Multicultural Blogs – periodic roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

EU Lisbon Treaty in force as of December 1, 2009

Obama’s allocation of more troops to Afghanistan [VIDEO]

Globale Vernetzung – Umgangspraxis mit ’Social Media' by Frank Kalder

HuffPost’s U.S. Health Care Reform Sifting by Arianna Huffington + comment

Evolutionärer Humanismus in Abgrenzung zu Religionen by Bernd Ehlert

Evolutionary Humanism and the Copenhagen Climate Summit (B, Ehlert essay)

Obama urged unity at Copenhagen climate summit
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Obama urged unity at Copenhagen climate summit

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Barack Obama urged nations to accept a less-than-perfect climate agreement in the final hours of the summit in Copenhagen today. A new draft agreement called the "Copenhagen Accord" drops a previous deadline extension… Read more at Haplif & Haplifnet (Deutsche Welle)
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Multicultural Blogs – periodic roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

The World's Best Universities [PHOTOS & POLL]

APEC leaders committed to concluding the DOHA ROUND

Barack Obama in China - Shanghai & Beijing

U.S. & China prospected emission-reduction goals

European Executive Education at ESMT, Berlin [USW Network]

La France magnifique et sa belle langue ▪ Dialogue with Enni Sander, Toulouse

Update, Dec 6

INTERNATIONAL TOPICS - Multicultural Roundup ▪ Vanguard Issues ▪ Images & Shows
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Can Barack Obama's turnaround save Copenhagen?

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AMERICA AND THE CLIMATE SUMMIT

US President Barack Obama had been wary of attending the global climate change summit in Copenhagen next month. Many hope his decision to attend will increase the meeting's chances for success. But doubts remain about his commitment... Read more by Gregor Peter Schmitz in Washington, Spiegel
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Multicultural Blogs – periodic roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

Learning for Leading [ESMT, Berlin] & USW Network [Gracht castle campus]

Memories of Kyrgyzstan by a German repatriate

EU Summit in Brussels: Climate is a weighty burden

Triumph of Freedom – New Partnership in Europe [Horst Koehler’s Berlin speech]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s historic address to US Congress

Update, Nov 8

INTERNATIONAL TOPICS - Multicultural Roundup ▪ Vanguard Issues ▪ Images & Shows

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NATO Defense Ministers Meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia

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Strategy Review -- Substantial U.S. troop increase in Afghanistan

NATO defense ministers meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, endorsed the strategy put forward by Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the U.S. and allied commander. The alliance rejected competing proposals to narrow the military mission to fighting the remnants of Al Qaeda.

They did not discuss specific troop levels, but U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said a number of allies indicated they were thinking about increasing their own military or civilian contributions."

The only way to ensure that Afghanistan does not become once again a safe haven for terrorism is if it is made strong enough to resist the insurgency as well”, said Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the NATO secretary-general. "In Afghanistan, you cannot separate counter-terrorism from counterinsurgency"... Los Angles Times
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Multicultural Blogs – periodic roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

Research on ARTIFICAL BRAIN & SINGULARITY

Obama’s envisaged global climate pact hindered [UN, US Senate]

Global Navigation Agreement at G20 Summit in Pittsburgh

Arianna Huffington’s new book on the US system’s failures

EU - Wüstenstrom und Klimaschutzverbesserung ▪ Desertec-Projekt

Global Investments into Solar Energy ▪ Solar Millennium, Siemens, DESERTEC-EUMENA
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Angela Merkel’s second victory in German elections

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BERLIN -- Chancellor Angela Merkel claimed victory in national elections today, with projections by public television stations putting her conservative party on a path to form a new center-right government and achieve her goal of ending the country’s “grand coalition” with the Social Democrats.

If the slim lead for her conservative Christian Democrats and the pro-business Free Democrats holds after all the ballots are tallied, Mrs. Merkel will finally have the chance to enact the kind of liberalizing economic reforms she proposed when she first ran for chancellor four years ago. But the celebration will be muted by the knowledge that rising budget deficits as a result of the economic crisis have dramatically limited the kind of tax cuts the new coalition will be able to enact... Read more by Nicholas Kulish, New York Times
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Multicultural Blogs – periodic roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

Barack Obama has urged students to accept responsibility

Barack Obama’s Healthcare Plan & Medicare Spending

Biz Stone - New Terms of Service for Twitter

Barack Obama’s Rhetoric vs. Wall Street Reality

One EU voice on financial reform ahead of G20 summit

Russia scrapped missile deployment plans in Eastern Europe
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Shelved missile defense plan -- shattered confidence in Europe

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President Obama's decision to shelve the Bush administration's missile defense plans has created a crisis of confidence in Washington's relations with Central and Eastern Europe. The defense architecture the administration proposes may make more strategic sense in addressing the immediate Iranian threat. Nevertheless, it runs the risk of shattering the morale and standing of transatlantic leaders in the region who now feel politically undermined and exposed. The roots of this crisis lie less in missile defense than in policy failures over the past decade. Understanding and rectifying those errors is key to getting back on track with our allies.

