Distracted

Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age by Maggie Jackson is a thought-provoking book on the ability to focus in a distracted world. Great read.

Useful link:
http://maggie-jackson.com

I think the greatest casualty of our fluxed-up, high-tech age is attention.

The Diffusion Of Art Market

Economist writes about the diffusion of new riches around the globe and the current art market + the challenges @ http://www.economist.com/daily/columns/artview/displayStory.cfm?story_id=11605844

Five years ago, its millionaire buyers came from 36 countries. In 2007 that number rose to 58.
- Sothebys

Useful links:
www.sothebys.com
www.christies.com

How true!

IndiaMike

I found IndiaMike travel site informative and useful.

Useful link:
www.indiamike.com

In Odd We Trust

Dean Koontz’s first graphic novel, featuring a fry cook who can communicate with the dead, is out.

Useful link:
www.deankoontz.com

Laura Day

What exactly is Laura Day's expertise? Intuition. Anybody who can afford her will get 100 times their money's worth. Amazingly people believe in the value of psychic insights. It's a new frontier, really.

Useful link:
www.practicalintuition.com

Indian Jewelry Retailer

The article on Gitanjali and the Indian jewelry retail sector @ http://www.forbes.com/magazines/global/2008/0630/070.html was interesting. I think Mehul Choksi, who serves as chairman, really want to be the number one jewelry retailer in the world. Good luck!

Useful links:
www.gitanjaligroup.com
www.gili.com

Obsessive Branding Disorder

OBD: Obsessive Branding Disorder: The Illusion of Business and the Business of Illusion by Lucas Conley explains how defenseless we are against advertisements. A different perspective.

Useful link:
Lucas Conley's Blog

Designs For Old Folks

One group that really needs community are the old folks, who don't get much attention from the wired world. I think young folks with expertise in building digital communities should help old folks connect to their families and friends. Since we have the technology and skills, what's required is simplicity and ease of use. Pay it forward.

Radioparadise

Radioparadise, which broadcasts an eclectic mix of modern, classic, and alternative rock, is commercial-free, supported entirely by donations from its listeners. A must-visit site.

Useful link:
www.radioparadise.com

Green Cemetry

Green cemetry offers families the opportunity to visit loved ones in a natural setting, to have them become part of the forest's nutrient base and to help ensure the forest remains free from development. It also offers people a place to visit. I think the green environment helps people to relieve the stressful situation. It's hard to imagine a nicer place to return your remains. I hope the concept becomes a popular choice across the world.

Useful link:
www.ecoeternity.com

Agustin Otegui

Agustin Otegui's futuristic concept called Nano Vent-Skin (NVS) and the design -- to wrap buildings in an organic lattice skin made up of micro wind turbines -- is brilliant. It's cutting-edge science + design + organic.

Useful links:
www.agustin-otegui.com
http://nanoventskin.blogspot.com

Random Thoughts

The most successful people in the business world, what they do best is manage people, or understand people, or know how to relate and deal with people. And that's what poker is all about—people.

- Tom McEvoy

Syngenta: The Innovative Company

Mac Margolis's interview with Mike Mack (CEO, Syngenta) @ http://www.newsweek.com/id/136231 was educational and insightful. I think Green Revolution 2.0 is overdue.

Useful link:
www.syngenta.com

Expressionale Berlin 2008

Berlin is the contemporary-art hub (world-class institutes + museums + 500 galleries+) of Europe. Amazingly it's the bohemian charm that draws artists to Berlin. The expressionist movement that characterizes the city's cosmopolitan feel is very much alive and engaging. Many of the works—by current as well as early 20th-century masters—are for sale, and at prices the average art lover can afford. A must-visit.

Useful link:
www.expressionale.de

Pay It Forward

Small-business owners are tapping the expertise of people they might not otherwise meet, especially those who live hundreds or thousands of miles away via online mentoring saving time by allowing people to quickly get to the point. For many mentors, who were previously mentored by others feel they need to pay it forward. Brilliant!

Useful links:
www.micromentor.org
www.mercycorps.org
www.score.org
www.imantri.com
www.aspeninstitute.org

Copenhagen Consensus Conference

I found the dispatch from the 2008 Copenhagen Consensus Conference interesting and insightful. I think the experts views should be discussed and challenged. Since we live in a world of scarce resources, how can we do the most good?

