For over four years, the design to use wave driven upwelling pumps to pull nutrient rich water from the depths to the surface has been spear headed by Phill Kithill, a Native New Mexican inventor. The idea is simple; use the kinetic energy of waves to pull up deep nutrient rich water to the surface allowing phytoplankton to blooms, which in turn provide food for fish and sequester CO₂.

These pumps would operate offshore helping to amplify natural blooms and create algae blooms in dead zones or areas of water with no life in the photosynthetic zone. These pumps do not only sequester carbon and create food, but they create jobs in the countries that choose to produce them and possible carbon credits in the future for those countries or companies.

 Do the pumps work though?

 Karl and Letelier, 2008 research and others support the hypothesis that controlled upwelling can in fact lead to phytoplankton blooms. Through photosynthesis, phytoplankton absorb CO₂ and release O₂. Once they are eaten or die and sink to the bottom of the ocean, that CO₂ is sequestered or stored. The key factors determining CO₂ ocean sequestration by N₂- fixation or photosynthesis depend among other things on extra residual Phosphate found at higher concentrations in deep water or up welled water (Karl and Letelier, 2008). If wave driven pumps can be made to bring up Iron (Fe) and Phosphorus (P) to the photosynthetic zones, algae booms or diazotroph blooms will be triggered allowing for CO₂ sequestration and food production (Karl and Letelier, 2008).

Preliminary tests off the coasts of Hawaii and the pacific coast of Mexico show that not only are the pumps feasible, they are functional. In the Hawaiian two-week test, increased fish presence around the pumps was noted as well as the presence of a whale shark (Kithil, 2009). This is not scientifically significant, but indicative of possible increased food sources. To see how they work, please view an interactive diagram on the Atmocean website under pump technology.

Why do we need upwelling pumps?

These upwelling pumps may not only increase productivity but also help stop the spread of dead zones. Due to climate change models, it has been found that increased atmospheric temperatures have created a greater stratification of natural upwelling cycles (Polovina et al. 2008). Polovina et al. 2008 data has also been consistent with previous data that supports increased vertical stratification, limiting natural upwelling cycles of oceans since the 1950’s which remains consistent with output models on global warming. Low surface chlorophyll areas in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans have expanded by 6.6 million km² or by about 15% from 1998 through 2006 (Polovina et al. 2008). The North Atlantic with the smallest oligotrophic gyre (less than 0.07 mg chl/m³) is expanding most rapidly at around 4.3%/year (Polovina et al. 2008). These pumps would help amplify natural blooms and limit vertical stratification perhaps reversing the studied trend of increasing dead zones. This is of course in conjunction with increased food sources and sequestered carbon which remain the main goals and purpose of these natural pumps. To see more applications, please visit Atmocean application page.

This is a brief background into how wave driven upwelling pumps work as well as the reason for having them. To find out more about this exciting project or get involved, join atmocean upwelling pumps project found at ECOwaves.org.

 References

 Karl, David M., Letelier, Ricardo M. Nitrogen fixation-enhanced carbon sequestration in low-nitrate, low chlorophyll seascapes. Marine Ecology Progress Series. Inter-Research 2008. www.int-res.com

 Kithil, Phil. Atmocean Inc. 607 Cerrillos, Santa Fe, NM. 2009. Website: http://www.atmocean.com/index.htm

 Polovina, Jeffrey J., Howell, Evan A., Abecassis, Melanie. Ocean’s least productive waters are expanding. Geophysical Research Letters. Vol: 35 L03618. 2008

VU a le plaisir d’accueillir cette semaine Serge Tousignant dans ses espaces de production. L’artiste effectue une résidence de création lui permettant de travailler sur ses Chroniques d’un été dans les montagnes vertes, une série de photographie produite l’été dernier et qui sera exposée à VU  du 26 mars au 25 avril 2010.

Né à Montréal en 1942, Serge Tousignant débute sa carrière artistique dans les années 1960 et, au cours de la décennie suivante, adopte la photographie comme médium de prédilection. Artiste d’envergure internationale, Serge Tousignant a enseigné la photographie à l’Université de Montréal de 1974 à 2002. Ses œuvres figurent dans plusieurs collections publiques canadiennes et étrangères, notamment celles du Musée des Beaux-Arts du Canada à Ottawa et la Tate Gallery à Londres.

