There's more to a journey than the movement

Postsecret describes itself as an "ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard"

The postcards are made by people and sent to a mailbox in Maryland. A book has been created, art galleries have displayed the postcards, high school art teachers were inspired to try something similar with their students. The whole project blows me away. The secret-telling has changed stranger's lives, touched friends, been a wake-up call.

Turn your deepest secret into art and release it. Imagine the power in that.

Check out the site:

Postsecret.blogspot.com

Distinctive smells

Some smells trigger distinct memories in me. I was walking around my university on Friday and as I walked past a group of Indonesian guys I was instantly taken back to the streets of Bandung and Jogja by the pervasive smell of their cigarettes - Kretek (clove cigarettes). It seemed to me that just about everyone in Indonesia smokes Kreteks, and the cigarettes have a very strong and distinct smell. The smell set off memories about my travels in the country and my Indonesian friends there.

What other smells are distinct to certain places or cultures and what memories or thoughts do they trigger within you?

Laptops and border crossings...

Just a reminder to all nomads entering and leaving the U.S.A. - customs agents can search anything... including the contents of your laptop or your digital camera.

From ArsTechnica article -
Can border agents search your laptop? Yes.
7/27/2006 11:27:13 AM, by Nate Anderson

"The court argued that the forensic analysis [of the laptop's hard drive] fell under the "border search exception to the warrant requirement." This exception was established by United States v. Montoya de Hernandez in 1985, and says that "the government may conduct routine searches of persons entering the United States without probable cause, reasonable suspicion, or a warrant." The court goes on to note that international airports count as border terminals, even if not physically located on a US border." --emphasis added

The CNET Police Blotter offers a few more details.

Police blotter: Laptop border searches OK'd
By Declan McCullagh Staff Writer, CNET News.com -->
Published: July 26, 2006, 5:06 PM PDT

What: A business traveler protests the warrantless search and seizure of his laptop by Homeland Security at the U.S.-Canada border.
When: 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rules on July 24.
Outcome: Three-judge panel unanimously says that border police may conduct random searches of laptops without search warrants or probable cause. These searches can include seizing the laptop and subjecting it to extensive forensic analysis. - emphasis added

As an interesting aside, how much longer until the RIAA and entertainment industry figure out a way to search all media entering and leaving the country?..

Hookas on The Daily Show

Everyone's favorite water-pipe was on Trendspotting earlier this week. Check it out here.

Wasting your money while looking really good part deux

"

Michelle Persaud?s delicate features burst into a smile as she describes the mistake many men make with her.

Seeing her dark eyes and mocha skin, her flowing black tresses and expansive lashes, they sidle over, take in a breath and start speaking ? Farsi!" (The Hill)

She's the Top person out of the 50 most beautiful people on Capitol Hill.

Despabilate Amor

Bonjour buon giorno guten morgen
despabílate amor y toma nota
sólo en el tercer mundo
mueren cuarenta mil niños por día
en el plácido cielo despejado
flotan los bombarderos y los buitres
cuatro millones tienen sida
la codicia depila la amazonia

buenos días good morning despabílate
en los ordenadores de la abuela ONU
no caben más cadáveres de Ruanda
los fundamentalistas degüellan a extranjeros
predica el papa contra los condones
havelange estrangula a maradona

bonjour monsieur le maire
forza italia buon giorno
guten morgen ernst junger
opus dei buenos días
good morning hiroshima

despabílate amor
que el horror amanece.

Mario de Benedetti

Beauty Queen AIESECER

I just want to let everyone know and extend the news
and congratulate my friend Marissa, alumni from Bay Area
won the Miss 2006 California beauty pageant. She will be competing
again for the Miss American Woman beauty pageant in Las Vegas.

I want to wish her good luck.

If you know her or want to know her, send her a message and congratulate her too.

That's right all the people in AIESEC are beautiful...

Publish, Play, Share, and Store your own video clips for FREE.
www.abazab.com - GET ONE TODAY!

