You might ask, what the four P’s (Pizza, Pasta, Paint & Pencils) have to do with art & commerce?  When you are fascinated by unique and non-traditional commercial collaboratives as I am, the above seemingly unrelated items become the stuff of arts commerce… where the worlds of art and commercial connect.

In an effort to further both their businesses, enrich and differentiate their product, and create a story, artists, manufacturers and merchants are increasingly working together.  One such example is here in the heart of San Diego’s “Historic Gaslamp District.”  Since opening their New York inspired pizzeria in 2003, Ciro’s have made an art of the pizza pie, now with an expanded restaurant and expansive brick walls; they are adding art to their customer experience.

Ciro’s might at first seem an unlikely place for art in general including the art of Jorge Reinoza. Jorge Reinoza is an expressive genius whose paintings and sketches now grace the walls of Ciro’s as part of an effort to bring attention to, showcase and sell the work of San Diego artists.  While enjoying pizza with colleagues we noticed that pizza is the perfect accompaniment to art in fact, it was clear that diners’ eyes were drawn to the art on display as they enjoyed their food.  Neither detracted, nor distracted, they go together as perfectly as, well, pizza and pineapple.

This style of collaborative is one that we will see more of as the arts and commerce realize the value of co-marketing and co-branding.  The result is a delicious delight for any palate, a feast for the eyes, and a sensible diet in cooperation.  If you live in or plan to visit San Diego, I highly recommend a visit to see and taste for yourself.  Jorge Reinoza is a painter and professor, educating students and the California International Business University, where another such collaborative in the form of a fall campus art exhibit, will take place, so mark your calendars for September 30th!  More information may be requested by clicking on the CIBU website and looking under “upcoming events.”



Often confused with Mexican Independence Day (celebrated on September 16), Cinco de Mayo is a voluntarily observed, regional holiday in Mexico, and a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride in the United States and other countries with communities of Mexican descent. It commemorates the David and Goliath victory of the Mexican army over invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5^th, 1862 when a weak Mexican militia of some 4,000 troops faced a formidable French army twice its size.

Although this celebration has only limited significance at the national level in Mexico, it has taken on a new identity in the United States by people of Mexican descent as a celebration of Mexican heritage and pride and by commercially minded interests who seek to exploit the vast market of some 30 million Americans who claim Mexican heritage.

Like Irish-Americans on St. Patrick’s Day, German-Americans during Oktoberfest, and Chinese-Americans at Chinese New Year, national, religious, and patriotic holidays in the “mother” countries take on a new meaning in the United States and allow Americans to draw deeply from their cultural roots to display the bright array of colors and festivity that make the American experience a celebration of its national motto – “E Pluribus Unum” – From the Many, One. In this way, it makes no difference from which country we trace our ancestral roots, when one hypenated American group celebrates it ethnic pride, we all do.

So, to all at CIBU and our friends around the world, let’s celebrate! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Now Senator Schumer, please do not take offense, after all, you may have been an A student all the way.  This is just an opinion commentary on the rest and most of your colleagues there in DC!

Professor Paul Krugman of Princeton just amazingly hits it on the head every time.  He makes things so clear.  In his recent op-ed piece in the New York Times, he refers to the Wall Street boys as the “Looters in Loafers”…discusses how Goldman Sachs has been cited for self-dealing, fraudulent practices…see his article, and the link to “several banks”…read that piece and you need a high IQ just to understand it!  This stuff takes high IQ altitude aptitude!  It bogs the mind just to figure it out…then, it hit me, the Washington guys were outfoxed!  They were beat, just like the GE College Board team from Nerdia U. beat the nice guy team from Peoria U.  The Washington guys (US Senators and Representatives later in life) just can’t keep up!  The East Coast brain drain is a 2 hour train ride from NYC to DC!

When I read the piece about “several banks”, it hit me that in quite simple terms, what we have here is the GE College Boards Quiz Show revisited.  For those who did not experience early television, this was the classic “battle of the nerds”…college teams would compete head to head for IQ based Q&A…the smartest teams win…winners take all…the average joe’s go home and are ridiculed about their losing to “smarter guys”!

I mean it occurs to me that this is it…brain wars in redux!

Guess what!  That plays out today in the recruiting from the top schools.  The Wharton C+ students who may have majored in marketing or finance get beat out by the Columbia students grads who are A+ in finance and “investment engineering”….the smart ones are hired by Wall Street for higher salaries and the C+ graduates go to Washington and become interns or to Peoria to sell toothpaste.  The nerds are recruited by nerds, the finance professors fuel their motivation, the bosses are alumni of the same places and we have a vicious circle.  The Washington guys can’t win on brains….they will need the lawyers to win…if they can even have a chance….

