I found the article titled, The CEO Sheik @ http://www.newsweek.com/id/32716/page/1 interesting and insightful.
Useful link:
www.sheikhmohammed.co.ae
If the cart is politics and the horse is the economy, then we have to put the horse before the cart and not the other way around.
- Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktum, the ruler of Dubai + the prime minister of the United Arab Emirates
What's good for the merchants is good for Dubai.
- The late Sheik Rashid
Brilliant! I think the story of Dubai is the story of good governance.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Chester Beatty Library
(via Wiki) The Chester Beatty Library was established in Dublin, Ireland in 1950, to house the collections of mining magnate, Sir Alfred Chester Beatty. The present library, on the grounds of Dublin Castle, opened on February 7, 2000, the 125th anniversary of Sir Alfred's birth and was named European Museum of the Year in 2002. The Library's collections are displayed in two collections: "Sacred Traditions" and "Artistic Traditions". Both displays exhibit sacred texts, manuscripts, miniature paintings and art on paper from the world's great oriental and western religions as well as secular items. The Library is one of the premier sources for scholarship in both the Old and New Testaments and is home to one of the most significant collections of Islamic and Far Eastern artefacts. It includes the Gospel of Mani believed to be the last remaining artefact from Manichaeism.
Useful link:
www.cbl.ie
Chester Beatty Library in Dublin has probably the most beautiful collection of rhinoceros-horn carvings in the world. A must-visit!
Useful link:
www.cbl.ie
Chester Beatty Library in Dublin has probably the most beautiful collection of rhinoceros-horn carvings in the world. A must-visit!
Neurobotics
I found Yoky Matsuoka's presentation on Neurobotics @ http://www.newyorker.com/online/video/conference/2008/matsuoka educational and insightful.
Useful links:
http://neurobotics.cs.washington.edu
http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/yoky
Useful links:
http://neurobotics.cs.washington.edu
http://www.cs.washington.edu/homes/yoky
Van Gogh Update
I found the article, Experts fall out over Van Gogh's 'last painting' @ http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2280882,00.html interesting because anyone who claims to be holding Van Gogh painting (s) will be a target by the media/auction houses/collectors + the provenance issue (s) will have to be sorted out by the experts to weed out fakes + the price!
Useful link:
www.vangoghmuseum.nl
Useful link:
www.vangoghmuseum.nl
Diamond-encrusted Helmets
Here is what Mclaren's site says about the design:
Woking, United Kingdom, Friday 16th May 2008: In the build up to the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Steinmetz, creators of the world’s finest diamonds, are proud to announce the continuation of their long-running partnership. This year Steinmetz has worked closely with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen, in creating their own personalised race helmets, which both drivers will use throughout the Monaco Grand Prix weekend. Lewis and Heikki’s helmets have been custom-made to their tastes after working closely with Steinmetz’s in-house designers. Each helmet has the signature of the driver pavéd with a line of hundreds of Steinmetz’s handcrafted diamonds. This also marks the first time that the Steinmetz logo - or any other sponsor’s logo in Formula 1 history - has been incorporated into the design of the helmets through the application of diamonds. In celebrating Steinmetz’s unprecedented attributes of master craftsmanship and integrity, the Steinmetz logo has been pavéd using Forevermark diamonds. Forevermark diamonds are the world’s most preciously selected diamonds. "I really like what Steinmetz has done this year and am looking forward to the Monaco Grand Prix weekend," said Lewis. "As some people might know I am very particular about my helmet but it looks great and will add some extra sparkle to the event." "I’m always really excited about the Monaco Grand Prix - it really is the one that all drivers want to win," said Heikki. "To be able to race at this prestigious event with Steinmetz diamonds on my helmet will bring something special to the occasion." Lewis was presented with his helmet at the McLaren Technology Centre earlier this week whilst Heikki will receive his on Wednesday in Monaco. Steinmetz is renowned for cutting and polishing some of the most important diamonds throughout history. Amongst these are the De Beers Millennium Star, the Steinmetz Pink and The Blue Empress. Steinmetz has a deep-rooted presence in the African sub-continent with four modern factories in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. Through the Forevermark initiative Steinmetz has raised the standard of diamond cutting and polishing to world-class levels, trained and created new talent, whilst embracing the latest technology, as well as providing jobs in these countries. Forevermark diamonds only come from mines, which, attain the highest standards; are beautifully crafted by a select group of diamantaires; and are exclusively available in only a few jewellers worldwide. With less than 1% of the world’s diamonds being eligible for Forevermark status, these diamonds really are precious.
Useful links:
www.mclaren.com
www.steinmetz-group.com
Brilliant! I liked it.
