Finding lots of lovely flowers yesterday morning had me busy repurposing a bottle of house-made wine (courtesy of one of my dinner guests last month) and then my college stein into impromptu vases. An apartment filled with flowers: what delight!  That said, I've been trying to find someplace (anyplace!) nearby that sells peonies...to no avail. I thought at some point during the spring or summer they'd come into season and I'd see them at the farmers market, but no luck so far!

But not getting anything at the auction gave me an excuse to buy a book of drawings by Charles Dana Gibson -- The Social Ladder -- that I'd been looking at last weekend. It's in terrible condition -- it's literally falling apart -- but the drawings themselves are intact, even if the pages they're on aren't completely. And I got it for less than half of the lowest price I've found online. And then I bought a copy of Louisa May Alcott's Life, Letters and Journals, which I initially thought was signed by Alcott, but which in fact just has a facsimile signature below her photograph on the frontispiece. Fortunately, I was neither very surprised nor disappointed, and I'm still pretty pleased about the price I got it for.

The woman in the store where I bought both books also threw in a 60s paperback by Viola Rowe called Freckled and Fourteen. I plan on posting about all three books in depth, and if I can manage it, I'd loke to photograph and post the whole of the Gibson book.

1. Nightstands - Rattan

   ... discounts on Planters & Containers,Dressers & Chests,Nightstands,,Nesting Tables,Watering Pots,Plates & Trays,Candle ... Brass Nightstand Wood Rattan Brass ...

   www.timelesselements.com/Shop/Control/fp/scat/41861/SFV/30874

2. Nightstands

   ... of bargains and discounts on Dressers & Chests,Nightstands,,Tables,Classic Collectibles,Room Dividers,Accessories,Vases, ... Brass Nightstand Wood Rattan Brass ...

   www.timelesselements.com/Shop/Control/fp/cat/41860/SFV/30874

3. South Sea Rattan Nightstands: Find, Compare, Read Reviews & Buy Online ...

   ... to comparison shop for South Sea Rattan Nightstands Compare products, compare prices, read reviews and ... nightstand | night stands | nightstands | more...

   shopping.yahoo.com/s:Nightstands:4168-Brand=South Sea Rattan

4. South Sea Rattan Nightstands - Trends & Advice: Find the best South Sea ...

   ... place to comparison shop for South Sea Rattan Nightstands Compare products, compare prices, read reviews and ... stand | maple nightstand | night stands | black ...

   shopping.yahoo.com/...?/s:Nightstands:4168-Brand=South Sea Rattan

5. Rattan Tables - Furniture - Compare Prices, Reviews and Buy at NexTag ...

   Rattan Tables - 625 results like the Butler Designers Edge Collection ... Related Searches: nightstands. rattan nightstand. chest of drawers. In stock at ...

   www.nextag.com/rattan-tables/search-html

6. Rattan Night Stands from The Online Furniture Store offering Free ...

   Bedroom > Furniture > Nightstands in Rattan. 1 2. Bedside Table. LAR-BR03-CDH $330.00 $220.00 ... Plaid Nightstand. PLD21 $583.50 $389.00. Rattan Night Stand ...

   www.onlinestoreinc.com/Bedroom-Furniture-Nightstands-in-Rattan-1.html

7. Rattan and Wicker Furniture for living room and patio featuring rattan ...

   Rattan ... Bahama Breeze Rattan. Bali Rattan. Bay Harbor Outdoor. Billabong Rattan. Caribbean Breeze ... Patio. Bayshore. Bermuda Rattan. Cape May Rattan Patio ...

   www.onlinestoreinc.com/Rattan-and-Wicker.html

8. Nightstands & Tables

   ... FAMOUS NAMES in indoor wicker, outdoor wicker, and rattan furniture for todays natural lifestyles. ... 00. Barbados Rattan 1 drawer nightstand. Price: $299.00 ...

