Hundreds of Mohamed Morsi supporters arrested in Egypt have been beaten in custody, according to Amnesty International.In a report leaked on Thursday, the human rights organisation says more than 660 supporters of deposed President Mohamad Morsi have been held since he was removed from power three weeks ago, with many of the detained being Muslim Brotherhood leaders.
According to Amnesty International, some detainees that have been released say they were blindfolded, beaten, hit with rifle butts and subjected to electric shocks.Al Jazeera's Rawya Rageh, reporting from Cairo, says that while the Egyptian police do not have a "brilliant track record of processing detainees," it remains "difficult to ascertain the nature of treatment that these detainees received once they are inside the station or are in custody."
"It's difficult to independently verify the contents of the report, primarily because it's entirely dependent on the testimonies of the detainees themselves," added our real time Location system.However, the nature of the arrests themselves, many of which took place during running street battles, were witnessed by many, and were "heavy-handed", leaving the impression that supporters of the deposed president were being targeted.
Meanwhile, Morsi's supporters continue to rally across the country and continue their vigil in the Naser City area of Cairo.The Muslim Brotherhood said on Thursday it had proposed through an EU go-between a framework for talks to resolve Egypt's political crisis, its first formal announcement of an offer for negotiations since Morsi was toppled.
Brotherhood official Gehad el-Haddad, who represented the movement in previous EU-facilitated talks, told Reuters the proposal had been made to envoy Bernardino Leon before a visit on Wednesday by EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton.Earlier the Brotherhood expressed disappointment that the EU had not condemned the military coup against Morsi.
In the run-up to the coup, millions took to the streets accusing Morsi of concentrating power in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood during his year in office, of sending the economy into free fall and of failing to protect minorities.The political upheaval in the wake of Morsi's toppling on July 3 inflamed tensions in the Arab world's most populous nation, with near daily protests by Morsi loyalists in the capital, where thousands of Islamists remained camped out at the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in Cairo's Nasr City.
More demonstrations are expected on Friday after the weekly Muslim prayers.Egypt has been rocked by violence since the coup, with 53 people killed last week, most of them Morsi supporters, when clashes erupted between Islamist protesters and the security forces outside a military barracks in Cairo.The restive Sinai peninsula has been hit by a surge of deadly attacks, with militants killing three policeman in separate attacks on Wednesday night in the northern towns of El-Arish and Sheikh Zuweid.
Analysts attribute the Sinai violence, in which several security personnel, two Egyptian Christians and three factory workers have also been killed, to Islamist extremists seeking to take advantage of the political insecurity in Egypt.The new documents claim that Microsoft helped the NSA gain access to Outlook, Hotmail, and Skype, as well as their cloud services.I wrote recently about how the Prism program makes Microsoft’s Xbox One a more dubious privacy prospect than ever.
Microsoft has been beating the privacy drum loudly recently, but its Kinect 2.0, an always-on camera that can listen, watch, and even monitor your heart-rate, is a problematic device to say the least, especially in light of these latest revelations.Now Microsoft is going on the offensive.The company has written a strongly-worded letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, warning the Administration that “the Constitution itself is suffering.”
The leaked reports, Microsoft claims, are misleading and the software giant would like permission to reveal more information.Speaking directly to Holder while referencing both Holder’s and the president’s knowledge of the Constitution, the letter argues that more light needs to be shed on the program.
“As I know you appreciate, the Constitution guarantees the fundamental freedom to engage in free expression unless silence is required by a narrowly tailored, compelling Government interest,” Microsoft wrote to the White House Tuesday. “It’s time to face some obvious facts. Numerous documents are now in the public domain. As a result, there is no longer a compelling Government interest in stopping those of us with knowledge from sharing more information.”
The Coker sisters of Marietta, Ga., say they don't mind if their parents electronically monitor their driving, as long as it's done for the right reasons and it's not done secretly.
Ashley, 17, knows her father is tracking her, so she says it's OK. If she didn't know, "It would be more of a trust thing than anything for me." Grayson, 14, won't be driving for a couple of years, but she thinks she'll be fine with monitoring. "I would feel like it's more of a safety thing for them," she says.
Rob Coker says safety is why he keeps electronic tabs on his daughters, which he does now through the "Find My iPhone" app. He says he will use "every piece of technology" he can to monitor them, including while they're driving.
New cars increasingly have available technology that lets parents both spy on and set limits for their kids behind the wheel. And there are a growing number of phone apps and aftermarket devices for parental controls.
Teen crash deaths have declined in recent years, but an average of seven teens a day still die in car crashes. Speeding, something that can be monitored and in some cases prevented with technology, was a factor in 33% of fatal teen crashes in 2011, the Governors Highway Safety Association reported last month.
Teens in vehicles with monitoring devices took fewer risks while driving than unsupervised teens, according to a 2009 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study of 16- and 17-year-old drivers. IIHS President Adrian Lund warns, however, that the technologies are effective only if parents "pay attention to the feedback."
With the iPhone app, Coker can tell where Ashley, or at least her phone, is, but not how fast she's driving or whether she's using her phone behind the wheel. He says he uses it more at night to make sure she safely got to where she was going.
A Ford technology offered for several years, called MyKey, offers more control. "Speed is one of the things that we were trying to give Mom and Dad a tool to help manage," says Andy Sarkisian, Ford Motor's safety planning and strategy manager of MyKey.
Read the full products at http://www.ecived.com/en/!
2013年7月18日星期四
2013年5月12日星期日
Tech News
Seven Indian original-equipment manufacturers — in the mobile phone and tablet space — have inked a pact with Opera Software to pre-install the Opera Mini mobile web browser on the manufacturers’ upcoming mobile devices that run on the Android operating system. Opera Mini will be be pre-installed on all Android devices manufactured by Celkon, Karbonn, Lava and Intex, a press release from Opera Software stated. Opera Mini will also be preinstalled on select Android devices by Fly and Zen, as well as on HCL ME tablets. The Opera Mini is suited for Indian mobile networks as it uses a server to pre-process and compress websites to as little as 10 per cent of their original size before sending them to the mobile device. The open source browser has seen wide adoption in India, Opera Software claims. “The number of Indians accessing the web from mobile devices is growing at a much faster rate than those using a computer.
Hardware major Intel has launched a nationwide integrated campaign to increase the relevance and demand of personal computing devices, and to drive domestic adoption of technology by targeting consumers with the message of how a personal computer (PC) can change their lives. The six-weeklong campaign started this week in Rajasthan and will cover 40 cities across 10 States. It will continue to educate consumers on why a PC is a transformational device. Sandeep Aurora, Director of Marketing and Market Development, Intel South Asia, in a release, said: “In our quest to bring about nationwide awareness for digital literacy, we will continue to scale up our efforts under the National Digital Literacy Mission and through this new campaign we will urge consumers to pursue their passions and creativity with the power of an Intel processor-powered computer.” Intel will create experience zones under its ‘My Discoveries’ programme across 40 cities.
Tata Elxsi, a tech-design firm, announced the launch of the second edition of the Ignite Design Contest, which aims to encourage budding designers to enable change through design. The contest is part of connect D, an annual event organised by Tata Elxsi to commemorate World Industrial Design Day. This year’s theme, ‘Design enriching everyday life’, has been aligned to the Indoor Positioning System, ‘Industrial design is open’, set by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). The theme intends to convey the growing recognition of the importance of design across industries and how it can help brands and companies solve day-to-day problems to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace, a release from the firm stated. Design students pursuing full-time UG and PG courses in Product and Visual Design (Branding, Graphic Design and UI) in India can participate in the contest. Applicants can submit their entries in two categories: Age-friendly Kitchen Appliances for the Elderly, and Re-defining a Smart TV.
Zoho announced the launch of Card Scanner, an online business card scanning application for Zoho CRM. Now, users can take a photo of a business card and Card Scanner intelligently converts the image to text that is automatically saved either as a new contact, a lead in Zoho CRM, or as a new contact in Card Scanner, a release from the company stated. This app now eliminates the process of manually entering data into the CRM module for Zoho users. In a release, Raju Vegesna, Chief Evangelist, Zoho, said: “Entering data manually into any CRM application is a daunting task. Automating this process and making it simple for our users is the primary idea behind the launch of our new mobile app for Zoho CRM, Card Scanner. The app lets users save business cards on their iPhones while at meetings, events, conferences and trade shows, thus saving time and digitising the process.”
Combining their technical know-how with some business savvy and a little luck, the childhood friends and one-time University of Florida roommates have created a smartphone app for digital business cards that has attracted investors with international ties in venture capital — the kind of high-risk, high-reward financing that built Silicon Valley and other major technology centers.
So though Florida's share of the nation's newly invested venture capital has plummeted during the past year, the early success of Feathr — brainchild of Bishop Moore grad Aidan Augustin and Wekiva High grad Neal Ormsbee — could become a template for certain startups looking to finance future ventures.
"These guys are smart, energetic and, perhaps most importantly, they are coachable," said Dennis R. Pape, a veteran Central Florida venture capitalist and founder of VenturePitch Orlando, a networking event where Feathr demonstrated its product last week. "They are really a cut above the young entrepreneurs that we usually see."
After operating on a bootstrap budget since its founding last year, Feathr has secured $150,000 from a group of Indian-American investors in Tampa who are members of TiE Florida, the state chapter of an international organization of Indian entrepreneurs. Combined with money raised from "angel" investors — family members and advisers — Feathr has raised nearly $200,000 in the past 18 months.
The TiE Florida investors were impressed by Feathr's product and the sophistication of the novice entrepreneurs — especially Augustin, the company's chief executive and its point person when it's time to pitch the business.
"He was constantly in touch with us, persistently following up on his dream," said Sunal Jain, founder of the Tampa-based TiE chapter and president of Medical B&T Services LLC, a billing-technology company. "When we finally visited his place, saw his team and where they worked, and interviewed each team member, we were convinced of the prospects for this company."
Hardware major Intel has launched a nationwide integrated campaign to increase the relevance and demand of personal computing devices, and to drive domestic adoption of technology by targeting consumers with the message of how a personal computer (PC) can change their lives. The six-weeklong campaign started this week in Rajasthan and will cover 40 cities across 10 States. It will continue to educate consumers on why a PC is a transformational device. Sandeep Aurora, Director of Marketing and Market Development, Intel South Asia, in a release, said: “In our quest to bring about nationwide awareness for digital literacy, we will continue to scale up our efforts under the National Digital Literacy Mission and through this new campaign we will urge consumers to pursue their passions and creativity with the power of an Intel processor-powered computer.” Intel will create experience zones under its ‘My Discoveries’ programme across 40 cities.
Tata Elxsi, a tech-design firm, announced the launch of the second edition of the Ignite Design Contest, which aims to encourage budding designers to enable change through design. The contest is part of connect D, an annual event organised by Tata Elxsi to commemorate World Industrial Design Day. This year’s theme, ‘Design enriching everyday life’, has been aligned to the Indoor Positioning System, ‘Industrial design is open’, set by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). The theme intends to convey the growing recognition of the importance of design across industries and how it can help brands and companies solve day-to-day problems to gain a competitive edge in the marketplace, a release from the firm stated. Design students pursuing full-time UG and PG courses in Product and Visual Design (Branding, Graphic Design and UI) in India can participate in the contest. Applicants can submit their entries in two categories: Age-friendly Kitchen Appliances for the Elderly, and Re-defining a Smart TV.
Zoho announced the launch of Card Scanner, an online business card scanning application for Zoho CRM. Now, users can take a photo of a business card and Card Scanner intelligently converts the image to text that is automatically saved either as a new contact, a lead in Zoho CRM, or as a new contact in Card Scanner, a release from the company stated. This app now eliminates the process of manually entering data into the CRM module for Zoho users. In a release, Raju Vegesna, Chief Evangelist, Zoho, said: “Entering data manually into any CRM application is a daunting task. Automating this process and making it simple for our users is the primary idea behind the launch of our new mobile app for Zoho CRM, Card Scanner. The app lets users save business cards on their iPhones while at meetings, events, conferences and trade shows, thus saving time and digitising the process.”
Combining their technical know-how with some business savvy and a little luck, the childhood friends and one-time University of Florida roommates have created a smartphone app for digital business cards that has attracted investors with international ties in venture capital — the kind of high-risk, high-reward financing that built Silicon Valley and other major technology centers.
So though Florida's share of the nation's newly invested venture capital has plummeted during the past year, the early success of Feathr — brainchild of Bishop Moore grad Aidan Augustin and Wekiva High grad Neal Ormsbee — could become a template for certain startups looking to finance future ventures.
"These guys are smart, energetic and, perhaps most importantly, they are coachable," said Dennis R. Pape, a veteran Central Florida venture capitalist and founder of VenturePitch Orlando, a networking event where Feathr demonstrated its product last week. "They are really a cut above the young entrepreneurs that we usually see."
After operating on a bootstrap budget since its founding last year, Feathr has secured $150,000 from a group of Indian-American investors in Tampa who are members of TiE Florida, the state chapter of an international organization of Indian entrepreneurs. Combined with money raised from "angel" investors — family members and advisers — Feathr has raised nearly $200,000 in the past 18 months.
The TiE Florida investors were impressed by Feathr's product and the sophistication of the novice entrepreneurs — especially Augustin, the company's chief executive and its point person when it's time to pitch the business.
"He was constantly in touch with us, persistently following up on his dream," said Sunal Jain, founder of the Tampa-based TiE chapter and president of Medical B&T Services LLC, a billing-technology company. "When we finally visited his place, saw his team and where they worked, and interviewed each team member, we were convinced of the prospects for this company."
2013年1月27日星期日
American West Baseball League in shambles as Yuma pulls out
Two weeks ago the American West Baseball League canceled its winter program in Yuma. Now the Yuma franchise has pulled out of the league altogether. Tom Ferguson, owner of the Yuma Desert Rats, explained the team’s immediate withdraw from the AWBL in a press release that was issued on Friday;
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the Yuma Desert Rats will not be playing in the AWBL this season. We believe it is in the best interests of our fans, the City of Yuma, our corporate partners and sponsors to take some time to explore the best way that we can add value to the Yuma Community thorough the game of baseball……We also think it will give us the proper time to find a suitable successor league which will provide the stability to create several much-needed business and support functions at the team level.”
The withdraw of Yuma puts the future of the AWBL on very unstable ground and reduces their membership to three teams, all with questionable futures. Although Ferguson refused further comment citing a non-disclosure agreement between the franchise and the league, AWBL CEO Michael Cummings wasn’t so shy. On Saturday Cummings told the Yuma Daily Sun that Ferguson wasn’t able to meet the requirements of the franchise agreement. “We knew there was a problem financially with Tim to fulfill his obligations to the league and so forth, and we tried everything we could to accommodate him. I think at the end of the day he decided he couldn’t or wouldn’t honor those, so he’s no longer here,” said Cummings. According to Cummings, there may still be baseball in Yuma this summer; “We’re looking at some ownerships that have come to us and discussed the possibility of going out there.” These comments seem to indicate that the league is not interested in operating a team in Yuma unless it can find an outside ownership group to pony up with new fees.