Useful link:
www.copenhagenconsensus.com

Royal Game Of Ur

(via Wiki) The Royal Game of Ur refers to two game boards found in Royal Tombs of Ur by Sir Leonard Woolley in the 1920s. The two boards date from the First Dynasty of Ur, before 2600 BC, thus making the Royal Game of Ur probably the oldest set of board gaming equipment ever found. One of the two boards is exhibited in the collections of the British Museum in London. A board game known with some certainty to be older than The Royal Game of Ur is the ancient Egyptian game Senet, the existence of which possibly dates as early as the 33rd century BC. Also, recent excavations of a sixty piece set in the "Burnt City" located in Iran has shown that a very similar board game existed five thousand years ago, slightly edging out the age of the Ur set. The Royal Game of Ur was played with two sets (one black and one white) of seven markers and three pyramidal dice. The rules of the game as it was played in Mesopotamia are not known but there is a reliable reconstruction of gameplay based on a cuneiform tablet of Babylonian origin dating from 177–176 BC. It is universally agreed that the Royal Game of Ur, like Senet, is a race game. Both games may be predecessors to the present-day backgammon. A grafitto version of the game was recently discovered scratched by Assyrian guards onto one of the human-headed winged bull gate sentinels from the palace of Sargon II (721 - 705 BC) in the city of Khorsabad, now in the British Museum in London. Similar games have since been discovered on other sculptures in other museums.

Useful links:
Irving Finkel: http://www.britishmuseum.org/the_museum/about_us/staff/middle_east/irving_finkel.aspx
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1815665,00.html

Iving Finkel is the world's foremost expert on the game.

Team Of Rivals

Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin is a multiple biography of the entire team of personal and political competitors that Abraham Lincoln put together to lead America through its greatest crisis. A great read.

Useful link:
www.doriskearnsgoodwin.com

Vietnam Diamond Market

I found the article on the state of the diamond industry in Vietnam @ http://english.vietnamnet.vn/biz/2008/06/789254 interesting.

Making and trading diamond jewellery proves to be profitable business. However, the fat profit made by companies is not mentioned, because this is always considered a ‘sensitive’ issue. The diamonds on sale in Vietnam come from different sources, and a big proportion of the diamonds come through unofficial channels.
How true!

Diamond Empowerment For Africa's Future

I think the new public service announcement by Russell Simmons' Diamond Empowerment Fund (DEF), titled 'Diamond Empowerment for Africa's Future', is an excellent medium to educate consumers understand that diamonds do help Africans.

Useful links:
www.diamondempowerment.org
www.simmonsjewelryco.com
www.russellsimmons.com

First Stop In The New World

First Stop in the New World by David Lida is an in-depth study of Mexico city, from the high arts to the sex industry; from the dense jungle of urban politics to the interactions of everyday commerce; from one end of this five-hundred-square-mile city to the other.

Useful link:
http://davidlida.com

I think Mexico city is truly one of the world's greatest and misunderstood city on earth.

Graphic Novel Update

Rebecca Winters Keegan writes about Hollywood's insatiable appetite for comics-fueled materials + other viewpoints @ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1816487,00.html

Museum Of The Orient

The Museu do Oriente (Museum of the Orient) was opened in May by Portuguese President Aníbal Cavaco Silva and Prime Minister José Sócrates. In planning for nearly two decades, the $46.6 million facility was set up by the Fundação Oriente (Orient Foundation) — a Portuguese cultural organization established in the former colony of Macau in 1988 — and showcases a vast array of Asian artifacts on five floors in a magnificent Art Deco building along the Lisbon waterfront at Alcãntara. Among the Museu do Oriente's collections are many prominent pieces that have never been publicly exhibited, including rare crucifixes, snuff bottles, screens, ornaments, paintings and antiques from as far afield as East Timor, Japan, Goa, Korea and Macau (the latter meriting a section of its own). There is also a special exhibition devoted to Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist and Shinto religious objects. But art experts and historians are most excited about the reappearance of a well-known collection that has not been shown publicly for many years...... http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1815982,00.html

Useful link:
www.foriente.pt

Definitely a must-visit.

