Costa Book Award

Christopher Reid has won the 2009 Costa Book of the Year for his collection of poems A Scattering. Congratulations!

Useful link:
www.costabookawards.com

Global Business BBC

Peter Day's (Global Business) interview with Clare Lockhart, Co-founder / Chief Executive of the Institute for State Effectiveness was brilliant. I learned a lot. Thanks Peter.

Useful link:
www.effectivestates.org

Reading Room

Reading Room = A special corner of Los Angeles County Museum of Art dedicated to catalogues of exhibitions past. Check it out.

Useful link:
www.lacma.org

Super Recognisers

Pam Rutherford's viewpoints in the BBC News about super recognisers was really interesting. Some people are truly amazing. I know a few super recognisers. I believe face recognition skill is a gift from the gods.

One of the most exciting implications of this work is that while we assume we all see the same things, this work suggests that at least in terms of looking at faces we don't see the same things. Super recognisers are looking at the world in a different way than other people and it could be that this isn't limited to looking at faces but other aspects of seeing the world. And we think it's going to be a very helpful tool in helping understanding of how the mind and the brain work.
- Prof Richard Russell
http://public.gettysburg.edu/~rrussell/index.html

Useful links:
www.faceblind.org
www.icn.ucl.ac.uk
http://illusioncontest.neuralcorrelate.com

Best Reflection Photos

I thought the photos of reflections were gorgeous - each and every one of them. Thanks Kate Appleton for sharing the info. www.budgettravel.com

GreenXchange (GX) Project

Sharing / promoting industry best practices towards sustainability. Check it out.

Useful links:
http://greenxchange.force.com
http://dontapscott.com
http://sciencecommons.org
www.weforum.org

Art Market Update

Souren Melikian's opinion piece in the New York Times about the auctions at Drouot was interesting. Thanks Souren.

Useful link:
www.drouot.com

Random Thoughts

Opera houses are emotional places, and rows can happen, but they are also Italy's secular churches and they really pull people together.

- Elisabetta Fabbri
www.elisabettafabbri.it
www.teatrosancarlo.it

So true!

Coca-Cola Happiness Machine Video

I thought it was a brilliant video. Happiness is contagious indeed. I loved it. Thanks Phil Mooney/Ravi Sawhney(Fast Company) for sharing the info.

Useful links:
www.coca-colaconversations.com
www.definition6.com

1001 Inventions

The show at the Science Museum in London traces the history of a thousand years of science from the Muslim world, including social, scientific and technical achievements. Don't miss.

Useful links:
www.1001inventions.com
www.sciencemuseum.org.uk

Screen Actors Guild Awards 2010

Screen Actors Guild Awards. Check out the winners at www.sag.org

Priceless

Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It) by William Poundstone is a fascinating book about us. We have no idea of what anything should cost, so we get confused/clueless and get laminated. The book is instructive and entertaining. A must read.

Useful links:

http://home.williampoundstone.net

http://priceless-the-book.blogspot.com

Bill Gates Notes

An inside track on Bill Gates life/work. www.gatesnotes.com

David Liittschwager

David L­iittschwager's images of little gems were stunningly beautiful. We should never stop learning about new things.

Useful link:
www.liittschwager.com

Ten9Eight

Mary Mazzio's documentary movie Ten9Eight was brilliant. Watch it.

Useful links:
http://ten9eight.com
http://marymazzio.blogspot.com
www.50eggs.com

The Power Of Half

Lifting hearts in a new way. The Salwen family story was inspiring. Thanks Nicholas Kristof for the sharing the info.

Everyone has too much of something, whether it’s time, talent or treasure. Everyone does have their own half, you just have to find it.
- Hannah Salwen

Useful links:
www.thepowerofhalf.com
www.thp.org

The Inside Story Of Avatar

It's indisputable that James Cameron is the most important commercial force in modern film. I think he has changed the economics of the movie business forever. Thanks Ronald Grover, Tom Lowry and Michael White for sharing the brilliant story.

Films can change people's minds, and the aim with Avatar was to introduce the industry to the possibilities of 3D. I decided, let's go make a movie that they can't ignore.
- James Cameron

Useful links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cameron
www.avatarmovie.com

Forger's Art Workshop

The Metropolitan Police Service's Art and Antiques Unit are recreating the workshop of the most diverse art forger known in history, Shaun Greenhalgh, as part of a display of fakes and forgeries. The display will showcase investigative methods used in detecting and preventing art crime and will be held in the V&A's Studio Gallery between 23 January and 7 February 2010. Don't miss.

Useful links:
www.vam.ac.uk
www.met.police.uk/artandantiques

Random Thoughts

Whatever it takes, that’s what it takes. Remember the anecdote about what the president of Rolex told the president of Timex? “You sell time. I sell prestige.” You can have clothes off the rack without fashion, but you can’t have fashion without style. That’s even more true of jewelry. Accessories can be mass-marketed. But an enduring token of true love – that’s jewelry. It’s an individual, custom-chosen, intimate gift – the quintessential expression of romance. That’s our trade. It’s the roots we must return to.

- David Marcus
www.ladcwc.com
www.transguardian.com
www.diamonds.net

Spot on.

Jean Simmons

Jean Simmons, one of the great stars of last century has died aged 80. Two films she starred in that I will never forget are Elmer Gantry and Guys and Dolls. Sadly missed. Rest in Peace, Jean.

Useful links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Simmons
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8476400.stm