Cannes
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Trump - aSmallworld.net magazine
"I tried on a 300,000-dollar necklace; it felt wonderful" managed to belt out Quest Magazine's Elizabeth Meigher as her car drove away from the Madison Avenue boutique on the night of February 5th. In this occasion, Ivanka Trump opened the doors of her recently inaugurated boutique, featuring her own jewellery collection, to ASW Members in celebration of Valentine's Day. The pieces, which sport an exquisitely tasteful signature oval shape, were the centre of attention of the evening and merged seamlessly in an Ivanka Trump-signature coral-tinted sea of New York ASW Members.
Ivanka Trump, Steve and Heather Mnuchin, ASW's Joe Robinson
As she walked through the flagship boutique, an effortlessly stunning Trump would come up to greet guests personally. "How are you? It's nice to see you. Thank you for coming," the New York Real Estate heiress would say. As for her favourite piece of jewellery in the room, Trump responded, " Too hard to tell. I like them all."
Eric and Kimberly Villency, Donald Jr. and Vanessa Trump
The guests—mostly gentlemen—were greeted by an assortment of Johnnie Walker Gold cocktails and were invited to peruse the collection in search of, as Trump herself put it, "the perfect Valentine's Day gift." Guests like Fabian Basabe, who made an appearance with pal Chudney Ross, also found it hard to choose a favourite: "They're all beautiful," Basabe said.
Some of the most notable guests in attendance included ASW's Joe Robinson, Holly Doran, and Sabine Heller along with Donald Trump Jr., Vanessa Trump, Dimitri de Yougoslavie, Vogue's Genevieve Bahrenberg, Addison O'Dea, Tara Subkoff, Nicola Blatsiotis, Alex Sapir, Steve and Heather Mnuchin, Joseph Varet, Pheobe Gubelmann and Eric Villency, who arrived accompanied by wife Kimberly. When asked about the jewellery, the furniture designer replied: "The collection is fantastic. She [Ivanka] did a great job."
Alonso Dominguez
Ivanka Trump, Steve and Heather Mnuchin, ASW's Joe Robinson
As she walked through the flagship boutique, an effortlessly stunning Trump would come up to greet guests personally. "How are you? It's nice to see you. Thank you for coming," the New York Real Estate heiress would say. As for her favourite piece of jewellery in the room, Trump responded, " Too hard to tell. I like them all."
Eric and Kimberly Villency, Donald Jr. and Vanessa Trump
The guests—mostly gentlemen—were greeted by an assortment of Johnnie Walker Gold cocktails and were invited to peruse the collection in search of, as Trump herself put it, "the perfect Valentine's Day gift." Guests like Fabian Basabe, who made an appearance with pal Chudney Ross, also found it hard to choose a favourite: "They're all beautiful," Basabe said.
Some of the most notable guests in attendance included ASW's Joe Robinson, Holly Doran, and Sabine Heller along with Donald Trump Jr., Vanessa Trump, Dimitri de Yougoslavie, Vogue's Genevieve Bahrenberg, Addison O'Dea, Tara Subkoff, Nicola Blatsiotis, Alex Sapir, Steve and Heather Mnuchin, Joseph Varet, Pheobe Gubelmann and Eric Villency, who arrived accompanied by wife Kimberly. When asked about the jewellery, the furniture designer replied: "The collection is fantastic. She [Ivanka] did a great job."
Alonso Dominguez
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Michael Moore - A hero
Michael Moore
born: 23-04-1954
birth place: Flint, Michigan
An unlikely political figure, bumbling along in glasses, cap and baggy jeans, Michael Moore is America’s most fearless and populist political commentator. A passive aggressive, Moore’s style is to hurl himself into major issues with wit and humour, and hope his energy captures public opinion. He believes fervently in the common man’s stand against the State.
Moore’s politics is home grown. Born in Flint, a town then dominated by General Motors car plants, he saw his Irish father and grandfather earn their livelihood at the factories, and then watched as a town of men like them were sacked, as GM relocated to cheaper labour pools in Mexico. The town was left destitute as GM and its shareholders' profits fattened.
Moore’s lust to reveal cooperate injustice and misdemeanour began when he was an Eagle Scout and made a slide show exposing all the businesses that polluted Flint. At 18, Moore won a seat on the Flint school board, making him one of the youngest people in the US to hold public office.
Preferring activism to study, Moore became a journalist on the 'Flint Voice' and, in time he became editor, and the paper expanded into the 'Michigan Voice'. The outspoken writer graduated to editor of 'Mother Jones', the leftist political journal in 1986, though frequent arguments with the publishers made the partnership a short one.
Moore used his 'Mother Jones' settlement money as the seed for 'Roger & Me' - a documentary film describing GM’s part in the economic collapse of Flint. Determined to get the story on the air, Moore had to sell his house and host bingo evenings to finish the film. It was one of the most financially successful documentaries ever.
Moore then dabbled in TV, but could not get his ratings up, so in 1996 he wrote 'Downsize This' - a political commentary. It was a best seller. Since then, Moore has continued to write and make successful documentaries - 'Bowling For Columbine' (2002) won a Jury Award at the Cannes Film Festival.
