Yeah Ghost est le dernier album en date du groupe anglais Zero 7  (zéro seven).

Ce duo masculin s’est imposé depuis sa naissance en 2000 et de son premier album ‘Simple Thing’ dans le style downtempo. Très vite, on les a mis au niveau des ténors Air & Morcheeba apparu à la fin des années 90. A la différence de ces derniers,  Zero 7 garde toujours cette même fraicheur 4 albums plus tard.

“Yeah Ghost est 1 très bon album qui s’écoute du début à la fin avec l’envie de remettre 1 replay après le 11ème morceau. Il y a dans cet opus 1 véritable identité musicale que l’on retrouve dans les albums précédents.

Néanmoins l’album précédent m’a beaucoup déçu. “The Garden” sorti en 2006 n’a d’ailleurs pas réussi à conquérir les fans.

Seul 1 titre “Throw It All Away”est largement au dessus d’1 album très plat et vide musicalement.

Tour d’horizon de “Yeah Ghost” illustrée par 4 magnifiques vidéos filmées en live session

Dès l’intro “Count me Out”, Zero 7 nous mets de suite en émoi.

1minute et 30 secondes plus tard “Mr McGee” ajoute cette petite touche pop anglaise facilement reconnaissable au style préconçu de Zéro 7.

S’en suit “Swing”, morceau à l’accroche baladeuse comme un retour à la source de l’album “Simple Thing” (sortie en 2001).

“Everything Up” nous replonge dans l’esprit rythmé des synthés venu tout droit de la galaxie 80′.

“Pop Art Blue” s’enchaîne et on retrouve avec bonheur cette voix féminine et qui ressemble à la voix de Sia, la chanteuse qui fut révélée par Zero 7. Pourtant quelque chose attire vraiment ma curiosité dans cette voix. Après recherche il s’avère qu’il s’agit de Martha Tilston.Le duo anglais applique à la lettre ce mélange voix féminine & downtempo tellement accrocheur qu’ils ont crée il y a 10 ans. La chanteuse Sia, malheureusement absente de l’album est donc remplacée par plusieurs autres voix. Celle figurant sur “Pop Art Blue”  cristallise le morceau et moi par la même occasion.

“Medicine Man” est entrainant, pop, sautilleur, et pourrait largement faire nouvelle vie auprès de jeunes talents remixeurs.

Finalement mon coup de coeur arrive maintenant, avec “Ghost Symbol”. Tout de suite je ressens la même émotion qu’à la première écoute de ‘Untrue’ l’album de Burial et cette façon si magnifique d’associer le dub au 2 steps.

Grâce à cette diversité de titres très éclectiques, Zero 7 avec Yeah Ghost a réussi son coup.

“Sleeper” est passé à la moulinette électronica, un petit coup d’oeil rapide pour vérifier sur quel label ce disque a été signé : Warp ??? et bien non. ça sera ma seule déception.

“Solstalgia” nous plonge dans une petite mélancolie, mais on reprend tout de suite le dessus, grâce notamment à une autre petite merveille intitulée “The Road”, Ce morceau me rappelle la façon dont j’ai découvert Zero 7 et son morceau “This World” .

L’album se termine (déjà ) en puissance avec le titre “All Of Us”, un OVNI expérimental où l’on retrouve la totalité des sons entendus sur l’album.

Vous l’aurez compris, ce disque doit parvenir rapidement jusqu’à vous.  Pour vous motiver, allez faire un tour sur leur site officiel. Celui ci propose l’écoute intégrale de morceaux issus de leurs 4 albums studio.

Du coup, ça me fait aussi pensé qu’il faut voir (et/ou revoir) le film Garden State du réalisateur Zach Braff dans lequel vous entendrez plusieurs morceaux de Zero 7 et d’autres artistes que vous aimerez à coup sur.

Gigandmix

THE MODERN DAY PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

The modern day Private Investigator has an armoury of tools and resources at his disposal. Long gone are the days when a private detective would have to wear down his best pair of footwear in search of clues and having the need to speak to everyone that may be a possible witness, accomplice or accessory. Using his cunningness and sharp eye to detect even the finest of details in order to uncover clues within the case.

Today’s modern private eye has access to a plethora of resources, personal databases and information. All this data and information is only a few key strokes or clicks of a mouse away. Needless to say, it is still an acquired art, searching for people online, conducting surveillance without being compromised and detailing sensitive information about a subject that not even some members of his family were aware of.

