James Biber's Idea

I found James Biber's Starbucks proposal + a better experience concept @ http://blog.pentagram.com/2008/07/james-biber-remakes-starbucks.php interesting and insightful. I think it was brilliant.

Useful link:
www.pentagram.com/en/partners/james-biber.php

JVC, One Spin Too Many

Chaim Even Zohar writes about FTC/JVC cultured diamond debate + other viewpoints @ http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp

I fully agree with Chaim. The JVC spin was unnecessary.

Luxury Interest Group

LuxuryLifestyle + Luxury Institute = Business opportunities to serve their clients' needs.

Useful links:
www.luxurylifestyle.com
www.luxuryinstitute.com
www.luxuryboard.com

I wish them good luck.

Hyderabad Jewelry Fair

The Hyderabad Jewellery, Pearl and Gem Fair (HJF) 2008, the largest international jewelry show in South India, commenced on July 24, 2008 at HITEX Exhibition centre, Madhapur. The fair will be on till July 27, 2008.

Useful link:
www.jewelleryfair.in

Comic Book Confidential

(via Wiki) Comic Book Confidential is an American/Canadian documentary film that was released in 1988. Directed by Ron Mann and written by Mann and Charles Lippincott, the film is a survey of the history of the comic book medium in the U.S.A, from the 1930s to the 80s, particularly from the point of view of its being an art form. The film includes profiles of a number of notable and influential talents in the comics field, such as Charles Burns, Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly, Frank Miller, Stan Lee, Will Eisner, Robert Crumb, Harvey Pekar, and William M. Gaines. In addition to the talents discussing their best known contributions to the art, they also give readings of passages of their work. A live action version of Bill Griffith's character, Zippy the Pinhead, also appears.

Useful links:

www.sphinxproductions.com/pages/film_comicbook.html

www.imdb.com/title/tt0094897

In my view comics are an incredibly sophisticated narrative format that can be understood by the illiterate + literate alike.

Random Thoughts

I have had a very adventurous life but not because I have an adventurous nature or yearned for a life full of adventure. Fate just wanted it this way.

- Vaclav Havel
www.vaclavhavel.cz

AIAS + D.I.C.E

(via Wiki) The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS), founded in 1996, is a non-profit organization that promotes computer and video game entertainment with the annual D.I.C.E. Summit event, where its Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony has been held annually since 1998. Its membership consists of industry professionals, and only professional members who meet a set of minimum criteria are able to vote for the best entertainment software of the year.

D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit is an annual multi-day gathering of videogame executives held in Las Vegas, Nevada. Established in 2002 by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, the conference is host to the annual Entertainment Software Association's Interactive Achievement Awards. The conference differs from other industry conferences in its emphasis on the business and production end of the industry, with a focus on trends and innovations in videogame design. The conference specializes in providing a more intimate, orderly venue for select industry leaders to network.

Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist, who became an Internet sensation for his 'The Last Lecture' speech on September 18, 2007, died of pancreatic cancer on July 25 (Friday), 2008. He was 47. In February, 2008, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences in California announced the creation of the Dr. Randy Pausch Scholarship Fund for university students who pursue careers in game design, development and production.

Useful links:
www.interactive.org
www.dicesummit.org
www.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5700431505846055184

Randy's 'The Last Lecture' was really inspiring. He will be dearly missed but will always remain in our hearts.

The Most Expensive Cups Of Coffee

(via Forbes) According to a new survey by the London office of U.S. consulting firm Mercer, the average cup of coffee in Moscow costs $10.19, including service, $6.77 in Paris, $6.62 in Athens, $2.03 in Buenos Aires, $2.36 in Johannesburg, and $3.75 in New York. Intriguing! Go to www.mercer.com for the annual cost of living survey, which covers 143 cities across six continents and measures the relative cost of more than 200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. A real eye opener!

John Mellencamp's Life, Death, Love And Freedom

Life Death Love and Freedom by John Mellencamp is unique and distinctive + he is enjoying a mini renaissance after his recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, but in my view his songs still have the same luster, electricity and character.