Moore is a fierce and very public critic of George W Bush, his administratiion and the US invasion of Iraq. His hard hitting documentary, 'Fahrenheit 9/11', an attack on Bush's ability to run the US, has become a worldwide blockbuster, becoming the highest grossing documentary of all time.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Art Basel - aSmallworld.net magazine...
Another art fair?
Art Basel Miami Beach is no ordinary art fair. It’s the pulsating tropical souk of the frenzied contemporary art market. And it’s a mega massive deal. It’s almost impossible to estimate how much art is sold since Basel is not the only art fair in town in early December, but in 2006 estimates suggest that the number was around $500 million.
Who goes?
Virtually everyone in the art world gets down to Miami for the week. Throw in some rockers and rappers, fashion types, nightlife impresarios, socials and you have a fête like no other. Last year, the guest list looked something like this: Larry Gagosian, John Currin, Kanye West, Nadja Swarovski and Zaha Hadid. Expect a similarly high-voltage atmosphere this year.
So I can pick up something for the mantle piece?
The options for browsing and buying of all manner of art are phenomenal. Over 200 galleries representing the biggest names in contemporary art will set up shop at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The main fair also includes enough talks and satellite exhibitions to keep the keenest art buff busy. The Art Positions section, which features 20 art projects housed in shipping containers on the beach at Collins Park, is a perennial favorite. Check out the various lounges such as the Cartier Art Guest Lounge, designed by architect Jean Nouvel and the Visionaire SOUND lounge at the Raleigh hotel, where you can hear audio works from the likes of David Byrne, Robert Wilson, Cat Power and Cindy Sherman.
See official Art Basel website for full list of programs: www.artbaselmiamibeach.com
Is that it?
No, the art fest extends beyond the Convention Center. Explore the many alternative art fairs spread around the Miami area.
Design junkies should head to Design Miami, which takes place from Dec. 7-9 (www.designmiami.com). This year, former Issey Miyake collaborator, Tokujin Yoshioka is being honored as the designer of the year. His name might not be as familiar as say previous honorees – Zaha Hadid and Marc Newson – but we’re guessing that it will be soon.
For the next-generation of Gagasosians and John Currins, go to the NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) fair, which runs from Dec. 5-9. Exhibitors include hip young galleries, such as New York’s Rivington Arms. This year, the fair will host the benefit for the spanking New Museum on New York’s Bowery. The night will include a performance by San Francisco rockers Deerhoof and artist Ken Kagami. For tickets, see www.newartdealers.org
SCOPE Miami (Dec. 6-9; www.scope-art.com) celebrates the as-yet-uncelebrated artists. The fair has discounted exhibition space for new galleries in its ‘Breeders’ section. You can count on some provocative performances during the fair. In his Self-Portrait Fight, Shaun El. C Leonardo will reenact a boxing match after training for eight months for the part. Miami artist Jason Hedges’ Vertical Triple Chamber Smoker sculpture will meditate on our existential sustenance: food. He’ll also grill up a storm for visitors on Sunday afternoon.
In its new SoHo Studios location, the three-year old Pulse Miami fair (Dec. 5-9; www.pulse-art.com) will include the U.S. debut of Takashi Murakami’s Japan-based GEISAI show, which will highlight works by artists without current commercial representation.
Having previously used the rooms, walls and courtyard of the Aqua Hotel as gallery space, Aqua Art Miami (Dec. 5-9; www.aquaartmiami.com) is also expanding this year to include a second space in the Wynwood Art District. Go for the West Coast-centric selection of galleries and artists.
Photo enthusiasts and their dogs will be welcomed at Photo Miami (Dec. 5-9; http://artfairsinc.com/photomiami/2007/index.html) for Maarten Wetsema's Dog Shoot installation, which is devoted to dog portraiture. The artist has invited the four-legged loves of Oprah, Madonna and Paris Hilton to sit for him. No word yet on the status of their RSVPs. At least one other animal will turn up since Janet Biggs’ Enemy of the Good performance, an exploration of man’s pursuit of perfection, features a horse – a real one.
Another must-see is the Swarovski Crystal Palace (http://www.swarovskisparkles.com/crystalpalace/crystalpalaceexhibitions.html), which runs Dec. 7-9. This year New York architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro have re-imagined the chandelier as the Light Sock. The result? Oversized mesh bags filled with Swarovski crystals. Like much else at Art Basel, you can buy them to hang at home.
For a different art viewing experience, head to the Miami Beach Marina for the ARTMB, the fair that takes place aboard the SeaFair, a multi-level 228-foot mega-yacht art exhibition space, where you can check out works from artists such as Jeff Koons, Jasper Johns and others. The ship will be docked at the Marina until Dec. 9.
What about the stuff that money can’t buy?
You’ll find that at Miami’s various museums. The Rubell Family Collection (www.rubellfamilycollection.com) is hosting two solo exhibits – Hernan Bas and John Stezaker – as well as a group view of the family’s European art collection, Euro-Centric, Part 1: New European Art from the Rubell Family Collection during the Art Basel week.
Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (www.mocanomi.org) will host a mid-career retrospective of the work of Cuban-born, L.A.-based artist Jorge Pardo from Dec. 4.