Image: André Barrette, 2009.

Just about all developers work by iterating in one way or another.

The biggest problem isn’t that you have to change things that are already done, or even throw it away. The biggest issue is that it takes time, and time is pretty much always more precious than money. That’s why the designer can save a lot of time by iterating in the pre-development phase, so he doesn’t waste the whole team’s time.

Iteration means the act of repeating and it’s what we do to make really good games. We make something, look at it and then we notice what we can change to make it better, or maybe even something that doesn’t work as intended at all and “must” be fixed.

Doing this late in the development cycle can be tricky, hard and expensive, as it might require effort from very many team members from different disciplines. Of course, it depends on what you’re about to change. Some minor tweaking might not be a big deal.

Sure, people in the team might whine a bit when changes are to be made because they think that it’s either good enough as it is, the designer should have “known” about the result in advance or just because they don’t want to throw away work that’s already done, but leaving that aside, the biggest issue is time. You’re always working towards deadlines and time equals money.

That’s why it’s important for designers to iterate when only being in the pre-development and theoretical design. Write the design and then make sure that all design-ish people analyze it with a microscope and iterate, iterate and iterate!

That’s a great thing about prototypes as well. They’re built for you to be able to try out things in and make rapid changes. Use them! Unfortunately, not all projects use prototyping, which I think is a real shame. It doesn’t have to be a massive fully playable game.

Heck, it doesn’t even have to be digital.

A prototype can be anything that let you test anything, like a small, small element of a game mechanic, interaction design, or whatever. I think it’s worth dedicating and spending time on prototypes even if it “steals” time from the actual development, because in the end, you’ll save time and turn up with a better product.

Also, try and keep alert so you can make changes in good time, instead of waiting untill the last minute. The less work done to be changed/discarded, the better. And as a designer, dare to say that something doesn’t work right, instead of waiting for someone else to notice it. It doesn’t matter if you become the bitchy one because you’re always the one to point out the “bad” stuff.

Making games is just like making anything else. Let’s say you’re gonna draw a panda. If you draw a panda and you’ve never done that before, you’ll get a result. Now, afterwards, draw another one. Odds are that the second one will look better.

But in the end, you’ll run out of time and can’t iterate anymore. Except if you’re Blizzard, then you can iterative untill you’re satisfied and release globally loved games.

Because the time is limited, it’s important to make sure that iteration cost as little time as possible. That’s why it’s a good idea to start iterating from day one as a designer.

If I were to save this post as a draft, read it a couple of times and then re-write it, I’m 100% sure I would end up with a much better text.

KATHY GRIFFIN D-LISTED CONTEST

Facebook: Kathy Griffin DlistedNyc

GET d-listed!!

If you LOVE Kathy Griffin and love “Sex and the City” this one is for you! NealBinNYC (www.nealbinnyc.wordpress.com) and On Location Tours (www.screentours.com) are looking to see who the BIGGEST KATHY GRIFFIN FAN is out there! We are looking to see who can upload the MOST CREATIVE KATHY GRIFFIN FAN VIDEO.  Yes, it can be outrageous, -but it has to be FACEBOOK appropriate!

One grand prize WINNER will live life on the D-LIST!  The winner will receive TWO FREE TICKETS for the Official Sex and the City Hotspot Tour (http://www.screentours.com/tour.php/satc/) and have their video appear on a DVD we are sending to Kathy G. and her people!  The tour of Sex and the City Hotspots includes more than 40 locations from the hit TV show and movie!  See where Carrie and Co. live, shop, drink and dine.  Locations include Magnolia Bakery, Charlotte’s art gallery, and the bar owned by Aidan and Steve in the show.

To enter you must be in the New York City area and also have Facebook to be eligible.

Contest directions:

NealBinNYC (www.nealbinnyc.wordpress.com) and On Location Tours (www.screentours.com) are looking to see who the BIGGEST KATHY GRIFFIN FAN is out there!

We are looking to see who can create the MOST CREATIVE KATHY GRIFFIN FAN VIDEO.  Yes, it can be outrageous, -but it has to be FACEBOOK appropriate!