Our first mistake was being overly optimistic about what would happen when these countries joined NATO and the European Union. We basically checked the box "mission accomplished." We assumed that Russia would finally accept that Central and Eastern Europe were gone from its sphere of influence and stop trying to interfere in their regional politics. But geopolitical competition didn't stop. Moscow simply tried to pressure and interfere in new ways, using energy and other weapons. It seeks to marginalize these countries in NATO and the European Union by going above their heads. It still wants to create a zone of special Russian interest, influence and lesser security… Read more by Ronald D. Asmus, Washington Post

Supplementary (later today):

Russia scrapped missile deployment plans in Eastern Europe

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Multicultural Blogs – periodic roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

Results and Prospects of State Elections in Germany

Montessorian and Ecological Concepts ▪ Angie Cordeiro [HuffPost Blogging]

The US bailout -- and the consolidation isn’t yet over ▪ Arianna Huffington

Top Bankers' Bonuses to be curbed ▪ EU (Brussels) preparing for G20 (Pittsburgh)

US Economy facing long-term economic growth (Prof. Joseph Stiglitz)
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US Healthcare and Education Issues at HuffPost

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So We Can't Have Single Payer for Health Care, But How About Single Payer for Education? By Arianna Huffington

Health care is rightly dominating the national debate, but with children all across the country heading back to school, education, currently seated in the back row of the national classroom, is raising its hand and asking to be called on.

On Tuesday (Sep 8), President Obama will be giving a nationally televised speech on education to America's students, broadcast on C-SPAN and the White House website. On the same day, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is sponsoring a major conference in Los Angeles that will serve as the kick off of Get Schooled, a far-reaching initiative geared to developing solutions to the problems facing America's education system. (I'll be one of the speakers)… Read more

Addendum, Sep 7: Obama Back To School Speech: FULL TEXT
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Multicultural Blogs – periodic roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

Arianna’s Interactive Technology Progress at Huffington Post

Becoming globally successful on Twitter requires personal efforts

Barack Obama’s Leadership Style & Healthcare Reform [HuffPost]

Potential of global Twitter usage till 2013

Ted Kennedy’s enduring image: “a man on a boat"´[Barack Obama’s eulogy]
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Jewish Settlements & Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned Iran that it could face energy sanctions if it doesn’t halt its nuclear program and pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to curb Jewish settlements in the West Bank.

Merkel, speaking at a joint news conference with Netanyahu in Berlin yesterday, said the world is heading toward a September deadline for Iran to cooperate with demands to stop enriching uranium. Netanyahu called for the threat of “crippling sanctions” and Merkel said “we reject” a nuclear-armed Iran.

The U.S., France, the U.K. and Germany have been pressing Iran to drop its uranium enrichment program in return for help in developing civil nuclear power. Together with China and Russia, which both hold vetoes at the United Nations Security Council, they have voted through three rounds of sanctions in an attempt to penalize Iran for breaking its commitments under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty… Read more (Gwen Ackermann and Tony Czuczka, Bloomberg)
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Multicultural Blogs – weekly roundup

International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

International Media Compilations & Global Roundups

Elite Foundation “Schloss Neubeuern” – Unique German Boarding School (Internat)

German Elite Boarding School “Schloss Salem" (Internat)

The future of interactive technology - Microsoft sponsored series ▪ TED at USC

Russia’s New Czars – German TV Documentary by Gero von Boehm

Control of Kazakhstan Metal & Mining Empire

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Shifting sentiment over commodities and demand for base metals — in particular from China and Russia — has led to a volatile share price, just like any other blue chip London-listed miner. This volatility is made worse by the small float — only 20 per cent of its stock is in the market. The three founders, metal billionaires Patokh Chodiev, Alijan Ibragimov and Alexander Machkevich, control just over 40 per cent, having built the company during a wave of privatisations in the mid-1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The trio — former metal traders — are the subject of a long-running tax investigation by Belgian authorities, though they deny any wrongdoing.

