Education System in Pakistan

The education system is perhaps the strongest tool in the hands of any society to determine the direction of a nation in general and shape the minds of youth in particular. This is the area where havoc has been played in Pakistan and unfortunately no action from responsible position seems to be in the offing. The curricula of the schools were made by those people who were bigots and had very limited understanding of religion. In one such instance they portrayed all those invaders from Central Asia and Afghanistan who in the past invaded the peaceful Indians, as our heroes. This hero worship, perhaps detached the youngsters from the values of their lands and they were entrapped in the illusion of pan-reformism. The Afghan war in the past was fought, predominantly on this mythology. The world supported Pakistan at that time to fight against the former Soviet Union. This war, however had serious cosequences for Pakistan and put the country in serious crises. I believe that international community, if comes forward and helps Pakistan in revamping its education system, the situation can be changed drastically, because Pakistanis by and large are very tolerant and vibrant society. Pakistan is situated on the west of India and south west of China, the two most leading economies, can be a trade corridor for the world.

Information Technology and Governance

Among many others , one major issue facing the developing countries, is the issue of 'good governance'. There is either no representation of the people at all or there is minimal participation of the citizens. The bureaucracies are bulky, sluggish, inefficient, non responsive and corrupt. The rules and procedures are stringent and outdated. Due to deteriorating quality and level of civic services, the citizens are frustrated in those societies. The exponential growth of population, coupled with diminishing access to the basic services like health and education are adding up the people in to a pool of poverty. There is lack of transparancy in the contract procedures. The public officials are not accountable. The courts are not independant enough to protect the citizens from the infringement of their rights. In order to improve the situation, many interventions are required like new laws, decentralization of powers, more allocation of resources to the social sector, administrative reforms etc etc. These are quite necessary and are time consuming. These reforms can be implemented and sustained more effectivly with the use of information technology. The concept of e- government itself leads to increased economy, transparancy, reduction in the size of public officials and enhanced the citizen participatin. I think this is an impotrtant tool, when used wisely can bring enormous changes in the culture of developing countries.

Boston downtown

Yesterday I visited Boston .My wife and kids accompnied me.Walking through the streets , we noticed very old buildings . My children were already familiar with the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre, nevertheless they were curious to know more about the history of this famous town. We walked along the independance line and reached Quincy market. The childern ware amused with the acrobatics and the street dance by the performers. Next we went to the very crowded, Haymarket. We did some shopping there. The children got tired and didn't let me and my wife stay there.We took some snaps near the City Hall. My son was fascinated with the tourist buses and asked me a lot of questions about them. Walking down these streets made me feel like, living in the past. The preservation work of the old buildings was marvelous and these buildings are an evidence of great vision of the founding fathers of America.

US and Japanese Societies

I spent couple of months in Yokohama, Japan in year 2006. During this period I got an opportunity to visit various parts of Japan and got to know the culture, values, progress and system of Japan. They are a great nation. Japanese are a homogeneous society, who are very shy to foreigners, unlike USA which is a very diverse society and always welcomed immigrants. The Japanese have a ‘king’, a very old institution since centuries who has no role in the government and is different from all the world monarchies. He is more a symbol of reverence and cultural values than authority. They have a very unique style of greetings. They are very formal in greetings. Humility, submission, respect and warmness are the characteristics of these greetings. Japanese do not shake hands in the greetings. They are so meticulous in their diet that before each dine they work out calories. They are very clean and if you visit their offices or restaurants , you need to put off your shoes. The environmental standards are very stringent. The homes are their cleanest places. Japanese are predominantly a non religious society, nevertheless Shinto’s is largely practiced followed by Buddhism by a small percentage. The isolation through a process of centuries has made them quiet in their habits. They do not like talking much in the public. So in the trains you can see people either reading , sleeping or sitting quiet. The bullet train is aero plan on land. So fantastic---- unbelievable. If US can boast on being the pioneer in automobile, the Japanese feel pride in talking about the bullet train. They have perhaps ,the best railways system in the world. The question which I am trying to make from this writing is that how the two most cultured societies on the extremes of each other have achieved the best development standards so far known to man—I mean the US society, so pluralistic, democratic, capitalistic, open and diverse in contrast to Japanese , a closed ,conservative, formal and homogeneous society.

East or West -- Dubai is the Best

Some times back I got an opportunity of visiting Dubai. This is one of the most leading cities in that region. I was amazed to see the progress of the city. The high rise buildings, high quality hotels, beautiful villas, a large number of restaurants, wide roads and date palm trees add to the scenic beauty of the city. This is an icon of free market and secularisim on the Arab soil. While moving around in Dubai you do not feel that you are in a third world city. All the credit goes to its former ruler Sheikh Zaid Bin Sultan who being a monarch conceived of a city whoich was to become the buisness, commercial and residential center of the entire region. You can invest money or can have your own house over there.Similarly you can have western life style or the eastern one. You can go to the sea or visit the desert or can have skiing on the snow in the closed doors. This is your choice. The city provides you the environment to adopt the life style of your liking. And I think this is the strenght of any city for its residents. I am quite sure in future this city is going to become a conglomerate of both east and west.

Food Crisis

The invisible crisis which is looming the world, specially the third world is the food crisis. Concurrent to the oil crises the prices of food items have gone alarminly very high. Even the agricultural country like Pakistan which produses most of its food own , is under lot of crises now a days. There are demonstrations against the price hike. In the last four months the prices of oil have increased more than 80 percent. The Pakistani currency has devalued to more than 30 percent in a period of three months . During this period the price of wheat which is a staple food in the country, doubled, a record in the history of the country. The biggest challange for the govrnment is reducing the prices of common items and control the inflationary trends.

Riding and Leadership

Many years back, at the time of pre service training at the Civil Services Academy Lahore, I asked my riding instructor--- why riding was a necessary part of training. He responded that it was a tradition since colonial times. That was not the answer to my question. I raised the level and went to director training and put the same question. He tried to answer me in a way that’ it keeps you healthy and fit’-------- but what correlation does this has with leadership: He elaborated that while riding you learn how to control a horse? He added that horse naturally would never like somebody to sit on it and control it and in this situation it becomes necessary for the rider to control the horse. That answer could not satisfy me as well and I always remained curious to find an appropriate answer for that. Couple of days ago I was reading Heifetz’s book “Leadership without Easy Answers”. From the reading I discovered that adaptive challenges are complex situations and do not have easy and simple answers as compared to technical problems. The riding is distinct from other sports in many ways. Besides rider, it involves horse which has power and will of its own. There is more unpredictabity in this sport as compared with others due to confounding factors. The rider may lose the game if he is not familiar with the psyche of his horse. Similarly any incompatibility between horse and rider may lead to fatal consequences, a serious element of danger, specially for the rider. And finally it is the prompt response from either of the two to be in the race or win the race. All these components in the riding are the important traits of leadership. The leader and the led have to move in tandem in complete harmony to each other. The leadership works in unpredictable situations and adaptive challenges make the leader to think about multiple strategies. He is always quick in responding to any situation. The fear makes him careful from the dangers. In view of the foregoing, my argument is that riding, perhaps can be a useful tool in understanding and developing leadership skills.

