Wine Tasting

Thanks to Tina and gang for the classy wine tasting party they organized. I've uploaded my pictures from that night. Just follow the link in the right column.

Enjoy!
Sajeeb

An interesting video on Energy independence

I was watching this from home and thought it was an interesting continuation of our discussion of global warming and controlling our energy use. For those who know better than me I would be interested in hearing reactions to this video.

TED Talks - Amory Lovins

In addition to this video you should check out these videos on everything from development, education, the environment and technology.

David

Collective MC Birthday Party at Peabody Terrace

Once more the Common Room at Peabody was the party ground for another round of MC events.

C. Scott celebrated, and a number of Mid Careers whose birthdays are also in September joined in.

Here are the pictures.

Axel

Mid Career Washington DC Trip December 07

Dear all,

we just returned from our first large Mid Career field trip, and I bet I wasn't the only one who needed a bit of sleep after this densely packed program.

Many of us have learned more about this complicated, paradoxical, wonderful nation and its rich democratic history than in many weeks at KSG.
The 2 ½ days felt like a week, thanks to the intense program set up by numerous volunteers and honed to perfection by The Organizer (C. Scott Cooper). I am looking forward to many more trips this year set up by The Organizer and can only recommend them to those who couldn't make it this time.

I have posted some pictures here.

Regards,

Axel

Harvard - Yale: The Game 2007

Dear classmates,

for the tenth time in a row, our bright young Harvard kids gave the Yalies the beating they've been asking for. Or so I have been told after the game, because due to my limited football expertise I honestly couldn't even have told you who won.

But then again many of us didn't really go for the game, but more as an excuse to hang out a day with other MCs instead of studying Chi square tests or the impact of monopolies on consumer welfare.

I have posted some pictures here.

Axel

Cold Weather Dress

John Crowley has given a great outline of dressing for the cold weather in Boston, particularly if you're going to be participating in outdoor sports like skiing or Harvard football games. Read his discussion here.

He pointed out that he might be missing some finer points for women's wear. I thought I'd fill in where I could. I'm no fashion maven but to cope with the cold in Boston some fashion sense has to be abandoned. Hat hair is a fact of life. Sorry. Still, you don't have to dress like a lumberjack on a daily basis. Here's some thoughts, tips and tricks.

The Cold
It isn't usual in Boston to get temperatures cold enough for frostbite (a dangerous freezing of the skin) unless your out in the cold for 45 minutes or longer. Wind chill does add to the danger and in Boston we get a bitter, nasty wind. John is absolutely right, there'll be much carrying on if it gets that cold. Generally you don't need to worry about it.

But the wind cuts through everything in my experience. I find it much more miserable than the cold. The worst days I've seen in Boston have had a wind chill of -10 to -15 F. Buy a coat that will manage at least this.

And do keep your head warm. Your fingers and toes will all be warmer if your head is warm first.

Coats
I prefer a coat that is at least knee length for daily Boston wear. Here at the LL Bean site you can see several good examples. Again, this is a wind issue. Don't go longer than knee length. It just drags in the muck if it's too long. We don't have spring in Boston, we have mud season as all the slush takes forever to melt away. You have many options beyond down filled puffy jackets. Just look for something that is water resistant or water proof, wind proof and rated for at least -10 F. I prefer a cozy hood as well. (though as a side note, peripheral vision and good hearing are important as a pedestrian in the dark so be careful about nestling too deep into your hood) LL Bean has a nice 'comfort range' for every coat so you know if it will be warm enough. Looking through their options is good research for when you go to any store, to know whether what you buy will be warm enough. I personally really like their Insulated H2Off DX Storm Coat. You don't feel like a walking marshmallow. Generally though, the wool topcoats or dress coats John mentioned won't be warm enough on the coldest days. They're good for the 'warmer' days in the mid-thirties F.

Scarves, Hats, Gloves
All of these are required, but you can have a lot of style and flair here. The hat should come down over your ears and the scarf should not be scratchy. I have a set of glove/mittens, fingerless gloves with a mitten cap that folds back. This is simpler than John's recommended two sets of gloves. Unless you're going to be out skiing, you should only need one set of warm gloves or mittens. Ear warmers and head bands are also nice for blocking the wind from your poor, freezing ears. You have a little less hat hair problem with these, though some days you will have to wear a hat too.

