Global Business BBC

Peter Day's report on deepsea travel was brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed the programme. Many thanks.

Useful links:
http://www.deepflight.com
http://www.noc.soton.ac.uk
http://ocean.fsu.edu

Random Thoughts

Being partner at Goldman is the pinnacle of Wall Street; if you make it, you are considered set for life. To have it taken away would just be devastating to an individual. There is just no other word for it.

- Michael Driscoll
http://events.adelphi.edu/news/2010/20100318.php

Nothing is permanent but change.

Halo Reach

The title is the fourth in the series and the last from US developer Bungie. Take a look. http://www.bungie.net

Vatican Library Reopens

Vatican Library reopens after restoration. http://www.vaticanlibrary.va

Fine Cell Work

Art of embroidery. Brilliant idea. http://www.finecellwork.co.uk

The BVLGARI Blue Diamond

The appearance of this sensational jewel on the market is causing a huge stir amongst top jewelry collectors worldwide. Fancy Vivid blue diamonds of this size are among the most sought-after of colored diamonds and remain extremely difficult to find, given the scarcity of natural colored rough. This ring’s exceptional quality, rarity and size combined with the coveted imprimatur of the house of BVLGARI make this upcoming sale a truly special event in the world of jewelry and one that is certain to make auction history.

- Rahul Kadakia
http://www.christies.com

Spot on.

Mexico Now Festival

Don't miss the annual festival. http://www.mexiconowfestival.org

Jennifer Ackerman

Brilliant advice. I loved the book. http://www.jenniferackerman.net

Herman Miller

Herman Miller giveaway. http://hermanmiller.com/designforyou

Random Thoughts

This collection is not a museum. It's a museum in one sense, but it's also a well-used, vitally important collection that's equivalent to a database of plant information. Plants are not just beautiful and decorative; without them we simply couldn't survive. From the sheets we sleep on, the clothes we wear for warmth and the food and medicine we depend on, plants are invaluable to humanity; their diversity sustains us now, and in the future it will enable us to adapt, innovate and ultimately to survive.

- David Simpson
http://www.kew.org

Spot on.

Ken Burns

America's storyteller. http://www.pbs.org/kenburns

Technology Pioneers

Meet the World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneers — and the innovations they are bringing to market.

Useful links:
http://www.spotify.com
http://www.medicineinneed.org
http://www.scribd.com
http://www.flexoresearch.com
http://www.neuronetics.com
http://www.layar.com
http://www.vortexindia.co.in
http://www.netqin.com
http://novacem.com
http://www.getjar.com
http://www.weforum.org

Oilfurnace

Brilliant narrative. I loved it. http://www.timdenee.com/oilfurnace

Ocean Inspiration

Inspire. Share. Impact. Reward. http://www.oceaninspiration.net

The Conspirator

A historical drama about the trial and hanging of Mary Surratt, a widow who was convicted of conspiring in the murder of Abraham Lincoln. The brilliant movie is directed by Robert Redford.

Useful links:
http://www.theamericanfilmcompany.com
http://www.tiff.net
http://www.sundance.org

There We Are

A visual representation of old age by Yang Zhou. There are a lot of us, really. http://www.zyfotos.com

Somewhere

Sofia Coppola has won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival, the Golden Lion, for her film Somewhere. Congratulations.

Useful links:
http://focusfeatures.com/film/somewhere
http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema

Astronomy Photographer 2010

Congratulations to Tom Lowe for winning the title Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2010. http://www.nmm.ac.uk

Art Market Update

The Economist report on Damien Hirst was interesting. Could any other artist pull off this kind of spectacular art trade? Where will the Hirst market go from here? Only time will tell. http://www.whitecube.com

Random Thoughts

To enjoy the advantages of a free market, one must have both buyers and sellers, both bulls and bears. A market without bears would be like a nation without a free press. There would be no one to criticize and restrain the false optimism that always leads to disaster.

- Bernard Baruch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Baruch

So true.

How We Swag: Decoding Hip-Hop Jewelry

Lyneise Williams from the department of art at the University of North Carolina will lead the discussion on the significance of hip-hop jewelry and its connection with American culture. http://jewelryhistorians.org

Raphael: Cartoons And Tapestries For The Sistine Chapel

This is a display of four of the ten tapestries designed by Raphael for the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. These are the original tapestries from the only series designed by Raphael of which examples survive, and are comparable with Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling as masterpieces of High Renaissance art. Don't miss. http://www.vam.ac.uk

Royal Butterfly

At the Smithsonian Institute's National Gem Collection. The three-dimensional diamond and gemstone-studded brooch crafted into the form of a butterfly was simply beautiful. http://www.cindychao.com

Michael Eden

Brilliant designs. Stunningly beautiful. http://www.edenceramics.co.uk

Nervous System

Science. Art. Technology. I loved the designs. http://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com

Start-Up Update

Timely advice. Many thanks to Rosalind Resnick.