Corruption in the Third World

This is one of the most difficult phrase to define, yet most prevalant in my country. This is the dilamma perhaps with every third world country ---lower the level of development, greater the corruption. When this menace creeps in to the society, it results into lawlessness, increased crime, widening gap between the poor and the rich etc. The courts are unable to retain their impartiality and independant in this situation and the police excesses become order of the day.This is, as well an important tool in the hands of dictators and the nascent democracies to victamize their opponents. The classical example in this case is Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan. He is husband of Pakistan's slain leader Mrs. Benazir Bhutto who remained Prime minister of Pakistan twice. Mr. Zardari remained behind the bars for eight years on the charges of corruption during Musharaff regime. The courts did nothing during this period, nor could government prove the charges against him.

Don't Think of An Elephant by George Lakoff

George Lakoff's book, Don't Think of An Elephant: Know your values and frame the debate--the Essential Guide for Progressives, provided fodder for understanding the underlying constructs along the spectrum of American politics. I liked the engaging balance between complexity and common sense presented in the book. I particularly appreciated how Lakoff tackled the issue of lying within the context of political argument. He claims that our subconscious (maybe conscious too?) is more bothered by the motive behind a lie than the actual mis-truth. Our rational mind is intertwined with our emotions, so a lie activates our curiosity both in order to find out if it is true as well as to understand why the teller has chosen it. Lakoff shows how we vote our values over our self-interest when the two conflict, explaining how important the process and principles are in framing political discourse. The three take-aways I will retain from this fantastic guide include:

1. The goal of each party is to extend their model and convince people to buy in by tapping their values. People vote their values more often than self-interest if the two are in conflict.
2. Reason and facts alone are not enough to convince people of a perspective because we only accept facts and arguments that fit into our frames of thinking, based on our values (strict father and nurtrant parent are the two ends of the spectrum).
3. Because of #2, "reframing" arguments is key. How an argument is presented is just as important as the content of what is said the political arena.
4. In reframing, one must be aware of and avoid crossing the chasm of misleading. Betrayal is interpreted as more severe than lying to humans, particularly in politics.

I'm taking a risk by having four great Lakoff points listed here, as I hear at the Kennedy School, good points come in threes. I hope they can fit into the KSG frame of argument synthesis.

Divesity in the USA

The beauty of USA among others has been its vast diversity in its people. This feature proved a great driving force in its innovations and creativity. There are many countries which are pluralist societies, nonetheless, they are still struggling to keep the various entities intact. Sri lanka inspite of its highest literacy rate is far from satisfing the demands of ethnic minority of Tamils. Similarly in the states of Asam and Kashmir, India the biggest democracy is unable to pacify the groups who are asking for freedom. Pakistan is no different. Earlier there had been voices from frontier province and Sindh . Now the government is trying to meet some demands of Baluchs separatists. In US the fear from diversity I feel could be segregation on racial lines.The increasing poverty is apprehended to further aggravate the situation.

So fast!

Today, I went to a hair salon. That was the first time for me to go to American one. In Japan, it takes at least one hour to finish all the process, which includes shampooing, shaving, and haircutting. However, the woman who cut my hair moved her hands so quickly. After ten minutes had passed, she said “Do you like it?”. I thought she tried to make sure her way to cut my hair was going well in the middle of the process. But, as soon as I replied “Yes”, she said “All done”. Then, I realized that she finished cutting, and was amazed a lot. As a result, the way to cut my hair was a little bit rough, but I liked the speed a lot.

Keep on' bloggin'

Ready for more reflections on blogging? Blogging, and the novelty, was quite fun the first few times. Now it is beginning to feel like a chore. I can understand, if I was blogging on a particular topic where I had much to say, that I might enjoy it more. Perhaps I should have tightened the reins myself a bit. Why is it that the wider-open the stage, the harder it is to think of something interesting to write. Tonight, I'm feeling like I'm writing just to write. That's not high-quality blogging in my opinion. Never fear, I will muster some more enthusiasm for my next post.

Myers-Briggs

I signed up to take the CPL Leadership class entitled "Foundations of Leadership: The Inner Journey." Yesterday was our first session and after taking the Myers-Briggs personality test, I found out that I am an ESTJ (Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judging). This categorization did not surprise me much. Most of the traits of an ESTJ fit me well. But I left the workshop wondering what I am supposed to do with this information. Am I supposed to try to be more like my opposite, the INFP? Or maybe these traits are my strengths so I should try to emphasize them more. Should I focus my job search on the types of careers that ESTJ's tend to be attracted to, or will this just be limiting. Are these traits inherited, learned, changable? I thought I would leave the session feeling more confident in knowing myself better, but actually, I feel more lost!

Two Democratic Parties

An opinion poll conducted in Japan said that 58% of Japanese people thought that it may be a good idea to let Democratic Party, which was the biggest opposition party in Japan manage the government, and the percentage exceeds that of people who did not think so. In Japan, Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been a ruling party for a long time. However, because of mismanagement of pension problems and widening disparity between the rich and the poor, many people come to think they need to change the government. Here in the U.S, people cast their ballots in November, and the Democratic candidate may become the president. In Japan too, they have an election this year or at the beginning of the next year, and a Democratic candidate may become the Prime Minister. Thus the situation looks similar. The futures of both countries may depend on Democratic Parties.

A technological dummy

My cell phone broke last weekend and because I still have 3 months before I am eligible for an upgrade, I bought a very basic, no-frills $20 replacement phone. I hardly used all of the features on my old phone, but I knew how to use them if I wanted to and liked that they were there. A friend of mine got an iPhone recently so he very kindly passed down his old phone to me which is about 20 times more high-tech than my $20 replacement. But, it's a Motorola and I have only used Nokia's and LG's before. I can hardly figure out how to answer it, let alone check my voice mail or send text messages. I like to think I am 20-something who is in the loop when it comes to technology. My dad has an iPhone but I have to give him lessons on how to use it. But, this new (old) phone has made me feel like a two year old trying to learn to tie her shoes. I didn't think this sleek little contraption could make me feel so helpless. Hopefully I'll make progress just by playing around with it. I have to master the device by the time I go home for thanksgiving. I can't let my parents see my fumbling around with it like they do with theirs...how embarrassing!

Logic and Emotion

I tended to think that logic and emotion are mutually exclusive. When I was working in Japanese government, I should be logical rather than emotional to persuade my idea was better than other ones. However, I come to change my mind after taking an ethics class here. I found that logic reaches emotion more often than I had expected. Let's say there is a question “why shouldn’t we kill other people?” Some people may say because this impairs other people’s liberties. Then next question comes. Why shouldn’t we impair other people’s liberties? Some may say because it is very precious. Again, why is it precious?,,, If we try to rely on only logic, we cannot finish the sequence. This is because some emotion or intuition is necessary to stop the logical sequence. I do not mean logic is not important, but emotion is also necessary part of logic sometimes.

No love?

As promised, here are the answers to the riddles.

1. "How many conservative economists does it take to change a light bulb?"
None. The darkness will cause the light bulb to change by itself.

2. "How many real men does it take to change a light bulb?"
None. Real men aren't afraid of the dark.

3. "How many IBM engineers does it take to change a burnt out light bulb?"
None. They merely change the standard to darkness and upgrade the customers.

Maybe you can put these in your avoiding-awkward-conversation-arsenal. Anyone got anything better?

Four Candidates?

Today, I watched the debate between Obama and McCain. The debate was held last month too. Everyday media features the two candidates. These situation made me think that there were only two candidates in the presidential election. However, a friend had a piece of paper for absentee ballot today, and I found that there were four presidential candidates in reality. I know only the two have a chance to win in actuality. However, is it fair to give chances to debate on TV only to the two?