Club4Climate

Club4Climate has teamed up with the world leaders in environmentally sustainable dance clubs, Rotterdam’s Enviu/Doll and Sustainable Dance Club. Working on the basis that a club should be self sufficient and not a drain on the environment, the organisation has come up with the varied and interesting ways to be eco-friendly.

Useful links:
www.club4climate.com
www.sustainabledanceclub.com

Must be an interesting place to visit.

The Public Gallery

The Public, one of Britain’s largest and most ambitious cultural building projects, will open its doors on 28th + 29th June, 2008. A must-visit.

Useful links:
www.alsoparchitects.com
www.thepublic.com

Random Thoughts

Swarovski produces glass, but sells it as if it were diamonds. We produce diamonds, but sell it as if it were glass.

- Sergei Vybornov
President, Alrosa

The Three Industry Wild Cards

Chaim Even Zohar writes about Nicky Oppenheimer, Sergei Vybornov and Ian Khama + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

Useful links:
www.debeersgroup.com
http://eng.alrosa.ru
www.debswana.com
www.monitor.com
www.bedia.co.bw

How true!

Random Thoughts

I always feel pressure. If you don't feel nervous, that means you don't care about how you play. I care about how I perform. I've always said the day I'm not nervous playing is the day I quit.

- Tiger Woods
www.tigerwoods.com

He was spot on.

Rembrandt's Laughing Portrait

According to William Noortman (Noortman Master Paintings), who specializes in Dutch and Flemish masters, 'Rembrandt Laughing' — bought for a bargain price of $4.5 million at an English auction house in October — a self-portrait by the Dutch master himself, depicted with his head tilted back in easygoing laughter, could be worth $30 million to $40 million.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080619/ap_en_ot/art_rembrandt_laughing

Useful links:
www.noortman.com
www.rembrandthuis.nl

If it's real, then it's a rare opportunity.

Gemlab Update

I found the latest research newsletter from GemLab @ http://www.gemlab.net/website/gemlab/fileadmin/user_upload/Research/Gemlab-Newsletter-06-2008.pdf educational and interesting.

Useful link:
www.gemlab.net

Managing Price Increases

John Quelch offers tips on how marketers can cope with inflation and consumer sticker shock @ http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5957.html

Useful link:
Marketing Know: How

Brilliant!

Coral Reefs + Economic Value

The World Resources Institute, in collaboration with government and NGO partners in St. Lucia, Tobago and Belize, has developed an economic valuation methodology to quantify the value of coral reefs in the Caribbean more accurately. The methodology supports the evaluation of trade-offs, thereby highlighting the management and development paths which protect coral reefs, and maximize the economic contribution of coral reefs to the economy.

Useful link:
www.wri.org

Knowledge + sustainable planning = Long-term economic potential

Jewelry Camp

The Antique Jewelry and Art Conference will be held on July 11 - 13, 2008, at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York. Speakers include Diana Singer, Christie Romero, Michael Goldstein, Gus Davis, Ben Macklowe, Tom Burstein of Harry Winston, Joyce Jonas to name a few. Don't miss it.

Useful links:
www.jewelrycamp.org
www.appraisers.org

Recession Proof Shoppers

I found the article on research-proof shoppers @ http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/apparelretail/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003813502 intriguing. What drives women to buy expensive goods? I guess it must be quality, designs, service, prestige, success and confidence.

Useful links:
www.elle.com
www.brandweek.com
www.surveysampling.com

Cyd Charisse

Cyd Charisse, a former co-star of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, has died in Los Angeles aged 87. She sang and danced with legends Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain, and Fred Astaire in Silk Stockings.

Useful links:
www.humorinthenews.com/cyd
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001998

Fred Astaire described Cyd Charisse as beautiful dynamite. I think he was spot on. She will be dearly missed.

Design Thinking

Tim Brown is a British-born designer who is now CEO of the design group called Ideo, based in Silicon Valley California. He has a fascinating article, in the June Harvard Business Review, urging organisations to embrace what he calls Design Thinking.