Useful link:
http://www.abcbizhelp.net

Mindful Leadership

Harvard Business School professor William George  + Tibetan Buddhist meditation master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche share their viewpoints.

Useful links:
http://tergar.org
http://www.billgeorge.org

Bubble Jewelry

I loved it. Many thanks. http://www.lynnemaclachlan.co.uk

Blood On The Stone

Ian Smillie's Blood on the Stone is about the cartel, the warlords, the gun runners and the shadowy traders who populated Africa’s bloody diamond wars, and a faltering, decade-long effort to clean up an entire industry. An absolute must read.

ArtNews Update

Jon Lackman's opinion piece in ARTnews on art's magic was interesting.

Useful links:
http://www.williampowhida.com
http://erictrosko.com
http://www.jonathanallen.org
http://www.janehammondartist.com

Random Thoughts

I believe that agriculture land — productive agricultural land with water on site — will be very valuable in the future. I’ve put a good amount of money into that.

- Michael Burry
http://www.scioncapital.com

Spot on.

Lawrence Wright

A natural raconteur. http://www.lawrencewright.com

The Man Booker Prize 2010

A look at the Man Booker shortlist. http://www.themanbookerprize.com

Global Business BBC

I found Ubisoft's business model and philosophy very interesting. Many thanks to Peter Day for sharing the story. http://www.ubi.com

Letšeng Diamond

Gem Diamonds Limited and the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho has announced that an exceptional 196 carat rough white diamond has been recovered from the Letšeng mine in Lesotho on 24 August 2010. http://www.gemdiamonds.com

The Tag-and-Trace Method

Interesting approach in science, business and life. I agree with Alexander Pentland. Understanding the science of incentivizing people to cooperate is the key. If all goes well it becomes reality mining.

Useful links:
http://web.media.mit.edu/~sandy
http://www.darpa.mil
http://hd.media.mit.edu

Maya Lin’s Storm King Wavefield

An inspiring place.

Useful links:
http://www.stormking.org
http://www.mayalin.com

El Anatsui

Anatsui’s art is abstract. Colour, shape and light tell his story. Take a look.

Useful links:
http://www.octobergallery.co.uk/artists/anatsui/index.shtml
http://elanatsui.com

Vijay Iyer

Physics + Jazz = Beautiful music. http://www.vijay-iyer.com

Botswana’s Diamond Success Story

The Interview: Rapaport Diamond Report / P.H.K. Kedikilwe, Minister of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources. Great many thanks to Avi Krawitz for sharing the info.

Useful links:
http://www.diamonds.net
http://www.dtcbotswana.com

Kazak Art

Kazak Art exhibition via Christies, London. http://www.christies.com

Andy Warhol 1961-1964

The early Sixties. Paintings and Drawings 1961-1964.

Useful links:
http://www.kunstmuseumbasel.ch
http://www.warhol.org
http://www.warholfoundation.org

Vineet Nayar Viewpoint

Insightful comments. Please do share more. http://www.vineetnayar.com

Telluride Film Festival

Brilliant insights. http://www.telluridefilmfestival.org

Random Thoughts

The secret to being successful from a trading perspective is to have an indefatigable and an undying and unquenchable thirst for information and knowledge. Because I think there are certain situations where you can absolutely understand what motivates every buyer and seller and have a pretty good picture of what’s going to happen. And it just requires an enormous amount of grunt work and dedication to finding all possible bits of information.

- Paul Tudor
http://www.tudorventures.com

So true.

Green Game Changers

A unique crowd sourcing exercise via WWF. http://www.wwf.org.uk

America By Car

Superb. I loved it.

Useful links:
http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/LeeFriedlander
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNw1Od731E0

Random Thoughts

I can capture the viability of a low-end, volume business and use my spare time to design high-end jewelry to satisfy my creative drive. Between the bread and butter of feeding the hundreds of employees and satisfying your ego and desire to design high-end jewelry, you have to make a business decision.

- Ben Yep
http://www.bri-star.com

Spot on.

Global Policy Viewpoint On Kimberley Process

Interesting post. Diamonds may be forever, but international law is always changing. http://www.globalpolicyjournal.com

The Brazil Series

Bob Dylan's The Brazil Series which includes figurative scenes from Brazilian slums, farms and beaches will run until the end of January at Denmark's National Gallery. Don't miss.

Useful links:
http://www.bobdylan.com
http://www.smk.dk

Grand Rapids ArtPrize 2010

A new thinking. A new approach. Great many thanks to Amanda Gordon for sharing a beautiful story.