The real ethics

Here are some stark statistics:
Around 30 to 40 people are killed every day in the current Israel/Lebanon conflict.
About 100 people are killed every day in the violence in Iraq.
And 1,200 people are killed every day in the war in the Congo.
[...]
All three of these stories are due to appear on tonight's Ten O'Clock News. They will probably run in that order - with the Middle East getting by far the most attention.

Does this say something about how we value human life?

From the BBC Editors' Blog

Hasselhoff to star in musical based on his life

David Hasselhoff is to star in a musical based on his life.

The show will be inspired by the 54-year-old's career, US soap opera The Young and The Restless and the songs of Teddy Pendergrass.

Hasselhoff, who has battled alcoholism, is quoted by website Celebrityweek.com as saying: "I am doing a heart-rendering set on my life and the mistakes I have made.

"It sounds like a bad joke, but it is really going to be a good show...totally campy."

He added: "It's written by the same people who wrote Bette Midler's show and produced by the people who produced Chicago in London."

The production - simply called David Hasselhoff: The Musical - will open in Melbourne, Australia, before moving to America.

The actor - who is due to release his autobiography in September - said: "If it ends up in Las Vegas, how great would that be? I want to entertain people. Sammy Davis Junior was my hero."

Period of Consequences

In light of recent discussion on nomadone on the true causes of global climate change and what that means for the planet in the next few decades, I thought I'd recommend this majestic piece of work put together by Al Gore in his struggle to define his purpose in the aftermath of the 2000 election.

Watch it, if for no other reason than to be mesmerized by the spectacular visuals but do the world a favor and watch it for we are living in a time of rapid change and momentous choices, each of which can alter the fate of our future.

An incovenient truth

I want "world peace"

Miss Puerto Rico is the new Miss Universe.

The Zune vs. the Flea

Microsoft confirmed the coming launch of the Zune in direct competition to the iPod. Some crazy geeks decided to prophesize the next revolution of the iPod that would crush any attempt at monopoly by Microsoft...

Enter: The Flea

indifference?

Passing a msg:

" Take some time to look at the two links below. Nothing terrible is going to happen if you don't send this email to 10 people in the first 10 minutes after reading this. Even if you do, this petition probably won't change anything anyways. But wherever we are, i think we owe it to ourselves to do what we can when things like this happen. I'll leave you with this story someone told me when i was in university some years ago and which has always stuck with me.

"In the 50s, the US government was busy testing nuclear bombs. Before one particular test, a huge crowd gathered to protest. But it was to no avail. That coming Sunday, the bomb test was going ahead as planned. that Sunday, a lone man walked from where he lived to the middle of the desert, where the bomb was going to be tested, holding up his little sign. A reporter went up to him and asked, mockingly: 'what are you doing? you're here by yourself. the test is going to happen regardless of what you do. you're not going to change anything.' to this, the man replied: 'i'm not trying to change the world. i'm trying to stop the world from changing me.'"

So let's not be indifferent.

==========================================

Check out the pictures of marwaheen massacre (South of Lebanon). Please pass this email on to all your friends, especially europeans and americans because these pictures will never be shown onoccidental mainstream media.

The Lebanese Medical Students' International Committee, has prepared a petition, to be sent to the UN, UN Security Council, EU, and other NGOs, institutions and councils working in the field of Human Rights and Peace.

Networks - Advice on Business Schools

Does anyone know anyone that goes to London Business School?

I'm narrowing down my business schools, and of course, looking for one that's very international and focused on CSR. Advice?

TGIF

This is a street-legal jet car on full afterburner. The car has two engines: the production gasoline engine in the front driving the front wheels and the jet engine in the back.



In a country with a general speed limit of lovely 60 mph ... but, there are other advantages of this model: "Hmmm, the car has two engines making the car a hybrid so maybe we can drive in the commuter lanes along with the Toyota Priuses."

Enjoy...

CSR Traineeship in Pakistan

If you happen to know someone with strong AIESEC experience that might be interested in long-term CSR traineeship in Microsoft Pakistan, with good employment opportunity after the traineeship, please let me know (b-nikolj(@)microsoft.com or nikola.jovanovic(@)gmail.com)...

Cheers from Istanbul!