The paintings of Cuban-born Enrique Martínez Celaya and audio installations of Canadian duo Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller are on show at the Miami Art Museum (MAM) (www.miamiartmuseum.org). Also check out the exhibit that looks at the Museum’s new building to be designed by Herzog and de Meuron. MAM will also host its Party on the Plaza on Dec.6 and its annual ball, a highlight of the Miami social calendar on Dec. 8.
Curated by Julie Sylvester from St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum, RUSSIA MIAMI (www.russia-art-miami.org) will showcase contemporary Russian art from Dec.3-10.
All art and no play then?
Absolutely not! Miami during Art Basel is as much about the parties – perhaps more so in the opinion of art purists – as the art. The Raleigh hotel is party central. We can’t tell you about the impromptu room parties but there are plenty of dos to which you might want to wrangle invites. For starters, Paper Magazine is hosting a party on Dec. 4 at the Raleigh Oasis. Deitch Projects will open the fair with a concert-soiree featuring Coco Rosie at the same venue on Dec. 5. The same evening D.J. Spooky will be amongst the performers at the Rubell Family Collection dinner to kick off the SCOPE fair film and lecture series. And the Marlborough Gallery is throwing a party in honor of Spanish artist Manolo Valdes at the Setai.
On Dec. 6, Sotheby’s and Mandarin Oriental will celebrate their joint contemporary Asian Art exhibit with a dinner to be attended by Vivienne Tam and honoree, artist Zeng Fanzhi. Also on Dec. 6 is the book launch party for Bob Colacello's OUT at the Raleigh. The next day Tamara Mellon will host a dinner at the Raleigh Ballroom to toast the limited edition handbags designed by Jimmy Choo and artist Richard Phillips.
Also on Dec. 7, Janna Bullock and Thomas Krens, director of the Guggenheim Foundation, will host the Russian Party at the Raleigh Oasis. That same evening, Visionaire will host a preview of Visionaire 53 Sound at the Florida Room at the Delano, hosted by Linda Evangelist. Meanwhile, guests at the Art Nexus Gala will raise their glasses in honor of Haluk Akakçe. On Saturday, the Adidas Y-3 store opening promises to be another must-go on the party schedule.
If you get there earlier, the NADA Gala in aid of the New Museum takes place on Dec. 4. We expect a starry art crowd since the likes of Beth Rudin deWoody, Yvonne Force Villareal and Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy sit on the benefit’s committee. More museum soirees taking place include: The Whitney’s do with David Yurman at the Sagamore on Dec.5 and the MOMA Junior Associates with Vanity Fair and Banana Republic party at the Shore Club on Dec. 7.
And from Dec. 5-7, look up to the sky as “Krug is in the air” or at least it will be in the form of a new luxury hot air balloon designed by Domeau & Peres and Marc Bretillot. The balloon is modeled on the Krug Rooms in London’s Dorchester and Singapore’s Lausanne. Do your best to hitch a free ride. Additionally, make sure to check out Russell Simmons and Allison Weiss Brady's party at Intermix—the soirée will benefit Simmons' charity Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation on Dec. 8.
Finally, don't miss the Cartier Dôme,which features the brand's high jewelry collection and time pieces. Sip champagne and salivate over the gems from Wednesday to Sunday from 2-8pm and Thursday, 2-4pm.
The details
The fair runs from Dec.6-9. For full schedule and programs see www.artbaselmiamibeach.com
—Jessica Ramakrishnan
Art Basel Miami Beach is no ordinary art fair. It’s the pulsating tropical souk of the frenzied contemporary art market. And it’s a mega massive deal. It’s almost impossible to estimate how much art is sold since Basel is not the only art fair in town in early December, but in 2006 estimates suggest that the number was around $500 million.
Who goes?
Virtually everyone in the art world gets down to Miami for the week. Throw in some rockers and rappers, fashion types, nightlife impresarios, socials and you have a fête like no other. Last year, the guest list looked something like this: Larry Gagosian, John Currin, Kanye West, Nadja Swarovski and Zaha Hadid. Expect a similarly high-voltage atmosphere this year.
So I can pick up something for the mantle piece?
The options for browsing and buying of all manner of art are phenomenal. Over 200 galleries representing the biggest names in contemporary art will set up shop at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The main fair also includes enough talks and satellite exhibitions to keep the keenest art buff busy. The Art Positions section, which features 20 art projects housed in shipping containers on the beach at Collins Park, is a perennial favorite. Check out the various lounges such as the Cartier Art Guest Lounge, designed by architect Jean Nouvel and the Visionaire SOUND lounge at the Raleigh hotel, where you can hear audio works from the likes of David Byrne, Robert Wilson, Cat Power and Cindy Sherman.
See official Art Basel website for full list of programs: www.artbaselmiamibeach.com
Is that it?
No, the art fest extends beyond the Convention Center. Explore the many alternative art fairs spread around the Miami area.
Design junkies should head to Design Miami, which takes place from Dec. 7-9 (www.designmiami.com). This year, former Issey Miyake collaborator, Tokujin Yoshioka is being honored as the designer of the year. His name might not be as familiar as say previous honorees – Zaha Hadid and Marc Newson – but we’re guessing that it will be soon.