Useful links:
http://www.artprize.org
http://www.ranortner.com
http://www.artmuseumgr.org

Shlomo Maital Viewpoint

How to nurture entrepreneurs. http://timnovate.wordpress.com

The Mongoliad

Neal Stephenson's The Mongoliad is partly interactive, partly social media, and wholly digital. Take a look.

Useful links:
http://www.mongoliad.com
http://www.nealstephenson.com

Sensing Nature

A stunning new art installation. Don't miss.

Useful links:
http://www.mori.art.museum
http://www.tokujin.com

Fourth Plinth 2010

A humorous take on personal banking and global financial systems. I loved it. http://www.london.gov.uk/fourthplinth

Friends Of The Earth Report

A disturbing report. African land has became a widely-sought cheap commodity. Sad really. http://www.foei.org

Global Business BBC

Interesting conversation. I loved it. Many thanks to Peter Day.

Useful links:
http://www.ifc.org
http://www.cgap.org
http://www.gtz.de
http://www.state.gov/s/partnerships

Jeremy May

Brilliant literary jewels. I loved it. http://littlefly.co.uk

Etienne Chambaud's Artwork

Daring. Promising. I wish Etienne Chambaud all the best.

Useful links:
http://www.courtesyoftheartists.com
http://www.museodeartecarrillogil.com

Random Thoughts

About Warren Buffett: To him the perfect amount to leave children is enough money so that they would feel they could do anything, but not so much that they could do nothing.

- Fortune
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett
http://www.berkshirehathaway.com

Happy Birthday Buffett.

The Innovation Machine

The Economist viewpoint was interesting. Hats off to Vijay Govindarajan and Chris Trimble.

Useful link:
http://www.vijaygovindarajan.com

Salt Point House

I really liked it because of its simplicity. http://www.tphifer.com

Ben Horowitz Viewpoint

Brilliant post. http://bhorowitz.com +  http://www.a16z.com

The Future Of Internet Search

Esther Dyson was spot on. When people search, they aren't just looking for nouns or information; they are looking for action. They mostly want to find something in order to do something. http://www.edventure.com

World Gold Council Report 2010

Annual report. Trends. http://www.research.gold.org

Random Thoughts

When it comes to investing in Africa, we often talk about 'briefcase investors.' In my opinion, you cannot invest in Africa and sit far way. You actually have to be close to your investment, you have to be close to what is going on so that you can make adjustments to your business and investment strategy as required. Africa is not an environment in which you can just sort of place your money and walk away. It's not for the faint-hearted. You need knowledge, you need presence and you also need the confidence that the market will have underlying fundamentals and growth opportunities that are solid.

- Ngozi Edozien
http://www.act.is

Spot on.

Bill Gates Catalyst

News and updates. http://www.thegatesnotes.com

Le Sutra

In search of a change of scene? You may want to visit Le Sutra. I think Le Sutra is India's first art hotel. http://www.lesutra.in

The Architecture Biennale 2010

Who’s who + What's what. http://www.labiennale.org

Khan Academy

Sal Khan's free mini lectures via You Tube was truly amazing. Many thanks. http://www.khanacademy.org

Steve McCurry

Like most photographers, I’m fascinated by people in everyday situations. The work I do is mostly wandering and observing human nature and human activity, working and playing and leisure time. As you’re walking around the streets of China, India, New York, wherever—it is fun to photograph people simply doing things. Steve McCurry. http://www.stevemccurry.com

Nils Völker

The plastic bags looked very arty. I loved it. http://www.nilsvoelker.com

John Edward Hasse

A fine tribute to the Smithsonian's ambassador of Jazz. Jazz is a unique art form. Jazz is forever. http://www.johnedwardhasse.com

Random Thoughts

Transforming an organization takes you on an interesting journey, without a map. There are wrong turns, surprising discoveries and moments of both exhilaration and discouragement. Not everyone agrees on the destination – at least in the beginning – much less on how to get there. When you reach an important milestone, you risk mistaking it for your goal. Instead of stopping at that point, you need to review what you’ve collectively learned – some of it the result of passionate debate – and continue on the quest to make your organization far better than ever seemed possible. This is the journey we’re on with “Employees First, Customers Second,” or EFCS. It is based on the realization that value – for both customers and company – is created by employees working in the “value zone,” where employees and customers interact. One consequence of this realization: Managers need to be accountable to these customer-facing employees, just as employees are accountable to managers.

- Vineet Nayar
http://www.vineetnayar.com

Spot on.