Useful links:
www.ideo.com
http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/357
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_thinking

Skoll World Forum

(via BBC) Every year the Said Business School at Oxford University hosts the Skoll Forum for Social Entrepreneurs, a wonderful meeting place of famous and not so famous practitioners and beneficiaries. It happens in Oxford, England, because this ancient university is where the Foundation’s founder Jeff Skoll established a department that actually teaches social entrepreneurship to business school students. He made a fortune out of in at the founding of the Internet Auction site eBay. Now he is trying to encourage more social entrepreneurship, and to get more innovation out of it. The Skoll Forum is an exhilarating place, noisy with ideas.

Useful links:
www.skollworldforum.com
www.skollfoundation.org
www.sbs.ox.ac.uk
www.ashoka.org
www.camfed.org
www.mobileactive.org
www.gatesfoundation.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Skoll

Amanda Ripley

Amanda Ripley's book, The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes — and Why explains how the brain works in disasters — and how we can learn to do better.

Useful link:
www.amandaripley.com

A must-read.

Spencer Tunick

Spencer Tunick is an American photographer. He is best known for his installations that feature large numbers of nude people posed in artistic formations. His installations are often situated in urban locations throughout the world.

Recently more than 1,000 people took part in a Spencer Tunick installation, which took place at Blarney Castle in Cork in southern Ireland. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/7460005.stm

Useful link:
www.spencertunick.com

It must be an extraordinary experience.

New Graphic Designs From China

3030: New Graphic Design in China, edited by Hong Kong designer Javin Mo, is an interesting work (theoretical + experimental) that brings together the work of 30 designers from mainland China + their viewpoints.

Useful links:
www.3030press.com
www.milkxhake.org

Fancy Colored Diamonds Education

I found the website www.fancydiamonds.net on fancy colored diamonds educational and informative. A must-visit.

Bottlemania

Bottlemania: How Water Went on Sale and Why We Bought It by Elizabeth Royte is an informative book on an entire industry. A must-read.

I think the answer lies in marketing. Though environmentally destructive, old habits die hard.

The House of Viktor & Rolf

A new exhibition showcasing the work of Dutch fashion designers Viktor & Rolf opens on 18 June till 21 September 2008 @ the Barbican Art Gallery. A must-visit.

Useful links:
www.viktor-rolf.com
www.barbican.org.uk

New Yorker Interview

Ken Auletta's interview with Eric Schmidt, the chairman and C.E.O. of Google, in San Francisco on June 11, 2008 @ http://www.newyorker.com/online/video/2008/06/16/080616_auletta/ was educational and insightful.

Green Market Geography

I found the paper written by Matthew Kahn + Ryan Vaughn on Green Market Geography (pdf) very interesting. What's amazing to me is that most people I know who are aware of green economics do not make sound changes at home. Why? I still don't know.

Useful link:
www.zimancenter.com

A Roman Glass

A glass d20 from Roman times was sold by Christies in 2003. What's intriguing is the unique markings on it, and the experts haven't established the game for which these dice were used.

Useful link:
www.christies.com

Green Beads As Amulets.....For Luck

I found the study by researchers at the National Academy of Sciences on lucky beads worn by early agriculturalists @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7457755.stm intriguing.

Useful link:
www.pnas.org

We propose that the green colour mimics the green of young leaf blades, which signify germination and embody the wish for successful crops and for success in fertility.
- PNAS

How true!

The Chinese Affluent + Brand Preference

According to surveys conducted by MasterCard Worldwide, the affluent mainland Chinese consumers preferred jewelry brands were (1) Chow Tai Fook (2) Cartier (3) Chow Sang Sang + Hong Kong remained the most preferred shopping location.

Useful links:
www.chowtaifook.com
www.cartier.com
www.chowsangsang.com
www.mastercard.com

I think disposable income, product knowledge, education, and travel may have helped the affluent mainland Chinese to understand the difference between quality and brand.

India's Next Wave

William Nobrega has an interesting overview on India's media and entertainment, private education, infrastructure, renewable energy companies and the rapidly growing middle class @ http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2008/gb20080612_463518.htm?chan=search

Useful link:
www.conradgroupinc.com

Innovative solutions = Increased demand = Growth

Art + Design Scenes

The definitive, easy-to-use guide to the art and design scenes in Tokyo (Tokyo Art Beat) + New York (NY Art Beat). A must-visit.