The status of the lease with the City of Yuma is also in question and could be the subject of future legal battles. “When he (Ferguson) went in and bought the Yuma franchise, acquired the rights to the Yuma franchise, he also purchased the corporation from us,” Cummings told the Sun. “The lease is under that corporation’s name, and he (Ferguson) did not fulfill hs obligations as far as acquiring that corporation.” Apparently the lease agreement is with the city and the corporation (Yuma Panthers LLC) and would prohibit Ferguson from fielding a team in another league in Yuma. “….he (Ferguson) has an operating right agreement that states he cannot play professional or collegiate baseball without paying us (AWBL) a substantial amount of money,” explained Cummings. If Ferguson wants to field a team in Yuma this season, “….he’ll end up in legal battles with me.” The franchise owned by Godfather Media (now Embark Holdings, Inc.) did not play in Yuma last summer nor has the AWBL played a single game. For his part, Ferguson believes that it will be up to the city to determine how the lease is interpreted and that is what will ultimately decide whether baseball is played in Yuma and by whom this summer.
The future of the AWBL has been uncertain from the beginning. In June, Godfather Media of Costa Mesa, California announced the formation of a new independent league. The announcement included a list of four locations which were to be part of the league; Fullerton, Long Beach, San, Diego (California) and Yuma (Arizona). League founder Michael Cummings, the chairman and CEO of Godfather Media, had acquired two teams in the North American League but that league ceased operations thirty days later. The two teams, the Orange County Flyers and the Yuma Panthers, were to be the basis for the new American West Baseball League. Shortly after, Godfather added the territories of Long Beach and San Diego. A list of other possible sites included Palm Springs, Mesa, Ariz., and Henderson Nev. The Flyers were initially slated to be a traveling team as it had no home field. The club still owed Cal State Fullerton rent for the use of Goodwin Field during the 2010 season. At the time, Cummings told the Orange County Register that Godfather Media had a plan for success; “One of the biggest things we’re going to do that the (previous) league didn’t is revenue share with the teams from the sale of sponsorships. The league is only as strong as its weakest team.”
The stadium situation in Long Beach is also interesting. The AWBL has unveiled a team name (Splash) and logo for its Long Beach franchise, but Long Beach State which now operates Blair Field seems to have little appetite for hosting independent baseball. “Some group (AWBL) made an initial contact with Mark Edrington (the facilities chief and associate A.D.), but it never went beyond that,” Long Beach State Athletic Director Vic Cegles told the Long Beach Press Telegram in August. "We're really not interested. If anyone did come to our table, they should be prepared to pay heavily, in cash, and up front." No ownership group nor stadium agreement has been announced for the Long Beach franchise.
On December 1-2, the AWBL held a tryout camp at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson. There were 44 participants and half them were signed to contracts with the league’s four existing teams. The league had also announced a winter program to be held at Kino Sports Complex in Yuma that was to start on January 24. Two weeks prior to the scheduled start of the league, the AWBL notified the City of Yuma that the program was being canceled “due to lack of interest.”
The model for holding companies is to acquire businesses and then sell them at a profit. In the case of the AWBL, they have bought franchise rights to two teams in a defunct league (Yuma and Orange County) and claimed territorial rights in two other cities (San Diego and Long Beach). They have sold franchise rights for the San Diego area (North County Cannons); Yuma (Yuma Desert Rats); and reached a nominal franchise agreement in Fullerton (Fullerton Flyers)) that includes investment from former major leaguer Edgar Renteria. Now that the Yuma ownership group has withdrawn and with no ownership group or stadium agreement is in place in Long Beach, the prospects for the league getting off the ground seem bleak. In the wake of canceling their winter league, the AWBL has announced a similar 30-day spring program that is to begin on April 1 at an undetermined Southern California location. The league has previously said that they will play a 90-game regular season beginning in May. As of now, the American West Baseball League looks more like a fantasy league than the real thing.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the Yuma Desert Rats will not be playing in the AWBL this season. We believe it is in the best interests of our fans, the City of Yuma, our corporate partners and sponsors to take some time to explore the best way that we can add value to the Yuma Community thorough the game of baseball……We also think it will give us the proper time to find a suitable successor league which will provide the stability to create several much-needed business and support functions at the team level.”
The withdraw of Yuma puts the future of the AWBL on very unstable ground and reduces their membership to three teams, all with questionable futures. Although Ferguson refused further comment citing a non-disclosure agreement between the franchise and the league, AWBL CEO Michael Cummings wasn’t so shy. On Saturday Cummings told the Yuma Daily Sun that Ferguson wasn’t able to meet the requirements of the franchise agreement. “We knew there was a problem financially with Tim to fulfill his obligations to the league and so forth, and we tried everything we could to accommodate him. I think at the end of the day he decided he couldn’t or wouldn’t honor those, so he’s no longer here,” said Cummings. According to Cummings, there may still be baseball in Yuma this summer; “We’re looking at some ownerships that have come to us and discussed the possibility of going out there.” These comments seem to indicate that the league is not interested in operating a team in Yuma unless it can find an outside ownership group to pony up with new fees.
The status of the lease with the City of Yuma is also in question and could be the subject of future legal battles. “When he (Ferguson) went in and bought the Yuma franchise, acquired the rights to the Yuma franchise, he also purchased the corporation from us,” Cummings told the Sun. “The lease is under that corporation’s name, and he (Ferguson) did not fulfill hs obligations as far as acquiring that corporation.” Apparently the lease agreement is with the city and the corporation (Yuma Panthers LLC) and would prohibit Ferguson from fielding a team in another league in Yuma. “….he (Ferguson) has an operating right agreement that states he cannot play professional or collegiate baseball without paying us (AWBL) a substantial amount of money,” explained Cummings. If Ferguson wants to field a team in Yuma this season, “….he’ll end up in legal battles with me.” The franchise owned by Godfather Media (now Embark Holdings, Inc.) did not play in Yuma last summer nor has the AWBL played a single game. For his part, Ferguson believes that it will be up to the city to determine how the lease is interpreted and that is what will ultimately decide whether baseball is played in Yuma and by whom this summer.
The future of the AWBL has been uncertain from the beginning. In June, Godfather Media of Costa Mesa, California announced the formation of a new independent league. The announcement included a list of four locations which were to be part of the league; Fullerton, Long Beach, San, Diego (California) and Yuma (Arizona). League founder Michael Cummings, the chairman and CEO of Godfather Media, had acquired two teams in the North American League but that league ceased operations thirty days later. The two teams, the Orange County Flyers and the Yuma Panthers, were to be the basis for the new American West Baseball League. Shortly after, Godfather added the territories of Long Beach and San Diego. A list of other possible sites included Palm Springs, Mesa, Ariz., and Henderson Nev. The Flyers were initially slated to be a traveling team as it had no home field. The club still owed Cal State Fullerton rent for the use of Goodwin Field during the 2010 season. At the time, Cummings told the Orange County Register that Godfather Media had a plan for success; “One of the biggest things we’re going to do that the (previous) league didn’t is revenue share with the teams from the sale of sponsorships. The league is only as strong as its weakest team.”
The stadium situation in Long Beach is also interesting. The AWBL has unveiled a team name (Splash) and logo for its Long Beach franchise, but Long Beach State which now operates Blair Field seems to have little appetite for hosting independent baseball. “Some group (AWBL) made an initial contact with Mark Edrington (the facilities chief and associate A.D.), but it never went beyond that,” Long Beach State Athletic Director Vic Cegles told the Long Beach Press Telegram in August. "We're really not interested. If anyone did come to our table, they should be prepared to pay heavily, in cash, and up front." No ownership group nor stadium agreement has been announced for the Long Beach franchise.
On December 1-2, the AWBL held a tryout camp at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson. There were 44 participants and half them were signed to contracts with the league’s four existing teams. The league had also announced a winter program to be held at Kino Sports Complex in Yuma that was to start on January 24. Two weeks prior to the scheduled start of the league, the AWBL notified the City of Yuma that the program was being canceled “due to lack of interest.”
The model for holding companies is to acquire businesses and then sell them at a profit. In the case of the AWBL, they have bought franchise rights to two teams in a defunct league (Yuma and Orange County) and claimed territorial rights in two other cities (San Diego and Long Beach). They have sold franchise rights for the San Diego area (North County Cannons); Yuma (Yuma Desert Rats); and reached a nominal franchise agreement in Fullerton (Fullerton Flyers)) that includes investment from former major leaguer Edgar Renteria. Now that the Yuma ownership group has withdrawn and with no ownership group or stadium agreement is in place in Long Beach, the prospects for the league getting off the ground seem bleak. In the wake of canceling their winter league, the AWBL has announced a similar 30-day spring program that is to begin on April 1 at an undetermined Southern California location. The league has previously said that they will play a 90-game regular season beginning in May. As of now, the American West Baseball League looks more like a fantasy league than the real thing.
2012年5月14日星期一
Getting real on Siachen
The tragedy of the Gayari landslide has generated a spate of comments in Pakistan on the huge financial and environmental costs of stationing soldiers under unbelievably inhospitable conditions in an area of dubious strategic importance. Some of our “analysts” and political leaders have also proposed “solutions” to the dispute that are quite divorced from reality. The top honours must go to Nawaz Sharif, who called for a unilateral withdrawal from Siachen. He later tried unconvincingly to explain it away. He was of course not the only one. The secretary general of SAFMA also came up with the same bright idea.
For the SAFMA head, that seems to be a part of the job description. But it is a far more serious matter when such a proposal comes from the leader of the second-largest political party in the country and a two-time prime minister who hopes to return to that job in the next election.
Besides, Nawaz’s suggestion for unilateral concessions on Siachen seems not to have been a one-time aberration. On May 6, he called for the immediate, unilateral abolition of the “visa regime” between Pakistan and India. Those who recall Nawaz’s speech at a SAFMA seminar last August would notice that his statements on Siachen and on abolishing visas for the Indians are part of a pattern.
Reflecting a popular view, former foreign secretary Najmuddin Shaikh wrote in an article two weeks ago that the dispute over Siachen was one of the two items on the agenda of the bilateral dialogue-the other being Sir Creek-on which progress could be made quickly, the so-called low-hanging fruit that could be plucked immediately. He suggested that the main obstacle to a Siachen settlement was India’s fear, however ill-founded, especially after Kargil, that Pakistan might “renege upon or breach” an agreement on mutual troop withdrawal from Siachen and that this possibility had made the Indian army extremely reluctant to leave the glacier.
If that was the reason for India’s inflexibility on Siachen, a solution could still have been found. But India’s real considerations, as articulated by several official and unofficial spokesmen of the Indian establishment, are quite different.
First, in the opinion of many Indian defence analysts, Siachen is a great strategic prize because of its location at the Pakistan-India-China tri-junction. India’s control of the Saltoro Ridge, in this view, prevents Pakistan and China from joining up through the Karakoram Pass at Xaidulla (Shahidullah) on the Kashgar-Xigatse road, the main Chinese route between Xinjiang and Tibet that runs through Aksai Chin. Such a linkup between Pakistan and China, in the imagination of India’s armchair strategists, could threaten India’s control of Ladakh. Besides, the possession of the Saltoro Fidge also gives India strategic high ground over Gilgit-Baltistan. Vikram Sood, a former RAW chief, writes that the “China factor” was not so evident in 1984 when India seized Siachen, but it is much more important now in view of the larger Chinese footprint in the area and China’s “strategic interest” in Gilgit-Baltistan. In this connection, Sood points to the widening of the Karakoram Highway and reported plans of a rail link with Pakistan and an oil and gas pipeline from Gwadar to Xinjiang.
Second, India’s possession of Siachen strengthens India’s hand in any eventual Kashmir settlement with Pakistan based on the status quo, in keeping with the maxim that “possession is nine-tenths of the law.” Siachen should therefore be the “last issue on the table, not the first.”
Third, Indira Col, in the northern-most part of the Saltoro Ridge, directly overlooks the Shaksgam valley “that was illegally ceded by Pakistan to China” in the 1963 border agreement. India’s control of this ridge, in the words of one Indian expert, enables India to “legitimately and effectively dispute the illegal Chinese presence there.”
For the SAFMA head, that seems to be a part of the job description. But it is a far more serious matter when such a proposal comes from the leader of the second-largest political party in the country and a two-time prime minister who hopes to return to that job in the next election.
Besides, Nawaz’s suggestion for unilateral concessions on Siachen seems not to have been a one-time aberration. On May 6, he called for the immediate, unilateral abolition of the “visa regime” between Pakistan and India. Those who recall Nawaz’s speech at a SAFMA seminar last August would notice that his statements on Siachen and on abolishing visas for the Indians are part of a pattern.
Reflecting a popular view, former foreign secretary Najmuddin Shaikh wrote in an article two weeks ago that the dispute over Siachen was one of the two items on the agenda of the bilateral dialogue-the other being Sir Creek-on which progress could be made quickly, the so-called low-hanging fruit that could be plucked immediately. He suggested that the main obstacle to a Siachen settlement was India’s fear, however ill-founded, especially after Kargil, that Pakistan might “renege upon or breach” an agreement on mutual troop withdrawal from Siachen and that this possibility had made the Indian army extremely reluctant to leave the glacier.
If that was the reason for India’s inflexibility on Siachen, a solution could still have been found. But India’s real considerations, as articulated by several official and unofficial spokesmen of the Indian establishment, are quite different.
First, in the opinion of many Indian defence analysts, Siachen is a great strategic prize because of its location at the Pakistan-India-China tri-junction. India’s control of the Saltoro Ridge, in this view, prevents Pakistan and China from joining up through the Karakoram Pass at Xaidulla (Shahidullah) on the Kashgar-Xigatse road, the main Chinese route between Xinjiang and Tibet that runs through Aksai Chin. Such a linkup between Pakistan and China, in the imagination of India’s armchair strategists, could threaten India’s control of Ladakh. Besides, the possession of the Saltoro Fidge also gives India strategic high ground over Gilgit-Baltistan. Vikram Sood, a former RAW chief, writes that the “China factor” was not so evident in 1984 when India seized Siachen, but it is much more important now in view of the larger Chinese footprint in the area and China’s “strategic interest” in Gilgit-Baltistan. In this connection, Sood points to the widening of the Karakoram Highway and reported plans of a rail link with Pakistan and an oil and gas pipeline from Gwadar to Xinjiang.