   wickerparadise.stores.yahoo.net/niandta.html

9. Rattan Furniture, Papasan Chairs, Indoor Wicker Furniture, Sofa, Chest

   Offers a wide selection of Wicker rattan furniture including wicker chair, sofa, chest and many ... Nightstands & Tables. Planters & Bookcases. Protective ...

   wickerparadise.stores.yahoo.net/rafu.html

10. Night Stands - Rattan - Bedroom - in North Lima, Ohio from Sheely's ...

    Night Stands - Rattan - Bedroom - in North Lima, Ohio from Sheely's Furniture , Canfield, Poland, Boardman, Salem, Austintown, Columbiana, Hubbard, Cortland, Beaver ...

    www.sheelys.com/showcaselist.php?type_id=504

11. Wicker Dressers Chests - Dresser & Night Stands

    Selection of wicker dressers, wicker chests, chest of drawers, wicker dresser, Wicker Armoires, Rattan Night Stands, Home Wicker Furniture.

    www.homegardenandpatio.com/home/wicker_furniture_dressers.htm

12. Wicker Dressers Chests - Dresser & Night Stands

    Selection of wicker dressers, wicker chests, chest of drawers, wicker dresser, Rattan Headboard, Wicker Armoires, Rattan Night Stands, Home Wicker Furniture.

    www.homegardenandpatio.com/home/venice_wicker_furniture_collection.htm

13. Wicker Nightstands & Accessories

    Wicker and Rattan Headboards. Wicker Bedroom Dressers and Chests ... Wicker Nightstands & Accessories. Bombay 2 Drawer Wicker Rattan Nightstand $219.00 ...

    allaboutwicker.com/wicker-bedroom-furniture-wicker-nightstands-acce...

14. Bombay 2 Drawer Wicker Rattan Nightstand ,Outdoor Wicker Furniture ...

    This is a 2 Drawer Wicker and solid Rattan Nightstand.Our bedroom wicker furniture is made with A-Grade ... Wicker Nightstands & Accessories. Wicker ...

    allaboutwicker.com/bombay-2-drawer-wicker-rattan-nightstand-p-209.html

15. Barstools from the Online Furniture Store offering Free Shipping and ...

    Discount prices on all Barstools Furniture including Barstools ,Acrylic Barstools,Iron/Metal Barstools,Leather Barstools,Rattan/Wicker Barstools,Upholstered ...

    www.fashion-beds.com/Dining-Room-Barstools.html

16. Bedroom furniture from The Online Furniture Store offering Free ...

    ... beds, blanket racks, vanities, night stands, dressers and more. ... Nightstands in Acrylic (2 Items) Nightstands in Iron (9 Items) Nightstands in Rattan ...

    www.fashion-beds.com/Bedroom.html

17. A Summer Home: Rattan Nightstand

    Nightstands. Dressers. Mirrors. TV Stands & Armoires. Dining Collection. Tables & Chairs ... Ocean Isle Nightstand. Size: 24"W x 18"D x 25"H. Glass top ...

    asummerhome.com/NS-O-Isle.htm

18. Nightstand wicker rattan bedroom furniture

    Select a nightstand dresser or chest of drawers for your bedroom. Large selection of hand crafted wicker and rattan nightstands dressers and chest of drawers ...

    www.wickerliving.com/wicker-bedrooms/night-stands

19. Wicker Bedroom Furniture -Wicker Hamper, Chest, Dresser, Headboard ...

    ... wicker bedroom furniture and rattan bedroom furniture, including the popular ... Wicker Bedroom Night Stands. Add a new wicker nightstand to your bedroom. ...

    www.wickerliving.com/wicker-bedrooms

20. Pine Rattan 3-Drawer Chest Honey : Target

    Pine Rattan 3-Drawer ... Nightstands. Product Information. Pine Rattan 3-Drawer ... just received two of these nightstands and am fairly content with ...

    www.target.com/Pine-Rattan-3-Drawer-Chest-Honey/dp/B000C2N1N4

21. Hard Wood / Rattan Nightstand

    TOUCHWOOD FURNITURE Hybrid Nightstand with 3 drawers (Choice of hard wood Nua ... Home Furniture > Bedroom Furniture > Nightstands > Hard Wood / Rattan Nightstand ...