New Question: How many continents are there.

Americans can answer this time:

In the USA we are taught that there are 7 continents:
North America
South America
Europe
Asia
Africa
Australia
Antartica

How many were you taught?

AIESEC in Lebanon

On behalf of the AIESEC in Lebanon expansion team, I would like to update you on what has been happening.

Most of you know about the attacks that have been occuring in Lebanon. First of all, our main priority was the safety and security of our team. Chris arrived in Egypt a couple of days ago, Stella is in Bulgaria and I am still here in Cairo.

We believe that AIESEC is needed in Lebanon and the Middle East and hope this conflict is short term, however, it is too early to determine whether or not this will be the case and we will have to wait and see.

Our hearts go out to the Lebanese people and we pray for there safety. We hope that this conflict will end soon and that there can be peace. Lebanon is a strong country and rebuilt itself after the civil war and it will do so again.

We would also like to thank everyone who has shown there support.


On behalf of AIESEC in Lebanon,

Nisrin Jaara
Member Committee President
AIESEC in Lebanon

Striving for peace and fulfillment of humankind's potential.

'Yo, Blair!': Overheard at the G8

Bush: (...) Thanks for the sweater it's awfully thoughtful of you.
Blair: It's a pleasure.
Bush: I know you picked it out yourself.
Blair: Oh, absolutely, in fact (inaudible)
Bush: What about Kofi? (inaudible) His attitude to ceasefire and everything else ... happens. (Change of subject. Now they are on to Lebanon and the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan)
Blair: Yeah, no I think the (inaudible) is really difficult. We can't stop this unless you get this international business agreed.
Bush: Yeah. (Mr Blair is trying to push the idea of a UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon. That 'yeah' does not sound like a wholehearted agreement)
Blair: I don't know what you guys have talked about, but as I say I am perfectly happy to try and see what the lie of the land is, but you need that done quickly because otherwise it will spiral. (Meaning: 'Please, George, let me go to the Middle East and be a world statesman')

Brilliant!!!

No, this is not some comedy. This is the real deal. They just didn't realise the microphone was on ...

Internet Censorship in India ?!

"Now, internet users across India have been unable since this weekend to access any sites hosted on Blogspot or Typepad, two popular domains for India-based blogs. (Geocities is also blocked.) Again, it seems that there isn't a blanket ban on these blogs, merely a government order to block of couple of blogs that has gone awry."

(via The Guardian)

Can someone from the India-based Nomads confirm?
How can that happen in the largest democracy of the world ...?

America or the Americas

Quick poll:
Is America one continent or two continents?

No Americans, whether from south or north or central may participate in this poll.

Thanks.

South Pole

Katie does South Pole.

Size Matters?

(h/t Cairo Freeze)

http://www.widgetoko.com/

Tsunami Warning

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

USGS

Update: Lebanon MC team

This is a quick update about the MC team:

Nisrin is still in Egypt, she had cancelled her flight, Thank God.

Bowman has arrived safely in Egypt last night, Thank God.

Stella is still in Bulgaria, she had cancelled her flight, Thank God.

Thank God these 3 are safe but what about the other millions????

You remember 'Hostel'...

It's like a bad script from a B-grade movie -- thousands of prisoners wait around until a customer appears who wants their organs. Except that it might be true. (From MercatorNet)

Polls

I am continiously surprised by the majority of the people that visit Al Jazeera's website in Arabic. Specially with the results of polls. I really wonder if these poll results represent the thoughts in the Arab and Muslim world. I would really be happy to see some scientific, unbiased polling happening in the middle east. Until that day comes, we can just depend on Al Jazeera for unreliable polls (Arabic). Here is their latest poll:

Do you think HizbAllahs actions are:
a) Uncalculated risk
b) Legitimate resistance

Now before i share with you the results, I just gotta say this is a terrible question. Ok so whats wrong with the question, you might be asking? Well actually nothing, the main problem is with the options the audience is given. People wanting to say that this is an illigitemate act by HA (like myself) cannot. The poll designer, wants us to believe that all legitimate acts are well calculated and all uncalculated acts are illegitimate. This is obviously not true. The options to such a question should be:

a) Legitimate yet with an uncalculated risk
b) Legitimate with reasnoble risk
c) illegitimate with an uncalculated risk
d) illegitimate yet with reasnoble risk

Anyhow, would we really expect anything less from the Middle Easts Fox network. Now of course if these were the options, I would choose option c. but these are not my options.

