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Beyond the horizon

Chinese brands pursue global opportunity in fast-changing world

The growing prominence of Chinese brands on an increasingly dynamic world stage came into focus at an event hosted by WPP in Beijing that brought together some of the most influential brand-builders in the country.

The event marked the launch of the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Chinese Brands 2017, the seventh release in this annual series.

Senior leaders from fast-growing Chinese brands such as Tencent, Ctrip and Mengniu joined the heads of global brands, among them Intel, Shell and Nestle, to discuss the increasingly sophisticated demands of digitally enabled Chinese consumers, and the challenges of the current business environment.

At a time of great uncertainty in much of the world, with election shocks and unpredictable world events now an almost daily occurrence, many businesses and governments are looking inwards; China is doing the absolute opposite, the event heard.

This approach is bearing fruit. The value of the BrandZ™ China Top 100 has continued to climb, up 6 percent on 2016’s rankings, after a 13 percent rise the previous year – highlighting the role of strong brands in helping businesses thrive in challenging conditions.

At the launch event, business leaders, academics and WPP experts came together for a series of lively debates on building a Chinese business in an unpredictable world, the outlook for Chinese brands as they become global brands, and how to reach consumers in digital China.

The event honored this year’s Top 100 winners, showed what lessons could be learnt from the swift rise of market-driven brands in China, and highlighted brands to watch in the years ahead.

To my mind, if China was a stock, I’d be bullish on it and I’d be buying the stock.
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell

BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Chinese Brands 2017

Shaking things up – transformation behind continued brand growth

Innovative businesses that are adapting to ever-higher consumer expectations of quality and service have helped drive the total value of the BrandZ Top 100 Chinese Brands to $557 billion in 2017. That value is higher than the entire GDP of Argentina, which lies just outside the Top 20 economies in the world.

Not all of these brands have had a smooth run; most of them have had their ups and downs in the past few years, but there was one thing they did do: they always maintained their communication with consumer, intensified their contact with the consumer, and enhanced their relationship with consumerDoreen Wang, Millward Brown’s Global Head of BrandZ.

Tencent – the first Chinese brand to have a brand value over $100 billion – has taken top spot for the third year in a row, while Alibaba has moved past China Mobile this year to take second place. The Top 10 highlights what a fast-changing market this is. Four of the Top 10 are technology brands and household names, but when the China ranking was launched just seven years ago, there wasn’t a single tech brand in the entire Top 100.

The seven brands that in 2017 make their debut in the Top 100 come from a wide range of industries, from banking and automotive to home appliances and tourism. But what they have in common is that they are strong challenger brands in their categories, redefining consumers’ needs and what’s possible in their sector. New inclusions this year are:, China CITIC Bank, Iqiyi, HLA, Caissa, Geely Auto, and Vatti.

Wang explained the value of strong brands to the business bottom line; while Chinese stock markets have fluctuated, brands in the BrandZ Top 100 have generated strong returns. In the past seven years, investments in the YMCI have returned just 6 percent in total; a portfolio made up of the Top 100 Chinese brands would have retuned 76 percent over the same period. “A brand is not only about marketing, it’s the soul of an enterprise. And in brand building, marketing is not an expense, it is the most important investment for any enterprise,” she said. “Only by investing in your brand building can one enjoy a long-term, highly effective, continued top performance in the capital market.

And the winner is ….

How BrandZ calculates the Top 100

Selecting the Top 100 brands from 100,000 brands around the globe is more difficult than winning an Oscar award, though infinitely more scientific, as Doreen Wang explained.

Using the opinions of 3 million consumers and drawing on 4.5 billion data points, BrandZ is the most authoritative brand value list in the world. To rank in the China Top 100, brands must be built by enterprises from Mainland China, they must belong to listed enterprises and their financial data must be publicly available. Banks must generate at least 20 percent of their income from retail banking, to ensure the ranking has a consumer focus.

By linking the meaning of brands to consumers with public financial data, WPP focuses not only on brands generating good earnings now but those also demonstrating strong potential for the future.

Ways to win - 7 lessons from 7 years of BrandZ in China

1. Gear up for a two-speed China.

The vast middle class is pursuing increasingly high-end products and services, but not everyone can afford to do the same, and to overlook lower income-earners is to miss a huge opportunity. These consumers also want innovation, but at a fair price that’s within reach. Providing a taste of the top end, but at a great-value price, is what brands like China Southern Airlines, Supor, Han Ting and Robam have been doing to great success.

2. It’s all about me, me, me.

The gradual shift in the Chinese psyche from “we” to “me” has finally reached a tipping point. Everyone, from teenagers to those born in the 1940s, is sharing their secrets on social media, and they’re all focused on their own, individual experience. When brands let them down, they tell everyone they know about it. Brands that meet or surpass consumer expectations grow at nearly three times the rate of brands in the same category that don’t; CTrip, Hisense and Huawei all understand this. Look at the online services brand; their brand value has risen 36 percent in a year, and this has everything to do with their focus on the individual.

3. Make dreams come true.

Everyone wants to target the young, but millennials want more than something that’s just cool and new. They want a brand they can believe in and that shares their values. Young consumers attach great importance to a brand’s ability to fulfil its promise, not just talk about its vision. They want brands that can really turn the sky bluer, make the water clearer, and make the world a better place.

4. You’ve got the power.

For the first time ever, the Brand Power of Chinese brands has surpassed that of global brands. Brand Power is a combination of salience, being meaningful and being different. Global brands probably still have the upper hand when it comes to being different, but their media investment has declined in the past three years, and their salience (springing to mind when someone thinks of a category) has gone down with it. Now, almost all the top 15 advertisers are local. They must maintain their salience, while at the same time building meaningful difference.

5. There’s more to mobile than a mobile phone.

Many of the most valuable brands are increasing their investment in new media, but not just online. Brands like Yili, Chinese Construction Bank, Baidu, Tencent and Alibaba are also spending in cinemas and on other screens, such as posters in lifts. Interactive screens are everywhere, not just on our mobile phones, and the strongest brands look at opportunities across them all. Think not just of mobiles, but mobility, and be where people are.

6. E-commerce is STILL taking off.

China’s e-commerce and social media worlds are more closely aligned than in any other market in the world. Last year, 31 percent of WeChat users in China bought something through the platform, up from 15 percent just one year earlier. And what takes Amazon two days to deliver in other countries takes just an hour or two in China through WeChat. But e-commerce penetration in China is only 46 percent, compared to 75 percent in Korea. This signals a clear growth opportunity for frontline e-commerce brands like and

7. Look outside.

Chinese businesses are snapping up international ones – Midea has acquired Kuka, Wanda has bought AMC, and Ninebot has acquired Segway. Mergers and acquisitions by Chinese companies have doubled each year for the past two years. Other Chinese brands have been global almost from day one thanks to online trading; think of the drone maker Dajiang, for instance. Big opportunities lie beyond Chinese borders, both for classic brands and those that are internet-based.

If the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Chinese brands is still ‘cheap and low quality’, then I can tell you that you’re getting old. You are out, The feedback we get from overseas consumers reflects the hard work done by Huawei and other Chinese brands in the past few years; the percentage of Chinese brands which are seen as high-tech and high in innovation has increased dramatically in the past three years, especially amongst the young. Global head of BrandZ, Doreen Wang.

Strategies evolve as balance of power shifts

The rise of China as a global economic powerhouse is creating the conditions in which Chinese brands can flourish, both at home and around the world, the heads of some of the best-known brands in China said.

