How Art Made The World

How Art Made the World by Dr Nigel Spivey. The story of how humans made art and art made us human. A must watch.

Useful link:
www.pbs.org/howartmadetheworld

The Best Natural Art

Anyone who has ever pointed a telescope at the night sky knows that it is an adventure of the eye and mind. Check out the best natural work of art via the Hubble space telescope http://hubblesite.org

Random Thoughts

Real innovation in technology involves a leap ahead, anticipating needs that no one really knew they had and then delivering capabilities that redefine product categories. That’s what Steve Jobs has done.

- David B. Yoffie
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/faculty/dyoffie.html

Spot on.

Mark Pincus Viewpoint

Marc Pincus was spot on. Reliability. Emotional intelligence. Objectives + Key Results (OKR). Many thanks to Adam Bryant.

Useful links:
http://markpincus.typepad.com
www.zynga.com

Going Green + Growing Vertical

William Yardley's report in the New York Times about GSA's green initiative, a vertical garden that changes with the seasons and nurtures plants that yield energy savings was brilliant. All the best.

Useful links:
www.cutler-anderson.com
www.serapdx.com

Grammy Awards 2010

Track the winners. www.grammy.com

Liberian Diamonds

Scott Stearns's report in VOA News about Liberian diamonds and the Sierra Leone connection was interesting. I think poor law enforcement in the diamond-mining areas will make it difficult to stop the cross-border trade in illegal diamonds. TIA (This is Africa).

Useful link:
www.kimberleyprocess.com

Simplify

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.

- Henry David Thoreau
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_David_Thoreau
www.thoreausociety.org

Videogame Wizards

Oliver Chiang's viewpoints in Forbes about the next generation of game masters was brilliant. Thanks Oliver.

Competition and social interaction are at the heart of human nature. No matter what you do, you want to know where you stand compared to others, talk about it if you've done well, and improve your skills.
- Matthew Bromberg

Useful links:
www.theesa.com
http://everquest2.station.sony.com
www.playfish.com
www.mlgpro.com

Gaurav Jain Viewpoint

Gaurav Jain was spot on. A great post. Imagination is priceless. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Useful link:
www.illusion-i.com

Random Thoughts

When I saw this stone, I knew it was a stone we had to have. I had the opportunity to examine and value it in my own offices, and I came to the conclusion it was one of the rarest stones I'd ever seen. The true rarity of the diamond, whatever its history, is the diamond itself. The history will continue. Every diamond that was ever mined, every diamond that was ever polished and cut, is still with us. Who knows the story that this stone will tell in a thousand years time. I'm sure it will gather very romantic stories, mysterious stories, intriguing stories, but at the end of the day the true beauty of the stone will remain. That will always be the best story.

- Laurence Graff
www.graffdiamonds.com
www.mnh.si.edu

Spot on.

The Laurence Graff Story

Emma Jacobs's viewpoints in the Financial Times about Laurence Graff a.k.a The Diamond King was interesting. A very luck person indeed. Thanks Emma.

When you have nothing, the first £10 is a fortune. You can't imagine £1bn.
- Laurence Graff

Useful link:
www.graffdiamonds.com

The Canadian Diamond Code

Benefits: The Code establishes a minimum standard based on records and a chain of warranties required to validate a Canadian diamond claim. Retailers who abide by the Code demonstrate to consumers their commitment to ensure the authenticity of Canadian diamond claims. The Code allows Canadian diamonds to be traced from the Canadian mine to the diamond jewelry retailer, providing consumers with a method to authenticate Canadian diamonds sold by a Code member. The Code is endorsed by the Competition Bureau of Canada and the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO). Check it out.

Useful links:
www.canadiandiamondcodeofconduct.ca
www.competitionbureau.gc.ca
www.cibjo.org

Ed Sim Viewpoint

A great post. Thanks Ed. I thought Cody Swan was spot on. It's time to replace the think big mantra with think niche.

Useful link:
www.beyondvc.com

Random Thoughts

Money isn’t automatically freedom. You need to look carefully at what you’re doing to earn the money before you can conclude that you are, in practice, free. This is a cost-benefit analysis we should all perform on our own lives. Don’t listen to what people say about freedom and security and money but, instead, look at the specific, actual bargains they are making with their lives. Dad’s example made me feel that, if I wanted to write for a living, I had an obligation to try and do it, and I’ve been writing full-time since 1996, when my first novel did well enough to let me quit my day job as an editor at the London Review of Books.

- John Lanchester

Spot on.

The Fitzwilliam Museum

Ancient treasures are going on display in Cambridge, in a newly refurbished Gallery of Greek and Roman antiquities at The Fitzwilliam Museum. Check it out.

Useful link:
www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk

Ahmad Zakii Anwar

John Krich's viewpoints in the Wall Street Journal about Zakii's artworks was interesting. Thanks John for sharing the info.

Useful link:
www.ahmadzakiianwar.com

Martin Rapaport Viewpoint

Martin Rapaport was spot on. Sadly KP/WDC has lost its moral compass. What will it take to get the diamond trade to stop buying and selling blood diamonds? Hard to tell. So ask before you buy diamonds.

Useful links:
www.kimberleyprocess.com
www.worlddiamondcouncil.com
www.diamonds.net/zimbabwe

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change

A show that all will love. It's about us. www.loveperfectchange.com

Art Accidents

Check out the TIME report about smashed and accidentally discarded works of art. Shocking, really.

Useful link:
www.metmuseum.org