However, access to this information does not provide a back bone to be unlawful and it is considered by many professional Private Investigators as improper practice, not to mention the fact that many overstep the mark and use certain information inappropriately or gain such information illegally.

There has and always will be stories of Investigators obtaining such information in an unlawful way, it is sad to say that these individuals are not professionals, they are scavengers, they are deceitful and obtain knowledge and information by way of impersonation. Fictitiously acting as officials from more well known organisations with authority perhaps, they will cunningly lure there victim into a false sense of security and obtain the information.
So, in today’s modern world of detective agencies and private investigators it is often misread what the legal parameters are and how far a professional private investigator can go before overstepping the mark and becoming unlawful in his actions.

Private Investigators are governed by numerous authorities such as the DPA (Data Protection Act 1998), RIPA (Regulation of Investigatory powers Act 2000), MOJ (Ministry Of Justice) and so forth. Though, this does not necessarily mean that they abide by the guidance, rules and regulations, however, most do.

Seagal Investigations are frequently asked if it is possible to obtain mobile phone records, such as, itemised billing statements for a mobile phone that belongs to another individual. The simple answer is “No, it is illegal” not to mention the very fact that it contravenes Data Protection Law and breach of an individual’s privacy. Other times we have been asked if we can obtain details of an individual’s bank statements, again, the simple answer is “No” and I am sure many of you can already fathomed out why!

There is some exceptions however, the information can be obtained by another individual, legally, with the express permission of the owner or account holder. The owner/account holder or registered keeper of the mobile phone for example must give written permission or power of attorney to such an individual to allow them access to such records. This should always been conducted in writing. Better still, it would be good advice to seek the assistance of a legal representative in such matters to eliminate any possible discrepancies at a later date.

Now, a Private Investigator does not have similar powers as, let’s say a Police Officer, though even a police officer is not allowed direct access to such sensitive and confidential information without a court order or a warrant from an issuing court. If they did, you can imagine the mayhem this could cause taking into consideration that a vast majority of Private Investigators are indeed ex-police officers that still retain contact with their old colleagues.

It is in the interest of a professional investigator to maintain the standards of the industry as set out by associations such as WAPI (World Association of Professional Investigators) and other respected organisations that provide a good solid working platform with specific codes of practice. It is always beneficial when searching out an investigator for the first time to note that they are indeed members of a credible association, this offers the client assurance that the company or investigator will operate within the confides of the law and indeed within the legal parameters laid down by legal governing bodies such as the DPA.

Whilst these associations can only provide a “working platform” in which its members are expected to abide by and provides a “Code of Conduct” in which to operate to, it does not offer a policing service. What is meant by that is that it cannot see what each individual is doing and therefore cannot monitor if the code of conduct is being adhered to. It will, however, terminate any such individual or organisation’s membership that are found to be operating outside of these strict rules and guidelines, the associations take discipline within the groups exceptionally seriously, in turn protecting the name of the association or body and those that it presents their services to.

There has, as many of us know, been much talk about the introduction of SIA (Security Industry Association) licensing for Private Investigators in the UK. This has drafted up many mixed opinions from existing long established Private Investigators and those that are newly established. Some say the introduction of licensing is much needed and will eradicate those individuals or organisations that choose to operate outside of what is considered or deemed professional practicing. Some say it is purely a funding exercise to fill the pockets of the people backing the scheme, either way it is open to numerous flaws and is fraught with its own individual problems. It has on numerous occasions been mentioned that the introduction to the licensing will not be a platform to “Police” the industry as unscrupulous characters can still operate freely until such a time that a method or policing style enforcement group is established to track down any offending individuals or organisations.

The introduction to the licensing is scheduled for 2011/2012. It is still unclear as to the exact date and this has changed over the last few months. It has been released though, that the requirement for licensing will entail each individual operating as a Private Investigator to undergo some form of academic test or exam. It is envisaged that the questions will be compiled by long established professionals within the industry as well as input from legal representatives, Police authorities and the DPA to name but a few. More…

So, is it a good idea to introduce licensing? Similar to that of Door Supervisors, Close Protection Officers and so forth? Quite frankly I believe from a personal point of view it is a good idea, however, there are many issues I too would like answered before I put both hands up. The financial cost of licensing is yet to be determined but let’s consider these few points.

For young companies that are establishing this could be an impending blow on their start up costs.
For established companies, this could also be a huge blow to an industry that is predominately operated via “one man bands”, thus, there is likely to be little or no budget for such a generous outlay. Some organisations may even have the need to borrow the finances in order to comply with the demands. It is envisaged that the costs could exceed £1,000.00 per license.