While the pace of growth in China has slowed in recent years, significant opportunities remain, and Chinese brands are developing the products, services – and the skills to promote them – that will serve them well as they compete in new markets.

One of the biggest strengths of China is attitude, dedication, believing in a better tomorrow, going for it. Feeling self-responsibility to own your life – it’s contagious. It’s motivating to come over here and feel that.Nestle CEO Paul Bulcke.

Agile Chinese brands are challenging global legends, and Chinese consumers are demanding more from all the brands they interact with.

“The foreign MNCs always think about their competition being their fellow MNCs. It’s not,” said WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell. “This is very significant change.”

Bulcke said start-ups now could be created one day, and the next day be connecting with the world. This was a huge challenge for established brands.

“What has brought us here is not going to bring us further. The world is going to see reverse innovation out of China, new trends. The consumer in China is faster moving than any consumer in the world.”

Yunfeng Bai, co-founder and CEO of the education and technology business TAL, said the opportunity was for China to become more than a manufacturing hub. “We hope to change from “Made in China” to “Wisdom from China”.

Technology has been the great enabler of many emergent Chinese brands that are disrupting their sector.

China has gone from analog to smartphone in one bound, us poor devils in Europe and the US have gone from analog to desktop to a mobile phone and then a smartphone. It’s a disruptive force.WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell

SY Lau, CEO of Tencent, said innovation was now a matter

Our learning has been: if we do not want disruption to take over us, then we should disrupt ourselves first. (Many industries) are getting a new lease of life because entrepreneurial leaders of organizations are embracing technology and integrating new forms of engagement … and looking at the value-creation chain in a very different format.

The role of brands is rising to prominence in China, as consumers become more discerning and more demanding of transparency from the businesses behind brands.

“We have seen many examples of very successful Chinese companies with 10 or years’ history that easily collapse, so that’s why I think today, when you look at brand, it’s really the single biggest asset that a Chinese company has,” said Jeffrey Minfang Lu, CEO of dairy brand Mengniu.

Bulcke said: “China and the Chinese consumer has moved dramatically in the last 10, 15, 20 years in asking exactly and expecting exactly the same things that we would consider more sophisticated, evolved consumers elsewhere.”

Ben van Beurden, CEO of Shell, said this meant focusing not just on what the consumer buys, but their broader understanding of a brand.

I would say focus on the quality over everything else,” he said. “That’s not just the quality of the attributes of the product that you present and improve functionality, but it’s also the quality of how the company operates. So in our case, being able to operate at high standards in our facilities, safety and environmental, ethical performance, is also a move to quality that is unstoppable; it’s a force for good for society and I think is a way we can differentiate ourselves.

China and the US now account for 40 percent of global GDP between them, creating what WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell described as “a G2 world”.

“If you went back to the early 19th century, China was the most dominant economy in the world,” he said. “I think what you see with the most valuable Chinese brands and the growth of local companies now is the culmination of that cyclical change.”

Please mind the gap

Building awareness and reputation in new markets

Consumer views about what “Made in China” says about quality are changing around the world, particularly among the young, who increasingly view the label as a byword for innovation.

But many brands that are huge successes at home have a lot of work to do to raise their profiles in other markets, and they’re going about it in new ways, panellists led by Ogilvy China CEO Chris Reiterman said.

“Chinese brands are no longer seen as cheap and low quality; they’re much more associated with new ideas, innovation, but also being affordable,” said Alice Lee, General Manager, Brand Innovation Centre, and Managing Director, TCL Corp.

“In a nutshell, the perception of Chinese brands now is ‘affordable innovation’.”

Deepender Rana, CEO Kantar Insights, Greater China, said international consumers’ opinions tend to shift when they tried Chinese-made products for the first time. Brands looking to take their Chinese success abroad should therefore focus on the consumer experience.

“The Chinese brands, in terms of quality, are ahead, and in terms of perceptions, they’re behind,” he said. “So when the foreign consumers actually try the brand, they’re like ‘Wow’. They’re shocked. The role of brand building for Chinese brands abroad is to first get awareness and familiarity, so that we can encourage that trial.”

The need to put products in people’s hands – or at least videos of products in front of them – has been at the heart of drone giant Dajiang’s growth. The business generates more than 80 percent of its revenue outside China, and many buyers don’t even realize it’s a Chinese brand.

“We attach great importance on experience,” said DJI Vice-President Paul Xu.

“The idea of a drone is very new for many people … we must take it to the customer, let them experience it.” This was done both physically and by distributing about 1,000 online videos a year showing the products in in action. “This is to make our global customer resonate with our product, and we can then gain information on how they feel about our product.”

The other way to grow a Chinese brand abroad is through acquisition, something the travel company Ctrip has been doing, snapping up Hong Kong’s Yong An, the UK’s Skyscanner, India’s Make My Trip and a collection of other online travel agents in just the past three years.

James Tang, Senior Vice-President at Ctrip, said moving outside China was a gradual process; the bulk of revenue still comes from the home market, where the brand is known by the tagline “Go any time you please”.

“Based on my experience at Ctrip, my view is this,” he said. “One, build good brand, two, use your channel well, use any channel that gives you an ROI greater than one, and three, based on one and two, you need invest heavily to build your brand.”

Landy Huang is Chief Evangelist Officer, Greater China, at Google, and says her role is to help Chinese brands go global. They tend to fall into one of two camps: the gradual expansion model such as Ctrip’s, or global-first companies that from day one have a clear vision of global success achieved through digital marketing and distribution.

“These are two very different approaches,” she said. “I think both of them work, and both of them are very good – big style.”

Panelists said building a Chinese brand was like building a triangle of product, experience, and then promotion and advertising.

Paul Xu warned of the perils of the overnight internet sensation. “Many of the products may have raised few hundreds of millions in the beginning and then eventually faded out and disappeared completely. This happens quite often. I believe that building a global brand is a very long process.”

Chinese brands have a good story to tell. They just need to tell it better.
Deepender Rana, CEO, Kantar Insights, China

This time, it’s personal

How digital data is changing the game

The digitization of Chinese consumers’ lives is fueling greater demand for premiumization and an expectation that data will be used to provide a highly personalized product or experience.

A panel session moderated by Wunderman China CEO Bryce Witwam heard that brands are not just grappling with the right balance between data privacy and the best use of data for consumer benefit, they’re also having to rethink entire business models.

“The development of the mobile internet gives us a piece of information that we have never before been able to get during the whole history of human evolution … and this information is location,” said Steven Shu, CMO at MTWM, the company behind the Wai Mai (takeaway) service.

We know the location of the customer, we know the location of the services, and through our methods, we provide distribution services for ordinary items such as food, supermarket shopping, flowers, and cake to our customers. Continued technological advances will bring disruptive change to our overall business model and marketing methods.

An Li, General Manager at Netease Media Marketing, said providing a news service was now about delivering customized content based on a huge range of data, from current location and reading history to the preferences of people identified as similar to each user. Artificial Intelligence promises to make that personalization even better, but this is not just about more targeted marketing, she said.

“Rather, it is a business model change. The process – which starts with a user knowing your brand, then experiencing it and then a transaction takes place – has been turned upside down, and Mei Tuan Wai Mai (MTWM) is a perfect example,” Li said.

Paul Hu, CMO Group Sales + Marketing with Volkswagen Group, China, is at the sharp end of challenges to business models. “The automobile was invented about 100 years ago but it has never been like this, where the whole industry has arrived at a crossroads,” he said.