Let us see, what Al Jazeera visitors had to say, when asked

Do you think HizbAllahs actions are:
a) Uncalculated risk
b) Legitimate resistance

After 2 days and 135 000 votes, almost 92% of the participants believe that HAs actions are legitimate actions. Due to the stupid options we cannot know for sure of the remaining 8% believe that the actions of HA are illegitimate or not!

PBS Rules

What would any documentary on globalization be without Daniel Yergin? Infact, here's one inspired by his co-authored book 'The Commanding Heights.' And PBS being an awesome provider of easily accessible, riveting documentary films have yet again delivered nothing but the best.

"A six part, six-hour PBS series that tells the inside story of our new world economy... the struggle between governments and markets...
and the new battle over globalization."

"The Commanding Heights Storyline provides a complete netcast of the six-hour television program as originally broadcast -- in three two-hour episodes. The episodes are subdivided into chapters, captioned, and enhanced with additional interactive content not available on television."

All you need is a decent internet connection and a curious mind.

Cool Hunter

Cool Hunter - a hub for global, trendsetting movements in fashion, urban living, eco design, culture, music and travel. Perfect eye candy to keep you blissfully distracted at work.

Somewhere beyond the sea...

"Each week the mothers of Thiaroye, a small fishing community on the edge of Senegal's capital Dakar, put whatever hard-earned cash they can afford into a communal pot. When the pot is full, whoever draws the lucky straw will use the money not for food or new clothes, but to send their sons on a perilous ocean voyage to Europe to seek a better life. "

(Reuters has a special feature on the plight of illegal African immigrants into Europe)

Under Fire

"Woke up to a phone call from John in Jakarta. "Dude, wake up. They're shitting on your airport."

Sure enough the Israelis decided it would be nice to bomb the runways at Beirut International. Then they thought it would be a good idea to blockade Lebanon. So two routes for us poor foreigners to get out of here are gone. I mean, really, if Syria supports Hezbollah like the Israelis say they do, they'll just bring the guns over damn border." (Chris Bowman)

Live from Lebanon.

Megan, an editor for The Croc, is activeculture. She loves a long walk on the beach, scuba diving, cooking and playing with fire.

Need for Speed

Going back in time, the British philosopher John Stuart Mill said he could read faster than he could turn pages.

But even Mill, if he wasn't exaggerating, would probably pale in comparison to Kim Peek, who not only can read two pages at the same time, one with each eye, but has also memorized some 9,600 books... (MSN & Encarta)

Storm clouds gathering

Israel authorizes 'severe' response to abductions (CNN)

G6 agree to send Iran back to the UN Security Council (from Xinhua)
Iran's growing ties with Iraq (USA Today)

The Middle-East is rapidly destabilizing and after reading this article from the Washington Post, it looks like someone is trying to find a "smoking gun" to put Iran into the stone age.

Solutions?
1. Continue dealing with the issues individually
2. Shock and awe over Tehran
3. The G6 invite Iran to the table and treat them like a regional power

Suggestions.....

50 Years in the US of A...

Come celebrate 50 years of AIESEC in USA with a kickass gala dinner up in Tourist Hell, NYC(Times Square).

There will be food and drink and even the 80 year old guy who started AIESEC in the US, Lee Nehrt.

But wait, there's more: Be apart of the AIESEC tradition known as Flannery's! Marvel as 5 generations of MCPs are known by the bartender, by name! Spectacular!

Anyway, everyone should come, especially alumni. Sorry for the piss-poor job keeping in touch, lets fix that. Tell one, tell all. Go to http://www.aiesecus50.com/ for more information and to sign up or harass fellow nl'er Betsy at betsyc@aiesecus.org. ONLY ONE MORE DAY AT THE INTRODUCTORY PRICE, act now!