Justified? Not if your annual income only just about pays the bills!

Written by Gary Ewer, from “The Essential Secrets of Songwriting” website.
Follow Gary on Twitter for songwriting tips, news and more.

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If you don’t know the music of Sia, you’re missing a real treat. Her music is a perfect example of how songwriters need only venture minimally outside the box to create fantastic music. “Soon We’ll Be Found” is a case in point. By using simple harmonic modulations and other formal elements, Sia demonstrates simple devices that other songwriters could and should be using.

The first formal element of interest is the use of the two-part verse, the first eight bars being in C minor, with the second eight bars brightening to the relative major:

Cm  Fm  G  Cm  Fm  G  Cm  Fm  G  Ab  Bb ||Eb

The Ab and Bb are pivot chords that exists in both keys of C minor and Eb major, providing a seamless way to modulate to the relative major key. The song then proceeds with the second part of the verse, now in major. So songwriters, if you’re writing a song in minor, and are tiring of the constant mood of that key, modulating to the relative major is easy to do with a flat-VII.

The next interesting harmonic device Sia uses is the so-called “modal mixture”, or borrowed chord. The second chord of this part of the verse is Abm, where one would normally use Ab. A borrowed chord is one which normally exists in the minor side of the key, but is “borrowed” to add an interesting harmonic flavour:

Eb  Abm  Eb  Abm  Eb  Abm  Bb  G

On we go to the chorus, and the chord progressions here pull the listener back and forth from the key of C minor to Eb major, and back again. You might think that the harmonic structure is more ambiguous in the chorus than it was in the verse, but what’s actually happening is that the chorus represents the melding of two different harmonic organizations we found in the verse. While part 1 of the verse emphasized minor, and part 2 accentuated major, we get both living in close proximity in the chorus. In that sense, the verse harmonic treatment is what allows the chorus to work so well.

Sia has one more interesting goodie for us. It’s not often that we get to hear Augmented Sixth chords in popular music styles; it is usually a classification of chord reserved for classical composers. An Aug 6th is a chord usually built on the flat-VI degree of the scale, and most often resolves to the dominant chord. In this song, we find it in the bridge. The first time we hear it (at 2′ 24″) it simply moves immediately to Cm, but the second time, (2′ 35″) it resolves to G in preparation for the return of C minor. The Aug 6th is a really useful “predominant” chord that gives you a new way of approaching the dominant chord other than from IV.

These devices are very simple to use, and require almost nothing more than a bit of musical imagination. They add a sense of creativity to your music without throwing the balance too far toward unpredictable, and turn something mundane into something that captivates the listener.
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If you want to learn more about the structure of great music, Gary Ewer’s songwriting e-books show you all the ways you can be making your songs really work. Click here to read more.

If you’ve been watching television lately (and don’t fast forward through the commercials, as most of us do on our DVR’s) then you’ve probably seen the Lincoln car commercial that features a cover of “Under The Milky Way.”  The classic original song was released by The Church back in 1988.

Well, the new version is performed by one of my favorite singers, Sia Furler.

For some background info, I wrote an article about Sia for the Pop Underground blog last July.  But to make a long story short, Sia first came to my attention when she sang lead vocals on “Destiny” by Zero 7, which was released in 2001.  I really didn’t even know who the singer was, until last year when she released the wonderful CD Some People Have Real Problems, and she’s probably best known for her song “Breathe Me,” which was prominently featured in the series finale of Six Feet Under.

Sia has a new CD due out in early 2010.  I haven’t heard if “Under The Milky Way” will be included on that disc.  In the meantime, you can download Sia’s version of the song for free, compliments of Lincoln at http://bit.ly/lincolnsia.

Links:
Follow Sia on Twitter (she’s very entertaining!)

Sia will release a new album “We Are Born” in April next year, here is an advance track for your enjoyment.

“You’ve Changed” – Sia

Sia Kate Isobelle Furler (born 18 December 1975), also simply known as Sia, is an Australian pop singer. She is noted for her work with Zero 7 and her three major label solo albums.

To buy the music of Sia click HERE

First it was her cover of Tomorrow from the musical Annie, now Sia has done it again. Yesterday Sia gave her fans a first taster of the sound of her new album, to be titled We Are Born, by leaking a track to her Twitter followers.

“You’ve Changed” will probably ring some bells with you as it was released by Lauren Flax, featuring vocals from Sia, earlier this year. But as Sia herself said, she liked it so much she decided to record her own version for her new album.

myspace

Sia, who performed the vocals on Lauren Flax’s, You’ve Changed, is back with her own take on the tune that was so well-loved about 2 years back now. She adds her quirky coolness and a little bit of a disco clap. I love it.

