My plan for my country-by-country project is to go alphabetically, with a few exceptions. After all, it can take a while to track down a good book or movie about a tiny nation, like Andorra. Meanwhile, I have lots of books accumulated on my shelves about other nations. And that is the case with This… [Read More]
Blog
Afghanistan: The Looming Tower
The first installment in my new global blog post series is Afghanistan. I do not want to visit, because it has been at war for 40 years. Afghanistan is caught among China, Iran, Pakistan, and a host of former Soviet Republics. The Soviet invasion was followed by the military and religious rule of the Taliban,… [Read More]
I Can’t Travel, but I Can Read
I just finished reading Andrew Solomon’s book Far and Away: How Travel Can Change the World, which is really good. He is a wonderful writer and reporter. But the book made me sad for two reasons. First, very few magazines pay for and publish the long and detailed pieces that Solomon did these days. Second,… [Read More]
Recapping Velvet: Season 1, Episode 8, “The Day After”
Warning: there are plenty of spoilers about the Spanish drama Velvet ahead. Fashion Insight: Seamstresses at a high-end boutique don’t know how to wear berets? Really? Spanish Culture Clue: This country has no labor laws? Really? Language Point: The subjunctive is killing me. Gloria arrives at Velvet to drop off the wedding guest list as well… [Read More]
What I’m up to these days
Like many others right now, I am in the job market and available for freelance work. Here’s what I’m looking for: 1) Work with a foundation, think tank, or university research center that would use my communications, economics, and business skills. There aren’t many of these jobs, but they do exist and would fit my… [Read More]