Running--a sport for all

I like to go running. One thing that I have come to appreciate about the sport is how accessible it is to almost everyone. All you really need is a pair of athletic shoes (or I guess you could go barefoot if you are tough or on the beach) and you can usually just step out the door and go. You don't have to be experienced or have lessons to be able to do it. It's not like tennis where if you can't hit the ball, the game is over, or like basketball where at minimum you need a court and a hoop mounted up high.

It is also a sport for people of all shapes and sizes. I ran my first marathon 5 years ago and was shocked by the range of people running the 26.2 mile race. Some were elite competitors, but most were doing it as some sort of personal challenge: to raise money for a charity, in memory of a loved one, or just to push beyond their own comfort zone. I made friends during the race. I met a man from my hometown at mile 5, and a woman who had just had her 5th child at mile 20. Perfect strangers would cheer me on as they passed me going up a hill. I was too excited to leave the race after I finished--I just stood at the finish line cheering everyone else on. There does not have to be clear winners and losers in this sport.

I will not deny that the exercise can be painful at times. Sometimes I give in to the snooze button and skip my morning run. But, when I finally get out there on the trail, road, or path, I am motivated by all of the runners around me and am glad I am one of them.

Dear Blog-mates:

In the vein of blogging experiments, I would like to attempt to elicit some "comments" from my colleagues by posting a few jokes in hopes that you will post answers!

1. "How many conservative economists does it take to change a light bulb?"

2. "How many real men does it take to change a light bulb?"

3. "How many IBM engineers does it take to change a burnt out light bulb?"

I will post the answers tonight. Prizes might be awarded;)

"The fog of War"

Yesterday, I watched a movie titled “The fog of War”. This is a documentary movie in which former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara introduces 11 lessens he learned from his experience about national security such as Cuba Missile Crisis and Vietnam War. 11 Lessons are as follows.

Empathize with your enemy.
Rationality will not save us.
There's something beyond one's self.
Maximize efficiency.
Proportionality should be a guideline in war.
Get the data.
Belief and seeing are both often wrong.
Be prepared to reexamine your reasoning.
In order to do good, you may have to engage in evil.
Never say never.
You can't change human nature.

These lessons look so universal that everybody knows all of them without watching the movie. However, knowing them and being able to acting in conformity with them are totally different. According to McNamara, even Kennedy was in the verge of a nuclear war because he misunderstood the intention of the enemy, USSR Communist Party Leader Khrushchev (In this case, he was not able to “empathize with your enemy”, which is the first lesson by McNamara.). I know I am much less mature than Kennedy, and that is why I am studying Kennedy School at Harvard. So, I would like not only to understand what is important, or what is necessary for the good of people, but also to become able to practice those ideas here.

Working for free

Second year MPP students at HKS have to complete a "Policy Analysis Exercise" (PAE) which is basically a year long consulting project with a real client consisting of research, analysis and recommendations for a specific problem or question that the client's organization is facing.

You would think it would be easy to find a client because you are offering free labor from one or a pair of Harvard graduate students. No, finding a client does not seem to be the hard part. Really, how often do you walk by something being offered for free and say "no thanks"? But once the client has been selected and it is time for the project to begin, that energy with which they agreed to take the free help seems to have disappeared. Getting the client to carry their weight in providing background information and access to data and contacts, or just being available to check-in proves to be more difficult.

I don't think HKS would ever consider making PAE clients pay for the students' service but the dynamic between a client and a paid consultant versus an unpaid consultant must surely be different. Though requiring some sort of fee may decrese the quantity of clients showing interest in working with a student on their PAE, I do not doubt that the quality of the relationship and the committment from the client would increase.

Reflection of Blogging Exercise

So it's Day ten. I have to say that I've really enjoyed the experience of blogging. It's far easier than a personal diary and the barriers to entry (obviously) are relatively low. I've learned a lot about using blogging as a vehicle of communication and have had the opportunity to revisit some of the HTML code I learned years ago in undergrad. My only complaint is that I wish this thing had spelling/grammar check!

Thanks for the opportunity!

You can't vote if you aren't registered!

And now for my public service annoucement. The deadlines in many states to register is October 4th. Don't delay...and if you need any more convincing--check out this message from Hollywood.




Also, it appears that public opinion is shifting. For state by state analysis, check out this nifty electoral map!

Reflections of a Blogger

Half-way through this blogging exercise, I stop to reflect on this virtual communication mode. While the accessibility is addicting, I am beginning to see a parallel, or an equation, appearing in the blue tint of the screen. The more I blog, the more I become disillusioned that others’ care to read what I write (never mind this is a closed site), all the while, the postings become more personal. This is a strangely illogical ebb and flow. Or maybe it is tapping into a natural human desire to be known (for more than 15 minutes).

I do understand the usefulness of the on-line diary; many a time, I have clicked on “Trina’s trip to Tibet” or the equivalent, but beyond the trip logs, I find blogging to be several layers deeper in self-absorption than general writing. Now that I come to think about it, blogging isn’t replacing anything (yet). It is simply a new way to share information. But blogging seems to take on an informal tone to it and a rambling nature. TMI. And there is something that feels narcissistic about blogging.

Of course, I claim guilty to all that I suggest. The truth is, our culture’s privacy lines and appropriate limits of self-disclosure have been blurred between all the posting, the clicking and the squinting, never to be the same again. But before I become slave to my own observations and narcisistically disclose all the unimportant details of my day, I will sign off.

Venus and Mars

As the economic crisis has become increasingly uncertain,in my microcosm I've noticed the difference in how women and men handle the situation. May be because I was a former journalist, or may be it's my natural instinct to never be out of the loop, but I can't read or digest enough information on the topic. I need to understand worst case scenario at every minute of the game. I need to understand all points of view, whether I agree with them or not. I'm all about information overload. My male counterparts, have taken a strikingly alternate approach choosing to shield themselves from the proverbial media firehose. My fiance, for example, strictly relies on NPR in the morning and evening for the headlines. His argument is that there is no point in panicking with a situation out of our control. Is this one of those moments where we agree to disagree?

Thursday night preview

Another reason why I am looking forward to the VP Debates Thursday!



However, while most would agree the bar for Palin's performance is set pretty low...here is a rather contrarian point of view suggesting Biden may not know what he is getting into.

Will the Real John McCain Please Stand Up?

Will the Real John McCain Please Stand Up?


While desperation may be a strategy for high reality TV ratings, it’s not if you’re running for President. Let’s just hope the McCain camp is listening.

I first met Sen. John McCain a year ago, as a reporter covering the 2007 New Hampshire Presidential Primary for CNN. Not surprisingly, McCain’s focus, as it should have been, was rebuilding momentum for a campaign many had considered short of dead. As the Republican underdog, he was in for a fight, up against well-funded powerhouses Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson-- Remember them?? Seemingly comfortable in this position, McCain’s strategy consisted of a simple, scrappy, no-holds-bar approach: Let McCain Be McCain.

And so from August to January, McCain did what he knew best, banking his campaign on a win in New Hampshire, while committing himself to honest answers and no bull. This was the guy, after all, who told autoworkers in Detroit and mill workers in New Hampshire’s North Country that their jobs “weren’t coming back.” In turn, he gained credibility and respect—even from those who disagreed with him. Town hall meeting after another, his “Straight-Talk Express” zigzagged the state championing an unpopular war and a crusade against Washington spending and special interests. At his best, McCain cracked jokes, called voters (and reporters) “little jerks,” while simultaneously asking audiences to challenge him. “I’m now ready for your questions, comments and insults,” he’d state before every voter Q & A. Despite long days of exhaustive campaigning, his exuberance carried through the camera lens.