Useful links:
www.tokyoartbeat.com
www.nyartbeat.com

Random Thoughts

Real leaders touch people. They get in their skin, filling their hearts with inspiration, courage, and hope. In the future, the best leaders will combine touch with the ability to quickly sort, assess, and seize the power of all the ideas the Internet brings and the voices it unleashes. And that will change business for everyone.

- Jack + Suzy Welch
www.welchway.com

Pocket Movies

Pocket movies are interesting (intimate/engaging) because mobile phones can go anywhere, the images snatched from real life are rough and ready. They tell a unique story. The results are startling. So what revolution is the mobile phone going to bring? Stylistic innovation! I think it's an interesting tool that allows you to show people what you've got. I believe Paris has played it's role in this new revolutionary style. Other cities are catching up.

Useful links:
www.festivalpocketfilms.fr
www.pocketfilms.jp
www.pocketpicks.co.uk
www.sundance.org

Ballet Précieux

Van Cleef & Arpels's 'Ballet Précieux', a line based on the George Balanchine-choreographed ballet Jewels, a unique collection centered on four central themes: the ballet, emerald, ruby and diamond are so beautiful, they literally capture the dancers' soul. The idea of movement being translated into piece of jewelry appeals to everyone. I think it's fascinating.

Useful links:
www.vancleef-arpels.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8yH4xgWJ8k

Who Owns Antiquity?

Who Owns Antiquity?: Museums and the Battle over Our Ancient Heritage by James Cuno is an interesting book on cultural property matters, a topic of great importance to archaeologists, collectors, dealers, and museum curators. A must-read.

Heard On The Street

If I only knew the winning probabilities of the horses, I wouldn't need to know winners; I'd be making a fortune anyway.

Brandywine River Museum

The Brandywine River Museum holds spectacular art collections of NC Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth and Jamie Wyeth. They are often called the first family of American art. A must-visit.

Useful link:
www.brandywinemuseum.org

Hua Hin Jazz Festival 2008

The Hua Hin Jazz Festival 2008 - June 13th - 14th sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand was spectacular.

Useful link:
www.huahinafterdark.com/hua-hin-jazz-festival.htm

Antony Todd

A Diamond Is Forever Floral Spectacular, designed by floral designer Antony Todd, with over 24,000 long stem red roses spelling out A Diamond Is Forever, commissioned in celebration of Mother's Day was stunningly beautiful. Everyone who picked up a rose got a code that they could then enter online at www.adiamondisforever.com for a chance to win a 3 Stone Diamond Necklace worth $5,000.

Useful link:
www.antonytodd.com

Brilliant idea. I liked it.

The Art Of Film Music

The Art Of Film Music by George Burt is a great book on film scoring techniques. Enjoy it.

Jane Seymour's Open Heart Concept

I really liked Jane Seymour's Open Heart Necklace and Original Art concept because of its simplicity and functionality.

Useful links:
www.friendsofjane.com

Renewable Petroleum Technology

Here is what LS9 Inc. says about renewable petroleum technology @ http://www.ls9.com/technology I also found Chris Ayres article @ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece
interesting as well. I think these breakthroughs definitely offer a commercially attractive path to sustainibility.

Useful link:
www.ls9.com

The World Of Caffeine

The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World's Most Popular Drug by Bennett Alan Weinberg + Bonnie K. Bealer is an interesting book that covers history, science, commerce, and other aspects of caffeine culture. I liked it.

Useful links:
www.ico.org
http://coffeescience.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine

Shifting Economy

Michael Novogratz talks with Nick Paumgarten about the long-term effects of a shifting economy from 'Stories from the Near Future,' at the 2008 New Yorker Conference @
http://www.newyorker.com/online/video/conference/2008/novogratz

Useful link:
www.fortressinv.com

Brilliant!

Buying Diamonds Online

I found Businessweek's video on what to know about diamonds on the web @ http://feedroom.businessweek.com/index.jsp?fr_story=e22da4a379200015f0494c9053bb8661bd5066ee interesting. In fact, I liked it.