On your Facebook page, please upload any original videos (you can enter as many as you like) explaining why you’re the ultimate Kathy Griffin Fan and why she belongs back on the D-list in New York City!  Tag “Kathy Griffin DlistedNyc” in your videos.   The winner will be judged on who has the most creative video.   The judges will be staff members from On Location Tours as well as Neal B.

The contest will ends MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2009 at 8:00 pm EST.  The winner will be contacted that night no later than 9:00 pm via their Facebook e-mail and also the winner will be announced on the Kathy Griffin DlistedNyc  Facebook page.

D-LIST IT UP!

If you happen to live in Minneapolis and are looking for something to do on the Friday after Thanksgiving, head on down to First Avenue where they’re putting on a tribute show to commemorate both the 25th Anniversary of Let It Be and the paperback release of Jim Walsh’s The Replacements: All Over But the Shouting. Along with nearly two dozen bands and a countless covers, the night also promises a song-by-song recreation of Let It Be sung by a bevy of vocalists. For more information, here’s the link.

I’ve just seen this article and had to share. I love Bridget Jones and indeed the two films are integral to our Christmas movie viewing; an annual event in the Briston-Hill household it has to be said. It brought a smile to my face to see the below photographs and of course the illustrious Apple Mac product placement to boot. Well, how else will Bridget write up her thought evoking diary now-a-days?!

You can read the article here

Cx

“Several other factors, such as subject matter, movement, and the distance of the subject from the camera, also influence when a given defocus becomes noticeable.
The area within the depth of field appears sharp, whilst the areas in front of and beyond the depth of field appear blurry.
For a 35 mm motion picture, the image area on the negative is roughly 22 mm by 16 mm (0.87 in by 0.63 in). The limit of tolerable error is usually set at 0.05 mm (0.002 in) diameter. For 16 mm film, where the image area is smaller, the tolerance is stricter, 0.025 mm (0.001 in). Standard depth-of-field tables are constructed on this basis, although generally 35 mm productions set it at 0.025 mm (0.001 in). Note that the acceptable circle of confusion values for these formats are different because of the relative amount of magnification each format will need in order to be projected on a full-sized movie screen.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field

So.. if your final output is 35mm film projection in cinemas or whatever, and the apparent focus of 16mm footage becomes dubious when blown up to 35mm size.. does this then cancel out the effects of using wider 16mm lenses with deeper perceived focus? I mean.. you’re using longer equivalent lenses when shooting on 35mm, but if the tolerance, the margin of error is more forgiving because there’s no blowing up of the image, which format ends up being less forgiving in terms of perceived focus when outputting to 35mm film?

This is where I rush to my nearest film lab, beg for their 16mm short takes, and start testing in my backyard on an ancient, makeshift film camera.. I wish I was old-school.

Hi all, here’s the 1st draft of our GDD. Some holes in it that need filling in still. Apologies for taking so long to post it, my memory plays havoc with me sometimes.

Hello Friends here we come up with the Latest Agri Commodities updates from various parts of the globe.

Uncertainty over stocks leads to price volatility in turmeric futures:

In an unusual situation this week, far-term turmeric contracts were trading much below near-term ones, offering a big arbitrage opportunity for hedgers and speculators, on the National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX).

The price difference was 39 per cent.

Last year’s carryover stock is estimated to have declined steeply, at around 150,000 bags (a bag is 70 kg) as of today, as compared to around 700,000 bags around the same time last year.

Arrivals at the Erode market were 2,000 bags and sold at Rs 10,900-11,000 a quintal.

In Duggirala, prices were placed at Rs 9,800-10,500 a quintal and in Warangal at Rs 9,900-10,500 a quintal.

Turmeric exports climbed seven per cent to 4,000 tonnes in October 2009 from the same period last year.

Weak turmeric futures put downward pressure on spot markets, to send the product down by Rs 800 a quintal.

In Other major Commodities Updates also read Soybeans and Wheat Drop as Dubai Default Risk Dents Confidence of the Investors.

Soybeans, Corns and Wheat Drop as Dubai Default Risk Dents Confidence:

Soybeans, corn and wheat slumped after Dubai’s bid to reschedule debt sent equities tumbling and eroded investor confidence in commodities.

Soybeans for January delivery dropped as much as 2.7 percent to $10.2625 a bushel, the lowest level since Nov. 19, in electronic trading on the Chicago Board of Trade and were at $10.385 at of 10:50 a.m. Tokyo time.