McCain employed a similar approach for the traveling press, answering question after question often to the exhaustion of reporters. One day, after three hours of questioning, myself and a few other reporters acknowledged we had no further questions. Without missing a beat, McCain looked down at my engagement ring and launched into his own love story (to Cindy), his top picks for Honeymoon destinations and wedding planning advice. Evidently, no topic was off limits.

Fast-forward ten months later and the McCain of the primaries is nowhere to be found. With subsequent victories came additional staff, additional strategies, and additional bureaucracies anathema to the original McCain mantra. Straight talk replaced with crooked, convoluted answers, or worse, misrepresentation of truth, facts and figures. Long gone are the days of open access and invited Q&As. The very strategies that propelled McCain to the top are now considered too risky at this stage of the game.

Most jarring are the visual cues of a candidate constrained to a foolish strategy of pandering to his Party’s conservative base. At the first presidential debate, Friday, the Republican presidential nominee, who promised to carry on a “civil debate”, barely acknowledged his opponent, instead choosing to grit his teeth and grin a controlled, sarcastic smile while shaking his head in frustration at the Illinois Senator. Cheap shots—“He doesn’t get it,” were muttered repeatedly. Already known for his temper, McCain played the character of grumpy old man. Today’s poll numbers suggest his performance resonated with viewers. No Hollywood make-up artist could cover up McCain’s desperation.

With thirty-seven days until Election Day, McCain’s strategy is in need of a dramatic overhaul. Simply put, he needs to get back to basics. McCain has excelled on character, heroism, humility, honor and candor-- all traits Americans identify with on the most fundamental level. But by constraining his voice (and Sarah Palin’s for that mater), he has let an antiquated Republican machine take control of his race. Trapped between accommodating multiple voices, McCain has lost site of the most important one-- his own.

Disconnect Between Wall Street and Main Street

Congress' inability to move forward with the bailout bill is reflective of a larger issue--a clear disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street. While Paulson has made strides in explaining the crisis to representatives and the general public, it seems that the average American doesn't quite get the urgency. In negotiations we call this a question of framing, and more specifically not offering the right signals or information to convey the point. As a result, representatives are caught between a rock and a hard place forced to accomodate constituencies who are strongly opposed to the idea of a Wall street bailout. Watching the Dow drop nearly 800 points this week hopefully will send a more clear signal that something needs to be done now. Americans need to understand the greater implications of delay. I'd advise Congress to tell the story differently in terms that the average family can grasp. Remaining vague and using language of "crisis" without specifics to back you up begins a vicious circle for miscommunication. In this crucial moment, the U.S and the word cannot afford any further delay.


Update: Tom Friedman's article in 10/1/08's NYT does just that. Check it out here.

Op-Ed: Winning Hearts and Minds: Proceed With Caution

Radical Islamic extremists and their terrorists tactics are forcing the United States to engage in a new kind of war—a war that can’t be won through military combat alone. Unless accompanied by cross-cultural efforts to build understanding and foster tolerance, clearing out insurgent strong holds will never yield a lasting peace. Might expanding the US Peace Corps—a long established, highly regarded grassroots diplomatic program—to more Muslim countries be an effective complementary strategy in fighting the “War on Terror?”

America’s reputation as a land of freedom, prosperity and promise is being overshadowed by one of a bully and a war monger. Military efforts are necessary to respond to immediate security threats, but these actions have not helped build a global audience interested in hearing about the virtues of a democratic and open society. As fighting continues in Iraq, foreign relations with Iran remain hostile and violence escalates in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the United States needs to repair its image not just with heads of states, but with the non-violent Muslims exposed to the fundamentalist teachings of the extremists trying to recruit new soldiers to join their crusade.

But can a bunch of idealistic American college graduates living in villages in the Middle East really have an impact on winning the hearts and minds of Muslims across the world? The task is enormous compared to the capabilities of the program, but what the impact may lack in breadth, it makes up for in a depth that is genuine and lasting in a way no public diplomacy campaign could ever be. However, just as this unconventional war has required updated military tactics, the Peace Corps must adapt its structure in Muslim countries to reflect the cultural understanding it aims to foster. Jordan being the only Middle Eastern country where the Peace Corps currently exists should serve as a test case for building an effective program before needed expansions are considered.

While most Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs) experience a very free, unstructured and unregulated lifestyle in their host countries, volunteers in Jordan, especially young single females (who usually make up two-thirds of the group), must adhere to strict customs that define culturally acceptable behavior—always covering arms and legs, not being out after dark, not sitting by men on the bus, only talking to men in the presence of family—in addition to abiding by extensive Peace Corps security regulations requiring staff approval of any travel beyond one’s home village. Respecting cultural norms is imperative to gaining the acceptance of one’s community, but doing so while trying to honestly present oneself as an American creates great tension in the role of cultural ambassador.

High “early termination” (ET) rates should be a major concern for an organization whose mission’s fulfillment greatly depends on the number of volunteers in-country. Today, Jordan has the third highest ET rate of the 74 Peace Corps countries with over 50 percent of volunteers choosing to leave within a year of arrival. Daily harassment or spying from other villagers, security concerns or expulsion for unauthorized travel outside the village are common causes of the high turnover.

Restructuring the program to help volunteers adapt to the unique constraints on life as a PCV in a Muslim country will enable a richer more lasting cultural exchange. Allowing volunteers to live in pairs not only has safety advantages but is more consistent with the cultural emphasis on family since no Jordanians live alone, like volunteers currently do. Identifying and training a Jordanian counterpart for each volunteer will cultivate a deeper cross-cultural relationship and facilitate the development of lifelong technical skills. Adjusting travel policies to allow volunteers to meet up with each other on weekends will foster a natural support system, promote the interchange of ideas and end unsafe late night traveling.

Legislation has been proposed in Congress to double the funding and number of PCVs by 2011, the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps. Yet, money should be used to replicate success, not mediocrity. The need for a successful Peace Corps initiative in the Middle East to use as a model for expansion is too great to allow inaction in addressing its weaknesses. Minor adjustments in program structure can have a major impact on fighting terrorism, anti-Americanism, ignorance, racism, and religious fanaticism at home and abroad and should be made before any expansion is considered.

Suzanne Anthony was a Peace Corps volunteer in Jordan in 2005-2006 and is currently studying public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Op-ed:New Prime Minister’s challenge to a taboo in politics

Japan has focused only on its economic growth and averted it eyes away from national security affairs since the end of Second World War. As a result, so many national security issues have remained taboos, which not so many politicians would like to seriously deal with. One of them is the right of collective self-defense. But, New Prime Minister of Japan Taro Aso, who took office after sudden step down by former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on 25th of this month, expressed his willingness to change the current interpretation of the right by Japanese government the next day. I believe Japanese government should not change it, even if the right is necessary for its national security. It should arouse public opinion to deepen discussion of the right instead. Then, the Constitution should be amended to enable the government to exercise the right through the appropriate process of national referendum.

There are two rights on self-defense under international law. One is the right of individual self-defense, which is the right to use armed strength to stop armed attack on a nation. Japan has the right and is permissible to exercise it under the constitution too because Japanese people cannot protect themselves without it. Another is the right of collective-self defense, which is the right to use armed strength to stop armed attack on other countries with which a nation has close relations, although it is not under direct attack. According to the current Japanese government interpretation of the right, it has the right under international law, but is not permissible to exercise it since it exceeds the limit of use of armed strength as permitted under the Constitution.