Rishi Tea

Organic. Fair Trade Tea. http://www.rishi-tea.com

Nmap

Nmap was interesting. Many thanks to Cliff Kuang for sharing the info. It was fun. http://nmap.org/favicon

Love Never Dies

Better plot. Good work. http://www.loveneverdies.com

International Jewellery London 2010

The great debate is on September 5, 2010. Don't miss.

Useful links:
http://www.jewellerylondon.com
http://www.bja.org.uk
http://www.fairtrade.org.uk
http://www.fairtrade.net
http://www.communitymining.org

Master Entrepreneur Program

A unique place for retailers, wholesalers, sales representatives, and manufacturers to exchange vital information and new ideas. http://www.chicagoja.org + http://www.peoriafineartfair.com

Naomi Sarna Designs

Excellence. Originality. Visual appeal. I loved it. http://naomisarna.com

Dropbox

Give it a try. You might like it. https://www.dropbox.com

Jean-François Fillastre

Eric Asimov's opinion piece in the New York Times about Jean-François Fillastre's method of wine making was interesting. Great many thanks.

Useful links:
http://www.champagne.fr
http://www.champagne.us

Erik Martinez

Colored stones into brilliant art. I loved Erik's carvings. They are simply beautiful. http://www.tldesignergems.com

London Design Festival 2010

World’s creative capital. The festival is a platform for the widest spectrum of design disciplines, brought together as a unique and accessible programme. Don't miss.

Useful links:
http://www.londondesignfestival.com
http://www.kramweisshaar.com
http://www.outrace.org

Gemstone Carvings: The Masterworks Of Harold Van Pelt

Gemstone Carvings: The Masterworks of Harold Van Pelt. Harold Van Pelt has created delicate carvings out of quartz, agate and other stones, a pastime he's had for 40 years but rarely showcased. The exhibit is the first in the Bowers' new PIMCO Foundation Gallery. http://www.bowers.org

Other Criteria

Interesting products from Damien Hirst. https://www.othercriteria.com

Office For Metropolitan Architecture Update

Art District in Hong Kong. I thought Rem Koolhaas's plan for Hong Kong was interesting. All the best. http://www.oma.nl

Patterns

A brilliant tool + website by IDEO. http://patterns.ideo.com

Colored Diamond Tender

First colored diamond tender. Check it out. http://www.scarselli.com

Global Business BBC

Peter Day's commentary on Silicon Valley was educational and insightful. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great many thanks.

Useful links:
http://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com
http://www.google.co.uk
https://www.paypal.com
http://www.logitech.com
http://www.infoaxe.com

Random Thoughts

Publishers provide a huge resource to authors who don't know who reads their books. What the Internet has done for me, and a lot of others, is enable me to know my readers.

- Seth Godin
http://www.sethgodin.com

Spot on.

Making Do

Steve Daniels, the founder of A Better World By Design has just published a book: Making Do. An absolute must read.

Useful links:
http://analoguedigital.com/makingdo
http://makerfaireri.com

The Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum Update

The Harry Oppenheimer Diamond Museum in Ramat Gan will unveil a new exhibition of jewelry, artifacts and cameos carved from gemstones on September 7, 2010. The exhibit, And thou shalt breathe life into a gem, is based upon the work of master carvers in Idar-Oberstein, Germany. http://www.israelidiamond.co.il

Imperial Jade Boulder

The imperial jade weights 930 kg. It measures 28" x 20" x 79" in height and hails from Waia Kar Maw, Phakant, Kachin State. It was mined from beneath 600 feet of Kahtar Black soil. The owner is Tun Yadanar Sein Co. Ltd. The floor price for this boulder is 22.5 million euros. Many thanks to Pala International for sharing the info. http://www.palagems.com

The Golden Age Of Innovation

The Newsweek report was spot on. Part of the reason that companies started by older workers don’t get much recognition is because they don’t generally produce hot Web apps or other easily understood products. Instead, they tend to involve more complex technologies like biotech, energy, or IT hardware. They also tend to sell products and services to other businesses, which consumers rarely see but which do most of the heavy lifting in powering innovation and economic growth. So true.

Useful links:
http://www.kauffman.org
http://www.wadhwa.com

Mao’s Last Dancer

A great memoir by Li Cunxin. 

Useful links:
http://www.licunxin.com
http://www.maoslastdancer-movie.com

Predictable Magic

A brilliant book. http://predictablemagic.com

GILC Forum

GILC Updates. http://www.gilcforum.org

The Gem Experts

Meet Drs. Henry Hänni / Johannes Hunziker. http://www.gemexpert.ch

Frugal Engineering

Vikas Sehgal + Kevin Dehoff + Ganesh Panneer's viewpoints in Strategy + Business about the importance of frugal engineering in emergent markets was insightful. Many thanks. http://www.strategy-business.com