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De multe ori suferim de ”sindromul foii albe”...acel moment in care ”cautam timpul pierdut” pentru ca alte idei mai bune nu avem la dispozitie. Cum sa promovezi prin cele mai ”interesante”concepte un banal program anti-virus?mai ales ca nici macar drepul la creativitate nu-l mai ai..
Si apare acel sindrom al foii albe,apar idei banale,idei deja folosite,tactici contrare cererii clientului si alte elemente similare.E momentul in care unica alernativa ramane sa cauti in baza de date personala,in biblioteca,pe strada...orice imagine,actiune,reactie poate da nastere unei idei.
Si asa,cautand raspunsul la intrebarea care ma framanta de cateva ore, am dat peste una din cartile lui David Lachapelle- ”LaChapelle Land”(1996)....e o carte pe care ar trebui sa o citeasca oricine,macar o data...Da sunt artisti care te inspira.Iar LaChapelle e unul dintre ei,fie ca vorbim de fotografie,productie video sau literatura. Lucrarile sale vorbesc de la sine,nu?

Sometimes We Are Tired....

Today I feel extremly tired because of the exams, because of work....and nevertheless,because of my worries and thoughts....Where would we be next year at this time?....What should we do next?When?How?Why?...
I will be away...far away...enjoying the Big Apple...or not...It will be even more work, struggle and fight for recognition.
But all in all, this is what i want, and I truly believe that each one should hitch his wagon to a star...Also, the nice thing is the fact that it doesn't matter where you end up, but what you do along the way...Life is still a journey and we cannot build a lifetime experience without "traveling".

Sony Walkman Designed For Women

Iata ca Sony se ”gandeste” si la femei :)
Sa fie vb oare de un ”walkWOman”?

Ice Cucumber Soda - Pepsi's Veggie Pop Gets Big in Japan

In a few weeks Pepsi sold out of 4.8 million bottles of the beverage, then rather than cranking out more they killed production. It seems that fad flavors are the norm in Japan and Pepsi had already gotten their ad buzz out of the green drink and were ready to move on to the next big thing. 1,500 new drinks come to marked each year in Japan, competing in the $30 billion a year beverage market. Very few will be winners like: Calpis, which has a tangy-sweet taste, is made from milk and lactobacillus, a type of bacteria that’s commonly used in the production of cheese, yogurt, beer, and wine. Bottled waters with an extra shot of oxygen are all the rage in Japan, thanks to a shift toward healthier drinks. Kirin’s Arginine V, is marketed as a pick-me-up potion for the sleep-deprived salaryman, this carbonated drink contains vitamins B1, B6, and Arginine, an amino acid that’s found in dairy products, nuts, seeds, and some seafood. And last but not least: What do you get when you mix beer and milk? Bilk! The Abashiri Brewery, a microbrewery on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido, came up with the idea of adding beer yeast and hops to milk to help local dairy farmers ride out declining milk sales. This drink is one-third milk by volume, has a cloudy, lemony-yellow appearance resembling the Belgian beer Hoegaarden, and tastes fruity. Since going on sale as a limited-edition drink in February, it has proved extremely popular, regularly selling out. Bottoms up!

Only a lucky few ever got to try Pepsi's Ice Cucumber soda. The pale green drink began appearing on shelves at Japanese convenience stores in early June. Within days, clips of people swigging the stuff were showing up on YouTube (GOOG ), and bloggers were debating whether the taste was more melon than cucumber. But instead of ratcheting up production, Pepsi brand managers in Japan did the unthinkable: They discontinued the drink. "We didn't want it on the market past the summer," says Keiko Ishihara, who oversees PepsiCo Inc. (PEP ) sales for Suntory, the Tokyo beverage maker that markets the soda giant's products in Japan. "The value of Ice Cucumber is that it's gone already." The warm reception the Japanese gave Ice Cucumber is just one manifestation of a national obsession with the ephemeral. Millions turn out every spring to view delicate cherry blossoms that open and then fall to the ground in just a week. And a word that sends consumers flocking to stores is gentei, Japanese for "limited edition." For years, candymakers have peddled one-off runs of sweets. Nestlé (NSRGY ), for instance, offers its KitKat bars in an array of gentei flavors and colors for every season, including Cantaloupe Melon and Koshian Maccha (green tea with red-bean filling). The limited edition candy bars are so sought after that they even show up for sale on eBay. (businessweek)

Trenduri scandaloase

Uneori, uitandu-te inapoi in istoria modei, mai -mai iti vine sa crezi ca Dumnezeu este fashion addict si ca te iubeste mult de tot! Altfel ar fi facut sa te nasti ceva mai devreme in istorie si sa fii obligata sa te supui cel putin uneia dintre aceste porunci ale modei… mai mult decat hilare!

