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August 31, 2010
Cadillac Safety Engineers Working on a Crash-Proof Car
Photo: The Cadillac CTS exits as models sporting fashions from Russell Simmons' 2008 Argyle Culture walk the stage at GM Style - General Motors' car studded music and fashion gala that kicked-off the 2008 North American International Auto Show Saturday, January 12, 2008 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by John F. Martin for General Motors)
• According to General Motors, safety engineers at Cadillac are working on a crash-proof car.
• Cadillac is the luxury brand of General Motors and has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902.
John Capp, director for Global Active Safety for Cadillac, says future Cadillac technologies could include in-vehicle Doppler radar to spot obstructions or traffic jams ahead.
Looking even further out, Capp sees autonomous vehicles that can communicate with each other, traffic signals and buildings, pointing to a world where cars may actually drive themselves.
Photo: 2011 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon.
"We see things moving toward a point in the future where perhaps vehicles won't crash," said Capp. "We work on developing advanced safety technologies for Cadillac that alert drivers to potential dangers around them."
"We're evolving those technologies to develop the capability where vehicles will be able to avoid crashes," Capp said.
Photo: A Cadillac CTSv Coupe takes a turn at the Monticello Motor Club in Monticello, New York, Tuesday, August 10, 2010. (Photo by Emile Wamsteker for Cadillac)
Cadillac is already evolving its technology to come closer to the vision of a crash-proof car.
According to Cadillac, Capp and his team of engineers, inventors and futurists have developed life-saving active safety technologies that are already in place on the 2010 Cadillac DTS Platinum, including:
• Lane departure warning - a camera-based lane detection system that warns the driver when he or she leaves their lane without signaling. The camera, mounted near the inside rearview mirror, identifies traffic lane markings and provides audible alerts.
• Blind spot alert - twin radar beacons that detect an object in a vehicle's blind zone and provide a visual warning in the outside side mirror.
• Adaptive cruise control - sensors detect objects in a vehicle's path and slow the vehicle down to avoid a collision.
Chart: Auto technology saving lives. (Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers).
According to Dave McCurdy, President & CEO, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, "Managing technology is the solution, and that's why automakers developed Driver Focus Design Guidelines to help drivers keep their eyes on the road. Drivers are going to have conversations, listen to music and read maps while driving, and automakers are helping them do this more safely with integrated connectivity technologies." The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is a trade association of 11 car and light truck manufacturers including BMW Group, Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz USA, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen.
Photo: 2011 Cadillac DTS.
Cadillac is also working on its advertising. It has selected Fallon as its new creative agency of record.
"Cadillac products today compete head-to-head with the best in the world. Fallon's deep, 17 year experience with other luxury automotive brands like Porsche and BMW makes them a perfect fit for our flagship brand," said Joel Ewanick, vice president, U.S. Marketing.
"We look forward to working with Fallon to illuminate Cadillac as the new 'Standard of the World,'" said Don Butler, vice president, Cadillac Marketing.
Meanwhile, Cadillac's Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant has begun production of the 2011 CTS Coupe and started shipping models to U.S. dealerships ahead of schedule.
"We have very experienced assemblers at Lansing Grand River," said Plant Manager Scott Whybrew. "They work hard to make sure each vehicle meets the levels of quality and craftsmanship expected in a Cadillac. We want customers to feel as much pride in owning a Cadillac as we do in building them."
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:38 AM | View the original post
August 28, 2010
Nestlé's Global Nescafé Plan: Direct Involvement in Coffee Farming, Coffee Production, Coffee Consumption
• At its headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé today announced that in Mexico City, Mexico, it has launched its Global Nescafé Plan that brings under one umbrella Nestlé's commitments on coffee farming, production and consumption.
Photo: Coffee Farmer.
The Nescafé Plan contains a set of objectives which will help Nestlé further optimize its coffee supply chain. In addition to the CHF 200 million invested over the past ten years, Nestlé will invest CHF 500 million in coffee projects by 2020. This includes an investment of CHF 350 million for the Nescafé Plan and CHF 150 million for Nespresso.