Sia – You’ve Changed

Here’s the original,

Lauren Flax – You’ve Changed (feat. Sia)

Sia is already preparing to release the follow up to last years top ten album Some People Have REAL Problems. I received the first track in my email this afternoon. The track is called “You’ve Changed” and will be on the album We Are Born which is expecting a spring 2010 release.

“You’ve Changed” really takes us in a new direction from last years release. Some People Have REAL Problems was really a minimalist album with the music as more of a supporting cast to Sia’s fragile voice. “You’ve Changed” adds more back beats and techno dance grooves that really aren’t becoming to her voice.

Il y a des albums dont on sait d’avance qu’ils vont créer le débat. Ou plutôt, qu’ils vont susciter l’enthousiasme aveugle des fans, et le cynisme assassin des détracteurs. Et avec un plan promo basé sur sa vie personnelle, Diam’s a choisi le choc frontal, en espérant que le voile qui le recouvre atténue la violence de l’impact. J’ai écouté “SOS” sans a priori, mon côté fleur bleu en éveil, presque dans l’attente de la bonne surprise, prêt à reconnaître que la rappeuse avait pris une autre dimension et qu’elle méritait mieux qu’une descente en règle de son album. Sauf que malheureusement, tout ce qui m’est venu à l’esprit, ce sont 5 raisons de ne pas aimer cet album.

5. Diam’s radote comme une petite vieille. Les morceaux qui composent l’album peuvent être classés en cinq thèmes: la religion, sa mère, les politiciens, les ruptures amoureuses, je ne suis plus la même. Libre à vous ensuite de les mettre dans l’ordre que vous souhaitez, et de les décliner à volonté dans chacun des couplets, même lorsqu’il n’y a aucun lien entre eux. Et d’agrémenter le tout avec 53 rimes qui utilisent “mail”, “marianne” ou marine”.

Alors écouter “SOS” d’un trait sans être soulé ou en sachant quel titre parle de quoi relève de l’exploit, tant les morceaux se ressemblent tous, comme sur une bonne vieille compil de Zouk Love. Dommage, car une seule chanson efficace suffisait pour exploiter chaque thème (“Poussière” et sa jolie image pas trop mal exploitée par exemple).

Je pensais que l’intérêt de faire un interminable morceau de 10min (“Si c’était le dernier”) était de tout raconter pour se laisser le temps d’exploiter d’autres sujets sur le reste de l’opus. Pas de refaire un autre titre de 9min07 pour expliquer que Tu Es Quelqu’un, et raconter encore une fois la même chose.

4. Diam’s manque cruellement d’originalité. Je ne parlerai pas de la couleur musicale qui reste inchangée par rapport au précédent “Dans ma bulle”, du piano-voix larmoyant et des mélodies simplissimes. Je ne parlerai pas non plus du débat houleux sur le magnifique sample de Sia “Soon we’ll be found“, honteusement pompé et saccagé par Street Fab sur le titre “Dans le noir”. Après tout, les reprises ont toujours existé, et chacun est libre de réinterpréter un morceau qu’il apprécie, ou d’écouter uniquement les originaux. Soit.

Par contre, le personnage hybride que tente de se construire Diam’s me gêne. Absorbant la marque de fabrique de ses artistes-référence, Diam’s se transforme en Cell (pour les fans de Dragon Ball) et reprend à son compte l’identité de Médine (défense ouverte de l’Islam et de la foi), Keny Arkana (séjour en hôpital psychiatrique, textes écrits à la lueur de la Lune, revendications alter-mondialiste et tiers-mondiste), Booba (couplets matérialistes aux métaphores extérieures de richesse multiples, intonations similaires) et Kery James (long morceau hargneux sans refrain, voix à la limite de la rupture et interprétation excessive).

Et si vous trouvez que mes références sont tirées par les cheveux, relisez les réponses de Diam’s du temps où elle donnait encore des interviews, ou faites attention à sa liste de MCs favoris dans “L’honneur d’un peuple”. Si vous avez un peu de temps, écoutez donc à la suite “Eh connard” et “La solitaire” (Keny Arkana) et “Le combat continue 3” (Kery James), puis enchaînez avec “Si c’était le dernier” (Diam’s). Et jetez également une oreille à l’excellent opus “Arabian Panther” de Médine, vous comprendrez d’où vient le côté religieux décomplexé de la Jeune Demoiselle.