I agree with the Prime Minister because the right is necessary for its national security, For example, international security situation has changed a lot since the end of Cold War. What is especially critical for Japan is proliferation of ballistic missiles around the world. So many countries have the missiles and they become imminent threats for Japan. In reality, North Korea launched many missiles into Japan Sea for many times in the last 10 years. That is why Japanese Self Defense Forces (SDFs) are building anti-ballistic missile defense system now (Current Japanese Constitution does not permit the government to have Army, Navy and Air Force. So, it has SDFs instead of them. Their main role is defense of Japan, and do not have weapons which can be regarded as ones just for offense such as aircraft careers).

The missile interception mission would be fight against time because the missile can reach Japan in a matter of minutes. In this situation, the commander in charge of the mission has to order missile troops to launch interception missiles as soon as possible. But, there is one difficulty for him/her. Because Japanese government is not permissible to exercise the right of collective self-defense, it cannot intercept missiles headed to other countries. This means the commander needs to judge whether a missile is certainly being headed to Japan or not before his/her order to shoot it down. If a missile intercepted by SDFs seemed headed to Japan but was actually launched against other country, the interception mission would be unconstitutional. This problem may prevent the commander from making a quick judgement.

Nevertheless, I object to the idea of changing the current interpretation of the right. One reason is it has a possibility to lead to endless expansion of interpretation. The Constitution should always be interpreted as the same. Of course, it may have a gray area where the interpretation cannot but slightly vary, but the change of interpretation which enables the government to exercise the right of collective self-defense is in a different dimension. If the government could change interpretation of the constitution in an arbitrary manner without amending it, it would become serious threat to the people’s freedom.

Therefore, the government should explain the necessity of the right to the people to make them focus on and have a deep discussion of the matter. Then, amendment of the constitution should be realized through the appropriate process of national referendum.

Ryota Nakatsuji, Master of Public Policy Candidate at Harvard Kennedy School, was a chief cabinet official in charge of National Security at Japanese Cabinet Secretariat and chief defense official at Japanese Ministry of Defense.

Op-Ed Assignment Suspension: a tradition and a travesty

Our public schools mirror prisons, on the outside and the inside. Aside from similar aesthetic architectural negligence, public schools use a system of consequences. In the same way criminals are sent to jail, schools remove the bad apples through the practice of suspension. But the purpose of school is to educate, not to exclude. Too often, the punishment addresses the outcome, not the root of the misbehavior. Suspension is a school tradition that needs to be reexamined and replaced.

In case you have no first-hand knowledge from being sent to the principal’s office, a suspension is a period of time in which a student is barred from attending and participating in school due to disruptive behavior. This means receiving no academic instruction during this period of punishment. None. While intended to encourage safety and order, the widely accepted practice of suspension makes two glaring assumptions.

First, it assumes students want to be in school. The graver the infraction, the more days out of school awarded as punishment. Save extreme cases like concealing a weapon, acts of disobedience in school are often caused by boredom. You might act out too if you had to sit in the same place for hours and engage in drill and kill math problems to pass the standard MCAS. Mandating absence for a student who does not want to be in school and expecting their behavior to change wouldn’t fly with Pavlov.

Second, suspension assumes that mere time and distance from the classroom will cure a student from their wily ways. In serving a suspension, children spend more time outside of school; time that is likely unsupervised, unstructured and unproductive. Think of all the enticing ways to get in trouble outside of school. There are myriad opportunities for misdemeanor, many of which have grave consequence to society.

Teachers will say that one bad apple ruins a bunch so they often resort to extricating the students who are behaving poorly. With 31 students in a classroom, teachers can say they have no choice when a student acts up and affects others learning. While a student is suspended, the seductive experience of a disruption-free classroom reinforces teachers’ beliefs that suspension works. It works for the teacher, but not for the student. When the student returns, so do the same problems including their underlying causes. Often the problems multiply because serving a suspension means missing class, so the student returns to a class where he/she is now behind. Because they are falling behind, they often act out. According to Pedro Noguera, an urban sociologist from New York University, students who have been suspended are more likely to be suspended again. Students can internalize the reputation of “bad kid” that they are handed after a string of suspensions. Suspension is an undeniable downward spiral with no hope for rehabilitation.

How can an institution designed for teaching and learning ignore the futility of this practice? To continue to engage in suspending students, knowing it is ineffective is nothing short of a travesty. The bottom line is that suspension does not provide incentive or strategies for behavior change. If a child makes a mistake and receives punishment without correction, will they ever get it right? Instead of taking the time to find out what is really going on with a child, the school points a firm finger toward the door.

There’s no time to waste. Schools suspensions and zero-tolerance policies are on the rise, affecting in particular, the students most often neglected in public education: low-income males of color, students with special needs, English Language Learners and students with social or emotional challenges. Every day, more students are being sentenced to fail.

If “closing the achievement gap” is more than rhetoric, we need a new approach. Instead of jumping to suspend, schools must take the time to examine what is behind the misbehavior. The school counselor should be involved in looking for patterns of behavior so that students can avoid the revolving door of suspension. On a programmatic level, schools could work to make classes more engaging. It is not a coincidence that effective teachers have few classroom management issues.

In conversations about education reform, people throw around phrases like “the achievement gap” and “proficiency” and “differentiated instruction,” but the word “suspension” is habitually left out of the equation. I urge you to examine the absurdity of suspension as a viable practice. Schools must take responsibility to keep students out of the prisons and to keep the prison out of the school.

Mara Schanfield of the Harvard Graduate School of Education is a school guidance counselor-in-training.

Empowering vs. pimping

Thursday's class, aside from being wildly entertaining (McCarthy: "Hilary's health care policy explanation is so long that you're sick by the end..."), left me thinking about something with which I have long struggled. As we discussed, Bill Clinton was the master of connecting pathos and logos in a convincingly, heart-warming or heart-wrenching way that engages the audience and can move them to action. Deconstructing this tactic and seeing how Hilary and Barack learned to use its power was interesting.

Shaz raised her hand during this discussion to make an important point. She stated that sometimes drawing on pathos through a story about an individual (like Sally from Wisconsin) seems exploitative. An alarm went off in my head-- I believe this dilemma to be the crux of my struggle in the arena of public speaking.

For the past four years, I worked for an educational non-profit. Once a year, we would have a huge fund-raiser ($250/plate). The photo to the right is an 8th grade student, bravely sharing the story of his life, his dreams and his struggles with in intimate crowd of 1,000 high-rolling guests. As he finished, they could be seen whiping their eyes and whipping out their checkbooks. This student evoked the same Bill-esque pathos.

I can understand the logic of providing a speaking opportunity for a young, talented student whereby converting his pathos into dollars so that many more young, talented students like him can benefit. But while this young scholar raising funds with his words alone, he is unknowingly and concomitantly strengthening stereotypes. Furthermore, I fear that the donors in the room do not see the student for his individuality; but rather as one who "made it" by resisting the pressures of drugs and violence in "his" community. This divide grows larger when donors witness the story being told first-hand because as the return to "their" community, they recount the gruesome details of a young man's life as if it were a front-page story. Donors return home to the same beliefs that have kept economic and racial stereotypes too near the reality. While I cannot oppose receiving the donors' checks at the end of the night, I would feel better if I saw beliefs changing in a way that could alter the economic stratification represented in the room. The donors will still lock their car doors when they drive through "his" neighborhood.