Photo: Coffee beans drying.
Photo: Factory. On 10 June 2009 Nestlé inaugurated its second Nestlé Nespresso Production and Distribution Centre in Avenches, Switzerland. Foto: Pierre Boss. © Nestlé.
Over the next five years, Nestlé will double the amount of Nescafé coffee bought directly from farmers and their associations, eventually purchasing 180,000 tonnes of coffee from around 170,000 farmers every year.
Photo: Experts at work. Nespresso green coffee experts. Foto: Pierre Boss. © Nestlé.
Under the Nescafé Plan, Nestlé will distribute 220 million high-yield, disease-resistant coffee plantlets to farmers by 2020. This helps farmers to rejuvenate their plantations, thus multiplying the yield on existing land and increasing farmers' income. Through partnerships with public and private institutions in a number of countries, including Mexico, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, Nestlé has already distributed over 16 million coffee plantlets over the past ten years.
Nestlé is also expanding its technical assistance programmes, in which Nestlé agronomists provide advice on farming and post-harvest practices, to over 10,000 coffee farmers a year.
Nestlé CEO Paul Bulcke said: "We are proud that Nescafé, the world's leading coffee brand, gives its name to this global initiative which creates value across the coffee supply chain, from farmers to consumers to us. Creating Shared Value is an integral part of our business strategy. For a company to be successful in the long term, it needs to create value at the same time for its shareholders and the communities in which it operates."
• Nestlé with headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland was founded in 1866 by Henri Nestlé and is today the world's leading nutrition, health and wellness company. Sales for 2009 were CHF 108 bn. Nestlé employs around 280,000 people and have factories or operations in almost every country in the world.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:27 AM | View the original post
August 26, 2010
Private Investment in Infrastructure
• How can governments meet ballooning infrastructure investment needs while still cutting costs following the economic crisis? A major part of the solution lies in increasing private sector investment to meet the funding gap, finds a World Economic Forum report released today in Geneva, Switzerland.
Photo: Eric Schmidt, Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Executive Officer, Google, USA; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2010 talks during the session 'Technology for Society' at the Annual Meeting 2010 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 29, 2010 in the Congress Centre. (© World Economic Forum. Photo by Andy Mettler.)
Photo: Ellen Kullman, Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, DuPont, USA, speaks during the session 'Rethinking How to Feed the World' in the Congress Centre at the Annual Meeting 2010 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 29, 2010. (© World Economic Forum. Photo by Remy Steinegger.)
Photo: Mark Mactas, President and Chief Operating Officer, Towers Watson, USA is captured during the session 'Rethinking Compensation Models' at the congress centre of the Annual Meeting 2010 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 27, 2010. (© World Economic Forum. Photo by Michael Wuertenberg.)
• Of the estimated US$ 3 trillion needed per annum to meet global infrastructure investment needs, only US$ 1 trillion currently comes from private sources. A third of total funding needs is in developing countries, where private infrastructure finance is less developed.
The report, Paving the Way: Maximizing the Value of Private Finance in Infrastructure, provides a common reference point for what considerations are important to private capital providers and how the public sector can develop its capacity to address them.
Written through active consultation with representatives from both the public and private sectors, the report provides a framework for policy-makers as they seek to create environments favorable to investment, develop meaningful scale for private investment markets, and prepare for the future evolution of these markets. Case studies highlight what approaches have and have not worked across different countries.
Photo: Levin Zhu, President and Chief Executive Officer, China International Capital Corporation, People's Republic of China captured during the session 'Wanted: Capital' at the congress centre at the Annual Meeting 2010 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 29, 2010. (© World Economic Forum. Photo by Michael Wuertenberg.)
Photo: Patricia A. Woertz, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), USA; Co-Chair of the Governors Meeting for Consumer Industries 2010; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2010, speaks during the session 'Rethinking How to Feed the World' in the Congress Centre at the Annual Meeting 2010 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 29, 2010. (© World Economic Forum. Photo by Remy Steinegger.)
