June 2008
Chicago is the Creative Capital of ohe Universe. Discuss.
Skyscrapers, green roofs, and house music -- a very American metropolis.
Chicago is the Creative Capital of the World. Discuss.
The city's elite talk about why the city is fast.
Honorary Degrees for Michael R. Bloomberg and Other Luminaries
It's diploma season again, which means not only that a new batch of students will soon be facing the reality of the workplace but also that universities will be handing out honorary degrees. A look at several honorees -- and how they earned their doctorates.
Global City of the Year: London
Where one of every eight works in a creative industry.
Mining Copper in Zambia
I ask Xiao Ye, an Africa statistical researcher for the World Bank, whether a clear chart or table exists laying out the full extent of China's economic involvement in Africa. "I don't know anyone who has done such a thing," he responds. "As far as I know, China no longer releases foreign direct investment to Africa country by country." Or as Lucy Corkin, the China-Africa think-tank expert, explains, "You've got Africa, the big black hole of data, and China, the big black hole of data -- put the two of them together and it's a disaster."
Feedback
Letters. Comments. Gripes.
Copenhagen’s World Barista Championship
At the World Barista Championship in Copenhagen, Denmark, from June 19 -- 22, coffee makers from around the globe will go cup-to-cup. Here's a look at the most popular caffeine-delivery system on earth.
China’s New Oil Supplier
When my plane smacks down in Equatorial Guinea -- where if the captain misses the runway, you could end up in Cameroon -- I become the first American journalist to visit this pint-sized republic (population: 550,000) in nearly three years. That was when Equatoguinean officials forced two American reporters to leave after they'd spent just a few days in Malabo, the capital, asking questions. One of them, Peter Maass, was booted for "spying" simply for walking down a street chatting with a European ambassador.
Texas Oil Tycoon Tackles Renewable Energy
Texas tycoon T. Boone Pickens has been dubbed the "Oracle of Oil." So why is he building the world's largest wind farm?
Best Cities for Innovation
Cities to watch, from Abu Dhabi to Orlando.
U.S. City of the Year: Chicago
Skyscrapers, green roofs, and house music -- a very American metropolis.
China Surpasses U.S. as Leader in Sub-Sahara
That the West is losing the sub-Sahara does not come as news in Africa itself. One leader after another has been explicit on this point, from Senegal's president ("Today, it is very clear that Europe is close to losing the battle of competition in Africa") to Botswana's president ("I find that the Chinese treat us as equals; the West treats us as former subjects") to Nigeria's president at a banquet for China's President Hu ("This is the century for China to lead the world. And when you are leading the world, we want to be very close behind you").
Mineral Wealth of the Congo
A simple stroll down the streets of Kinshasa reveals how precarious life has become in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This city of ugly half-finished buildings radiates both the optimism and the paranoia of a gold-rush town. Government banners strung across main avenues urge the citizens to stay cool: no more violence, no more hatred, no more manipulation and change your mentality.
China Saps Mozambique of Timber Resources
In a 4x4 vehicle arranged by a local group that monitors Mozambique's forests, I travel to Maganja da Costa in the once-heavily-wooded Zambezia province, the country's poorest. Maganja is a tiny district, a five-hour drive along tortuous, dusty roads -- traveled by villagers on bicycles with huge bags of firewood on their heads -- from Quelimane, one of the country's main port cities. Quelimane was journey's end for Livingstone on his trek from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean in 1856. But it is the start of my trans-African journey.
Benefits of Buying “Local”?
Exploding the myths, presumptions, and pretensions of the "buy local" bullies.
Evolutionary Economics: Bottom Up Solutions to Business Problems
A new science called evolutionary economics offers fresh insights into how the business landscape isn't controlled from the top.
Dirty Marketing Campaigns
How marketers create disgust and embarrassment -- and why we shouldn't put up with it.
Robert Scoble on the Best iPhone Applications
Eighteen programs that add skyrockets to your "genius phone."
Audiobrain Meets NBC: Creating Music for the Beijing Olympics
How Audrey Arbeeny and Michael Sweet use sound to help NBC orchestrate its Olympic coverage into narrative storytelling
American Apparel’s New Image
In the beginning, American Apparel put a "sweatshop free" label on its t-shirts. But sex turned out to be a better sell than good labor practices. Lessons in the limits of altruism.
Applaud: Congratulations, Graduates!
It's diploma season again, which means not only that a new batch of students will soon be facing the reality of the workplace but also that universities will be handing out honorary degrees. A look at several honorees -- and how they earned their doctorates.
June Events for Creative Business People
What's happening in June, from Wal-Mart's annual meeting to the World Barista Championships.
Ecrio’s Revolutionary Cell Phone Applications Could Change How America Shops
Millions use Nagesh Challa's gadgetry -- in Japan. Now he wants to change how Americans shop.
Microsoft’s Ad Campaigns: An Overview
Microsoft's ad campaigns have rarely been memorable.
