Monday, December 29, 2008

Macke and Adami: 'Bailout' Equals 'Failure' and Other Word Associations

Macke and Adami: 'Bailout' Equals 'Failure' and Other Word Associations
Word Association: Hank Paulson, Bailout,...

Question: What is a bailed out company?
Answer: A bailed out company is a company with enough powerful friends in government not to go bankrupt.

What a pity for Lehman Brothers and a few others...
Corporate lessons for 2008: Know who your 'friends' are! No more Napoleon Hill's "How to", but simply: Be a friend of Hank!


Sunday, December 28, 2008

The big trends for 2009 include comfort food, nostalgia, and..

The big trends for 2009 include comfort food, nostalgia, home baking, and..

Spotting trends in food is essential to understanding what food consumers are doing now and more importantly may be doing in the future. thefoodpeople split their food trend predictions into mega trends which are already apparent within the market and also emerging trends that are just starting to take hold.
In a time when we are all facing global economic slowdown, shifts in outputs and dwindling natural resources, what does all of this mean for trends in food?
“The big trends for 2009 include comfort food, nostalgia, scratch cooking and home baking as consumers want to save money as well as feel good about themselves and the food they consumer just like mum or grandma did. Also big in 2009 will be head to tail eating where more people will be eating those forgotten cuts of meat in a bid to make food go further. Despite credit crunch we expect to see sustainability remain high on the agenda whilst some of the nice to haves such as organic drop back. We expect domestic cuisines to big, people cooking and dining on food that is traditional and indigenous to their country of residence. In addition we also expect to see shifts in drinking habits with more in home drinking as well as a rise in the popularity of beer, cider and cocktails. As consumers get used to using the internet more for food purchases we also expect to see more business and food brands miniaturising and customising their food products to the specific needs of their consumers. Last but not least we expect to see health in food trends such as natural health choices, ultra low calorie, anti foods, more detox diets and tailored health food choices to be big in 2009”.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

‘The Man Who Owns the News’

First Chapter: ‘The Man Who Owns the News’
By MICHAEL WOLFF - Published: December 28, 2008
“Rupert Murdoch, a man without discernible hubris — or at least conventional grandiosity — had nevertheless begun to believe that his takeover of Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal ... had a certain destiny, a higher purpose of which the world should be made aware.”

Playboy goes digital (Video report)

Playboy goes digital (Video)
(01:48) Report
Dec 24 - Reality show offers a look at what it's like to work at Playboy Enterprises, through the eyes of three interns.
Playboy launches a new reality series, offering viewers a look at what it's like to work at the global enterprise, through the eyes of three interns. The show, 'Playboy Interns' is available online, and on mobile phones.Gemma Haines reports.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

In a historic move Bush revokes the pardon he granted to Brooklyn real estate developer Isaac Robert Toussie.

Bush revokes the pardon he granted to Brooklyn real estate developer Isaac Robert Toussie.

Toussie's was 1 of the 19 pardons Bush had granted the day before and the reversal is a historic move in a year of Presidential firsts. With the Toussie reversal Bush's exit pardon tally is 189, much less than other outgoing Presidents.
The reversal of this pardon has left people wondering just who is Isaac Robert Toussie that he would be at the center of this historic reversal of a Presidential pardon? Who was he, what did he do to get in jail, and why would Bush pull his pardon mere hours after setting him free?
Isaac Toussie is a pretty rotten scoundrel. In 2001 Toussie plead guilty to falsifying loan documents for 100 underqualified people, and lied to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development about his actions

The Island
A Land Auction? He’s Buying (New York Times Permalink)
By COREY KILGANNON - Published: October 21, 2007
A Brooklyn real estate investor has been a fixture at surplus land auctions in Suffolk County. He also is a fixture in the courtrooms, fighting investigations into his business dealings.