PS We may even throw in the super-secret location of Tortilla Flats. Known only through hazy recollections and the stench of tequila permeating the pours of the unfortunate.

Respect the Shroom

Absolutely. About time those scientist folk got onto the "squeegee your third eye" wagon.....

"For the Johns Hopkins study, 30 middle-aged volunteers who had religious or spiritual interests attended two eight-hour drug sessions, two months apart, receiving psilocybin in one session and a non-hallucinogenic stimulant - Ritalin - in the other. They were not told which drug was which.

One-third described the experience with psilocybin as the most spiritually significant of their lifetime and two-thirds rated it among their five most meaningful experiences.

In more than 60 per cent of cases the experience qualified as a "full mystical experience" based on established psychological scales, the researchers say. Some likened it to the importance of the birth of their first child or the death of a parent. "

I'll vouch for that....

Bombay attacks

Adding to Chitgo's post earlier, more than a 150 people are believed to have been killed already with the casualty list set to grow as the injured are all accounted for. When I heard about this a few hours back, I experienced pain like which I haven't felt before. This isn't due to any misplaced sense of nationalism. I think my travels and AIESEC life have sufficiently diluted my identity as an Indian. Bombay, like Rotterdam or Shanghai is a city where I have great friends, a city where I've had great times and a city which means so much to me, as it does to so many millions of others. No one yet knows who caused this atrocity and why but regardless of the cause in whose name this was commited, this should like all the previous such attacks in the past, serve to further unite the world community to work toward a peaceful world. Anger is the easy answer. What might work will take more effort. I just felt like sharing this. And yes, all nomads please do check in.

TGIF... a bit early

A fellow Badger nomad finds himself a model in Uganda.





















Check out Hero's blog for further insight and Ugandan hilarity.

bomb blasts in mumbai

bomb blasts in mumbai
5 to the count in first class coaches off major routes within the city. can the indian mc, trainees, members on nomadlife please report in on their safety? Major metropolitans have been put on red alert following bomb blasts in Srinagar
WTF?

WTF !?!?!

Zidane Head-butt

THIS is the best player of the world cup?!
Some role model huh
FIFA has gone MAD!

In the future...

An excellent article on building accountability for the really long-term...

Analysis on why the war in Afghanistan might be a losing battle...

Forza Italiano!

Congrats Italy!! 1 - 1 (5 - 3)

And respect to France.... too bad it had to come down a kick off to win.

Great game, but what was up with Zidane?

I so wish I was in Italy right now...

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The Match.. Live from...

Was just checking Nomadlife to see who might be blogging the updates, thought im not the only one! So here we are...



Watching the match Live from Karachi, Pakistan!


Where are YOU live from?

TGIF

For those of you who can't get enough live music in their lives, let me offer this nugget of wisdom:

www.nugs.net

Browse a solid stash of bands and recordings of their live shows.
Hat Tip: Madison Messiah

Pick Sides !!!

Valle de San Felix

...the purest water in Chile runs from 2 rivers,fed by 2 glaciers. Indigenous farmers use the water, there is no unemployment, and they provide the second largest source of income for the area.

Under the glaciers has been found a huge deposit of gold, silver and otherminerals. To get at these, it would be necessary to break, to destroy the glaciers - something never conceived of in the history of the world - and to make 2 huge holes, each as big as a whole mountain, one for extraction and one for the mine's rubbish tip.

The project is called PASCUA LAMA. The company is called Barrick Gold. The operation is planned by a multi-national company, one of whose members is George Bush Senior. The Chilean Government has approved the project to start this year, 2006. The only reason it hasn't started yet is because the farmers have got a temporary stay of execution. If they destroy the glaciers, they will not just destroy the source of specially pure water, but they will permanently contaminate the 2 rivers so they will never again be fit for human or animal consumption because of the use of cyanide and sulphuric acid in the extraction process. Every last gramme of gold will go abroad to the multinational company and not one will be left with the people whose land it is.They will only be left with the poisoned water and the resulting illnesses.