“Getting around has changed from having a car, having the ownership of a car, to the willingness to share.” In future, people might only share rather than own, or use a combination of both. This raises big questions about the significance of car brands if everybody is sharing. And there’s a chance that car ownership might become a hobby or luxury rather than a mode of transport – much like horse ownership now.

As the basic elements of a product or service become more similar from brand to brand, service and convenience become more important, explained Amanda Chan, Deputy General Manager of Branding at the insurance provider Ping An.

“We need to depart from the old task of brand awareness, and instead concentrate on promoting and elevating brand reputation. This is because in China, financial services companies are very similar to each other, so how can you differentiate yourself from others? We think the answer is service.” Ping An has offline agents on call, and online capital exchange services. “We need to accurately recommend our services to our clients at the right place, at the right time.”

Aiming for the perfect blend of online and offline should also be at the heart of communications strategies, said Cindy Chan, Chief Strategy Officer at Focus Group Media Group. While consumers are using mobiles, they’re also absorbing the world around them, including other screens and opportunities for brands to connect. A combination, rather than a switch to online, is needed.

“The most important thing is to change from the old way of advertising where the consumers listen to advert and then become a part of the campaign, to participating in the interaction with brand, and treating consumers not as listeners but participants.”

Nancy Zhang, Director PRS Global Marketing & Communications at Intel China, said the power of data to brands as they scrutinize their ad budgets is in being able optimize combinations of media against key performance indicators.

Looking at the current media, it is not about which one will be replaced and by what. They are complimentary to each other.

 “But now, because we have AI and machine learning to operate and calculate in the background … we will not combine these forms of media blindly, or combine them solely based on our experience, but to take advantage of the functions of big data, combine them more scientifically.”

Signs of spring after long, hard economic winter

There are three clear signals that China – and the broader global economy – may be emerging from a long cycle of debt and deflation, said Dr Wu Ge, Chief Economist with Hua Rong Asset Management.

He said a new macro-economic picture, a changing trade relationship between China and the world, and the current financial relationship between China and other countries, all pointed to a more stable environment in which Chinese businesses could thrive.

“The circle of debt and deflation has been broken,” Dr Wu said. Two key factors were at work here, he explained. First, Chinese government reforms and recovery in the US have together fuelled recovery and eased pressure on the value of the Chinese currency, the RMB

“We can say the worst time is over, after suffering seven or eight years of pain,” Dr Wu said. “We have reason to believe that the world economy as a whole will move forward with a new energy.”

And while there had been concerns expressed about the effects of a Trump White House on trade with China might be, the early signs of co-operation were encouraging, Dr Wu said.

They are preparing to prevent any potential trade war from happening. China has learnt its lesson from over 100 years ago, that you are destined to lose if you shut your doors to the rest of the world and try to live in isolation.

At the same time, outward direct investment from China has now surpassed inward foreign direct investment. Fears that this would put downward pressure on the currency, the RMB, and lead to an exodus of capital have not been realized.

“It’s just like the Spring season,” Dr Wu said. “Although it is full of signs of life, there are still many areas in which China can do better, including how to deal with the very heavy smog that occurred in the past few days … but many areas show characteristics of strong growth for business.

I think only those enterprises that integrate constantly with the world will become the kings among us.

A time to learn

As Chinese businesses and brands buck the global trend and look outwards for opportunity rather than inwards, there are two significant phenomena in play, said David Roth, CEO of WPP The Store.

One is how important education is in terms of making sure that the new generation of Chinese managers have the right tools in order to navigate their way through the changing, digital world we’re living in.

WPP is working in partnership with Yale School of Management and the Beijing-based business school CKGSB on a management course specifically focused on digital transformation and building digital brands in a changing world.

The other big takeaway from China is that the role of brands is increasingly being recognized by the very upper echelons of management.

They see the brand as the way of navigating the organization through a changing world, and reaching changing consumers, to make simplicity, certainty, trust and honesty very clear to all.

In uncommon times, China looks abroad, the West turns inward. This report examines brand value growth during unusual times.

Download the Report in English Download the Report in Chinese


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Chengdu Traffic Hotel: hotel in Chengdu China Wifi Internet

China Hotels >> Chengdu Hotels >> Chengdu Traffic Hotel
Hotel Ratings
1965 Ratings

The Hotel is a Lonely Planet featured hotel.

Hotel Address:
No.77 Lingjiang Road, Xin Nan Men of Chengdu 610041

Chengdu Traffic Hotel

Hotel Room:
134 Rooms

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The Chengdu Traffic Hotel is 1-kilometers from the city center. 16-kilometers from the Airport. 4-kilometers from the railway station. Within walking distance to the Wuhou Temple.

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Normal Standard Twin Room 19.00USD
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Business Big Bed Room with two breakfast 38.00USD
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Business Big Bed Room Business Big Bed Room 38.00USD
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The Internet discount room rate includes service charge. The hotel can't accept credit card, please pay Chinese cash. Check out 12 noon. Unless upon request, the hotel will only keep the reservation till 18:00. Rates may be subject to surcharge during peak periods.

Distance from landmarks:
To Chunxi Road about 1.52km,
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The Hotel is close to the Chengdu Xin Nan Men bus station. This hotel is clean, comfortable, fairly quiet and close to a number of good dining spots.

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Wednesday, 23 January 2013

A Valentine Gift (posted by Judith)

Hi Folks, I'd like to show you a project that I have made using the Rose Thistle stamp set, which is currently stamp set of the month.

I have created a book card, using some Kraft card as a base, and then printed the Love Letters download, stamping the large single rose a couple of times, and colouring this with pencils. I stamped and cut out the heart rose image which I also coloured with pencils as before.

I lined the inside of the book with the same download design, and created a niche in which to place a small gift or some chocolates.

I have used a sentiment from the Harlequin Rose stamp plate on the front of the book card to finish.

I hope that this has given you some inspiration, please pop back to see more samples from myself and my design team mates. Thanks for stopping by, Judith, xx

  1. What a super idea Judith, I have all the "ingredients" to copy this so I will be having a go at it.

    Looking forward to more fab inspiration from the DT

  2. Very effective the way you've used portions of the single rose image to accent & frame the heart. The softness of the pencils really adds to the vintage sense too.
    Paula (PEP)

  3. Very, very pretty, and with "Chocolate", even better! Your coloring is wonderful, and I love the download you printed. Beautiful! Hugs, Clare

  4. I really love this card!!! It's so pretty!! I love the roses , I have to put it on my wish -list!!!

  5. Lovely piece again Judith and a perfect gift for Valentine's Day.

    Lesley Xx

Thanks so much for leaving a comment - it brings a little ray of sunshine into our day when we know our work is appreciated!


text:
Saturday, May 30, 2009

I photographed this gossamer earlier this month. It was about 4cm across, about as large as they get. These little webs are seasonal and I have no idea what animal creates them.

It has been raining. And any time it stops and my heavy soil starts to dry out, it rains again. Now I wouldn't have a problem with this, except that I can't plant anything! Though I did manage to put a few of my native plants in before the rain started, as well as a Salvia 'Black Knight'.

There are plenty of vegies to go in, but in particular, I'm itching to try peas again. Mine seem to be eaten by microscopic creatures before they can germinate, and this time I was going to sprinkle dolomite in the trench before planting. Peas -- theoretically -- are an easy vegetable crop. You plant them, water them in (or plant them just before rain), give them a week's sun, and up they come. Except here, where nothing comes up!