A la différence près qu’après avoir écouté les morceaux originaux, on peut ressentir l’envie de faire la révolution, de devenir un imam ou de vendre des kilos de coke. Après avoir écouté Diam’s, on a juste envie de passer à autre chose.

3. Diam’s est un peu schizophrène. Elle l’avoue elle-même. Et même si elle essayait de le cacher, la vérité éclaterait au grand jour malgré tout. Parce qu’elle a cette faculté à rimer une chose et son contraire: elle ne veut pas grandir dans “Peter Pan” mais se grouille d’être un modèle pour les petites soeurs dans “L’honneur d’un peuple”. Elle repousse la gloire et ses paillettes maléfiques mais veut qu’on garde d’elle l’image “d’une fille qui rêvait d’être Reine auprès du Roi”. Elle revendique des idées et une conscience politique mais avoue ne “rien comprendre pour l’instant”, toujours dans “Peter Pan”. Et qu’on ne me fasse pas croire qu’elle parle à la place d’un enfant de 6 ans, vu qu’elle évoque aussi ses impôts, ses PV, son pactole.

Elle veut être traitée comme un symbole, un modèle pour les femmes qui s’assument et qui luttent pour leur survie, mais parle encore de Petit Coeur qui se fait larguer par une Bombe (“Coeur de Bombe”) alors qu’elle approche des 30 ans. Diam’s n’a pas grandi en même temps que son public féminin, et conserve son discours destiné aux midinettes qui découvrent avec émoi qu’un garçon ne rêve pas que de jouer à Street Fighter IV le mercredi après midi.

Est ce qu’elle a mal choisi son personnage à marketer pour séduire le public le plus large possible, est ce qu’elle se ment à elle même en essayant de se persuader qu’elle ne vieillit pas, est ce qu’elle n’assume pas qui elle aimerait devenir? Elle seule peut répondre, mais pas à travers un album visiblement.

2. Diam’s vit dans un monde de Bisounours. A l’abri dans son refuge manichéen, la MC écrit ses textes à minuit dans le jardin du Bien et du Mal, éclairée par la Lune. Sans jamais trouver de juste milieu. L’Europe, c’est mal. L’Afrique, c’est bien. Le Gouvernement, c’est mal. La banlieue, c’est bien. L’homme, c’est mal. La femme, c’est bien. Il n’y a pas de place pour la nuance, pour la réflexion, pour le réél.

Toutes les mères sont des héroïnes, tous les enfants sont innocents, tous les métis souffrent, ce sont les hommes qui trompent et quittent, la drogue est partout, la variété française c’est nul. D’ailleurs, lorsque Diam’s demande ce que va faire la variet’ quand elle l’aura plagié, j’ai juste envie de répondre qu’elle peut faire un procès pour violation des droits d’auteur et récupérer une bonne partie de tes royalites et de ta fortune personnelle dont tu parles tant. Mais dans l’univers simpliste de la Boulette, qui se veut peut être être le reflet de sa vie, ce n’est pas possible d’être poursuivi à cause de son Art. Parce que le rap, c’est bien.

1. Diams n’est pas si authentique. Je m’explique. L’effort d’interprétation sur la plupart des titres de l’album aurait pu être intéressant et apporter un vrai plus artistique, mais verse trop rapidement dans l’agressivité mal contrôlée qui sonne faux. Le manque flagrant de sincérité me gêne, d’autant plus que j’aurai voulu la défendre, expliquer que la mise en lumière tardive de sa reconversion est déplacée, saluer la mise à nu d’une artiste qui a plus à perdre qu’à gagner, en bref, avouer à demi-mot que “SOS” de Diam’s n’est pas un mauvais album.

En choisissant d’exposer sa vie au grand jour, d’assumer ses convictions religieuses devant les caméras et de revendiquer cette force nouvelle trouvée dans la spiritualité, Diam’s donne juste l’explication indispensable à la compréhension de ses paroles. Parce que dans le fond, Diam’s souffre simplement du syndrome de la femme européenne blanche reconvertie à l’Islam. Elle veut en faire plus que les autres, elle estime qu’elle a encore plus de choses à prouver que les soeurs nées dans le Din, elle complexe de ne pas obtenir la reconnaissance automatique de sa foi et redouble d’efforts pour se faire accepter de sa comunauté d’accueil.

Quitte à livrer une liste de chansons remplies d’apparences, dans lesquelles Diam’s se noie et se perd à chaque mesure, trop obsédée par le regard des autres. Alors pour le coup, je dois reconnaître que le titre de son album est vraiment bien choisi.