    alibaba.com/product-free/103205786/Hard_Wood_Rattan_Nightstand.html

22. White Wicker Dresser Wicker Bedroom Furniture

    ... Outdoor Wicker Furniture, Wicker Nightstands, Wicker Furniture Cushions Outdoor ... White Wicker Desk, Wicker Headboards, Rattan Headboards, Wicker Nightstands ...

    www.wickerwarehouse.com/bedroom_furniture.htm

23. Night Stands - Rattan - Bedroom - in Georgetown, Delaware from Besche ...

    Night Stands - Rattan - Bedroom - in Georgetown, Delaware from Besche Furniture Besche Furniture, Dover, Georgetown, Delaware, Salisbury, Bridgeville, Greenwood, ...

    www.beschefurniture.com/showcaselist.php?type_id=504

24. Mr. Rattan - Wicker and Rattan Furniture

    Mr. Rattan is your source for rattan, wicker, and bamboo ... nightstands. TV. armoires. LIVING ROOM. sofas, loveseats. chairs, ottomans. recliners. DINING ROOM ...

    mrrattan.com

25. The Rosebud Rattan Platform Bed - PlatformBeds.com

    Beds, casegoods (dressers, mirrors, nightstands, chests, desks) and mattresses ... Nightstand. Width-25" Height-24 1/8" Depth-18 1/2" Box Weight 53 lbs. TV ...

    www.platformbeds.com/index.php3?category=0000000630

26. Night Stands - Rattan - Bedroom - in Anacortes, Washington from Tracys ...

    Night Stands - Rattan - Bedroom - in Anacortes, Washington from Tracys Furniture Mount Vernon, Seattle, Bellingham, Everett, Oak Harbor, Orcas

    www.tracysfurniture.com/showcaselist.php?type_id=504

27. Furniture, Perfect Decor, Bedroom Furniture, Kitchen Furniture, Dining ...

    Nightstand Tables. Nightstand Tables. FREE SHIPPING. TODAY'S DISCOUNT. APPLIED AT CHECKOUT ... Our rattan night stands are often available in different finishes. ...

    www.theperfectdecor.com/nightstandtables.aspx

28. Online Furniture Store offering discount Bedroom Furniture, dining room ...

    Online ... Rattan and Wicker. Search. Price Match Guarantee! ... Office furniture, Home Gym Equipment, Wood, Rattan-Wicker and Iron Patio Sets as ...

    www.davinci-onlineretailer.com/index.htm

29. Indonesian rattan furniture manufactured by Balagi Rattan

    Balagi Rattan manufactures a wide variety of design rattan furniture, including chairs, dining tables, papasan chairs, sofas, sofa beds, curved couches, coffee ...

    balagi-rattan.com

30. Home & Garden - Bedroom Furniture - Nightstands

    Thousands of bargains and discounts on Cell Phones & PDAs,PDAs ... Wood Rattan Nightstand, End Dresser Table. Brought to you by Timeless Elements. Our Price: ...

    app.infopia.com/Shop/Control/fp/tcat/24866

31. 3 Drawer Storage Chest - Rattan, Dressers, Nightstands

    Stacks and Stacks carries beautiful and creative bedroom furniture sets, including rattan dressers and night stands. ... Nightstand. 5 Drawer Chest. This item ...

    www.stacksandstacks.com/tao-3-drawer-rattan-storage-chest/152/11255

32. 5 Drawer Storage Chest - Rattan, Dressers, Nightstands

    Stacks and Stacks carries beautiful and creative bedroom furniture sets, including rattan dressers and night stands. ... Nightstand. This item ships directly ...

    stacksandstacks.com/html/131111_tao-5-drawer-rattan-storage-chest.htm

33. Bamboo Nightstands

    Keep all of your nighttime essentials within arm's reach with a lovely bamboo or rattan nightstand. ... Most bamboo nightstands have an extra storage drawer ...