Second, India’s possession of Siachen strengthens India’s hand in any eventual Kashmir settlement with Pakistan based on the status quo, in keeping with the maxim that “possession is nine-tenths of the law.” Siachen should therefore be the “last issue on the table, not the first.”
Third, Indira Col, in the northern-most part of the Saltoro Ridge, directly overlooks the Shaksgam valley “that was illegally ceded by Pakistan to China” in the 1963 border agreement. India’s control of this ridge, in the words of one Indian expert, enables India to “legitimately and effectively dispute the illegal Chinese presence there.”
2012年5月6日星期日
We have cleaned up our books– Otti, GMD, Diamond Bank
Dr. Alex Otti, the Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank, can easily be described as someone who eats, breathes and lives banking, although it was not his first choice of career. He distinctly said: “Banking is what I do, but I did not set out to be a banker even though I read Economics.” According to him, his first job was teaching. The job excited his dad but he wanted to try other things and, eventually, came to banking.
Barely one year after he took over the leadership of the Diamond Bank, Dr. Otti said the institution has gone through its internal reforms of cleaning up it’s books and had started 2012 on a very good note.
In this interview with Daily Sun, he described the bank as leader in innovation in technology, saying Diamond Bank has acquired the necessary technology to drive business in the area of small, medium enterprise, an effort which, he said, is to complement President Goodluck Jonathan’s vision of growing the economy and empowering the people.
The chief executive, who was recently honoured with a Doctor of Science (D.Sc) degree for his outstanding performance in the academic and financial sector, affirmed that Diamond Bank is very healthy, founded on ethics of financial integrity and professionalism. He said: “We want to do a whole lot of that to be a very efficient electronic driven bank, more efficient and stable than we are today.”
Excerpts:
I am currently the CEO of Diamond Bank Group. Before now, I worked in different institutions in the banking industry; First Bank, UBA and a few others, including Citibank, where I started. I read Economies and graduated in 1988 from the University of Port Harcourt, as the best graduating student; had an MBA from the University of Lagos in 1994 and other prestigious institutions. In addition to receiving an honorary doctorate degree in Business Administration, I am alumnus of Harvard Business School. I also trained at Stanford Business School, California; Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania) and Columbia Business School, New York, just to name a few.
This recent recognition from the University of Port Harcourt, which is important to me, though this is not the first time I am getting an honorary degree, but this time it is my alma mater recognizing me and, if you know how it works, it’s not all the time your parents feel that you are grown up. So, I am excited about that opportunity because it is a recognition, and I thank the university for the honour accorded me. I have served on the board of several companies, and presently sits on the Governing Council of two Nigerian universities – University of Port Harcourt and Babcock University.
I have been very much interested in the progress of the university from the private sector perspective, but I am not too sure that I have done enough. Perhaps, this is a calling now for me to do more. I have done a lot of things in the academic world, and I am still interested in them. By the time I am done with banking job, I will pick up the chalk to teach in the university. I believe that is the best thing to do and I believe the university will benefit a whole lot more, when people who have practiced in different industry bring the practical perspective, together with the theoretical, then the students will benefit a lot more. I’ve been married to Prescilia for 18 years and we have three wonderful children. I like to listen to music, play my squash and travel.
How did you come into banking, any regrets?
When I graduated from the university, I went for my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the banking industry. The banking sector was exploding at that time, it was the era of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) and that was when a lot of new banks were springing up. I was also interested in banking, having read Economics, just like I was interested in other things during my service. I found that Citibank, in those days, was arranging and organizing interview for people who had 2:1 and above.
I sat for the test and passed, went through the interview process and I was hired to do my Youth Service in the bank and, after the service, I was retained in 1989. Banking is what I do. Though I read Economics, I did not set out to be a banker. It was a difficult decision then because, at that same time, the same university I graduated from had indicated that I could come and do my NYSC and begin my Masters programme and, of course, teach as a graduate assistant. That was the job my father was excited about, and I was to disappoint him for the first time. He was very unhappy about that decision.
There were other issues then. I had a scholarship to do my Masters at the University of Leeds, and a University in Canada. Then I had a job from the then Arthur Andersen, of which a part is now KPMG; and the other, Accenture, but I chose to remain in Citibank for a whole a lot of reasons. I liked the environment; an American bank, and I also liked the money, which was like two times what Arthur Andersen was offering me. With the banking profession, I have no regrets. There would have been challenges left, right and center, which usually comes with anything you are doing in life. It is not that challenges will not come, but the most important thing is been able to surmount them...and move on. And so far, so good, I’ve been able to weather the storms.
You came into Diamond Bank at a time of severe reforms of the Nigeria financial sector. How has this impacted on your management over the past one year?
Well, if you read the just published annual report, you will know that we have gone through our own internal reforms in this one year. It is still early days, but a whole lot of things have happened and these reforms have a lot to do with global economic crisis and the resolution of the crisis. Maybe we didn’t start or do the things we should have done early, but I can tell you that as I speak, we have done a lot in terms of the cleaning up our books.
We have finished with that at the end of the financial year 2011 and we have started 2012 on a very good note. These challenges are not specific to Diamond Bank alone, it comes to virtually every other bank in the industry, and not just in Nigeria alone but globally. You are also aware of banks that failed; very big ones that were ‘too big to fail’. I think we have confronted the challenges and we are coming out stronger.
How would you assess the impact of Diamond Bank’s investment in the Nigerian SME’s, vis-à-vis President Jonathan’s economic transformation agenda?
We pride ourselves as the leaders in the SME space, when you look at what is happening elsewhere in the Nigerian banking industry. That is not to underestimate the challenges existing in that space but what we have done, taken the lesson we have to learnt, and also bringing in the skills we needed, and the proposition that this space requires. We have been able to do a whole a lot in terms of lending; a very large chunk of our lending in that space. We have taken the lessons at some point; had some challenges, and we have cleaned them up.
Barely one year after he took over the leadership of the Diamond Bank, Dr. Otti said the institution has gone through its internal reforms of cleaning up it’s books and had started 2012 on a very good note.
In this interview with Daily Sun, he described the bank as leader in innovation in technology, saying Diamond Bank has acquired the necessary technology to drive business in the area of small, medium enterprise, an effort which, he said, is to complement President Goodluck Jonathan’s vision of growing the economy and empowering the people.
The chief executive, who was recently honoured with a Doctor of Science (D.Sc) degree for his outstanding performance in the academic and financial sector, affirmed that Diamond Bank is very healthy, founded on ethics of financial integrity and professionalism. He said: “We want to do a whole lot of that to be a very efficient electronic driven bank, more efficient and stable than we are today.”
Excerpts:
I am currently the CEO of Diamond Bank Group. Before now, I worked in different institutions in the banking industry; First Bank, UBA and a few others, including Citibank, where I started. I read Economies and graduated in 1988 from the University of Port Harcourt, as the best graduating student; had an MBA from the University of Lagos in 1994 and other prestigious institutions. In addition to receiving an honorary doctorate degree in Business Administration, I am alumnus of Harvard Business School. I also trained at Stanford Business School, California; Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania) and Columbia Business School, New York, just to name a few.
This recent recognition from the University of Port Harcourt, which is important to me, though this is not the first time I am getting an honorary degree, but this time it is my alma mater recognizing me and, if you know how it works, it’s not all the time your parents feel that you are grown up. So, I am excited about that opportunity because it is a recognition, and I thank the university for the honour accorded me. I have served on the board of several companies, and presently sits on the Governing Council of two Nigerian universities – University of Port Harcourt and Babcock University.
I have been very much interested in the progress of the university from the private sector perspective, but I am not too sure that I have done enough. Perhaps, this is a calling now for me to do more. I have done a lot of things in the academic world, and I am still interested in them. By the time I am done with banking job, I will pick up the chalk to teach in the university. I believe that is the best thing to do and I believe the university will benefit a whole lot more, when people who have practiced in different industry bring the practical perspective, together with the theoretical, then the students will benefit a lot more. I’ve been married to Prescilia for 18 years and we have three wonderful children. I like to listen to music, play my squash and travel.
How did you come into banking, any regrets?
When I graduated from the university, I went for my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the banking industry. The banking sector was exploding at that time, it was the era of Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) and that was when a lot of new banks were springing up. I was also interested in banking, having read Economics, just like I was interested in other things during my service. I found that Citibank, in those days, was arranging and organizing interview for people who had 2:1 and above.
I sat for the test and passed, went through the interview process and I was hired to do my Youth Service in the bank and, after the service, I was retained in 1989. Banking is what I do. Though I read Economics, I did not set out to be a banker. It was a difficult decision then because, at that same time, the same university I graduated from had indicated that I could come and do my NYSC and begin my Masters programme and, of course, teach as a graduate assistant. That was the job my father was excited about, and I was to disappoint him for the first time. He was very unhappy about that decision.
There were other issues then. I had a scholarship to do my Masters at the University of Leeds, and a University in Canada. Then I had a job from the then Arthur Andersen, of which a part is now KPMG; and the other, Accenture, but I chose to remain in Citibank for a whole a lot of reasons. I liked the environment; an American bank, and I also liked the money, which was like two times what Arthur Andersen was offering me. With the banking profession, I have no regrets. There would have been challenges left, right and center, which usually comes with anything you are doing in life. It is not that challenges will not come, but the most important thing is been able to surmount them...and move on. And so far, so good, I’ve been able to weather the storms.
You came into Diamond Bank at a time of severe reforms of the Nigeria financial sector. How has this impacted on your management over the past one year?
Well, if you read the just published annual report, you will know that we have gone through our own internal reforms in this one year. It is still early days, but a whole lot of things have happened and these reforms have a lot to do with global economic crisis and the resolution of the crisis. Maybe we didn’t start or do the things we should have done early, but I can tell you that as I speak, we have done a lot in terms of the cleaning up our books.
We have finished with that at the end of the financial year 2011 and we have started 2012 on a very good note. These challenges are not specific to Diamond Bank alone, it comes to virtually every other bank in the industry, and not just in Nigeria alone but globally. You are also aware of banks that failed; very big ones that were ‘too big to fail’. I think we have confronted the challenges and we are coming out stronger.
How would you assess the impact of Diamond Bank’s investment in the Nigerian SME’s, vis-à-vis President Jonathan’s economic transformation agenda?
We pride ourselves as the leaders in the SME space, when you look at what is happening elsewhere in the Nigerian banking industry. That is not to underestimate the challenges existing in that space but what we have done, taken the lesson we have to learnt, and also bringing in the skills we needed, and the proposition that this space requires. We have been able to do a whole a lot in terms of lending; a very large chunk of our lending in that space. We have taken the lessons at some point; had some challenges, and we have cleaned them up.
2012年4月24日星期二
Engaging the world, in real time
It started as a trending Twitter conversation about fast food and became a marketing win for fast-food giant McDonald's and its public relations agency, GolinHarris, in a matter of hours.
Team members in GolinHarris' real-time monitoring centre at their Los Angeles office noticed the topic #fastfoodaddiction trending on Twitter. Staff in Dallas analysed it and learnt that McDonald's accounted for more than half the conversations when people talked about fast food they loved on #fastfoodaddiction.
This data was then shared with their colleagues in Chicago, who quickly produced and posted an infographic on #fastfoodaddiction. A few hours later, a second infographic was posted on the same stream highlighting the most popular McDonald's product on #fastfoodaddiction - French fries.
The result? These small exchanges - meant as virtual "thank yous" to their fans - helped McDonald's engage people, create new connections and boost its reputation online.
Said Mr Jonathan Hughes, president (international) at GolinHarris: "These kinds of activities - where a community feels a brand is engaged rightly - engenders a far more loyal and positive brand perception than anything else."
Welcome to the world of real-time marketing, where a PR firm's responsiveness is measured in hours and minutes, instead of days and weeks. This change has been driven to a large extent by changes in consumer behaviour brought about by the popularity of online platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. It's partly in recognition of this that GolinHarris has decided to break with the traditional model used by many PR agencies for years.
The new approach - which GolinHarris calls the g4 model - was first launched in its offices in the United States and United Kingdom last year.
Essentially, workers no longer have to be what the firm calls generalists - people who can do a bit of everything - and instead specialise in one of four areas.
Catalysts, people who secure partnerships and discover new opportunities, are at the core of the model. Strategists are business analysts who look at what will affect a client's future. Creators are storytellers who produce content, while connectors use various media platforms to reach out to target audiences.
Said Mr Hughes: "Where we've done this in London and North America, we've seen a huge improvement in the quality of the thinking we've done for clients.
"The area of real-time marketing is where we're seeing the biggest kind of impact. By that I mean the ability to look at what's happening both in the mainstream and print and broadcast media and what's happening in the social space.
"Because the two now cross so quickly, we can see what's trending in one side or the other and see how we can put a brand, comment or maybe a particular promotion or something that is relevant, directly into that conversation."
And the real-time marketing possibilities don't just end there. Discount websites like Groupon and location-based services mean it's possible to offer customers discounts on an item at a particular location - based on a conversation that's trending online. It isn't as far-fetched as it may sound.
Many retail companies already have computerised databases, which would make it possible to re-price items relatively easily.
Team members in GolinHarris' real-time monitoring centre at their Los Angeles office noticed the topic #fastfoodaddiction trending on Twitter. Staff in Dallas analysed it and learnt that McDonald's accounted for more than half the conversations when people talked about fast food they loved on #fastfoodaddiction.
This data was then shared with their colleagues in Chicago, who quickly produced and posted an infographic on #fastfoodaddiction. A few hours later, a second infographic was posted on the same stream highlighting the most popular McDonald's product on #fastfoodaddiction - French fries.
The result? These small exchanges - meant as virtual "thank yous" to their fans - helped McDonald's engage people, create new connections and boost its reputation online.
Said Mr Jonathan Hughes, president (international) at GolinHarris: "These kinds of activities - where a community feels a brand is engaged rightly - engenders a far more loyal and positive brand perception than anything else."
Welcome to the world of real-time marketing, where a PR firm's responsiveness is measured in hours and minutes, instead of days and weeks. This change has been driven to a large extent by changes in consumer behaviour brought about by the popularity of online platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. It's partly in recognition of this that GolinHarris has decided to break with the traditional model used by many PR agencies for years.
The new approach - which GolinHarris calls the g4 model - was first launched in its offices in the United States and United Kingdom last year.
Essentially, workers no longer have to be what the firm calls generalists - people who can do a bit of everything - and instead specialise in one of four areas.
Catalysts, people who secure partnerships and discover new opportunities, are at the core of the model. Strategists are business analysts who look at what will affect a client's future. Creators are storytellers who produce content, while connectors use various media platforms to reach out to target audiences.
Said Mr Hughes: "Where we've done this in London and North America, we've seen a huge improvement in the quality of the thinking we've done for clients.
"The area of real-time marketing is where we're seeing the biggest kind of impact. By that I mean the ability to look at what's happening both in the mainstream and print and broadcast media and what's happening in the social space.