Ancient water source vital for Australia

Ancient water source vital for Australia

SYDNEY (Reuters) - An ancient underground water basin the size of Libya holds the key to Australia avoiding a water crisis as climate change bites the drought-hit nation.
Australia's Great Artesian Basin is one of the largest artesian groundwater basins in the world, covering 1.7 million sq kms (656,370 sq miles) and lying beneath one-fifth of Australia.
The basin holds 65 million gigaliters of water, about 820 times the amount of surface water in Australia, and enough to cover the Earth's land mass under half a meter of water, says the Great Artesian Basin Coordinating Committee.
And it is slowly topped up with 1 million megaliters a year as rain filters through porous sandstone rock, becoming trapped in the underground basin.
"There is probably enough water in there to last Australia's needs for 1,500 years, if we wanted to use it all," says John Hillier, a hydrogeologist who has just completed the Great Artesian Basin Resource Study. Read article...

Download - Brochure.pdf

BACKGROUND BRIEFING: The Great Artesian Basin - the next water crisis?
As concern grows about how to share around Australia’s dwindling water supply, and how much to invest in engineering solutions like recycling and desalination, are we paying enough attention to the water we can't see?
John Hiller's Presentation, http://www.aussmc.org/JohnHillier3Dec08.pdf

Friday, December 19, 2008

Developing countries have no monopoly on good ideas, says Indian PM Manmohan Singh after recent uprisings on global terrorism.

West not best says Indian PM
Dec 19 - Developing countries have no monopoly on good ideas, says Indian PM Manmohan Singh after recent uprisings on global terrorism.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks come at a time when the world economy is witnessing major recessionary trends and terrorism is casting its shadow globally after the Mumbai attacks last month.

Cannes Shopping Festival from 8 to 10 January 2009

Cannes Shopping Festival
The perfect alchemy between elegance and glamour
The 6th anniversary of Cannes' fashion event to be held from 8 to 10 January, right after the Christmas holidays, will combine fashion shows, gala dinners and exceptional stay offers. Cannes, key destination in the heart of the winter, will be again the inescapable meeting place of the fashion passionates around the Cannes Shopping Festival and its 6th edition which will emphasize the up-market image that Cannes reflects.
Six fashion shows following the example of those held in the big fashion capitals
Fendi (on Thursday 8 January), Escada and Zegna (on Friday 9 January), Jean-Claude Jitrois (on Saturday 10 January), ... will present their new Spring/Summer 2009 ready-to-wear collection at the Lérins Rotunda of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès of Cannes. This unique and prestigious place, opened on the bay of Cannes and the Mediterranean Sea, will welcome for this 6th edition, the collections of the present brands to 900 privileged guests who will attend, every evening, the magic of the spectacle. Lalique will be co-directing the fashion shows and will also be the partner for decoration.
Nippon Ménard (make-up) and Lorenzo Cosi (hairstyling) will be the creative partners for the make-up and the hairstyling of the models.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Downturn hits vacation enclave of New York elite

Downturn hits vacation enclave of New York elite

Throughout the United States, the housing market is suffering its worst downturn since the Great Depression. A huge supply of unsold homes, tighter lending standards and record foreclosures have slashed home prices.
The Hamptons, a summer vacation playground for New York's financial and celebrity elite, are being hit hard as Wall Street power houses like Lehman and Bear Stearns succumb to the financial crisis.
According to a report by Douglas Elliman, real estate prices fell 11.1 percent in the third quarter in the Hamptons, an exclusive section on the eastern tip of Long Island, less than 100 miles from New York City.
The financial sector has announced 220,506 job cuts so far this year, the most of any industry, according to a recent report by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
In November alone, there were 91,356 job cuts announced, the report showed. Citigroup has said it plans to eliminate a whopping 52,000 jobs, while Bank of America has said it will cut 35,000, with some of the job losses expected to be in New York.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Report Spotlights Iraq Rebuilding Blunders (New York Times)

International / Middle East (New York Times Permalink)
Report Spotlights Iraq Rebuilding Blunders
By JAMES GLANZ and T. CHRISTIAN MILLER Published: December 14, 2008
An unpublished federal history of the U.S.-led reconstruction of Iraq depicts the effort as crippled by poor planning, waste and deception, leading to a $100 billion failure.

