Sunday, July 29, 2007

Ordinary Chinese People Coping With Tumultuous Change

e-glob, Washington (DC) - I watched a great interview with Robert Gifford who wrote "China Road".

»National Public Radio China correspondent Gifford journeyed for six weeks on China's Mother Road, Route 312, from its beginning in Shanghai for nearly 3,000 miles to a tiny town in what used to be known as Turkistan. The route picks up the old Silk Road, which runs through the Gobi Desert to Central Asia to Persia and on to Europe. Along the way, Gifford meets entrepreneurs hoping to cash in on China's growing economy, citizens angry and frustrated with government corruption, older people alarmed at changes in Chinese culture and morality, and young people uncertain and excited about the future. Gifford profiles ordinary Chinese people coping with tumultuous change as development and commerce shrink a vast geography, bringing teeming cities and tiny towns into closer commercial and cultural proximity; the lure of wealth is changing the Chinese character and sense of shared experience, even if it was common poverty. Gifford notes an aggressive sense of competition in the man-eat-man atmosphere of a nation that is likely to be the next global superpower.« Vanessa Bush
more contextually

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Fundamental Divide in the US Democratic Race

Yesterday’s CNN/YouTube debate in Charleston, S.C., was the best of the campaign season, and not least because it offered a preview of a brewing confrontation between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton over the fundamental divide in the Democratic race.

That fault line is Clinton's experience versus Obama's freshness. More Democrats prefer a change-oriented candidate, but the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that Clinton's strength and experience continue to trump what Obama has most to offer…

Other candidates - John Edwards being the most likely - will be trying to elbow their way into the Clinton-Obama conflict… more at washingtonpost.com

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Biopics vs. Movies as Art or Gospel

"Stauffenberg Project" Controversy

e-glob, Washington (DC) - I always think it's interesting when they say that scripts are researched meticulously, especially for so called biopics that are inevitably fiction because they make composites of people to save time in storytelling and do other tricks to make the story flow without being religiously factual.

In the end, movies are art, and they are meant to provoke thought and sometimes take liberties. The danger of course is once you do that in a biopic, Americans take the story as gospel rather than art… Enjoy
reading more at ‘Cruise Projects’

Monday, July 16, 2007

Multicultural Blogs - update

Referring to the introduction, here’s a further update.

NEWS

US Viewers (Live Earth) • Iraq Debate • Former First Lady †

Bravo Forecast (Live Earth) • Montana Sky • Berlin Fashion Week

US Lifetime Channel • Berlin Fashion Week • Stauffenberg Movie

Bastille Day Celebration in Paris • Cruise Projects • Bill Nighy

Bastille Day Celebration on July 14 in Paris & Tokio Hotel

French President Nicolas Sarkozy led, two days ago, a parade of military troops from 27 European Union nations down the Champs-Elysées in Paris; the first time that armed forces from other EU countries participated in a traditional French military parade on the July 14 national holiday. Sarkozy has repeatedly called for creation of common European defense… More at Voice of America.

The German pop-rock band TOKIO HOTEL performed very successfully ‘sous la tour Eiffel’... Enjoy viewing 10
SPIEGEL photos!

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Multicultural Blogs - update

Referring to the introduction, here’s a further update.

NEWS

Independent Voting ▪ US Civil War ▪ Robert E. Lee ▪ Europe Flag

Lagerfeld, Schiffer, and Fergie ▪ Independence Day Fireworks ▪ Hirshhorn Museum

Live Earth Concert ▪ Environmental Impacts ▪ Libby ▪ Lincoln Memorial

Live Earth Concert ▪ E. O. Wilson (Harvard University) ▪ W. Klitschko

Live Earth Concert ▪ New Technology ▪ AI Debate

High Speed Technology ▪ 20th Anniversary of Christian Lacroix

Global Media & Climate Event ▪ Connectivity ▪ Comparison of Two Wars

Live Earth – 7·7·7 – Global Media & Climate Event

- Sydney, Tokyo & Kyoto, Shanghai, Johannesburg, Hamburg, London, New York, Washington -

The Live Earth partner and former US Vice President Al Gore stated: "Live Earth is officially the largest global entertainment event in history."


Organizer Kevin Wall told the global event rallied an unprecedented audience. "The climate crisis is a global problem that requires a global response – and that is just what we've received... Live Earth has established a deep foundation for the ongoing campaign that will continue to move people to help solve the climate crisis”… (
click for more)

Nova Meierhenrich - one of the four Hamburg moderators – blogged at
Burda’s BUNTE.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Wembley 'Diana Concert' in London

The Telegraph (UK) reported at length on this rather historic event, crediting Prince William and Prince Harry as organizers, the many world-famous performers, and parts of the selected celebrities out of the 63,000 cheering and dancing fans packed on July 1 into the Wembley stadium. Her sons delivered what they had most wanted - a night of "energy and fun" to remember the joie de vivre of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Enjoy the slide shows at
SPIEGEL (1-12) and Burda’s BUNTE (1-12).

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Portugal takes over EU Presidency

EuroNews (France) - Portugal is taking over the presidency of the European Union for the second half of this year with three main priorities on its list; the EU Treaty, Brazil and Africa. Lisbon has praised the efficiency of the rotating presidency system, and Portugese Prime Minister Jose Socrates says he wants to consolidate predecessor Germany's hard work, especially on that much disputed new Treaty.

"I think that the most important thing is to start the intergovernmental conference on the proposed treaty as quickly as possible. We will start it on the 23rd of this month and see if we can complete all the negotiation so the leaders can discuss the text at the next summit. And maybe even approve it!" said Socrates. [click for more]