The contract has lost 0.7 percent this week, the first such drop in three weeks.

Wheat for March delivery in Chicago lost as much as 2.4 percent to $5.5775 a bushel before trading at $5.595.

The grain dropped 3.7 percent this week, falling for the first time in four weeks.

Production may be around 21 million metric tons, down 2 percent from last harvest and lower than the 23 million tons forecast in October,2009.

Note : For More Latest Industry, Stock Market and Economy News and Updates, please Click Here

This, people, is the final production model of the Lexus LFA Supercar unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show. Pre- sales started at the same time of the unveiling. Only 500 units will be produced but don’t let that stop you from checking the specs on this beauty. It has a 4.8 liter V-10 producing 560 horse power with a six speed sequential gearbox that helps the car reach 202 mph and go from zero to 60 in 3.7 secs. It comes to a full stop thanks to ceramic composite brakes. Body and chassis are constructed mostly out of carbon fiber. The LFA features a dial for automatic, manual, racing and wet modes that tells the car’s computer how to manage the vehicle’s assets under different conditions.

This Just In: All of a sudden Toyota the parent company of Lexus announced that is no longer going to sell the LFA (yeah, what?) Instead they are gonna lease the supercar for two years, after which, the lessor has the option to buy it. They are doing these so these exclusive automobile won’t be resold for astronomical prices. And in their statement they say that they don’t want the LFA to collect dust on a museum or showroom. They want the car to be driven. The general consensus about this move seems to be: Genius!

Now, the interior is getting a lot of praise. On the dashboard, it features two LCD screens one is the gauges setup on top of the steering which has a physical circle on top that moves around the LCD screen and displays a big tachometer. It can give space to the left to show more info on the instrument panel like lap times, driving setup, settings. The other screen is placed in the middle of the dashboard and shows you the GPS, climate control, entertainment, etc. And, they are controlled by that new mouse like joystick that Lexus developed. It’s all very modern and elegant. Although it’s clearly a performance supercar, unlike Nissan’s supercar (the GT-R) , it has that very luxurious look and feel to it. It’s all covered with hand stitched leather and aluminum accents with some carbon fiber on the smallest things which shows Lexus great attention to detail. It also features most of the convenience, options and technologies other Lexus have featured like Bluetooth and stuff.

The exterior design it’s (according to Lexus) all functional. The engine is located in the front of the vehicle while the radiators are on the back behind the rear wheels. There are air dams next to the rear window and in front of the wheels for engine intake and cooling the brakes. It has that, now, signature triple exhaust that was displayed in the LFA’s concepts and prototypes. To Lexus credit, the design is very original. The concepts basically started trends in auto design. Now the final production looks great, more sporty and a bit less elegant that the concepts. It, still, bears some cues that make it recognizable to those that are familiar with Lexus and the F line .

The engine, high revving, low consuming power plant, was developed by Toyota but it’s particular sound was tuned courtesy of Yamaha’s musical department. So, it wasn’t enough to have the natural sound of a V-10. Lexus tuned that sound with a company that makes musical instruments (as well as engines). It tells you something about the whole idea of excellence here. Now there are levels of customization on this car like choosing the interior colors and their combination on the leather. The price for one of this examples is $375,000. Having a reliable, fast, sweet looking, v10, earth shattering musical sounding supercar? Priceless.

The “Hachi Roku” is entering production again! Expect it on 2011. This here is the Toyota FT-86 concept. The successor to the AE-86, the legendary real wheel drive Toyota (which was extensively covered in Initial D) based on the Corolla. The company is planning to start production of this new concept but it isn’t known yet whether it will by under the Toyota or Scion badge. This is the same platform that Subaru will release as a possible all-wheel drive. The engine in both will be a Subaru 4 in line 2 liter boxer engine. Complete initial press release here:

FT-86 Concept (world premiere)
The FT-86 (“86″ pronounced “hachi roku”), a compact rear-wheel-drive sports car, provides driving joy and excitement.