Indonesia's 40 Richest Report from Forbes Asia

Indonesia's 40 Richest Report from Forbes Asia

Due to the Global Economic Collapse the personal wealth of Asia's tycoons has fallen.
FORBES ASIA closes the annual coverage of Asia's wealthiest tycoons on a low note. The total worth for all 480 tycoons fell to $779 billion, from $940 billion, despite the fact that we added an additional list of 40 Richest. Fortunes in Indonesia have collapsed with the global economy, pushed down by a dismal stock market, off 54% since last year; plunging commodity prices; and a weak rupiah, which lost nearly a quarter of its value in the past year. More ...

TOP 10 Indonesia richest

1. Sukanto Tanoto
2. R. Budi Hartono
3. Michael Hartono
4. Putera Sampoerna
5. Martua Sitorus
6. Peter Sondakh
7. Eddy William Katuari
8. Eka Tjipta Widjaja
9. Aburizal Bakrie
10. Murdaya Poo

See also: The World's Billionaires

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Some sound advice from the Yahoo How-to Guides. Teach Your Children the Value of Money

Some sound advice from the Yahoo How-to Guides. Teach Your Children the Value of Money
There are a number of ways you can teach your children to form healthy savings habits. This article offers some age-specific teaching tools.
With the Christmas Season beginning and a meager recession stricken 2009 nearing it's never too early to teach your children the value of money and some austerity.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Homemade decorations are making a big comeback this year

Decorations shine on in recession
With the economy in a slump, trend watchers predict there may be fewer gifts under the Christmas tree this year, but that doesn't mean the tree itself, or its surroundings, won't still be dressed to the hilt. Retailers everywhere are bracing for declines in consumer spending, yet studies show more may be going into the decoration of homes, with a series of twists.
Homemade decorations are making a big comeback this year, with popular favorites coming in the form of resurfacing traditions. Frugalists from Martha Stewart to McCall's magazine are reminding holiday decorators that everything old is new again, from candles to homemade wreaths.
"One of the reasons people are going more to homemade items is because of television programs that show people how to decorate their homes for Christmas"

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Monkdogz Urban Art Gallery New York


Press Release
Opening reception on Thursday December 18 from 6 to 8pm

Show runs until January 17, 2009.
Mari YAMAGIWA
If the integrity of an artist’s work is judged by their courage and ability to tell the truth, then that is what you will find with Mari Yamagiwa.
In Yamagiwa’s work not only will you discover her truth, you may find that in this truth you uncover an interesting and seductive part of yourself.
Her work rolls over you like a sudden thunder and lightning storm filled with primitive desire and beautiful imagination driven sexual imagery.
Yamagiwa talks about the other part, the hidden part, “the dirty part”, in describing her work. The truth of this statement is that we all have a little mud on our souls and it’s the dirty part that keeps life interesting.
Her ability to incorporate both eastern and western influences only adds to the works’ ability to transcend geography and create a very personal and private experience.
One can only wonder at the chaos or clarity that drove this once innovative fashion designer into the artworld. Suffice it to say the fashion world’s loss was our gain.

Monkdogz Urban Art, Inc. 547 West 27th Street
5th floor New York, NY 10001
Between 10th & 11th Aves in Chelsea


"Jezus, ga door met roeien!" Over de vergadercultuur...

Gehoord langs de Amstel (Amsterdam) op een zondagmiddag, een bootje met roeiers stilliggend langs de kant van het water, een meisje met een fiets en een megafoon in haar hand. Het bootje met twee tamelijk ongeïnteresseerde roeiers en een stuurman die de roeiers een of andere instructie gaf. Het meisje nogal geagiteerd en ongeduldig. Net toen ik langs liep riep het meisje duidelijk geïrriteerd naar de roeiers: 'Jezus, ga nou roeien!'