Produced by Greg Kurstin with Nick Valensi from The Strokes on guitar, here is a new track from her new album entitled “We Are Born” (Spring ‘10).

Can’t wait for the whole thing.

SiA – You’ve Changed

Earlier this year Lauren Flax featured Sia on her huge tune You’ve Changed, and Sia liked it so much that she decided to do her own version for her new album, and leak it all over Twitter. I just can’t work out which version I like better..

Sia – You’ve Changed

Lauren Flax ft. Sia – You’ve Changed

One of t he greatest talents of our time Ms. SiA Furler has been currently busy taking care of someone else’s career (Christina Aguilera). But, that hasn’t stopped her from working on her own album. It is tentatively titled We Are Born. One of the rumored tracks on it is a reworked version of the Laurent Flax collaboration “You’ve Changed,” which is a great track to begin with. Click here to listen to the new version. The album is set for a Spring 2010 release.

I am no good for you. I’m seeing ghosts in everything I do.

Ce texte ,écrit par Martin Vallières, résume très bien la situation vécu par les agents immobiliers que part les consommateurs.

Martin Vallières
La Presse
(Montréal) Le plus important réseau de promotion immobilière au Canada, le système SIA/MLS, est dans la ligne de mire du Bureau fédéral de la concurrence, qui veut en libéraliser l’accès aux consommateurs.
Pas question, résiste le principal gestionnaire de MLS.
Selon l’Association canadienne de l’immeuble (ACI), l’inscription des propriétés à vendre et à louer dans le système MLS doit demeurer l’exclusivité des firmes de courtage et de leurs agents affiliés.
Pour le moment, les consommateurs n’ont qu’un accès limité au système SIA/MLS par l’entremise d’un site internet où sont répertoriées des fiches d’inscription sommaires et quelques photos des propriétés à vendre.
Pourtant, c’est par le système SIA/MLS que circulent les informations pour au moins 90% des transactions de propriétés résidentielles vendues au Canada.
Par conséquent, selon le Bureau fédéral de la concurrence, l’inscription de propriétés à vendre dans SIA/MLS devrait être élargie aux consommateurs qui souhaitent faire une transaction sans passer par un agent.
Et ce, dans le but de diversifier les alternatives des consommateurs – vendeurs et acheteurs – et de rehausser la concurrence des tarifs et des prestations parmi les agents immobiliers.
Est-ce que le Bureau de la concurrence parviendra à faire fléchir les grands patrons du courtage immobilier, sans recourir à ses pouvoirs coercitifs?
Pour le moment, des négociations se poursuivent entre le Bureau fédéral et l’ACI. Et leur issue pourrait ouvrir une brèche dans un secteur où les revenus de commissions des courtiers représentent au moins 6 milliards par an, au Canada.
Au Québec, cependant, la Fédération des chambres immobilières du Québec ne s’inquiète guère d’une éventuelle ordonnance de libéralisation du système SIA/MLS.
«L’exclusivité d’inscription à MLS est de moins en moins pertinente face à la multiplication des moyens de diffusion, notamment par l’internet. De plus, dans la vente et la promotion, pour que l’information ait de la valeur, il faut qu’elle circule», dit Michel Beauséjour, chef de la direction de la Fédération.

Le Courtage Immobilier Résidentiel Au Québec
Effectif
> 14 000 courtiers et agents, dont 10 000 dans la région de Montréal
> 14 chambres immobilières régionales
Nombre annuel de transactions
> Environ 75 000, dont 40 000 dans la région de Montréal
VALEUR annuelle des transactions
> Environ 16 milliards, dont 10 milliards dans la région de Montréal
Revenus bruts de commissions
> Environ 800 millions par an
Source: Fédération des chambres immobilières du Québec

Fabienne Malenfant
Relationiste
http://www.agentsparsecteur.com

I am at about 86%.

The trip this weekend made me legally retarded.

But I’m fighting, like Cuba Gooding Jr. in “Radio”, to make something of myself.

Aitken Spence has been the General Sales Agent (GSA) for Singapore Airlines (SIA) for longer than any other GSA associated with the airline. The long haul with the world-admired airline has been a journey of challenge and opportunity.

Sasi Ganeshan, Managing Director of Aitken Spence Aviation, and Keethi Jayaweera, Jt Managing Director, have each spent more than 30 years representing and promoting Singapore Airlines in Sri Lanka. Much of the success of the long-term relationship between the airline and Aitken Spence has been due to the excellent relationship that exists between SIA and Aitken Spence and the staff exclusively dedicated to Singapore Airlines.