    www.bamboo-furniture-online.com/Nightstands.html

34. Bamboo And Rattan Bedroom Furniture

    Select from our bamboo bedroom furniture which includes everything from beds, and daybeds to rattan storage baskets, and nightstands

    www.bamboo-furniture-online.com/bedroom.html

35. Night Stand Furniture - 45% Off

    ... banana furniture,handmade,wicker,rattan furniture indonesia,wicker... About us How to Order Shipping Information Contact Us. Night Stand Furniture ...

    www.rattan-furniture-store.com/night_stand_furniture.htm

36. Garden Furniture Rattan & Wicker 45% off

    ... banana furniture,handmade,wicker,rattan furniture indonesia,wicker cane,banana,cane ... About us How to Order Shipping Information Contact Us. Garden ...

    www.rattan-furniture-store.com/garden_furniture.htm

37. Nightstands, Bedroom Furniture, Furniture at Online Home Gardening Store

    Nightstands, Bedroom Furniture, Furniture. Huge Selection of Home Decor, Bedding, Furniture, ... Modern Mod Rattan Nightstand Side End Platform Table $27.55 ...

    search-recipe.com/nightstands.htm

38. INSULAR RATTAN - RATTAN, WICKER AND CANE, BAMBOO, STONE, LEATHER, WOOD ...

    Manufactures rattan, wicker, bamboo, and wood furniture. Also accepts contract jobs and custom-made orders.

    www.insularrattan.com

39. INSULAR RATTAN WELCOMES YOU!!

    MATERIALS USED: RATTAN, WOOD, BAMBOO, LEATHER, STONE, TERRACOTA. ... The company started small in 1978, specializing in rattan furniture. ...

    www.insularrattan.com/insularrattan.htm

40. Nightstands | Havertys Furniture

    e:3//hvt05//:eq//Wicker/Rattan Wicker/Rattan (1) Material. e:3//hvt11//:eq//Leather Leather (2) ... Bayview Nightstand $149.00. Cottage Retreat II Nights...

    www.havertys.com/Category____Item__Bedroom Furniture_Nightstands

41. Rattan Nightstands - Plaid, Leather Accented

    NIGHT STANDS. ALL NIGHT STANDS | CONTEMPORARY | TRADITIONAL | VIEW by MATERIAL. Search: ... Rattan Peel Nightstand $622.50 (List: $1,037.50) ...

    www.nightstandstore.com/Rattan.htm

42. Nightstands, Material: Rattan - Retro, White, Cherry

    Rattan Nightstands. NIGHT STANDS. ALL NIGHT STANDS | CONTEMPORARY | TRADITIONAL ... Rattan & Leather Nightstand w Mahogany Legs $1,143.55 (List: $1,715.32) ...

    nightstandstore.com/IVG2/Y/.../Material-Rattan.htm

43. Nightstands

    ... Furniture Sable Creek Three Drawer Nightstand in Antique White 548-90 ... South Sea Rattan 9800 Crossroad Night Table with Doors 9801ANW Finish: Antique White ...

    shopping.msn.com/results/nightstands/bcatid4982/forsale?...&all=1

44. Nightstands

    Nightstands. TV Stands - Entertainment Centers, Speaker Stands ... Hooker Furniture 548-90-315 - Sable Creek Two Drawer Display Nightstand in Antique White ...

    www.racksandstands.com/Nightstands-C75464.html

45. Nightstands - RTA Nightstands by Brands Like Prepac & Tvilum-Scanbirk

    Wide range of heights and styles of Ready to Assemble nightstands. ... Shown left: Prepac's Black Sonoma 2 Drawer Nightstand. Nightstands. Image Size: Small | Large ...

    www.racksandstands.com/Nightstands-C11154.html

46. Rattan

    Nightstand. Butlers Coffee Table. Arm Chairs. Coffee table. Drum Table ... Nightstands (3) Ottomans (4) Patio Furniture (3) Pictures (1) Rattan (3) Sofas (3) ...

