Michael Hill Jeweller

Michael Hill Jeweller is a newcomer to the US retail jewelry market. I found Nicholas White's analysis on Michael Hill @ http://www.glgroup.com/News/Michael-Hill-(MHI)-Likely-to-Steal-Market-Share-From-Zale-(ZLC)-Kay-(SIG)-Helzberg-(BRK.A)-and-Fred-Meyer-(KR)-27392.html interesting. A must read.

Useful link:
www.michaelhill.co.nz

The Forger's Spell

The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century by Edward Dolnick is a great book about the dark art of forgery + gullibility of artworld experts. A must read. I liked it.

Useful link:

http://edwarddolnick.net

Intellectual + Emotional Education

The value of social and emotional learning + other viewpoints @ http://www.edutopia.org/lucas-goleman-casel-sel-video was educational and insightful.

Useful links:
www.edutopia.org
www.lucasfilm.com

Random Thoughts

The best icons tell a story, and it’s a story that validates our feelings and amplifies the way we look at the world.

- Seth Godin
www.sethgodin.com

How true!

Jorge Pardo

Jorge Pardo's display of ancient pre-Columbian art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art was superb.

I liked it.

Useful links:
www.lacma.org
www.jorgepardosculpture.com
www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/arts/design/27muse.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

The Bayreuth Festival

(via Wiki) The Bayreuth Festival is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived of and promoted the idea of a special festival to showcase his own works, in particular his monumental cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen and Parsifal. Performances take place in a specially designed theatre, the Festspielhaus. Wagner personally supervised the design and construction of the theatre, which contained many architectural innovations to accommodate the huge orchestras for which Wagner wrote as well as the composer's particular vision about the staging of his works. The Festival has become a pilgrimage destination for Wagner enthusiasts, who often must wait years to obtain tickets.

Go to @ www.bayreuther-festspiele.de for further information.

Antenna Design

Antenna Design's specialty is form + function + interactive + intellectual. The designs are breathtaking. I liked it.

Useful link:
www.antennadesign.com

How To Install A Living + Green Roof

The Wired article on building a green roof + other viewpoints @ http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Build_a_Green_Roof was brilliant. Just do it + save the environment.