The conflict arises in the friction between the individual and the greater good. The student pictured gets an empowering chance to touch lives and share his story. He says ever since his father had a heart attack, his dream is to become a cardiologist. When it is time for him to go to medical school, where will the donors be? A great lyricist once said, "Who's pimpin' who if nobody gets a second chance?"

Palin Speaks

By most accounts Palin flunked her third media interview.

What struck me was the Alaskan Governor's noticeable lack in confidence. This was quite a remarkable shift from the "pittbull with lipstick" persona she created just a few weeks ago. 

The media was less kind--Here are some of the reviews:

-The Christian Science Monitor reports GOP strategist Rob Stutzman said McCain needs to participate in tonight’s debate “to bury the Palin CBS interview!”

-The New York Times writes, "Her first interview, with the ABC News anchor Charles Gibson was too hard. The second, with Sean Hannity on the Fox News Channel, was too soft. The third, however, did not turn out to be just right."

-The LA Times Headlines takes the cake: "Palin Talks to Couric--and if she's lucky, few are listening"

Check it out for yourself. 

It's not just attention, it's action that counts

Friday, Sept. 26, 2008- Blog #5

I am interested in K-12 public education reform. At the Kennedy school I have become more educated and more involved in this subject through my classes, summer internship, and extra-curricular groups. Last week we had two prominent leaders, former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift and Harvard Law School Professor Stephanie Robinson represent McCain and Obama, respectively and debate the candidates' education platforms. It was a lively discussion (more so than a debate because they agreed on so much) between two people who are very knowledgeable and passionate about the topic. But, while I left feeling energized, I was also disappointed because neither candidate himself has shown as much engagement and energy toward addressing the huge education problems that exist as their representatives do. Whether you like the No Child Left Behind law or not, you can not deny that President Bush is engaged and took some action on the issue which helped raise the public awareness surrounding it.

As the economy falls apart, gas prices rise and the war in Iraq continues, I have little hope that an education reform initiative will come out of the presidency of either candidate. I am not trying to make a judgement on which of these issues is more or less important. Rather, I feel like education and its importance to the strength of our democracy, economy and foreign relations is interconnected with all of these issues in the long run but easy to ignore in favor of short term fixes and political gains.

Arts of Communication in a class

Yesterday I attended a statistics class (API201A), which was one of core classes for MPP students. Since my major was economics when I was an undergraduate in Japan, I know some basic rules of statistics and do not need to learn it. However, I enjoy the class every week because I found the way of teaching here was totally different from that in Japan. Here, professors often use examples and lay emphasis on practical application of some rules to real cases, which helps me understand them more deeply. In Japan, that kind of theories tends to be discussed very abstractly, which I believe prevents many students from becoming fond of statistics. Therefore I feel that “Arts of Communication”, which is the way to teach statistics here is very important even in graduate school classes.

Not so Straight-Talking

Because every politician needs a good scolding...

Source: Christian Science Monitor

Harvard Libraries Review

Thursday, September 25, 2008- Blog #4

It’s easier to write about things you feel like you have some knowledge of or experience with. As classes are now in full swing, I resumed my exploration of the many different libraries on Harvard’s campus which I started last year. This is my way to venture out of my little Kennedy School bubble and make hours of reading, studying and paper writing more interesting. Here is my review of a few :

Widener Library- beautiful building and lots of natural light in the daytime; the main reading room is big and very quiet; the long tables are nice to spread out on but the chairs have these armrests that prevent them from being pushed in close to the table, an issue if you are like me and like to get right up close to your work; it’s only open until 10pm on weeknights so does not really attract the all-nighter population.

Lamont Library- this one is basically open 24/7 so definitely attracts the all-nighter population as well as freshmen who like to think they are there to study, but really just want to flirt with the cute boy or girl across the room or throw spit balls at their roommate. But it does have some big comfy chairs, a café, classrooms that are good for group work and it’s the closest one on the list to my house.

Law School Library- another beautiful building like Lamont with a big reading room and long tables. The high ceilings and portrait of US presidents who went to Harvard definitely make you feel like you are at Harvard University. There are two free coffee machines with gourmet flavors like hazelnut and french-vanilla that can really brighten up you day of studying. But, there are often many law students around so a space to claim as your own can be hard to find. This is probably why the library is closed to non-HLS students during exam time.

Baker Library at Harvard Business School- Like everything else on the HBS campus, this one feels very exclusive and not welcoming to non-HBSers. I have only been there once and though the building looked big from the outside but I could not figure out how to get to any other parts of the library beyond the small reading room. This one maybe needs more exploring because I am sure there are many beautiful, well furnished reading rooms. And if the law school library offers free coffee, just think what HBS may have…if you can find it!

Japan Trip

Yesterday, I attended a meeting to decide what to do this year as a Japan Caucus at Kennedy School. The caucus comprises almost all the Japanese students here. One of the biggest activities is "Japan Trip", which is a week trip to Japan in spring. Last year, about 40 to 50 people participated in the trip, and went to Hiroshima, which is famous for the atomic bomb memorial dome, Kyoto, which is an old capital, and Tokyo for three days. But we plan to stay there for a week this time, and go to more places from traditional Japanese cultural places to very modern Japanese production factories. (Now this is only a plan and we have not decided yet where to go exactly.) This is because we believe that experiencing both traditional side and modern side of Japan enables people to understand real Japan, and three days are too short to understand both sides. At first sight, modern side of Japan looks totally independent from its traditional side, but both sides are complexly related to each other. If you are interested in Japanese culture, it may be good idea for you to join the tour.

Reflections on blogging

They say medical students often go through a period of hypochondriacal illness; thinking they have every disease they read about. I'm beginning to wonder if this might be true of counselors too, but in a different way. It's not that I believe that my own psychopathology includes everything in the DSM. It's just that my daily work includes a lot of thinking about thinking. I pay exhorbitant attention to the mineutia around every interaction and relationship in my life. It's getting to be exhausting!

Ever since high school, I've been a journaler. I thought blogging would feel similar. But the fact that it is semi-public makes me watch my grammar and choose my words more carefully than freelancing on the blank pages of my journal. Interestingly, as a counseling student, I am finding blogging to be more difficult because at the end of a long day of analyzing others and communicating, I'm tired of reflection. After spending three hours in my intense "group counseling" course tonight, all I want to do is stop reflecting, stop summarizing, stop communicating effectively, and put the breaks on appropriate self-disclosure. In every class, I must examine my own beliefs inside and out, discuss the process, pay attention to the interactions and the relationships between myself and the students and teachers with whom I work.

I have always thought of counseling as a healthy break from the daily stresses, a time to sit down and unload. But do counselors need counselors? Of course, best practices would suggest that a counselor needs to understand what it's like to be the one on the couch. That is hard to argue. However, I'm starting to wonder if there is a limit to how much attending, processing and reflecting one can do before it is rendered null and ineffective. I'd pontificate on that a bit more, but I'm all reflected-out. Maybe I should connect with a virtual blogging counselor.