Boots
Many, many women carry dress shoes with them, wear boots to commute and then change at work or school. Others spend a lot of money on insulated dress boots like these.
Again, LLBean is a great place to look at your options before you shop. The key attributes are, insulated, waterproof, good soles (tread or traction for ice) and if they're leather they should be treated to resist salt stains. I prefer zip up boots because you'll find you take them off when you go to someone's home, rather than track in all the grit and salt from the street. Lace up and pull on are bigger hassle to me, but it's a personal preference thing.

Long Underwear
If you have a knee length coat and good boots, this isn't as necessary. Jeans and most dress slacks aren't going to get you through a long walk on a cold day though, if you have a shorter coat. The nice thing about long underwear vs. flannel lined jeans is you can take them off when you get to school and not roast in the classroom. I'd spend the money on nice stuff if you go this route. Bunching, chafing and other hassles are not worth the cheap stuff. Again, LLBean has a nice range to look at, but I'd try things on in a store before buying.

Shopping
All that said, Eastern Mountain Coop in Brattle Street is a great start and has a good student discount if you show your ID. The LL Bean Catalog and REI are my next favorite stops. Good luck keeping warm!

Deadline approaching: Order your Mid Career Fleece before 16th of November

Thanks for the dozens of order forms I have received from you so far, I was poitively surprised about the turnout.

I will pass on the order forms that I have received to HBS ventures next Friday, 16th of November. If you haven't ordered yet, you can drop a form in my mailbox 24 next week.

Best,

Axel

Pictures from Ann's birthday party

Ann's birthday party was a blast. Thank you Ann for sharing this day with us. Happy Birthday as well to David Markus. I'm glad we got to share it with you too.

Thanks to all for a good turnout. It was good to let our hair down after a stressful couple of weeks. I've uploaded the pictures I took. Scroll down the right column for the link. Enjoy!

Issues Raised by the Class to the Reps

We've been compiling the issues that you all bring to us and dividing them up into the appropriate committees. We've published the list here.

We'll keep updating the status and adding issues as you bring them to our attention. You can find a permanent link to the page on the MCReps blog.

Student Services Website

You all probably already knew about the student services website, but it was news to me this week. Erin Bibo Ward has worked hard to pull together a wide variety of resources for students. You can find them here. I've also made a permanent link in the right hand column.

Particularly for those of you who feel like the administration is a bit difficult to penetrate, there is an org chart for the degree programs, which I thought was particularly useful.

You might be surprised at what you find when you poke around.

Shuttle Tracker

Erin Ward Bibo has passed along a fantastic resource. You can track the Harvard Shuttle buses, in real time from your laptop or web-enabled phone.

Follow this link. You can also go to this address on your phone's web browser: http://harvard.transloc-inc.com/m/

You can read more about the Harvard Shuttle, it's routes, the evening van service and other details at http://www.uos.harvard.edu/transportation. Though this site tends to only work if you're on a Harvard network.

Here's to staying warm, dry and safe as we get around this winter.

- Letha

Mid-Career KSSG Representatives - Keep in Touch!

Your MC KSSG Reps have been hard at work getting organized and sorting out how best to drive some key issues for the Mid-Career class. We'll have our final committee assignments on Monday the 22nd, so look for details then.

In the meantime, keep up with us at our Mid-Career Blog. There is a permanent link on the top of the right hand column. Or go here.

The key is two-way communication, so please email us, leave comments on the blog or stop us in the hall. We'll work hard to keep you updated about opportunities, progress and issues as we go through the term.

- Letha

Upcoming Events at the Forum

For those of you who like to plan ahead there are a few ticketed events coming up which are now available for bidding. Though I told Mo that I would not post information about Mohammed Yunus visit so I had a better shot at getting a ticket, my group loyalty overcame my selfishness.

So here they are:

October 22: DIRECTOR'S DINNER: Joe Solomones, Executive Director, Human Rights Campaign

October 30: IOP SUPPER: The Honorable Andy Card, White House Chief of Staff (2000-2006) (Open until Sunday, October 28 at 12:00 PM)

If you get a ticket to one of these events and cannot go, feel free to let any of the blog authors know and we will post it or try to pass it off to someone who can use it.

All the best,

David.

By the way - thanks to the panel on Islam - you guys did a great job this Thursday.

The Election and the Class

Last night I was talking with Nicole at Daedalus about the election results and though sadly she did not become President, we decided that the Mid-Career class came out winners because of the unity that was demonstrated and activated by the endeavor. So thank you to all who ran for keeping it positive and inclusive. Congratulations to those who won. It is now your jobs to keep the spirit going and bring the concerns of all Mid-Careers (and other students) to the KSSG. I am sure you will find more than enough support amongst your classmates to help you get issues addressed and if you need a forum to keep the class informed about what is going on in Student Government consider this as a place to do it.