Inwendig grinnikend liep ik verder en in mijn gedachten kreeg ik de associatie met iets over 'de vergadercultuur' dat ik al enige tijd voor het Beurskrach Blog had willen schrijven.
In Nederland hoor je al heel lang over de 'vergadercultuur en vergadertijgers', maar wat is daar nu eigenlijk objectief gezien van waar. Hoeveel tijd wordt er aan vergaderingen en werkbesprekingen besteedt -of verspild.
Is er ooit wel eens een vergelijkend onderzoek in de EU geweest? Met de V.S. vergeleken?
Is het een typisch Nederlands verschijnsel, het overleg, de consensus, de overeenstemming, het compromis, het vis noch vlees en de angst om beslissingen te nemen.
Wat zou het effect op de arbeidsproductiviteit zijn?
Er stond laatst een bericht in een of andere krant of tijdschrift over een bedrijf dat allen maar staand zou vergaderen, niet zittend. Logisch geredeneerd zouden die vergaderingen korter moeten zijn en ook minder papier moeten opleveren. Als je er van uit gaat dat 40% van de vergaderingen in de categorie "gezeik"valt is het misschien wel een perfecte oplossing om staande te vergaderen.
Maar zoiets moet eerst proefondervindelijk bewezen worden en dat kost weer de nodige vergaderingen.

Monday, November 24, 2008

The Street Fashion wear of Camouflage capers

Nov 24th - 9:05 GMT +00:00
Camouflage capers
Posted by:Economist.com
Perma Link
OBSERVING a pack of teens loping along a shopping street over the weekend, their belts hanging precariously half-way down their backsides, your correspondent noted that although Europe's younger population is vocally anti-war, camouflage attire (preferably worn over well-exposed designer underwear) still has its fans.
It was curious, then, to learn just how proprietary some military organisations are about their camouflage designs. Finland suspects that Russian troops that swarmed into Georgia in August were wearing uniforms with a Finnish camouflage pattern, known as M05, which is based on digital photos of Finnish forests. This has caused something of a stir in the Finnish media and blogosphere.
As the Helsinki Times reports, quoting a Russian news account, a spokesman for Russia's interior ministry flatly denied allegations that its special forces stole their look from Finland. He suggested it was "a fake story," made up by the Finns themselves.

Family members of President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden -- called SIPs (significant inaugural participants) -- might require

Family members of President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden -- called SIPs (significant inaugural participants) -- might require escorts, officials said, as might Cabinet-level nominees or other DIPs (designated inaugural participants).

(From The Washington Post) A panel from the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee on Tuesday wrapped up the intensive, months-long process used to identify the ideal people for the high-profile, high-stress jobs. The candidates had to look sharp, sound intelligent and be articulate, diplomatic and self-confident. They also had to know the city and possess that quality known as "good military bearing."
The military assistants, or MAs, as they are called, have the task of squiring the VIPs through numerous inaugural events, and Washington's inauguration traffic maze, while the world looks on.
It is a once-in-a-lifetime, much-sought-after job, interviewers said, especially this time, for the installation of Obama, the country's first black president. And all of the candidates were excellent, they said.
But only "the best of the best" make the list being submitted for final selection to the committee brass, officials said. The escorts must be requested by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which determines the size and nature of the inauguration.

NISSAN | Concept Car PIVO 2



Despite its compact dimensions, Pivo 2's ultra-thin motor - jointly developed with Fujitsu General Ltd - has twice the torque output of a conventional electric motor. This is achieved by optimising the layout of its electromagnetic coils and permanent magnets, and by adopting a 3D magnetic-flux-path structure to help the flux flow efficiently. For optimum performance, the whole assembly is designed to fit within the Pivo 2 wheels.
ECO Drive Support Service provides the information to support driver's fuel efficient driving. By changing driving habit through ECO Drive Support Service, individual drivers can help contribute to reduce CO2 emission.


NISSAN | Concept Car PIVO 2
Pivo 2 takes the idea of an environmentally friendly electric urban commuter vehicle and delivers fun.

Financial crisis heralds era of "new seriousness"

LUXURY GOODS SLUMP
After years of strong growth, luxury goods sales are expected to fall globally by 1 percent in the fourth quarter, and may drop by up to 7 percent next year, according to a study by consulting firm Bain and Co. released this month.
U.S. sales of Porsche cars fell by 58 percent in September compared with September 2007, while overall car sales declined by 22 percent, according to figures from Autodata.
Andy Lear, head of planning at the London office of French advertising agency Publicis said the repercussions of the financial crisis -- front-page news worldwide for weeks -- were simply accelerating a trend that already existed.