My Favorite Things

It's a beautiful day in Cambridge. The sunshine of late summer is beaming bringing warmth to the cooler temperatures of early fall. It's on days like this that it is easy to say, "Isn't New England lovely." However come February, when the dirty snow is mounded up on top of my car and the grey skies darken into a sunset at 4 pm, I will not be so fond of calling Boston my home. But, because I am an optimist and generally a happy person, I will put aside those negative thoughts and as Fraulein Maria would do, write a blog to "my favorite things." Just like a nice sunny day in late September, it's the little things that make me happy.

Google text- I don't own a fancy gadget that gives me the internet, email, GPS, mp3's and everything else I would every want to know at my finger tips 24/7. But, Google Text definitely comes through in a pinch for phone numbers and addresses, the weather report and some random trivia. Just text your question to 46645 (GOOGL) and in a seconds you find out what you want to know, for free!

Pedestrians obeying sidewalk etiquette- I am a runner and try to stick to the sidewalks rather than run on the road next to cars flying by. We have rules of the road for driving, so it makes me crazy when pedestrians do not apply the same type of etiquette to the sidewalk. Staying to the right, saying "excuse me" to pass by someone, cars yielding to the crosswalks, and (this one may be a stretch here in Boston,) smiling at people when you pass by –Yes, even perfect strangers.

Audio version of the Economists- You can download a full audio version of the Economist each week to your iPod, for free. Though the Economists is a great news source, it is sort of intimidating to read each week with it pages full of dense text and few graphics, advertisements or celebrity photos to break up the stories. But I find the audio version much more manageable, and I can easily skip through to the stories that interest me the most. I can listen to it when I run, walk to school or cook dinner. Plus, the British accents are pretty cool too.

Price adjustments- Most retail stores have a "price adjustment" policy; you just have to ask. Here is how it works: Say you go to the Gap and buy yourself a new sweater and pay full price. A week later you walk by the store and see your new sweater now on sale for 50% off. For up to 14 days after the day of your initial purchase, you can go back into the store with just your receipt and if the price has gone down, they will credit you for the difference. How great is that!

The best part of all of these favorite things is they cost me nothing, and maybe even make me a little bit smarter or happier every time I use them. "When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I am feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad."

Palin-Press Corp Animosity

The McCain-Palin camp appears to be taking censorship to a new level. Politics aside, cutting a candidate off from reporters is problematic for two reasons: 1) it gives off a perception that the campaign is hiding something and 2) when Palin DOES eventually speak, her words will be even more scrutinized. Granted expectations are low for Palin in next weeks VP debates, but sequestering her from the press only seeks to build up anticipation as folks wait with baited breath for what she'll say next.  

As a former reporter who has covered McCain, this switch in campaign philosophy is startling. McCain's often referred to the press as his "third base," not the best compliment for us, but suggestive of a larger point--he has historically been an "all access" kind of guy. What changed? The stakes. The McCain of 2000 lost, and his advisors are making sure it doesn't happen again. 

It's unclear what specific role Palin will lend to the campaign over the next 41 days as a silent figurehead limited to staged appearances and scripted speeches. For a campaign that has prided itself on "Country First," however, it should reevaluate its opinion of the 300 million Americans that make up this nation--they aren't stupid and will demand substance sooner rather than later. 

What happened 24th of September in the past?

Today is 24th of September in 2008. I looked up what happened today in the past. In 1877, Takamori Saigo, one of the most famous Japanese historical persons killed himself during the war between the government army and rebellious troops he led. Then, Japan was in a transitional period from Edo period, in which many Japanese feudal lords followed by professional soldiers, which was called “Samurai”, governed their countries to Meiji period when new centralized Japanese government controlled the country. Takamori contributed to creation of the new Japanese government and therefore was a top government official.

However, he felt sorry for many soldiers in his hometown who lost their jobs because of collapse of the traditional feudal system, and he left the government. When he was asked to become a leader of rebellious groups consisting of ex-professional soldiers who lost their jobs, he accepted the offer. Even though the rebellious troops were made up of ex-professional soldiers, new centralized government army which consisted of newly trained solders most of whom were not professional solders in Edo period defeat it. When Takomori realized that he would not be able to win the war, he committed a suicide.

Barack Obama on Education

"Morally untenable." That's how Barack Obama describes the current inequalities in public education. Obama gave a compelling speech in Dayton, Ohio on September 9, 2008 where he clearly laid out his education platform: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGdyEv_irmA

Obama spoke for 35 minutes and 50 seconds. He is a compelling speaker with a vision for change in our country. In the realm of education, his dreams and promises are insightful and comprehensive.

Obama calls for reform on four main fronts. He delineated his desires with conviction and hope. First he calls for changing teaching by the cliched raising expectations but he ads a twist; he says the government must provide adequate support for teachers hold up these high expectations. Next he calls for reforming what we teach our children. Like many experts, he suggests that traditional curriculum is not enough in the 21st Century. We need to teach skills like decison-making, problem-solving and team-working so that America can compete in the global marketplace. Obama knows this will take new technology in the classrooms and extended learning time. He slyly comments this would be affordable in exchange for a day or two of fighting in Iraq. Third he commits to investing in charter schools in order to increase healthy competition for resources within districts. Last, Obama promises to improve the quality of teachers in our schools by considering performance-based pay.

By closing his remarks with a cry for the responsibility we must all assume around the importance of the home and child-rearing, Obama not only was able to expound on his vision of education beyond the walls of our schools, he also helped the public see that family values, an issue that has won and lost elections, are to be preserved when he is elected.

Yes we can.

My Sweet Tooth

Tuesday, Sept 23- Blog #2

I am a sucker for home-made baked goods. I love everything about them: shopping for hard to find ingredients; careful measuring and mixing; waiting anxiously for them to cool enough to taste; and sharing the deliciousness with others. I am an avid reader and buyer of cookbooks—every recipe is a new challenge and opportunity to add to my culinary repertoire. I don't doubt that I often get invited to parties because people know I will bring a freshly made cake or warm pan of brownies. I can't help myself.

But it makes me sad to hear people say that baking is too hard or takes too long, so they’ll just stick to pre-packaged Twinkies and Chips-Ahoy cookies. They are missing out on so much! So I will use this blog entry to share one of my secrets…“baking” does not have to be hard, time consuming or even involve an oven. For example, it’s amazing the desserts you can create with the breakfast cereal of your choice—it’s like taking rice krispie treats to a whole new level. I have included a few of my quick and easy favorites below. So next time you need to supply a bake sale, bring a treat to a pot-luck dinner or just have a craving for a sweet concoction, try one of these no-bake cereal bars. Bon Appetite!

O' Henry Bars
· 1 cup sugar
· 1 cup light corn syrup
· One 18-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
· 5 cups of Special K cereal
· One 11-ounce package butterscotch chips
· One 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips

Have ready a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and syrup. Bring just to a boil, then remove from the heat. Add the peanut butter, stirring to combine. Add the cereal and stir until well combined. Pat the mixture to form an even layer in the baking dish and set aside to cool to room temperature. Melt the butterscotch and chocolate chips together, cool slightly and spread evenly over the cereal mixture. When the topping has completely set, cut into squares (or any size you'd like).
Makes about 3 dozen 1-inch squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrap for the freezer and freeze for up to 10 days.
Source: washingtonpost.com

Golden Grahams S'mores Bars
· 3/4 c. light corn syrup
· 1 (11.5 oz.) pkg. milk chocolate chips
· 1 tsp. vanilla
· 3 tbsp. butter
· 9 c. Golden Grahams cereal (12 oz. box)
· 3 c. miniature marshmallows

Grease rectangular pan, 9x13x2 inches. Heat corn syrup, butter, and chocolate chips to boiling in 3-quart saucepan, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal in a large bowl; toss until completely coated with chocolate. Fold in marshmallows, 1 cup at a time. Press mixture evenly in pan with buttered back of spoon. Let stand until firm, at least 1 hour. Cut into squares. Store loosely covered at room temperature, no longer than 2 days.
Source: cooks.com

A TV Program

SEP/23/2008 Ryota NAKATSUJI

Last week, I found an article about a popular Japanese TV program in a Japanese newspaper. In the program, a person has to live with 10,000 yen (which is nearly equal to 100 dollars) for a month. To make a life with 100 dollars, he has to cook with cheap ingredients. For example, he sometimes goes to a mountain to pick up some vegetables for free. (Strictly speaking, some people may think the gas cost to go there should be included in the 100 dollars, but it is excluded here.) Another example is cooking hamburgers not with beef but with pasted beans.

