Indiana Pacers small forward Sam Young spent the majority of the preseason working with the starters while Danny Granger nursed his injured left knee.
Granger’s out of the lineup indefinitely because of his knee and Young is out the starting lineup with Gerald Green stepping in.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel went with Young with the starters during the preseason because he wanted the second unit, which featured Green, to work together as much as possible to create continuity.
That notion went out the window when the Pacers announced Tuesday that Granger would be out.
“Gerald is higher than Sam on the depth chart,” Vogel said. “With Danny out, it changes everything that we were trying to do during the preseason. Gerald and Paul (George) will get the bulk of the minutes at the wing position(s).”
Vogel will continue to use a 10-man rotation, with Young backing up Green at small forward, but he plans to change up the minutes so that either Green or George is on the court as much as possible. That will keep a scoring threat on the wing.
“We will stagger the rotation so that the second unit doesn’t all of a sudden become Lance (Stephenson) and Sam Young out there,” Vogel said. “They may see some minutes together, but I’ll try to keep Paul or Gerald on the court at one time.”
Vogel emphasized that they can’t have just one player pick up the scoring slack in Granger’s absence. They have to continue to play with a team-first mindset.
“I told them loud and clear, this is not a one man got-to-step-and-fill the role,” Vogel said. “The strength of our team is that we’re a team, we play and share the basketball and we play as one. We don’t want anybody forcing anything because they feel like they have shoes to fill.”
Pacers rookie Miles Plumlee joined Granger on the inactive list Wednesday.
Vogel pointed out that Ben Hansbrough and Orlando Johnson didn’t do anything to earn an active spot on the roster over Plumlee; it was matter of health concerns.
Johnson gave the Pacers an extra wing with Granger out and Hansbrough was active because starting point guard George Hill isn’t completely healthy from his hip pointer, which caused him to miss most of the preseason.
Antonio Davis is joining ex-Pacers Reggie Miller, Jalen Rose and Chris Mullin as an analyst on television.
Davis, who spent six seasons with the Pacers, will be an NBA analyst on ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” “NBA Coast to Coast” and “NBA Tonight.”
2012年10月31日星期三
2012年10月29日星期一
Medal of Honor and I go way back
Warfighter, what am I going to do with you? I had such high hopes of the time we would spend together. Ever since I laid my hands upon you at E3 this year, I’ve been fluttering my eyelashes at you from afar.
But now that I’ve spent time alone with you, caressed you, tried to tease open your secrets, I just, I just don’t feel happy. I feel... I feel dirty. And unsatisfied.
Developer Danger Close’s second installment in the Medal of Honor reboot was supposed to be a step up from the first. It was supposed to bring gamers back to the realistic world of war, where the action was intense, and the fighting was fast.
It does none of those things. In fact, it does precisely the opposite. This game is a step backward. It is a mistaken blot of a title. It is so fist-clenchingly frustrating that it makes me angry. But my anger has quickly slunk into sadness, making me ponder whether I should give up on the entire franchise.
That’s a big call. Medal of Honor and I go way back. We grew up together. But if this is the best Danger Close have to offer, well, maybe its time to end the affair.
Warfighter’s biggest and most immediate problem is its complete lack of depth and narrative. You play in the shoes of a jarhead called “Preacher”. He might be from the first game, but I’m not sure. I really can’t remember. In any event the title makes no attempt to link the game to the background and history of its forebear. Preacher is chaperoned around various hotspots by “Mother”, the ubiquitous bearded special forces soldier with a cricket umpires cap and a Captain Price beard. As far as I could tell, that’s it. There is literally nothing new to see here.
Both Preacher and Mother appear to be dude-bros so tight, they think nothing of shacking up together in hot and heavy hotspots around the world — from Somalia to the Philippines. These environments look nice, and you can blow them to smithereens with lots of high-tech, and ultimately familiar weaponry. But you’d hardly know why — and that a good game does not make.
Throughout the confusion, Preacher and Mother have got each other’s back. Sure, theres lots of hoo-ah, roger-niner, check your six, and eyes on me, but as to what they are doing in all these places, and why you the player should care, I couldn’t tell you. Because the game never tells me.
Maybe it’s something to do with Islamic insurgents, train bombs, international terrorism, and tired racist stereotypes about Middle-Eastern otherness. Or I could be confusing its narrative set up with a thousand other military shooters pumped on the juiced-up high of American exceptionalism. Or, maybe there’s no need for conjecture. Because it's both of those things.
Sure, there are quieter moments. Moments where Danger Close has tried to show its soft side. But the cut scenes where Preacher wrestles with both his conscience and his loved ones only come across as forced and contrived. And they are as poorly animated as they are acted. Part of that’s down to empty writing. In an early scene Preacher’s wife intones “why won’t you let me in” before Preacher hangs the phone up on her. Let her in to what? His cliched war-ravaged psyche? His battles with post-traumatic stress disorder? The mind boggles. By keeping us out of that stultifying experience Preacher is probably doing us a favour.
But now that I’ve spent time alone with you, caressed you, tried to tease open your secrets, I just, I just don’t feel happy. I feel... I feel dirty. And unsatisfied.
Developer Danger Close’s second installment in the Medal of Honor reboot was supposed to be a step up from the first. It was supposed to bring gamers back to the realistic world of war, where the action was intense, and the fighting was fast.
It does none of those things. In fact, it does precisely the opposite. This game is a step backward. It is a mistaken blot of a title. It is so fist-clenchingly frustrating that it makes me angry. But my anger has quickly slunk into sadness, making me ponder whether I should give up on the entire franchise.
That’s a big call. Medal of Honor and I go way back. We grew up together. But if this is the best Danger Close have to offer, well, maybe its time to end the affair.
Warfighter’s biggest and most immediate problem is its complete lack of depth and narrative. You play in the shoes of a jarhead called “Preacher”. He might be from the first game, but I’m not sure. I really can’t remember. In any event the title makes no attempt to link the game to the background and history of its forebear. Preacher is chaperoned around various hotspots by “Mother”, the ubiquitous bearded special forces soldier with a cricket umpires cap and a Captain Price beard. As far as I could tell, that’s it. There is literally nothing new to see here.
Both Preacher and Mother appear to be dude-bros so tight, they think nothing of shacking up together in hot and heavy hotspots around the world — from Somalia to the Philippines. These environments look nice, and you can blow them to smithereens with lots of high-tech, and ultimately familiar weaponry. But you’d hardly know why — and that a good game does not make.
Throughout the confusion, Preacher and Mother have got each other’s back. Sure, theres lots of hoo-ah, roger-niner, check your six, and eyes on me, but as to what they are doing in all these places, and why you the player should care, I couldn’t tell you. Because the game never tells me.
Maybe it’s something to do with Islamic insurgents, train bombs, international terrorism, and tired racist stereotypes about Middle-Eastern otherness. Or I could be confusing its narrative set up with a thousand other military shooters pumped on the juiced-up high of American exceptionalism. Or, maybe there’s no need for conjecture. Because it's both of those things.
Sure, there are quieter moments. Moments where Danger Close has tried to show its soft side. But the cut scenes where Preacher wrestles with both his conscience and his loved ones only come across as forced and contrived. And they are as poorly animated as they are acted. Part of that’s down to empty writing. In an early scene Preacher’s wife intones “why won’t you let me in” before Preacher hangs the phone up on her. Let her in to what? His cliched war-ravaged psyche? His battles with post-traumatic stress disorder? The mind boggles. By keeping us out of that stultifying experience Preacher is probably doing us a favour.
2012年10月25日星期四
Super Saver-Saving on your trash bill
How much garbage do you throw away each week? Now that Grand Rapids has gone to a "Pay as you throw" program, many people are trying to cut back on the amount of garbage they produce to save money. In September, Grand Rapids installed its new program based on the size of the garbage receptacle you use and the frequency of it being picked-up. According to Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids, there are many things that you can recycle to save on your garbage and help give back to your community.
Nick Carlson is the Director of Environmental Sustainability of Goodwill Industries based in Grandville. "Since 2008 we've been able to cut our total volume of waste to landfill in half, by finding new markets. We're able to take a former waste source and turn it into a small revenue source." One example would be any broken household appliance, like maybe a toaster. Carlson explains it has a purpose with Goodwill. "Any appliances that we're unable to sell, we'll cut off the copper wire and re-sell it into the scrap metals market and get some decent value out of this."
Ripped or torn clothing is another example of something once thought to be garbage that Goodwill Industries is anxious to take off your hands. Jill Wallace, the Chief Marketing Officer of Goodwill Greater Grand Rapids explains. "The shirts that might have holes or the shoes that you may have somehow lost the pair, you have a mismatched shoe, it all has value to it." Goodwill is the largest recycler of textiles in the world. According to Carlson, the Grandville facility does about six million pounds of this material a year. Old belts are another clothing item that has value. "Any of these belts we couldn't sell through our regular retail model, we're now able to package and sell to brokers and this material is going to be shipped overseas," said Carlson.
Have some old board games headed for the garbage? Goodwill will take parts of that too. "This (game box) is a mixed paper grade, stuff you wouldn't necessarily think to send through your county recycling program. But when this game comes in and we lose some of the pieces we can recycle the cardboard as a mixed paper category which will go into making toilet paper and new paper towels," explains Carlson.
Some other recyclables are more obvious and offer more significant space saving to you. "We do a little over one millon pounds of just computers every year out of this plant and we do about a million pounds of televisions out of this plant here," according to Carlson. "We package that up and send it to one of five locations in the country where they disassemble this stuff."
Many random odds and ends that you might not think have any value to anyone else also are quite popular at Goodwill's Outlet Center in Grandville, the only one in the state. All the materials that don't sell at the store end up in large bins that get rotated about eight times per day. Most items in the bin sell for 60 cents per pound. Despite all these new options for recycling, Carlson wants to stress that Goodwill is not a place for people to drop off their garbage. "What I would say is anything that's gently used, anything that may be questionable you can still bring that and we will make the decision on it." Things like soiled mattresses or broken furniture would be items Goodwill does not want however. The main facility is located at 3035 Prairie Street in Grandville.
