Horst Max Cerni commented on "Quo Vadis UN @80? by Kul Gautam"
13 hours ago
Excellent suggestions, Kul. May they be widely distributed and read, especially by opinion leaders.
15 hours ago
Amazing story and photos. If I had known about this country years ago, I would certainly have tried to visit it. How did you get those amazing photos of the Salse and the Candy Mountains? Absolutely fabulous.
Rohini De Silva commented on "Mud Volcanoes and Candy Cane Mountains: Detlef Palm"
21 hours ago
Beautiful Detlef, thanks for sharing. Was there briefly when on work and bought myself a rug! The candy cane mountains resemble the badlands in Wyoming. You both are really adventurous!
Robert McCarthy commented on "Mud Volcanoes and Candy Cane Mountains: Detlef Palm"
23 hours ago
Beautiful stuff Detlef. Many thanks
Thomas Haettenschwiller commented on "Mud Volcanoes and Candy Cane Mountains: Detlef Palm"
Yesterday
Presumably, the salse bubbles were not the inspiration for the Outside the Bubble title of your blog (cue: wry smile). Your photo-story made me rue the day that I did not explore the country outside Baku during my several visits to the capital, or outside the train window once when travelling from Tbilisi. As compensation, your story was such a treat that it has lessened my regrets, but only in the way a National Geographic feature piques one's travel curiosity without having to leave the comfort of a Lazy Boy. Bravo and many thanks, Detlef and Gabi!
Luis Oliveros commented on "Too many brothers: Ken Gibbs"
2 days ago
Congratulations for being able to write so well and having had a brother like Nigel
Ken Gibbs commented on "Too many brothers: Ken Gibbs"
Oct 15, 2025
What a lovely comment ! In Nigel's case we were too late by decades so, whenever he wrote to us, we had to decipher 'the code'. I felt it useful to screw up my eyes and tilt the paper slightly away from me before trying guess-work. I think we managed well enough, but occasionally I take out an old letter or card and see if I get the same answer as last time. Trying the Guardian Cryptic Crossword was never so interesting.
With respect to many 'left handers' writing upside-down, I have often wondered if upside-downers do it to avoid smudging the ink as they write ? Makes sense even if it looks difficult to accomplish - or is it like mirror-writing ?
I have ever only seen one person who was absolutely ambidextrous. He was our chemistry teacher who would start writing on the board with chalk in his left hand and, on reaching the middle of the board, would switch hands and continue writing with his right hand. When reading something he had written on paper, it was impossible to judge which hand had been used for which part of the text.
With respect to many 'left handers' writing upside-down, I have often wondered if upside-downers do it to avoid smudging the ink as they write ? Makes sense even if it looks difficult to accomplish - or is it like mirror-writing ?
I have ever only seen one person who was absolutely ambidextrous. He was our chemistry teacher who would start writing on the board with chalk in his left hand and, on reaching the middle of the board, would switch hands and continue writing with his right hand. When reading something he had written on paper, it was impossible to judge which hand had been used for which part of the text.
In Response to a comment by Paula Claycomb
Paula Claycomb commented on "Too many brothers: Ken Gibbs"
Oct 15, 2025
What an absolutely great story, full of love and humor. I appreciated many aspects of it, including almost being forced to write with my right hand. My mother got a whiff of the teacher's attempt, way back in Coos Bay, Oregon, where we lived for 3 years. She quickly put a stop to THAT, and I've been writing upside down with my left hand ever since.
Oct 14, 2025
A very succinct article. Apologies for misspelling your name in the title––it's Yuriy. Thanks
Jim Mohan commented on "Quo Vadis UN @80? by Kul Gautam"
Oct 14, 2025
Kul, your wise words are always appreciated. They remind me of comments from two other sources. One was Henry David Thoreau who like you spent time at Harvard. " Pursue some path however narrow and crooked in which you can walk with love and reverence." Secondly, Nelson Mandela "Ubuntu I am because of who we are.." Slogan from the Zulu language of South Africa. Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. You will be my candidate for the next Nobel Peace Prize . Jim Sent from my iPhone
Oct 14, 2025
Developing countries were always responsible for their own development. Donors and especially aid agencies just made it look as if nothing goes without them. A little money always helps, but
(i) Government officials must care more for the citizens than their own survival. The will to develop, the rule of law, and transparency about the use of national budgets must be present.