For the next-generation of Gagasosians and John Currins, go to the NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) fair, which runs from Dec. 5-9. Exhibitors include hip young galleries, such as New York’s Rivington Arms. This year, the fair will host the benefit for the spanking New Museum on New York’s Bowery. The night will include a performance by San Francisco rockers Deerhoof and artist Ken Kagami. For tickets, see www.newartdealers.org
SCOPE Miami (Dec. 6-9; www.scope-art.com) celebrates the as-yet-uncelebrated artists. The fair has discounted exhibition space for new galleries in its ‘Breeders’ section. You can count on some provocative performances during the fair. In his Self-Portrait Fight, Shaun El. C Leonardo will reenact a boxing match after training for eight months for the part. Miami artist Jason Hedges’ Vertical Triple Chamber Smoker sculpture will meditate on our existential sustenance: food. He’ll also grill up a storm for visitors on Sunday afternoon.
In its new SoHo Studios location, the three-year old Pulse Miami fair (Dec. 5-9; www.pulse-art.com) will include the U.S. debut of Takashi Murakami’s Japan-based GEISAI show, which will highlight works by artists without current commercial representation.
Having previously used the rooms, walls and courtyard of the Aqua Hotel as gallery space, Aqua Art Miami (Dec. 5-9; www.aquaartmiami.com) is also expanding this year to include a second space in the Wynwood Art District. Go for the West Coast-centric selection of galleries and artists.
Photo enthusiasts and their dogs will be welcomed at Photo Miami (Dec. 5-9; http://artfairsinc.com/photomiami/2007/index.html) for Maarten Wetsema's Dog Shoot installation, which is devoted to dog portraiture. The artist has invited the four-legged loves of Oprah, Madonna and Paris Hilton to sit for him. No word yet on the status of their RSVPs. At least one other animal will turn up since Janet Biggs’ Enemy of the Good performance, an exploration of man’s pursuit of perfection, features a horse – a real one.
Another must-see is the Swarovski Crystal Palace (http://www.swarovskisparkles.com/crystalpalace/crystalpalaceexhibitions.html), which runs Dec. 7-9. This year New York architects Diller Scofidio + Renfro have re-imagined the chandelier as the Light Sock. The result? Oversized mesh bags filled with Swarovski crystals. Like much else at Art Basel, you can buy them to hang at home.
For a different art viewing experience, head to the Miami Beach Marina for the ARTMB, the fair that takes place aboard the SeaFair, a multi-level 228-foot mega-yacht art exhibition space, where you can check out works from artists such as Jeff Koons, Jasper Johns and others. The ship will be docked at the Marina until Dec. 9.
What about the stuff that money can’t buy?
You’ll find that at Miami’s various museums. The Rubell Family Collection (www.rubellfamilycollection.com) is hosting two solo exhibits – Hernan Bas and John Stezaker – as well as a group view of the family’s European art collection, Euro-Centric, Part 1: New European Art from the Rubell Family Collection during the Art Basel week.
Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (www.mocanomi.org) will host a mid-career retrospective of the work of Cuban-born, L.A.-based artist Jorge Pardo from Dec. 4.
The paintings of Cuban-born Enrique Martínez Celaya and audio installations of Canadian duo Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller are on show at the Miami Art Museum (MAM) (www.miamiartmuseum.org). Also check out the exhibit that looks at the Museum’s new building to be designed by Herzog and de Meuron. MAM will also host its Party on the Plaza on Dec.6 and its annual ball, a highlight of the Miami social calendar on Dec. 8.
Curated by Julie Sylvester from St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Museum, RUSSIA MIAMI (www.russia-art-miami.org) will showcase contemporary Russian art from Dec.3-10.
All art and no play then?
Absolutely not! Miami during Art Basel is as much about the parties – perhaps more so in the opinion of art purists – as the art. The Raleigh hotel is party central. We can’t tell you about the impromptu room parties but there are plenty of dos to which you might want to wrangle invites. For starters, Paper Magazine is hosting a party on Dec. 4 at the Raleigh Oasis. Deitch Projects will open the fair with a concert-soiree featuring Coco Rosie at the same venue on Dec. 5. The same evening D.J. Spooky will be amongst the performers at the Rubell Family Collection dinner to kick off the SCOPE fair film and lecture series. And the Marlborough Gallery is throwing a party in honor of Spanish artist Manolo Valdes at the Setai.
On Dec. 6, Sotheby’s and Mandarin Oriental will celebrate their joint contemporary Asian Art exhibit with a dinner to be attended by Vivienne Tam and honoree, artist Zeng Fanzhi. Also on Dec. 6 is the book launch party for Bob Colacello's OUT at the Raleigh. The next day Tamara Mellon will host a dinner at the Raleigh Ballroom to toast the limited edition handbags designed by Jimmy Choo and artist Richard Phillips.
Also on Dec. 7, Janna Bullock and Thomas Krens, director of the Guggenheim Foundation, will host the Russian Party at the Raleigh Oasis. That same evening, Visionaire will host a preview of Visionaire 53 Sound at the Florida Room at the Delano, hosted by Linda Evangelist. Meanwhile, guests at the Art Nexus Gala will raise their glasses in honor of Haluk Akakçe. On Saturday, the Adidas Y-3 store opening promises to be another must-go on the party schedule.