Sa nu fim insa prea severe cu judecata, fiindca cine stie cum vor parea optiunile noastre de fashion in ochii celor ce vor veni dupa noi peste secole…

1. Toga transparenta - Filosoful Seneca se plangea intr-una din scrierile sale: "Femeile noastre poarta vesminte atat de transparente incat nu mai au nimic de dezvaluit iubitilor in dormitor - acestia au vazut deja totul inca de pe strada!" Toga transparenta era un must pe vremea Imparatului Nero. Oare asta l-a impins pe Seneca la suicid?

2. Nuditate aparenta - Orice gentleman respectabil din Anglia medievala purta o tunica scurta care ii acoperea doar partial organele genitale. Daca acestea nu atarnau suficient de jos, existau accesorii 'ton pe ton" care puteau fi adaugate pentru ca zona sa fie mai vizibila si cel putin la fel de… respectabila (in marime) ca posesorul.

3. Codpiece-ul - Acesta este un fel de suspensor din material textil, iar in anul 1482 , regele Edward al IV-lea a decretat ca orice englez sub rangul de lord sa il foloseasca pentru a-si ascunde partile intime, care pana atunci erau lasate sa fluture liber, neimbracate.

4. Gulerul antipurici - In prezent un accesoriu strict pentru uz veterinar, in secolul XIV era purtat de doamne legat strans in jurul gatului si scuturat periodic pentru a scapa de Pulex irritans, puricele care se hraneste cu sange uman si care era una dintre cele mai curente neplaceri in Renastere. Acest guler consta de fapt dintr-o blana pretioasa de animal rar (nutrie, nurca, vulpe etc.) , asa cum probabil ai vazut la bunicile si matusile tale in varsta.

5. Legarea picioarelor - Aceasta practica mai persista chiar si azi in China. Initial ea a aparut ca moda, pornind de la Imparateasa Taki, care se nascuse cu picioarele malformate, iar doamnele din suita ei au inceput s-o imite legandu-si picioarele strans in fasii de panza. Sotii lor au incurajat aceasta practica deoarece picioarele astfel mutilate le impiedicau pe femei sa se miste prea mult sau sa fuga de acasa. Practica legarii picioarelor a fost interzisa prin lege abia in 1949, de catre Mao Zedong.

6. Sprancenele false - Realizate din blana de soarece si lipite peste cele reale cu un adeziv pe baza de ulei de peste, le erau foarte apreciate de catre barbatii si femeile din secolul XVIII, pentru ca puteau fi lipite astfel incat sa dea chipului o expresie mirata.

7. Printul Albert - Sotul reginei Victoria, printul Albert, purta o forma originala de body piercing care ii permitea sa previna eventualele accidente stanjenitoare in public, mai ales ca la moda erau pantalonii albi cu talie foarte inalta. Piercing-ul consta intr-un belciug trecut prin penis, cu ajutorul caruia organul putea fi prins in lateral de un lantisor petrecut in jurul soldurilor. Adevarat sacrificiu de dragul modei!

8. Apa lui Soliman - Numita astfel fiindca era o metoda adusa de otomani in Europa, acesta este prima metoda de lifting folosita vreodata. Se spunea ca elimina petele, negii si ridurile - si asa si era, doar ca le elimina cu tot cu pielea fetei! Apa lui Soliman continea si mercur, un metal extrem de toxic si coroziv, de la care utilizatorului ii cadeau fasii intregi de piele a fetei, precum si dintii.

9. Cosmetice radioactive - Cele mai luxoase saloane de infrumusetare din America anilor '20 ofereau epilat cu raze X, creme si tratamente de fata cu radiu, precum si pasta de dinti radioactiva. In mod deloc surprinzator, tot in America exista o crema contraceptiva cu aplicare locala pe baza de radiu, in anul 1953 aceasta fiind inca disponibila pe piata.

10. Dinti colorati - Italiencele din societatea inalta din secolul XVI isi colorau dintii in rosu sau verde. Rusoaicele si-i vopseau doar in negru.

Ce zici, acum tocurile inalte ti se mai par o tortura extrema?

Fendi FW Milan 2007/2008 Womens Part 1

Fendi, the Italian fashion icon beloved for its shoes and handbags, is hosting its next fashion show on the Great Wall of China. The show will take place in October.

