Global Business BBC

Peter Day's global business programme on what business leaders can learn from improvisational comedy/rock musicians was brilliant. I had no idea if it worked. Amazingly it works. Thanks Peter.

Useful links:
http://improvyourbiz.com
www.academy-of-rock.co.uk

Random Thoughts

Even in my 50s, in Harvard, if I had a lecture I’d be up early to try to get it squared out in my head–not that I could ever quite manage to do so. Lecturing week after week, as part of the pedagogic routine, is more of a test than people realise. In the end, the most important thing is to be in good physical and mental shape. You can prepare as much as you like and amass material galore, but unless you come in fresh, like an athlete onto the track, you aren’t going to do the job required.

- Seamus Heaney/Dennis O’Driscoll
www.seamusheaney.org
http://dennisodriscoll.com

Spot on.

Advanced Leadership Initiative

Re-train for a new vocation. http://advancedleadership.harvard.edu

Assassin's Creed II

Assassin's Creed II = real time travel. A great story. The game flows, and it's completely immersive.

Useful links:
http://assassinscreed.uk.ubi.com
www.ubi.com

Drive

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink is an informative book on a new trend and explains it beautifully. A must read.

Useful link:

www.danpink.com

Globalfest 2010

A springboard for world music artists. A genuinely international music.

Useful link:
www.globalfest-ny.org

William Blake Etchings

Rare William Blake etchings at Tate gallery. Don't miss.

Useful links:
www.tate.org.uk
www.artfund.org
www.museum.ru
www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Carat Gem Lab

A new gem testing laboratory has launched its services in France. To learn more about Carat Gem Lab, visit www.caratgemlab.com

Art And The Computer Game Environment

Gaming at Fact gallery. New media artists. Innovative games designers. Don't miss.

Useful links:
www.artinliverpool.com
http://messhof.com
www.billviola.com
http://rileyharmon.com
www.blasttheory.co.uk
www.mag.keio.ac.jp
www.caofei.com
www.michaeljohansson.com
www.ubermorgen.com
http://anitafontaine.com

Design Works

Design-thinking classes by Roger Martin at Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Check it out. www.rotmandesignworks.ca

Wine World 2010

John Mariani was spot on. What do consumers want? Lower prices and better selection. What a difference a decade makes, really.

Useful links:
www.johnmariani.com
www.wine-searcher.com
www.vinfolio.com

Random Thoughts

The case of Sharad Ramanathan reminds me that to be a great engineer is to travel outside your own comfort zone, to explore alternative paradigms, to open yourself to alternative fields of knowledge. When he was becoming Bell Labs 'spiderman,' Sharad had the breadth of vision to engage biologists, neuroscientists, mathematicians, and other experts in disciplines quite distinct from his own. Think back to Da Vinci: it's no coincidence, in my view, that Leonardo — the consummate engineer — was also the archetypal Renaissance man: artist, scientist, inventor, journalist, anatomist. No stovepiped thinking there.

- Jeong Kim
www.alcatel-lucent.com/wps/portal/BellLabs

The 2008 commencement speech at the G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering was inspiring.

The Helen Hill Collection

Helen Hill was an experimental animator, filmmaker, artist, writer, and a social activist. It was good to hear that the Library of Congress has added Helen's Scratch and Crow (1995) to film registry. She will be so dearly missed.

Useful links:
http://hcl.harvard.edu/hfa
www.loc.gov
www.helenhill.org

Innovation Game

Joe Leahy's opinion piece in Financial Times about the rise of multinational R&D centres in India and the impact was interesting. I hope the application technology benefit us all. I think when we work together we can accomplish more. Period.

We are at the cusp of a new paradigm in which innovation will happen in India and China first and then it’ll go to the rich countries. Companies, if they don’t realise it, will be toast.
- Prof Vijay Govindarajan, Tuck School of Business, New Hampshire

Useful links:
http://ge.geglobalresearch.com
www.ari.nus.edu.sg

Rudy De Waele Viewpoint

Mobile Trends 2020 was insightful/inspiring. Thanks Rudy.

Useful links:
www.m-trends.org
www.dotopen.com

Random Thoughts

Back in the day, there were women who would only wear the real deal, but now it's really hip to wear costume jewelry.

- Paula Correri
www.tobereport.com

Spot on.

Bill Cunningham Viewpoint

On the Street Quicksilver. All the shades of silver/pearl gray, a fresh fashion color was brilliant. Thanks Bill. I loved it.

Startups 2010

Flip through BusinessWeek's slide show for a look at America's most promising startups. In my view America = creativity + resilience = entrepreneurs. Period. I think the world can learn a lot from what America is doing. Hopefully, we can learn from each other too.

Andy Warhol Film Project

A rare documentation of nearly every aspect of Warhol’s world.

Useful links:
www.warholfoundation.org
www.whitney.org
www.moma.org

The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special

The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3-D! On Ice. The Simpson special airs on Sunday night on Fox after Episode No. 450 — Once Upon a Time in Springfield. Don't miss.

Useful link:
www.thesimpsons.com