Photo: Anand G. Mahindra, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Mahindra & Mahindra, India, captured during the session 'Will India Meet Global Expectations?' at the Congress Centre at the Annual Meeting 2010 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 28, 2010. (© World Economic Forum. Photo by Sebastian Derungs.)
• Tony Poulter, Global Consulting Leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, said: "Getting infrastructure investment in place quickly while also delivering value poses a challenge not only to government but to developers, investors and funders. In the current environment this challenge is bigger and more important than ever before. This report from the World Economic Forum shows that the way forward needs to involve new thinking by all parties - but that positive steps can be taken."
The market trends and key factors associated with successfully involving private finance highlighted in the report include:
• Countries that have been successful in tapping private finance markets have:
- created political, legal and economic environments conducive to investment,
- established ongoing programmes of opportunities,
- instituted contractual and regulatory frameworks to address any issues effectively and fairly,
- provided forums for stakeholders to share experiences, and
- involved the public at all stages.
• The costs and terms of commercial debt have changed significantly as a result of the economic crisis; reinvigorating the capital markets as a source of finance for infrastructure is difficult but of critical importance in the long term.
• There will be a move to more specialized infrastructure funds to provide investors with a better alignment of risk to reward. Investors will also place greater value on fund managers with experience in ongoing infrastructure asset management.
• Retail finance participation in infrastructure funds is likely to grow, but it requires a clear articulation of the value proposition and related challenges.
• Not all pension funds are the same and, while some are undoubtedly major investors in infrastructure, there are many that still regard infrastructure to be too specialized an alternative investment.
• While the heightened government financial support of infrastructure through the current financial crisis is expected to diminish, it appears likely that more countries will set up state infrastructure banks.
• Budgetary issues and increasingly constrained opportunities in the developed world may help steer more investment dollars to emerging economies (particularly BRIC countries) that have increasingly stable political, legal and economic regimes.
• Private investors care more about whether an investment is based on established practices than if it is green field. Getting private financing remains a challenge when the project is novel, untested or in a new market, but there have been successful examples of investment in more challenging projects in different markets.
Photo: Orit Gadiesh, Chairman, Bain & Company, USA; Member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum captured during the session 'The Gender Agenda: Putting Parity into Practice' at the Annual Meeting 2010 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 30, 2010 in the Congress Centre. (© World Economic Forum. Photo by Sebastian Derungs.)
Photo: Melinda French Gates, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, USA; Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2010, speaks during the 'Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Pledge' in the Congress Centre of the Annual Meeting 2010 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 29, 2010 . (© World Economic Forum. Photo by Sebastian Derungs.)
Photo: Doris Leuthard, (L) President of the Swiss Confederation and Federal Councillor of Economic Affairs shakes hands with the President of France Nicolas Sarkozy (R), at the congress centre prior to the 'Opening Plenary of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2010' of the Annual Meeting 2010 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, January 27, 2010. (© World Economic Forum. Photo by Michael Wuertenberg.)
The report is the result of a year-long collaboration between the World Economic Forum, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Industry Partners of the World Economic Forum. Guidance was provided by an Expert Committee of 24 leading practitioners from the private and public sectors and academics.
The Report Expert Committee:
• Cressida Hogg, Managing Partner, Infrastructure, 3i Group.
• Robbert Coomans, Advisor to the Board, APG Investments.
• Mustafa Abdel-Wadood, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Abraaj Investment Management.
• Michael Till, Partner and Co-Head, Infrastructure, Actis.
• Hela Cheikhrouhou, Division Manager, Infrastructure Finance, African Development Bank.
• Rajat M. Nag, Managing Director General, Asian Development Bank.
• Graeme Bevans, Vice-President and Head of Infrastructure, CPP Investment Board.
• Stephen Vineburg, Chief Executive Officer, Infrastructure, CVC Capital Partners.
• Hazem Shawki, Managing Partner, EFG-Hermes Private Equity.
• Lennart Blecher, Senior Partner, EQT Partners.
• Pierre Coindreau, Principal Advisor, European PPP Expertise Centre.