"Because the two now cross so quickly, we can see what's trending in one side or the other and see how we can put a brand, comment or maybe a particular promotion or something that is relevant, directly into that conversation."
And the real-time marketing possibilities don't just end there. Discount websites like Groupon and location-based services mean it's possible to offer customers discounts on an item at a particular location - based on a conversation that's trending online. It isn't as far-fetched as it may sound.
Many retail companies already have computerised databases, which would make it possible to re-price items relatively easily.
2012年4月12日星期四
Villagers in Almondsbury take legal action to keep access road open
A LEGAL battle is being waged by disgruntled villagers in Almondsbury after parish councillors put the only access road to their homes up for sale without warning.
Woodhouse Close residents first discovered that the lane and field at the back of their properties were up for auction when 'for sale' signs appeared on their street in March.
Alarmed Jean Cowan, Becky Chaplain and Brooke Stevenson immediately contacted the parish council, which owns the plot of land and path, appealing to members to grant them right of way on the road they drive on every day after the sale.
But, as their pleas fell on deaf ears, the dispute escalated and they felt they were left with no alternative but to take action and hire solicitors.
The group, who have shelled out 1,500 so far in legal fees, insisted that all councillors needed to do to put a stop to their nightmare was add a clause in the sale contract binding the buyer to allow them access.
Last Tuesday they turned up at a meeting of Almondsbury Parish Council begging councillors to hear them out.
Mother-of-two Mrs Chaplain, 32, called on members one last time to agree to a compromise before a sale went ahead.
She said: "What grounds have you for not putting a clause in the contract when it is causing so much distress to residents? We would pay for it, you would not have to spend any money."
Her neighbour Mrs Stevenson, 29, added: "You are meant to represent the people of Almondsbury and be our voice. We have always had access to that lane. We have no front access to our homes. What are we supposed to do? We are all worried sick."
Chairman Cllr Diane Wilson cut them short, saying the matter was now in the hands of solicitors.
She said: "You have not got a legal right to use it. You have had access free gratis as long as I can remember. This council has never charged you a penny for the use of that lane. You can get to your properties. You are exaggerating."
South Gloucestershire Councillor for Almondsbury and former parish council chairman Sheila Cook said she was "appalled" at the members' behaviour.
She said: "I’m very supportive of the residents’ case and I’m disappointed that the parish council are refusing to engage with them, which is why residents feel that they have no alternative but to go down the legal route – a route that will cost both the residents and the parish council."
Along with the residents, she set up a petition demanding that the sale, which was held on Tuesday evening, April 10, be postponed.
Yet, despite collecting 89 signatures, the auction went ahead and the land and lane were sold off for 74,000.
Woodhouse Close residents first discovered that the lane and field at the back of their properties were up for auction when 'for sale' signs appeared on their street in March.
Alarmed Jean Cowan, Becky Chaplain and Brooke Stevenson immediately contacted the parish council, which owns the plot of land and path, appealing to members to grant them right of way on the road they drive on every day after the sale.
But, as their pleas fell on deaf ears, the dispute escalated and they felt they were left with no alternative but to take action and hire solicitors.
The group, who have shelled out 1,500 so far in legal fees, insisted that all councillors needed to do to put a stop to their nightmare was add a clause in the sale contract binding the buyer to allow them access.
Last Tuesday they turned up at a meeting of Almondsbury Parish Council begging councillors to hear them out.
Mother-of-two Mrs Chaplain, 32, called on members one last time to agree to a compromise before a sale went ahead.
She said: "What grounds have you for not putting a clause in the contract when it is causing so much distress to residents? We would pay for it, you would not have to spend any money."
Her neighbour Mrs Stevenson, 29, added: "You are meant to represent the people of Almondsbury and be our voice. We have always had access to that lane. We have no front access to our homes. What are we supposed to do? We are all worried sick."
Chairman Cllr Diane Wilson cut them short, saying the matter was now in the hands of solicitors.
She said: "You have not got a legal right to use it. You have had access free gratis as long as I can remember. This council has never charged you a penny for the use of that lane. You can get to your properties. You are exaggerating."
South Gloucestershire Councillor for Almondsbury and former parish council chairman Sheila Cook said she was "appalled" at the members' behaviour.
She said: "I’m very supportive of the residents’ case and I’m disappointed that the parish council are refusing to engage with them, which is why residents feel that they have no alternative but to go down the legal route – a route that will cost both the residents and the parish council."
Along with the residents, she set up a petition demanding that the sale, which was held on Tuesday evening, April 10, be postponed.
Yet, despite collecting 89 signatures, the auction went ahead and the land and lane were sold off for 74,000.
2012年3月31日星期六
Journey of a CFO to Customer Experience Expert
At first glance many would assume that with a CFO background I wouldn’t have the right traits to be responsible for a customer experience management program. After all, customer experience is about people while finance is about numbers. Customer experience deals with emotions while finance involves facts. However, here I am today doing just that. I sit in front of customers and prospects weekly helping them answer the question, “I know it is right to invest in our customer experience, but how do I justify the economic value to my stakeholders?”
My financial background blended with my customer experience knowledge and helps me attribute specific value to their business problems. In my role I lead processes for:
Trends identified through reporting that can be applied to solve real business issues
Customer-focused, customer-lead benchmarks and measurements against goals with a definable, measurable ROI attached
Honest sales processes that practice what they preach and are not afraid to walk away from a situation if value cannot be delivered.
I am not saying it is easy. In a solution game where by its very definition we are focused on ‘soft dollar impacts’ like saving time, searching for information, finding what we need fast versus finding hard ROI examples and defining them credibly is a challenge. However, when you find that right situation—when the need is real, when the customer knows they have a need and believes in the measurement of improvement—it is then that you know you truly enjoy what you do and a ‘win-win’ isn’t just a cliché.
Most often the value of search-based success is in findability. Companies, especially companies that have annual revenues exceeding a billion per year, already have the answers—they simply cannot find them. The problem may be cultural more than technical; the very DNA of the organization is often a main reason the right answer can’t find their customer, but with the right technology in place, with the best practices-based processes around it, with good people focused at the target of improvement, findability can be turned from a liability into an asset.
In proving the value of finadability in a customer experience setting, a finance-based mind finds its playground. Attributes of what drives a company to succeed are everywhere in this Rubix cube of possibilities, such as:
Talking to the front lines that deal with the customer’s customer. What are their needs? How do you solve what they are looking for? What gets in your way to finding the right answers for them?
Measuring the impact of what that improvement may look like. What if you held them on the phone for an extra one minute to present an add-on upsell? What if the total time of the call reduced, even with this extra revenue opportunity?
Enabling a team to meet its goals, even beyond what they imagine can be done. Mobile access to real-time information about an account in the hands of a sales person as they walk into an appointment ensures fewer surprises—and maybe just one additional sale per year, per Rep—which has a game changing impact.
It isn’t hard for any executive to picture these improvements. The magic is when it is translated into bottom line impact, validated in conjunction with their teams, their customers, and their trusted internal advisors up front. When it’s followed-up on, vetted, measured, re-estimated, and then included in the budget for the following year based on quantifiable results, the magic heightens.
The intersection of finance-type metrics with explosive sales-based results is the intersection where value lives. This is the thing that excites any results-driven CFO and what led me to customer experience management and thus began my journey.
My financial background blended with my customer experience knowledge and helps me attribute specific value to their business problems. In my role I lead processes for:
Trends identified through reporting that can be applied to solve real business issues
Customer-focused, customer-lead benchmarks and measurements against goals with a definable, measurable ROI attached
Honest sales processes that practice what they preach and are not afraid to walk away from a situation if value cannot be delivered.
I am not saying it is easy. In a solution game where by its very definition we are focused on ‘soft dollar impacts’ like saving time, searching for information, finding what we need fast versus finding hard ROI examples and defining them credibly is a challenge. However, when you find that right situation—when the need is real, when the customer knows they have a need and believes in the measurement of improvement—it is then that you know you truly enjoy what you do and a ‘win-win’ isn’t just a cliché.
Most often the value of search-based success is in findability. Companies, especially companies that have annual revenues exceeding a billion per year, already have the answers—they simply cannot find them. The problem may be cultural more than technical; the very DNA of the organization is often a main reason the right answer can’t find their customer, but with the right technology in place, with the best practices-based processes around it, with good people focused at the target of improvement, findability can be turned from a liability into an asset.
In proving the value of finadability in a customer experience setting, a finance-based mind finds its playground. Attributes of what drives a company to succeed are everywhere in this Rubix cube of possibilities, such as:
Talking to the front lines that deal with the customer’s customer. What are their needs? How do you solve what they are looking for? What gets in your way to finding the right answers for them?
Measuring the impact of what that improvement may look like. What if you held them on the phone for an extra one minute to present an add-on upsell? What if the total time of the call reduced, even with this extra revenue opportunity?
Enabling a team to meet its goals, even beyond what they imagine can be done. Mobile access to real-time information about an account in the hands of a sales person as they walk into an appointment ensures fewer surprises—and maybe just one additional sale per year, per Rep—which has a game changing impact.
It isn’t hard for any executive to picture these improvements. The magic is when it is translated into bottom line impact, validated in conjunction with their teams, their customers, and their trusted internal advisors up front. When it’s followed-up on, vetted, measured, re-estimated, and then included in the budget for the following year based on quantifiable results, the magic heightens.
The intersection of finance-type metrics with explosive sales-based results is the intersection where value lives. This is the thing that excites any results-driven CFO and what led me to customer experience management and thus began my journey.
2012年3月30日星期五
Wegner Show a Must-See At Hifa
Be prepared for your world to literally be turned on its head in this amazing show. This innovative offering comes to the Harare International Festival of the Arts courtesy of Innscor and will grace the ZB Bank Reps Theatre.
The performance creates a world of boundless imagination where the limits of the physical world are totally disregarded leaving the audience deliciously confused.
Created by Tobias Wegner with the German ensemble Circle of Eleven, the show tells of the follies and forebearance of humankind in a world gone topsy-turvy. Leo, the character played by Wegner, is locked in a cube-like room where the force of gravity shifts his world 90 degrees.
The performance is presented in such a way that the audience see both Leo's live performance as well as the altered, gravity-defying appearance which is projected onto a screen.
Wegner says that the magic of this fantastical playground only works when his real physical relationship to the screen world is as clear as his relationship to the real world.
The show premiered at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe, winning three awards, including the Three Weeks Editors Award and the Carol Tanbor Best of Edinburgh Award.
The storyline succeeds, without any dialogue in having great emotional impact on the audience.
This is a must-see at Hifa this year as audiences watch Wegner explore his new and confusing world with deft physical adjustments and arduous balances.
For fans of this type of physical theatre, Hifa will this year offer a regular circus act by the name of Lady Cocktail free for those in the Festival's Royal Norwegian Embassy Global Quarter.
The performance creates a world of boundless imagination where the limits of the physical world are totally disregarded leaving the audience deliciously confused.
Created by Tobias Wegner with the German ensemble Circle of Eleven, the show tells of the follies and forebearance of humankind in a world gone topsy-turvy. Leo, the character played by Wegner, is locked in a cube-like room where the force of gravity shifts his world 90 degrees.
The performance is presented in such a way that the audience see both Leo's live performance as well as the altered, gravity-defying appearance which is projected onto a screen.
Wegner says that the magic of this fantastical playground only works when his real physical relationship to the screen world is as clear as his relationship to the real world.
The show premiered at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe, winning three awards, including the Three Weeks Editors Award and the Carol Tanbor Best of Edinburgh Award.
The storyline succeeds, without any dialogue in having great emotional impact on the audience.
This is a must-see at Hifa this year as audiences watch Wegner explore his new and confusing world with deft physical adjustments and arduous balances.
For fans of this type of physical theatre, Hifa will this year offer a regular circus act by the name of Lady Cocktail free for those in the Festival's Royal Norwegian Embassy Global Quarter.
2012年3月25日星期日
'Snow queen' Pippa's ski trek raises 12,000 to aid children
She proved herself more than a pretty behind by completing a 56-mile cross-country skiing course – now Pippa Middleton has revealed she and brother James raised 12,000 for charity.
The professional party planner sent a round-robin email to her friends after finishing her Swedish challenge in seven hours 13 minutes 36 seconds – and securing an impressive 412th place out of 15,800 racers
She wrote: ‘We made it! James and I just wanted to say a huge thank you for your incredible support for our cross-country ski challenge in Sweden.
‘We are truly grateful and appreciate the kindness and generosity you have all shown.
'It was one of the best sporting adventures we have both participated in and we couldn’t have enjoyed it more.’
Entrepreneur James, 23, finished 26 minutes ahead of Pippa as they raised money for the Magic Breakfast charity, which provides free breakfasts to poverty-stricken children.
Pippa, 28, pictured left in the event, also told how eating a breakfast of porridge helped them complete the race.
‘Incidentally, it was porridge that morning at 6am that helped us make it to the finish line so we couldn’t be bigger fans of a hearty breakfast!’ she said.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s younger siblings are now keen to sponsor friends in similar events. ‘Thank you so much again and please let us know if any of you are doing any charity challenges in the future – we would love to support you,’ Pippa added.
Singer Bryan Ferry has finally chosen a belated wedding gift for his new wife Amanda Sheppard – some pop art.
‘Bryan took Amanda to Gilbert and George’s London Pictures exhibition at the White Cube gallery in Bermondsey, South London,’ says a friend.
‘They met the artists and congratulated them on the show and Amanda set her heart on one of the small pictures which cost 40,000. Bryan didn’t buy it then, but promised that a London picture would take pride of place in their home soon. He’s really been spoiling her since their wedding.’
Bryan, 66, and Amanda, 29, wed in a secret ceremony in January on the Turks and Caicos Islands.
As the first anniversary of William and Kate’s wedding approaches, the Middletons’ online party business has recruited a ‘Wedding Fairy’ to help make everyone’s big day as magical.
The Party Pieces website, run by Kate’s mother Carole, now offers a host of ‘wedding theme ideas and inspiration’.
Suggestions include investing in ‘an individual mood board’ – something the Duchess of Cambridge found helpful while planning her nuptials.
And just to make sure all bases are covered, Party Pieces adds that ‘Cool Britannia styling is bang-on trend and great fun with the Diamond Jubilee just around the corner’.
The professional party planner sent a round-robin email to her friends after finishing her Swedish challenge in seven hours 13 minutes 36 seconds – and securing an impressive 412th place out of 15,800 racers
She wrote: ‘We made it! James and I just wanted to say a huge thank you for your incredible support for our cross-country ski challenge in Sweden.
‘We are truly grateful and appreciate the kindness and generosity you have all shown.
'It was one of the best sporting adventures we have both participated in and we couldn’t have enjoyed it more.’