One of my happiest garden memories is of racing down to my Dad's vegetable patch with my sister to devour peas straight off the plant. I'm not sure that we ever cooked fresh peas; if we had enough, there'd be a plate of pods on the table to shell and eat raw as part of lunch. My children haven't had that experience yet... perhaps this year? When the rain stops?

Darla said...

We are at the end of our second week of rain.......sigh.

bobo creek said...

love your blog.
struggling to grow as much as i can in marrickville with pebblecrete and a pool (landlady is Greek!), but it's amazing how well things do in polystyrene boxes. the rabbit is a problem too. she is free-range and so sweet (perhaps you could consider a rabbit next time one of your guinea pigs shuffles off, as they are much more affectionate and way less nervy!). so vegies are fenced off. we hope our property comes through and we will have 40 acres to cultivate eventually. bliss and hard work. cheers, kate

alex216 said...

I love it! Very creative!That's actually really cool.


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Tag Archives: droid-r2d2

Will the Motorola Droid 2 Feature R2-D2?

The new Motorola Droid 2 is rumored to be launching on August 12th. All of you who are robot-loving Star Wars fanatics will want to pay close attention to this. According to a source at Engadget, the sequel to the original Droid iteration will not only have Froyo loaded at launch – it will have an optional R2-D2 special edition logo on the back! To those of you who are now salivating, I KNOW it sounds too good to be true. However, several reputable (and some not so much so) blogs are now reporting on this little piece of news. We’ll see in the near future how true it really is!

Remember, Verizon and Motorola had to license the Droid name from Lucas Films in order to use it for the Android device. Thus, it appears as though the Droid line is heading back to its Star Wars roots. What do you think? Will we see the beloved robot on the backs of phones everywhere anytime soon?

You won’t find R2 in our software center. You WILL find the latest and greatest software and apps for all of your devices.


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Tag Archives: wireless-network

How to Turn Your PSP into a Wireless Digital Photo Frame

Geek!This is Firebucket’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

If you have an old PSP lying around, don’t know what to do with it and you have an absence of photo frames, this might just be able to solve your problem.

If you have a Flickr account and a few pictures (or even hundreds), you can set-up so your PSP grabs those pictures from your account using an RSS feed and then play them in a slideshow.

So, here’s what you need:

  • A Sony PlayStation Portable with the latest firmware (recommended but NOT vital)
  • A Flickr account (http://www.flickr.com) with at least a few pictures to get you started.
  • Wi-Fi Connection in your home/office or wherever you are.
  • FeedBurner Account (http://www.feedburner.com)

Let’s get started, shall we?

  1. Open your Flickr account, and tag some pictures with a unique name (like ‘pspfeed’) and take the RSS feed of that tag (You > Your Tags > Select the Tag > and then click Latest at the bottom of the page, next to geoFeed and KML).
  2. Obviously, if you look in your address bar, you’ve got one HUGE address. Now, you could obviously use TinyURL, but FeedBurner is much better when it comes to a) shortening RSS feeds and b) managing them, so we’ll use that method. So, head over to FeedBurner and sign up; don’t worry – it’s free.
  3. When you get to the ‘My Feeds’ page, copy and paste that RSS feed URL we took from Flickr earlier, and paste it into the ‘Burn a feed right now’ option, and click Next. Give your Feed a Name and a shortened URL (Example: Feed Title: My PSP Flickr Feed, URL: http://feeds.feedburner.com/mypspfeed). Click Activate Feed, and remember the RSS Feed URL you just ‘burned’ using FeedBurner.
  4. Time to get the PSP configured. Make sure you have Wi-Fi all setup and enabled on your PSP (I’m not going to explain this because it varies upon your network, a simple Google search may be able to help you, though). Navigate to the web browser, and open up the address bar. Enter in the RSS Feed URL we made earlier, using FeedBurner, and open it. It will then prompt you to add this to the PSP’s own collection of RSS feeds, so you don’t have to type in the address every time you want to open the slideshow of photos. Exit the web browser and navigate to RSS Channel, and select the feed you just added.

Voila! The pictures that you tagged SHOULD be there, playing in a slideshow. I believe this also works with videos, and if you use a service that allows you to do this (take an RSS feed and place it into your PSP), you should really give it a shot. Hey! Why not even cover up the rest of the PSP (with something, but I have no idea what), and leave the screen showing, so people aren’t put off by the rest of the PSP.

You can avoid the entire wireless setup, and just throw some photos onto a memory card and load that up, like a traditional digital photo frame.

Installing the Time Capsule for Time Machine

As I was stepping through the process of mounting the disc into the Time Capsule as a Network disc, I realized I had two settings that may have caused a conflict. I reset everything to the factory settings. The second time through, it warned me. The first warning asked me if I really wanted to configure it over WAN. More importantly, it warned me that I was assigning DHCP, when something else was already doing so. THAT is the kind of error checking I am talking about. It’s not an “oopsie” at all. It could have been… but this error reporting saved the day. I am overly impressed that this actually worked. It’s just… WOW. The Wow has finally started. *wink*

Setup is easy. All you need to do is plug all of the appropriate cables in for your network and then plug in the Time Capsule’s power cord. There’s no power switch, so it comes right on. A screen pops up when you insert the Time Capsule’s CD, and from there you click on the Time Capsule icon to install the update to your Mac’s AirPort Utility. The AirPort Utility serves as the primary software interface for the Time Capsule. Most of the software setup is easy, but a few screens might puzzle you if you’re not that network savvy.

One feature Time Capsule offers is the ability to add more storage via its USB port. We connected a simple USB flash drive (the “NO NAME” volume in the shot below), and it popped up almost instantly on the Time Capsule’s devices screen. The only stipulation is that you have to enter the Time Capsule’s password, which you establish during setup, before it will allow you to access the new drive.

More than just a wireless hard drive, Time Capsule is also a full-featured AirPort Extreme Base Station with 802.11n technology. Experience a high-speed wireless network and a breakthrough way to back up all the Mac computers on your network. All in one device. Time Capsule uses the 802.11n draft 2.0 specification, so you can rest assured that it works with certified 802.11n draft 2.0 products. And it’s compatible with Macs and PCs that use 802.11a, b, or g technologies, as well as wireless devices such as iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV. Time Capsule with Time Machine in Leopard is the ideal backup solution. But that doesn’t mean Tiger, Windows XP, and Windows Vista users can’t enjoy the benefits of Time Capsule, too. Because it mounts as a wireless hard drive, Tiger and Windows users simply access Time Capsule directly from the wireless network for exchanging and storing files quickly and easily.

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Apple Time Capsule Unboxing

I’m excited about my new Time Capsule. I’ve been through a lot of problems over the years when it comes to hardware and wireless networking. So let’s get this thing opened, and give it a whirl!

Backing up is something we all know we should do, but often don’t. And while disaster is a great motivator, now it doesn’t have to be. Because with Time Capsule, the nagging need to back up has been replaced by automatic, constant protection. And even better, it all happens wirelessly, saving everything important, including your sanity. Time Capsule includes a wireless 500GB or 1TB hard drive1 designed to work with Time Machine in Mac OS X Leopard. Just set Time Capsule as the designated backup drive for Time Machine, and that’s it. Depending on how much data you have, your initial backup with Time Capsule could take overnight or longer. After it completes, only changed files are backed up — automatically, wirelessly, and in the background. So you never have to worry about backing up again.