* Compact design gives driver greater control, while body’s lightness and low center of gravity allow race car-like handling
* Both power and environmental performance provided by 2-liter boxer engine and light body
* Flash Red body color contains hint of blue; interior expresses modern feel with minimal coverage of the highly refined structural components evoking enthusiasm for cruising

Vehicle Length Width Height Wheelbase Seating
FT-86 Concept 4,160 mm 1,760 mm 1,260 mm 2,570 mm 4

In display, also, was the revised Nissan GT-R and the Nissan GT-R Spec V supercars. Do I really need to tell you the Specs on these gravity defying things? Feast your eyes knowing that these are the best performance, technology/price ratio or value you can get.

Check: The Nissan GT-R specs on The Modern Supercar Website.

Previous post: The Nissan GT-R Spec V. Enjoy and thank me later.

Nissan has unveiled and announced the production of the Leaf EV, an all electrical car. They basically skipped the whole hybrid production thing and jumped into the plug in electrics business. The car gets marks for it’s interior design, well, as well as the exterior; the plug goes in the middle of the hood. And, we can expect this car to be sold here in the U.S. Probably competing with the Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Volt. The Nissan Leaf looks more practical and spacious than the competition and the hatchback is fully usable. It seems the guys at Nissan have a winner here. Did I mention the part where this car has Zero Emissions?

We have seen this car before in concept form. The Honda CR-Z the long awaited successor to the Honda CR-X. What makes it more special is the fact that it is a hybrid sports car. According to Honda the first one at that. Awesome because it features a six speed manual transmission in a hybrid. The one here is the production model that will go on sale in Japan, some tweaks might be in place. It’s due into production next year and yeah it’s coming to America everyone.

This here is the redesigned Mark X, the Toyota car that was never released in America. The real-wheel drive luxury sedan on sale in Japan by Toyota makes its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show. What is there? A 2.5 liter v6 or a 3.5 liter v6 with 203 hp or 315 hp respectively. It comes with a six-speed paddle shifter automatic transmission, available all-wheel drive and a X badge on the grill instead of a Toyota logo. We could use one of this in the American market but hey, here we have Lexus.

Honda’s personal mobility solution which just might revolutionize the whole segment: the U3-X. Check the video above for more.

And, of course the Subaru Legacy B4 GT300 Race Car which was on display at the floor of the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. This baby is intended for racing on the Japan Super GT series the coming year. It has a bit over 300hp on a 2.0 liter boxer engine, six speed sequential gear box and all wheel drive. Now, when is the “Toyabaru” gonna be ready?

Monday: Impossible will return to email subscriptions from 2010, it has been confirmed.

From the next season of the spy drama, readers will be emailed a link which will allow them to download the latest episode. The move signifies a return to the system used by Monday Morning Post from 2006 until 2008.

The change in format will allow readers an easier and more convenient method to receive their favourite series. Rather than having to log in to the website to download productions, it will now be possible to bypass the system via their very own inbox.

A similar system was ditched by Monday Morning Post/Productions last year following a legal battle with Hotmail, however the problems will not be replicated as Monday: Impossible will hire a separate company to deal with mail shots.

The changes will further emphasise Monday: Impossible’s commitment to readers by constantly striving to provide the easiest and simplest way to enjoy the latest episodes.

Email subscriptions will be accepted from early 2010.

Monday: Impossible’s website is to be totally revamped ahead of the season 2 launch next year.

The online home of the series is to be extensively reworked. Darren Blake heralded the “fresh and dynamic” plans which have been drawn up.

Episode recaps, online sales and a gadget guide are among the new features to be introduced.

Le centre VU félicite Jacynthe Carrier, récipiendaire du Prix Videre Relève 2009. Du 27 mars au 26 avril 2009, Jacynthe Carrier présentait à VU l’exposition Scènes de genres, série photographique révélant un théâtre insolite où des personnages aux allures de survivants post-apocalyptiques occupent l’espace quasi intemporel d’un terrain vague, mimant leur difficulté à vivre dans une zone contraignante, loin de leur réalité. Ce travail était le fruit d’une résidence de création effectuée par l’artiste dans les espaces de production du centre VU.

Artiste de la relève de Québec, Jacynthe Carrier détient un baccalauréat en arts plastiques et médiatiques de l’UQAM et effectue présentement une maîtrise en photographie à l’Université Concordia. Son travail photographique ou vidéographique a notamment été exposé à la Galerie Lilian Rodriguez de Montréal, à la Manif d’art 4 de Québec, ainsi qu’au centre Caravansérail de Rimouski.