• Bayo Ogunlesi, Chairman and Managing Partner, Global Infrastructure Partners.
• Chris Lee, Founder and Managing Partner, Highstar Capital.
• Luis Miranda, President and Chief Executive Officer, IDFC Private Equity.
• Rashad Kaldany, Vice-President, Asia, Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa, International Finance Corporation.
• Marc Lipschultz, Global Head Energy and Infrastructure, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
• Sadek Wahba, Global Head, Morgan Stanley Infrastructure.
• Samara Barend, Former Executive Director, New York State Commission on State Asset Maximization.
• Stephen Dowd, Senior Vice-President, Infrastructure, Ontario Teachers Plan Pension Board.
• Richard Abadie, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Tony Poulter, Global Consulting Leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers.
• Nick Pitts-Tucker, Former General Manager, Co-Head of Corporate Banking Group and Structured Finance Department, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Europe Ltd.
• Ryan Orr, Executive Director, Collaboratory for Research on Global Projects, Stanford University.
• Robert Dove, Managing Director, Infrastructure, The Carlyle Group.
• Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy, US Department of Transportation.
• The Report - Paving the Way: Maximizing the Value of Private Finance. GET IT HERE.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:30 AM | View the original post
August 22, 2010
2011 Jeep Wrangler: Coming Soon
• Chrysler Group LLC has released images of the new 2011 Jeep Wrangler.
"The iconic Jeep Wrangler keeps getting better," said Mike Manley, President and CEO - Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "While retaining unmatched, legendary capability, the 2011 Jeep Wrangler boasts an all-new interior that delivers a host of comfort, convenience and versatility features. In addition, Sahara models now feature a stunning, all-new body-color hard top, for customers looking for a Jeep Wrangler with a more premium appearance."
"New 2011 Jeep Wrangler interior highlights include a redesigned instrument panel and new storage areas with improved ergonomics and upgraded materials. A new lockable console and upgraded door armrest areas boast comfortable touch points, while a redesigned center stack is easier to reach and operate. Heated, power mirrors are now available, and drivers and passengers will enjoy enhanced visibility courtesy of larger rear windows," explained the company. "All-new steering-wheel controls allow the driver to operate the radio, cruise control, hands-free phone and other vehicle functions while keeping hands on the wheel."
To provide a more premium appearance, the 2011 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited Sahara models boast an all-new, premium, body-color hard top.
Several new Jeep Wrangler colors are available for 2011, including Detonator Yellow, Deep Cherry Red, Sahara Tan, Cosmos Blue and Bright White.
Production of the new 2011 Jeep Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited began earlier this week at the Toledo Assembly Complex in Toledo, Ohio.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:22 AM | View the original post
August 19, 2010
Best Colleges in the USA: U.S. News Media Group Announces the 2011 Edition of its Rankings
Photo: A Building at the Harvard University Campus.
• U.S. News Media Group has released the 2011 edition of Best Colleges, which includes rankings of more than 1,400 schools in the USA.
Harvard University is ranked No. 1 among Best National Universities, while Williams College tops the list of Best National Liberal Arts Colleges. The exclusive rankings, available online today at USNews.com, will also be published in the September issue of U.S. News & World Report, on newsstands starting August 31.
Over the past two decades, the U.S. News college rankings, which group schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, has grown to be a comprehensive research tool for students and parents considering higher education opportunities.
"As soaring college costs make the decision more complicated than ever, U.S. News strives to provide students and families with the best information to help guide them through this process," said U.S. News & World Report Editor Brian Kelly. "This year the challenge comes down to finding the right college--at a cost you can afford. The 2011 edition includes specialty rankings, online guides for admission and paying for college advice to help navigate your search."