ENRC’s fellow Kazakhstan miner, Kazakhmys, owns 26 per cent while the Kazakhstan Government holds 12 per cent. The company supplies 14 per cent of the country’s electricity and its ferrochrome and iron ore mines contribute 4 per cent to GDP… Read more (timesonline)

Patokh Chodiev: With partners and longtime friends Alijan Ibragimov and Alexander Machkevich (both also billionaires) built a metals and mining empire in Kazakhstan; stock of London-listed Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation down 54% over the past year. In July the trio's investment company, International Mineral Resources, took a 49% stake of Chinese carbon and stainless steel producer Jiuquan Iron & Steel. The Uzbekistan native lived in Japan before teaming up with his pals in Kazakhstan. (forbes.com)
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Multicultural Blogs – weekly roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

Arianna Huffington on Chirac’s “Bush Iraq” Revelation (HuffPost) ▪ Secular Humanism

Paris’s Future - Electric Car Sharing Plan (Spiegel)

US Health Care Reform and its negotiation requirements (HuffPost)

EU Sanctions - Reaction to Burma’s SUU KYI Verdict

New York City - Laura Knapp’s BIG APPLE "Gossip Street"

Protests - Heated US Health Care Reform Debate (HuffPost)

New Media - Changing the Game - Vision & Leadership

Slideshows ▪ Exceptional Nature, Botswana, Ant (PowerPoint)
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Merkel & Medvedev Met in Russia on ‘Strategic’ Economic Deals

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"I believe that we need to use every chance that the global financial crisis offers to develop the Russian-German economic relations", stated German chancellor Angela Merkel today in Sochi, Russia.

Chancellor Angela Merkel met President Dmitry Medvedev today and both called for deeper economic ties amid talk of several major Russian-German industrial deals in the works.

Speaking to reporters as he greeted Merkel at his palm-lined residence on the Black Sea, Medvedev congratulated Merkel on news that Germany had emerged from recession and said Russia was working hard to do the same.

"We should think how, by strengthening our bilateral economic strategic ties, we could help our economies and people overcome consequences of this difficult global crisis and emerge stronger from it", Medvedev said.

Merkel replied that she had been "very happy" at yesterday’s German economic news and confirmed that her meeting with Medvedev -- their second in just a month, and third this year -- would centre on economic issues… Read more (by Ellen Hasenkamp, AFP)
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Multicultural Blogs – weekly roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

Prof. Dr. Noreena Hertz – a World Expert on Globalization & Sustainability

Ethics Debate (Book) ▪ Dr. Michael Schmidt-Salomon (GBS), Philosopher & Publicist

Enisa Emily “Enni” Sander – a German Twitter success story

Bill Maher – The NEW RULE and the Emmys (HuffPost)
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Status of Fixing the US Financial System

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Excerpt - Talking to George Stephanopoulos last week, Tim Geithner bragged about the success of the bailout: "We've already earned about $6 billion for the taxpayer on those investments." Sounds great -- unless you consider the fact that we've we actually "invested" $4.7 trillion in our bank bailout. Shouldn't we demand to know what happened to the remaining $4.694 trillion?

Reforming the credit-rating agencies, to avoid ratings shopping by financial institutions and the fundamental conflict of having rating agencies be paid by the companies they are rating -- no wonder so much junk got AAA ratings -- got a hearing in the Senate yesterday, but we may not see action on this until next year.

Legislation to reform executive pay passed the House last week. The need for this reform was highlighted … Read more (by Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post, Aug. 6, 2009)

FK Comment

While the reform window closes, unfortunately, another collapse appears to be inevitable. Yes, the AAA rating system is still junk. I agree, we should demand what happened to the remaining (yet roughly) $4.7 trillion which US taxpayers spent on the bailout. (HuffPost profile/comments)

Multicultural Blogs – weekly roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

Dr. Michael Schmidt-Salomon’s new ETHICS assessment (GBS)

Francine Espinoza – new ESMT professor in marketing

The US and global recession is not yet over (HuffPost)

Validated competence – Value of human capital ▪ World International Competence

Amel Karboul’s report on the 2nd ESMT Annual Forum
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Computer vs. Captain – Automation in Jets

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Will Increasing Automation Make Jets Less Safe?

Computers on board aircraft have made flying safer, but when they encounter errors they can create turmoil. Engineers are pressing ahead with the automation of aircraft, but pilots warn that efforts to computerize jets are going too far and that diminished human control could create dangerous situations.