Bushveld Complex + The Diamond Link

National Science Foundation's new research in South Africa shows possible explanation for how Bushveld platinum ores were created + the unique encapsulation of platinum group elements as mineral inclusions in diamonds + the origin theory + other viewpoints @ http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=111695&govDel=USNSF_51

Useful links:
www.nsf.gov
www.nature.com
www.ciw.edu
www.uct.ac.za

The Water Story

Susan Berfield writes about T. Boone Pickens's new business interests + other viewpoints @ http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_25/b4089040017753.htmchan=top+news_top+news+index_top+story

Useful links:
www.boonepickens.com
www.bpcap.net

There are people who will buy the water when they need it. And the people who have the water want to sell it. That's the blood, guts, and feathers of the thing.
- T Boone Pickens

How true!

Appraisal Organizations In The US

Each appraisal organizations in the U.S has its own rules and standards that are continually being updated.

Useful links:
www.appraisalfoundation.org
www.americangemsociety.org
www.appraisers.org
www.isa-appraisers.org
www.najaappraisers.com
www.appraisersassoc.org
http://accreditedgemologists.org

California World Fest

California WorldFest features eight stages of music and dance from around the world, camping with family and friends, workshops, international food, fine crafts, and the renowned children's program + specially selected independent films.

Useful link:
www.worldfest.net

Don't miss it!

The Necessary Revolution

The Necessary Revolution: How Individuals And Organizations Are Working Together to Create a Sustainable World by Peter M. Senge + Bryan Smith + Sara Schley + Joe Laur + Nina Kruschwitz is an interesting book that discusses the state of the business today and how individuals and corporations could innovate toward a more sustainable world.

Useful links:
www.solonline.org
www.presence.net
www.presencing.com

In a time of rapid change, I think we need unique qualities to be adaptive and productive.

Global Solar

Bryan Walsh writes about Global Solar, and their unique technology (turning sunlight into electricity) + other viewpoints @ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1813954,00.html

Useful link:
www.globalsolar.com

A limitless supply of clean, cheap energy--if thin film can deliver that, who wouldn't believe? Great technology.

The Vilnius Project

The government of Lithuania + Zaha Hadid will be constructing a joint Guggenheim/Hermitage satellite in Vilnius.

Useful links:
www.guggenheim.org
www.hermitagemuseum.org
www.zaha-hadid.com

The Guggenheim universe is definitely expanding.

Anna Bullus

London-based designer Anna Bullus's designs are innovative, simple, in fact, they are brilliant. I liked it.

Useful link:
www.annabullusdesign.com

Doing Diamond Business In South Africa

Chaim Even Zohar writes about issues and concerns in the diamond sector in South Africa + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

I think Chaim was spot on. Transfer of skills, know-how and contacts are important factors that sustains the diamond economy. If capital and skills are removed from the industry, then there is something wrong with the whole 'new order' concept.

Peeling Natural Pearls

Kari Anderson writes:
We don't hear much about pearl peeling today, but it was a common practice when natural pearls were the only source of these precious gems. I often hear it when folks talk about preparing the natural pearls from the Mississippi River here in Muscatine for jewelry. Almost all pearls are in perfect condition for setting when they are found; all that needs to be done is to rub them with a damp or moist cloth or with a powder of finely pulverized small or small pearls, and they are then ready for the succeeding processes. If there are any blemishes, these can be removed by peeling pearls or "faking," although few fine pearls require any such treatments; and then the gems may be drilled, strung, and set, and all that is necessary for their preservation is due care and attention. Pearls are frequently injured in opening the shells or in removal of the outer layers around the true pearly nacre. Both the Chinese and the Sulu fishermen are very clever in the art of pearl peeing and pearl improving. The method of peeling pearls is called "faking," although it is a perfectl legitimate operation. All it requires is a very sharp knife, a set of files, and a powder obtained by grinding pearls or pearl shells............. http://www.karipearls.com/peeling-pearls.html

Useful link:
www.karipearls.com

Thanks Kari for the excellent info.

Indian Art Auctions Update

Kishore Singh has an interesting update on art auctions in India @ http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=10&bKeyFlag=BO&autono=325896

Useful links:
www.bidandhammer.com
www.saffronart.com
www.christies.com
www.sothebys.com
www.harmonyindia.org

I think Indian art is on the move and keep watching to see which way prices go.