The video shown here is from Fendi’s 2007/08 Fall/Winter collection in Milan. The show, which was 3 months ago, shows the most recent Fendi designs. While this could be similar to what we’ll see from Fendi in China, I think the blockbuster location sets Fendi up to reveal a dramatically new collection.

"Italian luxury group Fendi will hold a fashion show on the Great Wall in China in October as parent company, LVMH Moet Hennessy-Louis Vuitton, seeks to double its sales by 2008. LVMH Chairman Bernard Arnault has said repeatedly he sees potential for Fendi to become a "star brand" alongside LVMH stablemates such as leather-goods maker Louis Vuitton and TAG Heuer watches." (Reuters)

No Middle Managers for Romania...and fairly few top ones

By annalysing the general socio-economical aspects of the "modern"Romania, a deep though passes through my mind: why there are so few good managers in Romania? and, nevertheless, why does the "brain battle" struggle in just a certain number of managers?

This thought was first brought to me few years ago while i was watching my alltime favourite tv show-"The Apprentice".Eversince, by working in different places, from local and national televisions to multinationals, i tried to understand the Romanian phenomenon.

Firstly,why can't we reach a certain top level?
The answer is simple,considering the Trump "experiment".In order to reach a certain top position,one needs to understand the entire management process,by passing from "selling lemonade"on Broadway, to organizing charities sponsored by major companies such as Yahoo for example.In Romania the entry levels ar not apprenti.Just simple subordinates and nothing more.Some may migrate to a more open company and become majors,but most just give up because of the few chances provided.Yet, even more migrate to better countries with more balanced "lifestyles".

Secondly, the Romanian mentality is focused on the so very old system of birocracy. We don't focus on talent,opportunities and ideas, but on authority, status, bosses and obedient subordonates.

Also,though the multinationals invaded the country in the last 2 years, there is no struggle on getting and managing "new brains".The fight is jut for those few already managed brains,the so called "top managers".

That is why Trump's insights are compulsory for the Romanian market:

Know what you’re doing. Sounds simple, but I’ve seen a lot of instances where I couldn’t believe how much the other side didn’t know. I immediately knew I could have a grand slam and fast, just based on their apparent lack of preparation. My father used to tell me, “Know everything you can about what you’re doing.” He was absolutely right, and I’m giving you the same advice. Follow it.

Remember, it takes a lot of smarts to play dumb. This is a good way to see how much your negotiating partners don’t know. It’s also a good way to see if they are bulldozing you.

Keep them a bit off balance. What they don’t know won’t hurt you, and that may help you down the line. Knowledge is power, so keep as much of it to yourself as possible.

Trust your instincts. There are a lot of situations that will not be black and white in negotiating, so go with your gut. Combine this with your homework and you’ll be ahead of the game.

Don’t be confined by expectations. There are no exact rules, and sometimes I’ve changed course in the middle of negotiations when something new has occurred to me. Remain flexible and open to new ideas, even when you think you know exactly what you want. This attitude has provided me with opportunities that I would not have thought about before.

Know when to say no. This has become instinct for me by now, but I think we all know when that buzzer goes off inside. Pay attention to that signal.

Be patient. I’ve waited for some deals for decades, and it was worth the wait. But make sure what you’re waiting for is worth it to begin with.

To speed up negotiations, be indifferent. That way you’ll find out if the other side is eager to proceed.

Remember that in the best negotiations, everyone wins. This is the ideal situation to strive for. You will also be laying the ground work for future business deals with people who know what integrity is.

And nevertheless, the most important business assets for a future top manager (even in Romania):

1. Formulate a strategy. Realize that no matter how carefully and ethically you conduct yourself and your business, it is highly likely that you may be sued.
2. Recruit and organize professionals who can help you accomplish this goal. Most likely, you’ll need an attorney and an accountant who are both skilled at asset protection structures and methods.
3. Prioritize your objectives. Evaluate your overall financial situation, but in a way that doesn’t negatively affect your other financial planning objectives. Consider how a transfer of assets from one entity to another may affect your tax and/or estate planning. If you put your personal residence into a limited partnership, you’ll gain asset protection - but lose the tax exemption.
4. Measure your wealth. What assets do you have at risk, and how do you expect your wealth to change in the future?
5. Be proactive in your planning. You can’t put an asset protection system in place after you’ve been sued. Unfortunately, people often think about how to protect their assets when it’s too late.

And one last word . . .

A secure asset protection system in place is a lifelong process. Regular review of your assets and their vulnerabilities can ensure that you have the protection you need.And my motto eversince was:

You succeed in life by pursuing big wins, not by avoiding small losses, because it is not where you end up,but what you do along the way, so hitch your waggon to a star!