Nick Carlson is the Director of Environmental Sustainability of Goodwill Industries based in Grandville. "Since 2008 we've been able to cut our total volume of waste to landfill in half, by finding new markets. We're able to take a former waste source and turn it into a small revenue source." One example would be any broken household appliance, like maybe a toaster. Carlson explains it has a purpose with Goodwill. "Any appliances that we're unable to sell, we'll cut off the copper wire and re-sell it into the scrap metals market and get some decent value out of this."
Ripped or torn clothing is another example of something once thought to be garbage that Goodwill Industries is anxious to take off your hands. Jill Wallace, the Chief Marketing Officer of Goodwill Greater Grand Rapids explains. "The shirts that might have holes or the shoes that you may have somehow lost the pair, you have a mismatched shoe, it all has value to it." Goodwill is the largest recycler of textiles in the world. According to Carlson, the Grandville facility does about six million pounds of this material a year. Old belts are another clothing item that has value. "Any of these belts we couldn't sell through our regular retail model, we're now able to package and sell to brokers and this material is going to be shipped overseas," said Carlson.
Have some old board games headed for the garbage? Goodwill will take parts of that too. "This (game box) is a mixed paper grade, stuff you wouldn't necessarily think to send through your county recycling program. But when this game comes in and we lose some of the pieces we can recycle the cardboard as a mixed paper category which will go into making toilet paper and new paper towels," explains Carlson.
Some other recyclables are more obvious and offer more significant space saving to you. "We do a little over one millon pounds of just computers every year out of this plant and we do about a million pounds of televisions out of this plant here," according to Carlson. "We package that up and send it to one of five locations in the country where they disassemble this stuff."
Many random odds and ends that you might not think have any value to anyone else also are quite popular at Goodwill's Outlet Center in Grandville, the only one in the state. All the materials that don't sell at the store end up in large bins that get rotated about eight times per day. Most items in the bin sell for 60 cents per pound. Despite all these new options for recycling, Carlson wants to stress that Goodwill is not a place for people to drop off their garbage. "What I would say is anything that's gently used, anything that may be questionable you can still bring that and we will make the decision on it." Things like soiled mattresses or broken furniture would be items Goodwill does not want however. The main facility is located at 3035 Prairie Street in Grandville.
2012年10月24日星期三
How political scandals and economic uncertainty
Not so long ago, wealthy Chinese would keep the price tags dangling off their sunglasses, wear their ties back to front to display the designer label and celebrate every business deal with that showiest of French wines, Chateau Lafite Rothschild Bordeaux, sometimes mixed with Coca Cola. They also had a reputation for being daft with their money, buying highly leveraged structured derivatives from Hong Kong private banks that offered eye popping returns or unlimited losses. They were known as the bao fa hu which translates as “newly rich” or “upstart”
That image is so 2009. Today’s upmarket Chinese consumer is hiding his wealth—for now. The reason is partly political. China’s top leadership will change next year, and with it, a lot of people’s fortunes. Meanwhile, having lost heavily on derivatives during the autumn 2008 stock market crash, China’s wealthy elite are also taking a sensible approach to banking. And they are even experimenting with less obvious wine brands.
“Many Chinese business people got their money honestly, but now they do not want the scrutiny and attention that comes from displaying wealth,” says Sunny Wong Yat Ming, managing director of Trinity Holding International, a Hong Kong-listed company that owns the Cerruti 1881 and Gieves & Hawkes brands.
The super rich are going underground, as political power shifts in unknown directions. Since former Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai was dramatically forced out of his post and expelled from the party, and because China’s top leadership is changing, it is no longer smart to show off wealth. China is run on so-called “guanxi”which means “relationship” and, for business leaders, means that if you are protected by the right powerful official you can flaunt your wealth and status. Now, not only are the tectonic plates of political power shifting, no one is quite sure what the results will be. The bao fa hu are, quite literally, in hiding.
This scandal over an ostensibly low-paid government official who was pictured wearing a range of designer watches has got people scared. Now Chinese public relations companies sell a service to scrub blog posts or photos from the internet, just in case the anti-corruption police start looking for evidence.
A joke often told by Hong Kong residents about rich mainland Chinese tourists goes along the lines of: “They must sell superglue in designer stores so these mainlanders can cover themselves in it and roll around the shop.” The joke conjures up a stereotypical image of a mainland Chinese man wearing one brand only, very visibly, from head to toe. But at the very top end of the income ladder, this joke is dated. Now it only applies to potato dumplings.
“One thing I’ve noticed recently in Shanghai is very wealthy people are increasingly wearing Brioni suits,” says David Lin, who is Taiwanese and runs Whitesun Equity Partners, a buyout house focusing on Chinese consumer industries with offices in Taipei and Shanghai. He is referring to the Italian designer Brioni, whose suits can cost tens of thousands of dollars yet, according to Lin, is still “not a brand that makes it obvious you are wearing their brand.”
That image is so 2009. Today’s upmarket Chinese consumer is hiding his wealth—for now. The reason is partly political. China’s top leadership will change next year, and with it, a lot of people’s fortunes. Meanwhile, having lost heavily on derivatives during the autumn 2008 stock market crash, China’s wealthy elite are also taking a sensible approach to banking. And they are even experimenting with less obvious wine brands.
“Many Chinese business people got their money honestly, but now they do not want the scrutiny and attention that comes from displaying wealth,” says Sunny Wong Yat Ming, managing director of Trinity Holding International, a Hong Kong-listed company that owns the Cerruti 1881 and Gieves & Hawkes brands.
The super rich are going underground, as political power shifts in unknown directions. Since former Chongqing party chief Bo Xilai was dramatically forced out of his post and expelled from the party, and because China’s top leadership is changing, it is no longer smart to show off wealth. China is run on so-called “guanxi”which means “relationship” and, for business leaders, means that if you are protected by the right powerful official you can flaunt your wealth and status. Now, not only are the tectonic plates of political power shifting, no one is quite sure what the results will be. The bao fa hu are, quite literally, in hiding.
This scandal over an ostensibly low-paid government official who was pictured wearing a range of designer watches has got people scared. Now Chinese public relations companies sell a service to scrub blog posts or photos from the internet, just in case the anti-corruption police start looking for evidence.
A joke often told by Hong Kong residents about rich mainland Chinese tourists goes along the lines of: “They must sell superglue in designer stores so these mainlanders can cover themselves in it and roll around the shop.” The joke conjures up a stereotypical image of a mainland Chinese man wearing one brand only, very visibly, from head to toe. But at the very top end of the income ladder, this joke is dated. Now it only applies to potato dumplings.
“One thing I’ve noticed recently in Shanghai is very wealthy people are increasingly wearing Brioni suits,” says David Lin, who is Taiwanese and runs Whitesun Equity Partners, a buyout house focusing on Chinese consumer industries with offices in Taipei and Shanghai. He is referring to the Italian designer Brioni, whose suits can cost tens of thousands of dollars yet, according to Lin, is still “not a brand that makes it obvious you are wearing their brand.”
2012年10月23日星期二
Operation Christmas Child kicks off
Local volunteers are getting a head start on sharing holiday gifts with millions of children around the world.
Operation Christmas Child, a project of Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, is launching its annual shoe box gift collection drive Nov. 12-19 with a goal to send more than 9 million shoes boxes to children in 130 countries this year.
The New River Baptist Association collection center, located at 2734 Commerce Road in Jacksonville, is one of 3,200 locations where donors can drop off shoe boxes packed with toys, school supplies and necessity items during National Collection Week. Residents participated in a kick off celebration at the Jacksonville center on Thursday to help reach a new goal to collect 7,500 shoes boxes this year by submitting donations are serving as volunteers for the annual drive.
Betty Jo Hensley has headed efforts as the Jacksonville-Onslow County coordinator for Operation Christmas Child since 2006. Hensley first heard of the organization while serving with her husband as foreign missionaries for 40 years before retiring and settling in Jacksonville.
“Before we retired, a big shipment of boxes came to Panama where we were living at the time, and we didn’t know anything about it then,” Hensley said. “The Panama Baptist Convention asked if we would help give out boxes — we were in a very poor area.”
The organization welcomes youth and adult volunteers from any organization or group to participate by donating toys, games, school supplies and more along with a letter or photo in a standard size plastic or cardboard shoe boxes. Gift wrapping is optional but highly encouraged.
“It’s not just Baptist, it’s any denomination, organization or individual and some of the schools have their honor societies do it,” Hensley said. “Last year we ended up with 5,695 shoes boxes here.”
Collection dates will be Nov. 12-17 from 1 to 5 p.m., Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Nov. 19 from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. After the shoe box gifts are collected on Nov. 19, they are sent to be processed and prepared for hand-delivery to children worldwide using whatever means necessary — sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, helicopters, boats, elephants and dog sleds.
Chick-fil-A is partnering with the organization once again by accepting shoe boxes on Nov. 7 from 5 to 8 p.m. at its Western Boulevard Extension location near Target.
“If someone brings a box they get a coupon for a free sandwich,” Hensley said. “We had 958 boxes collected at Chick-fil-A in one night last year.”
Operation Christmas Child, a project of Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, is launching its annual shoe box gift collection drive Nov. 12-19 with a goal to send more than 9 million shoes boxes to children in 130 countries this year.
The New River Baptist Association collection center, located at 2734 Commerce Road in Jacksonville, is one of 3,200 locations where donors can drop off shoe boxes packed with toys, school supplies and necessity items during National Collection Week. Residents participated in a kick off celebration at the Jacksonville center on Thursday to help reach a new goal to collect 7,500 shoes boxes this year by submitting donations are serving as volunteers for the annual drive.
Betty Jo Hensley has headed efforts as the Jacksonville-Onslow County coordinator for Operation Christmas Child since 2006. Hensley first heard of the organization while serving with her husband as foreign missionaries for 40 years before retiring and settling in Jacksonville.
“Before we retired, a big shipment of boxes came to Panama where we were living at the time, and we didn’t know anything about it then,” Hensley said. “The Panama Baptist Convention asked if we would help give out boxes — we were in a very poor area.”
The organization welcomes youth and adult volunteers from any organization or group to participate by donating toys, games, school supplies and more along with a letter or photo in a standard size plastic or cardboard shoe boxes. Gift wrapping is optional but highly encouraged.
