A.J. Carver

Earth, Moon, and Jupiter from Mars

2008-06-12T19:41:00.003-04:00

We're on the pale blue dot at the top. I adore how astronomy challenges our daily notions of size, distance, and time. The Malin Space Center Mars Orbiter Camera has details about this image. Be wary of color in astronomical images.

Remembering RFK

2008-06-06T06:38:00.002-04:00

Forty years ago Robert Kennedy was assassinated. MSNBC has an interview between Matt Lauer and Kerry Kennedy and other videos. Some of his children wrote pieces for the NYTimes.

The Secret Letter From Iraq

2008-04-22T13:10:00.005-04:00

"Written last month, this straightforward account of life in Iraq by a Marine officer was initially sent just to a small group of family and friends. His honest but wry narration and unusually frank dissection of the mission contrasts sharply with the story presented by both sides of the Iraq war debate, the Pentagon spin masters and fierce critics. Perhaps inevitably, the "Letter from Iraq" moved quickly beyond the small group of acquaintances and hit the inboxes of retired generals, officers in the Pentagon, and staffers on Capitol Hill. TIME's Sally B. Donnelly first received a copy three weeks ago but only this week was able to track down the author and verify the document's authenticity. The author wishes to remain anonymous but has allowed us to publish it here — with a few judicious omissions."

Olympic Torch in Paris

2008-04-08T03:34:00.002-04:00

Yesterday the Olympic Torch went through Paris.

Reflections on the Invasion of Iraq

2008-03-16T13:48:00.004-04:00

From the New York Times:
To mark this week’s fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the Op-Ed page asked nine experts on military and foreign affairs to reflect on their attitudes in the spring of 2003 and to comment on the one aspect of the war that most surprised them or that they wished they had considered in the prewar debate.

Sarko l'Américain

2007-11-06T15:31:00.001-05:00

Nicolas Sarkozy is the new President of France and he is big news. 60 Minutes made a segment about him titled, Sarko l'Américain.

The Lifeline

2007-10-20T13:44:00.000-04:00

This is a series of slide shows by the LA Times titled
The Lifeline about soldiers wounded in Iraq.

Year 1, Semester 1, Month 1, Bielefeld

2007-10-02T06:26:00.000-04:00

The first month of my first semester of the QEM Erasmus Mundus program is almost over. Persons considering QEM might be interested in this post.

We, the QEM students, have worked hard in the first three weeks. We have had nearly thirty hours of lectures per week; it has been like trying to drink from a fire hose. We've covered the first six chapters of the standard graduate level microeconomics text, Microeconomic Theory, by Andreu Mas-Colell, Michael D. Whinston, and Jerry R. Green. We've also been learning techniques in optimization. The book used this semester at Universität Bielefeld was A First Course in Optimization Theory by Rangarajan K. Sundaram. To get a sense of the level of mathematics used in the courses one could peruse Mathematics for Economists, by Carl P. Simon and Lawrence Blume, giving particular attention to the fourth section "optimization" (chapters 16 - 22).
Learning economics has been the focus of the first three weeks, but we have still found time for other activities: parties, the occasional pick-up basketball game, weekend trips to neighboring cities (even countries), and leisure reading. Beyond learning about economics each of the QEM students is learning more about the world from each other. In this photo, taken before class by Susanna (from Italy), Abhishek (from India) is celebrating India's cricket victory over Pakistan (Ali, not pictured, is from Pakistan - he took it in good humor), while Ana (from the Dominican Republic) and me smile. The Bielefeld class alone also has students from China, Ukraine, Madagascar, Germany, France, Ecuador, Mexico, Albania, the Philippines, Greece, and the United Kingdom. Considering the QEM students in France, this list would grow.

Soon the regular semester will start at Universität Bielefeld and our schedule will both diversify and change pace. We will have classes in macroeconomics, probability theory, German, and more microeconomics classes.

Solitarity

2007-09-23T06:52:00.001-04:00

An especially appropriate statement about my generation.

Bielefeld Express

2007-09-13T16:51:00.000-04:00

I'm in Bielefeld, Germany. Never heard of it? Don't feel bad, so many people haven't that there is a conspiracy theory that it doesn't really exist.

I came here from Paris on a train. It was slightly romantic. I thought the train ride might be something like what I imagined Harry Potter to have experienced on the Hogwarts Express. Unfortunately for me, and all the other students, we didn't have a giant to move our bags from train platform to train platform or to the University. I also didn't have a messenger owl to bring with me. But, maybe as a substitute, I accompanied a fellow student to St. Hedwig's for mass.

Bielefeld University is an unique place. The university is housed under one very large roof. The building is convenient in it's design (if you take an elevator down from the math department you land in the math section of the library, likewise for the other subjects) but it is very utilitarian in appearance. The official German semester hasn't started so the combination of the building design and the few people about campus give the university the feel of a small liberal arts college.

