IBM's Approach, and Results, with Corporate Responsibility

Tom Raferty of Greenmonk interviews IBM VP Stan Litow (MP3) on IBM's approach to Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability, and meeting social challenges, posted on December 2, 2008, is an excellent overview of what IBM is doing. Details are in the IBM Corporate Responsibility website.

Paul Krugman: The Madoff Economy (Dec 19, 2008)

The Madoff Economy by Paul Krugman captures much of what I have been thinking for several years. By luring bright individuals into the financial sector, rather than into other fields, we have reduced the true wealth and the true capacity of our civilization. We can all be angry at those who were dishonest, but maybe we want to ask some questions about the honest people whose work is mostly about concentrating or allocating funds but not about applying them more directly to actual social and human needs.

Film: In A Dream (2008, Jeremiah Zagar, Herzliya Films)

Herzliya Films with Red Lights Films created a truly touching and provocative portrait of an artist and his family. Filmmaker Jeremiah Zagar began in 2001 to film the work and philosophy of his father, Mosaic-maker extraordinare Isaiah Zagar, and his mother, gallery owner Julia Zagar... and through the honesty of his father and his mother, during a period of personal and family challenges, we understand how, for some people, making art becomes the salvation from some of the unresolved demons which haunt their lives.

Very highly recommended. Will be shown in July 2009 on HBO.