Private Philanthropy in China

Peter F. Geithner, an expert on Chinese philanthropy, will lead a discussion on “The Growth of Private Philanthropy in China” from 3 to 4:3 p.m. Monday (3 October) in Room 309 of the Campus Center at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis.

He will be joined by two Chinese scholars currently visiting the Center on Philanthropy at I.U.: Li Li of the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation and Lu Bo of the Beijing Vantone Foundation.

Geithner is an advisor to the Asia Center at Harvard University and a consultant to the Asia Pacific Philanthropy Consortium, Rockefeller Foundation, Sasakawa Peace Foundation, and other organizations. He serves on the boards of the National Committee on United States-China Relations, the China Center for Economic Research (Peking University), the Center for the Advanced Study of India (University of Pennsylvania), Clemente (Holdings) Asia, Inc., and the Institute of Current World Affairs.

(Flag © 2011 ScientiaWeb)

Al Unser Jr. arrested for DWI

OK, it didn't happen in Indy, but Unser certainly is a well-known name 'round these parts.

According to KRQE.com: "Al Unser Jr, a retired American race car driver and two time Indianapolis 500 winner, was arrested early Thursday morning.

"Around 3 a.m., officials say Unser, 49, was in his white 2011 Chevrolet Suburban and racing another car going westbound on Paseo del Norte in Albuquerque. Deputies say they clocked both vehicles on radar going over 100 miles per hour. The posted speed limit in that particular stretch is around 60 mph."

"He has been charged with reckless driving, aggravated DWI and racing upon a highway."

"Unser is a member of the famous Albuquerque Unser racing family. His father Al Unser Sr. won back-to-back wins at the Indianapolis 500 in 1970 and 1971. He also took the checkered flag at Indy in 1978 and 1987.

"His uncle Bobby won at Indianapolis in 1968, 1975 and 1981. Al Unser Jr. himself won the Indy 500 in 1992 and 1994," KRQE.com notes.

Indiana Authors Award

Celebrate writers from the Hoosier state on 29 October at the Central Library, 40 East St. Clair Street, Indianapolis.

During the day, you can meet a host of Indiana authors, including the 2011 Indiana Authors Award honorees. You can purchase their books and get them signed, listen to author talks and attend workshops for writers and book lovers of all ages.

National winner for 2011 is Margaret McMullan (pictured), and the 2011 regional winner is Helen Frost.

This event -- which is free and open to the public -- is presented by the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation in partnership with the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library and the Writers' Center of Indiana.

In the evening, the winners and finalists of the award will be fêted. To purchase a ticket for the dinner, also to be held at the Central Library, go online or call 317:275-4700.

Could Mitch Have Made It?

That's the question discussed on Slate.com today.

Read this assessment of our governor via his newly-released book here, in an article by John Dickerson.

Gridiron, Resurrected

When's the last time you broke bread with your Hoosier political pals -- and then watched in shocked awe as they were raked over the coals by their peers?

Just a guess, but it might have been at the last Indiana Gridiron event a few years ago.

Well, the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute is bringing back the fabled dinner in all its glory.

The laughs. The cheap shots. And plenty of cheap shots, too. Because it's been far too long since we got together and senselessly mocked Indiana's political elite.

Mark your calendars for Feb. 22, 2012, and make a special note: "Second best event of the year."

This site will be up and running soon, so check back often for more information about tickets, tables and, of course, our lineup of helpless victims, er, featured speakers.

We guarantee you'll have so much fun you might just wind up offering someone your iPad or explaining yourself to a police officer in a gas station parking lot.

(And, a tip of the hat to Jennifer Wagner for reporting the good news in her column in the "Forefront" section of the Indianapolis Business Journal!)

Why Doesn't Cavanaugh Hall Have Windows?

Did you ever take a class in Cavanaugh Hall at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis?

Join the fun at the Cavanaugh Hall 40th Anniversary Reunion and Open House from 4:30-6:30 p.m. tomorrow (23 September).

Learn about Cavanaugh's construction and much more at the event featuring a six-story exhibit, "Cavanaugh Hall: 40 Years of Impact," light appetizers, and remarks by Dean William Blomquist at 6 p.m.

Retired faculty and staff, alumni, students, and the campus community are invited.

(Photo courtesy of IUPUI)

Taste of Germany Comes to Indy

For more on the event -- and to buy tickets -- go online.


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