• Top 5 U.S. National Universities
1. Harvard University (MA)
2. Princeton University (NJ)
3. Yale University (CT)
4. Columbia University (NY)
5. Stanford University (CA)
• Top 5 U.S. National Liberal Arts Colleges
1. Williams College (MA)
2. Amherst College (MA)
3. Swarthmore College (PA)
4. Middlebury College (VT)
4. Wellesley College (MA)
The 2011 Best Colleges feature the established rankings of the Best National Universities and Best National Liberal Arts Colleges, while also including rankings of A+ Schools for B Students, Great Schools at Great Prices, and Up-and-Coming Schools, among others.
• The 2011 Best Colleges package provides an examination of how more than 1,400 accredited four-year schools compare on a set of up to 16 widely accepted indicators of excellence.
Among the many factors weighed in determining the rankings, the key measures of quality are: peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, and for National Universities and National Liberal Art Colleges "graduation rate performance" and high school counselor ratings of colleges.
According to U.S. News, it has made some significant changes to the 2011 Best Colleges' ranking methodology and presentation.
Photo: Free "green bikes" parked at Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont.
• Meanwhile, responding to some dissatisfaction with traditional college rankings and the growing demand for universities to refocus on undergraduate education and value, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) unveiled today its 2011 college evaluations on WhatWillTheyLearn.com.
According to ACTA, its rankings grade more than 700 universities on education -- not reputation.
The free website evaluates more than 700 colleges and universities based on their general education curricula: the core courses aimed at providing a strong foundation of knowledge.
The website assigns each institution a grade from "A" to "F" based on how many of the following seven core subjects it requires: Composition, Mathematics, Science, Economics, Foreign Language, Literature, and American Government or History.
"The crisis in higher education is about more than money - it's about what we are paying for. And when it comes to ensuring graduates possess the basic skills and knowledge they need to succeed, universities are shortchanging students," said ACTA president Anne D. Neal, speaking at the National Press Club.
Photo: College student Stephanie Sequeira, right, buys herself a MacBook Pro while holiday shopping with her friend, Gillian Walsworth, center, at the Apple Store San Francisco. (Foto © Apple)
Key ACTA Findings:
• Colleges and universities have by and large abandoned a coherent content-rich general education curriculum, thereby allowing students to graduate with important gaps in their knowledge:
• More than 60% of all institutions receive a "C" or worse for requiring 3 or fewer subjects.
• Nearly 40% don't require college-level mathematics.
• Less than 5% of colleges and universities require economics.
• Less than a third require intermediate-level foreign language, a broad survey class in American government or history, or literature.
• ACTA concludes that universities have on the whole abdicated their responsibility to direct students to the most important subjects they will need for success after graduation, while continuing to charge a premium. A published report aggregating the data for the more than 700 schools will be sent to trustees of the institutions covered, as well as to the Governors and educational policymakers in the states.
• The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) is an independent non-profit dedicated to academic freedom, academic quality, and accountability, while the U.S. News Media Group is a multi-platform publisher of news analysis, research and rankings which includes the monthly U.S. News & World Report magazine.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:53 AM | View the original post
August 15, 2010
World's Longest Catwalk in Copenhagen, Denmark
Photo: Model and photographer Helena Christensen, who opened the Copenhagen Catwalk. Photo Credit: Jason Mcdonald/Oxfam
• At the culmination of this summer’s Copenhagen Fashion Week, a special fashion event took place in Copenhagen, Denmark on August 14. It was the world record for the longest catwalk ever.
When tourists and Copenhageners took a stroll down the famous pedestrian street “Stroget” in the center of Copenhagen, they were in for a surprise. The street was transformed into one long glamorous runway where 220 models walked 1 mile (1.609 km) and presented the best of Scandinavian fashion this fall. The world famous Danish supermodel Helena Christensen welcomed the people and opened the catwalk.