Entrepreneur James, 23, finished 26 minutes ahead of Pippa as they raised money for the Magic Breakfast charity, which provides free breakfasts to poverty-stricken children.
Pippa, 28, pictured left in the event, also told how eating a breakfast of porridge helped them complete the race.
‘Incidentally, it was porridge that morning at 6am that helped us make it to the finish line so we couldn’t be bigger fans of a hearty breakfast!’ she said.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s younger siblings are now keen to sponsor friends in similar events. ‘Thank you so much again and please let us know if any of you are doing any charity challenges in the future – we would love to support you,’ Pippa added.
Singer Bryan Ferry has finally chosen a belated wedding gift for his new wife Amanda Sheppard – some pop art.
‘Bryan took Amanda to Gilbert and George’s London Pictures exhibition at the White Cube gallery in Bermondsey, South London,’ says a friend.
‘They met the artists and congratulated them on the show and Amanda set her heart on one of the small pictures which cost 40,000. Bryan didn’t buy it then, but promised that a London picture would take pride of place in their home soon. He’s really been spoiling her since their wedding.’
Bryan, 66, and Amanda, 29, wed in a secret ceremony in January on the Turks and Caicos Islands.
As the first anniversary of William and Kate’s wedding approaches, the Middletons’ online party business has recruited a ‘Wedding Fairy’ to help make everyone’s big day as magical.
The Party Pieces website, run by Kate’s mother Carole, now offers a host of ‘wedding theme ideas and inspiration’.
Suggestions include investing in ‘an individual mood board’ – something the Duchess of Cambridge found helpful while planning her nuptials.
And just to make sure all bases are covered, Party Pieces adds that ‘Cool Britannia styling is bang-on trend and great fun with the Diamond Jubilee just around the corner’.
2012年3月14日星期三
The Gathering casts a spell on UNL students
Ryan Hildreth put down the cards because he couldn’t afford them. But only a few years later, the freshman general studies major found himself addicted again.
Magic: The Gathering, created in 1993, was one of the first collectible trading card games.
And now it’s making a comeback.
In 2011, there were approximately 12 million players, including students at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Hildreth was originally brought back into the world of Magic by his sister. He played Magic while growing up but has been on break from the game for the past four years.
“I quit because it’s a money trap,” Hildreth said. “Then I sat down with (my sister) and all of her friends and I remembered how fun it is.”
Every Tuesday night at 6 p.m. a group made up of mostly UNL students gather in the Nebraska Union to play the card game.
Each game of Magic is a battle between wizards called planeswalkers. Two or more players try to reduce their opponents to a score of zero by dealing the designated Magic cards that cause damage, or loss of points, to other players.
Students began playing Magic together about five years ago in the 501 Building off Stadium Drive. The gamers said they moved to their current location two years ago in hopes of a higher attendance rate.
“It turns out there’s lots of Magic players here (at the Union),” said Elliot Campbell, an economics graduate student said.
According to Campbell attendance peaks between 14 to 16 people some Tuesday nights. With this increase in numbers, Campbell found a way to adapt Magic to larger groups. He took the concept of the card game Bang, based on the wild-west, and applied it to Magic.
“There’s one person that everyone knows who they are,” Campbell said. “Then there are a bunch of hidden roles and they have different objectives. It adds a layer of social games like Werewolf or Mafia to Magic.”
With this change, he has fixed a couple of problems with the multiplayer version of Magic.
“It’s possible to lose early and you’re just sitting there doing nothing,” Campbell said. “In this variant you’re in teams so if you lost, you might still be interested in the game because your teammates are still playing.”
With this different style of Magic, the group can play three or more games between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., according to Campbell.
“I think it’s interesting enough where it keeps people coming back,” Campbell said.
Many of the regular Magic players at the Union had heard of the group from someone they knew. Mauricio Lang, a senior economics major, was invited into the group by one of his friends when Magic was still being played in the 501 Building.
“I started playing Magic with them and when they moved up to the Union, I moved too,” Lang said.
Hildreth also introduced at least three more friends to Magic, one who had never played before. Members said those who don’t know how to play but are interested are welcome to join.
“There are people that bring decks to share so you don’t have to have your own Magic cards to play,” Campbell said. “We have a thing called a cube. Someone has made a mini set of Magic that you can build deck out of.”
Campbell, Hildreth and Lang all say they play Magic simply because they enjoy the game.
“Magic is a way for me and my friends to hang out,” Hildreth said, “and it’s fun.”
Magic: The Gathering, created in 1993, was one of the first collectible trading card games.
And now it’s making a comeback.
In 2011, there were approximately 12 million players, including students at University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Hildreth was originally brought back into the world of Magic by his sister. He played Magic while growing up but has been on break from the game for the past four years.
“I quit because it’s a money trap,” Hildreth said. “Then I sat down with (my sister) and all of her friends and I remembered how fun it is.”
Every Tuesday night at 6 p.m. a group made up of mostly UNL students gather in the Nebraska Union to play the card game.
Each game of Magic is a battle between wizards called planeswalkers. Two or more players try to reduce their opponents to a score of zero by dealing the designated Magic cards that cause damage, or loss of points, to other players.
Students began playing Magic together about five years ago in the 501 Building off Stadium Drive. The gamers said they moved to their current location two years ago in hopes of a higher attendance rate.
“It turns out there’s lots of Magic players here (at the Union),” said Elliot Campbell, an economics graduate student said.
According to Campbell attendance peaks between 14 to 16 people some Tuesday nights. With this increase in numbers, Campbell found a way to adapt Magic to larger groups. He took the concept of the card game Bang, based on the wild-west, and applied it to Magic.
“There’s one person that everyone knows who they are,” Campbell said. “Then there are a bunch of hidden roles and they have different objectives. It adds a layer of social games like Werewolf or Mafia to Magic.”
With this change, he has fixed a couple of problems with the multiplayer version of Magic.
“It’s possible to lose early and you’re just sitting there doing nothing,” Campbell said. “In this variant you’re in teams so if you lost, you might still be interested in the game because your teammates are still playing.”
With this different style of Magic, the group can play three or more games between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., according to Campbell.
“I think it’s interesting enough where it keeps people coming back,” Campbell said.
Many of the regular Magic players at the Union had heard of the group from someone they knew. Mauricio Lang, a senior economics major, was invited into the group by one of his friends when Magic was still being played in the 501 Building.
“I started playing Magic with them and when they moved up to the Union, I moved too,” Lang said.
Hildreth also introduced at least three more friends to Magic, one who had never played before. Members said those who don’t know how to play but are interested are welcome to join.
“There are people that bring decks to share so you don’t have to have your own Magic cards to play,” Campbell said. “We have a thing called a cube. Someone has made a mini set of Magic that you can build deck out of.”
Campbell, Hildreth and Lang all say they play Magic simply because they enjoy the game.
“Magic is a way for me and my friends to hang out,” Hildreth said, “and it’s fun.”
2012年3月5日星期一
21 Jump Street
Hill, who pitched the pic's producers on attempting "21 Jump Street" as an action-comedy, was 23 when he shot "Superbad," and already he looked too old to pass as a high schooler. Now 28, the star has shed his baby fat and appears undeniably adult. Pair him with Tatum, 31, and there's no way teens would mistake the duo as two of their own -- a paradox that sets the tone for the film's patently absurdist approach, which uses our willing acceptance of ridiculous genre conventions as a clothesline on which to hang its ruthlessly immature sense of humor.
High school was hell for Schmidt , a book-smart outcast with braces and a bad Eminem-style dye job. Jocks like Jenko had it relatively easy, though both were forced to sit out prom. That's why their first big assignment after graduating from police academy -- to infiltrate a high-school drug ring -- feels less like punishment than a chance for a "do-over." Older and wiser, the mismatched partners plan to apply the lessons learned the first time around to the case, only to discover that things have changed since they were in school.
Now, tolerance is cool, bullying is uncouth, and the popular kids all look like well-coiffed extras from the Disney Channel. "I totally know the cause: 'Glee,'" sneers Tatum, who hasn't looked this comfortable onscreen since "Step Up," embracing the awkwardness as he attempts to blend in with the science nerds, while Hill's character fumbles his way through flirting with a student suspect .
The operative idea here is that two guys who would have been rivals in high school have to buddy up to make it as cops. But instead of complementing one another, brainy Schmidt and brawny Jenko merely bring each other down, botching their first arrest attempt. After that debacle, the duo are reassigned to a canceled undercover project from the '80s overseen by a surly captain . "All they do now is recycle shit from the past and expect us not to notice," quips their chief , in a line that hints at just how little respect the script, by "Project X" scribe Michael Bacall, shows its source.
Most of the humor concerns how inappropriate the language, behavior and attitudes are for the high-school setting, especially coming from grown men expected to act as role models: When it comes time to earn the drug dealers' trust, they steal weed from the evidence lockup and throw the ultimate high-school party. These two may not look like teens, but they sure as heck don't behave like cops.
Given the cartoonish way co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller approach the premise, it should come as no surprise that the two got their start in animation. Together, they made the disaster-movie spoof "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," and they apply that same wink-wink sensibility to their live-action debut. Such a flip attitude serves the comedy well , but belies just how insincerely everyone involved feels toward the story's emotional core.
Maybe those raised on a diet of "Family Guy" don't require the courtesy of a script that cares about its main characters, but why bother packaging the story as a male-bonding experience if the plan is merely to undermine it with vulgarities and homophobia? Where "Superbad" set the standard for mixing high-school sentimentality with gross-out humor, this lesser effort seems content redefining audiences' idea of "dirty cops."
Bringing composer Mark Mothersbaugh along for the high-energy assignment, the helmers make slick use of their new live-action collaborators. Considering that hardly anyone was asking for a "21 Jump Street" reboot, they've put their own playful stamp on it -- which just goes to show what happens when a bunch of pot-positive cut-ups get their hands on a relic of Reagan-era anti-drug hysteria.
High school was hell for Schmidt , a book-smart outcast with braces and a bad Eminem-style dye job. Jocks like Jenko had it relatively easy, though both were forced to sit out prom. That's why their first big assignment after graduating from police academy -- to infiltrate a high-school drug ring -- feels less like punishment than a chance for a "do-over." Older and wiser, the mismatched partners plan to apply the lessons learned the first time around to the case, only to discover that things have changed since they were in school.
Now, tolerance is cool, bullying is uncouth, and the popular kids all look like well-coiffed extras from the Disney Channel. "I totally know the cause: 'Glee,'" sneers Tatum, who hasn't looked this comfortable onscreen since "Step Up," embracing the awkwardness as he attempts to blend in with the science nerds, while Hill's character fumbles his way through flirting with a student suspect .
The operative idea here is that two guys who would have been rivals in high school have to buddy up to make it as cops. But instead of complementing one another, brainy Schmidt and brawny Jenko merely bring each other down, botching their first arrest attempt. After that debacle, the duo are reassigned to a canceled undercover project from the '80s overseen by a surly captain . "All they do now is recycle shit from the past and expect us not to notice," quips their chief , in a line that hints at just how little respect the script, by "Project X" scribe Michael Bacall, shows its source.
Most of the humor concerns how inappropriate the language, behavior and attitudes are for the high-school setting, especially coming from grown men expected to act as role models: When it comes time to earn the drug dealers' trust, they steal weed from the evidence lockup and throw the ultimate high-school party. These two may not look like teens, but they sure as heck don't behave like cops.
Given the cartoonish way co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller approach the premise, it should come as no surprise that the two got their start in animation. Together, they made the disaster-movie spoof "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," and they apply that same wink-wink sensibility to their live-action debut. Such a flip attitude serves the comedy well , but belies just how insincerely everyone involved feels toward the story's emotional core.
Maybe those raised on a diet of "Family Guy" don't require the courtesy of a script that cares about its main characters, but why bother packaging the story as a male-bonding experience if the plan is merely to undermine it with vulgarities and homophobia? Where "Superbad" set the standard for mixing high-school sentimentality with gross-out humor, this lesser effort seems content redefining audiences' idea of "dirty cops."
Bringing composer Mark Mothersbaugh along for the high-energy assignment, the helmers make slick use of their new live-action collaborators. Considering that hardly anyone was asking for a "21 Jump Street" reboot, they've put their own playful stamp on it -- which just goes to show what happens when a bunch of pot-positive cut-ups get their hands on a relic of Reagan-era anti-drug hysteria.
2012年2月20日星期一
Ghibli creates animated magic in ‘Secret World of Arrietty’
In Japan, Studio Ghibli plays a role akin to Disney's place in American culture. Its wonderfully inventive films are celebrated as classics, with 2002's "Spirited Away" out-grossing "Titanic" to become the most successful movie in Japanese history.
As Ghibli's cofounder Hayao Miyazaki nears retirement age, however, the question looms of who will carry on the studio's legacy. In light of this, Ghibli's new film "The Secret World of Arrietty" can be seen as a test run for first-time director Hiromasa Yonebayashi. Fortunately, it's a test he passes with flying colors.
The film follows Arrietty, a 14-year-old - and 4-inch-tall - girl from a family of borrowers who live underneath the floorboards of humans' homes, taking only necessities that won't be missed. As Arrietty begins to embark on her own borrowing expeditions, she is spotted by a sickly boy awaiting heart surgery, and her family must decide whether to trust the big people or move on to a new home.
It's a simple story, but Yonebayashi has stretched this tale to its absolute limits, cramming more beauty and wonder into the film's 94 minutes than you'd think possible, considering that the entire film takes place within a single house. The art is downright gorgeous, and the attention to detail is breathtaking - in one scene, Arrietty stands behind a leaf of ivy, and you can see each of the tiny veins that run through the plant's translucent surface. The film transitions seamlessly between the humans' and the borrowers' view of a room, the latter of which casts a kitchen as an epic canyon that the borrowers must traverse in pursuit of a sugar cube. All the while, Cecile Corbel's lovely score gives the film a feel distinct from previous Studio Ghibli movies, yet no less magical.
All of these elements lead to a fantastic viewing experience, but what sets Ghibli movies apart is their heart, and "Arrietty" definitely has it. You'll find yourself immersed in an enchanting world for the length of the movie, genuinely concerned over not only Arrietty's plight, but also that of the ailing human she encounters.
Looking forward, it seems the future of Studio Ghibli is in good hands, because "Arrietty" isn't simply a magnificent work of animation, it's one of the best films - animated or otherwise - you'll see all year.
As Ghibli's cofounder Hayao Miyazaki nears retirement age, however, the question looms of who will carry on the studio's legacy. In light of this, Ghibli's new film "The Secret World of Arrietty" can be seen as a test run for first-time director Hiromasa Yonebayashi. Fortunately, it's a test he passes with flying colors.