Again congratulations to all who ran for a good campaign. We hopefully will see many of you today at the Midcareer seminar on Islam.

David

Think big!

Think big!
A Mid-Career, for President!


The polls for the KSSG elections open Monday October 1, at noon. Voting will be on-line from Monday to Wednesday October 3, at 5 p.m.

We have worked very hard during the campaign, and, I believe, have picked up steam!

It was an immense pleasure to work with all of you, Mid-Careers. I feel overwhelmed by your enthusiasm, humbled by your support. Together, we have a chance to take our collective dream, forward. United together, we could make history!

Let us apply the power of ‘block-voting’, and elect a Mid-Career President, Mid-Career VPs and our honour roll of Mid-Career Class Representatives, on Monday October 1, 2007. And, get ready to ‘block-party’ on Election Night, Wednesday, October 3.

Tune up to this space, for further details.

All best wishes for success!

Nicole

KSSG Election Rules

It's fantastic that everyone's excited about the upcoming Kennedy School Student Government election. Here's a few critical things to remember so your favorite candidate isn't disqualified by your enthusiastic support.

1. Each candidate is only allowed one bulk email to the students. When you 'reply all' to their email and send your vote of confidence back to an entire group, you risk disqualifying them entirely. Please, be careful and reply only to the candidate.

2. After Oct 1, at noon, do not wear stickers, buttons or other campaign material supporting your candidate.

3. No posters or flyers are allowed after Monday evening.

4. Polls open at noon on Monday and close at 5:00 PM on Wednesday. Make sure you and your friends vote! At the School of Government, there should be no excuse for anything less than 100% turnout!

Have a great election!

- Letha

KSSG Executive Committee Video

Here is the video for the KSSG executive committee speeches, if you weren't able to make it to the forum.

Mid-Career students who are running are:

President - Nicole Kekeh
VP - Communications - Jaime Snashall (read the text from his speech)
VP - Int'l Student Affairs - Alex Alexander
VP - Finance - Manu Tandon
Harvard Graduate Council - Vincent Mut-Tracy

Vote on the issues, but consider the extensive CV's each Mid-Career candidate brings to the table.

Voting will be open from Monday at noon until Wednesday at 5:00. It's handled electronically from any of the computers at the school. You will be asked to vote once for each executive position and for six Mid-Career representatives.

Enjoy!

- Letha

Basma Fakri kindly sent us the following link to get help for reading faster and more efficiently, for taking notes, etc. I thought it belonged on the Mid-Career Blog as a useful reference:

http://bsc.harvard.edu/

Thank you, Basma!

--Jane Whittaker

Dinner for 7!

Sign up for the Mid-Career rotating potluck, Dinner for 7! Use the survey here.

Step out and meet some of your mid-career classmates you don't normally see!

- Letha Tawney
- Arrietta Chakos
- Michelle Ghiselli
- Jane Whittaker

40% of Facebook Members are over 35

According to NPR's Morning Edition on the 17th, more than 40% of people on Facebook are over 35. So see... you're not too old to join us!

You can hear the article here, if you want more details about other social networking sites that are targeting "the older set" (doesn't that leave you feeling a bit ancient?).

Or you can visit us on Facebook!

Photos from International Dinner

Hi folks,

I've added my pictures from the International Dinner. As always, please let me know if you want full size copies of any.

Enjoy!
Sajeeb

More Martha's Vineyard Photos

Here's link to my photos from the trip to Martha's Vineyard, posted on Facebook. As always, let me know if you'd prefer photos of yourself removed.

Photos

- Letha

To Download the Email Address Book

Tired of having to know someone's last name and be on the KSG web mail page to find an email address? If you use a local email program (Outlook, Entourage, Eudora, etc) you can download the KSG Address Book from the intranet and import it into your local address book.

Here's the link to the download. Log in with your KSG Intranet Login. Select the address list you'd like to download. It will be automatically emailed to your KSG address as an attachment. Check your mail program's help for information on importing a 'text' or 'CSV' file.