Images: Ève Cadieux et André Barrette, 2009.

I can remember the first moment when I first realised the connection between eating meat and eating an animal. I was in Year 5 and our Social Studies unit was on food. Each week we had to research a particular food and create a project on it. Always the academic achiever, I jumped into these projects with great gusto. One week it was peanuts, and I learned that Kingaroy was the peanut capital of Australia. Another week it was pineapples, and another macadamias.

I remember going to the local newsagent and buying information packs on these foods as well as coloured pens and pencils to make my project really shine. (My love of stationery stores began early…) I would take these info packs home, absorb everything that I read, then cut out the pictures to glue onto my project sheets. (And I can only imagine how inconvenient that must have been for Mum, a single mother on a tight budget.)

Then the week came when I was required to research beef. There, inside my project information pack, were photos of cows. Dark brown beef cattle stared out at me, huddling together in feedlots. Although I must have known it on some level, it was the first moment I remember of having such a strong, visceral reaction to the connection of cows and the steak that I ate.

The information focused on the number of head of cattle and the major farming areas in Queensland. It didn’t even mention the act of slaughter or butchery, but I turned each page with an ever-increasing mortification: I had been eating cows.

As I thought about posting this week, I couldn’t help but to think of want might be of interest to supply chain professionals during this season of Thanksgiving.  So I did a little snooping around and found this interesting site on the history of the food of thanksgiving from an academic point of view.  So, as you enjoy your second helping of turkey, I hope that you will enjoy this little post.

http://www.stolaf.edu/depts/environmental-studies/courses/es-399%20home/es-399-05/Projects/Thanksgiving/index.htm

3103602    การผลิตปศุสัตว์ประยุกต์    Applied Livestock Production

ฝึกปฏิบัติการวางแผนการผลิตโค สุกร และสัตว์ปีก การใช้เครื่องมือ การเลือกใช้อาหาร การบันทึก และการวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการผลิตด้วยคอมพิวเตอร์

(Practice in planning of cattle, pig, and poultry production, use of the equipments, feeding selection, computerized recording and analysis of animal production data.)

(3103602 จุฬาลงกรณ์มหาวิทยาลัย)

Clearly, strategic planning is no panacea. Strategic planning is simply a set of concepts, procedures, and tools designed to help leaders, managers, and planners think and act strategically. Used in wise and skillful ways by a “coalition of the willing,” strategic planning can help organizations focus on producing effective decisions and actions that further the organization’s mission, meet in mandates, and satisfy key stakeholders. But strategic planning is not a substitute for strategic thinking and acting. Only caring and committed people can do that. And when used thoughtlessly, strategic planning can actually drive out precisely the kind of strategic thought and action it is supposed to promote.

Furthermore, strategic planning is not a substitute for leadership. There is simply no substitute for leadership when it comes to using strategic planning to enhance organizational performance. At least some key decision makers and process champions must be committed to the strategic planning process, or any attempts to use it are bound to fail.

In addition, strategic planning is not synonymous with creating an organizational strategy. Organizational strategies have numerous sources, both planned and unplanned. Strategic planning is likely to result in statement of organizational intentions, but what is realized in practice will be some combination of what is intended and what emerges along the way. Strategic planning can help organizations develop and implement effective strategies, but they should also remain open to unforeseen opportunities. Too much attention to strategic planning and excessive reverence for strategic plans can build organizations to other unplanned and unexpected—yet incredibly useful—sources of information, insight, and action.

The discipline necessary for strategic planning can be of two sorts. The first harkens back to Latin root of the word “discipline,” emphasizing instruction, training, education, and learning. The second embodies later interpretations of the word, emphasizing order, control, and punishment. Emphasis should be placed on education and learning, although there clearly are occasions when imposing order, taking control, and enforcing appropriate sanctions are appropriate. Certainly, key leaders, managers, and planners can best use strategic planning as an educational and learning tool, to help them figure out what is really important and what should be done about it. Sometimes this means following a particular sequence of steps and preparing formal strategic plans, but not necessarily. The ultimate goal of strategic planning should not be a rigid adherence to a particular process or an instance on the production of plans. Instead, strategic planning should promote wise strategic thought and action on behalf of an organization and its key stakeholders. What steps to follow, in what sequence, and whether or not to prepare formal plans are subsidiary concerns.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, and my Lectures.