The film follows Arrietty, a 14-year-old - and 4-inch-tall - girl from a family of borrowers who live underneath the floorboards of humans' homes, taking only necessities that won't be missed. As Arrietty begins to embark on her own borrowing expeditions, she is spotted by a sickly boy awaiting heart surgery, and her family must decide whether to trust the big people or move on to a new home.
It's a simple story, but Yonebayashi has stretched this tale to its absolute limits, cramming more beauty and wonder into the film's 94 minutes than you'd think possible, considering that the entire film takes place within a single house. The art is downright gorgeous, and the attention to detail is breathtaking - in one scene, Arrietty stands behind a leaf of ivy, and you can see each of the tiny veins that run through the plant's translucent surface. The film transitions seamlessly between the humans' and the borrowers' view of a room, the latter of which casts a kitchen as an epic canyon that the borrowers must traverse in pursuit of a sugar cube. All the while, Cecile Corbel's lovely score gives the film a feel distinct from previous Studio Ghibli movies, yet no less magical.
All of these elements lead to a fantastic viewing experience, but what sets Ghibli movies apart is their heart, and "Arrietty" definitely has it. You'll find yourself immersed in an enchanting world for the length of the movie, genuinely concerned over not only Arrietty's plight, but also that of the ailing human she encounters.
Looking forward, it seems the future of Studio Ghibli is in good hands, because "Arrietty" isn't simply a magnificent work of animation, it's one of the best films - animated or otherwise - you'll see all year.
2012年1月30日星期一
Moneyball, Heartburn, E-Books
There are events and activities scheduled nearly every day at Bayport-Blue Point and Sayville libraries; kids, teens, adults and families can participate in a variety of fun workshops for a small fee. Registration required for some events. For more information, click here or here . See what's happening this week at our local libraries.
The Cubby Corner is a place for children to come and enjoy stories. This event is virtual but parents can check out some of the book selections from Bayport-Blue Point Public Library.
Moneyball is B-BP Library's feature for the Jan. 30 Monday Film Series. Brad Pitt, Robin Wright and Jonah Hill star in this 133-minute movie showing at 1 p.m.
Parent's Advisory meeting at B-BP Library Jan. 30, 4 p.m. Science, puppet shows, magic shows, music, crafts, cooking, animals, outdoor programs and more. This is your chance to stop in, discuss and make suggestions about the types of children’s programs you would like to have at the library.
Head to B-BP Library at 7 p.m. for the new monthly book club. Join other readers us for a lively discussion.
Jan. 30 at 7 p.m., Sayville Library hosts Stony Brook University Medical Center gastroenterologists Gina Sam, MD, Director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Center and Satish Nagula, MD, Director of Endoscopy for The “Burning” Question: Is it Heartburn or Something More? The doctors will help shed light on the differences between heartburn, gastro esophageal reflux disease , Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer. The advanced technology that is able to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients will be explained. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation.
Kids grades 6-12, join your peers at B-BP Library for an evening of painting with acrylics as you paint an acrylic textured winter beach scene Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m. Remember you will be painting, wear appropriate clothing. The library will supply all the materials.
Advanced Battle of the Books for grades 9 and up is held weekly on Wednesdays at Sayville Library. Participate in a reading competition against other Suffolk County Libraries: Read a group of books and show off your knowledge as part of the Sayville Library team. Books will be announced and handed out at the first meeting.
Learn a very old stitch called Herringbone to create a very current wide cuff bracelet at Sayville Library, Feb. 1, 6:30 p.m. Using high-quality TOHO cube beads you will create a wide cuff bracelet that is beautiful to wear and feels like fabric on your wrist. In this class you need bring nothing--all will be supplied by instructor. Beads, thread, needles, and clasp.
Learn how to make a faux pearl necklace at B-BP Library Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. Jewelry making diva Jackie Dunn returns to show you how to make this elegant necklace. You’ll get a range of bead and color options to ensure your piece is unique. Fee: $5 payable by check only.
The workshop, Creating A Positive Future for Your Child With Special Needs, is scheduled for Feb. 2 at 7 p.m., Sayville Library. The workshop will introduce the different aspects that need to be considered in developing a life care plan for achieving the best quality of life in every area for your child with special needs. The program will touch on topics including planning school transitions, preventing the loss of government benefits, supplemental needs trusts, financial planning, guardianships and more.
The Cubby Corner is a place for children to come and enjoy stories. This event is virtual but parents can check out some of the book selections from Bayport-Blue Point Public Library.
Moneyball is B-BP Library's feature for the Jan. 30 Monday Film Series. Brad Pitt, Robin Wright and Jonah Hill star in this 133-minute movie showing at 1 p.m.
Parent's Advisory meeting at B-BP Library Jan. 30, 4 p.m. Science, puppet shows, magic shows, music, crafts, cooking, animals, outdoor programs and more. This is your chance to stop in, discuss and make suggestions about the types of children’s programs you would like to have at the library.
Head to B-BP Library at 7 p.m. for the new monthly book club. Join other readers us for a lively discussion.
Jan. 30 at 7 p.m., Sayville Library hosts Stony Brook University Medical Center gastroenterologists Gina Sam, MD, Director of the Gastrointestinal Motility Center and Satish Nagula, MD, Director of Endoscopy for The “Burning” Question: Is it Heartburn or Something More? The doctors will help shed light on the differences between heartburn, gastro esophageal reflux disease , Barrett’s esophagus and esophageal cancer. The advanced technology that is able to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients will be explained. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation.
Kids grades 6-12, join your peers at B-BP Library for an evening of painting with acrylics as you paint an acrylic textured winter beach scene Jan. 30 at 6:30 p.m. Remember you will be painting, wear appropriate clothing. The library will supply all the materials.
Advanced Battle of the Books for grades 9 and up is held weekly on Wednesdays at Sayville Library. Participate in a reading competition against other Suffolk County Libraries: Read a group of books and show off your knowledge as part of the Sayville Library team. Books will be announced and handed out at the first meeting.
Learn a very old stitch called Herringbone to create a very current wide cuff bracelet at Sayville Library, Feb. 1, 6:30 p.m. Using high-quality TOHO cube beads you will create a wide cuff bracelet that is beautiful to wear and feels like fabric on your wrist. In this class you need bring nothing--all will be supplied by instructor. Beads, thread, needles, and clasp.
Learn how to make a faux pearl necklace at B-BP Library Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. Jewelry making diva Jackie Dunn returns to show you how to make this elegant necklace. You’ll get a range of bead and color options to ensure your piece is unique. Fee: $5 payable by check only.
The workshop, Creating A Positive Future for Your Child With Special Needs, is scheduled for Feb. 2 at 7 p.m., Sayville Library. The workshop will introduce the different aspects that need to be considered in developing a life care plan for achieving the best quality of life in every area for your child with special needs. The program will touch on topics including planning school transitions, preventing the loss of government benefits, supplemental needs trusts, financial planning, guardianships and more.
2012年1月16日星期一
THIS TOO SHALL PASS: “The Impatient Patient ”
I hurt my lower back at work on New Year's Eve preventing two patients from falling. On suggestion by my supervisor, I have made an appointment at the occupational therapy clinic at the local hospital for today, as the condition is not as better by now as it should be. I will not be going to work tonight which is good for my back but not for my mind.
My job is enjoyable, and my coworkers fun. I will be stuck at home not even able to do housework which involves lifting anything beyond standing in one place.
One can never push the “pause” button in life, so it just keeps on going, and these days faster than ever! I am remembering all the times I have said, “I wish I could just sit and read a book once in a while!”
I will be much more careful what I wish for in the future! Of course, I say that now.
Caretakers usually make very bad patients. We are supposed to take care of others, not the reverse! I detest asking anyone to do anything for me, and I only ask if it's something I am not able to do myself. Just the other day I asked Tim to show me he checks transmission fluid so that I can keep an eye on it myself in the future. I like being as self sufficient as possible, and have been since I was a little girl.
All I can see around me as I let my gaze take in the living room and part of the kitchen from here at the computer, are the things I left undone last week, which I dearly wish I had made time to finish then! Perhaps I need one of those fuzzy sleep blindfolds to make it all just disappear for a while?
I am also worrying about how my absence at work tonight will affect my coworkers who are already stretched to the limit by the many needs of our many patients. I hope this works out to give someone a little overtime!
It is 8:26 tonight after the appointment. A very nice Nurse Practitioner diagnosed my problem as “unspecified back disorders, Piriformis Strain”. Say what? Another term for pulled muscle...
I have a physical therapy intake on Monday afternoon to plan the strategy of relaxing the ornery muscle. WHEN will the actual therapy begin? The muscle will be fine sooner than all the paperwork is done!
In the past, we all who are caretakers, have had a pulled muscle, a sore shoulder, painful feet, scratches and even bites! Ours is not an easy job, but it's a very rewarding one, just not for the faint of heart.
It's good that there are places to go to for help with such things as pulled muscles. The Nurse told me to fill a water bottle half way and freeze it and sit on it, and roll around on it which will help the muscle to release. Chiropractors do adjustments to make a muscle spasm release, and usually it is possible to use an ice cube to freeze each end of a cramped muscle to make it release, but the muscle giving me trouble is apparently a large one deep in the area which has many connections which make it hard to use an ice cube. The frozen water bottle appears to be working just fine as I sit on it whilst typing.
Since I work part time, I will have used up my few vacation hours after Monday. It's amazing good luck that this is my weekend off. I can only imagine the horror of this situation for my coworkers who have small children to support and health insurance to pay for. This event is making me wonder if I should get one of those Aflak ducks we see on TV who come and hand us cash when we are out of work through injury! I always did like ducks...
I find all my focus is right there under the water bottle and the momentary chaos it has all caused. AGH! How easily the mind wraps itself around things. Even when I walk, I am conscious of moving in as normal a way as I can so as not to throw my left side off through over compensation of favoring the sore right side.
As the world turned last night, and God knows what was going on s far as wars, killings, fires, newly discovered germs to worry about, I have been blissfully just thinking about my muscle. We humans are odd indeed. If I was a cat or dog, I would just be curled up as comfy as possible, asleep right now allowing my human companion all the stress!
This is a good time to say the affirmation, “Every day in every way, I'm getting better and better!” I can say it truthfully too as the water bottle works it's magic.
Lat might I took a break from focusing on me and my problem to say some prayers and send Reiki to a growing list or prayer requests.
There is a little local girl named Zoe who is 2 months old, who is in a Boston hospital fighting for her life right now, and many others who are having genuine concerns.
My job is enjoyable, and my coworkers fun. I will be stuck at home not even able to do housework which involves lifting anything beyond standing in one place.
One can never push the “pause” button in life, so it just keeps on going, and these days faster than ever! I am remembering all the times I have said, “I wish I could just sit and read a book once in a while!”
I will be much more careful what I wish for in the future! Of course, I say that now.
Caretakers usually make very bad patients. We are supposed to take care of others, not the reverse! I detest asking anyone to do anything for me, and I only ask if it's something I am not able to do myself. Just the other day I asked Tim to show me he checks transmission fluid so that I can keep an eye on it myself in the future. I like being as self sufficient as possible, and have been since I was a little girl.
All I can see around me as I let my gaze take in the living room and part of the kitchen from here at the computer, are the things I left undone last week, which I dearly wish I had made time to finish then! Perhaps I need one of those fuzzy sleep blindfolds to make it all just disappear for a while?
I am also worrying about how my absence at work tonight will affect my coworkers who are already stretched to the limit by the many needs of our many patients. I hope this works out to give someone a little overtime!
It is 8:26 tonight after the appointment. A very nice Nurse Practitioner diagnosed my problem as “unspecified back disorders, Piriformis Strain”. Say what? Another term for pulled muscle...
I have a physical therapy intake on Monday afternoon to plan the strategy of relaxing the ornery muscle. WHEN will the actual therapy begin? The muscle will be fine sooner than all the paperwork is done!
In the past, we all who are caretakers, have had a pulled muscle, a sore shoulder, painful feet, scratches and even bites! Ours is not an easy job, but it's a very rewarding one, just not for the faint of heart.
It's good that there are places to go to for help with such things as pulled muscles. The Nurse told me to fill a water bottle half way and freeze it and sit on it, and roll around on it which will help the muscle to release. Chiropractors do adjustments to make a muscle spasm release, and usually it is possible to use an ice cube to freeze each end of a cramped muscle to make it release, but the muscle giving me trouble is apparently a large one deep in the area which has many connections which make it hard to use an ice cube. The frozen water bottle appears to be working just fine as I sit on it whilst typing.
Since I work part time, I will have used up my few vacation hours after Monday. It's amazing good luck that this is my weekend off. I can only imagine the horror of this situation for my coworkers who have small children to support and health insurance to pay for. This event is making me wonder if I should get one of those Aflak ducks we see on TV who come and hand us cash when we are out of work through injury! I always did like ducks...
I find all my focus is right there under the water bottle and the momentary chaos it has all caused. AGH! How easily the mind wraps itself around things. Even when I walk, I am conscious of moving in as normal a way as I can so as not to throw my left side off through over compensation of favoring the sore right side.
As the world turned last night, and God knows what was going on s far as wars, killings, fires, newly discovered germs to worry about, I have been blissfully just thinking about my muscle. We humans are odd indeed. If I was a cat or dog, I would just be curled up as comfy as possible, asleep right now allowing my human companion all the stress!
This is a good time to say the affirmation, “Every day in every way, I'm getting better and better!” I can say it truthfully too as the water bottle works it's magic.
Lat might I took a break from focusing on me and my problem to say some prayers and send Reiki to a growing list or prayer requests.
There is a little local girl named Zoe who is 2 months old, who is in a Boston hospital fighting for her life right now, and many others who are having genuine concerns.
2012年1月8日星期日
Where the heavyweights of ice carving indulge in fantasy
Curiously, Craig McConnell’s oversized checked luggage raises no alarm among airport security personnel, even though it contains chainsaws, chisels, angle grinders, blow torches, household irons, and die grinders with all sorts of bits and burrs. Maybe the handwritten note inside helps: "These are my tools for ice carving. Please be careful - some of them are sharp. I am traveling to Lake Louise, Alberta, for an ice-carving competition."
Every January, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, one of Canada’s grand old railway hotels, hosts the Ice Magic International Ice Carving Competition, where a dozen two-person teams gather on the frozen shores of Lake Louise to create fantastic sculptures. Each team has 34 hours to shape 15 massive blocks of ice into a soaring sculpture related to a specific theme. Last year’s "Magical Madness" theme inspired artists to produce fanciful renderings of sorcerers, dragons, and mythical gods. This year’s more conceptual theme, "WordPlay: Where language comes out to play," will bring storytelling alive in the form of pirates, a fairy, and other elaborately carved structures. The competition runs Jan. 20-22 as part of the Ice Magic Festival.