Download Addresses

What a wonderful night - Thanks to all

Once again last night demonstrated what remarkable people are in our group. Not only are we smart and accomplished leaders in our fields, but boy can we cook (and mix drinks). Thanks to all who prepared food, brought drinks and helped set-up and clean up. Special thanks to Basma for the inspiration, organization and the baklava. We should soon be seeing photos by Serif and others on the website. Throughout the night I heard people saying things like, "Let's do this once a month." If there is interest and more volunteers to organize I would second that idea. Maybe after midterms would be a good time. Let's put those organizational management and leadership classes to good use and have a few plan International Dinner II.

Enjoy your Sunday whether in the library or the park.

David

PS - I have recently added new links on current affairs and a link to the lottery for Forum Events. If people have suggestions of good links in different fields that should be added, become an author and add them or send suggestions to any of the authors listed below.

Powwow Trip

Hi folks!

In case you haven't noticed, I've added pictures from the wonderful Powwow trip. The link is in the right column. I was trying to get fun candid shots of all of you. I did not manage to get many of you in my sights, so I apologize for those who got left out. As for those who wish I had left them out, you don't look as bad in the picture as you think you do!

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Jane, Steve, Tobias and whoever else was in the organizing committee for the tremendous task they took on and the wonderful job they made of it. Thanks as well to Tobias for letting us share this special occasion with his tribe. I don't know about all of you, but this was my first Powwow and it was amazing.

I hope you like the pictures. If you would like full size originals of any of them, shoot me an email.

Enjoy!
Sajeeb Wazed

Our website - Add stories, photos, announcements

The way I am trying to set this site up is a bit like a Wiki(which allows users to update the site with some oversight by an administrative team (Think Wikipedia)). Once you answer the invitation to join, you will be a coauthor of the site. This means that each and every one of you will be able to add photos, social announcements, links, etc. to the site within certain parameters.

For those who do not consider themselves technologically savvy, Blogger is for you. Below is a tutorial of the ways you can contribute, followed by some suggested guidelines.

How to add photos, blog posts, or interesting links

1. Click on the tools in the section you want to work on. (i.e. If you want to add photos, click on the screwdriver under photos)

2. When the dialogue box opens up you will usually see a list of links and then a space for you to add a new URL address (http://...) and a name for the link. Keep the names short (i.e. photos from Dedaelus 9/5/07)

3. Hit the Add link button (If you plan on adding many links) or Save Changes button.

4. You are done. You have updated the site. (Note these directions will work for photo albums only if you have uploaded your photos to somewhere on the web and have a URL.)





5. If you do not have a place to store photos online, you should consider opening an account in Picasa at http://picasaweb.google.com at which you will prompted to log in. If you do not have a Google account get one)

a. Once your account is created and you log in, click on the "+ New Album button".

b. In the Title box, write a simple but clear name and then hit Save Changes

c. On the next screen, click add photos and a new set of dialogue boxes will appear for you to upload the photos. Select the photos you want and press "Start Upload" button.

d. Once the upload is complete copy the address from the address bar and follow the instructions above about adding a link to the website.

If you want to write an announcement of an upcoming event

1. Click on the tools in the section called Upcoming Events

2. Type in the event remembering to include event title, time, place, and RSVP information.

3. Hit save changes and you are done.

Now for the Suggested Parameters

1. If you put a announcement of a social event up or an academic event, please try to remove it after the event has occured to reduce clutter. (the administrators will serve as backup)

2. Be clear in your announcements for who the events are most appropriate, RSVP date and maximum people that can be accomodated if applicable.

3. Though Letha will help us with privacy protection, be careful what you post since much that is posted on the Internet seems to take on a life of its own.

4. Use this site for items or events that you feel would be interesting to a large number of Mid careers. If there is something that might be most appropriate for 2-3 people it is probably better to send an email so the volume of information does not get overwhelming.

This is a start but a couple of us will get together shortly to improve the site design and functionality.

All the best,

David

Launching a 2008 Mid-Career Website

Thanks to Betty and last year's Mid-Career student George Wunder, I have been inspired to set up a site on blogspot that can be a central source of information about the Mid-Career class of 2008. In addition to practical information about events at KSG and the surrounding community, I hope this site will also provide an outlet for planning of social events and links to interesting sites dealing with public policy issues.

To make this work, we will need a few of us to maintain the site and provide technical and design expertise. I will start out by putting as much of the information on course registration on the site and also some links to my favorite websites that have dealt with the Mid-Career Seminar topics. If you want to be involved or have suggestions as to what should be on the site, let me know by email.

As we head into the real academic year, let's try to maintain the wonderful spirit of the summer program and stay connected as we explore our various interests.

All the best,

David Markus