“It’s not just Baptist, it’s any denomination, organization or individual and some of the schools have their honor societies do it,” Hensley said. “Last year we ended up with 5,695 shoes boxes here.”
Collection dates will be Nov. 12-17 from 1 to 5 p.m., Nov. 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Nov. 19 from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. After the shoe box gifts are collected on Nov. 19, they are sent to be processed and prepared for hand-delivery to children worldwide using whatever means necessary — sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, helicopters, boats, elephants and dog sleds.
Chick-fil-A is partnering with the organization once again by accepting shoe boxes on Nov. 7 from 5 to 8 p.m. at its Western Boulevard Extension location near Target.
“If someone brings a box they get a coupon for a free sandwich,” Hensley said. “We had 958 boxes collected at Chick-fil-A in one night last year.”
2012年10月22日星期一
Sowle cleaned them and disinfected them
Sowle began a charity to help bring shoes to Seattle's homeless people. Since Sowle was once homeless himself he knew firsthand the difference that a good pair of shoes could make to life on the street.
Sowle's 13 years living on the street were a constant struggle of trying to avoid the pain and bitter cold that his feet often felt. In an interview with KOMO News, Sowle described living under Seattle's Magnolia Street Bridge until he was able to find shelter.
"I struggled so bad that I wanted to jump off the Magnolia bridge just a day before going into the Union Gospel Mission shelter," he told KOMO News.
Even while at Union Gospel Mission, Sowle saw that the shoe shelves at the shelter were almost always bare, and he still wasn't able to find protection for his feet.
One day, however, Sowle had an idea.
He began sitting at a street corner with a sign, a box, and a bunch of fliers -- and asked people to give him their used shoes.
The movement instantly took off. People donated dozens of pairs of shoes. Sowle cleaned them and disinfected them. Then he sorted them, and took them to the streets.
Today, Sowle takes the shoes wherever they are needed: homeless shelters, food banks and the place where it all started -- the Mission. He is met with hugs, smiles and surprise.
"Sometimes they're shocked. Most of them are really happy," Sowle told KOMO News.
Eventually, Redeeming Soles was born.
Founded by Sowle, Redeeming Soles is a Seattle-based charity that organizes a footwear collection and distribution center for the benefit of local organizations and provides medical treatment for feet.
"It's like a gift from God," one recipient said. "He'll come up to you and he'll bless you with a pair of shoes."
"I took for so many years when I was on the street. I just.. always took. I was taking from services that were given to me, and I wasn't able to give back," Sowle said. "Today, I can give back. And that's huge for me."
Sowle's 13 years living on the street were a constant struggle of trying to avoid the pain and bitter cold that his feet often felt. In an interview with KOMO News, Sowle described living under Seattle's Magnolia Street Bridge until he was able to find shelter.
"I struggled so bad that I wanted to jump off the Magnolia bridge just a day before going into the Union Gospel Mission shelter," he told KOMO News.
Even while at Union Gospel Mission, Sowle saw that the shoe shelves at the shelter were almost always bare, and he still wasn't able to find protection for his feet.
One day, however, Sowle had an idea.
He began sitting at a street corner with a sign, a box, and a bunch of fliers -- and asked people to give him their used shoes.
The movement instantly took off. People donated dozens of pairs of shoes. Sowle cleaned them and disinfected them. Then he sorted them, and took them to the streets.
Today, Sowle takes the shoes wherever they are needed: homeless shelters, food banks and the place where it all started -- the Mission. He is met with hugs, smiles and surprise.
"Sometimes they're shocked. Most of them are really happy," Sowle told KOMO News.
Eventually, Redeeming Soles was born.
Founded by Sowle, Redeeming Soles is a Seattle-based charity that organizes a footwear collection and distribution center for the benefit of local organizations and provides medical treatment for feet.
"It's like a gift from God," one recipient said. "He'll come up to you and he'll bless you with a pair of shoes."
"I took for so many years when I was on the street. I just.. always took. I was taking from services that were given to me, and I wasn't able to give back," Sowle said. "Today, I can give back. And that's huge for me."
2012年10月21日星期日
Christian Louboutin signs his stylish shoes
What will people do for a signed shoe by Christian Louboutin, the high-end Parisian designer whose footwear customers include Angelina Jolie, Oprah Winfrey, the Olsen twins and Danielle Steel? In New Orleans, Jessica Alvendia headed the line at Saks 5th Avenue -- and she arrived at 9 a.m. Friday for a 3 p.m. appearance by the designer.
A few steps behind her a husband from Charleston, S.C., explained that he had driven 12 hours straight, purchased an $835 pair of shoes, and had hoped to surprise his wife. (He answered his cell phone and spoiled the surprise).
The staff at Saks was pretty excited, too: Louboutin only does about 20 signings a year in the United States.
It was the first-ever New Orleans appearance for the designer, who has come to command the top of the women’s market with shoes that always have a glossy red sole. For Louboutin’s signing, the store hired a New Orleans Police Department detail cop, engaged a jazz combo, and directed hovering journalists to a lounge that offered a nice view of the backstage scurrying that occurs when a big name is in the house.
Away from the hubbub, Louboutin was the picture of calm. A genial fellow with a trim, gray goatee, he was sequestered in a side room with two assistants, a selection of markers, and about 50 pairs of shoes that waiting customers had pre-purchased. He wore jeans and a golf shirt. He set his glasses high on his forehead, smiled easily, and generally looked like someone’s French uncle on vacation, except for the three-toned patent and suede lace-up shoes with the orange piping: an item from his men’s collection.
“When I look at the shoes these customers have selected, I can tell that New Orleans is different compared to other cities. Most of my American customers purchase plainer, more classic designs. Here they have selected shoes with vivid colors and lots of embellishments,” he said. “I also notice this: there seems to be a special interest in my highest heels: no flats for New Orleans.”
How high? Make that 7 inches, folks. And the materials are equally extravagant, with some styles featuring startling combinations: one shoe included suede and red velvet tops, heels covered with fuzzy cowhide in a cheetah pattern, and a constellation of gold studs. Every shoe has red soles: a trademarked element that was recently upheld in federal court, when the French fashion house of Yves Saint Laurent, tried to market shoes with a similar element.
“I think a lot about silhouettes and how to make an object that will look good in movement, but I have a tendency to celebrate detail and ornament. It’s comes through in everything I do, whether collecting furniture or looking at art when I travel.”
Louboutin, a native of Paris, gestured expansively as he discussed his shoes, including the spiked, red-patent pump that was just named the sexiest shoe of 2012 by Footwear News, a trade journal produced by Women’s Wear Daily. (At Saks, a pair was already signed for a New Orleans customer). When he overturned a glass of water, his assistants jumped to save the shoes, not the cell phones that sat on his signing desk. That’s what happens when some popular styles cost around $4,000.
A few steps behind her a husband from Charleston, S.C., explained that he had driven 12 hours straight, purchased an $835 pair of shoes, and had hoped to surprise his wife. (He answered his cell phone and spoiled the surprise).
The staff at Saks was pretty excited, too: Louboutin only does about 20 signings a year in the United States.
It was the first-ever New Orleans appearance for the designer, who has come to command the top of the women’s market with shoes that always have a glossy red sole. For Louboutin’s signing, the store hired a New Orleans Police Department detail cop, engaged a jazz combo, and directed hovering journalists to a lounge that offered a nice view of the backstage scurrying that occurs when a big name is in the house.
Away from the hubbub, Louboutin was the picture of calm. A genial fellow with a trim, gray goatee, he was sequestered in a side room with two assistants, a selection of markers, and about 50 pairs of shoes that waiting customers had pre-purchased. He wore jeans and a golf shirt. He set his glasses high on his forehead, smiled easily, and generally looked like someone’s French uncle on vacation, except for the three-toned patent and suede lace-up shoes with the orange piping: an item from his men’s collection.
“When I look at the shoes these customers have selected, I can tell that New Orleans is different compared to other cities. Most of my American customers purchase plainer, more classic designs. Here they have selected shoes with vivid colors and lots of embellishments,” he said. “I also notice this: there seems to be a special interest in my highest heels: no flats for New Orleans.”
How high? Make that 7 inches, folks. And the materials are equally extravagant, with some styles featuring startling combinations: one shoe included suede and red velvet tops, heels covered with fuzzy cowhide in a cheetah pattern, and a constellation of gold studs. Every shoe has red soles: a trademarked element that was recently upheld in federal court, when the French fashion house of Yves Saint Laurent, tried to market shoes with a similar element.
“I think a lot about silhouettes and how to make an object that will look good in movement, but I have a tendency to celebrate detail and ornament. It’s comes through in everything I do, whether collecting furniture or looking at art when I travel.”
Louboutin, a native of Paris, gestured expansively as he discussed his shoes, including the spiked, red-patent pump that was just named the sexiest shoe of 2012 by Footwear News, a trade journal produced by Women’s Wear Daily. (At Saks, a pair was already signed for a New Orleans customer). When he overturned a glass of water, his assistants jumped to save the shoes, not the cell phones that sat on his signing desk. That’s what happens when some popular styles cost around $4,000.
2012年10月18日星期四
How Did Steroids Get Contaminated?
Was it some moldy ceiling tiles? The dusty shoes of a careless employee? Or did the contamination ride in on one of the ingredients?
There are lots of ways fungus could have gotten inside the Massachusetts compounding pharmacy whose steroid medication has been linked to a lethal outbreak of a rare fungal form of meningitis.
The outbreak has killed at least 15 people and sickened more than 200 others in 15 states. Nearly all the victims had received steroid injections for back pain.
Federal and state investigators have been tightlipped about any problems they may have seen at the New England Compounding Center or whether they have pinpointed the source of the contamination. They did disclose last week that they found fungus in more than 50 vials from the pharmacy.
Company spokesman Andrew Paven said by email that criminal investigators from the Food and Drug Administration were at the pharmacy in Framingham, Mass., on Tuesday. The visit was part of a broad federal and state investigation of the outbreak, FDA spokesman Steven Immergut said in an email.