Have multiple Macs in your house? Time Capsule can back up and store files for each Leopard-based Mac on your wireless network. No longer do you have to attach an external drive to each Mac every time you want to back up. Time Capsule spares you the work. Time Capsule is your one place for backing up everything. Its massive 500GB or 1TB server-grade hard drive gives you all the capacity and safety you need. So whether you have 250 songs or 250,000 songs to back up, room is the last thing you’ll run out of. And considering all that storage and protection come packaged in a high-speed Wi-Fi base station starting at $299, data isn’t the only thing you’re saving.

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My Linksys Router Problems

It’s been so difficult to get back into the swing of things (really, this is the reason why I hate leaving home for extended periods of time). I’m taking care of tasks, one at a time – and realize I’ve fallen a bit behind.

What I didn’t need last night was my Linksys Wireless N Gigabit Security Router with VPN (WRVS4400N) dying on me. It’s pretty much a brick through no fault of my own. I plug ‘er in, possibly watch the lights dance, then witness her fade to black. That’s if the LEDs illuminate on power up in the first place. The hardware is hosed.

I purchased the router at CompUSA under the “All Sales Final” banner. Great! I’m not so sure I’m ready to turn around and get the same model now, given that it is likely to fail on me just as quickly. I haven’t gone through traditional Linksys support channels because at this point, it’s just as easy to replace it with something that works.

I’m taking any kind of serious recommendations for an equivalent replacement. This device had excellent configuration options, and quite a solid wireless range with the stock firmware.

MAC Address Vendor Identification

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

http://live.pirillo.com/ – I recently purchased a new router… a Wireless N. I now have better signal, and my network is certainly flowing faster. I was looking at my router the other day, and saw that I had an unknown MAC address there. What?? Thankfully, I know how to discover the identity.

A MAC address is the short term for a Media Access Control address. Every device has one. It’s an identifier, so to speak. It is a number that acts like a name for a particular network adapter, so, for example, the network cards in two different computers will have different names, or MAC addresses, as would an Ethernet adapter and a wireless adapter in the same computer, and as would multiple network cards in a router.

Luckily, I knew there are websites that can help you figure out what the heck a particular MAC address belongs to. So, I copied down the MAC addy, and off I went to coffer.com. I typed in the MAC addy and voila! The site told me what vendor (manufacturer) this particular MAC address came from. Hmmm. Microsoft? What the…. ohhhhh, right! The XBOX360! Ponzi turned it on the other day and used it to watch a DVD. Therefore, it connected to the network. I went down and check the XBOX, and yep. That’s the offending device.

You can also spoof a MAC address if need be. Years ago I had a different ISP who only allowed one device on the network to access the internet. They knew I had no other choice, as I told them right up front. I manually spoofed my other MAC addresses to make them appear to be the same as the original computer. That way, everything on my network could still access the Internet. Being a home office kind of guy, I didn’t have much choice!

Be sure to stop by and visit us crazy people in the chat room, or drop me an email. I love hanging out with everyone, and I love to read your emails!

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How do I
learn more?

Reach a local contact at or at the Christian Science Reading Room 316-262-7864 Mon-Sat 11-5:30 at 702 W. Douglas.

Church services
4501 E. Douglas. Sunday 10:30 am
Wednesday 6:30 pm
are good sources as well.

Sentinel Watch audio

We know you have questions - go ahead and ask them.

If we don’t address your question here, you are directed to other resources on this page. (note:side boxes have local - RR info and church - and web links)

Christian Science is not faith healing
Christian Science does not involve pleading with God to heal the sick and then accepting His will, good or bad. Nothing in Christian Science theology says it’s God’s will that anyone suffer, be sick, or die. Christian Science shows God to be entirely good, and therefore His will for each individual is only health and life.

It’s not positive thinking which relies on the human mind to think or effect a good result.
Christian Science starts with God, who is divine Mind, and the conviction that God’s goodness embraces each of us, all the time.

And not a cult. There is no brainwashing, mind control, or blind following of a leader.
Christian Scientists do have a deep respect and appreciation for the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, but they do not worship her.

Christian Science is very different from Scientology.
Through her search of the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy discovered the Christ Science. It is based on the teachings of Christ Jesus. Christian Scientists believe in one all-powerful, ever-present, loving God. They study the Bible daily and look to its inspired Word for guidance in every aspect of their lives.

It’s based upon a set of spiritual principles—laws relating to the nature of God and His creation—that can be applied with expected, consistent results. Christian Science is based on the Bible, and Christian Scientists follow the teachings and ministry of Christ Jesus. The virgin birth, the crucifixion, the resurrection and ascension of Christ Jesus, and the healing work of Jesus, are all central to Christian Science theology.

There is no church mandate, no biblical mandate to forgo medical intervention, nor do Christian Scientists believe that it’s God’s will that anyone suffer or die. A Christian Scientist’s decision to rely on prayer comes from trust, not blind faith, in God, and from a conviction that God’s care continues under every circumstance.

No medicine for yourself – what about your children?
Christian Science parents are like any other parents—they love their children and want the very best care for them. They also recognize their moral and legal obligation to ensure that their children receive this care. Parents who choose Christian Science treatment for a child do so because they’ve seen the effectiveness of this treatment in their own lives.

What would you do if you broke your leg?
Many Christian Scientists would tell you that they would naturally turn to God for healing because they’d seen the effectiveness of this approach in the past.

This, however, does not prevent them from having a bone set if they so choose. The Christian Science Journal, Christian Science Sentinel, and The Herald of Christian Science also contain documented healings of broken bones.

How can you claim “thousands of healings” when in most cases there’s no medical diagnosis?
There have been many Christian Science healings of conditions that have been medically diagnosed, and many medical confirmations of those healings. However, one does not need a medical diagnosis to know a person was ill and then healthy.

What do you do in the case of communicable disease?
Christian Scientists care about their neighbors and abide by city and state laws or mandates regarding quarantines, vaccinations, and the like. The Christian Science Journal, Christian Science Sentinel, and The Herald of Christian Science (found in Christian Science Reading Rooms) contain many documented healings of communicable diseases and show the role prayer can play, not just in protecting and healing individuals, but in helping communities as well.

Do you lobby for exemptions to health laws?
Christian Scientists seek accommodations in laws to ensure that healthcare choices include the system of spiritual prayer that they have found to be effective.

Do Christian Scientists carry health insurance or life insurance?
Some have health insurance, and most probably have life insurance. Every Christian Scientist makes his or her own financial and health decisions.

Christian Science practitioners
are self-employed individuals, who have completed a course in spiritual healing given by an authorized teacher of Christian Science, and who devote themselves full time to helping and healing others through prayer. While practitioners do not offer counseling, diagnosis, prognosis, or any physical manipulation or treatment, they do offer Christian Science treatment—as explained in Eddy’s book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.

Christian Science treatment is the application of spiritual principles—who and what God is and what that means for each individual—to the specifics of any given situation. These spiritual principles, applied, have a tangible effect—restored relationships, financial well-being, physical healing, and so on.

Christian Science Nurses and Care Facilities are also available when assistance or care is needed for an individual relying on Christian Science treatment.

The heart of Christian Science is Love. It is about feeling God’s goodness. It is based on the Bible and is explained in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and other writings by Mary Baker Eddy.

It addresses major points about God, good and evil, life and death, sacrament, salvation and more. There is much more information at including videos of how people live the teachings of Christian Science.

The desire of every Christian Scientist is to see the suffering in the world alleviated, and Christian Scientists take encouragement from Jesus’ example in healing even the most extreme suffering. He overcame poverty, hunger, severe weather, even incurable mental and physical maladies—and he promised his followers they could do the same.