"It’s really a wonderful medium to express yourself and be creative," says Norm Flann, a carver from the Canadian team Crushed Ice. "Ice is soft and the tools you use let you carve it so easily, unlike stone."
Each giant "ice cube" weighs 300 pounds, meaning the work can be physically grueling.
"We’ll help each other lift blocks and everyone will work together," says McConnell, a former chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common, and now owner of Images in Ice, a Brockton-based ice-carving business. McConnell and his partner, Gene Shea, met five years ago at a Faneuil Hall competition, and they have been doing the Lake Louise event together ever since. "Last year, we helped one of the teams lift a mushroom cap that was made out of a full block of ice. We showed them a trick for lifting it using tie-down straps that we wrapped around the ice."
Ice carving at Lake Louise dates to 1994, when the Fairmont’s chef and culinary friends pulled blocks of ice from the lake and carved them into sculptures for fun, according to Micaela Zagozewski, event manager for the Ice Magic Festival. "The event has grown ever since."
Now, more than 7,000 people attend each year. Visitors can watch some of the world’s top ice carvers at work, and ask them questions throughout the competition. This year’s participants will have traveled from the Netherlands, Britain, Russia, the United States, and Canada.
The carvers also come from remarkably different backgrounds: One used to work as executive chef at The Fairmont Empress, a renowned high-end hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. Another works as a mail carrier in rural Washington State, and has competed in ice-carving events at the Winter Olympics in Turin, Nagano, and Salt Lake City. And another, Ben Rand of Casco, Maine, helps run an ice-carving business in West Palm Beach, Fla., of all places, producing upward of 1,000 sculptures a year for local restaurants and businesses. Rand trained as a five-star classic chef and then became a full-time ice carver. He and his carving partner, Scott Harrison, won first place in last year’s Ice Magic event for their Harry Potter entry.
Two of the 24 entrants are women, one of whom is Stephanie Quayle from the United Kingdom.
"In terms of male-female ratios, there’s definitely a big hairy man bias," says Quayle, who teams up with her fiance, Darren Jackson. "I suppose it’s only natural, due to the nature of the work and the temperatures we have to endure, but I like to think we girls can do it just as well - we just need a lot more hot chocolate to keep us going."
Competitors cannot use gas chain saws or lathes, and they may only work from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
"I’ve never competed when I didn’t carve until the last second," says Jeff Bleier, a former carver who now runs a restaurant in Rochester, and helps judge the Lake Louise competition. "I’ve been 6 feet up on a ladder putting on the last piece with three seconds to go."
Teams must use all the ice they are allotted, and cannot supplement with natural snow or other materials - no props, decorations, or coloring of ice - though they may use water. The entries must be carved on all sides.
The first day, carvers organize and stack their hefty ice blocks. Many attach enlarged templates, much like a seamstress’s pattern, onto the blocks to ensure that they use all the ice and don’t waste anything, and so they can labor away without having to stop and calculate measurements. Then they fire up chainsaws and start carving.
"The most important thing about ice sculpture is that you have to create a piece with a strong silhouette or outline," says Rand. "It’s difficult to see things that overlap each other in ice, so instead of folded arms, you want to have arms that are spread apart. This also helps the sculpture appear more fluid and dynamic."
The creations must measure at least 7 feet tall, but no more than 13 1/2 feet, in order to create a challenge for artists while keeping the competition zone safe. Small chisels and drills create more intricate patterns that resemble fish scales, hieroglyphics, or razor-sharp claws.
On day two, each team sends someone down the hill to the Village of Lake Louise to participate in the One Carver, One Hour, One Block event. Each artist can create anything he or she wants from one 300-pound block of ice during this speed-carving competition.
"One is like a marathon, the other is like a sprint," says Rand. "They’re just two different ways to approach the ice."
The festival also includes ice-carving demonstrations by lead judge Dan Rebholtz, a judges’ "carve-off" at the Lake Louise Ski Area, horse-drawn wagon rides around the lake, and ice skating with a fabulous view (weather permitting) of the Victoria Glacier.
As the hourglass empties up at Lake Louise, carvers put on the final touches: They use hairdryers and blow torches to put a polished shine on certain areas of their sculptures, and they clean up their work stations.
Works are judged on their level of complexity and overall creative intent, and how well carvers used the ice and their tools. Carvers get points for hiding seams, and for creating sculptures that appear more three dimensional and that stretch the boundaries of what ice can do, such as creating something that looks like it may fall over but is so masterfully engineered that it won’t.
"We’ll often put supports [made of ice] underneath the pieces that hang out, so the vibration from carving the rest of the sculpture doesn’t destroy them," Rand explains. "With the Harry Potter sculpture we did last year, we had at least 1,000 to 1,500 pounds supported on a 7-inch circle, which was the dog’s right paw. The whole thing had a temporary support. In the last 15 minutes, you start cutting those supports out and the sculpture either survives or it crashes. It can be pretty nerve-racking."
Judges award third, second, and first prize, with a $1,000 to $3,000 purse. And sculptures can win the People’s Choice, Carver’s Choice, and Children’s Choice awards, with $500 or $1,000 in cash prizes.
This year, Ice Magic extends to the following weekend, Jan. 28-29, with family-oriented events. You can take a look at the finished creations from the previous weekend, and then attend the Little Chippers Festival, where children of any age can try their hands at ice carving. A new ice playground features ice miniature golf, an ice tunnel, and an ice slide. You can also watch a professional 10-block ice-carving event, or go skating on Lake Louise with the ice queen - all free events.
McConnell and Shea plan to fly their oversized bags up north and compete again this year. Just look for the intricately carved arch, the pirates, and the daring and creative twist on Pandora’s box.
"Sometimes carvers stop where it’s safe, when they could have taken their work further and created a more dynamic and lifelike piece," says McConnell. "You can’t do that in competition. It’s like when you’re skiing and your tips go over the edge and you’re looking down some crazy slope. The more you think, the more you’re going to get into trouble. I always say to myself: Forget it. Just do it."
Every January, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, one of Canada’s grand old railway hotels, hosts the Ice Magic International Ice Carving Competition, where a dozen two-person teams gather on the frozen shores of Lake Louise to create fantastic sculptures. Each team has 34 hours to shape 15 massive blocks of ice into a soaring sculpture related to a specific theme. Last year’s "Magical Madness" theme inspired artists to produce fanciful renderings of sorcerers, dragons, and mythical gods. This year’s more conceptual theme, "WordPlay: Where language comes out to play," will bring storytelling alive in the form of pirates, a fairy, and other elaborately carved structures. The competition runs Jan. 20-22 as part of the Ice Magic Festival.
"It’s really a wonderful medium to express yourself and be creative," says Norm Flann, a carver from the Canadian team Crushed Ice. "Ice is soft and the tools you use let you carve it so easily, unlike stone."
Each giant "ice cube" weighs 300 pounds, meaning the work can be physically grueling.
"We’ll help each other lift blocks and everyone will work together," says McConnell, a former chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common, and now owner of Images in Ice, a Brockton-based ice-carving business. McConnell and his partner, Gene Shea, met five years ago at a Faneuil Hall competition, and they have been doing the Lake Louise event together ever since. "Last year, we helped one of the teams lift a mushroom cap that was made out of a full block of ice. We showed them a trick for lifting it using tie-down straps that we wrapped around the ice."
Ice carving at Lake Louise dates to 1994, when the Fairmont’s chef and culinary friends pulled blocks of ice from the lake and carved them into sculptures for fun, according to Micaela Zagozewski, event manager for the Ice Magic Festival. "The event has grown ever since."
Now, more than 7,000 people attend each year. Visitors can watch some of the world’s top ice carvers at work, and ask them questions throughout the competition. This year’s participants will have traveled from the Netherlands, Britain, Russia, the United States, and Canada.
The carvers also come from remarkably different backgrounds: One used to work as executive chef at The Fairmont Empress, a renowned high-end hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. Another works as a mail carrier in rural Washington State, and has competed in ice-carving events at the Winter Olympics in Turin, Nagano, and Salt Lake City. And another, Ben Rand of Casco, Maine, helps run an ice-carving business in West Palm Beach, Fla., of all places, producing upward of 1,000 sculptures a year for local restaurants and businesses. Rand trained as a five-star classic chef and then became a full-time ice carver. He and his carving partner, Scott Harrison, won first place in last year’s Ice Magic event for their Harry Potter entry.
Two of the 24 entrants are women, one of whom is Stephanie Quayle from the United Kingdom.
"In terms of male-female ratios, there’s definitely a big hairy man bias," says Quayle, who teams up with her fiance, Darren Jackson. "I suppose it’s only natural, due to the nature of the work and the temperatures we have to endure, but I like to think we girls can do it just as well - we just need a lot more hot chocolate to keep us going."
Competitors cannot use gas chain saws or lathes, and they may only work from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
"I’ve never competed when I didn’t carve until the last second," says Jeff Bleier, a former carver who now runs a restaurant in Rochester, and helps judge the Lake Louise competition. "I’ve been 6 feet up on a ladder putting on the last piece with three seconds to go."
Teams must use all the ice they are allotted, and cannot supplement with natural snow or other materials - no props, decorations, or coloring of ice - though they may use water. The entries must be carved on all sides.
The first day, carvers organize and stack their hefty ice blocks. Many attach enlarged templates, much like a seamstress’s pattern, onto the blocks to ensure that they use all the ice and don’t waste anything, and so they can labor away without having to stop and calculate measurements. Then they fire up chainsaws and start carving.
"The most important thing about ice sculpture is that you have to create a piece with a strong silhouette or outline," says Rand. "It’s difficult to see things that overlap each other in ice, so instead of folded arms, you want to have arms that are spread apart. This also helps the sculpture appear more fluid and dynamic."
The creations must measure at least 7 feet tall, but no more than 13 1/2 feet, in order to create a challenge for artists while keeping the competition zone safe. Small chisels and drills create more intricate patterns that resemble fish scales, hieroglyphics, or razor-sharp claws.
On day two, each team sends someone down the hill to the Village of Lake Louise to participate in the One Carver, One Hour, One Block event. Each artist can create anything he or she wants from one 300-pound block of ice during this speed-carving competition.
"One is like a marathon, the other is like a sprint," says Rand. "They’re just two different ways to approach the ice."
The festival also includes ice-carving demonstrations by lead judge Dan Rebholtz, a judges’ "carve-off" at the Lake Louise Ski Area, horse-drawn wagon rides around the lake, and ice skating with a fabulous view (weather permitting) of the Victoria Glacier.
As the hourglass empties up at Lake Louise, carvers put on the final touches: They use hairdryers and blow torches to put a polished shine on certain areas of their sculptures, and they clean up their work stations.
Works are judged on their level of complexity and overall creative intent, and how well carvers used the ice and their tools. Carvers get points for hiding seams, and for creating sculptures that appear more three dimensional and that stretch the boundaries of what ice can do, such as creating something that looks like it may fall over but is so masterfully engineered that it won’t.
"We’ll often put supports [made of ice] underneath the pieces that hang out, so the vibration from carving the rest of the sculpture doesn’t destroy them," Rand explains. "With the Harry Potter sculpture we did last year, we had at least 1,000 to 1,500 pounds supported on a 7-inch circle, which was the dog’s right paw. The whole thing had a temporary support. In the last 15 minutes, you start cutting those supports out and the sculpture either survives or it crashes. It can be pretty nerve-racking."
Judges award third, second, and first prize, with a $1,000 to $3,000 purse. And sculptures can win the People’s Choice, Carver’s Choice, and Children’s Choice awards, with $500 or $1,000 in cash prizes.
This year, Ice Magic extends to the following weekend, Jan. 28-29, with family-oriented events. You can take a look at the finished creations from the previous weekend, and then attend the Little Chippers Festival, where children of any age can try their hands at ice carving. A new ice playground features ice miniature golf, an ice tunnel, and an ice slide. You can also watch a professional 10-block ice-carving event, or go skating on Lake Louise with the ice queen - all free events.
McConnell and Shea plan to fly their oversized bags up north and compete again this year. Just look for the intricately carved arch, the pirates, and the daring and creative twist on Pandora’s box.
"Sometimes carvers stop where it’s safe, when they could have taken their work further and created a more dynamic and lifelike piece," says McConnell. "You can’t do that in competition. It’s like when you’re skiing and your tips go over the edge and you’re looking down some crazy slope. The more you think, the more you’re going to get into trouble. I always say to myself: Forget it. Just do it."
2011年12月4日星期日
Glass sculptures go to your head
Swedish glass artist Bertil Vallien produces poetic sculptures with complex narratives.
“E-Echo,” a new selection of his challenging glassworks, is on view Downtown in Hawk Galleries.
Using a sand-casting process, Vallien creates forms that seem predominantly rough-hewn and ancient. Polishing and smoothing specific areas on each piece allows him to create dramatic contrasts between opacity and transparency. The effect is ethereal and dreamlike.
Light bounces around the internal structure of many works, refracting and reflecting sculpted shapes. Often, the focus of Vallien’s imagery is the human head. In Solitude, a polished cube of clear glass reveals a stylized face. Recessed into a corner of the cube, the single face looks like two or three faces when viewed from different angles.
Born in 1938 in Sweden, Vallien studied art and design in his native country before traveling to California to work as a ceramic designer. He returned to Sweden in 1963 to work at the Afors glass factory and soon became acquainted with the studio-glass movement. While designing functional glassware, he developed his own work around the notion that glass absorbs light.
Nowhere is Vallien’s relationship with light more evident than in his series of stylized human heads. Head 6 is polished and smoothed in areas to reveal an internal structure and unexpected internal light. As one moves around the piece, surprises — architectural and anatomical details — emerge.
Themes of travel and journey are also present in Vallien’s work. Indeed, the exhibit title — “ E-Echo” — is a term for a maritime signal, referring to the altering of one’s course.
Escape II is shaped like the hull of a boat. The interior reveals small shapes resembling ladders or calligraphic runes. A face toward the top of the piece suggests a relic or tribute to the departed.
Circular like a life buoy, Harbor 1-09 resembles a miniature world map. A line trails over the surface of the form, eventually leading to a small house — perhaps a metaphor for safety and security.
Other works are totemlike, suggesting ritual and magic. Watcher I resembles a fetish figure with several protrusions and seemingly sharp spikes.
Idols, consisting of 12 figurative forms, looks like a collection of artifacts.
A strong show, “E-Echo” demonstrates Vallien’s versatility and an ability to communicate human desire. Each piece suggests a journey and search for life’s meaning.
“E-Echo,” a new selection of his challenging glassworks, is on view Downtown in Hawk Galleries.
Using a sand-casting process, Vallien creates forms that seem predominantly rough-hewn and ancient. Polishing and smoothing specific areas on each piece allows him to create dramatic contrasts between opacity and transparency. The effect is ethereal and dreamlike.