**I got this in a forwarded email. Does anyone know, what this is about?

+30 IT?S TWO!! GOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLAZZZZZ
ZZOOOOOO! ! ITALIA 2-0! DEL PIERO!!

+29 GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAALLLLLLLLLLLLLL AAAAZZZZZZ
ZZZZZZZZZZZZOOOOOOOO !!!!!! !!! ITALIA 1-0!!!!! GROSSO!! He gets a great pass in from Pirlo and curls in a shot from the right side.......................................

God, Freedom and Beer !!!

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." (Declaration of Independence)

And then begun the greatest experiment in fulfilling human ideals and dreams in freedom and liberty. For all her flaws and pitfalls, she is still the most awe inspiring product of democracy and human spirit.

WTO news: "We are now in crisis" - Director general to try to break impasse

Ministers have failed to narrow their differences on the ?modalities? or template agreements that are needed to compile detailed cuts in tariffs and agricultural subsidies, and members have asked Director-General Pascal Lamy to try to broker a compromise ?as soon as possible?. Members also shared his assessment that the negotiations are now in crisis.

A formal meeting on 1 July 2006 of the Trade Negotiations Committee, which comprises the entire WTO membership, brought to an end about three days of discussions among a representative group of ministers. No progress was made in trying to narrow the gaps on formulas for reducing tariffs and subsidies, various flexibilities, and other disciplines that would be in the ?modalities?.

Members agreed that Mr Lamy should consult members intensively and widely in order to establish ?modalities? urgently ? the term several used was to ?facilitate? and act as a ?catalyst?. He agreed with them that members will remain the main actors, and the principles will continue to be ?bottom-up? (input coming from members rather than from above), transparent and include all members. The consultations will be based on the draft texts in agriculture and non-agricultural market access. The director-general will report back to the members as soon as possible.

In statements, members said they remain committed to completing the negotiations by the end of the year.

The ?modalities? are needed so that countries can list their new commitments to reduce tariffs on thousands of products and to cut farm subsidies. The lists will be in documents known as ?schedules? that will run to several hundred pages per country and to tens of thousands of pages for the whole membership. These lists will take several months for each member to compile and in each case for other members to examine and possibly negotiate. ?I will not beat about the bush,? Mr Lamy told delegates in an informal meeting that immediately preceded the formal meeting. ?We are now in a crisis. We are far from the necessary convergence to be able to establish modalities in agriculture and NAMA [non-agricultural market access], despite all the hard work put in by everyone.?

Entire article here

freedom team

they beat brasil, so now what?

Portugal wins against England 3:1

How many more penalty shootouts can we take?
Congratulations, Portugal !

United on the road to Berlin

"It feels better than ever before in Germany now," says Harry Kaesmacher.

It is only half an hour since Germany knocked Argentina out of the World Cup on penalties, so he may be heady with victory, but he sounds convinced.

Many Germans feel football success would make them feel less divided

Since the reunification of Germany in 1990, he says, "we have been a little bit not sure, divided - but now we all take this feeling together and make a better Germany. I feel it all over the country."

There is a billboard in the Potsdamer Platz that harks back to Germany's previous World Cup triumphs.

It says: "1954 Bern; 1974 Munich; 1990 Rome; 2006 Here!"

BBCNews

Close shave puts the Hoff in hospital

David Hasselhoff is having emergency surgery after slicing his hand open in a bizarre shaving accident.

The former Baywatch star - who is in London filming an advertising campaign - severed a tendon in his hand and had to be rushed to St Thomas' Hospital by ambulance.

The 53-year-old's spokeswoman, Judy Katz, told BANG Showbiz: "David had just finished working out in the gym at the hotel where he was staying. He was getting ready to shave and bent down but when he stood up David hit his head on a glass shelf and it shattered.

"Some of the glass got into his hand and cut it quite badly."

She added: "The fact that he needs surgery to repair a tendon suggests it was quite a nasty cut, but he's in surgery right now, and hopefully not in too much pain."

Hasselhoff is best known for his roles as Mitch Buchannon in Baywatch and Michael Knight in the hit 80s TV show Knight Rider.