The Church’s does not take an official position on abortion, cloning, and other “hot-button issues”. These are all serious issues, and they deserve everyone’s deep thought and prayer—including Christian Scientists’.

Do you pay any attention to problems like poverty, racism, genocide, famine, etc?
These are certainly problems that need addressing, and this is the reason Mary Baker Eddy founded the newspaper The Christian Science Monitor—to alert the world to these problems and to invite solutions. Many Christian Scientists find their prayers regarding these issues lead them to take practical steps.

The Christian Science Journal, Christian Science Sentinel, and The Herald of Christian Science, along with Churches of Christ, Scientist, regularly offer healing responses to these problems as well as ideas to help each individual address them through prayer. These publications are all available in the Christian Science Reading Room –current issues, a 120 plus year library of archived issues, and a searchable electronic library.

Still have questions? Contact us at


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Why hire a party planner for New Years?

Hiring a party planner for a New Years Eve party is a good idea in a number of cases. If you are throwing a rather large party, it might be worthwhile to hire a party planner because they will have more experience in planning and hosting such large parties and can help to ensure your party is a fun event and not a great deal of stress to plan or host. They may also have working relationships with a number of people in the local party industry and may be able to obtain discounts for you on a location, catering services, entertainment or decorations. Hiring a party planner is also worthwhile if the event is being held to benefit a specific cause. A party planner can be helpful during this type of event because they likely have experience with these types of events and may be able to help you plan the event and also organize activities such as donations in a manner that is well-organized and does not interfere with the festivities. Finally, a host may enlist the services of a party planner for planning a New Years Eve party if the host simply does not have time to attend to the minute details of the party.

When hiring a party planner, there are a number of factors to consider when selecting a planner. Price is one factor which is very important to many. The fees for a party planner can vary widely depending on a number of factors including the experience of the party planner, the size of the party and the responsibilities of the party planner. Popular party planners with a great deal of experience may charge more than less experienced party planners but in some cases, the higher fee might be worthwhile especially if the planner comes highly recommended by a friend or family member.

Another factor to consider when selecting a party planner is how long the planner has been working in your area. A party planner may have years of experience but if they have only been working in your area for a number of months, they might not know all the professionals in the local entertainment industry. This is important because party planners who have been working in a particular location for a number of years can provide a great deal of insight into the quality of the services provided by local catering halls, entertainers and decorators. Also, as previously mentioned, they may be able to obtain discounts for you on these services because they work with these professionals quite frequently.

When selecting a party planner to assist you in planning your New Years Eve party, you should also seek out references. This is important because the references will give you a good idea of the type of work the party planner does. However, it is important to note that the party planner will likely only provide you with reference they believe will offer favorable reviews. For this reason it is a good idea to do a little research on your own regarding the quality of the services provided by the party planner. This could include asking friends and family members if they know anyone who has hired the party planner before and asking them for their opinion, consulting the Better Business Bureau to see if the party planner is in good standing with them and searching online for independent reviews of the party planner. All of this information can be useful in making your decision.

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105 Photos from a rural village in Kashmir, India.

105 Photos from a rural village in Kashmir, India.

Trekking the Himalayas.

I’ve been staying in the town of Srinagar, Kashmir for the past week with a local family.  After a few days, I worked out a deal with a man who organizes treks into the Himalayas.  I offered to build him a website, develop an online business persona, and give him the tools necessary to grow his business through digital branding.  In exchange for this, I was taken into the mountains 2 hours from Srinagar and left with a local named Amjid who would be my guide and host for the next several days.

My host and guide, Amjid.

Living in rural Kashmir.

Life in the small village was simple and humble.  Multiple generations of family live under the same roof, share meals together, and spend their free time drinking tea and chatting.  It seemed as if everybody had all of the free time in the world.  Their basic needs were met by growing their own food, raising their own animals, and the river flowed nearby to provide all of the water they could possibly want.

Drinking tea and cooking up a feast.

Things I really liked about the experience.

  • Spending time with the local residents and learning about their way of life.
  • Showing the photos I took to the people who lived there and understanding their pleasure without knowing the words.
  • Seeing pristine beauty in the foothills of the Himalayas.
  • Hearing the woman I stayed with yelling at her children in her native tongue.  It sounded incredible and made me smile every time.

Things I didn’t really like about the experience.

  • I couldn’t go anywhere without my guide following along.  It means a lot to me to be able to get lost in foreign places.
  • Not having anytime alone.  There was always someone coming in and trying to be helpful, but just annoying me.
  • Not being in control of what we did.  He was there to make sure my experience was good, but I felt like I was on leash.

“Excuse me sir, would you like some tea?”

Overall the experience was positive.  I hope to do more work with the company as they grow.  I’d love to be able to come back and spend more time in the mountains.  There are some incredible things to see if only I had more time to go on the 10 day+ treks deep into the mountains.

105 Photos from my trek in Kashmir, India.

  • Rob Cochran

    Beautiful pictures, Chuck! I feel like I’m with you in some way. :)

    • http://chuckmanley.com/ Chuck Manley

      You’re always in my heart, Rob!


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Expectations of a huge growth potential

With the increased legalisation of cannabis for medical use or as an ingredient in food products, dietary supplements and cosmetics, strong global growth is expected. According to the market research company Technavio, the global market for legal cannabis will grow from DKK 185 billion in 2015 to DKK 913 billion by 2020.

The growth is primarily driven by the legalisation in North America, but Europe and Australia also witness a liberalisation of the government requirements with respect to cultivation, production and sales of cannabis-related products.

There are currently no concrete estimates for the Danish or European market, but permission to sell cannabis products as medicine or dietary supplements are anticipated in several European countries during 2018 – including Denmark.

The Danish Minister for Health has submitted a law proposal, L57, on medical cannabis, dated 5 October 2017.

With the large illegal market for cannabis, the growth in the legal market will also depend on better product documentation and price points that are able to match the illegal market.


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Thursday, January 06, 2011 is LIVE!

After many nights designing and coding, my official blogsite is finally live.  I can't even express how thrilled I am to get this done and to go live in public!  I've moved all posts from 2010 to the new blogsite and will be updating the new one from now one so please update your rss.  :)  Thanks!

cindee bae photography

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Resting period

I spent the all of 2007+2008 devoting my life to Label Tulip.
Having a full time job and a business to run was no easy task. At times, I felt that I was being unfair to both and my personal life was completely left on the back burner.
One day I realized that something had to change. I started the company because I wanted to do something that I loved, for a change, but now I found myself constantly asking if this is something I truly enjoyed.
At the beginning of 2009, I had officially stepped down.

2009 was a resting year for me, for my mind and body. I spent the year only doing what I wanted to do, other than my 9-5 job, whether that was lounging around watching TV, browsing flickr endlessly, or hanging out with the bf. When people ask me 'what have you been doing' I was happy to say "I've seriously been doing NOTHING." It felt good to not work till 4-5am in the morning only to wake up at 9am to go to work the next morning. It felt good to not have to sleep till 3pm on the weekends due to my lack of sleep during the week. Finally, I was able to somewhat enjoy my life again.

Now that we're nearing 2010, I think I've had enough time to rest. :)
I'm ready for what 2010 will bring.
I'm ready to follow my passion again, whatever that may be...

Monday, November 30, 2009

In the shop again..

My camera that is.. Having some focus issues so thought I'd take it in for some repair. Perhaps, it's time for an upgrade? ;)

And because a photo-less post is boring and TWO photo-less post in a row is even more boring, I'll leave you with this. :)

Ahh~, a rare sign of autumn seen in LA. :)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Who am I kidding?