“The relationship has survived because of mutual respect built up over the years,” says Jayaweera. “We have developed an enviable compatibility between us. SIA require a GSA who is a hundred percent reliable, trustworthy and honest, and we have never let them down.”

The role of General Sales Agent in Sri Lanka covers everything an airline does except operate flights. Most of the airlines serving Sri Lanka do so through a GSA. The relationship between Aitken Spence and Singapore Airlines has its roots in the appointment by Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA) of Eus Tours, owned by Mr Eustace Ranasinghe, as their GSA in 1970. Malayan Airways had been formed in 1947 and eventually – as MSA – began flights to Colombo in 1970.

In 1972, the airline split into SIA and Malaysian Airline System (MAS), with SIA concentrating on international flights and MAS operating mainly domestic routes and some selected international flights. It was in that year that Eus Tours went into partnership with Aitken Spence to form ASET Airways Ltd (AS = Aitken Spence and ET = Eus Tours) to be the GSA for the revamped airline. When SIA became independent of MAS, Aset Airways became SIA’s choice for GSA. It has remained so ever since, even though the company was rebranded as Aitken Spence Aviation in 2006.

Aitken Spence Aviation is exclusively dedicated to SIA in Sri Lanka, handling both passenger and cargo operations for the airline. Some 50 Sri Lankans, all employed by Aitken Spence Aviation, work in the SIA offices in the Aitken Spence Tower in Vauxhall Street and at the Bandaranaike International Airport. There are that number of employees to make sure the standard of service matches that required by SIA, as the airline is renowned for its emphasis on good customer care. Only two employees – the Country Manager and the Airport Manager – are Singaporeans on a posting to Sri Lanka.

Although the relationship has lasted so long between SIA and Aitken Spence, it is subject to review and monitoring of over-all performance. “Our relationship has become the benchmark for agreements SIA has with other GSAs elsewhere,” says Managing Director Ganeshan. “We are totally honest and open, understanding each other’s problems. This bond survived a period when SIA didn’t fly to Sri Lanka in 1985 & 1986 when we went “off line” for a year.”

“Off line” in this case means that the airline was still represented by Aset Airways in Sri Lanka and the GSA could make passenger bookings and cargo arrangements for SIA flights worldwide, even though the airline wasn’t flying to Colombo. SIA responded to the loyalty of its GSA and its passengers in Sri Lanka by maintaining services to/from Colombo even when other major airlines suspended flights because of terrorism. When the airport was closed because of a terrorist attack, only one SIA flight was cancelled and the airline resumed scheduled flights the next day. Now the airline operates day time flights to and from Singapore.

The airline is popular with travellers going beyond Singapore to other SIA destinations worldwide, in part because Sri Lankans do not require a visa to visit or transit Singapore. Although the ticket office run by Aitken Spence Aviation is as luxurious as flying first class with SIA, there is no longer much walk-in business from passengers wanting to buy tickets. “Ticket sales have changed,” says Jayaweera. “Most of the sales come through travel agents because they give a full service such as applying for destination visas for passengers, passport formalities, insurance and hotel accommodation. We give the travel agents support with accurate fare quotations and details of scheduling. Other ticket sales are done through the Internet, although that has not yet become popular here as Sri Lankans prefer to deal with people they can see and trust.”

“No other GSA in Sri Lanka goes in for the training we provide our staff,” says Ganeshan. “We have an annual budget for training of Rs2 million, and our staff go to Singapore very two years for training in the latest methods.” Jayaweera adds: “Lots of people heading the airline business in Colombo started with SIA and got their GSA exposure working with us.”

This exposure extends even to the Singaporeans who, over the years, have been appointed as Country Managers working with the GSA and have gone on to senior positions with SIA and with other airlines. Ganeshan recalls with a smile: “Some of them didn’t want to come here, but when it is time to leave, they didn’t want to go.”

He explains that is because the attention to detail and genuine desire to do their extra best, typifies the attitude of all those working with Aitken Spence Aviation. It’s a quality born from the long haul of nearly 40 years association shared by SIA and Aitken Spence. It creates the sense of confidence that is essential to a good business relationship between the GSA and the airline’s clients, whether they are booking flights or sending cargo.

2009 – Ace Magazine Issue I

(Adapted from an article appearing in the April 2009 issue of the Singapore Airlines in-house magazine)

Shortly after checking in at Colombo’s International Airport for her flight on Singapore Airlines, Mrs Perkins panicked and felt her heart sink when she discovered she had left her diamond ring in a room at the Ceylon Continental Hotel.