New England Compounding has not commented on its production process or what might have gone wrong, so outside experts can only speculate. But the betting money seems to be on dirty conditions, faulty sterilizing equipment, tainted ingredients or sloppiness on the part of employees.
The drug at the center of the investigation is made without preservative, meaning there's no alcohol or other solution in it to kill germs such as a fungus. So it's very important that it be made under highly sterile conditions, experts said.
Compounding pharmacies aren't as tightly regulated as drug company plants, but they are supposed to follow certain rules: Clean the floors and other surfaces daily; monitor air in "clean rooms" where drugs are made; require employees to wear gloves and gowns; test samples from each lot.
The rules are in the U.S. Pharmacopeia, a kind of national standards book for compounding medicines that's written by a nonprofit scientific organization. Most inspections, though, are handled by state boards of pharmacy. Massachusetts last inspected New England Compounding in March in response to a complaint unrelated to the outbreak; the results have not been released.
High-volume production of the sort that went on at New England Compounding also raises the chances of contamination, experts said.
Traditionally, compounding pharmacies fill special orders placed by doctors for individual patients, turning out maybe five or six vials. But many medical practices and hospitals place large orders to have the medicines on hand for their patients. That's allowed in at least 40 states but not under Massachusetts regulations.
Last month, New England Compounding recalled three lots of steroids made since May that totaled 17,676 single-dose vials of medicine — roughly equivalent to 20 gallons.
"I don't see it as appropriate for a community pharmacy to do a batch of something preservative-free in numbers in the thousands" of doses, said Lou Diorio, a New Jersey-based consultant to compounding pharmacies. Diorio, who has no connection to the investigation or the company, said it is harder to keep everything sterile when working with large amounts.
To make the steroid, a chemical powder from a supplier is mixed with a liquid, sterilized through heating, then pumped into vials, according to Eric Kastango, another consultant from New Jersey who helps compounding pharmacies deal with contamination problems. He is not connected to the company either.
Perhaps the powder was contaminated, either at New England Compounding or another location. Maybe the fungus was in the liquid, some experts said.
Kastango offered additional possible scenarios, related to the large volume produced: Making thousands of doses at a time can take many hours or days. It's possible that a batch could sit for hours or even a day or so before being placed in vials, making it vulnerable to contamination, he said.
It's also likely a pharmacy worker would take a break to get a snack or cup of coffee, to go to the bathroom or to step outside for a smoke, Kastango explained. If the person hurried back and didn't properly wash up or put on new gowns, masks and other safety garb, that could introduce contamination.
Faulty or misused sterilizing equipment is also a possibility. After a 2002 fungal meningitis outbreak linked to a South Carolina compounding pharmacy, investigators discovered that a piece of sterilizing equipment called an autoclave had been improperly used by the staff.
The types of fungus in the latest outbreak are ubiquitous: The first to be identified was Aspergillus, commonly found indoors and outdoors. As more testing of patients was completed, it became clear that another fungus — a black mold called Exserohilum — caused most of the illnesses. Exserohilum is common in dirt and grasses.
Most people do not get sick from ordinary exposure to these kinds of fungus, but spinal injections can provide them a pathway into the brain. Doctors are generally leery of using spinal steroid injections that contain preservatives because of fears the preservatives themselves can cause side effects.
There are lots of ways fungus could have gotten inside the Massachusetts compounding pharmacy whose steroid medication has been linked to a lethal outbreak of a rare fungal form of meningitis.
The outbreak has killed at least 15 people and sickened more than 200 others in 15 states. Nearly all the victims had received steroid injections for back pain.
Federal and state investigators have been tightlipped about any problems they may have seen at the New England Compounding Center or whether they have pinpointed the source of the contamination. They did disclose last week that they found fungus in more than 50 vials from the pharmacy.
Company spokesman Andrew Paven said by email that criminal investigators from the Food and Drug Administration were at the pharmacy in Framingham, Mass., on Tuesday. The visit was part of a broad federal and state investigation of the outbreak, FDA spokesman Steven Immergut said in an email.
New England Compounding has not commented on its production process or what might have gone wrong, so outside experts can only speculate. But the betting money seems to be on dirty conditions, faulty sterilizing equipment, tainted ingredients or sloppiness on the part of employees.
The drug at the center of the investigation is made without preservative, meaning there's no alcohol or other solution in it to kill germs such as a fungus. So it's very important that it be made under highly sterile conditions, experts said.
Compounding pharmacies aren't as tightly regulated as drug company plants, but they are supposed to follow certain rules: Clean the floors and other surfaces daily; monitor air in "clean rooms" where drugs are made; require employees to wear gloves and gowns; test samples from each lot.
The rules are in the U.S. Pharmacopeia, a kind of national standards book for compounding medicines that's written by a nonprofit scientific organization. Most inspections, though, are handled by state boards of pharmacy. Massachusetts last inspected New England Compounding in March in response to a complaint unrelated to the outbreak; the results have not been released.
High-volume production of the sort that went on at New England Compounding also raises the chances of contamination, experts said.
Traditionally, compounding pharmacies fill special orders placed by doctors for individual patients, turning out maybe five or six vials. But many medical practices and hospitals place large orders to have the medicines on hand for their patients. That's allowed in at least 40 states but not under Massachusetts regulations.
Last month, New England Compounding recalled three lots of steroids made since May that totaled 17,676 single-dose vials of medicine — roughly equivalent to 20 gallons.
"I don't see it as appropriate for a community pharmacy to do a batch of something preservative-free in numbers in the thousands" of doses, said Lou Diorio, a New Jersey-based consultant to compounding pharmacies. Diorio, who has no connection to the investigation or the company, said it is harder to keep everything sterile when working with large amounts.
To make the steroid, a chemical powder from a supplier is mixed with a liquid, sterilized through heating, then pumped into vials, according to Eric Kastango, another consultant from New Jersey who helps compounding pharmacies deal with contamination problems. He is not connected to the company either.
Perhaps the powder was contaminated, either at New England Compounding or another location. Maybe the fungus was in the liquid, some experts said.
Kastango offered additional possible scenarios, related to the large volume produced: Making thousands of doses at a time can take many hours or days. It's possible that a batch could sit for hours or even a day or so before being placed in vials, making it vulnerable to contamination, he said.
It's also likely a pharmacy worker would take a break to get a snack or cup of coffee, to go to the bathroom or to step outside for a smoke, Kastango explained. If the person hurried back and didn't properly wash up or put on new gowns, masks and other safety garb, that could introduce contamination.
Faulty or misused sterilizing equipment is also a possibility. After a 2002 fungal meningitis outbreak linked to a South Carolina compounding pharmacy, investigators discovered that a piece of sterilizing equipment called an autoclave had been improperly used by the staff.
The types of fungus in the latest outbreak are ubiquitous: The first to be identified was Aspergillus, commonly found indoors and outdoors. As more testing of patients was completed, it became clear that another fungus — a black mold called Exserohilum — caused most of the illnesses. Exserohilum is common in dirt and grasses.
Most people do not get sick from ordinary exposure to these kinds of fungus, but spinal injections can provide them a pathway into the brain. Doctors are generally leery of using spinal steroid injections that contain preservatives because of fears the preservatives themselves can cause side effects.
2012年10月17日星期三
others consider business and marketing factors in dropping Armstrong
Nike and Oakley stuck with Lance Armstrong through his battle with cancer in 1996, when much of the sporting world considered him damaged goods. But for companies like Nike and Trek Bicycles, the mountain evidence the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency amassed against the former world champion was too much, and according to one sports marketing expert, Armstrong’s fall from grace will be the sharpest decline in modern sports history.
On Wednesday, Nike terminated its contract and its 16-year relationship with Armstrong. The move comes as an abrupt about-face from Nike’s stance just six days prior, when the athletic apparel manufacturer issued a statement saying that, “Nike plans to support Lance and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.” In dropping the former world champion, Nike led RadioShack, Giro, Trek, Honey Stinger and Anheuser-Busch in what is already a growing exodus of corporate partners away from the Armstrong name.
And a name, according to Evan Morgenstein, president and CEO of PMG Sports, is “the only thing [an athlete] can market in this world.”
Now, Morgenstein said, Nike “absolutely didn’t believe the story that they had heard previously. Then again, it could have been business factors also.”
Morgenstein, whose sports management group focuses on the brand management of Olympic athletes, told VeloNews on Wednesday that, “What you’re going to see is the greatest collapse by an American icon, sports or otherwise, in history.”
Brand managers at Nike, who produced the Livestrong apparel and whose logo had adorned Armstrong’s one-off cycling shoes, would have had “an absolute nightmare” dealing with the collapse of the Armstrong brand, Morgenstein said: “Just take it from a business perspective first, how much inventory are they going to have to liquidate now, or how much of it’s coming back to their warehouses from their retailers?”
These retailers, Morgenstein said, “with tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars of merchandise, saying ‘we’re sending it back,’ because [the merchandise is] not moving,” must, like Nike, face the business consequences of the fact that “the public doesn’t believe [Armstrong] anymore.”
In addition to the business concerns, Morgenstein said, Nike — like Armstrong throughout his Tour-winning years, when he assured the sporting public that his victories were achieved drug-free — “probably had, at some level, reassured over and over again their retail partners that there’s smoke but no fire. And so now, these retailers… they have to deal with the public rebuke of someone, for all intents and purposes, that’s no different than (Olympic medalist and drug cheat) Marion Jones.”
Armstrong, however, “is so much bigger of a global icon, with so much more to risk,” he added. “All these companies (that) have spent money associated with him, probably add up to be about a billion dollars.”
Companies like Nike and Trek Bicycles continued to back Armstrong, despite serious personal red flags, according to Morgenstein, pointing to “the fact that [Armstrong] had multiple wives, they’ve overlooked a lot of things that maybe some other people would have been held to… This is a company that stuck with Kobe Bryant after what happened in Colorado (Bryant was accused of rape in 2003), Michael Vick going to jail (for illegally organizing and gambling on dog fighting), Tiger Woods in a global scandal (Woods admitted to being a serial cheater on his wife), and they stuck with those three. Lance Armstrong, they dumped.”
David Carter, a sports business professor at the University of Southern California and executive director of USC’s Sports Business Institute said Nike could no longer afford to stand by Armstrong as it had other disgraced icons.