Photo: Copenhagen - In The Black Diamond you will find exciting exhibitions, guided tours of The Royal Library, café øjeblikket, the Diamond Book Shop, meeting facilities with unobstructed views of the harbour, Christianshavn and Islands Brygge, as well as a beautiful conference and concert hall. All of this wrapped in a unique and inspiring architecture, The Black Diamond. (Foto © copenhagenmediacenter.com/Nicolai Perjesi)
Photo: Copenhagen Jazz Festival takes place each year in July all over Copenhagen. (Foto © copenhagenmediacenter.com/Tuala Hjarnø)
Photo: In 1717, Frederik IV decided that a canal should be dug to divert water from Arresø (one of Denmark’s biggest lakes). Today, the canal flows gently though Frederiksværk, giving the town a particular charm. The many well-preserved old buildings along the canal create a beautiful link between the past and the present. (Foto © copenhagenmediacenter.com/Kasper Thye)
• During the past few years, Copenhagen Fashion Week has developed into a large and renowned event with an international scope. It attracts more than 50,000 buyers, designers and global press.
Not only the industry and buyers are invited, tourists and Copenhageners are also invited to join the party when Copenhagen Fashion Festival takes to the streets. Large parts of Copenhagen are transformed into a fashion Mecca of shows, exhibitions, concerts, trend shows and parties.
According to the event promoters, while the “fashion for the people” concept reflects Danish fashion, the clothes are wearable and affordable.
With the world’s greatest catwalk and a fashion week growing in size, Copenhagen may be trying to become the world’s fifth fashion mecca, following New York, Milan, Paris and London.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:56 AM | View the original post
August 12, 2010
Jaguar Displays Limited Edition XKR175 at Pebble Beach
Photo: Jaguar today revealed the 2011 XKR 175 75th Anniversary Coupe at Monterey Jet Center in Monterey, California, USA. The XKR is a special limited edition which celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Jaguar name. (Foto: Jaguar/Glen Davis)
During the Pebble Beach Automotive Weekend in California, USA, Jaguar is today celebrating its 75th anniversary with the debut of the limited edition 2011 Jaguar XKR175 Coupe at the McCalls Motorworks Revival at the Monterey Jet Center, Monterey, California. This is the first appearance of the exclusive sports car in North America.
From its beginning as a manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars in 1922, Jaguar Cars has grown to become one of the world's premier manufacturers of luxury sedans and sports cars. The company operates two manufacturing plants in the United Kingdom.
According to Jaguar, the XKR175 is powered by a supercharged V8 with 510hp and 461 lb-ft of torque and top speeds raised to an electronically-limited 174mph. To ensure that the XKR175 remains stable at high speeds, a revised aerodynamic package incorporates a new front air dam, new side sills, a new rear diffuser and a larger rear spoiler providing increased balance and a reduction in lift. New 20-inch Kasuga 10-spoke alloy wheels, red brake calipers and Ultimate Black exterior paint adorn the car's exterior.
Production of the XKR175 is limited to 175 vehicles.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:17 PM | View the original post
August 10, 2010
Britain's Paul Bonhomme wins the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship
Photo: Paul Bonhomme of Great Britain in action during Race Day during Round 6 of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship at the Eurospeedway, Lausitz on August 8, 2010 in Germany. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race. © 2010 Getty Images)
Photo: Nigel Lamb of Great Britain in action during Qualifying for Round 6 the Red Bull Air Race World Championship at the Eurospeedway, Lausitz on August 7, 2010 in Germany. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race. © 2010 Getty Images)
Photo: Matthias Dolderer of Germany in action during Qualifying for Round 6 the Red Bull Air Race World Championship at the Eurospeedway, Lausitz on August 7, 2010 in Germany. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race. © 2010 Getty Images)
Photo: Peter Besenyei of Hungary in action during Qualifying for Round 6 the Red Bull Air Race World Championship at the Eurospeedway, Lausitz on August 7, 2010 in Germany. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race. © 2010 Getty Images)
Photo: Playboy bunnies walk in hangar lane during Qualifying Round 6 of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship at the Eurospeedway, Lausitz on August 7, 2010 in Germany. (Photo by Jamie McDonald/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race. © 2010 Getty Images)
Photo: Martin Sonka of Czech Republic takes off during Qualifying for Round 6 the Red Bull Air Race World Championship at the Eurospeedway, Lausitz on August 7, 2010 in Germany. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race. © 2010 Getty Images)
