Reforesting Cities

I thought Vanessa Keith's idea was brilliant. Buildings are fertile ground for reforestation if you know how to do it. It could also reverse climate change, one small step at a time. Let's just do it.

Useful links:
http://urbanomnibus.net
http://studioteka.com

Gary Hamel Viewpoint

Gary was spot on. What were the ideals that inspired Michelangelo, Galileo, Jefferson, Gandhi, William Wilberforce, Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa to acts of greatness? A passionate commitment to transcendent values such as beauty, truth, wisdom, justice, charity, fidelity, joy, courage and honor. So true. I think the language of business today is uninspiring and inert. They have morphed into ninety five five's. Period. To embrace what Socrates called the good, the just and the beautiful requires total internal reflection 10x.

Useful links:
www.garyhamel.com
http://blogs.wsj.com/management

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report

The GEM 2009 Global Report. www.gemconsortium.org

Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2010

The shortlist for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2010 has been announced. Check it out. www.waterstones.com

Chaim Even Zohar Viewpoint

Chaim was spot on. In surveys, phrasing of the questions is very important. Mixing natural diamonds with synthetics, treated and imitation has always been an issue. Correct definitions shouldn't get lost in translation. Just do the right thing.

Useful links:
www.diamondintelligence.com
www.jcoc.net
www.mvimarketing.com
www.ftc.gov
www.apollodiamond.com
www.chatham.com
http://d.neadiamonds.com
www.gemesis.com
www.morioncompany.com
http://tairus.com
www.diamondnexuslabs.com
www.moissanite.com

Luke Johnson Viewpoint

Luke Johnson was spot on. To build start-ups, you need a degree of credibility and persistence. With some luck the funds will flow, and you are on your way to success.

I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success ... Such emotions can make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything.
- Nikola Tesla

Useful links:
www.lukejohnson.org
www.riskcapitalpartners.co.uk
www.channel4.com
www.teslasociety.com
www.ft.com/comment/columnists/lukejohnson

The Animals Film

Victor Schonfeld's The Animals Film takes us inside the world of factory farming/behind-the-scene world of animal experimentation research. Watch it.

Useful link:
www.victorschonfeld.com

Art Market Update

Elinor Gordon, who died last July at the age of 91, was a dealer and collector who helped elevate the status of Chinese export porcelain. Her private collection will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York on January 23, 2010. It's a remarkable collection.

Useful links:
www.sothebys.com
www.societyofthecincinnati.org

Random Thoughts

The spectrum of a planet is like a fingerprint. It provides key information about the chemical elements in the planet’s atmosphere. With this information, we can better understand how the planet formed and, in the future, we might even be able to find telltale signs of the presence of life.

- Markus Janson
www.eso.org/public/news/eso1002

Spot on.

Gemstone Information Manual

Gemstone Information Manual provides industry information for natural gemstones, enhanced natural gemstones and man-made stones. Check it out. www.agta.org

Decision Deficit Disorder

Thomas Davenport was spot on. Real-life organizations don't use good decision processes in many cases. Period. I think for many organizations deciding how to decide is/will be a big issue forever.

Useful links:
www.tomdavenport.com
www.ets.org

Colored Stone Magazine

According to the Roskin Gem News Report, Colored Stone magazine would soon be no more. I loved the magazine, really. I hope someone in the trade will buy the magazine and keep it going.

Useful links:
www.roskingemnews.com
www.colored-stone.com

The Value Of Nothing

The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy by Raj Patel is a thought-provoking book about us/our state of mind: why do things cost what they do? A must read.

Useful link:

http://rajpatel.org

Best Wildlife Photos

Check out the images. They were simply brilliant. I loved it. Thanks Sean O'Neill.

Random Thoughts

There are known knowns. These are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we now know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. These are things we do not know we don’t know.

- Donald Rumsfeld
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Rumsfeld

Spot on.

Richard Wilson 20:50

Richard Wilson's timeless work is well worth another look. Really.

Useful link:
www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk

Start-Up Stories In India

SMS GupShup = India's version of Twitter. I think in India mobile (500 million cellular users) is the right medium to connect with people. The real revolution will start when 3G (high-speed) wireless services takes off. Stay tuned.

Useful links:
www.smsgupshup.com
www.vizisense.com
www.mytodaysms.com

Next-Gen Interactive Gesture Control

Ashlee Vance's viewpoints in the New York Times about the latest crop of gesture-powered devices that actually work was interesting. I think the gesture revolution could make today’s touch-screen tools obsolete as people use gestures to control everything. Sign of the times, really.

Useful links:
www.gesturetek.com
www.cesweb.org
www.xbox.com/en-US/live/projectnatal
http://canesta.com
www.primesense.com

Christoph Niemann Viewpoint

Delightful, creative, and funny. I loved it. Thank you, Mr. Niemann!

Useful link:
www.christophniemann.com

Moon Rocks

Alexis Madrigal's report in Wired Science about Hawaiian moon rocks was interesting. How much is a moon rock worth? NASA estimates the value of lunar mission moon rocks could be $55 million an ounce (1970), to $1 million for 10 ounces (2003). Wow! This is hard to believe, really.

Useful links:
www.collectspace.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_rock
www.nasa.gov