Link Dump!

Hodgepodge of links for Halloween:

Breaking news: UNESCO has voted to give Palestine full membership, and the U.S. cuts funding, which consists of about 20% of UNESCO's budget. Here's how the voting panned out.

Eco-friendly: The House of Plastic Bottles in Argentina, giving new life to reduce, reuse, recycle

Current events: Devastating floods in Thailand, called PM Yingluck's Katrina, and the calamity of certain administrations when dealing with natural disasters

Economy: Poland is still holding strong and is turning more to shale gas for increased energy independence

Immigration: 50 years of Multikulti in Germany

Trade: Discontent between U.S. and China, trade relations, and China's devalued currency so that a weaker currency leading to a stronger economy

Divided State: Kosovo's future? But where does the sub-division stop, and how to avoid a Pandora's Box of ethnic tensions? And in a state that has defined itself by the current borders?

Language tools: Linguae Live.ca

Fun: Pie and Prosperity (1902 NYT article)

7 Billion

Countdown the last few hundred thousands of people being born over the next few days with the UN's 7 Billion and Me page. BBC is also offering this chart to look at the world population when you were born and how each individual fits into the picture.

The world is due to reach a population of 7 billion people this weekend.

Changing Education Paradigms by Sir Ken Robinson

RSAnimate offers another brilliant animated lecture.

Documented Development: Japan

This collection of photos demonstrates the recovery in one field in northern Japan over a six month period. The first photo was taken in March, just days after the earthquake and tsunami devastated the area; the second was taken in June; and the third in September.

As residents attempt to return to daily life, there is still a long road of recovery ahead, but the results after 6 months are truly incredible. If only those same methods could have been applied in Haiti...

The Phantom Tollbooth at 50

Celebrating 50 years of one of my favorite childhood books: Norton Juster's Phantom Tollbooth.

My Accidental Masterpiece

Adam Gopnik's beautiful tribute to The Broken Kingdom

As we push through the Doldrums of the current economic crisis, let's not jump to Conclusions and remember the balance of Rhyme and Reason.

The Price of Exchange

Cultural work exchanges in the U.S. are a wonderful thing, and many young people from other countries have benefited from these programs and gained a very unique and personal view of America-- from horseback in Wyoming, from amusement parks around the country, and from ocean resorts. But that being said, these foreign workers are NOT merely cheap labor, nor are they an opportunity to out-source in-country.

While the majority of sites for cultural exchanges provide a positive experience, there are still a disturbing number of young people working slave-like 16-hour shifts or being partnered to nanny with families that are unstable or unsafe for the foreign student. The terror at the Hershey plant seems to be yet more proof that these programs need careful review and reform.

It should also be noted that most of these programs cost the foreign student multiple thousands of U.S. dollars to participate, often not including airfare. The argument is that participants will earn back the cost of the program in wages, but the majority of these jobs pay only minimum wage. Indeed, the nannying positions offered through the cultural exchange groups pay foreign nannies in America only a fraction of the market price, with large cut going back to the organization. Perhaps the price is justified in the stability, security, and support system offered by finding a job through a cultural exchange organization. But let us ensure that that support system is actually in place.

Deaf Jam in DC

DC people: Famed cafe and literary hangout Busboys and Poets is screening Deaf Jam on Saturday, a documentary about a Deaf girl from Israel using ASL poetry to compete in a spoken-word slam and working alongside a Palestinian spoken word artist.

Go out and support them!

Deaf Jam Trailer from DeafJamdoc on Vimeo.

EuroCup is coming to Poznań!

My Blackberry is Not Working!!

Another humorous note: This fantastic British skit from The One Ronnie.

On a Lighter Note...

Congrats to my favorite Kiwi All-Blacks who triumphed over Australia in the rugby semi-finals. The All-Blacks will face France on October 23 for the Rugby World Cup.

Aspiring astronomers should look toward the Big Dipper soon to get a glimpse of a one of the brightest supernovas in the last century. Soon the light will fade so that it will only be visible to professional astronomical equipment.

A bit of humor for my Dutch friends and for any ex-pats living in the Netherlands: You Know You've Been in the Netherlands for Too Long When...

And finally... a product of the iAge, this one-year-old knows how to use an iPad but can't comprehend traditional magazines. They must be broken!

When did partisanship trump terrorism?

When will we stand as a nation and shout, "ENOUGH!" ?

Rush Limbaugh and Uganda's LRA