    www.swsurplus.com/?cat=16

47. Nightstands

    Nightstands (3) Ottomans (4) Patio Furniture (3) Pictures (1) Rattan ... These night-stands came from the Steamboat Springs Sheraton and they need a new home! ...

    www.swsurplus.com/?cat=31

48. Rattan Wood Bed Drawers Nightstand End Dresser Table

    Great Deals on Rattan Wood Bed Drawers Nightstand End Dresser Table ... Nightstands. Other. Other Bedroom Furniture. Queen Beds: Other. Queen Beds: Platform Beds ...

    www.dealsdepot.com/Shop/Control/Product/fp/vpid/2357342/vpcsid/0

49. Nightstands, Metal Nightstands, Wood Nightstands, Glass Top Nightstands

    Brand: South Sea Rattan. Browse. All Beds. Bedroom Sets. Headboards. Mattresses. Nightstands ... Left: Hillsdale House Furniture-Camelot Metal Wood Nightstand ...

    www.furniturefind.com/South-Sea-Rattan-l14-c25994-A153~222.html

50. South Sea Rattan 9811 - 9800 Crossroad Night Table without Doors

    Nightstands - South Sea Rattan 9811 - 9800 Crossroad Night Table without Doors ... Collection from South Sea Rattan. View all Nightstands. OUR SKU #SA1389 ...

    www.furniturefind.com/South-Sea-Rattan-9811-SA1389.html

• Environmental Science Deskbook - Intended to help environmental lawyers understand the physical, chemical, biological, and statistical terms and concepts necessary for their practice area. 
• Law of Solid Waste, Pollution Prevention and Recycling - Discusses federal, state, and interstate issues concerning air and water pollution, hazardous wastes, nonhazardous wastes, and more.
• Corporate Counsel Guidelines - Two-volume series covering responsibilities of in-house corporate counsel.  Major topics include Sarbanes-Oxley procedures, civil and criminal liability, and compliance issues.
• Federal Grand Jury: A Guide to Law and Practice - Explains the organization and operation of the federal grand jury system.  Major topics include jury selection, evidence, disclosure, and reform.

Picture contains:
1 Logitech Wireless Desktop (Wireless keyboard + Wireless Laser Mouse, transceivers)
1 Logitech USB hub

Donor: Eusebius Stephanou
The Logos and the Holy Spirit in the Unity of Christian Thought [5 vols] / Apostolos Makrakis

Donor: Daniel & Marjorie Raught
Correspondence from Paul and Evelyn Derr, missionaries to Tanganyika, 1930s-1940s ; photograph of Roger Raught ; audio recordings of Oral Roberts, Jack Coe, William Branham, and Walter Beutler

Donor: Marvin Tyler
The Seven Key Truths / Robert C. Ewing ; Hidden Manna: Grace Counselor Reprints [4 vols] ; Las Siete Verdades Clave / Roberto Ewing ; 48 Principios de Sanidad para el Alma / Robert Ewing

ART FAIR SINGAPORE

ARTSingapore 2008 has some important surprises in store says Asian Art News. There will be a new focus on art from Korea, India and Japan, first time gallery participants, a collector's show of art never before displayed in public and specially featured emerging artists to watch.

 "This year's event will highlight a sizeable representation from India Korea and Japan" says fair director, Chen Shen Po. Alongside 22 new Korean fair participants ARTSingapore will also welcome 13 Japanese art galleries including Megumi Ogita Gallery, Shonandai MY Gallery, Arte Gallery and Shinsedo Hatanaka. This marks a new milestone in the development of the fair which has historically been a showcase for South East Asian art.

First time gallery participants include Sundaram Tagore Gallery (USA), Cais Gallery (Korea), Hwas Gallery (China), Silverlens (Philippines) and Bruno Art Group (Israel). Click here for full gallery list.