Ben Cave was starting to get bored. The Australian had been sitting in his seat for more than three hours, and he still had two hours left before the Qantas jet was scheduled to touch down in Perth.

The Airbus A330 was flying at a cruising altitude of 11,278 meters (37,000 feet). The calm of modern jet travel, accentuated by the monotonous drone of the engines, prevailed on board the aircraft… Read more (by Gerald Traufetter, Spiegel)
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Multicultural Blogs – weekly roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

Deutsche Wirtschaft ▪ Industrieeinschnitte ▪ Last der Jobsicherung

Economic tremors! – US financial system back on track?

Reviving US manufacturing in a global economy

Volkswagen (VW) and Porsche merger ▪ Qatar’s option package

Opportunity Cost of the US Bank Bailout ▪ Ben Bernanke’s admittance (HuffPost)
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Obama's Healthcare Reform -- top US domestic priority

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President Barack Obama's healthcare reform drive suffered a setback yesterday when Senate leaders said they would not pass it before a month-long August recess, but Obama urged lawmakers to keep working toward approval by the end of the year.

The day after Obama held a prime-time news conference to sell his top domestic priority, congressional leaders struggled to ease doubts about the healthcare plan and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said the full chamber would not take it up until September… Read more at Reuters

Supplementary: Obama's healthcare town hall -- the full transcript at Los Angeles Times.
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Multicultural Blogs – weekly roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

Africa's Future Is Up to Africans ▪ Obama’s Ghana speech transcript

Navigating in Turbulent Times (ESMT USW) ▪ 2nd ESMT Forum 2009

Pipelines – North Stream & Nabucco ▪ German-Russian relations

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Munich Summit Results - Angela Merkel and Dmitry Medvedev

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The results of the two-day Petersburg Dialogue conference were presented. Around 300 delegates from both countries -- including representatives of the media, politics and civil society -- had been debating how Germany and Russia could tackle the current economic crisis together. Ideas like the creation of a joint German-Russian commission for fighting corruption were discussed. In addition, there were also concrete successes to celebrate, such as the foundation of a German-Russian energy agency and Berlin's commitment to provide guarantees for German exports to Russia as part of a €500 million ($706 million) scheme.

The two sides also agreed to develop a common school textbook together. Work on the project is set to begin later this year. If anything concrete comes out of the efforts, it will be a remarkable success. Russians and Germans currently have a very different view of their shared history. A common school textbook could help to promote mutual understanding between the two nations… Read more at Spiegel
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Multicultural Blogs – weekly roundup

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International Haplif & Haplifnet NEWS -- WordPress [introduction]

Editor-in-chief’s ‘foursome’ Crete vacation ▪ Arianna Huffington’s family

Michael Jackson’s Memorial Service ▪ Staples Center in Los Angeles

Chicken Lit – A Philadelphia Story ▪ by e-glob, Washington (DC)

Barack Obama’s and other G8 Group leaders’ Climate Emphasis

ECONOMIC HARD TIMES & Lobbying Outrages ▪ Reply to Arianna Huffington
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Multicultural Blogs – weekly summary

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Transatlantic Daily NEWS "International Topics" [introduction]

Humor ▪ Hidden Smithsonian Quilt ▪ Hilariousness ▪ Exodus ▪ Wooden Horse

U.S. & Russia: 21st Century’s Road ▪ Arianna Huffington’s Vacation ▪ Yodeling

Obama & Putin ▪ Jacko Remembrance ▪ Quilt ▪ Hilariousness ▪ Crete Vacation

G8 Climate Agreement ▪ US & Russia ▪ Jim DeMent ▪ Jean Shin ▪ Vostok

Climate Emphasis ▪ Arctic Cycle ▪ Browser ▪ Twitter & Facebook ▪ Perceptions

Africa Focus ▪ Pope & Obama ▪ Health Care ▪ Pyromusikale ▪ Starnberger ▪ Winokur

Due to an unforeseen reason our talks have been interrupted.

Chronology ▪ Prof. Noreena Hertz ▪ Schmidt-Salomon Book ▪ Hanse Sail ▪ Godchild (amended, Aug 10)

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G8 Summit focused on climate and African issues

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Further to Barack Obama’s climate emphasis (click) the G8 Summit of l’Aquila (Italy) ended with a focus on food security which the leaders of the world’s richest countries discussed with their counterparts from Africa.

The U.S. President and other Group of Eight leaders are expected to announce a $15 billion pledge over three years to help poor countries fight hunger and develop their own agricultural sectors.

