Kumon

I am really amazed by Kumon's skill and consistent worldwide growth in education via word-of-mouth advertising and patience. Go to www.kumon.com for further info.

Boom/Bust

Raaphy Persitz's opinion piece in Haaretz on deceptive natures of the stock and commodities markets + modern examples of market crash @ http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1032990.html was educational and insightful.

The Letters of Menakhem-Mendl and Sheyne-Sheyndl: AND Motl, Peysi the Cantor's Son by Aleichem is a brilliant book on stock-market exploits. A must read.

Economist Innovation Awards 2008

Innovation = Creative individuals who dream up new ideas and turn them into reality.

Go to http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10676339 to learn more about the creative individuals, their ideas and the impact. Congratulations! + Thanks to Economist!

Breakfast At Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote is a great little story. I've re-read this book many times and I still love it.

Useful links:
www.capotebio.com
www.imdb.com/title/tt0054698

New Urbanism

Carlo Petrini founded the slow food movement in Italy to preserve cultural cuisines from fast food culture. The movement has since expanded globally with positive impact. In India, Vandana Shiva's Navdanya movement via Slow Food Cafes are growing steadily spreading the gospel of slow-mo (slow movement), raising the quality of life. It's an immersive experience, really. Give it a try!

Useful links:
www.slowfood.com
www.navdanya.org
www.newurbanism.org

Architecture Film Festival, Rotterdam

Rotterdam's Architecture Film Festival lists 450 movies. The fifth edition begins October 29 - 1 November, 2009.

Go to www.affr.nl for further info. A must visit.

Synthetic Diamond Update

Researchers at the Carnegie Institution have developed a new technique (CVD) for improving the properties of diamonds – not only adding sparkle to gemstones, but also simplifying the process of making high-quality diamond for scalpel blades, electronic components, even quantum computers. http://www.gl.ciw.edu/news/campus_news/new_process_promises_bigger_better_diamond_crystals

Useful links:
www.gl.ciw.edu
www.pnas.org

I am sure the new process will have a wide variety of applications.

Social Innovation Camp

Do you want to change the world? Go to www.sicamp.org for an immersive experience. I think you will like it.