Rising artists to be featured at the fair include:

• Wu Jianjun (China)
• Kengo Nakamura (Japan)
• Jirapat Tatsanasomboon (Thailand)
• Dang Xuan Hoa (Vietnam)
• Wayan Sujanda (Indonesia)
• Thota Vaikuntam (India)

This year the popular Special Collector's Showcase section is curated by Masanori Fukuoka owner and founder of Japan's Glenbarra Art Museum and who according to Asian Art News is 'recognised as the world's top collector and connoisseur of Indian contemporary art'. Fukuoka has arranged a solo show of Jogen Chowdhury (b 1939), one of the foremost artists of post-Independent India which will contain 18 ink pastel and watercolour works never before displayed in public.

As well as the Collector's Showcase there will be another important exhibition. Kim Soo Keong a leading collector in Korea and a director of Kwangju Biennale Foundation has agreed to loan the Fair a group works from her collection of more than 100 pieces of Nam June Paik's works, some of which including TV Repair Man and Blue Buddha have never been shown in public. Kim Soo Keong's Nam June Paik collection is widely regarded as being amongst the most important in the world.

In total the fair will feature 110 galleries and institutions from 16 countries who will showcase more than US$30 million of artworks before an expected 15,000 visitors. Despite the fair's growth from just 19 galleries in 2000, the Singapore fair remains 'one of the most friendly and accessible' fairs in the region says Asian Art News.

• More art fair updates
• News about Indian art, Korean art, Japanese art
• Latest posts on collectors
• Emerging artists

Subscribe here to Art Radar Asia

It’s likely that in this global climate, the incidence of outsourcing and offshoring will increase in a bid to maintain service efficiency and cut costs. However, there is some conflicting debate within the press of what the outsourcing market is set to do, especially when focusing on financial services. It has been reported prominently in the IT press that the Lloyds TSB Group Union (LTU) has been urging the bank to return offshored jobs back in-house.

After such a significant merger/acquisition as the Lloyds TSB and HBOS, organisations involved usually with these large scale mergers have enough to cope with initially standardising systems and integrating workforces, without focusing on terminating offshored contracts. Lloyds TSB is one of the leaders in outsourcing and will think very carefully before bringing any outsourced contracts back in-house and then they will base any decision on business strategies. However, there is always the possibility that HBOS has an on-shored contract that LTSB could use and that may well present an opportunity.

Although the financial services market is experiencing one of the worst shake-ups in quite some time, it is doubtful that there will be a huge surge in the termination or non-renewal of outsourcing contracts. What may happen is a slowdown in ‘mega-deals’. There is a large initial cost involved in any outsourcing contract. If that cost is high, as it usually is with mega deals, then banks will almost certainly be hesitant. However a long-term outsourcing deal that has been running for some time will invariably continue to run, as the initial cost has already been dealt with and the continuous savings are too appealing.

Even the US government, which is under continuous pressure to reduce offshoring, is finding it exceptionally difficult to deter organisations from the appeal of offshored contracts. Over the years the appeal of outsourcing for improving quality of service and seeking innovation has grown significantly. However ultimately, in a time of economic downturn, outsourcing and offshoring contracts will be about cost saving and this will be the short term priority for most companies.

Well, I need wonder no more. In the news: HCL and Infosys
each seem to want to buy
Axon, a UK-based SAP services player—a bidding war seems to be evolving as I write. And TCS is apparently making a not-so-secret play for Siemens' services business (SIS).

So now I get it, these ultra-conservatively managed companies waited for a financial crisis, understanding the value of their hard dollars and Euros would go even further when plucking decent but overleveraged services businesses! Was this the plan all along? I don't know but if it wasn't they should still take credit for it! If I were doing the shopping (and I am sure their shareholders thank their lucky stars that I am not!) I would be looking at companies with strong delivery presence in Latin America and Eastern Europe. So far, the Indian majors have approached globalization much as American "multi-nationals originally did—by sending in a herd of ex-pats who don't know the culture, language, economic environment, or laws to try to do things exactly as they are done "at home." Largely, they are failing just as their American predecessors did (for some reason, European multinationals tend to make this mistake less often). A good-sized acquisition in any of these regions would be a great cultural wake-up-call.

I have heard solid rumors about other deals in the making. Who do you think is next?