Photo: Nigel Lamb of Great Britain in action during Race Day for Round 6 of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship at the Eurospeedway, Lausitz on August 8, 2010 in Germany. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race. © 2010 Getty Images)
Photo: Paul Bonhomme of Great Britain celebrates winning the Red Bull Air Race World Championship at the Eurospeedway, Lausitz on August 8, 2010 in Germany. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race. © 2010 Getty Images)
Photo: Members of the support team of Hannes Arch of Austria watch Qualifying for Round 6 of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship at the Eurospeedway, Lausitz on August 8, 2010 in Germany. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race. © 2010 Getty Images)
Photo: Yoshihide Muroya of Japan in action during Round 6, training day 2 of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship at the Eurospeedway, Lausitz on August 6, 2010 in Germany. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race. © 2010 Getty Images)
Photo: Nicolas Ivanoff of France pushes his plane during Round 6, training day 1 of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship at the Eurospeedway, Lausitz on August 5, 2010 in Germany. (Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race. © 2010 Getty Images)
Photo: Kirby Chambliss of USA in action during Round 6, training day 1 of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship at the Eurospeedway, Lausitz on August 5, 2010 in Germany. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images for Red Bull Air Race. © 2010 Getty Images)
• Britain's Paul Bonhomme won the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship by taking second place behind Austria's Hannes Arch in the final race of the season at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Germany on Sunday, August 8, 2010.
In another thrilling duel, Australia's Matt Hall got the third podium of his career with third place in the 50th race in the sport's history while Germany's Matthias Dolderer finished seventh to the delight of the big home crowd. A total of 118,000 spectators watched the racing this weekend.
• Bonhomme, who also won the 2009 championship, finished the six-race season with 64 points and two victories, in Abu Dhabi and New York. Arch, the 2008 champion, ends the year with 60 points and four wins, in Perth, Rio, Windsor and Germany. Britain's Nigel Lamb ended up third overall on 55 points.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:36 AM | View the original post
August 4, 2010
UNITED COLORS OF BENETTON: AUTUMN/WINTER 2010/2011
United Colors of Benetton offers freedom of choice for the new winter season.
Here is how the Benetton Headquarters in Italy describe the United Colors of Benetton Autumn/Winter 2010/2011 Women's Collection:
SPARKLING DENIM - The theme centres around denim, the quintessential casual fabric. Presented in different versions and teamed with other materials, its versatility is shown to best effect. Denim and faux leather for a bold, edgy woman. Denim and jumbo sequins for tongue-in-cheek fun. Denim and wool cloth to reject the carved-in-stone rules in the books. The palette displays a range of dark shades, starting with black and going through the various stages of blue to finish with flashes of white. The fit is decidedly slim, top and bottom, and puts the accent on leg length.
WOOD WOOL - Nature's patterns suggest new stories to tell in fabric weaves or jersey-cotton prints. Layers of jersey, strata of woven cloth, interweaving yarns and georgette draping create volumes reminiscent of the movement of wood, indentations in the rocks, the frothy scrolls of sea waves. An overall look that could not be softer or more romantic. The colours echo the same atmosphere and borrow the shades of tree bark, of light leaf veins, the clearness of mountain streams.
PRIMITIVE - Inspired by white, fluffy wool and everything that evokes warmth and softness, this theme is mainly about outerwear and knits. In fact cloaks with a belt fastening and chunky-stitch sweaters can be considered the key items of this "capsule collection". The look is completed with mottled wool jersey articles. Colours range from natural whites to shades of beige to reflect the purity of Mother Earth. The fit, of course, is softly clingy all the way down the silhouette.
IN THE MOOD - The palette has schemes of strong, bold colours borrowed from the cartoon world. Tweety yellow for cloth coats, Little Mermaid turquoise for chunky wool sweaters, a Teletubbies rainbow for padded jackets and dresses. These bright shades are teamed with the mottled grey of sweatshirts and harem pants. Generally speaking, this look is a mixture of shapes and volumes that can be adjusted according to mood.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:33 AM | View the original post
August 1, 2010
UN Academic Forum calls on Businesses to Balance Social and Economic Objectives
Photo: Outside the United Nations Headquarters, flags fly in the north end of the building, on a sunny fall day. UN Photo/Mark Garten.
