Judith Todd and a Confused, Complicated Zimbabwe

By Barry D. Wood BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe: Veteran human rights activist Judith Todd is deeply distressed by the deaths, macabre beatings, and arrests of hundreds of Zimbabweans following demonstrations earlier this month against a doubling of fuel prices. But Todd says the situation since January 14th “is confused and complicated with few angels on either side.” To the dismay of some, she declines to place sole … Continue reading Judith Todd and a Confused, Complicated Zimbabwe

Barry D. WoodJanuary 30, 2019Leave a comment

news, public relations, journalism, Uncategorized

Public Relations Deserves its Bad Rap

WASHINGTON: On November 26thGeneral Motors announced it was closing five plants in the US and Canada, dismissing 14,000 employees. But GM chose to obfuscate what should have been straight-forward information. A three-page press release bore the misleading title, “General Motors Accelerates Transformation.” the words “closing” and “layoffs” were never used. Indeed, that news is buried, appearing nonsensically midway down the second page. To avoid speaking … Continue reading Public Relations Deserves its Bad Rap

Barry D. WoodDecember 26, 2018December 26, 2018Leave a comment

Investing, Uncategorized

David Rubenstein’s Investing Mistakes

Carlyle Group co-founder and philanthropist David Rubenstein is a Washington, DC billionaire who readily admits to having made some investing mistakes. Two of them, he reveals in this brief video, were Facebook and Amazon. Continue reading David Rubenstein’s Investing Mistakes

Barry D. WoodNovember 17, 2018November 17, 2018Leave a comment

New Europe, Uncategorized

Tomas Masaryk and Czechoslovakian Independence 100 Years Ago

Few people are aware that, implausibly, Czechoslovak independence was declared from Philadelphia 100 years ago. That’s because Tomas Masaryk, the father of the new state, was in the U.S. seeking support from President Woodrow Wilson as world war one was winding down Masaryk was born in 1850 to a Czech mother and a Slovak father who was a coachman on a Hapsburg estate in Moravia. … Continue reading Tomas Masaryk and Czechoslovakian Independence 100 Years Ago

Barry D. WoodOctober 28, 2018October 28, 20181 Comment

European Union, Uncategorized

Latvia: Success at a Price

RIGA: On this 10thanniversary of the U.S. triggered global crisis, spare a thought for lightly populated Latvia, the Baltic nation in Europe’s far northeast. Over-confident from a get rich quick, multi-year property boom, the global crisis struck Latvia with unanticipated force. Citizens and government were ill prepared for the disaster. Economic activity slowed at once. Swedish banks that dominated local credit markets closed the lending … Continue reading Latvia: Success at a Price

Barry D. WoodSeptember 17, 2018Leave a comment

Barry D. Wood

writer. traveler. teacher.

Category: Uncategorized