Artbeads

Artbead caters to individual artists + bead stores + professional designers worldwide. A must-visit.

Useful link:
www.artbeads.com

Changing Africa

A new atlas charts Africa's changing landscape over recent decades @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jun/10/climatechange.conservation

Useful link:
http://www.unep.org/dewa/africa/AfricaAtlas

Shocking, really.

Afghanistan's Crown Jewels

Jeffrey Bartholet writes about the mystery 'keyholders' who secretly protected Afghanistan's crown jewels through all the turbulence and chaos of war and looting + other viewpoints @ http://www.newsweek.com/id/140158

Useful links:
www.nationalgeographic.com
www.nga.gov

Bolzano's Museum Of Modern And Contemporary Art

William Lee Adams has an interesting update on Bolzano's Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art @ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1811690,00.html

Useful links:
www.museion.it
www.ksv-network.de

It's breathtaking and beautiful! A must-visit.

The Man Who Loved China

The Man Who Loved China: The Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom by Simon Winchester is a fascinating book about the bigger picture of the rise and future of the largest nation on Earth. Great read.

Useful link:
www.simonwinchester.com

Onassis Jewels

Jewels belonging to the daughter of Greek shipping tycoon, Aristotle Onassis will be auctioned by Christies in London. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7447560.stm

Useful link:
www.christies.com

The World's Best Places To Live 2008

According to Mercer Consulting's annual roundup of the global cities with the best quality of life, Zurich once again comes out on top, followed jointly by Vienna (2), Geneva (2), then Vancouver (4) and Auckland (5). The survey also identifies those cities with the highest personal safety ranking based on internal stability, crime, effectiveness of law enforcement and relationships with other countries. Luxembourg ranks highest for personal safety; Baghdad, the lowest.

Useful link:
www.mercer.com

Roy Lichtenstein: The Painter

'Roy Lichtenstein: Girls' show continues through June 28, 2008 at the Gagosian Gallery, 980 Madison Avenue, near 77th Street, New York. Don't miss it!

Useful links:
www.lichtensteinfoundation.org
www.gagosian.com

The show is terrific. I think Roy Lichtenstein adored women.

Heard On The Street

Q: How do you make money in the market?
A: Nothing could be simpler: buy low, sell high.
Q: How can I learn to do that?
A: Ahhhh…that takes a lifetime.

Takashi Murakami + His Students

Sonia Zjawinski has an interesting update on Takashi Murakami's students: Ai Yamaguchi + Erina Matsui + Chiho Aoshima, and their profiles, styles + other viewpoints @ http://www.wired.com/culture/art/magazine/16-06/pl_arts

Useful links:
www.takashimurakami.com
www.ninyu.com
www.tokyoartbeat.com
http://the-artists.org

We Think

We-think: The Power of Mass Creativity by Charles Leadbeater is a fascinating and thought-provoking book on the pros and cons of growing communities on the web. I liked it.

Useful links:
www.wethinkthebook.net
www.charlesleadbeater.net
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiP79vYsfbo

Money For Nothing

Money for Nothing: One Man's Journey Through the Dark Side of Lottery Millions by Edward Ugel shows how difficult it can be to cope with windfall wealth. A personal memoir of greed and hope.

Useful link:
www.edwardugel.com

Our salespeople were lottery winners — we just never bought tickets. Selling to the winners was like selling to myself.
- Edward Ugel

How true!

Carbon Calculators

I found Carolyn Fry's article Carbon Calculators @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/feb/19/carbon.web interesting. As she rightly put it, if enough people begin cutting their carbon footprint now, the CO2 saving will soon stack up, whichever you calculate it. Thanks Carolyn for the excellent info.

Useful links:
www.carbonfootprint.com
http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk
www.resurgence.org
www.climatecare.org
www.carbonneutral.com
www.chooseclimate.org
www.transportdirect.info
www.electricityinfo.org
http://coinet.org.uk

Gao Xingjian's Reflections

An artist must walk his own path, and if there are rules, they should only be rules that he himself has created.
- Gao Xingjian

How true!

