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More than 200 University Students from 35 Countries Form a Transnational Learning Community Onboard The Scholar Ship.
Photo: Two students embark The Scholar Ship in Piraeus,Greece, for the inaugural voyage of the oceangoing study abroad program -- the first developed for an international student body. The ship will travel to four continents over 16 weeks with more than 200 university students from 35 countries onboard.
The Scholar Ship, the first oceangoing study-abroad program developed specifically for an international student body, started its maiden voyage from Athens, Greece yesterday. More than 200 undergraduate and postgraduate students from 35 countries will travel to four continents over 16 weeks.
The Scholar Ship, backed by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., and supported by seven international universities, will immerse students and faculty in an intercultural living and learning environment aboard a 201-meter ocean liner specially equipped for the academic program.
Students and staff are embarking on The Scholar Ship in Piraeus, Athens on a westward course to Lisbon, Portugal; Panama City, Panama; Guayaquil, Ecuador; Papeete, Tahiti; Auckland, New Zealand; Sydney, Australia; and Shanghai, Macau and Hong Kong in China. Ports of call provide extensive educational opportunities for students through a port program in which students participate in academic field study, community service and independent travel.
Seven international universities collaborated in the curricula development for The Scholar Ship, including the University of California, Berkeley and Macquarie University in Sydney, which has been designated to award academic credit to students. Other participating "Academic Stewards" include Fudan University, China; Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico; Cardiff University, United Kingdom; Al Akhawayn University, Morocco; and the University of Ghana.
Multinational corporations such as IBM, Microsoft and HSBC Bank also have been engaged to ensure that the program's learning outcomes are relevant and practical for students. The Scholar Ship's introduction reflects the increased interest in enriching study abroad programs worldwide. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:05 AM | View the original post
Photo: Following the previous five Abaete for Payless seasonal collections, Payless and Laura Poretzky unveiled the Spring 08 collection on the runway at the Abaete show at New York Fashion Week. The footwear and accessory line features bold Miami hues, vintage-inspired silhouettes and ruched pleat details in silk crepe fabric, perforated kidskin leather, stretch linen and snake skin. The collection will be offered at traditional Payless prices and will be available in select Payless stores next spring. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:47 AM | View the original post
Photo: Siemens Mail Sorting Equipment. Here mail is being processed in Switzerland, where Siemens is already supplying the equipment and serving as project partner.
ATLANTA, Sept. 5 -- Siemens announced today that it has been awarded a $54.6 million contract modification from the United States Postal Service (USPS) for additional mail sorting equipment.
The award encompasses an additional 110 Delivery Bar Code Sorter (DBCS 6) machines to expand USPS' existing fleet of letter sorting equipment. Siemens will provide installation and associated integrated logistics support services for the new machines in addition to carts used to transport trays of sorted mail. Production and installation of the DBCS 6 order is expected to be completed by April 31, 2008. This is the second order for the DBCS 6. In November 2006, Siemens was awarded a $109.4 million contract for 211 of those machines.
The DBCS is the most widely deployed mail-processing platform for letters within the Postal Service with more than 6,000 machines operating nationwide USA. Almost every letter will pass through these machines several times as it makes its way through the postal network. The need for additional equipment is driven by the 2 million delivery points, comprising U.S. households and businesses that the Postal Service will be adding to its service over the next year.
Siemens Postal Automation, a division of the Siemens Industrial Solutions and Services (I&S) Group, is a global market leader in mail sorting, reading and coding as well as parcel and freight handling solutions. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:39 AM | View the original post
Photo: Tracy Reese, "Mercedes-Benz Presents" designer at Mercedes Benz FashionWeek's Spring 2008 shows. (Mercedes-Benz USA)
NEW YORK, Sept. 4 -- Mercedes-Benz USA has set the stage for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2008 Shows at Bryant Park. On the runway, Mercedes-Benz is presenting the Tracy Reese Spring 2008 Collection. Tracy Reese is an American Designer whose collection of feminine apparel and accessories have cultivated an international following. Tracy Reese is available at the Tracy Reese Flagship Boutique in New York City, nationwide USA at fine top department stores and specialty boutiques, including Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Scoop, Intermix and Anthropologie and at select retailers throughout Europe and Asia.
Backstage, Mercedes-Benz has partnered with Architectural Digest and superstar designer of interiors, S. Russell Groves, for this season's Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge.