“I think because his indiscretion cut to the very heart of competition in sport, if he lacks that kind of integrity there’s no way a company like Nike can tolerate that,” Carter said. “The other guys’ problems were off the field of play.”
As both an athlete and as a marketable brand, Morgenstein said, “How you remember Lance Armstrong was like Paul Bunion. And now, how you think of Lance Armstrong, is like Al Capone.”
Carter noted that a surprising number of disgraced athletes manage to rehabilitate themselves in the eyes of fans and sponsors. Armstrong might be different, not only because he was already retired from top-flight cycling when he was banned, but also because he has never admitted any wrongdoing.
“The only way they come back is when they take personal responsibility and accountability for what they’ve done,” Carter said. “He has not taken responsibility.”
On Wednesday, Nike terminated its contract and its 16-year relationship with Armstrong. The move comes as an abrupt about-face from Nike’s stance just six days prior, when the athletic apparel manufacturer issued a statement saying that, “Nike plans to support Lance and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.” In dropping the former world champion, Nike led RadioShack, Giro, Trek, Honey Stinger and Anheuser-Busch in what is already a growing exodus of corporate partners away from the Armstrong name.
And a name, according to Evan Morgenstein, president and CEO of PMG Sports, is “the only thing [an athlete] can market in this world.”
Now, Morgenstein said, Nike “absolutely didn’t believe the story that they had heard previously. Then again, it could have been business factors also.”
Morgenstein, whose sports management group focuses on the brand management of Olympic athletes, told VeloNews on Wednesday that, “What you’re going to see is the greatest collapse by an American icon, sports or otherwise, in history.”
Brand managers at Nike, who produced the Livestrong apparel and whose logo had adorned Armstrong’s one-off cycling shoes, would have had “an absolute nightmare” dealing with the collapse of the Armstrong brand, Morgenstein said: “Just take it from a business perspective first, how much inventory are they going to have to liquidate now, or how much of it’s coming back to their warehouses from their retailers?”
These retailers, Morgenstein said, “with tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars of merchandise, saying ‘we’re sending it back,’ because [the merchandise is] not moving,” must, like Nike, face the business consequences of the fact that “the public doesn’t believe [Armstrong] anymore.”
In addition to the business concerns, Morgenstein said, Nike — like Armstrong throughout his Tour-winning years, when he assured the sporting public that his victories were achieved drug-free — “probably had, at some level, reassured over and over again their retail partners that there’s smoke but no fire. And so now, these retailers… they have to deal with the public rebuke of someone, for all intents and purposes, that’s no different than (Olympic medalist and drug cheat) Marion Jones.”
Armstrong, however, “is so much bigger of a global icon, with so much more to risk,” he added. “All these companies (that) have spent money associated with him, probably add up to be about a billion dollars.”
Companies like Nike and Trek Bicycles continued to back Armstrong, despite serious personal red flags, according to Morgenstein, pointing to “the fact that [Armstrong] had multiple wives, they’ve overlooked a lot of things that maybe some other people would have been held to… This is a company that stuck with Kobe Bryant after what happened in Colorado (Bryant was accused of rape in 2003), Michael Vick going to jail (for illegally organizing and gambling on dog fighting), Tiger Woods in a global scandal (Woods admitted to being a serial cheater on his wife), and they stuck with those three. Lance Armstrong, they dumped.”
David Carter, a sports business professor at the University of Southern California and executive director of USC’s Sports Business Institute said Nike could no longer afford to stand by Armstrong as it had other disgraced icons.
“I think because his indiscretion cut to the very heart of competition in sport, if he lacks that kind of integrity there’s no way a company like Nike can tolerate that,” Carter said. “The other guys’ problems were off the field of play.”
As both an athlete and as a marketable brand, Morgenstein said, “How you remember Lance Armstrong was like Paul Bunion. And now, how you think of Lance Armstrong, is like Al Capone.”
Carter noted that a surprising number of disgraced athletes manage to rehabilitate themselves in the eyes of fans and sponsors. Armstrong might be different, not only because he was already retired from top-flight cycling when he was banned, but also because he has never admitted any wrongdoing.
“The only way they come back is when they take personal responsibility and accountability for what they’ve done,” Carter said. “He has not taken responsibility.”
2012年10月16日星期二
Seattle battle for postseason positioning
Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders FC clash on Wednesday at CenturyLink Field in a possible playoff preview, with both hoping to solidify postseason positioning in the Western Conference of MLS.
Real Salt Lake sits second in the standings, three points in front of Seattle, with the end of the regular season less than two weeks away.
Although RSL (17-11-4) and Seattle (14-7-10) have both clinched playoff spots, finishing in the top three will secure a bye in the first round of the second season.
And with the San Jose Earthquakes comfortably atop the table, Real and Seattle are focused on maintaining their spots with the defending MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy still right on their heels in fourth place.
Real has put so much importance on the road match, a private jet will fly U.S. players Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando to Seattle on Tuesday night after the World Cup qualifier against Guatemala.
"We'll be flying them immediately from Kansas City to Seattle," said RSL coach Jason Kreis.
Beckerman and Rimando are not likely to play for the United States and will be fresh for the MLS match. Real will still likely be without Costa Rican forward Alvaro Saborio and Canadian defender Will Johnson.
With four wins in its last five games - including a 2-1 win at L.A. before the international break - RSL visits Seattle in great form. On top of that, RSL is unbeaten against Seattle this year with a road win and a home draw.
Real needs just two points from its final two matches to clinch a place in the top three and Kreis wanted the club to continue to improve its performances as the season comes to an end.
"We need to continue to try to improve," Kreis said. "I feel that we're going to need to be even better than that if we're going to have a realistic chance to win the championship."
RSL will assist Seattle as Sounders FC forward Eddie Johnson will hitch a ride with the Real players to reach Seattle in time for the match. But Johnson will start for the United States, and may not be able to play anyway.
"You have to believe they would do the same if hey were in our shoes." Kreis said about RSL flying Johnson to the match.
Seattle defeated the Portland Timbers, 3-0, in its last MLS match, and has one game in hand on its competitors in the West. Even a point will put Sounders FC in position to remain in the top three.
But in addition to the uncertainty around Johnson, who scored twice for the United States on Friday, Sounders FC will not have Swedish international Adam Johansson, and Leo Gonzalez and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado are questionable because of injuries.
Real Salt Lake sits second in the standings, three points in front of Seattle, with the end of the regular season less than two weeks away.
Although RSL (17-11-4) and Seattle (14-7-10) have both clinched playoff spots, finishing in the top three will secure a bye in the first round of the second season.
And with the San Jose Earthquakes comfortably atop the table, Real and Seattle are focused on maintaining their spots with the defending MLS Cup champion Los Angeles Galaxy still right on their heels in fourth place.
Real has put so much importance on the road match, a private jet will fly U.S. players Kyle Beckerman and Nick Rimando to Seattle on Tuesday night after the World Cup qualifier against Guatemala.
"We'll be flying them immediately from Kansas City to Seattle," said RSL coach Jason Kreis.
Beckerman and Rimando are not likely to play for the United States and will be fresh for the MLS match. Real will still likely be without Costa Rican forward Alvaro Saborio and Canadian defender Will Johnson.
With four wins in its last five games - including a 2-1 win at L.A. before the international break - RSL visits Seattle in great form. On top of that, RSL is unbeaten against Seattle this year with a road win and a home draw.
Real needs just two points from its final two matches to clinch a place in the top three and Kreis wanted the club to continue to improve its performances as the season comes to an end.
"We need to continue to try to improve," Kreis said. "I feel that we're going to need to be even better than that if we're going to have a realistic chance to win the championship."
RSL will assist Seattle as Sounders FC forward Eddie Johnson will hitch a ride with the Real players to reach Seattle in time for the match. But Johnson will start for the United States, and may not be able to play anyway.
"You have to believe they would do the same if hey were in our shoes." Kreis said about RSL flying Johnson to the match.
Seattle defeated the Portland Timbers, 3-0, in its last MLS match, and has one game in hand on its competitors in the West. Even a point will put Sounders FC in position to remain in the top three.
But in addition to the uncertainty around Johnson, who scored twice for the United States on Friday, Sounders FC will not have Swedish international Adam Johansson, and Leo Gonzalez and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado are questionable because of injuries.
2012年10月15日星期一
Groovy Sandra ready to sizzle on the dance floor
German golfer Sandra Gal may not have set the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) on fire during the Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia last week, but she’s hoping to bring some sizzle to the dance floor.
Gal, who carded a one-under 283 to finish joint 30th with Americans Lexi Thompson, Mina Harigae, Gerina Piller and South Korea’s Chella Choi, hopes to one day put on her dancing shoes and compete on the hit US dance show Dancing with the Stars.
“Yes, I would love to one day. Probably on the US version but the German version would be nice too, yeah,” said Gal.
The show, a dance competition in which celebrities are paired up with professional ballroom dancers, is currently in its 15th season – the All-Stars edition, in which 13 returning contestants get a second shot at winning the mirror ball trophy.
Born in Cologne, Germany, the 27-year-old who now resides in Orlando, Florida, tries to catch as many episodes of the show when she’s not busy travelling on the Tour.
“I think it’s a great challenge and it’s a lot of fun. I mean you get to dance with a professional and learn all these moves. I think I’d be good at it,” said the world No. 30.
Sports personalities have proven to be dancing revelations on the show with seven out of 14 previous champions being current or former athletes.
In fact, Olympians Apolo Anton Ohno (speed skating), Kristi Yamaguchi (figure skating), Shawn Johnson (gymnastics) as well as Indy 500’s Helio Castroneves and the NFL’s Hines Ward, Emmitt Smith and Donald Driver have all won it before.
And many have come close too, with the NFL’s Jerry Rice, Warren Sapp, Jason Taylor and figure skater Evan Lysacek taking second place in seasons two, seven and 10 respectively while boxer Laila Ali finished third in season four.
It’s high time a golfer features on the show and Gal would be the perfect candidate, having studied ballet for 15 years and taking up salsa lessons and swing dancing whilst studying at the University of Florida.