According to the article, this program will be exported from Japan to the U.S. next year. I guess this is because it will take some months to dub the program into English. Since we are students at Kennedy School, we may be busy with studying. But, I recommend you to watch the program in your free time once.

Upper Crust Pizza

I figured this might be a unique opportunity to give you my take on one H-square restaurant newcomer. 

So I finally tried Upper Crust Pizza on Brattle Street. Normally, I prefer to support small businesses over franchises, but after weeks of seeing those delivery boys with brown boxes on bikes, I figured it was time to check it out.

What UCP lacks in interior ambiance (note: I would not go there for a sit down meal), it certainly makes up for in taste and quality of its slices--they are top rate. On this particular evening, unwilling to commit to a full pie,  I ventured for their "slice of the day," --Mozzarella, Tomato Pesto Pizza. While a touch oily from the pesto, the slice had the right proportions of each ingredient: fresh buffalo mozzarella, fresh roasted diced tomatoes and dollops of basil salty goodness. Perhaps more impressive was the crispy to doughy ratios of the crust to pie. It was executed perfectly. At $3 a slice, I was left right of satisfied but not stuffed. Simply put, this is good bang for the ol' grad school buck. 

Harvard Square has long lacked a decent down-home pizzeria--until now. Complacent pizzerias (Crazy Doughs, Pinnochios and ,to some extent, Cambridge 1), I'd start preparing (if you haven't already) for some serious competition. 

No More Investment Banks

I am still in disbelief that independent investment banks are no more.  Clearly Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley made this decision out of weakness, but it is still unclear to me what the end repercussions will be. Having worked on Wall St, I find Goldman's decision the most shocking. Goldman has long been considered the Gold Standard...will it now be runner up to Bank of America? Will we see Goldman ATMs on every corner? I'm still unclear if this choice will help the average American in the long run. It seems like this whole situation is about imperfect information and holding our breath. 

Casting my net out into the bloggosphere

First of all, I do not even know how to spell "bloggosphere"....does it have two g's?! If that doesn't give me away as a novice blogger, I may as well sign off. I do have to admit that I love the language that technology has spawned and verbed. It makes me feel a sense of pride to be part of a generation that is expanding the modes and spheres of communication and free speech. Now, "casual encounters" on Craig's list leaves much to be desired in terms of a movement. But to think that the words "blog" and "vlog" and even the verb "texting" didn't mean much 10-15 years ago suggests that the speed of social change may be growing as rapidly as you can illegally download a new song.

The curious thing about blogs is that they are uncensored (right?). No grammar police, no Ms. Manners....and anyone can read your blog. I wonder what kind of effects these new forms of expression will have on education. There is potential for technology to further people's capacity to obtain knowledge by bombarding them with all types of literature and media. However just as potent could be the misspellings, poor verbage and abbreviations that could have a negative impact on literacy. This goes even beyond the written word. I find myself zoning out more often on the road because I know my trusty GPS will steer me back on the right track. Furthermore, the GPS (while it has saved me time and frustration from countless wrong turns in Boston) is affecting my ability to navigate on my own and my feelings of self-efficacy in navaigation; I am becomming reliant on a machine.

Over the next two weeks, I will experiment with different styles of writing; "blog-sampling" in essence. Perhaps I will become as dependent on this cathartic method of expressing myself and the allure of sharing one's own thought medleys wilth whoever will read them. Or perhaps I will find that I shy away from the public attention of people reading my online diary. In this blog eat blog bloggosphere, I will learn if I can hack it, figuratively.

Sad Story

Last day was quite horrifying for me like all those people who watched television . In the evening of September the 21st, the life was in full bloom at the beautiful Marriot Hotel Islamabad which had in fact become the cultural place in the city when a powerful explosion rocked the city. The hotel was immediately engulfed in smoke and flames. The mutilated and burnt dead bodies seen scattered. There was hue and cry all around and the people who survived the tragedy were running in fear and despair. The sirens of the ambulances and firefighting vehicles were further making the environment scary and gloomy.I could not read the whole day. It was no more over there where I spent good moments chat with my foreigner and Pakistani friends.The terrorists had taken more than sixty lives , making more than two hundred severely wounded and many more home less, besides damage of property to the tunes of millions of $ US. The International community responded immediately. The White House assured the government of Pakistan its full support and cooperation. The terrorism is global and we all have to rise to the occasion and fight concertedly against hand ful of terrorists. I as a student of Kennedy School deem it obligatory to promote the high values of tolerance, democracy and freedom in a profound and robust way.

Another election to decide a leader.

Now American people are focusing on the coming U.S presidential election. George W. Bush has assumed the U.S presidency since 2000. During the eight years, Japan has four Prime Ministers, who are Mori, Koizumi, Abe and Fukuda even though Koizumi had been a Prime Minister for five years, which was longer than most Prime Ministers in the past. And Japanese people will have fifth Prime Minister tomorrow, who is Aso. I do not think changing a leader of a country so often is a good idea, because it leads to unstability of the country. I hope Mr. Aso will serve out his term of office.

Why I dislike blogging

Blog #1- Monday, Sept. 22

As I sit down to write my first blog entry, I realize how uncomfortable this exercise in blogging makes me feel. I don't like the thought of being forced to say something, anything, and put it out there for the world to associate with me without even knowing who I am. Yes, I know that only eight other people will be reading this—if they do even read it—but still, I somehow feel naked and yearn for my privacy. The readers do not know me, and I have to put something down on this blog which will start to define myself to them. I hate defining myself.

It's not like I have not been through this before. Aren't school and job applications just the same thing, but more contrived? I can sum myself up for an admissions committee in 500-words or less, but the thought of writing a few words on any topic of my choice scares me. Where do I begin?

I have actually "blogged" before, though I didn't know that was what it was called at the time. When I was serving in the Peace Corps in Jordan, I set up my own website and posted journals and photos in lieu of sending mass email updates to my friends. But as the counter reading 3,684 hits confirms, my Peace Corps “blog” has been read by many perfect strangers from countries across the globe, some of who have even emailed me their comments. Strange how this very public display of detailed personal stories and commentary on my immersion into Arab and Muslim culture did not scare me at all—it actually felt liberating. It was my only effective means to really communicate this intense experience to those I know and for the perfect strangers, it was my way of helping build cross-cultural awareness and understanding. But this was blogging for a very defined purpose that I was committed to; maybe that was the difference.

I don't think I'll be able to get out of this blogging assignment, so I might as well embrace it. It is a new type of opportunity to create a first impression and the range of approaches are endless. Stay tuned…