Barack Obama also held separate talks with South African officials.

The U.S. leader next meets today with Pope Benedict in Vatican City. The White House says he and Pope Benedict will have "frank" talks on issues they disagree on, such as abortion, along issues on which they agree, such as helping the poor… More to read at Voice of America
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Multicultural Blogs – weekly summary

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Transatlantic Daily NEWS "International Topics" [introduction]

Iranian Dissidents ▪ Smithsonian Museum ▪ Reese Witherspoon ▪ Rossellini’s Green P

Lisbon Treaty Progress ▪ Citizen Journalism ▪ Bernard Madoff ▪ Trojan Horse

U.S./Iraq: Transition ▪ Smithsonian’s Portrait Gallery ▪ Isabella Rossellini

Sweden’s EU Presidency ▪ Lisbon Treaty ▪ Institutional Issues ▪ Priorities

Ground Breaking Artist ▪ Valuable Publishing ▪ North Korea ▪ Vaishnava

Intellectuality & Shyness ▪ Memorial ▪ Berlin Fashion Week ▪ Michael Connelly

Independence Day ▪ Obama’s Solidarity ▪ Body Isolation ▪ Huffington’s London



Supplementary on INTERNATIONAL HAPLIFNET -- WordPress [ a b o u t ]

Evolution – Humanismus – Humanität // Wie der Mensch die Menschlichkeit lernte

Arianna Huffington advocates Citizen Journalism

Lisbon Treaty -- in line with German Constitution stipulated
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About the Guardian’s Media & Technology Conference in London

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London Diary: Gordon Brown's Obsessions, The Loyal Opposition's Cuddly Karl Rove, Bad Germs, and the Most Unusual Royal Honeymoon Ever by Arianna Huffington

Hello from London, where I have come to take part in a media and technology conference sponsored by the Guardian.

Any time I'm in London, I always feel a bit nostalgic, having gone to college, started my career, and fallen head over heels in love here -- but never more nostalgic than during my breakfast at the flat of Lord George Weidenfeld, the legendary British publisher. He was the person responsible for turning my career around when he commissioned me to write a biography of Maria Callas. My previous book, After Reason, a rather chewy piece of political analysis I wrote in my mid-20s, was collecting dust on bookstore shelves when George took me aside and said: "If you are going to write books that have an impact, you are going to have to learn to tell a good story. Writing a biography is a way to learn to do that."… More to read at Arianna's Huffpost blog of July 2
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Multicultural Blogs – weekly summary

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Transatlantic Daily NEWS "International Topics" [introduction]

Iranian Votes’ Discrepancies ▪ Asian Markets ▪ Education ▪ Klitschko Successes

Iran’s British Embassy ▪ DC Train Crash ▪ Portrait Gallery ▪ Ranking ESMT USW

White House & Huffpost ▪ Tehran Bazaar ▪ Ed McMahon ▪ Twitter & Facebook

George Carlin ▪ Governmental ‘Love’ Affairs ▪ Nora Ephron’s Fashion Stories

Michael Jackson ▪ Farrah Fawcett ▪ Merkel & Obama: Transatlantic Relations

US+EU: Same Values & Mutual Trust ▪ Sociology: Collective Memory ▪ Spookiness

Global Climate Protection ▪ Enni’s & Haplif’s Power Girls ▪ ‘Blaze-Blor’


Supplementary on INTERNATIONAL HAPLIFNET [WordPress]

Verständliche Fachliteratur zur Kindererziehung

Ranking -- European leadership college ESMT / USW

Collective Memory -- Deaths of Michael Jackson & Farrah Fawcett ▪ Celebrity and Collective Memory ▪ By Karen Sternheimer; conveyed via Twitter by Ariel Carpenter, USC, Los Angeles
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Transatlantic Relations -- Barack Obama & Angela Merkel

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The Same Fundamental Values & Mutual Trust

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been awarded the Eric M. Warburg Prize in Washington for her services to transatlantic relations. In her acceptance speech the German Chancellor said that the United States and Europe shared fundamental values such as human rights.

But shared values had to be implemented not only when it came to security issues, but also in the international economic and financial crisis. "We need multilateral institutions that take on responsibility in the globalised world," Angela Merkel said.