“I love to salsa. I really enjoy it and there’s so much variety to it. You can do so much. And it’s very sexy!” said the advertising graduate.
The six-foot tall Gal has already set her sights on three-time champion Derek Hough to partner her on the show.
“Yeah, I’d like to have Derek as my partner. He’s won a few times and, yeah, he’s really, really good but maybe I’ll be too tall from him though,” said leggy German.
Another pro, Maksim Chmerkovskiy may be a better match height-wise.
“Which one is he again?,” she asked quizzically.
“Oh yeah, the tall one! With the dark hair, right? Oh yeah, sure! I’ll take him too! Because I’ll probably need a taller partner,” she laughed.
Gal, who carded a one-under 283 to finish joint 30th with Americans Lexi Thompson, Mina Harigae, Gerina Piller and South Korea’s Chella Choi, hopes to one day put on her dancing shoes and compete on the hit US dance show Dancing with the Stars.
“Yes, I would love to one day. Probably on the US version but the German version would be nice too, yeah,” said Gal.
The show, a dance competition in which celebrities are paired up with professional ballroom dancers, is currently in its 15th season – the All-Stars edition, in which 13 returning contestants get a second shot at winning the mirror ball trophy.
Born in Cologne, Germany, the 27-year-old who now resides in Orlando, Florida, tries to catch as many episodes of the show when she’s not busy travelling on the Tour.
“I think it’s a great challenge and it’s a lot of fun. I mean you get to dance with a professional and learn all these moves. I think I’d be good at it,” said the world No. 30.
Sports personalities have proven to be dancing revelations on the show with seven out of 14 previous champions being current or former athletes.
In fact, Olympians Apolo Anton Ohno (speed skating), Kristi Yamaguchi (figure skating), Shawn Johnson (gymnastics) as well as Indy 500’s Helio Castroneves and the NFL’s Hines Ward, Emmitt Smith and Donald Driver have all won it before.
And many have come close too, with the NFL’s Jerry Rice, Warren Sapp, Jason Taylor and figure skater Evan Lysacek taking second place in seasons two, seven and 10 respectively while boxer Laila Ali finished third in season four.
It’s high time a golfer features on the show and Gal would be the perfect candidate, having studied ballet for 15 years and taking up salsa lessons and swing dancing whilst studying at the University of Florida.
“I love to salsa. I really enjoy it and there’s so much variety to it. You can do so much. And it’s very sexy!” said the advertising graduate.
The six-foot tall Gal has already set her sights on three-time champion Derek Hough to partner her on the show.
“Yeah, I’d like to have Derek as my partner. He’s won a few times and, yeah, he’s really, really good but maybe I’ll be too tall from him though,” said leggy German.
Another pro, Maksim Chmerkovskiy may be a better match height-wise.
“Which one is he again?,” she asked quizzically.
“Oh yeah, the tall one! With the dark hair, right? Oh yeah, sure! I’ll take him too! Because I’ll probably need a taller partner,” she laughed.
2012年10月14日星期日
what really triggered this trend?
There was a time, in the not-so distant past, when school children, both boys and girls, had to dress up in a certain manner before leaving for school. So while it was mandatory for girls to tie a ribbon on the hair, boys had to oil their hair to keep them from becoming unruly. But all that is passe. It is common to see little girls in the city tip-toeing with their mothers into swanky beauty parlours. And the boys aren't far behind their female counterparts. Most of them sport a funky look, thanks to so much exposure through different media.
Surprisingly, not just the kids but also their parents have become very conscious about their child's looks. As a result of this, even a three-year old kid can be seen perched self-assuredly in an upmarket salon, instructing the hair-stylist about the type of cut s/he'd like to go for.
"I like spikes," exclaimed four-year old Ayan, who was spotted at a famous parlour in the city with his father, Ajeet Mullick. Contrary to those times when fathers would see this as an extravagance, his father had no qualms about it. In fact, he said, "My son should look adorable all the time and so I don't hesitate in spending on his haircuts or clothes. Gone are the days when the only hairstyle for kids was bob cut. With so many programmes on the TV featuring impeccably dressed people including kids, and a plethora of advertisements featuring children, my son was getting conscious about his looks. So I felt it was better to give him the look he wants rather than make him feel embarrassed in front of his friends, all of whom have funky haircuts."
So one must be wondering as to what really triggered this trend? As hairstylist Nishant Mishra put it, "The craze of hairstyling among kids took off from the movie Taare Zameen Par where Amir Khan was seen styling the children's hair. Since then parents too started becoming conscious about the looks of their wards."
It is not hairstyle alone that children are particular about. They are also becoming increasingly conscious about the brand of clothes and shoes they wear. "My daughter refuses to wear any outfit that is not from her favourite store or brand. I too avoid buying stuff that is not branded, as the branded ones are always more fashionable," said Meenakshi Sharma, mother of a six-year old girl.
If hair and clothes have been taken care of, can the other goodies such as toys, bags, pencil boxes and lunch boxes be far behind? These have to be inspired from their favourite cartoon characters. Brands are making the most of this trend. So from Chota Bheem to Ben Ten and Pokemon, you'll find them all over children's stores with bags bearing their imprint and so on. Shopkeepers are sure laughing their way to the bank wit such goodies flying off their racks. "I love Ben Ten and so my father bought me a Ben Ten bag and a pencil box with wheels in it," said 11-year old Prateek.
Amit Kumar, a shopkeeper summed it up, "Children nowadays know what exactly they want and most of the time these things are related to their favourite cartoon characters. There has been a rise in the demand of various cartoon characters inspired school stuffs including bags, erasers, pens and pencil boxes."
Surprisingly, not just the kids but also their parents have become very conscious about their child's looks. As a result of this, even a three-year old kid can be seen perched self-assuredly in an upmarket salon, instructing the hair-stylist about the type of cut s/he'd like to go for.
"I like spikes," exclaimed four-year old Ayan, who was spotted at a famous parlour in the city with his father, Ajeet Mullick. Contrary to those times when fathers would see this as an extravagance, his father had no qualms about it. In fact, he said, "My son should look adorable all the time and so I don't hesitate in spending on his haircuts or clothes. Gone are the days when the only hairstyle for kids was bob cut. With so many programmes on the TV featuring impeccably dressed people including kids, and a plethora of advertisements featuring children, my son was getting conscious about his looks. So I felt it was better to give him the look he wants rather than make him feel embarrassed in front of his friends, all of whom have funky haircuts."
So one must be wondering as to what really triggered this trend? As hairstylist Nishant Mishra put it, "The craze of hairstyling among kids took off from the movie Taare Zameen Par where Amir Khan was seen styling the children's hair. Since then parents too started becoming conscious about the looks of their wards."
It is not hairstyle alone that children are particular about. They are also becoming increasingly conscious about the brand of clothes and shoes they wear. "My daughter refuses to wear any outfit that is not from her favourite store or brand. I too avoid buying stuff that is not branded, as the branded ones are always more fashionable," said Meenakshi Sharma, mother of a six-year old girl.
If hair and clothes have been taken care of, can the other goodies such as toys, bags, pencil boxes and lunch boxes be far behind? These have to be inspired from their favourite cartoon characters. Brands are making the most of this trend. So from Chota Bheem to Ben Ten and Pokemon, you'll find them all over children's stores with bags bearing their imprint and so on. Shopkeepers are sure laughing their way to the bank wit such goodies flying off their racks. "I love Ben Ten and so my father bought me a Ben Ten bag and a pencil box with wheels in it," said 11-year old Prateek.
Amit Kumar, a shopkeeper summed it up, "Children nowadays know what exactly they want and most of the time these things are related to their favourite cartoon characters. There has been a rise in the demand of various cartoon characters inspired school stuffs including bags, erasers, pens and pencil boxes."
2012年10月11日星期四
Academia Sanchez-Casal buys in to Naples
New momentum has engulfed the beleaguered facility most commonly known as the Naples Bath & Tennis Club. The multi-court complex on Airport-Pulling Road in Naples is now the official American hub of the Academia Sanchez-Casal Florida operation.
The 38-court academy has just opened its programs for juniors, ATP and WTA players, coaches and after‐school tennis for kids. It will follow the same successful structure that it has in Barcelona: a traditional club for families with numerous social activities and tennis programs for local kids.
The Academia Sanchez‐Casal Tennis Club opened for members on Oct. 1, with its official all-around opening scheduled for Nov. 1.
“We are the top academy in Europe, but if we want to be the best in the world we have to be in Florida,” said Emilio Sanchez Vicario, former top-10 ATP player and founder of Academia Sanchez‐Casal. “Naples looks like a perfect location, a beautiful and safe residential area easily accessible by car from the main cities and very well connected by air.”
In 2007, the academy — named for founders and champion doubles partners in the 1980s, Emilio Sanchez Vicario and Sergio Casal — hopped the Atlantic and opened a Naples branch on leased courts at Naples Bath & Tennis Club.
In July, Academia Sanchez-Casal purchased the club for $3.27 million.
Sanchez said he strongly believes that his training method will help Americans to develop their tennis game, and he moved to Florida with his family to launch this project.
Women second in flight at nationals: Playing with determination, the Pelican Bay Park women’s 3.0 squad finished in second place in its flight at this past week’s USTA team nationals in Palm Springs, Calif.
The locals finished with a team score of 2-1. They tied the first-place team with the same number of individual wins (6) and losses (3). To illustrate the strength of the Pelican Bay team, consider that it lost a total of seven sets, and just 63 games were lost in three matches.
Susanne Navarro and Lisa Giuttari won all three of their matches. Kathy Donohue and Laurie Rieks were 2-1. Barb Pikal and Marcy Korson won their match while Lore Bay and Roanna Handy were 0-2 in exciting matches that were well fought and went down to the wire.
“We enjoyed meeting players from all areas of the country,” team captain Sue Marco said. “It was a very rewarding experience. We would like to thank the Southwest Florida tennis community for their support. It was our pleasure to represent you in Palm Springs.”
The 38-court academy has just opened its programs for juniors, ATP and WTA players, coaches and after‐school tennis for kids. It will follow the same successful structure that it has in Barcelona: a traditional club for families with numerous social activities and tennis programs for local kids.