If you get there earlier, the NADA Gala in aid of the New Museum takes place on Dec. 4. We expect a starry art crowd since the likes of Beth Rudin deWoody, Yvonne Force Villareal and Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy sit on the benefit’s committee. More museum soirees taking place include: The Whitney’s do with David Yurman at the Sagamore on Dec.5 and the MOMA Junior Associates with Vanity Fair and Banana Republic party at the Shore Club on Dec. 7.
And from Dec. 5-7, look up to the sky as “Krug is in the air” or at least it will be in the form of a new luxury hot air balloon designed by Domeau & Peres and Marc Bretillot. The balloon is modeled on the Krug Rooms in London’s Dorchester and Singapore’s Lausanne. Do your best to hitch a free ride. Additionally, make sure to check out Russell Simmons and Allison Weiss Brady's party at Intermix—the soirée will benefit Simmons' charity Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation on Dec. 8.
Finally, don't miss the Cartier Dôme,which features the brand's high jewelry collection and time pieces. Sip champagne and salivate over the gems from Wednesday to Sunday from 2-8pm and Thursday, 2-4pm.
The details
The fair runs from Dec.6-9. For full schedule and programs see www.artbaselmiamibeach.com
—Jessica Ramakrishnan
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Help - The real world
The EDL Foundation is a non profit, non governmental organization dedicated to helping provide basic necessities and infrastructure for children living in orphanages in developing countries. The foundation’s mission is to acquire funds to directly provide comprehensive support and educational possibilities to vulnerable and under-privileged orphans.
The first project of the EDL Foundation is supporting the Miftahurrohmah Orphanage in Java, Indonesia, an area severely damaged by a strong earthquake on May 27, 2006.
How it started
The founder of the EDL Foundation arrived in Java the day of the earthquake. She was shocked beyond words to see the devastation of this beautiful island and the despair of the victims who were left with nothing but their suffering. Her decision to create this foundation came after seeing the conditions in which the children at the Miftahurrohmah orphanage live in. Their need for a safer structure, a proper plumbing system, and basic necessities such as food and a mattress to sleep on, made her realize that she had to do something to make life more liveable for these orphans.
After returning several times to Java to follow up on the structural repairs being done and personally bring items and funds to continue the ongoing project, the founder wanted for the rest of the world to know the devastation and desperate need for help that is necessary for these orphans and victims of a natural disaster.
Some of the children at the Miftahurrohmah orphanage write about themselves: * My name is Sumarlan. I was born in 1989. My hobbies are reading and sports. My dream is to be a ship's captain. I live at the orphanage with my friends which are all 38 kids. The important thing for me now is to study hard so that I can reach my dream. * My name is Samsulhadi. I was born in 1989. I want to be in the army, but I don't have money to continue my study. I really hope that someday I will be able to continue my study to higher education. * My name is Sofi Sholeh. I was born in 1988. I have a dream to become a successful entrepeneur. I want to continue my study, as this orphanage helps children like us. * My name is Kholis. I am 12 years old. My hobbies are singing, studying, and doing sports. I hope I can get a job after I graduate from school. * My name is Neli Faradila. I was born in 1991. I wish I could study as high as I can, but it's impossible because of our economic condition, don't even to pay my study to make our life proper. I like reading. God...I hope in my future I meet with someone or an angel who can help me, to make my dreams come true. * I am Dwi Anita. I was born in 1990. I really want to get a better life.My hobbies are cooking and reading. Become a teacher is my dream.
Banque SCS Alliance SA,
6B route de Chancy
CP 64 - 1211 Geneva 8
SWITZERLAND
SWIFT: BSSACHGG
FFC: EDL Foundation account 0013217
IBAN:
CH80 0876 2000 1321 7000 2
www.edlfoundation.org/
The first project of the EDL Foundation is supporting the Miftahurrohmah Orphanage in Java, Indonesia, an area severely damaged by a strong earthquake on May 27, 2006.
How it started
The founder of the EDL Foundation arrived in Java the day of the earthquake. She was shocked beyond words to see the devastation of this beautiful island and the despair of the victims who were left with nothing but their suffering. Her decision to create this foundation came after seeing the conditions in which the children at the Miftahurrohmah orphanage live in. Their need for a safer structure, a proper plumbing system, and basic necessities such as food and a mattress to sleep on, made her realize that she had to do something to make life more liveable for these orphans.
After returning several times to Java to follow up on the structural repairs being done and personally bring items and funds to continue the ongoing project, the founder wanted for the rest of the world to know the devastation and desperate need for help that is necessary for these orphans and victims of a natural disaster.