Forthcoming Climate Protection Agreement

The United States and Europe were as close as never before on the issue of climate change - but they could get even closer. And here, too, Angela Merkel would like the United States and Europe to take the lead so that others could follow suit… Excerpts, Bundeskanzlerin.de

In a yesterday’s White House press conference Merkel stated she’s going to fully support the US international policy. Obama, in turn, dignified her as “smart” as well as “practical”, and then added that he “trusts” her.
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Multicultural Blogs – weekly summary

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Transatlantic Daily NEWS "International Topics" [introduction]

Netanyahu’s Endorsement ▪ Iran Threats ▪ Mad Ave Blues ▪ Mel B Show ▪ Bag Lady

Australia & South Africa ▪ Megan Fox’s Gown ▪ Video ▪ Hadaka Apron

Iran Protests ▪ Twilight ▪ Fieldstone Nursery ▪ Vo Vo Tau ▪ Wearableness

German Solar Consortium ▪ Iran Protests ▪ Sarah Arlen’s Los Olivos ▪ Media Presences

US Finance Regulation Aims ▪ Iran’s Opposition ▪ Red Gown ▪ Worthiness

EU Summit Backed Barroso ▪ Lisbon Treaty Bargaining ▪ British Intransigence

EU Summit Results ▪ Press Club ▪ US Economics ▪ Peshawar ▪ EU & Turkey

Tehran Protesters ▪ KimonoBox ▪ Press Club ▪ US Presidential Bankruptcy Preventions


Supplementary on INTERNATIONAL HAPLIFNET [WordPress]

Australian Movie & South Africa Report

LOS OLIVOS overlooking Californian Pacific Coast ▪ Sarah Arlen’s hometown

Umgang mit Unternehmenskennzahlen [ESMT USW]

Economic Divergences & Obama’s Overhaul Proposal
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Obama Unveiled Key Regulatory Overhaul

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President Barack Obama has proposed the most "sweeping" regulatory overhaul since the 1930s, aiming to stop future meltdowns and purge the finance system of lax oversight, greed and huge debts.

"We did not choose how this crisis began. But we do have a choice in the legacy this crisis leaves behind," Obama said.

"My administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of the financial regulatory system, a transformation on a scale not seen since the reforms that followed the Great Depression."

The reforms, which must be approved by Congress, will inject the government deeper into the finance sector in a bid to tame the recklessness which saw a mortgage meltdown tip the world into deep economic crisis.

They are the latest attempt by the Obama administration to heal the US economy and ensure it never again pitches into such turmoil… More to read: Stephen Collinson, AFP - Washington, June 17
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Multicultural Blogs – weekly summary

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transatlantic daily NEWS "International Stuff" [introduction]

Obama’s Pressure ▪ EU Parliament Elections ▪ Gender Equality ▪ Arabian Horses

Dr. Silvana Koch-Mehrin / EU FDP ▪ Fiat & Chrysler ▪ Donna Leon ▪ Donaldism ▪ Rummy

Fiat, Chrysler, GM, Magna, Opel, GAZ ▪ Stimuli ▪ Adriana Schatton’s Evomanism

Barroso’s Bid: EU Commission Presidency ▪ Facebook ▪ Google Groups Policy

Iran Election ▪ US Negotiations ▪ Boris & Lilly Becker ▪ Blog Continuations

Craigslist ‘All For Good’ ▪ US Misery Index ▪ Michelle Obama’s London Fashion

Volunteerism ▪ Google’s Antispam Endeavors ▪ ‘Car’fashion ▪ Odessa Movie
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Supplementary on INTERNATIONAL HAPLIFNET [WordPress]

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Tweeting on Twitter - Irrationality?

Haplif & Haplifnet modifizierte Weiterführung (German blogs)

Haplif & Haplifnet modified continuation (global blogs)
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Barroso's bid to retain EU Commission presidency

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French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel said yesterday they supported the re-election of European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso for a second five-year term.

"Important personnel and policy decisions must be taken immediately. That is why Germany and France support Jose Manuel Barroso," Merkel said at a joint press conference with Sarkozy in Paris.

There is a "strong desire" in the newly-elected EU Parliament that the choice of a new EC head should not take the entire summer.

"We will support the candidacy of Mr. Barroso, without ambiguity," Sarkozy said at a joint news conference at the Elysee presidential palace. But the support for the incumbent was not unconditional, he added. "Madame Merkel and I support Barroso... But we call on him before a second term to clarify, and in a way make formal, his position."