The Academia Sanchez‐Casal Tennis Club opened for members on Oct. 1, with its official all-around opening scheduled for Nov. 1.
“We are the top academy in Europe, but if we want to be the best in the world we have to be in Florida,” said Emilio Sanchez Vicario, former top-10 ATP player and founder of Academia Sanchez‐Casal. “Naples looks like a perfect location, a beautiful and safe residential area easily accessible by car from the main cities and very well connected by air.”
In 2007, the academy — named for founders and champion doubles partners in the 1980s, Emilio Sanchez Vicario and Sergio Casal — hopped the Atlantic and opened a Naples branch on leased courts at Naples Bath & Tennis Club.
In July, Academia Sanchez-Casal purchased the club for $3.27 million.
Sanchez said he strongly believes that his training method will help Americans to develop their tennis game, and he moved to Florida with his family to launch this project.
Women second in flight at nationals: Playing with determination, the Pelican Bay Park women’s 3.0 squad finished in second place in its flight at this past week’s USTA team nationals in Palm Springs, Calif.
The locals finished with a team score of 2-1. They tied the first-place team with the same number of individual wins (6) and losses (3). To illustrate the strength of the Pelican Bay team, consider that it lost a total of seven sets, and just 63 games were lost in three matches.
Susanne Navarro and Lisa Giuttari won all three of their matches. Kathy Donohue and Laurie Rieks were 2-1. Barb Pikal and Marcy Korson won their match while Lore Bay and Roanna Handy were 0-2 in exciting matches that were well fought and went down to the wire.
“We enjoyed meeting players from all areas of the country,” team captain Sue Marco said. “It was a very rewarding experience. We would like to thank the Southwest Florida tennis community for their support. It was our pleasure to represent you in Palm Springs.”
2012年10月10日星期三
she loves being among the wonderful people
My twin sister Maren has been a bit of a superstar ever since I was diagnosed. No, in fact she’s been pretty ace since the day we were both born.
We always have, and always will, love being twins and the bond that we possess is one that I can only imagine the rest of the world would be totally envious of.
Before you ask, we don’t hold any super twin powers and no she can’t feel the pain of the needles I have to endure every month – how annoying would it be if she did though?
But we have stood strong through thick and thin, with cancer and without.
But what I find baffling about her and her steadfast full-time commitment to CoppaFeel! is that she will not say NO to any half marathons that the charity takes part in.
Since 2009, she has taken part in ALL the 13.1 mile jaunts that the charity is enrolled in.
In fact, as I write this I can hear her yelping as she tries to get up the stairs because she’s just completed another one – I am also trying not to chuckle – hey, we are siblings after all.
It would be totally acceptable for her to hang up her running shoes now, and just stand with me on the cheering lines, but nope, it’s like she’s addicted!
And I guess there’s worse things she could be addicted to.
I think more than anything, she loves being among the wonderful people that have taken on the challenge to run and raise lots of money for CoppaFeel!
For some of them, the challenge is doing their very first half marathon. To each and every one of them I will be eternally grateful.
Last weekend, we had a small team take part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon.
It’s probably the prettiest course to be doing a sweaty and painful few miles and the sun even put his hat on for us too.
The organisers let us step in at the very last minute to make sure our Hooters could take part.
But the fun never stops because Maren is now on a mighty mission to get 200 people signed up to be part of 200 Hooters Do a Half at the Bath Half Marathon in March next year.
We have made such a noise and caused such a stir over the past two years at this event, what with our patrons Dermot O’Leary and Fearne Cotton pleasing the crowds, and of course, the sight of our Hooters, that they chose CoppaFeel! as the lead charity in 2013.
So we want to go big. If you, yes you, who thought running wasn’t your thing but know you want to do something super special and save lives, want to join our crew and jog a few miles with the greatest team on earth, we would love to have you.
We always have, and always will, love being twins and the bond that we possess is one that I can only imagine the rest of the world would be totally envious of.
Before you ask, we don’t hold any super twin powers and no she can’t feel the pain of the needles I have to endure every month – how annoying would it be if she did though?
But we have stood strong through thick and thin, with cancer and without.
But what I find baffling about her and her steadfast full-time commitment to CoppaFeel! is that she will not say NO to any half marathons that the charity takes part in.
Since 2009, she has taken part in ALL the 13.1 mile jaunts that the charity is enrolled in.
In fact, as I write this I can hear her yelping as she tries to get up the stairs because she’s just completed another one – I am also trying not to chuckle – hey, we are siblings after all.
It would be totally acceptable for her to hang up her running shoes now, and just stand with me on the cheering lines, but nope, it’s like she’s addicted!
And I guess there’s worse things she could be addicted to.
I think more than anything, she loves being among the wonderful people that have taken on the challenge to run and raise lots of money for CoppaFeel!
For some of them, the challenge is doing their very first half marathon. To each and every one of them I will be eternally grateful.
Last weekend, we had a small team take part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon.
It’s probably the prettiest course to be doing a sweaty and painful few miles and the sun even put his hat on for us too.
The organisers let us step in at the very last minute to make sure our Hooters could take part.
But the fun never stops because Maren is now on a mighty mission to get 200 people signed up to be part of 200 Hooters Do a Half at the Bath Half Marathon in March next year.
We have made such a noise and caused such a stir over the past two years at this event, what with our patrons Dermot O’Leary and Fearne Cotton pleasing the crowds, and of course, the sight of our Hooters, that they chose CoppaFeel! as the lead charity in 2013.
So we want to go big. If you, yes you, who thought running wasn’t your thing but know you want to do something super special and save lives, want to join our crew and jog a few miles with the greatest team on earth, we would love to have you.
2012年10月9日星期二
What was sold in the souks of Cairo in a month
In March 2011, as she had done every Friday afternoon for years, Jenny Poche Marrache held court at her 16th-century compound in the heart of Aleppo’s sprawling ancient market. Wearing a fur-lined leather coat to ward off the spring chill, the tiny 72-year-old regaled visitors with stories of this city’s cosmopolitan past. When her great-grandfather — a Bohemian crystal merchant — arrived here two centuries ago, Aleppo had already been a hub of East-West trade for half a millennium. Carpets from Persia, silks from China and high-quality local textiles filled the warehouses and stalls. Even at the height of the Crusades, Venetian agents exchanged timber and iron for Indian spices in the city’s souks.
In the midst of Syria’s civil war, more is being lost than lives. Aleppo may be the world’s oldest continuously occupied city, dating to the era of the pyramids, and at the height of the Ottoman Empire, it was the world’s largest metropolis after Istanbul and Cairo. That antiquity, wealth and diversity left behind magnificent mosques with Mameluke minarets, Ottoman-style bathhouses, and neoclassical columns and balustrades overlooking traditional courtyards tiled with marble and splashed by fountains. But Aleppo’s legacy extends beyond historic buildings. The city welcomed people of many faiths and traditions, while its old rival Damascus, a holy city and a gateway to Mecca, was long out of bounds for Westerners. Muslims, Christians and Jews created Syria’s commercial hub and one of the most tolerant, long-lasting and prosperous communities in the Middle East. “What was sold in the souks of Cairo in a month was sold in Aleppo in a day,” Madame Poche said, quoting a Syrian adage.
As we sipped coffee the week that the civil war began, this refined, prosperous world was already long in decline. “The situation is deplorable,” Madame Poche said in French-accented English, looking with disdain at the crates of cheap Chinese shoes filling the courtyard. Neighborhood merchants complained that the local textile mills had shut down, forcing them to replenish their stock with inferior cloth from Dubai. Despite Aleppo’s status as a World Heritage Site, many old buildings were in serious disrepair. And the once-vibrant Jewish community had vanished.
Since my first visit to Aleppo two decades ago, a coalition of entrepreneurs, city planners and foreign experts began the formidable task of rescuing and restoring one of the cultural and architectural jewels of the Middle East. Last year I walked along the new promenade surrounding the moated and massive ancient citadel. I stayed at one of the bed-and-breakfasts that had sprung up amid the warrens of covered markets to cater to foreign tourists, and I visited a recently uncovered 4,500-year-old temple. At an art gallery, I chatted with a photographer who helped organize an edgy international arts festival — an event unthinkable in dour Damascus.
The growing recognition of Aleppo’s importance in Middle Eastern history and culture makes the burning of the old city all the more tragic. In recent online videos, flames crackle in the closely packed alleys of the covered bazaar, smoke billows from a medieval caravansary, and an armed fighter gestures at the collapsed dome of a 19th-century mosque. Reportedly, more than 500 shops in the 71 / 2 miles of streets within the region’s largest marketplace have been damaged. The minaret of a 14th-century school is now only a stump. The entrance of the medieval citadel is cratered, and the fortress’s huge wooden gates are gone. A car bomb last week blew out the windows of the Aleppo Museum, one of the world’s best collections of Near Eastern artifacts.
In the midst of Syria’s civil war, more is being lost than lives. Aleppo may be the world’s oldest continuously occupied city, dating to the era of the pyramids, and at the height of the Ottoman Empire, it was the world’s largest metropolis after Istanbul and Cairo. That antiquity, wealth and diversity left behind magnificent mosques with Mameluke minarets, Ottoman-style bathhouses, and neoclassical columns and balustrades overlooking traditional courtyards tiled with marble and splashed by fountains. But Aleppo’s legacy extends beyond historic buildings. The city welcomed people of many faiths and traditions, while its old rival Damascus, a holy city and a gateway to Mecca, was long out of bounds for Westerners. Muslims, Christians and Jews created Syria’s commercial hub and one of the most tolerant, long-lasting and prosperous communities in the Middle East. “What was sold in the souks of Cairo in a month was sold in Aleppo in a day,” Madame Poche said, quoting a Syrian adage.
As we sipped coffee the week that the civil war began, this refined, prosperous world was already long in decline. “The situation is deplorable,” Madame Poche said in French-accented English, looking with disdain at the crates of cheap Chinese shoes filling the courtyard. Neighborhood merchants complained that the local textile mills had shut down, forcing them to replenish their stock with inferior cloth from Dubai. Despite Aleppo’s status as a World Heritage Site, many old buildings were in serious disrepair. And the once-vibrant Jewish community had vanished.