Some of the children at the Miftahurrohmah orphanage write about themselves: * My name is Sumarlan. I was born in 1989. My hobbies are reading and sports. My dream is to be a ship's captain. I live at the orphanage with my friends which are all 38 kids. The important thing for me now is to study hard so that I can reach my dream. * My name is Samsulhadi. I was born in 1989. I want to be in the army, but I don't have money to continue my study. I really hope that someday I will be able to continue my study to higher education. * My name is Sofi Sholeh. I was born in 1988. I have a dream to become a successful entrepeneur. I want to continue my study, as this orphanage helps children like us. * My name is Kholis. I am 12 years old. My hobbies are singing, studying, and doing sports. I hope I can get a job after I graduate from school. * My name is Neli Faradila. I was born in 1991. I wish I could study as high as I can, but it's impossible because of our economic condition, don't even to pay my study to make our life proper. I like reading. God...I hope in my future I meet with someone or an angel who can help me, to make my dreams come true. * I am Dwi Anita. I was born in 1990. I really want to get a better life.My hobbies are cooking and reading. Become a teacher is my dream.
Banque SCS Alliance SA,
6B route de Chancy
CP 64 - 1211 Geneva 8
SWITZERLAND
SWIFT: BSSACHGG
FFC: EDL Foundation account 0013217
IBAN:
CH80 0876 2000 1321 7000 2
www.edlfoundation.org/
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Friday, February 1, 2008
My sweet aSmallworld.net
Online Networking Goes Small!
When jet-setters began flocking to an exclusive social-networking Web site reserved for the rich, they got the
attention of an online community’s most valuable ally: advertisers.
The invitation-only site, ASmallWorld.net, has 300,000 select members who have become a magnet for compa-
nies that make luxury goods and are trying to reach people who can afford them. The site’s biggest advertisers
include Burberry, Cartier and Land Rover. Cognac maker Remy Martin last month threw a tasting party for the
site’s elite members, at which its top-shelf, $1,800-a-bottle liquor flowed freely.
Following the success of MySpace and Facebook, thousands of social-networking sites have popped up to cater
to specific interests, backgrounds, professions and age groups. Nightclub frequenters can converge at Dont-
StayIn.com. Wine connoisseurs have formed Snooth.com, and people going through divorce can commiserate at
Divorce360.com. While such sites have fewer members than MySpace and Facebook, they form intimate com-
munities of like-minded people.
Part of what is driving the development of these sites is advertising. Marketing on social networks is a fast-
growing part of the booming online advertising business, and within that, niche interest sites’ share is small.
These sites typically allow members to establish a personalized page, then communicate and share photos,
songs and updates among their friends. Based on that information, companies can target their ads.
Overall, ad spending on social-networking sites is expected to grow 75 percent next year, to $2.1 billion, ac-
cording to eMarketer, a research firm that tracks online advertising. With more than 110 million active profiles
on MySpace and 59 million on Facebook, those sites still attract the lion’s share of attention and money, win-
ning more than 70 percent of all U.S. social-network ad spending in 2007, according to eMarketer.
But smaller sites’ share of that money is growing. Of the $920 million spent this year to advertise on social
networks, 8.2 percent went to niche sites, up from 7 percent in 2006, according to eMarketer. Next year, niche
sites’ share of ad revenue is expected to grow to 10 percent, according to an eMarketer report released this
month.
Large companies are already testing ads on smaller sites.
AT&T, for example, recently promoted one of its global cellphones on WAYN.com (short for “Where are
you now?”), a social network for international travelers. While AT&T also advertises on the bigger sites
like MySpace to reach a large audience quickly, the wireless carrier is also turning to niche networks, “where
your ads are more meaningful -- those are the real gems,” said Carrie Frolich, who manages ad placements in
social media sites for at MediaEdgeCIA, which is owned by marketing giant WPP.
Frolich said her clients, including Campbell’s soup, Colgate-Palmolive, Paramount and Citibank, are willing to
take a chance on smaller sites that could be more relevant to their products.
“Even if they’re just dipping their toes in the water, this is their strategy going forward,” she said.
MySpace and Facebook also allow companies to target advertising based on their members’ interests and habits,
but their efforts have drawn criticism from users concerned about those companies’ use of private information.
Facebook recently altered its Beacon system after drawing criticism from members objecting to the monitoring
of users’ online behavior. When Beacon was launched, users who bought items from another site had their pur-
chases broadcast to their network of friends. It was Facebook’s attempt to create an automated “viral” marketing
campaign, but it caused a backlash.
MySpace used another data-mining technology, HyperTargeting, that sifts through its users’ friends, comments
and photos to fine-tune ad placement. That, too, has met with complaints from privacy advocates.
Faced with that sort of backlash, marketers are beginning to focus more on ads tailored to smaller, more specific
audiences, said Jeremiah Owyang, a social-networking analyst at Forrester Research.
“Companies are learning that these smaller communities may reach people that are more valuable to their
brands. It will someday feel more like information than marketing,” he said.
Because members of niche social networks share common interests and experiences, they tend to spend more
time on the site and contribute to the group by chatting and posting comments. Members tend to be less in-
volved on bigger sites and are therefore less appealing to advertisers, said Julie Wittes Schlack, vice president of
innovation and research at Communispace, an online consulting firm in Watertown, Mass.
“The bigger sites have become so cluttered and overrun with advertisers that members are used to tuning stuff
out, even personalized ads,” she said. But on networking sites that have a self-selecting demographic, people
tend to trust the content, including ads, she said.