Even though the official German semester hasn't started, the QEM Erasmus Mundus semester is in full swing. For the past few days we have been doing six or more hours of intense mathematical and microeconomics lectures. The idea is to get optimization and the basics of advanced microeconomics down in a month. I hope to do that, learn a little German, and have a little fun.

Je suis arrivé

2007-09-02T03:32:00.000-04:00

I made it to France. I'm spending a relaxing weekend in a village outside of Paris. It is a village fit for a stereotypical postcard scene. Yesterday, as I took a walk, people carried baguettes home between old buildings and quaint shops. The trip went well, except for dragging my bags through the Paris subway. The orientation events for QEM begins on Monday.

Extortion

2007-08-20T23:12:00.000-04:00

This weekend I bought textbooks for the first semester of my economics masters program. It was expensive, more than $350, but less than my textbook bill for past semesters. The recent New York Times Op-ed Course Requirement: Extortion by Michael Granof and four responses to it offer some insight into why textbooks are so expensive and what can be done about it.

Where was I?

2007-08-13T00:16:00.000-04:00

On August 8 a storm hit New York City. It dumped about three inches of rain in one hour and unleashed the first tornado in Brooklyn since at least 1950 (when official record collection began¹). The storm seemed to be just a fantastic lightning show while I was waking up. However, enough rain fell to flood the subway system and create massive transit delays. It took me about an hour to go two train stops before the train shut down. I exited the subway and wondered, "Where am I, Santiago?" The streets where filled with sweaty frustrated people, it looked like one of my usual commutes on Transantiago in Santiago Chile.

I might have been more prepared than most to make the best of the situation. I went to the nearby MoCADA (Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts). At the MoCADA I saw a great art exhibition by Alexis Peskine titled "The French Evolution." The exhibit examines racial and class tensions in France and the 2005 Paris riots.

Sources
1. Tornado Hits Brooklyn; Subway Back in Service, By ANAHAD O’CONNOR and GRAHAM BOWLEY
Published: August 8, 2007, New York Times

Transantiago Nostalgia

2007-07-17T21:33:00.000-04:00

A cool video. My stop was Manuel Montt.

Erasmus Mundus QEM

2007-06-29T10:22:00.000-04:00

This Fall I will move to Europe to earn a masters degree in economics. My first semester will be at the Bielefeld University (Germany). The following semesters I will be at the Panthéon Sorbonne (University of Paris 1) and the new Paris School of Economics.

I'm very excited to have the opportunity to study economics and to live in Europe. In my application essay I wrote,

"I specifically desire to learn economics to understand better the factors and mechanisms that contribute to extreme poverty, unemployment, individual wages, economic growth, and national economies within the context of an increasingly interconnected world...

I was inspired to pursue an economics education from which I could use the mathematical, analytical, and scientific skills to help create practical solutions to humanitarian problems and to be able to intelligently evaluate economic policies...

I am also excited to build friendships with people from around the world."

Erasmus Mundus is a program sponsored by the European Union to promote European Universities as centers of higher education excellence. Approximately 40 "top level international students" are selected to the participate in the quantitative economic models and methods program (QEM); these students are split amongst the four consortium universities. Beyond taking graduate courses in economics, I will also take French and German language classes.

Commanding Heights

2007-06-26T13:47:00.000-04:00

Last night I finished watching Commanding Heights: The Battle For The World Economy. One can watch the entire series online. The website aims "to promote better understanding of globalization, world trade and economic development, including the forces, values, events, and ideas that have shaped the present global economic system." You can get a sense of the series by watching the preview.

AIER - Student Fellowship

2007-06-20T01:10:00.000-04:00

I'm nearly halfway through my third week as an American Institute for Economics Research student fellow. I am one of six student fellows in the first of two sessions. My peers are bright and will be going to excellent universities next semester: Columbia, UMass-Amherst, Minnesota, London School of Economics, and Basal.

Our faculty are engaging, keep us busy (notice what time this post is published!), and collegial. The other student fellows and I have been taking classes in property rights, methods of inquiry, business cycle analysis, how to think like an economist, and money & banking. Our classes are supplemented via interactions with the visiting research fellows, movies, and guest speakers.

Even though we've been busy, there has been time to take a hike, shoot hoops, and enjoy some excellent home-made French food and wine.

Bash Bish Falls - a hiking destination.
Ben practices for the NBA just in case economics doesn't work out.

Congratulations Claire!

2007-06-02T08:51:00.000-04:00

Claire graduated from Mount Holyoke College last weekend. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree, Cum Laude with thesis honors, majoring in Astronomy and Geology in just three and a half years. Congratulations Claire!

TED

2007-04-13T12:37:00.000-04:00

Technology Entertainment Design (TED) talks are fantastic. They are given by some of the most interesting, entrepreneurial, intelligent, innovative, and influential people in the world. Usually lasting about 20 minutes, and free to view online, I highly recommend you watch them; many people become addicted to these talks. The most recent TED talk I watched was by James Nachtwey (one of the three TED prize winners for 2007). As a photo journalist he has been photographing war for over twenty years. He presents his photos and story.