Gao Xingjian at the Alisan Fine Arts gallery
http://iht.com/slideshows/2008/05/06/arts/06Seno-Slide.php
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/11/arts/seno.php

Green Living

Have a look that the U.S. Department of Energy's PDF guide, which is surprisingly helpful and chockful of suggestions for green living.
http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Plant_Trees_to_Cool_Your_Home_and_the_Planet

I should have started planting trees twenty-five years ago.

Flame Queen Opal

One of the most famous opal in the world, dubbed the Flame Queen, weighing 263.18-cts will be auctioned by Bonhams & Butterfields on June 22, 2008, at the auction house’s San Francisco and Los Angeles locations.

Useful link:
www.bonhams.com

The unusual color pattern in this opal is one of the best, really.

Diamond Handbag

Created by Japanese designer Ginza Tanaka, the platinum bag valued at £1m has been set with more than 2,000 diamonds + its diamond shoulder strap can be detached and worn as a necklace or a bracelet, while the 8-carat pear-shaped diamond centrepiece surrounded by a cluster of eighty-one smaller diamonds can be taken off and worn as a brooch.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7443742.stm

London Jewellery Week, sponsored by Coutts, runs from 11-15 June, 2008.

Useful links:
www.ginzatanaka.co.jp
www.londonjewelleryweek.co.uk

Fans of designer couteur will love it.

On Persuasion

(via Amazon) The book Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges by Antonin Scalia + Bryan A. Garner was great. Here is what they have to say:

- Know your audience
- Lead with your strongest argument
- Communicate clearly and concisely
- Close powerfully and say explicitly what you want your audience to do
- Banish jargon
- Hone your public speaking skills
- Dress appropriately
- When you're not on your feet, you're on stage
- Look judges in the eye
- Don't chew your fingernails

Though the ideas are for developing briefs and arguments to persuade judges, I think the 10 rules listed above apply to any business situations.

Video Games Update

David Kirkpatrick writes about video games and their application for immersive experience + issues of marketing, sociology, and Internet culture + other viewpoints @ http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/06/technology/games_change.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2008060606

Useful links:
http://worldwideworkshop.org
www.gamesforchange.org
http://globalkids.org
www.girlstart.org
www.amd.com

I think games can embody any values and be on any subject and many would go the extra mile to have an immersive experience.

Louise Bourgeois's Art

Louise Bourgeois is an artist and sculptor. Peter Plagens writes about her unique styles and persona, her long career + other viewpoints @ http://www.newsweek.com/id/140278

What a remarkable woman and artist. At 96, she is precious and inspiring!

Green In Politics + Business = Good Environment

San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom talks with Dana Goodyear on what it means to be green in politics and in the world, from 'Stories from the Near Future,' at the 2008 New Yorker Conference @ http://www.newyorker.com/online/video/conference/2008/newsom

Useful link:
www.sfgov.org/mayor

Very inspiring. We need more leaders like Gavin Newsom, really.

Beauty + Geek

I found Erik De Nijs, designer of the Keyboard Pants very interesting, in fact, I liked it. http://blog.wired.com/sterling/2008/06/erik-de-nijs-yo.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brucesterling/sets/72157605496145298

Useful links:
www.hku.nl
www.oooms.nl

Design + Science

PAX Scientific’s elegant Lily impeller was featured in the Design and the Elastic Mind exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, in New York City (Feb 24 - May 12, 2008). The exhibition highlighted examples of successful translation of disruptive innovation into usable objects and explored the relationship between design and science. http://www.paxscientific.com/news.html#MoMa

Useful links:
www.moma.org
www.paxscientific.com
www.jayharman.com

Random Thoughts

One of the great tragedies of life is that when we really need advice, we're unlikely to listen to it. When we are young and clueless, people give us the benefit of their wisdom, and we sneeze at it. Later, when we finally see that what we do not know exceeds that which we do, we're already too calcified in our opinions to heed the answers that are blowing in the wind. Thus we go our own way, sometimes staying on the right road, sometimes toddling off merrily into the ditch.

- Stanley Bing

How true!

Bad Painting — Good Art

Bad Painting — good art, exhibit opened @ Vienna's Museum of Modern Art (MUMOK) on 6 June, 2008 - 12 October 2008. What's interesting is the artist's methodology: They challenge their medium by using a range of incorrect, bad or ugly approaches in order to attack and criticize it by its own means.

Useful link:
www.mumok.at