Facebook user Liz Collins, 26, of the District, said she’s drawn to the smaller community aspect of social net-
working. She said she likes being able to join smaller groups within Facebook while still having access to all of
her other friends. She recently joined YogaMates.com at the suggestion of a friend.
“It feels less commercial, which I like,” she said of that site.
There’s at least one social network for just about every interest or hobby. Yub.com is for shopoholics; Fuzzster.
com is for pet lovers; OnLoq.com is for hip-hop fans and Jango.com lets music fans find others with similar tastes.
Some cater to the obscure. Passions Network, with 600,000 members, has 106 groups for specific interests,
including “Star Trek” fans, truckers, atheists and people who are shy. The most popular group is a dating site for
the overweight.
Diane Von Furstenberg
Well-regarded fashion designer and former Austro-Italian princess Diane von Fürstenberg became a powerful fashion icon in the 70s when she created the influential ‘wrap dress’, an example of which hangs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Institute. Born Diane Halfin on December 31, 1945 in Brussels, Belgium, the famous socialite and entrepreneur was raised in a well-to-do Jewish family. Her Greek mother, Liliane Nahmias, was a Holocaust survivor.
Fürstenberg’s society life began while studying economics at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, where she met the Austro-Italian Prince Egon of Fürstenberg. The couple quickly fell in love and married, and had two children together after moving to New York City in 1969. An aspiring designer and businesswoman, the stunning Manhattan socialite quickly rose to fame when she introduced the ‘wrap dress’ in 1973. The popular design, which began a women’s fashion trend due to its revolutionary versatility, is notable for its dual status as comfortable business wear and elegant evening dress. Suitable for the changing roles of busy urban women in the 70s, the dress became a sensation and Fürstenberg sold over five million of them before market saturation and over-exposure killed its popularity while new trends took over the 80s.
Divorced from Prince Egon and losing control of her fashion empire, Fürstenberg fled bankruptcy by selling most of her licenses and moved to Europe in defeat, a temporary victim of the highly volatile women’s fashion industry. In Paris she began her comeback by starting the moderately successful French publishing house Salvy, and in the early 90s re-entered the American fashion scene with Silk Assets, an early home-shopping QVC clothing line. Fürstenberg has since described her work for QVC as follows: “It was tacky, but it gave me confidence”. The legendary designer has never lacked talent or ambition, and was soon back on top with the founding of the Diane Fürstenberg Studio, which aimed to provide more affordable items to high-end department stores. The popular line, which is featured at elite stores including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman in addition to her website, has recently began turning profits and has returned Fürstenberg’s signature styles to the forefront of women’s fashion. In addition to her triumphant return to fashion, she published her autobiography in 1998, titled “DIANE: A Signature Life”.
Fürstenberg remarried for the first time in 2001 to Hollywood powerhouse Barry Diller, the former Paramount executive who helped usher in today’s crop of entertainment moguls. One of the most important designers of the 20th century, Fürstenberg remains a powerful entrepreneurial and creative voice in the fashion industry.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Back in Town - Ronnie Scotts
Farewell, then, the sticky carpet, stale air, and food of which the original owner used to say, only half-joking, "A thousand flies can't be wrong." On Monday, Ronnie Scott's club, that venerable Soho institution which proudly calls itself the home of British jazz, reopens after the first major re-fit in its 47-year existence.
And about time too. After Scott and his business partner Pete King moved it from Gerrard Street to the Frith Street premises it has occupied since 1965, Ronnie's spent the next three decades obstinately resisting the gradual tidying up of Soho.
For a while, this had a certain funky, atavistic logic, on a par with the way the club largely ignored the revolutions in popular music that threatened to push jazz into the margins.
But after Scott died in 1996, that famous joke of his in which he would refer to the club as "just like home - filthy and full of strangers" didn't seem quite so funny any more. His old business partner Pete King kept it going, but the only memorable shows I've seen there in the past 10 years have been record company showcases. And the food really was terrible.
Now £1 million has been spent by the club's new owner, theatre impresario Sally Greene. This makeover will be scrutinised with as much interest as the one she carried out at the Old Vic after acquiring the theatre in 1998, although on this occasion Greene has delegated a lot of the decision-making.
The person calling the shots round at Frith Street now is the club's manager and booker, Leo Green, son of bandleader Benny.
Green, who says he "never realised there were two nine o'clocks in the day" before he started working on the re-launch last summer, is a former musician who has played in touring bands with Van Morrison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jeff Beck.
His contacts across the worlds of jazz and R&B landed him a job which entails keeping the musical menu pretty much as it was. "In terms of the music, Ronnie's wasn't broken and we haven't fixed it," he says. Alongside jazz classics such as Billy Cobham and Ramsey Lewis, Green's first month features the Brit soul diva Carleen Anderson and pin-up bassist Kyle "Son of Clint" Eastwood.
British jazz legend Ronnie Scott
For those anoraks who believe that jazz can only be truly appreciated in louche, poorly lit dives, the good news is that the club has retained its trademark brothel-red table lighting. For the rest of us, the opening gig on Monday with the Monty Alexander Trio should spring some pleasant surprises.