The Portuguese EC president has been criticized for waffling on a number of important issues. Barroso must commit himself to a Europe that protects its citizens... Deutsche Welle
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Multicultural Blogs – weekly summary

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transatlantic daily NEWS "International Stuff" [introduction]

Obama’s GM Bankruptcy ▪ Genesis 2.0 Video ▪ Swedish Band Tapeheads

Politically Risky GM Rescue ▪ Bavarian Königssee ▪ Blitz & Plane ▪ Lyrics

Seeking Outreach ▪ Cheney’s Lies ▪ TEDxUSC ▪ Twitter Statistics ▪ Uncertainty

Obama’s ME & EU Trip ▪ Transparency Int’l Fighting Corruption ▪ Cape Town

Obama’s Dresden Visit ▪ Cairo Speech ▪ BB Video ▪ Michael Connelly ▪ Disciplines

Obama Visit: Dresden, Weimar & Buchenwald, Ramstein & Landstuhl ▪ Home

Webby Awards ▪ Green Vault ▪ Merkel’s Style ▪ Former Couture ▪ Blagojevich

D-Day Remembrance & Obama’s France Stay ▪ Contrast Voice ▪ China & North Korea
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Supplementary on INTERNATIONAL HAPLIFNET [WordPress]

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TEDxUSC – Ideas Empowered – Fresh Thinking – Ariel Carpenter

Fighting Corruption – Worldwide

Barack Obama’s Germany Visit – Summary

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Barack Obama reached out to the Muslim world

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US President Barack Obama has said the "cycle of suspicion and discord" between the United States and the Muslim world must end.

In a keynote speech in Cairo, Obama called for a "new beginning" in ties. He admitted there had been "years of distrust" and said both sides needed to make a "sustained effort... to respect one another and seek common ground".

He made a number of references to the Koran and called on all faiths to live together in peace and, thus, received a standing ovation at the end of his speech at Cairo University. [read more at BBC News]

Here’s, in addition, the full text of the unique and historic speech on Spiegel International as well as a speech video on Huffington Post.
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Multicultural Blogs - weekly summary

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transatlantic daily NEWS "International Stuff" [introduction]

America’s Next Top Model ▪ Amanda Swafford ▪ Karl Lagerfeld & ANTM Australia

Obama’s Defense Support ▪ Michael Haneke ▪ US & European Social Systems

Wall Street Reform ▪ Newspapers & Google ▪ Russian Facebook ▪ Books ▪ Mars

Peace Talks ▪ GM & Opel ▪ Enron Line ▪ Sonia Sotomayor ▪ Marriage ▪ US Fed

AFL-CIO Conference ▪ Sonia Sotomayor’s Confirmation Debate ▪ Space Fun

North Korea’s Accountability ▪ Quelling Sotomayor Dust-up ▪ Juristic Issues

Magna’s & GM’s "Opel Europe" ▪ Shares ▪ Court Practices ▪ Winkelen Animations
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Barack Obama sought to quell Sotomayor dust-up

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President Obama sought yesterday to douse the political firestorm over Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's much-dissected 2001 remark that a "wise Latina woman" could often reach "better" judgments than a white judge. […] "She was simply saying that her life experiences will give her information about the struggles and hardships that people are going through [and] that will make her a good judge," the president said in an interview with NBC News.

"Part of the job of a justice on the Supreme Court, or any judge, is to be able to stand in somebody else's shoes, to be able to, you know, understand the nature of the case, and how it has an impact on people's ordinary day-to-day lives," he added.

The remark at issue was made during a speech at the University of California at Berkeley in which Sotomayor said "our gender and national origins may and will make a difference in our judging." "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life," she said… The Boston Globe
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Multicultural Blogs - update

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transatlantic daily NEWS "International Stuff" [introduction]

Moscow’s Song Contest (Eurovision) ▪ Criticizing Pilgrimage ▪ Factory Girl ▪ Fine Art

Jessye Norman ▪ Familienpatenprojekt ▪ Schwarzenegger ▪ Octoshape ▪ Movies

Fuel Goals ▪ GM & Opel ▪ USA & Israel ▪ Cannes: Jolie-Pitt-Aniston ▪ Jim Cramer

Fundamental Values ▪ Jolie & Pitt ▪ Father’s Day ▪ Travel ▪ Comedian Clips

Birds & Ducks ▪ Germany’s Next Top Model: Sara ▪ MiFi Technology ▪ O2 Sticks

Germany’s Basic Law ▪ Terrorism & Detention ▪ Ducklings’ Rescue ▪ Job & Pregnancy

Detention’s Justification ▪ Facebook Pope & Warning ▪ Paulina Porizkova (US-Czech)
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Barack Obama and Dick Cheney clashed on fight against terror

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In back-to-back speeches, President Obama and former vice president Dick Cheney faced off yesterday, both forcefully presenting their sharply different views on how to keep America safe from terrorism, the effectiveness of harsh interrogations, and whether the 240 Guantanamo Bay detainees pose an imminent danger if brought to American soil.