Woking, United Kingdom, Friday 16th May 2008: In the build up to the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Steinmetz, creators of the world’s finest diamonds, are proud to announce the continuation of their long-running partnership. This year Steinmetz has worked closely with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen, in creating their own personalised race helmets, which both drivers will use throughout the Monaco Grand Prix weekend. Lewis and Heikki’s helmets have been custom-made to their tastes after working closely with Steinmetz’s in-house designers. Each helmet has the signature of the driver pavéd with a line of hundreds of Steinmetz’s handcrafted diamonds. This also marks the first time that the Steinmetz logo - or any other sponsor’s logo in Formula 1 history - has been incorporated into the design of the helmets through the application of diamonds. In celebrating Steinmetz’s unprecedented attributes of master craftsmanship and integrity, the Steinmetz logo has been pavéd using Forevermark diamonds. Forevermark diamonds are the world’s most preciously selected diamonds. "I really like what Steinmetz has done this year and am looking forward to the Monaco Grand Prix weekend," said Lewis. "As some people might know I am very particular about my helmet but it looks great and will add some extra sparkle to the event." "I’m always really excited about the Monaco Grand Prix - it really is the one that all drivers want to win," said Heikki. "To be able to race at this prestigious event with Steinmetz diamonds on my helmet will bring something special to the occasion." Lewis was presented with his helmet at the McLaren Technology Centre earlier this week whilst Heikki will receive his on Wednesday in Monaco. Steinmetz is renowned for cutting and polishing some of the most important diamonds throughout history. Amongst these are the De Beers Millennium Star, the Steinmetz Pink and The Blue Empress. Steinmetz has a deep-rooted presence in the African sub-continent with four modern factories in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. Through the Forevermark initiative Steinmetz has raised the standard of diamond cutting and polishing to world-class levels, trained and created new talent, whilst embracing the latest technology, as well as providing jobs in these countries. Forevermark diamonds only come from mines, which, attain the highest standards; are beautifully crafted by a select group of diamantaires; and are exclusively available in only a few jewellers worldwide. With less than 1% of the world’s diamonds being eligible for Forevermark status, these diamonds really are precious.
Useful links:
www.mclaren.com
www.steinmetz-group.com
Brilliant! I liked it.
Globality
Globality: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything by Hal Sirkin + Jim Hemerling + Arindam Bhattacharya is a fascinating book on new emerging market economies and the new rules of competition. The world of business is suddenly different/has changed. A must-read.
Useful link:
www.bcg.com
Useful link:
www.bcg.com
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Sketching User Experiences
Sketching User Experiences: Getting the Design Right and the Right Design by Bill Buxton is a great book on design + design thinking.
Useful link:
www.billbuxton.com
Like any secret society, the design community has its strange rituals and initiation procedures. Bill opens up the mysteries of the magical process of design, taking us through a land in which story telling, orange squeezers, the Wizard of oOz, I-pods, avalanche avoidance, bicycle suspension sketching, and faking it are all points on the design pilgrims journey. There are lots of ideas and techniques in this book to feed good design and transform the way we think about creating useful stuff.
- Peter Gabriel
Useful link:
www.billbuxton.com
Like any secret society, the design community has its strange rituals and initiation procedures. Bill opens up the mysteries of the magical process of design, taking us through a land in which story telling, orange squeezers, the Wizard of oOz, I-pods, avalanche avoidance, bicycle suspension sketching, and faking it are all points on the design pilgrims journey. There are lots of ideas and techniques in this book to feed good design and transform the way we think about creating useful stuff.
- Peter Gabriel
Shwedagon Pagoda
(via Wiki) The Shwedagon Pagoda, officially titled Shwedagon Zedi Daw, also known as the Golden Pagoda, is a 98-metre (approx. 321.5 feet) gilded stupa located in Yangon, Burma. The pagoda lies to the west of Kandawgyi Lake, on Singuttara Hill, thus dominating the skyline of the city. It is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda for the Burmese with relics of the past four Buddhas enshrined within, namely the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of Konagamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa and eight hairs of Gautama, the historical Buddha.
May, 2008. According to Reuters, the Shwedagon Pagoda was also hit by the cyclone's 120 mile-an-hour (190 kilometer-an-hour) winds, stripping gold leaves from the temple's giant 320-foot (98-meter) domed shrine + dislodging thousands of precious stones, including rubies, emeralds, and sapphires from the surface of the structure. I believe the complex is undergoing renovation.
May, 2008. According to Reuters, the Shwedagon Pagoda was also hit by the cyclone's 120 mile-an-hour (190 kilometer-an-hour) winds, stripping gold leaves from the temple's giant 320-foot (98-meter) domed shrine + dislodging thousands of precious stones, including rubies, emeralds, and sapphires from the surface of the structure. I believe the complex is undergoing renovation.
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