel and New Media (and why Old Media doesn't...
I’m a fan of Rick Steves, and when he came to speak at Georgetown University last year I attended his talk and came away impressed with his nuanced view of travel, geopolitics and economics. Unfortunately in his recent blog post Travel Writer as Curator he showed an amazing lack of understanding of the role of new media today. In it he details his discussions with the editor of the San...
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