Four Years

2007-03-26T11:02:00.000-04:00

Last Friday was the fourth anniversary of my website. It's hard to believe.

Relay for Life of The Five College Area

2007-03-22T16:01:00.000-04:00

My friend Michelle is walking in the Relay for Life of The Five College Area to raise money for cancer research, prevention, and care. Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College and the University of Massachusetts are located in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and are known as the Five Colleges.

The walk is just a month away. Donate to support Michelle's walk.

El Teniente & Sewell

2007-03-02T07:41:00.000-05:00

Recently Mo, a new friend from the UK, invited Claire and I to El Teniente. El Teniente is the largest subterranean copper mine in the world. It has 2400km (about 1500miles) of underground tunnels, that's just a little less than the road distance from Dallas to New York City. It is nestled in the mountains 80km (about 50 miles) South of Santiago at an elevation of 2100m (nearly 7000 ft).
El Teniente is a division of the Chilean copper company Codelco who today announced that they had made a record 9.125 billion pre-tax dollars in 2006.
After a pleasant bus ride with views of the recently snow covered mountains and discussion about the formation of mountains and the Earth, we arrived at base camp and suited up to enter the mine.
The tunnels of the mine are large enough that you can drive a van inside. It is like an underground city. We saw a crystal larger than a person and a large operating mortar and pestle that rapidly crushed rocks the size of small cars.
After leaving the tunnel and eating lunch we toured the mining city of Sewell. El Teniente has been operating for over 100 years. Until recently the miners lived in Sewell. It was a quaint town that had some of the most modern amenities of its time: an excellent hospital, a movie theater, and a bowling alley. This trip was especially significant for Mo because her mother grew up in Sewell. It was a great day trip.

We Did It!

2007-02-26T10:55:00.000-05:00

The Just 3 Beers - Stopping Malaria team reached its goal of raising $500 to buy insecticide treated bed nets to prevent malaria infections in Africa. Thank you Naveed, K, Claire, Christine, Diane C., Nikki, Diane H., Heather, James M., Sadie, Hoa Anh, Kyle, James S., Michelle, Shiaokai, Ashby, Katie, GW Team to Fight Malaria, Jason, Sean, Liza, Lee, Sani, and Igor! Your generosity is protecting lives and creating opportunities for the recipients of these nets to live healthier and happier.

If you want to join the effort, you still can:

Just $40 More

2007-02-26T06:57:00.000-05:00

The Just 3 Beers - Stopping Malaria team is only $40 from reaching its goal of raising $500 to buy insecticide treated bed nets to be sent to Africa to prevent malaria infections. You can help us reach the goal by joining the team, donating, and inviting your friends to do the same.

You can learn more about malaria via this BBC photojournal, Burden of Malaria (Thanks Brian for sending me this link!).

Transantiago

2007-02-20T06:40:00.000-05:00

Santiago is experiencing another great change. On February 10th, Santiago officially switched from their old system of micros (buses) to a new system, Transantiago, that is supposed to be cleaner, safer, and more efficient. From the website you would believe it.

In the old system, wherever you were, if you saw a micro you could flag it down, it would stop, you would climb aboard, and pay in change. These micros were painted yellow and often embellished with colored curtains, stickers, beads, mood lights, and music. They were also old, loud, and in disrepair. It was easy to understand the disrepair of the buses because the drivers earned their money by collecting fares, therefore they would pack the buses as full as possible. It was common to see people hanging out of the micro doors, front and back, as they raced down the main streets faster than cars.

The new system was depicted as a "a new face for Santiago." The buses are new, the routes are new (instead of direct paths there are inter-community routes and community routes designated by colored zones), the buses only stop at bus stops, and you pay with a card called BIP.

Despite allowing people to ride the micros for free during the first week, the transition has been anything but smooth. Transantiagos growing pains have inspired flash animations that demonstrate some of the frustrations people feel.

This animation is laced with Chilean slang-po and is parodying Transantiago spokesman Ivan Zamorano, one of Chile's greatest soccer players, cachai?

Lots of Chilean youth love hard rock music. This video is aptly titled Transantiago Chaos. Many parts of the city ran out of Bip cards and recently the famous Royal de Luxe street theater company performed in Santiago.

OVNI's (Objetos Volador No Identificado, aka UFOs) are big in Chile. Both this video and the next allude that some of the buses are less than new.

I've read that Chileans drink close to 100 liters of soda per person each year, the advertising before this clip must be effective. The Chilean televisions shows are able to get surprisingly close to major celebrities like Ivan Zamorano and political figures like Ministerio de Transportes y Telecomunicaciones Sergio Espejo Yaksic. "Where do you live? What bus do you take?" The reporter asks - neither can answer, they both have cars.