Since my first visit to Aleppo two decades ago, a coalition of entrepreneurs, city planners and foreign experts began the formidable task of rescuing and restoring one of the cultural and architectural jewels of the Middle East. Last year I walked along the new promenade surrounding the moated and massive ancient citadel. I stayed at one of the bed-and-breakfasts that had sprung up amid the warrens of covered markets to cater to foreign tourists, and I visited a recently uncovered 4,500-year-old temple. At an art gallery, I chatted with a photographer who helped organize an edgy international arts festival — an event unthinkable in dour Damascus.
The growing recognition of Aleppo’s importance in Middle Eastern history and culture makes the burning of the old city all the more tragic. In recent online videos, flames crackle in the closely packed alleys of the covered bazaar, smoke billows from a medieval caravansary, and an armed fighter gestures at the collapsed dome of a 19th-century mosque. Reportedly, more than 500 shops in the 71 / 2 miles of streets within the region’s largest marketplace have been damaged. The minaret of a 14th-century school is now only a stump. The entrance of the medieval citadel is cratered, and the fortress’s huge wooden gates are gone. A car bomb last week blew out the windows of the Aleppo Museum, one of the world’s best collections of Near Eastern artifacts.
2012年10月8日星期一
Everyone had an enjoyable night of mingling and dancing
Themed Saturday Nite Fever, the party was hosted by BKP recently as an appreciation for its homeowners.
It was also to celebrate the re-opening of its sales gallery which had undergone a renovation.
Homeowners were greeted by BKP team members dressed in dazzling retro costumes.
Loud shirts, bell-bottoms and fancy dresses, together with platform shoes, Afro wigs and vintage sunglasses were seen everywhere in the newly refurbished gallery at Mont Kiara.
The crowd enjoyed the 70s and 80s disco lighting and decor, as well as the wide selection of food served by The Westin Kuala Lumpur.
Many of them took the opportunity to take photos with the BKP team members and participate in several games.
Everyone had an enjoyable night of mingling and dancing with their family, friends and neighbours.
"This is a great event. BKP often hosts events for homeowners to get together.
"At festive seasons, the company also sends us gifts. For us, it doesn't matter whether it is an event or a gift, it is the thought behind the gesture that counts," said Mei Lau, who attended the disco party with her husband dressed in a 70s outfit.
A group of young dancers entertained the guests who were impressed by their performance.
At the end of the performance session, the crowd was greeted with another pleasant surprise when BKP team members joined a group of professional dancers to perform a flash mob by dancing to the tune of Saturday Night Fever and Oppa Gangnam Style.
Gradually, as more and more disco songs were played, homeowners came to the dance floor to show off their moves while having a great time together.
"I brought my sister along to attend this party. She was surprised that a property developer would host such an event for its homeowners.
"She is now very much interested in BKP's next project," said BKP homeowner Y.K. Chin.
"I am glad that the homeowners enjoyed themselves and were captivated by our programmes.
"We constantly look for opportunities to engage our homeowners.
"We seek to offer them exciting experiences to meet and interact with one another.
"This is in line with our belief that our relationship with homeowners does not end with the handing over of the keys to the house.
"Instead, it signifies a milestone in our continual relationship," said BKP's group managing director N.K. Tong.
It was also to celebrate the re-opening of its sales gallery which had undergone a renovation.
Homeowners were greeted by BKP team members dressed in dazzling retro costumes.
Loud shirts, bell-bottoms and fancy dresses, together with platform shoes, Afro wigs and vintage sunglasses were seen everywhere in the newly refurbished gallery at Mont Kiara.
The crowd enjoyed the 70s and 80s disco lighting and decor, as well as the wide selection of food served by The Westin Kuala Lumpur.
Many of them took the opportunity to take photos with the BKP team members and participate in several games.
Everyone had an enjoyable night of mingling and dancing with their family, friends and neighbours.
"This is a great event. BKP often hosts events for homeowners to get together.
"At festive seasons, the company also sends us gifts. For us, it doesn't matter whether it is an event or a gift, it is the thought behind the gesture that counts," said Mei Lau, who attended the disco party with her husband dressed in a 70s outfit.
A group of young dancers entertained the guests who were impressed by their performance.
At the end of the performance session, the crowd was greeted with another pleasant surprise when BKP team members joined a group of professional dancers to perform a flash mob by dancing to the tune of Saturday Night Fever and Oppa Gangnam Style.
Gradually, as more and more disco songs were played, homeowners came to the dance floor to show off their moves while having a great time together.
"I brought my sister along to attend this party. She was surprised that a property developer would host such an event for its homeowners.
"She is now very much interested in BKP's next project," said BKP homeowner Y.K. Chin.
"I am glad that the homeowners enjoyed themselves and were captivated by our programmes.
"We constantly look for opportunities to engage our homeowners.
"We seek to offer them exciting experiences to meet and interact with one another.
"This is in line with our belief that our relationship with homeowners does not end with the handing over of the keys to the house.
"Instead, it signifies a milestone in our continual relationship," said BKP's group managing director N.K. Tong.
2012年10月7日星期日
Our endangered top earners in need of saving
There was nothing on TV the other night, so I took Gerry Brownlee's advice and turned on the computer to "buggerise on Facebook".
As Colin Hogg said, "On TV these days, if they're not cooking it, they're killing it." Or singing and dancing about cooking and killing it.
To be fair, Close Up had just done an item on higher salaries that entertained me. Prompted by Andrew Ferrier's $8.2 million payment by Fonterra, the earnings of the country's top executives is news of the week yet again. I use the words "entertained" and "news" begrudgingly. Likewise "earnings".
But I'm wondering if we're not enviously looking at the salaries of our chief executives all wrong. Actually, I'm quite worried about our top earners. Like rare and endangered species, I think they need saving. Intervention is required if they aren't going to go the way of the giant moa or dodo.
I don't think we appreciate the responsibilities of our CEOs. For a start, their job descriptions are so . . . so . . . universal. They have a galaxy of responsibilities to navigate through.
Black holes surround them everywhere. It's no fun being an awesome supernova when your blinding brightness burns up everything and everyone who comes into your orbit.
The hours they work are immense. How do they sleep? I mean, when do they sleep? Like their bank balances, the clock is always ticking over. Likewise their brains.
Just carrying around a head so obviously weighed down with intelligence and knowledge and facts and figures has to be a strain on the neck. Their brains are packed in so tight, their skulls must ache. Continuously. Not to mention all the blunt knives sticking out of their backs. No wonder they can't sleep.
They are working themselves into early graves. Their well-appointed coffins will be of no comfort to them, or their families.
No, the more I think about it, being a CEO is not for me.
I think I'll aspire to something a little more lowly, say, prime minister. Certainly that's the message you get when you look at their comparative salaries.
If the prime minister of our entire country is worth $411,510 each year, why does the Education Ministry head get $520,000? And why does Auckland University vice-chancellor get $640,000?
If Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee gets $257,800 as a Cabinet minister, why does Christchurch City Council chief executive Tony Marryatt get more than $500,000? Isn't Gerry's job more important at the moment?
And why, oh why, did Auckland Council chief executive Doug McKay earn twice the prime minister's salary last year?
Imagine the conversations. "Mr McKay, I've got the prime minister on the phone for you."
"Tell him I'm busy, doesn't he know I've got a council twice as important as his country to run?"
Benchmark their salaries I say, with the top dog being the prime minister.
Reports have put the average private sector chief executive's salary in New Zealand at $315,000. Yet in the public sector, the average has been shown to be $340,000. This is reassuring. It means we can do something about it.
Jobs are becoming so big no amount of money can compensate them. Where once there were two jobs, now there is one, and that one person is working harder and longer than ever.
As Colin Hogg said, "On TV these days, if they're not cooking it, they're killing it." Or singing and dancing about cooking and killing it.
To be fair, Close Up had just done an item on higher salaries that entertained me. Prompted by Andrew Ferrier's $8.2 million payment by Fonterra, the earnings of the country's top executives is news of the week yet again. I use the words "entertained" and "news" begrudgingly. Likewise "earnings".
But I'm wondering if we're not enviously looking at the salaries of our chief executives all wrong. Actually, I'm quite worried about our top earners. Like rare and endangered species, I think they need saving. Intervention is required if they aren't going to go the way of the giant moa or dodo.
I don't think we appreciate the responsibilities of our CEOs. For a start, their job descriptions are so . . . so . . . universal. They have a galaxy of responsibilities to navigate through.
Black holes surround them everywhere. It's no fun being an awesome supernova when your blinding brightness burns up everything and everyone who comes into your orbit.
The hours they work are immense. How do they sleep? I mean, when do they sleep? Like their bank balances, the clock is always ticking over. Likewise their brains.
Just carrying around a head so obviously weighed down with intelligence and knowledge and facts and figures has to be a strain on the neck. Their brains are packed in so tight, their skulls must ache. Continuously. Not to mention all the blunt knives sticking out of their backs. No wonder they can't sleep.
They are working themselves into early graves. Their well-appointed coffins will be of no comfort to them, or their families.
No, the more I think about it, being a CEO is not for me.
I think I'll aspire to something a little more lowly, say, prime minister. Certainly that's the message you get when you look at their comparative salaries.
If the prime minister of our entire country is worth $411,510 each year, why does the Education Ministry head get $520,000? And why does Auckland University vice-chancellor get $640,000?
If Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee gets $257,800 as a Cabinet minister, why does Christchurch City Council chief executive Tony Marryatt get more than $500,000? Isn't Gerry's job more important at the moment?
And why, oh why, did Auckland Council chief executive Doug McKay earn twice the prime minister's salary last year?
Imagine the conversations. "Mr McKay, I've got the prime minister on the phone for you."
"Tell him I'm busy, doesn't he know I've got a council twice as important as his country to run?"
Benchmark their salaries I say, with the top dog being the prime minister.
Reports have put the average private sector chief executive's salary in New Zealand at $315,000. Yet in the public sector, the average has been shown to be $340,000. This is reassuring. It means we can do something about it.
Jobs are becoming so big no amount of money can compensate them. Where once there were two jobs, now there is one, and that one person is working harder and longer than ever.
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