Been looking forward to getting the UA EMT-250 reverb plug-in … and today was the day! I remember working with one of the first units in New York in the late ’70s. FYI… the 250 was the first digital reverb ever made.  Happy guy    :0)

es verdad sin trud no hay truth curratelo todo para llegar siempre hasta el lack total fak da lack
::::::::::::::::::::
истина е без трут няма трут трява да се утрепеш от работа за да стигнеш неизменния лак фак да лак

Drum’n'bass журнал Knowledge и лейбл Shogun Audio стартуют конкурс ремиксов на трек Icicle – Time To Remember. Трек старый, и на мой вкус далеко не самый лучший из того, что есть у Icicle, тем не менее для продюсеров, пищущих deep dnb это отличная новость! Так что качаем семпл паки и в бой!

Читать условия и скачать пак

David Leibowitz is Sir Groovy in my book! As Chairman of SirGroovy, he oversees an organization dedicated to music by connecting “TV Producers, Music Supervisors, Filmmakers and AD Executives to indie labels worldwide.” I had the chance to sit down with David at Digital Hollywood this Fall. Here is what we discussed:

Nice studio…lol “It sounds so phat!!!”

The Movement Fam (Notion, Tommy Gunnz, and Cee & Bekah) rolled through to see Spec-T @ Wiseguy Studios to start the mastering process for Cee & Bekah’s unofficial debut album, ‘The Soul Movement Originals’.

Wiseguy Studios
91 Cochranes Rd,
Moorabbin, Victoria, Australia
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/WiseguyStudio
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/WiseguyStud

SMD tech has been busy over the last week and a half

The Bok sevens launch yesterday 24 Nov, we provided all the technical infrastructure, sound, lights, AV and operators for the event and then last Sunday 22 Nov was the official VIP opening of the new venue at the Waterfront right near power boat club.

We provided all technical infra structure for the band Freshlyground who performed at the venue, for our client Loudfire.

The other pictures are of a tent in Somerset West where SMD Tech had to hang the lamp shades for client Petals. This is for an end year corporate to be held this weekend.

You need to unlock your competitive advantages in this hyper competitive market place.  The trouble is most dealers lock up their true competitive advantage in a difficult market and this is just the opposite of what you should be doing.  Here are six keys for you to turn on the engine to more dealership traffic. 

KEY ONE:  CONQUEST SALES

Don’t stop your conquest marketing efforts.  You must still invest in this process.  With all the tools you have available there is no excuse to abandon conquest sales. So Today start planning how to capture sales from people who HAVE NOT yet considered shopping your dealership.  Effective advertising always targets new customers.

Steal sales from the competition.

KEY TWO: THREE-FOLD DEFINITION OF ADVERTISING

1. Get the message to the masses – Target your audience.

2. Provide a valid opportunity to respond – Target your message.

3. Achieve results & sell product – Make it accountable.

YOUR ADVERTISING SHOULD SELL… NOT JUST TELL.

KEY THREE: PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING MESSAGES

1. Attention Getter  3.   Logical Reason

2. Strong Statement  4.   Urgent Call to Action

KEY FOUR:  CHARACTERISTICS OF CAMPAIGN EXECUTION

1. Planning  3.   Continuity

2. Contrast  4.   Believability

Plan your inventory, plan your best days. With good branding you will have continuity in all your customer touches.  Be creative and contrast. Nothing expands an advertising budget like good creative.  Finally  people are more cynical that ever and if your message is not believable your leaving traffic at the door.

KEY FIVE:  ELEMENTS OF IMPACT PRODUCTION

1. Intensity        3.   Execution

2. Consistency  4.   Different

If you really want effective creative make sure it has these elements.  I have always found that skimping on production makes no sense.  Why put the entire media budget at risk because you want to save a few hundred dollars on production.

KEY SIX:  MAXIMIZE THE SALES DRIVERS

1.   Desirable Inventory

2.   Motivated, Informed and Professional Sales Force

3.   Honest, Ethical and Effective Advertising for Results

If you can’t say yes to these three items you might consider holding off on your campaign until you can yes to all three!