Useful link:

www.mellencamp.com

www.rockhall.com

Zhengrong Shi

Dr Zhengrong Shi is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Suntech Power, China's largest photovoltaic manufacturer. He is also an adviser to the Chinese government on renewable energy policies. He predicts solar power will rival oil and coal before the end of the next decade. I think he is the right man at the right time--China's Sunshine Boy!

Useful links:
www.suntech-power.com
www.metropoliscongress2008.com

New Acropolis Museum

(via Wiki) The New Acropolis Museum is a purpose built museum by architect Bernard Tschumi to house the archaeological findings related to the Acropolis Hill, in Athens, Greece. It is located near the Acropolis. A must-visit.

Useful links:

www.newacropolismuseum.gr

www.tschumi.com

Lucky Lakshmi 2008

Lucky Lakshmi, India’s largest jewelry shopping festival, will be held September 30 - November 3, 2008.

Useful links:
www.luckylakshmi.com
www.gjf.in
www.gold.org

A must-visit.

Bird

Charles Parker was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. A biographical film called Bird, starring Forest Whitaker as Parker and directed by Clint Eastwood, was released in 1988.

Useful links:
www.imdb.com/title/tt0094747
www.cmgww.com/music/parker

I love jazz, and 'Bird' was an inspiring jazz movie.

The New Jewelry Gallery At The Victoria And Albert Museum

Suzy Menkes writes about the new high-tech jewelry gallery at the Victoria and Albert Museum + the imaginative designs by the architect Eva Jiricna + other viewpoints @ http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/07/22/arts/fvanda.php

Useful links:
www.vam.ac.uk
www.ejal.com

A must-visit.

Comic-Con 2008

(via Wiki) Comic-Con International: San Diego, commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, is an annual multigenre fan convention founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans. It is traditionally a four-day event (Thursday through Sunday—though a four hour preview night on Wednesday is open to guests pre-registered for all four days) held during the summer in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Comic-Con is both the name of the annual event and the common name of the organization.

Useful link:
www.comic-con.org

I am a huge fan of comics. The Comic-Con 2008 exhibition starts on July 24 - 27 at the San Diego Convention Center. It's an interesting venue to observe and enjoy. Don't miss it.

African Diamonds

I found John J. Teeling's (Executive Chairman, African Diamonds) views on mining and natural resources at the recent Wharton Global Alumni Forum in Cape Town, South Africa @ http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2018 interesting. As he rightly put it, if there's no geology, you cannot have a mine.

Useful link:
www.afdiamonds.com

The Oil And The Glory

The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea by Steve LeVine is a fascinating book on greed, corruption and risk-taking by the largest oil and gas companies in the world + the history of the great oil fields of Caspian Sea region, from its first development in the 19th century, through to today. A must-read.

Useful link:

http://oilandglory.com

Carbon Trading In The New Markets

It's interesting to observe bankers and investors immerse into environmental revolution, as full scale carbon trading takes shape in the United States. Experts believe the volume of carbon trading in the new markets is projected to surge from the equivalent of $64bn last year to $3,000 in a decade, which is quite phenomenal. This will happen only when and if the US ratifies the Kyoto Agreement, and then it's business. In an attempt to make the world a better place, the key players will not only revolutionize the concept but also reap huge profits. Let's watch and wait to see if it actually works.

Useful links:
www.earth-policy.org
www.carbonexpo.com
www.climos.com
www.grestech.com

Burmese Gem Ban

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill to place a total embargo on the importation of gemstones (rubies, jades, etc) from Burma reaching the United States, that are mined there and subsequently passed through third-party countries such as Thailand, etc. Earlier the U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill and sent to President Bush to be signed into law. If enacted, the legislation will have a large impact on imports of Burmese rubies, since more than 90 percent of the world's rubies originate in Burma.

Useful links:
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
www.senate.gov
www.house.gov

I think it will hurt small gemstone dealers in Burma and the gem and jewelry industry that processes the goods in Thailand, more than the Burmese government.

The Batman Character

I am a huge fan of comics. Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight @ http://www.history.com/shows.do?episodeId=322796&action=detail is a fascinating show. If you are a fan of comics, don't miss it.

Useful link:
www.history.com