Category: BeyoniMeeting….

After an entire month of nothingness, I decided to fully expose myself to all kind of opportunities by all means in diversifying my homogenous lifestyle.

Kickoff- Chomsky’s discussion forum on the post-catastrophe reconstruction of Haiti, the poorest nation in the hemisphere.

Around 10% of people will say “wow, lucky you, so you must have attend Noam Chomsky’s lecture” after knowing I went to MIT..shamefully I did not.

And if you have no idea how revered he is, there is a tribute music concert for him to celebrate his life tonight. Side-note, I never know there could be ‘tribute to xxx’ event if xxx is not dead yet..well at least not until recently I noticed there is a ‘Tribute to Prof Kao’ in the Science Museum. You know, its usually “Tribute to Michael Jackson” or “Tribute to xxx on his 150th birthday”, something like this. Its cool that a living person ‘s achievement could be widely honored in this way …not like poor Van Gogh whose artwork was only recognized and became famous after his death.

Anyway, here are the key points that I remember, well, if you are interested:

• give grants, not loans. The aid should go directly to some proper Haitian activist groups, local government if it still function, but not inefficient contractors, the wealthy, or NGOs.
• open your pocket, but also open your mind. a perfect shameful example is NYT Brook’s provocative editorial pontificating about Haitian poverty on the nature of its society and culture change.
• How the Obama adminstration handled this is ‘sickening’.The US has denied many seriously injured victims visa to be transferred to Florida for medical treatment  –as the medical school put it, the situation is “beyond insane”. Homeless Haitians are strictly told not to come to the US. The US donated 100 million, but the EU donated 5 times more. The situation has only relaxed a bit under pressure.
• The ugliness of Obama’s administration in “supporting the wealthy and powerful” is also statistically reflected in the Massachusetts Senate election. Coakley, representing the Democrats, got most of her votes and donations from high-income areas and wealthy suburbs. Scott Brown, as a rarely-known Republican, won significantly in the relatively low-income downtown areas. This blue-to-red victory is mainly due to the  public’s obvious opposition/distrust of the Obama government.
• Chomsky also discussed on the Supreme Court shocking decision in allowing coperations to spend directly on political campaigns again after 1907. When coperations are no longer restricted by this century-long law, its influence will directly give rise to corruptions and other dangerous issues. This severe blow of decmocracy could only be reversed by another constitution amendment, which is highly unlikely.

After the forum a good-looking guy (my perspective) came forward and said “Good talk?” and I just ceased the conversation with a cold “yea” and walked away. Grrrrrr.

*surprise category!

Fig 1. President’s limo at Mass Ave!!

This is definitely one of the most remarkable event in my life!!! Obama clean energy speech @ MIT!!
(o) Air Force One was above my head =D!!!

(1) Obama was standing at the exact same spot where I sang at Kresge =DDDD

(2 INTENSENESS fills up MIT !! there are barricades, polices, road blocks, helicopters, suited secret service,  reporters, cameramen, 新聞車 with the few biggest TV stations in the US, protestors having signs like “We want leaders, not politicans, stop global warming!” , “Investigate 9/11” , and definitely about health care reform and the war! even the T-subway Red Line has to stop =_=

Fig 2. of course there r snipers to shoot people, just in case.

(3) The Tech headlined with “MIT Greets President Obama” with a special colored header in America flag

(4) Went to watch live broadcast at 4-237!! (that’s the only best thing I could do =_=) People sang the national song, standing up with palm on chest. And even this meeti-with-Obama-on-the-projector-screen…there are reserved seats =O=

(5) and Obama is finally here!!! HE IS SUCH A GREAT SPEAKER!!!  his quote about MIT (XDD im totally ignoring the clean energy part)

“I’ll probably be here for awhile. I heard students put my motorcade on top of Building 10”- Obama

“Thank you MIT. It’s always been a dream of mine to visit the most prestigious school in Cambridge, Massachusetts”

(Well, wait a minute, certainly the most prestigious school in this part of Cambridge…<- damn harvard alum)

Fig 1. He’s holding up a periodic table during the speech..hahaha

(6) Me and Ziwei immediately rushed to Kresge!!!!!!!!!! for the sake to catch a glimpse!!! AND CAN’T

(7) then I rushed to Mass Ave ..by that time his limo has left already @#$@#$@#$@#$

So, I was really so close to the President of United States, a Nobel Prize winner.

(8) one funny thing is XD during live broadcast..there is subtitles… and when there is random music coming out
♪♪ will pop out XD

crazy eh?

though i really think it is questionable whether he deserves the Nobel Prize
but hey, he is symbolic, he is the first black President in the US
he is , if not greatest, the most influential contemporary political star !
proud =D

hoping to catch a glimpse of a charismatic president

yeaaa went to Ha rvard Sustai nability Celebra tion todayyy
on this chilly, blustery afternoon at harvard yard
..experienced the charm of a real powerful speaker!!
Al Gore is actually the 2nd Nobel prize winner i met today
(i dont know since when i become 沾光 @_@
..but i really feel honored to hv chance to meet them)
one is Richard R. Schrock ..2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, my chem lecturer
…super boring + quick speed……
one is Al Gore , 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Winner …!!
SUPER powerful + compelling speech
and definitely worth thinking about
in this age of consequence
its now a crucial time when human race has to make decision as a species
each and every short-term decision is making a long-term effect
lovee his sense of humor, his intonation and pauses, his metaphors and dictions..!