I often think about writing a post here but it never makes it onto paper (or the internet in this case) in fear of being judged.

I'm not that witty when it comes to words and a lot of the times, I find it hard to put my thoughts into the perfect words. Writing has never been my forte and have yet to find my voice and the thought of someone reading my blog and judging me makes me uncomfortable.

But really, does it matter? Yes, I'm the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve but shouldn't I try to get over that?! Anyway, is anyone even reading this thing? That's what I try to tell myself on a daily basis, so that I can get up the nerve to put up a post just as my outlet, a paragraph, a sentence, or even just a pretty picture.. Just for me.

Another round of inspiration

Internet is a POWERFUL thing. Sure, I always find myself hours in front of the computer until my eyes hurt, spending more than enough time going from one website to another but then some days it really pays off. It may be pictures or a few words and something just clicks, it just does.

Today it was this. sigh.

Ok here I come, I'm ready for another round of inspiration.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Project 365, starting back up

Since I got my camera back last weekend, I've been thrilled start this project back up, it seems like forever ago since I had a camera in my hands and it sure feels good... *sigh.

52/365 l Feb 22, 2009 l xti l 17-50mm@44mm l 2.8 l 1/250sec l iso 100

51/365 l Feb 21, 2009 l xti l 17-50mm@33mm l f3.5 l 1/1000sec l iso 100

50/365 l Feb 20, 2009 l xti l 17-50mm@47mm l f 3.5l 1/250sec l iso 400

49/365 l Feb 19, 2009 l xti l 50mm l f3.2 l 1/250sec l iso 100

48/365 l Feb 18, 2009 l xti l 50mm l f1.8 l 1/100sec l iso 1600

47/365 l Feb 17, 2009 l xti l 50mm l f2.2 l 1/100sec l iso 1600

46/365 l Feb 16, 2009 l xti l 50mm l f2.2 l 1/1250sec l iso 200
all Viewfinder frame by Paislee Press

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Lesson learned.

It all started last Thursday when one of my friends came over to bake our bf's some cookies for valentines day.
Just so all of you guys know, I'm not a big cooker, and although I occasionally cook and bake, I'm no master of such things but I can mimick fairly well, or so I thought, ha!
So when I read the very simple recipe, I thought, no-biggie!
It all seemed simple, maybe too simple.
Till everything went wrong.
But after 4 different batches and 7 hours later, we somehow managed to pull it off, lol! and beautifully if I may add. :)
Here's a glimpse of our chaos! (all the photos below were taken with my camera phone so please excuse the horrible quality.)

And the final product! My bf hates anything too sweet so I made him the plain heart shaped butter cookies while my friend's bf got the pretty ones with strawberry jam center!

To sum up the experience, here's what I learned about baking through this insane baking experience. I'm no patissier but I guess this is a good lesson learned. :)

-Read and FOLLOW directions carefully STEP BY STEP. Just because everything will end up being mixed together at the end, it doesn't mean that you can just mix them up together all at once! There is a reason why you should mix certain ingredients first so FOLLOW the directions!
-Be sure to not mistake 1/4 teaspoon of salt for 1/4 cup of salt or you'll end up with one salty batch of cookies!
-Make sure to double check if you have enough sugar and flour cause you'll most likely need more than what you have in your cupboard.
-Use a wax paper under your dough when cutting with a cookie cutter so it won't get stuck!
-If you don't know what you're doing, search google or watch some baking videios on youtube.

Other than that, my valentine's day with the bf was fabulous, the best v-day so far; it involved rose petals, candles, a new steak house, wine, heart shaped meat balls made by my bf, and my new 66" friend! :)
(Okay, I'm not normally the stuff animal type of gal but Patrick has been an exception as long as I can remember! )

In other news, I picked up my camera on Sunday and it's in working condition, (yay!) so no more crappy photos in my future blog posts, lol!!


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La Haine (1995)

"Saïd: Wow, what a speech! Half Moses, half Mickey Mouse."

"Hubert: Heard about the guy who fell off a skyscraper? On his way down past each floor, he kept saying to reassure himself: So far so good... so far so good... so far so good. How you fall doesn't matter. It's how you land!"

"Vinz: Who made you a preacher? You know what's right and wrong?
Why do you side with the assholes?
Who's the asshole? If you hate stayed in school,
you'd know that hate breeds hate, Vinz."

"Hubert: Bullshit! You pointed a gun at a cop! We coulda been killed!

Old Man: Nothing like a good shit! Do you believe in God? That's the wrong question.
Does God believe in us? I once had a friend called Grunwalski.
We were sent to Siberia together. When you go to a Siberian work camp, you travel in a cattle car. You roll across icy steppes for days, without seeing a soul. You huddle to keep warm. But it's hard to relieve yourself, to take a shit, you can't do it on the train, and the only time the train stops is to take on water for the locomotive.
But Grunwalski was shy, even when we bathed together, he got upset. I used to kid him about it. So, the train stops and everyone jumps out to shit on the tracks. I teased Grunwalski so much, that he went off on his own. The train starts moving, so everyone jumps on, but it waits for nobody. Grunwalski had a problem: he'd gone behind a bush, and was still shitting.
So I see him come out from behind the bush, holding up his pants with his hands. He tries to catch up. I hold out my hand, but each time he reaches for it he lets go of his pants and they drop to his ankles. He pulls them up, starts running again, but they fall back down, when he reaches for me.

Hubert: Then what happened?

Old Man: Nothing. Grunwalksi... froze to death. Good day."

"Saïd: Canardo. Señor canardo."

"Saïd: Hey, I see skinheads. Fuck Hitler!"

"Vinz: Tom fucks Jerry. Shut up."

-- 00--

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USAID Civic Initiatives Support Program

About us

The USAID Civic Initiatives Support Program (USAID CIS) aims at cultivating a strong and vibrant civil society in Jordan through supporting a broad range of civic initiatives. USAID CIS is a five-year program (2013-18) implemented by FHI 360, a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions.

The program is committed to a set of core principles that guide the development and implementation of all project interventions, including:

• F’RSA: Flexible, Responsive, Simple and Accountable: USAID CIS grants will be executed through open and flexible eligibility criteria for accepting proposals and will offer a range of grant types that respond to the applicant’s proposed program goals considering grantee’s capacities and previous performance.

• Inclusion and Diversity: Gender equality, the rights-based approach, inclusion, good governance and transparency are integral to USAID CIS’s operating model and form the core foundation on which all program activities are designed.

• Demand-Driven: Grants, capacity building support and the promotion of civil society-government dialogue are demand-driven. The program will provide the necessary technical, strategic and financial support to Jordanian civil society to implement their own initiatives in line with their missions and will continue to design new responses to opportunities and challenges as identified by civil society.

• Learning by Doing: USAID CIS will capture lessons learned and incorporate them into future activities and expand on new approaches that demonstrate aggregable change.

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Attracting talent – Seth knows best

I wanted to write a post on the subject of attracting the right talent to your business – turns out Seth Godin already posted what I wanted to say and said it so well I’m just going to quote it verbatim.

“Hiring is what you do when you let the world know that you’re accepting applications from people looking for a job.

Recruiting is the act of finding the very best person for a job and persuading them to stop doing what they’re doing and come join you.

Hiring is easy and fast and is basically a retail operation.

Recruiting is artful and slow and is essentially a direct marketing effort.