Light bounces around the internal structure of many works, refracting and reflecting sculpted shapes. Often, the focus of Vallien’s imagery is the human head. In Solitude, a polished cube of clear glass reveals a stylized face. Recessed into a corner of the cube, the single face looks like two or three faces when viewed from different angles.
Born in 1938 in Sweden, Vallien studied art and design in his native country before traveling to California to work as a ceramic designer. He returned to Sweden in 1963 to work at the Afors glass factory and soon became acquainted with the studio-glass movement. While designing functional glassware, he developed his own work around the notion that glass absorbs light.
Nowhere is Vallien’s relationship with light more evident than in his series of stylized human heads. Head 6 is polished and smoothed in areas to reveal an internal structure and unexpected internal light. As one moves around the piece, surprises — architectural and anatomical details — emerge.
Themes of travel and journey are also present in Vallien’s work. Indeed, the exhibit title — “ E-Echo” — is a term for a maritime signal, referring to the altering of one’s course.
Escape II is shaped like the hull of a boat. The interior reveals small shapes resembling ladders or calligraphic runes. A face toward the top of the piece suggests a relic or tribute to the departed.
Circular like a life buoy, Harbor 1-09 resembles a miniature world map. A line trails over the surface of the form, eventually leading to a small house — perhaps a metaphor for safety and security.
Other works are totemlike, suggesting ritual and magic. Watcher I resembles a fetish figure with several protrusions and seemingly sharp spikes.
Idols, consisting of 12 figurative forms, looks like a collection of artifacts.
A strong show, “E-Echo” demonstrates Vallien’s versatility and an ability to communicate human desire. Each piece suggests a journey and search for life’s meaning.
2011年11月23日星期三
Alter Reality with Augment for Android
There are a lot of different Android apps out there from productivity apps to music players, the selection is vast. Occasionally, I come across an app that’s extremely cool and that’s the case with an app called Augment from AugmenteDev. Augment lets you preview objects & products from the comfort of your home with a simple but futuristic approach.
The first thing you’ll want to do after downloading the app is go to their site and print off a marker. The object you’re trying to view will be bound to the marker (paper) and there are several different sizes you can print off and use. Once you’ve got your marker, pick the object you want to augment in the form of a poster or cube and prepare to be amazed. All you need to do to view your image is press augment, then find the marker in the viewfinder of your phone. You can use posters for a quick view of some premade stuff you can use posters from AllPosters or pre-made cubes from the cubes gallery.
If you want get crazy with it you can do your own poster or your own cube; the cubes are fully customizable as you can set the height, width, and depth along with adding any image to any side of the cube. There are quite a few options like cropping and rotating your custom images, and you can take/save pictures of anything you create. I’m not sure exactly how it works on the technical side of things and knowing would take the fun out of it, so I’m just going to tell you the whole process is done by some sort of funky android magic or narwhals… whichever you prefer.
Augment is by far one of the coolest things we’ve seen in an Android app, and it’s definitely an app that will impress your friends. We had quite a bit of fun playing with it, and never ceased to be amazed when we “augmented” a new image. Augment is a blast to fool around with, and it allows you to do practically anything with an image as you can see by a cubed (and crazy) Gary Busey next to my dog Boo. I highly recommend everyone check out Augment as it’s definitely one of the coolest apps that’s come out for Android. You can grab Augment from the Android market for free.
The first thing you’ll want to do after downloading the app is go to their site and print off a marker. The object you’re trying to view will be bound to the marker (paper) and there are several different sizes you can print off and use. Once you’ve got your marker, pick the object you want to augment in the form of a poster or cube and prepare to be amazed. All you need to do to view your image is press augment, then find the marker in the viewfinder of your phone. You can use posters for a quick view of some premade stuff you can use posters from AllPosters or pre-made cubes from the cubes gallery.
If you want get crazy with it you can do your own poster or your own cube; the cubes are fully customizable as you can set the height, width, and depth along with adding any image to any side of the cube. There are quite a few options like cropping and rotating your custom images, and you can take/save pictures of anything you create. I’m not sure exactly how it works on the technical side of things and knowing would take the fun out of it, so I’m just going to tell you the whole process is done by some sort of funky android magic or narwhals… whichever you prefer.
Augment is by far one of the coolest things we’ve seen in an Android app, and it’s definitely an app that will impress your friends. We had quite a bit of fun playing with it, and never ceased to be amazed when we “augmented” a new image. Augment is a blast to fool around with, and it allows you to do practically anything with an image as you can see by a cubed (and crazy) Gary Busey next to my dog Boo. I highly recommend everyone check out Augment as it’s definitely one of the coolest apps that’s come out for Android. You can grab Augment from the Android market for free.
2011年11月13日星期日
Toy Hall of Famers: Dollhouse, Hot Wheels, blanket
The blanket, an all-purpose plaything and a comfort for generations of thumb-suckers like Charlie Brown’s best friend in the “Peanuts” comic strip, landed Thursday in the National Toy Hall of Fame along with Hot Wheels and the dollhouse.
The three take their places at The Strong, a children’s and cultural history museum in upstate New York, alongside 46 other classics ranging from the bicycle, kite and teddy bear to Barbie, Jack-in-the-Box and Mr. Potato Head.
Curators said the blanket was a special addition in the spirit of two earlier inductees, the cardboard box and the stick. They praised its ability to serve either as recreational raw material or an accessory transformed in myriad ways by a child’s daydreams.
“Every now and again we like to shake things up, remind folks there’s play experiences that happen purely creatively ... rather than coming with rules, a path, a backstory you feel constrained into,” said Christopher Bensch, the Rochester museum’s chief curator.
“Blankets have been keeping people warm for centuries, but they’ve also been heating up kids’ imaginations,” serving as magic carpets and superhero capes, a peek-a-boo veil, a chair-draped fortress or “an island of safety surrounded by sea monsters.”
For Linus, the comfort imparted by his precious blue blanket blends with its “play function” as a lasso, a whip, a Snoopy towrope and, in later adventures, “when he talks about turning his blanket into a sports coat when he grows up,” Bensch said.
Longevity is a key criterion for getting into the 13-year-old hall, which was acquired in 2002 from A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village in Salem, Ore. Each toy must be widely recognized, foster learning, creativity or discovery through play, and endure in popularity over generations.
Trying to create a toy that would be as big a success with boys as Barbie was with girls, Elliot Handler hit upon an idea for miniature die-cast vehicles with sleek designs. Hot Wheels were introduced in 1968 and the brand became a big hit.
Handler, who died in July at age 95, grew Mattel Inc. into the nation’s largest toy maker along with his wife, Ruth, who created the Barbie doll in 1959.
The dollhouse evolved from 16th-century “baby houses,” wooden cabinets in which wealthy European women displayed their collections of miniature furnishings.
German toy makers produced variations for youngsters to furnish with tiny chairs, tables, beds, tapestries and floor coverings and, by the 19th century, mass-production methods enabled dollhouses to grow in popularity.
“The dollhouse has gone on to hold a special place in the hearts of children everywhere,” said Patricia Hogan, the museum’s curator of toys and dolls. “From the most elaborately crafted mansions to the simplest home-made structures, the dollhouse gives kids an ideal environment for creative play, from furnishing and refurnishing rooms, making up stories and collaborating with friends and siblings.”
More than a few heavyweight nominees fell short in 2011, including the puppet, the pogo stick and Rubik’s Cube.
The three take their places at The Strong, a children’s and cultural history museum in upstate New York, alongside 46 other classics ranging from the bicycle, kite and teddy bear to Barbie, Jack-in-the-Box and Mr. Potato Head.
Curators said the blanket was a special addition in the spirit of two earlier inductees, the cardboard box and the stick. They praised its ability to serve either as recreational raw material or an accessory transformed in myriad ways by a child’s daydreams.
“Every now and again we like to shake things up, remind folks there’s play experiences that happen purely creatively ... rather than coming with rules, a path, a backstory you feel constrained into,” said Christopher Bensch, the Rochester museum’s chief curator.
“Blankets have been keeping people warm for centuries, but they’ve also been heating up kids’ imaginations,” serving as magic carpets and superhero capes, a peek-a-boo veil, a chair-draped fortress or “an island of safety surrounded by sea monsters.”
For Linus, the comfort imparted by his precious blue blanket blends with its “play function” as a lasso, a whip, a Snoopy towrope and, in later adventures, “when he talks about turning his blanket into a sports coat when he grows up,” Bensch said.
Longevity is a key criterion for getting into the 13-year-old hall, which was acquired in 2002 from A.C. Gilbert’s Discovery Village in Salem, Ore. Each toy must be widely recognized, foster learning, creativity or discovery through play, and endure in popularity over generations.
Trying to create a toy that would be as big a success with boys as Barbie was with girls, Elliot Handler hit upon an idea for miniature die-cast vehicles with sleek designs. Hot Wheels were introduced in 1968 and the brand became a big hit.
Handler, who died in July at age 95, grew Mattel Inc. into the nation’s largest toy maker along with his wife, Ruth, who created the Barbie doll in 1959.
The dollhouse evolved from 16th-century “baby houses,” wooden cabinets in which wealthy European women displayed their collections of miniature furnishings.
German toy makers produced variations for youngsters to furnish with tiny chairs, tables, beds, tapestries and floor coverings and, by the 19th century, mass-production methods enabled dollhouses to grow in popularity.
“The dollhouse has gone on to hold a special place in the hearts of children everywhere,” said Patricia Hogan, the museum’s curator of toys and dolls. “From the most elaborately crafted mansions to the simplest home-made structures, the dollhouse gives kids an ideal environment for creative play, from furnishing and refurnishing rooms, making up stories and collaborating with friends and siblings.”
More than a few heavyweight nominees fell short in 2011, including the puppet, the pogo stick and Rubik’s Cube.
2011年9月28日星期三
Happy Magic Waterpark – Klaustrophobie im größten Wasserpark der Welt
Das in China neue Freizeitparks im Wochentakt angekündigt werden ist beileibe nichts Neues, aber nun will die Volksrepublik der westlichen Welt anscheinend auch noch in Sachen Wasserrutschen zeigen wo der Hammer hängt. Im Pekinger Stadtbezirk Fengtai, wo bis Mitte der 1980er Jahre nur Schweine und Ziegen die ländliche Landschaft prägten, ragen seit wenigen Wochen sieben Türme mit insgesamt 35 Wasserrutschen in den Himmel. Der Beijing Happy Magic Waterpark gilt seit seiner Eröffnung als der größte Wasserpark der Welt und bietet Platz für bis zu 35.000 Besucher. Ob das baden in diesem Gewusel noch Spaß macht, sei einmal dahin gestellt – Wir tippen eher auf Panikattacken, in Folge einer spontan auftretenden Klaustrophobie.
Aber auch wenn uns China in Superlativen um Lichtjahre voraus ist, scheint es im Land des Lächelns noch am benötigten Know-How für einen Weltklasse Wasserpark zu fehlen. Und so verwundert es kaum, dass alle Attraktionen des Beijing Happy Magic Waterpark von dem renommierten kanadischen Unternehmen Pro Slide Technology stammen. Kein anderer Hersteller von Wasserrutschen konnte in den letzten Jahren mit mehr Innovationen und Weltrekorden aufwarten. Eine Erfolgswelle, die sich in Peking fortsetzt: Bei der weltweit ersten Auslieferung des TornadoWAVE stürzen bis zu vier Personen durch eine dunkle Röhre in die Tiefe, nur um im Anschluss eine fast senkrechte Wand zu erklimmen und einen Moment der Schwerelosigkeit zu genießen.
Auch ProSlides kultigste und 2003 mit dem Golden Ticket Award ausgezeichnete Wasserrutsche, der Tornado, wird in Peking noch eine wenig extremer. Mit einer Höhe von über 20 Metern stellt er nicht nur die restlichen Attraktionen des Happy Magic Waterpark in den Schatten, sondern auch alle bisher ausgelieferten Modelle. Und während Eltern ihren Adrenalin-Kick auf den gigantischen Wasserrutschen bekommen, vergnügt sich deren Nachwuchs im größtem RideHouse der Welt, einem Wasserspielplatz mit 12 Rutschen, duzenden von Wasser-Kanonen und einem gigantischen Eimer, der in kurzen Abständen 1.800 Liter Wasser auf die spielenden Kinder herab regnen lässt.
Alles in allem ist der riesige Beijing Happy Magic Waterpark, mit seinen 35 Wasserrutschen und einem der weltweit größten Wellenbecken, einer der beeindruckendsten Wasserparks der Welt. Nur wer auf eine exzessive Thematisierung besteht, ist in den Wasserparks der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate weiterhin besser aufgehoben. Denn zumindest in diesem Bereich benötigt China noch einiges an Nachhilfe.
Aber auch wenn uns China in Superlativen um Lichtjahre voraus ist, scheint es im Land des Lächelns noch am benötigten Know-How für einen Weltklasse Wasserpark zu fehlen. Und so verwundert es kaum, dass alle Attraktionen des Beijing Happy Magic Waterpark von dem renommierten kanadischen Unternehmen Pro Slide Technology stammen. Kein anderer Hersteller von Wasserrutschen konnte in den letzten Jahren mit mehr Innovationen und Weltrekorden aufwarten. Eine Erfolgswelle, die sich in Peking fortsetzt: Bei der weltweit ersten Auslieferung des TornadoWAVE stürzen bis zu vier Personen durch eine dunkle Röhre in die Tiefe, nur um im Anschluss eine fast senkrechte Wand zu erklimmen und einen Moment der Schwerelosigkeit zu genießen.
Auch ProSlides kultigste und 2003 mit dem Golden Ticket Award ausgezeichnete Wasserrutsche, der Tornado, wird in Peking noch eine wenig extremer. Mit einer Höhe von über 20 Metern stellt er nicht nur die restlichen Attraktionen des Happy Magic Waterpark in den Schatten, sondern auch alle bisher ausgelieferten Modelle. Und während Eltern ihren Adrenalin-Kick auf den gigantischen Wasserrutschen bekommen, vergnügt sich deren Nachwuchs im größtem RideHouse der Welt, einem Wasserspielplatz mit 12 Rutschen, duzenden von Wasser-Kanonen und einem gigantischen Eimer, der in kurzen Abständen 1.800 Liter Wasser auf die spielenden Kinder herab regnen lässt.
Alles in allem ist der riesige Beijing Happy Magic Waterpark, mit seinen 35 Wasserrutschen und einem der weltweit größten Wellenbecken, einer der beeindruckendsten Wasserparks der Welt. Nur wer auf eine exzessive Thematisierung besteht, ist in den Wasserparks der Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate weiterhin besser aufgehoben. Denn zumindest in diesem Bereich benötigt China noch einiges an Nachhilfe.
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