Photo: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) meets with Christy Turlington, model and maternal health advocate, at a documentary film forum entitled "Envision: Addressing Global Issues through Documentaries". This Millennium Development Goals-focused forum is the result of collaboration between the non-profit Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) and the Department of Public Information. New York, United States. UN Photo/Mark Garten.
Photo: Trudie Styler, Co-founder of the Rainforest Foundation, addresses the General Assembly's informal meeting on climate change and the status of intergovernmental negotiations. Ms. Styler discussed the work of her foundation in protecting tropical rainforests and their indigenous populations. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Evan Schneider.
Educators and administrators from 37 countries, meeting at the second UN Global Forum on Responsible Management Education, recently held in New York, called on business leaders to better balance social and economic objectives and encouraged management education to prepare future leaders for this challenge.
• At the end of the conference, participants representing business schools and other academic institutions exhorted business to emphasize societal value just as much as its commitment to shareholder return.
Assuring their support for researchers, task forces and associations dedicated to the globalization of business education and development of effective leaders, academic leaders participating in the forum reaffirmed their commitment to the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). The UN-backed initiative was launched in 2007 to better prepare current and future organizational leaders for their dual roles as economic developer and societal servant.
The Global Forum for Responsible Management Education, was organized by the PRME Secretariat and hosted by Fordham University Schools of Business.
Photo: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with Michael Doyle, Harold Brown Professor of U.S. Foreign and Security Policy at Columbia University. 28 July 2010. United Nations, New York . UN Photo/John McIlwaine.
Photo: Actress and fashion model Patricia Velasquez addresses a press conference on the "Fashion for Development" project in Colombia and its implementation in the context of achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The project aims at applying traditional techniques in manufacturing goods for the fashion industry. United Nations, New York. UN Photo/Mark Garten.
Photo: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon meets with Kurara Chibana, United Nations World Food Programme Celebrity Partner and 2006 Miss Universe from Japan. Tokyo, Japan. UN Photo/Mark Garten.
• Following is the Declaration of the 2nd Global Forum for Responsible Management Education, New York, NY.
"For more than 100 years, management education has sought to provide business leaders with the tools to invigorate economic growth. Yet economic gain is no longer a solitary end in the hearts and minds of the globe's six billion people. Business must emphasize societal and environmental value just as much as its commitment to shareholder return. Management education must also enhance its curricula, pedagogy, research and incentives, as well as lead by example, to prepare organizational leaders who will balance economic and social development.
We support the numerous business schools and universities, companies, governments, civil society groups and associations dedicated to the globalization of business education and development of effective leaders. These initiatives inspire us to make management education the hallmark for responsible leadership.
The Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), written in 2007 and now endorsed by over 300 business schools from 62 countries, serve as guidelines for management education providers to better prepare current and future organizational leaders for their dual roles as economic developer and societal steward. Yet with more than 12,000 business degree granting institutions worldwide, our job has just begun. We aspire to the goal of 1,000 PRME schools by 2015. We urge business schools to adopt the Principles and organizations to balance their economic and social objectives.
-- Endorsed by the participants of the 2nd Global Forum for Responsible Management Education."
• Launched in 2007, the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) provide framework for academic institutions to advance corporate social responsibility through the incorporation of universal values into curricula and research. The PRME is coordinated by a Steering Committee constituted of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), the Aspen Institute's Business and Society Program, the European Academy for Business in Society (EABIS), the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI), Net Impact, and the United Nations Global Compact.
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"You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand."
-- Woodrow Wilson (28th President of the United States. President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910).
"Riches do not consist in the possession of treasures, but in the use made of them."
-- Napoleon Bonaparte.
"There must be, not a balance of power, but a community of power; not organized rivalries, but an organized peace."
-- Woodrow Wilson (28th President of the United States. President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910).
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