When a country has its smartest people in investment banks, and some of  its not smartest in government….what a country!  Maybe we need the third group, the lawyers, to save the situation…at least we know one saving grace that will always protect us…there is nothing as dumb as a dumb lawyer…therefore they can’t fail us in Middle America!

10 günlük harikulade Türkiye seyahatimizin ardından nihayet San Diego’daki evimiz CIBU’ya geri donduk. A2 Eğitim Fuarı vesilesiyle bulunduğumuz İstanbul ve Ankara’da öyle çok yeni dostlar edindik ki! Buradan bizi yalnız bırakmayan ve gelecek planlarını tüm içtenlikleri ile bizimle paylaşıp, fikir danışan tüm pırıl pırıl gençlere çok ama çok teşekkür ediyorum!

Fuarın bu kadar yoğun ve verimli geçmesi CIBU için çok önemli bir başarı olmakla beraber CIBU’da çalışan bir Türk genci olan benim için anlamı çok ama çok daha büyük. Zira  bundan yaklaşık 3,5 sene once bende o öğrencilerden biri olarak A2 Eğitim Fuarı’na gitmiş ve bugüne dek uzanan Amerika maceramın ilk adımlarını orada atmıştım.

Hal böyle olunca masanın diğer tarafında oturan o pırıl pırıl gençlerin heyecanlarını, korkularını, beklentilerini anlamak sanırım benim için hiç de güç olmadı. Belki de bu sebepten konuşmaya başlar başlamaz hemen hemen hepsiyle aramızda sıcacık bir samimiyet doğuyor ve yaptığımız bir bilgi alışverişinin çok ötesine geçip anında bir sohbete dönüşüyordu. Yaşadığım bu tecrübeden öylesine mutluyum ki vakt-i zamanında bana aynı desteği veren kişilere borcumu bir şekilde ödediğimi yani ”destek bayrağını” bir nevi sıradaki diğer gençlere aktarmaya başladığımı düşünüyorum.

Fuar boyunca öğrencilerden genelde ”Amerika’da master yapmak zor mu?” ,” OPT ile iş bulma konusunda CIBU destek oluyor mu?” , “San Diego’daki yaşam koşulları nelerdir?” gibi içeriği son derece zengin sorular duydum. Bunların hepsini cevapladığımız için burada aynı bilgileri elbette tekrar etmeyeceğim ama olur da Amerika’da ve CIBU’da öğrenci olmaya ilişkin başka sorunuz daha varsa , biliyorsunuz ki ben cevaplarımla yanınızdayım.

Bu tanışıklığın bir başlangıç olmasını ve ileride daha da büyüyük serpilecek bir dostluğa dönüşmesini umuyorum.

Unutmayın, “Her şey sizin elinizde!”

I spent part of today outside with my best friend and partner in everything, my husband!  We decided to  grab some take-out lunch and go up to Cabrillo Monument in Pt. Loma.  What a great decision that was!  The day was one of the most crystal clear days that I have ever seen. On the ocean side of the park the sea gulls flew past us, flapping their white wings, and the waves broke with frothy foam onto the tidal pool areas.  The sail boats and sports boats lazily moved up and down the coastline.  At our feet we could see the bright yellow flowers and smell that familiar California brush aroma as we walked to the tidal pool area. On the bay side the San Diego skyline couldn’t have been prettier!  The arch of the bridge was just as beautiful as intended by its designer.  The mountains in the distance reminded us of the desert just beyond.

Having recently written about connection with other in our community, I continued my observations of today’s community–the visitors to the park.  If we just take time to quietly observe, we might be surprised.  I saw the kindness of a father holding his daughter’s hand tightly to protect her from falling, young friends helping each other climb down the steep path, a father coaxing his young son towards the restroom before the long ride home.

My favorite observation occurred twice in rapid succession–young men hoisted, without hesitation, their female companions’ fashionable and highly-impractical-for-hiking purses onto their shoulders, freeing the ladies’ hands to maneuver down the sloping landscape.  We chuckled to see one fellow with a large satchel decorated with a skull and cross-bones balanced on his shoulder as he offered his hand for support to his “maiden in distress.”   Another young man gently urged his date to trust him as he took her large purse, put it around his neck and then guided her down to his level.  Chivalry is not lost!

What a relaxing day to enjoy and connect with the wonders of nature–the colors, smells, and sights of a spring community in San Diego!