Photo: 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster, on display at Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek's Spring 2008 shows. (Mercedes-Benz USA)
And in grand lobby at Bryant Park, Mercedes-Benz is showcasing a classic 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster and its modern-day counterpart, the spectacular 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster.
Photo: 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster on display at Mercedes-Benz FashionWeek's Spring 2008 shows. (Mercedes-Benz USA)
Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:23 AM | View the original post
Photo: Panama City -- September 4, 2007 -- Thousands gathered in a ceremony near Paraiso Hill in Panama to celebrate the beginning of the first-ever expansion of the nearly 100-year-old Panama Canal. The symbolic blast inaugurated the first construction project for expansion. (Photo Credit: The Panama Canal Authority)
Joining former US President Carter at the event were regional presidents, including Colombia's Alvaro Uribe, Honduras' Manuel Zelaya, Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega and El Salvador's Elias Antonio Saca. Jose Miguel Inzulsa, secretary-general of the Organization of American States, also was among an estimated 40,000 people at the ceremony.
When complete, the expanded canal will accommodate ships capable of carrying 12,000 containers, up from a maximum 5,000 containers.
The Panama Canal (Spanish: Canal de Panamá) is a major ship canal that traverses the Isthmus of Panama in Central America, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Construction of the canal was one of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken. A ship sailing from New York to San Francisco via the canal travels 9,500 km (6,000 miles), well under half the 22,500 km (14,000 mi) route around Cape Horn.
Since opening, the canal has been enormously successful, and continues to be a key conduit for international shipping. Each year more than 14,000 ships pass through the canal, carrying more than 205 million tons of cargo.
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) is the autonomous agency of the Government of Panama in charge of managing, operating and maintaining the Panama Canal. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:27 AM | View the original post
Photo: In the September 10 issue of Newsweek (on newsstand Monday, September 3): "Lazy Like a Fox." Newsweek profiles Fred Thompson, looking at whether he's got the fire to do what it takes to win a presidential campaign. (Photo Credit: NEWSWEEK)
NEW YORK, Sept. 2 -- As Fred Thompson prepares to formally begin his campaign for the White House this week, after months of "testing the waters," the conventional wisdom in Washington is that Thompson doesn't want it badly enough, isn't willing to work hard enough -- put bluntly, that he is lazy. Thompson knows what people say about him -- and it bugs him, Newsweek reports in the current issue. "Fred was grumping to me about that the other day," Howard Baker, the former Tennessee senator and Reagan White House chief of staff who was one of Thompson's political mentors, tells Newsweek. "I told him, 'They've got to criticize you for something, and that's not a bad one, because you can disprove it'."
In the September 10 Newsweek cover, "Lazy Like a Fox" (on newsstands Monday, September 3), White House Correspondent Holly Bailey examines Thompson's career as a politician, lawyer and lobbyist and the impact it will have on his presidential campaign. "He needs to show he has the appetite for a presidential campaign, and he hasn't shown that yet," says a top White House official who did not want to be named sticking a knife in the back of a fellow Republican. "It's the hardest work in the world. I'm not sure he wants to work that hard." |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:36 AM | View the original post
Photo: Czech's Nicole Vaidisova defeats, 6-2, 7-6, Italy's Flavia Pennetta in their second round match of the Tennis US Open tournament held at the Arthur Ashe stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York City, NY, USA on August 30, 2007 (Abaca Press)
The U.S. Open is heating up with favorites Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin all advancing to third round action. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:34 PM | View the original post
Photo: 2003 Oldsmobile Alero.
MIAMI, Aug. 30 -- As General Motors' empire started to crumble, automotive expert Bob Horvath was hardly surprised.
"In fact, Detroit's Big Three forgot how to satisfy customers and dealers back in the eighties," says Horvath, a 40-year GM veteran, who details one of the carmaker's notable missteps in "Project 2000: The Rise and Fall of Oldsmobile."
In the mid-80's, when GM had Oldsmobile, their world market share was 54 percent. In 2007, it has declined to 13 percent, according to Automotive News.
The key to success in the car industry is simple. Keep customers happy by giving them the products they want, and keep your dealers happy too. Horvath says GM forgot about all that and squandered its market dominance in the process.
Horvath continues, "GM's attitude and regime change in the mid-80's allowed Japan to make significant inroads in the U.S. and world-wide auto industry."
