Comic-Con 2008

(via Wiki) Comic-Con International: San Diego, commonly known as Comic-Con or the San Diego Comic-Con, is an annual multigenre fan convention founded as the Golden State Comic Book Convention and later the San Diego Comic Book Convention in 1970 by Shel Dorf and a group of San Diegans. It is traditionally a four-day event (Thursday through Sunday—though a four hour preview night on Wednesday is open to guests pre-registered for all four days) held during the summer in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Comic-Con is both the name of the annual event and the common name of the organization.

Useful link:
www.comic-con.org

I am a huge fan of comics. The Comic-Con 2008 exhibition starts on July 24 - 27 at the San Diego Convention Center. It's an interesting venue to observe and enjoy. Don't miss it.

African Diamonds

I found John J. Teeling's (Executive Chairman, African Diamonds) views on mining and natural resources at the recent Wharton Global Alumni Forum in Cape Town, South Africa @ http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2018 interesting. As he rightly put it, if there's no geology, you cannot have a mine.

Useful link:
www.afdiamonds.com

The Oil And The Glory

The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea by Steve LeVine is a fascinating book on greed, corruption and risk-taking by the largest oil and gas companies in the world + the history of the great oil fields of Caspian Sea region, from its first development in the 19th century, through to today. A must-read.

Useful link:

http://oilandglory.com

Carbon Trading In The New Markets

It's interesting to observe bankers and investors immerse into environmental revolution, as full scale carbon trading takes shape in the United States. Experts believe the volume of carbon trading in the new markets is projected to surge from the equivalent of $64bn last year to $3,000 in a decade, which is quite phenomenal. This will happen only when and if the US ratifies the Kyoto Agreement, and then it's business. In an attempt to make the world a better place, the key players will not only revolutionize the concept but also reap huge profits. Let's watch and wait to see if it actually works.

Useful links:
www.earth-policy.org
www.carbonexpo.com
www.climos.com
www.grestech.com

Burmese Gem Ban

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill to place a total embargo on the importation of gemstones (rubies, jades, etc) from Burma reaching the United States, that are mined there and subsequently passed through third-party countries such as Thailand, etc. Earlier the U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill and sent to President Bush to be signed into law. If enacted, the legislation will have a large impact on imports of Burmese rubies, since more than 90 percent of the world's rubies originate in Burma.

Useful links:
http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
www.senate.gov
www.house.gov

I think it will hurt small gemstone dealers in Burma and the gem and jewelry industry that processes the goods in Thailand, more than the Burmese government.

The Batman Character

I am a huge fan of comics. Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight @ http://www.history.com/shows.do?episodeId=322796&action=detail is a fascinating show. If you are a fan of comics, don't miss it.

Useful link:
www.history.com

FATF Update

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has developed a guidance document in close consultation with representatives of the dealers in precious metals and dealers in precious stones industries. Go to www.fatf-gafi.org for further information.

InnoCentive

I found the article on Innocentive, a company that links organizations (seekers) with problems (challenges) to people all over the world (solvers) who win cash prizes for resolving them @ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/science/22inno.htmlpagewanted=1&ei=5087&em&en=df5efa6eea21c9b7&ex=1216958400 brilliant.

Useful link:
www.innocentive.com