(ii) The international community must provide fair and concessional trade conditions, debt solutions, a global tax system and (foreign) policies that don't disadvantage poor countries.
Development aid is secondary to creating conditions that enable development to succeed.
(i) Government officials must care more for the citizens than their own survival. The will to develop, the rule of law, and transparency about the use of national budgets must be present.
(ii) The international community must provide fair and concessional trade conditions, debt solutions, a global tax system and (foreign) policies that don't disadvantage poor countries.
Development aid is secondary to creating conditions that enable development to succeed.
Ramesh Shrestha commented on "My Thoughts by Niloufar Pourzand"
Oct 14, 2025
It is like thanking a thief for not stealing (quote from Urban Johnson).
Rohini De Silva commented on "UNICEF Workforce & Recruitment Report – Semester 1 (2025) - Division of People and Culture"
Oct 14, 2025
Glad to see gender parity remained. Interesting to see change of name of the Human Resource department. Some data on the impact of that change on culture and people centered work would have been interesting . Congratulations Magassa et al.
Oct 13, 2025
A useful reading (click): Economic self-interest in German development policy: what might that look like?
Oct 12, 2025
Nice story, Ken. Please, tell us more about the early days in Bulawayo.
Oct 12, 2025
Thanks Tom for sharing. These exercises to strengthen our knees are quite simple and doable. However, discipline required to do this regularly!
Unknown commented on "Berlin - Luis Oliveros"
Oct 12, 2025
I think it is indeed a fascinating city, with different perspectives for all tastes
In Response to a comment by Horst Max Cerni
Niloufar Pourzand commented on "My Thoughts by Niloufar Pourzand"
Oct 11, 2025
It has nothing to do with religion. It’s about a region - MENA. I am an atheist myself.
In Response to a comment by Unknown
Oct 11, 2025
Now here is a real challenge for UNICEF and its supporters…how many of these will it be possible to save?
Oct 11, 2025
Cannot open the Instagram, but agree wholeheartedly with her stand on the very controversial decision of Ms. Muchado and her support for Francesca Albanese instead. The Nobel Committee again disappoints in its choice.
Horst Max Cerni commented on "Berlin - Luis Oliveros"
Oct 11, 2025
You are quite right, Luis, Berlin deserves several visits. It's a modern and complex city with a haunting history. My first visit was in the mid fifties, before the wall was built, and I was able to freely walk into East Berlin and see the Stalin Allee, formerly and again Unter den Linden, It was a strange feeling, since there was hardly any traffic, and the massive apartment buildings looked depressing. Every time I went back, I discovered something new. It always felt that the history was alive and reminding you of the past. Of course, books and movies had their impact on me as well, and as a famous song says "Ich hab noch einen Koffer in Berlin..." (I still have a suitcase in Berlin), and so one would like to go back often - maybe to finally get that suitcase.
Agonzalezrichmond commented on "2025 Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Maria Corina Machado : Shared by Kul Gautam"
Oct 11, 2025
They should have given the prize straight to Trump and/or Netanyahu and forgo the hypocrisy that characterizes them.
Ken Gibbs commented on "Before the XUNICEF/UNICEF era: Ken Gibbs"
Oct 11, 2025
Actually, while I have a beard looking silverish, the T-Model was owned by my father, some time before I even arrived on the scene. I just played on what was left of it. . . .
Unknown commented on "My Thoughts by Niloufar Pourzand"
Oct 11, 2025
Only interested in Muslim countries, are we?
Niloufar Pourzand commented on "2025 Nobel Peace Prize Goes to Maria Corina Machado : Shared by Kul Gautam"
Oct 11, 2025
She dedicated her award to Trump & called for a US invasion of Venezuela.
There were so many better choices -the people of Gaza, journalists in Gaza, the UN Special Rapporteur and many more.
Tom McDermott commented on "My Thoughts by Niloufar Pourzand"
Oct 11, 2025
Thank you for sharing these deeply personal thoughts and responses to the strange moment in which we find ourselves. For all of us this time brings a complicated mix of emotions - simultaneous joy, anger, grief, relief, and
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