Obama said he is trying to clean up the "mess" he inherited from the Bush-Cheney administration and stressed the need to uphold American values, repeatedly noting the setting for his speech - the august National Archives, which houses the original Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. … More at The Boston Globe
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Multicultural Blogs & Twitter Tweets - update

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transatlantic daily NEWS "International Stuff" [introduction]

South Asian Comedy ▪ Comedian-in-Chief ▪ Pope in Middle East ▪ Antitrust Fining

Financial Euphoria ▪ Israel Pilgrimage ▪ Fiat & Chrysler ▪ Frontier Land

No Premature Exaltation (Huffpost) ▪ Paige Hamilton (Twitter) ▪ Auto Fluff ▪ Trinkets

Vatican & Palestinians ▪ Torture Photos ▪ Cheney & Holder ▪ Russian Regime

Pope & Netanyahu ▪ US Drug War ▪ Tribunals & Methods ▪ Pelosi Cheney

Pope’s Israel Trip Success ▪ Drug Issue ▪ Exhortation ▪ Living & Eating

Eurovision Moscow ▪ Obama’s Posture ▪ US Economy Impacts ▪ Philosophy
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How to end the disastrous US "Drug War"? [Huffington Post]

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When it comes to addressing America's disastrous war on drugs, the Obama administration appears to be moving in the right direction -- albeit very, very cautiously.

On the rhetorical front, all the president's men are saying the right things.

In his first interview since being confirmed, Obama's new drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, said that we need to stop looking at our drug problem as a war. "Regardless of how you try to explain to people it's a 'war on drugs' or a 'war on product'," he told the Wall Street Journal, "people see war as a war on them. We're not at war with people in this country." … More >> Arianna Huffington, Huffpost
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Multicultural Blogs & Twitter Tweets - update

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transatlantic daily NEWS "International Stuff" [introduction]

Japanese Art ▪ Donation ▪ Monkeys ▪ Juno ▪ South Africa ▪ Smokey Mountains

National Interest ▪ Mary Katharine Ham ▪ C. Matthews ▪ Caricaturing ▪ S. Berlusconi

Eastern Partnership (EU) ▪ Merger Porsche & VW ▪ Circumstances ▪ Freedom

USA & Afghanistan\Pakistan ▪ Prague’s Eastern Plan ▪ Madonna’s Luridness

Prague: Embarrassing EU Absences List ▪ Amman: Pope’s Middle East Pilgrimage

Nation’s Stand-Up-in-Chief ▪ Volunteering ▪ Georgian Protests ▪ Notorious
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EU launched Eastern Partnership plan in Prague

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the only Western European leader, attended the talks

The European Union has just launched a new Eastern Partnership plan with six former Soviet states. However, Russia has already voiced its concern over the plan, which it sees as the EU encroaching on its territory.

The plan was launched in the Czech capital Prague on May 7 after being signed by representatives of the EU, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The main goal of the partnership was to "accelerate political association and further economic integration" between the EU and the former Soviet nations, the participants said in an agreed summit statement... Deutsche Welle
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Multicultural Blogs & Twitter Tweets - update

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transatlantic daily NEWS "International Stuff" [introduction]

GM Pontiac ▪ Cybercrime ▪ Internet Gangs ▪ Pirate Look ▪ Fiber Floozies

Transparency ▪ Good & Bad ~ HuffPost ▪ Rod Blagojevich ▪ Sanjaya ▪ Ideas

R&D Stem Cells ~ Curing Blindness ▪ Exchange Floor ~ Prison Yard

Ali∙Bell ~ Fashion Design ▪ Car Market ▪ Flu Hysteria ▪ Birds ▪ Hawaii

Bankers ~ Beltway Royalty ▪ Twitter Retention ~ Teri Beau ▪ Explosive Combination

HuffPost’s Beltway Royalty ▪ Cuisine ~ Marie-Claude Lortie ▪ Bhutan & Rajastan

Esteem ▪ Bhutan ▪ Horticulture & Sackler ▪ Japanese Art ▪ Cosimo Cavallaro

Supplementary on the INTERNATIONAL HAPLIFNET [WordPress]

Why Are Bankers Still Being Treated As Beltway Royalty?
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