Wednesday-Night

Before doing our usual tour d’horizon of news and events around the globe, we would like to call to your attention much pleasanter local happenings: the Octet Plus (with Holly Jonas and David Oliver) concert on Saturday, 26 April; the Infinitheatre fundraiser (John Mavridis) on Tuesday 29 April - featuring […]

March 26 1997 – what does the date mean to you? You may be forgiven if you do not immediately recall that the news of the Bre-X bubble burst exactly eleven year ago. “It had all the elements of a great novel: a dramatic rags to riches story, a mysterious suicide (or was it […]

We had promised that Beryl would be with us last week to talk about the new publication, The MetropolitaIn, that he will launch next month. He was unavoidably detained, but assures us that he will be present tomorrow night.
As always, we have the U.S. presidential campaign on the Agenda and certainly this week we cannot […]

It seems we are stuck in a topic rut and not only in terms of frequency, quantity and quality of snowfall. The news appears to be same old - same old, with one outstanding exception (see below).
There are the U.S. economy (tanking) and the markets, which are looking for any excuse to rejoice and […]

As Diana’s computer has a serious malaise, this message is subject to a brief window of opportunity. Thus, it is short and with none of the usual links to major stories (you will have to do your own homework - but we’ll make it up to you).
With the horrendous weather forecast in view, we will […]

We welcome two new faces this week, guest experts, who bring knowledge of at least three extremely pertinent topics to the table.
Danny van Gelder will introduce his cousin, Mark Kruger, an economist by training, who serves as Minister Counselor/Head of Section (Economics and Finance) of the Canadian Embassy in Beijing and key link between the […]

While we cannot avoid keeping a weather eye on the ever-changing political winds to the south, we are happy to turn to developments in Europe and elsewhere this week.
In the company of one of our favorite (and only Balkan) experts, Misha Crnobrnja, former ambassador, author, banker, environmental economist, professor of European Integrations and Economy of […]

If there’s anything going on in the world besides Super Tuesday, it’s hard to discern it in the media, whether U.S. or foreign based. We cannot recollect such intense excitement over primaries and admit to obsessing about the latest pronouncement from Wolf, Brian, Charlie (Gibson or Rose), Tim, not to mention all those wonderful political […]

23 January 2008
We are delighted that at the suggestion of Consul General Mary Marshall, U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins will be joining us for (part of) this Wednesday Night’s Salon. Ambassador Wilkins’ visit is particularly timely given that the Republican Primary was held in his native South Carolina on Saturday, however, we understand that he […]

9 January 2008

Welcome back to all who have enjoyed protracted holidays in exotic, or not-so-exotic habitats! We have missed you and once again extend warmest greetings and good wishes for the coming year, as we look forward to many more enlightening evenings of quiet discussion and/or passionate debate.
There’s little doubt that the Iowa and […]