http://www.whatmattersweblog.com Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:19:20 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en U.S. subprime crisis, Europe and the world economy. Moderated by Thomas L. Friedman http://www.nytimes.com/pages/opinion/index.html http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2011/12/06/paul-krugman-live-on-the-economy/ Just two days ago I had my first chance to experience Airbus' new flagship, the A380 super jumbo on a flight from Miami, FL to Frankfurt, Germany. The 9 hours on the giant double deck aircraft went by quickly. In terms of leg space, seating comfort, noise, and entertainment, the A380 ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2011/07/14/the-a380-experience/ In July 2009 I was participating in a conference in Washington D.C. and New York City where I discussed a hypothetical crisis in the South China Sea with students from more than 100+ countries. The scenario we were discussing was an armed conflict between China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2011/06/28/disputed-waters-in-the-south-china-sea/ The Fukushima Prefecture in Northeastern Japan has been little known to foreigners until the disastrous accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March this year. Watching the terrible consequences of the release of radiation in a densely populated industrialized country has alerted many people around the world. While ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2011/05/09/the-future-of-nuclear-power/ The earthquake that struck Japan on March 11 and the resulting tsunami devastated vast areas of northeastern Japan, left hundreds of thousands of people homeless and killed more than 10,000. On top of all the misery, an out-of-control nuclear plant threatens to contaminate the region. Even though thousands of miles ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2011/03/22/crisis-in-japan-how-it-affects-the-us/ Almost two years ago, I was aboard a Lufthansa Boeing 747 descending over the palm-lined beaches along the shores of the Straits of Malacca, a vital global shipping lane once infamous for piracy, flying into Changi Airport in Singapore. This being my first visit to Asia, I was not only ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2011/03/19/mulit-ethnic-metropolis/ Guest Post by Leon Harris. When it comes to cutting back on your energy consumption, you probably aren't as diligent as you should be.  You may neglect to turn off lights when you exit a room, or leave the computer running day and night because you don't want the hassle of ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2011/02/07/5-creative-ways-to-save-energy/ The current events in Egypt have caused worries worldwide. Since protesters got attacked by President Mubarak's supporters, Egypt could find itself on the verge of a civil war if the government fails to compromise with the protesters and violence escalates.In this case, the entire Middle East could be destabilized within ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2011/02/05/beyond-the-suez-canal/ With Rio de Janeiro being named the host of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, many have already begun speculating about who will take the bid for the 2022 Winter Games. The United States is rumored to be seriously pushing to win the bid. With this win the United States Olympic ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2011/01/22/ioc-looking-to-further-events-achievements/  Common sense suggests that a leader needs followers. Hence leadership is the ability to motivate people to voluntarily follow you. In order to accomplish that you need to possess a set of qualities that benefits your followers and commands respect. Both aspects are very important. The most respected person will ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2011/01/19/reflection-on-leadership/ After all the trouble and difficulties the years 2007, 2008 and 2009 brought along, which could not be solved during 2010, many people are hoping that 2011 will be the year when the economy will find its way back to solid growth to shrink unemployment back to its natural rate ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2011/01/01/welcome-2011/ Travelers going through New York City these days are experiencing similar disruptions due to excessive snow falls caused by a blizzard like many travelers in Europe a week ago. New York's airports shut down and cancelled hundreds of flights, railroad companies switched to weekend or holiday schedules and driving became ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2010/12/28/nyc-snow-chaos/ A leader leads by example not by force. Opportunities multiply as they are seized. - Sun Tzu With Sun Tzu being one of the most famous, China has been blessed with numerous outstanding strategists in influential positions. Sun Tzu, author of The Art of War, was an ancient Chinese philosopher and strategist who lived ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2010/12/22/chinas-strategists/ [caption id="attachment_1178" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="Berlin Tegel Airport, Europe snow chaos December 2010"][/caption] Like tens of thousands of travellers across Europe, I got stuck at Berlin's Tegel airport (TXL) for more than 10 hours on my way from Miami to Munich, Germany just a few days ago. Leaving Miami on a sunny day with ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2010/12/21/the-recent-travel-chaos-in-europe-and-climate-change/ Unlike any other species on this planet, humans have made significant changes to the surface of the earth. Rather than adapting to their environment, humans successfully changed it to suit their way of life. Over the millennia, this has led to unprecedented wealth. However, this wealth is unevenly distributed. To ... http://www.whatmattersweblog.com/2010/07/28/a-nearly-inexhaustible-source-of-energy-conservation/