Getting in is much easier now that you won't have to fight through a crush of bodies queuing at the bar, which has been sensibly moved from the side next to the entrance to the middle at the back. The carpet upon which oceans of drinks have spilled down the years and on to which the great jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie once threw up has finally been replaced. Air con, comfy seats and a range of - hoorah! - edible snacks promise a hitherto unknown level of comfort.
The upstairs part of the venue, for years a semi-detached irrelevance, has been turned into a DJ bar - jazz only - where patrons can seek refuge from tiresome support acts, and also have a smoke. The entrance fee has, unsurprisingly, gone up: £25 is now as cheap as a night at Ronnie's will get, rising to £45 when superstars Wynton Marsalis and Chick Corea appear in August. But there's no club membership to pay, and we are promised that the price of drinks will remain "reasonable".
The new regime have been careful to preserve one thing: the club's excellent acoustics. This has meant not messing around with the low ceiling, not moving the stage or otherwise altering the layout of the main room. "What musicians love about Ronnie's isn't the tradition of the place, it's the intimacy and clarity of the sound," says Green.
If the relaunched Ronnie's works, then we have Kevin Spacey partly to thank. When Greene went to meet the octogenarian Pete King in 2003 to discuss the sale of the club, she took the artistic director of the Old Vic with her to convince the old man that jazz really was at the top of her agenda. The ploy worked. No other bidders for the club were considered.
Spacey is more than a fan: he harbours serious ambitions as a jazz singer. As well as starring in a movie about Bobby Darin, he got up at Ronnie's one night with the Woody Herman Big Band, after which King was heard to mutter, "He's a good boy, he can sing."
The Old Times...
What is a Kelly Bag? (Para a Amélia )
Em versão bolinho para a minha Amélia.
Senhora Dona Graça. Gracinha – Para as mais intimas.
The classic Hermes handbag, known as the "Kelly" since 1956, was joined in the early 1980s by the "Birkin."
"The Kelly is a touch more formal, a little more appropriate for an evening out, a business dinner, as a more refined look. The Birkin is more sporty, more casual. Often people use it as a briefcase, throw in a change of shoes," says Trina Sams-Manning, manager of the Hermes shop in Fairfax Square, which recently reopened after a major facelift.
Inga Guen, who sells gently used Kellys and Birkins at Inga's Once Is Not Enough, a high-end consignment shop in Northwest Washington, is even more emphatic about the difference. "A woman who is going to wear the Kelly is of very erect stature, she comes from money, very good background, is extraordinarily educated, and life to her is one where she will be very inconspicuous," says Guen, an avid Kelly carrier. She cuts a bit of slack for the Birkin femme, who "wears Manolo mules, a pair of jeans, a little Chanel jacket. She is the younger woman."
Both bags have made their marks on the cultural landscape. In "Le Divorce," a red crocodile Kelly was a sure sign that young Isabel was having having an affair with someone rich enough to buy her this five-figure confection.
The Birkin became an intense object of desire on "Sex and the City," when Kim Cattrall's Samantha told Hermes she needed one instantly for a client. Yes, it was a big fat lie, but morally defensible in social circles where owning a bag that can cost as much as a car is, like, truly, seriously important.
Conversely, a Birkin may have worked against Martha Stewart, who schlepped her well-worn Hermes to court during her 2004 insider trading trial, to the derision of critics who thought the super-expensive bag might not play well with a middle-class jury.
For the uninitiated, these bags, which start at about $7,000 and can top $25,000 depending on hide and hue, are named for a duo of beautiful actresses.
Philadelphia-born Grace Kelly -- so blonde, so patrician -- had been wed less than a year to Prince Rainier of Monaco when she deftly obscured her royal pregnancy with a structured, crocodile Hermes purse on a 1956 Life magazine cover. Created in 1892 as a large saddle carrier -- the French fashion house started out as a saddlemaker -- the bag was downsized for daywear in the 1930s. But after its moment in Life, it was dedicated to Her Serene Highness, and, as legends often do, lives on after her.
By contrast, it was during a 1981 airplane flight that the effluvia in British-born actress-singer Jane Birkin's overstuffed purse spilled in the vicinity of Jean-Louis Dumas-Hermes. Three years later, the venerable firm introduced a bag for Birkin's more bohemian lifestyle based on an 1892 design. In a splendid bit of irony, Birkin recently confessed she barely used hers because it had proved hazardous to her health.
"I told Hermes they were mad to make it. My one was always full, and it ended up giving me tendinitis," she told the Scotland on Sunday newspaper in March.
Like the Kelly, the Birkin is crafted entirely by hand by a single artisan from start to finish, and embellished with a petite padlock, keys and gleaming hardware made of white or yellow gold.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Jai Hong Kong
Designed by Philip Starke, the Jia hotel on first impressions is a good and trendy option for Hong Kong. Each suite/apartment is sizeable, most with a living room and kitchenette - and of course the design is fun Starke albeit circa 2005. But having stayed for two separate weeks you start noticing the cracks – no full room service, poor (but free) breakfast in the main lobby, faulty equipment, no heating and sporadic hot water etc… There are definite instances of design over function, so not a great business option but definitely a place to party with friends for a couple of nights.
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