Failure to recognize consumer demand for a Toyota Camry-type or Honda Accord-type car, and failure to compete in this market, partly led Toyota to becoming the world's number-one auto manufacturer through June of 2007, Horvath says.
Tatsuya Mizuno, a Fitch Ratings auto analyst, said it was inevitable that GM would hand over its crown to Toyota at the end of 2007, ending its 76-year reign as the world's best-selling automaker.
"One key element in GM's demise was the closing of the Oldsmobile Division. From 1970 to 1985, the Olds Cutlass was the number-one selling car in America and Oldsmobile was the most sought-after franchise in the world. Oldsmobile went from best to worst in 20 years and became a dinosaur in October 2005," says Horvath.
Horvath said another key element contributing to GM's declining share was a secret project that GM called "Project 2000" which was the systematic elimination of dealers to take place by the year 2000. This benefited GM's upper management at the expense of the dealers who were betrayed.
Horvath, who had a front seat to the "Project 2000" scheme hatched by GM, offers an insider's viewpoint in his book why GM has lost its spot as the perennial number-one carmaker to Japan's Toyota, and backs it up by hundreds of documents contained in the book. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:10 PM | View the original post
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 29 -- During her award-winning 30-year music career, Amy Grant has sold more than 30 million albums around the world. EMI CMG Label Group and EMI Music Marketing have partnered with Amy Grant Productions for an in-depth global catalog campaign, including remastered catalog titles and digital sales initiatives. On October 2, Amy Grant's first-ever career and label-spanning hits collection, Greatest Hits, will be released around the world in CD and Special Edition CD/DVD packages and digitally. In the U.S., the new title will be released by Sparrow/EMI America Records.
Amy Grant has achieved unparalleled success as a crossover Contemporary Christian artist. In the U.S. alone, Grant's achievements include nine platinum and platinum-plus albums and nine gold albums, six Grammy Awards and 21 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:37 PM | View the original post
Research Shows How 'Boiling Frog Syndrome' Is Recipe for Unintentional Misconduct.
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 28 -- In the wake of ethical debacles in major businesses like Enron, Tyco and WorldCom, new research from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University suggests that unethical behavior in corporate settings is often not born of a deliberate intent to defraud by a few bad apples. Rather, it's the slow erosion of individuals' behavior within the organization - small deviations that eventually become part of the norm - that go unnoticed and unreported, highlighting the need for companies to redouble their commitment to an open, transparent corporate culture.
Unethical behavior that develops incrementally over time, or along the "slippery slope," is much less likely to be noticed by an individual, according to the study "Slippery Slopes and Misconduct: The Effect of Gradual Degradation on the Failure To Notice Others' Unethical Behavior." Co-author Francesca Gino, visiting assistant professor in organizational behavior at the Tepper School, conducted a series of experiments testing individuals' ability to observe and identify ethical misconduct that occurred either gradually or abruptly. The research was conducted in partnership with Max Bazerman, the Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School.
"We find that most individuals are more apt to engage in unethical behavior when it falls along the slippery slope, because they aren't aware that it's happening," Gino said. She noted that, in many ways, it's similar to the "boiling frog syndrome," referring to the adage that frogs immediately hop out of boiling water, but when put in unheated water fail to notice a gradually rising temperature and eventually cook to death.
According to Gino, members of an organization may eventually realize that something is wrong, but by then may believe they have a conflict of interest for failing to report the misconduct and thus ignore the unethical conduct and contribute to it becoming ingrained in the culture. "Once the ethical line has been crossed, an institutionalization of corruption can occur in which unethical acts become a common part of daily activities and people often have a vested interest in remaining quiet," she said.
Gino and Bazerman conducted four experiments with 330 subjects who were shown pictures of jars filled with pennies, with each experiment providing different estimates for the amount of money in the jars. Some of the changes in estimates were gradual while others were more abrupt. Subjects were asked to play the role of "approver," accepting or rejecting the estimates, and were told that they and the estimators would be paid more for higher-approved estimates; however, they would risk a penalty for approving egregiously exaggerated estimates. Overwhelmingly, the results indicated that individuals were much less likely to notice this "unethical behavior" when it occurred gradually rather than abruptly.