Recruiting raises the bar because it demands you have a job worth quitting for. The recruiter doesn’t solve an urgent problem for the person being recruited, in fact, they create one. That person already has a job (hence no problem). The problem being created is that until they change over to your job, they’ll be unhappy. That’s a huge hurdle for a job to overcome, which leads to this key question:

Is your job opening so good you could recruit great people for it?

If not, perhaps you need to work on that.”

And, I might add, perhaps you should work with a good 3rd party  consultant who can help you work on that.  Emphasis on the GOOD of course.

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Claire Griffin on LinkedIn


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Strategic Client Manager UK & Ireland – Social Media Analytics

Location London, UK

Reporting to VP, Global Client Services

With more than 200 employees located in 10 offices throughout the world, this is the fastest growing social media and digital analytics company globally with customers in 75 countries representing every continent.

Defined by rapid product innovation and relentless dedication to customer success, they have close connections with key social and digital companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google.   They provide  the only global solution that allows brands to measure, compare, and contrast the success of their social media campaigns with competitive intelligence.

Job Description

The company  is looking for a world-class Strategic Client Manager for UK & Ireland to join their highly successful Sales Team in the red-hot social media environment.

With close to 1,900 clients, they have  identified a core group that is strategic to its business – by current value or potential.  The Strategic Client Manager will be responsible for a portfolio of ~10 clients, and will be expected to manage this portfolio to ensure growth and client success.

Key Responsibilities

»     Develop and maintain an excellent relationship with your portfolio clients.  This includes:

  • Developing a commercial interest in and understanding of your clients’ business
  • Opening up relationships with varied parts of the clients’ marketing organization
  • Ensuring company is kept abreast of client developments, locally, regionally and globally

»     Develop this relationship so your clients renew their current agreement,  and derive more value by using more of the current purchased product, and/or another product from the  platform.

»     Serve as a brand enthusiast for the company  and be an expert in how its products solve client problems and needs.

»     Generate quality partnerships  through your personal rolodex

»     Work collaboratively with the  marketing and technology departments to execute sales strategy as the firm introduces enhancements to existing solutions and/or releases new products

»     Bring your thinking, strategies, and ideas to advance our company’s values, unique culture, and vision for the future

»     Experience within a Sales or Account Management team that produces and exceeds their goals consistently

»     Knowledge of social media marketing

» Strong commercial awareness.

»     Ability to have “C” level conversations and the gravitas to become a “trusted advisor”.

»     Experience in a startup environment is a plus, but not required

»     Evidence that you are a Top Producer (as defined by production results that put you at the top 5% of your peers) and / or, Over Quota / President’s Club type

»     8-10 years of selling or account management experience operating within a web technology, custom solutions, online media or innovative online product environment

»     Agency experience is a plus, but not required

»     A sharp focus on goals

»     Native in English, other languages are a bonus

»     Emotional intelligence

»     Creativity

»     A powerful work ethic and competitive drive to be the best

»     Tons of energy, passion, humor, compassion, and enthusiasm

»     Superior communications skills and exceptional closing skills

»     Facility with MS Office Suite, Google Apps, and

»     Required Education:  BA or BS degree, Masters/MBA a plus

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Claire Griffin on LinkedIn


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ARCHIVE > News Archive >

Féile Football Finals

posted 5 Jul 2010, 02:48 by Unknown user   [ updated 5 Jul 2010, 02:48 by Denis Tuohy Agricultural Consultant ]

Na Fianna victory ensures a Dublin club wins Division 1 Féile title for third consecutive year and Claregalway triumph in girls Division 1 final.

Uachtaran Chumann Luthchleas Gael Criostóir Ó Cuana hails 29th Féile football finals as magnificent celebration of Gaelic games.

Na Fianna of Dublin won the Division 1 title at the Coca-Cola GAA Féile Peile na nÓg finals in Celtic Park in Derry today, defeating Douglas of Cork 3-10 to 1-3. It was the third consecutive Féile Division 1 title for Dublin clubs, following on from Ballyboden St Enda's victory in 2009 and Kilmacud Crokes' 2008 success.

In the girls Division 1 final, Claregalway of Galway defeated St Laurences of Kildare on a scoreline of 3-2 to 0-4, to become the first Galway club to win the Division 1 title since 2001.

2010 marked the 29th anniversary of the Féile Peile na nÓg competition, which are the All-Ireland Under-14 boys and girls Gaelic football finals. This year the finals took place throughout the county of Derry from June 2nd - 4th, culminating in the finals today in Celtic Park.

Over 4,000 youths, from clubs throughout Ireland and beyond, participated in the finals over the three days of competition.

Speaking in Derry today, Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Criostióir Ó Cuana congratulated everyone associated with the event. He said:

"A sincere thanks to everyone in Derry, both the organisers and participants who contributed to such a marvellous and successful weekend, a fitting tribute to the 29th Féile finals and one that will live long in the memory of everyone who attended and participated".

Coca-Cola has sponsored Féile Peile na nÓg since 1993, and also sponsors the Féile na nGael hurling, camogie and handball competitions, which earlier this summer celebrated their 40th anniversary celebrations in Clare.

Erica Roseingrave, Public Affairs and Communications Manager of Coca-Cola said:

"Coca-Cola is proud of its association with both the Féile Peile na nÓg and Féile na nGael competitions. That the competitions are stronger than ever is a testament to the clubs, officials, players and everybody who have nurtured these magnificent festivals of sport since they first began. Congratulations to everyone who has taken part and contributed to such a wonderful celebration of Gaelic games in Derry this weekend".

Div 1: Na Fianna 3-10, Douglas 1-3
Div 2: Moy Davitts 3-6 Stradbally 0-4
Div 3: Monaleen 1-9 St Eunan's 2-4
Div 4 Northern Gaels Longford 2-4 De La Salle Waterford 0-0
Div 5 South London 0-8 Clonmel Commercials 0-4
Div 6 Gortlettragh 3-10 Robertstown 1-2

Div 1: Claregalway 3-2 St Laurence's 0-4
Div 2: St Laurence O'Tooles 1-4 Monague 1-1
Div 3: Cahir 4-10 Shane O'Neills 0-3
Div 4:Tinryland Bennekerry 2-5 New York 2-1


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Saturday, February 7, 2009

Art is for Everyone Exhibiton

The Art is for Everyone concept was born one evening when I was showing a few friends some of my oil painting techniques that I taught myself over several years. They suggested that I should offer oil painting art courses as they learnt so much in a short time and had lots of fun as well.

At first I only did one day courses but gradually the course evolved into weekend and six week courses where I taught different oil painting techniques, from wet on wet to more classical glazing and monotone techniques.

The courses are now so popular and my students are painting amazing works of art. From animals to portraits, landscapes and seascapes. The majority of them have NEVER painted before!!!!

I never would have thought that I could enjoy teaching so much. The groups have also become a wonderful social network and everyone who joins in become a member of the 'family'.

And so, we will be having our first exhibition of oil paintings in the Kilrush Library from 12 February to 27 February 2009. Well done to all my wonderful students! I am so proud of your accomplishments.

If you are in Kilrush, County Clare, please pop in to the library while the exhibition is on and take a look at their beautiful art.

The opening night will be on the 12th February at 8:00pm (20h00) and everyone is welcome to come along and meet my wonderful group of artists.

One of my paintings, "Dolphin Wave" will be raffled and the drawing will take place on the opening night of the exhibition.

Proceeds from this painting will be donated to the RNLI Kilrush in appreciation for the wonderful work they do, saving lives and always ready and on call.

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