When he learned about her predicament, SIA Customer Services Manager Vasantha realised Mrs Perkins had no time to return to the hotel and retrieve the ring before her flight’s departure. So Vasantha quickly invited the distraught lady and her husband to his office where he offered them tea while he tried to contact the hotel manager for assistance.

After waiting for the manager to return his call as promised, Vasantha phoned him again. He and the Perkins were elated to learn that the ring had been found. The problem was how to return it to Mrs Perkins. Thinking quickly, Vasantha enquired if it was possible for the hotel to arrange for the ring to be delivered to the airport in time for Mrs Perkins to catch the flight. Vasantha stuck gold in securing the hotel’s cooperation and he was able to pick up the ring from the hotel’s representative at the outer porch of the airport entrance. Mrs Perkins was extremely relieved.

Vasantha’s assistance to the couple did not end there. He personally escorted them through the necessary customs procedures, given that the ‘lost’ item was a valuable one, and made sure they caught the flight.

Impressed with Vasantha’s pro-activeness and professionalism, Mr Perkins was moved to write: “I find it incredible that a manager like yourself would go out of his way to help a traveller. I believe this action on your part was far beyond the call of your duty. We sincerely appreciate your professional assistance in retrieving this valuable ring for us, prior to our flight.”

Vasantha Kudaliyanage is the Customer Services Manager of Aitken Spence Aviation/SIA at the Colombo International Airport.

2009 – Ace Magazine Issue I

After watching Annie, Sia decided to open up her laptop, load up music programme Garageband and sing her own version of the track Tomorrow from the classic musical.

Those of you following her on Twitter will have no doubt seen her tweet:
“just sang tomorrow once on my garage band,thought i’d upload it here,or a link to it for fun…”

This is just one of a kind cover of an old classic. I am not to keen on the original but Sia adds some real soul to this favorite classic.

She is touring Australia mates!

Check out the dates here

http://www.myspace.com/siamusic

Rabu, 11 November 2009

Pertemuan kesembilan topik bahasannya adalah BILLING / ACCOUNTS (ada di slide chapter-11)… Tugas untuk dikumpul untuk pertemuan selanjutnya adalah mengerjakan soal yang sudah ada di UP…soalnya seputar DFD. Jadi di soal ada 2 DFD (level-0), kita diperintahkan untuk mejelaskan alur kerja DFD, kemudian memberikan plus minus dan akhirnya merevisi DFD (level-0) sesuai dengan versi kita masing-masing.

Rabu, 4 November 2009

seperti biasa pak Djonni menerangka slide demi slide. Topik bahasan di pertemuan ke delapan ini adalah tentang ORDER ENTRY (ada di slide chapter-10)

Tugas untuk dikumpul minggu depan adalah mengerjakan soal di UP tentang sistem pengkodean nomor mahasiswa…

Read today’s papers in the morning, and on the 3rd page, was the headline ‘SIA starts hiring cabin crew again’. Immediately I thought of babe again… and I wonder if I’ve been moving on at all these past few weeks. And all along I’ve always held this thought: we were perfect for each other. However, destiny and fate tend to be tricky, and they certainly think otherwise.

Flying off to Cambodia later in the morning. Can’t seem to fall asleep; the utmost worry I have now is not having a room to myself. I can only guess they (the organisers) will put me up with one of the student, which is certainly unfortunate. I’ll probably pay for a room myself if it comes to that. It’s only after all, USD25 a night.

Ray’s driving me to the airport later. Which is much of a relief, wouldn’t know how to handle Tim, especially these few days. Long story.

Headed out to Audi service centre today to pick up Raymond’s car. It’s an adventure going out with him these few days, especially as his drives his Lamborghini. And people really do stare. We even had tourists taking pictures of the car as we drove past the Botanical Gardens.

Been babysitting the dogs for the past week since Sis had to go for invigilation duties. Love Louie to bits.

Christmas decorations are back along the streets of Orchard Road. Nothing beats the Christmas markets in Germany though.

Even the Starbucks red cups are back. Yay! Though I’ve not been patronising them much these few weeks.

Got to love the McDonalds Monopoly games. Addictive, but the food is oh so unhealthy.

Chris’ Kindle. It’s almost as good as a book. Wonderful interface, I tell you.

Lunch with Raymond. It was the best salmon sushi I have had. Melt in your mouth quality.

So no more posts till I return from Cambodia. Hopefully I’ll survive the trip, and more importantly, find some sort of closure.