Gino and her colleague also sought to gauge the effects of incentives, such as the increased payments for higher-approved estimates, on participants' tendencies to overlook gradual degradation. In the end, they discovered that such incentives made little difference in the perception of others' ethical behavior. Gino says these findings provide further evidence to support the conclusion that failure to notice gradual erosion -- and not a deliberate attempt to defraud -- is to blame.
According to Gino, the best way for companies to combat unintentional tendencies that may represent unethical behavior is to focus on changing the organizational factors that make these types of gradual breakdowns possible, rather than attempting to change individual employee behavior. Within an organization, the human resources department is best suited to spearhead efforts at such reform, she says.
But, first and foremost, says Gino, "Companies must more clearly and consistently communicate ethical standards to employees and strive to create a culture in which there's a commitment to doing the right thing and in which people are encouraged to speak up." While Gino acknowledges that there is a role for industry-specific regulation to address some aspects of unethical conduct, she adds that such regulation should be carefully scrutinized to assess other, unintended consequences.
Founded in 1949, the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon is a pioneer in the field of management science and analytical decision-making. The school's notable contributions to the intellectual community include six Nobel laureates and a consistent presence in the top tier of business school rankings. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:02 PM | View the original post
Beatboxing Singer Working on Debut Album Due for Release Late 2007.
Blake Lewis, the popular runner-up on the sixth season of "American Idol," has been signed to 19 Recordings / ARISTA Records and is already working on his debut album with a stellar line-up of producers and songwriters. The album is due for release in late 2007.
Lewis, who has already charted on 'The Billboard Hot 100' with his versions of Bon Jovi's "You Give Love a Bad Name" and the Zombies' "Time of the Season," has been finding time to go into the studio to work on his first album while touring the United States and Canada on the "American Idols Live" tour. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:47 PM | View the original post
Along with Tom Brokaw, they will be honored at the International Center for Journalists Awards Dinner on Nov. 13.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 -- The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) has named Egyptian blogger Wael Abbas and Burmese investigative reporter May Thingyan Hein as the 2007 Knight International Journalism Award winners.
They will be honored along with Founders Award recipient Tom Brokaw at the 10th annual ICFJ Awards Dinner at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC, on November 13. The dinner also will feature Keynote Speaker Bob Woodruff and Master of Ceremonies George Stephanopoulos.
The International Center for Journalists, a non-profit, professional organization, promotes quality journalism worldwide in the belief that independent, vigorous media are crucial in improving the human condition. Since 1984, ICFJ has worked directly with more than 40,000 journalists from 176 countries. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:46 PM | View the original post
New Album from the 'King of Cool' Strikes a Chord with Youth Market; iTunes, Yahoo! Music, AOL Music, MP3.com and MySpace Help To Lead the Charge.
Around the world, entertainment superstar Dean Martin has the market cornered on charisma, easygoing charm, playful wit, and gracious humility, all of which combine to make him infinitely cool to each new generation of fans. Released worldwide on August 14 by Capitol/EMI, Martin's new all-star collaborations album, Forever Cool, debuts at #39 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart, with first week sales totaling 17,242.
More than 40 years after knocking the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" out of the #1 chart position with "Everybody Loves Somebody" in 1964, Dean Martin continues to enthrall music fans around the world. Said famed producer Phil Ramone, "I think Dean's whole re-birth, so to speak, is that young people have realized how cool he is and how funny he is ... and he could sing."
Said Martin's daughter, Gail Martin, "It gives me a warm glow to know that everybody -- all ages, all generations -- just seem to adore him and want more of him. That's exciting, and it doesn't surprise me." |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:20 PM | View the original post
Photo: This 1956 Ferrari 250 GT sold for $1,100,000. It was one of many classic vintage cars that sold for over one million dollars at the Gooding and Company Pebble Beach Auction.
Gooding and Company announced its top results from the company's first-ever two-night Pebble Beach Auction event this weekend, held annually following the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. A high-energy atmosphere set the tone for a capacity filled crowd of bidders at both Saturday and Sunday's auctions that garnered a record breaking more than $60 million dollars in sales. The multiple record-breaking sales included the 1931 Blower Bentley from the E. Ann Klein Estate for $4.51 million dollars along with a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB California Spider, which sold for $4,455,000.00.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:17 AM | View the original post
Advance orders begin today on Walmart.com for Eagles' first album of new music in 28 years.
Photo: Eagles CD cover - Long Road Out of Eden. (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
Today, August 20, Wal-Mart announced it will begin accepting advance orders for the Eagles' first studio album of new music in 28 years, "Long Road Out of Eden." Fans nationwide USA can now pre-order the album on Walmart.com and receive a free MP3 download of the new radio-released single How Long with purchase.
The "Long Road Out of Eden" CD, scheduled for an October release, will be sold exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club in the U.S. and Canada and through Walmart.com and Samsclub.com.
Photo: Eagles band members. (Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.)
The Eagles have sold more than 120 million albums worldwide, earning four #1 U.S. singles and four Grammy Awards. "Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975" is the best-selling album of all time, exceeding sales of 29 million units. Eagles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:43 AM | View the original post
Germany: Nuremberg's public transport system has been "electrified" by a diesel-electric hybrid bus developed by MAN. The vehicle is equipped with drive-system technology from Siemens. The prototype, which also features a special brake energy recovery system, uses up to 25 percent less fuel than conventional buses. The drive system consists of series-produced components, which means mass production of the bus is a possibility that MAN is planning to turn into reality by 2010. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:28 PM | View the original post
A gouge on space shuttle Endeavour’s belly does not need to be repaired in orbit, NASA has decided after several days of testing, analysis and deliberation.
The decision came Thursday night after a five-hour meeting of mission managers. They opted against any risky spacewalk repairs based on the overwhelming — but not unanimous — recommendations of hundreds of engineers.
Pictured: STS-118 mission specialist astronaut/teacher Barbara R. Morgan looks over procedures checklists on the middeck of Space Shuttle Endeavour while docked with the International Space Station. (UPI)
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 12:21 PM | View the original post
Survey Reveals Most Americans Can't Name Nation's Founding Fathers.
Photo: The obverse (heads side) of the Thomas Jefferson $1 Coin was designed and sculpted by Joe Menna, a United States Mint Medallic Artist. The reverse (tails side) on all the Presidential $1 Coins is a magnificent image of the Statue of Liberty, designed and sculpted by United States Mint Sculptor-Engraver Don Everhart.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 -- A survey commissioned by the United States Mint has found that most Americans don't know that Thomas Jefferson was their Nation's third President and a shockingly small number could name the first four Presidents in order. The United States Mint released the findings of the Presidential $1 Coin Survey, as the third Presidential $1 Coin featuring Jefferson heads into circulation nationwide USA tomorrow.
"That's what's great about the Presidential $1 Coin Program," said United States Mint Director Ed Moy in an event today for the new Jefferson coin at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington. "This series of circulating coins provides the perfect opportunity for Americans to learn more about our Presidents and the critical role they played in some of our Nation's historic milestones."
Only 7 percent of those surveyed could name the Nation's first four Presidents in order: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. When asked specifically about Thomas Jefferson, only 30 percent knew that he was their Nation's third President. However, slightly more than half of Americans, 57%, knew that Thomas Jefferson was the main author of the Declaration of Independence, the Presidential $1 Coin Survey revealed.
The United States Mint celebrated the new Thomas Jefferson $1 Coin by allowing visitors to the Jefferson Memorial to exchange dollar bills for the new coins one day ahead of their official release. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:58 PM | View the original post
Photo: Minnesota Vikings instant replay technician Lauri Karpinen examines an on-field play August 10, 2007 using the new high definition instant replay system installed by Harris Corporation. The National Football League last week became the first major sports league to use the new HD instant replay system, which provides referees with the sharpest images possible for determining questionable calls. Harris Corporation, a digital broadcast equipment pioneer, installed the equipment at 28 NFL stadiums for use during the 2007-08 season. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 3:29 AM | View the original post
"I'm in this to win, I want to win, and I think we will win. But I'm also going to emerge intact. I'm going to be Barack Obama and not some parody."
Photo: Senator Barack Obama is the first politician to be on the cover of GQ since presidential running mates Bill Clinton and Al Gore appeared in November 1992.
NEW YORK, Aug. 13 -- Senator Barack Obama is conducting a determined and closely watched bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. And yet the candidate remains a citizen, son, husband, and father. In an in-depth cover story for the September issue, GQ correspondent Ryan Lizza reports on Obama's campaign trail life and the successes and challenges he's experienced as a presidential candidate in 2007.
GQ is the leading men's general-interest magazine and part of Conde Nast Publications. |GlobalGiants.com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:05 PM | View the original post
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