[caption id="attachment_742" align="alignnone" width="800" caption="Ham Jin Aewan 1025 c-print"][/caption]

 

 

 

 

 

KOREAN CONTEMPORARY ART

Korean artists and galleries have made a huge impact on Beijing recently with the presence of PKM Gallery, Do Art and Arario Beijing in the Brewery International Art Garden says Theme magazine. All three spaces showcase Korean artists but throw Chinese and international artists into the mix as well.  "Today some of the best galleries in Beijing are Korean" agrees Dr Katie Hill, writer curator and lecturer specialising who is currently writing a book on Visual Modernity in China to be published by Lund Humphries in 2009.

Further south, Seoul Auction, Korea's largest and longest-established saleroom, has announced its move into the Hong Kong market.

Seoul Auction will be the first Asian saleroom to enter the Hong Kong market reports the Financial Times and is kicking off on October 7 2008 with a $38.5m sale of modern and contemporary art. "Hong Kong is now the world's third biggest art market and has huge growth potential," says the firm's marketing director Misung Shim. Among the offerings is Roy Lichtenstein's "Still Life with Stretcher, Mirror, Bowl of Fruit" (1972), with an estimated sale price of $9m-$10m and Willem de Kooning's "Untitled XVI" (1982), with an estimated price of $5.85m-$7.8m, as well as contemporary Chinese and Korean art.

To the west ARTSingapore 2008, held this year 10 - 13 October 2008 and known in the past for its focus on South East Asian works, will for the first time in its history have significant representation from India, Japan and particularly Korea. This year 22 new Korean galleries will participate including Park Ryu Sook Gallery, Gallery Neo, Gallery Yeh, Gallery SP and Gallery Bhak.

But with financial markets floundering, is the timing right for Korean artists and galleries to realise their ambitions?

Absolutely not claims the Financial Times , after all visitors were thin on the ground at this month's Korean International Art Fair, 'which opened its doors on the "day of days", when international financial markets were in meltdown'. With the Kospi (Korean stock index) in freefall and the won plummeting, "it was hardly the time to expect Koreans to buy art". What a contrast to last year, when the Korean art market was booming, Korean buyers were active in auctions in New York and three new art funds were launched.  "The problem is, 80 per cent of Korean art buyers are pure speculators," said Juhl Joohyun Lee, director of Arario gallery, "and the international situation is having a drastic effect on the Asian art markets."

Further discouraging buyers is the fallout from the Samsung scandal. Earlier this year Korea's golden couple, Samsung chairman Lee Kun-Hee and his wife Hong Ra-Hee were accused of using money from a $64m slush fund to buy art for the Leeum, Samsung's art museum. Lee stepped down from his chairmanship of Samsung, and while Hong was cleared of these charges, buying by Samsung, previously one of the country's biggest art collectors, has apparently come to a total halt.

Click here for more on collectors, Korean contemporary art, art recession, globalisation of art markets.

Subscribe to Art Radar Asia here

Along a single day in a multitude of decisions are taken. If we stop to think about it we'll be amazed at the thoughtlessness with which certain things are decided and the absolute paralysis that occurs before deciding further. When faced with any decision there are a multitude of factors that affect us and it is necessary to take into account that our personal and professional balance will not fail.

As the philosopher said "common sense seems to be the best well-distributed, as everyone says possess in abundance." But he also says that "common sense is the least common sense."

There is no doubt that common sense is a basic ingredient in decision making. What happens is that neither common sense is the magic wand to make correct decisions. Common sense is useful and necessary, but there is a high dose of specific knowledge that determines what is the common sense is needed in what situations and when. If we take, for example, an engineering problem whose solution we apply common sense, it is logical to think that common sense is pervaded by a profound knowledge in the field on which we must decide. The temerity to believe in a position to decide on any matter by the autoconvencimiento it possesses an extraordinary sense is a dangerous trap.

Where does this lead us? To think that common sense has degrees of expertise and lots of application and that when it comes to surround yourself with a good professional team is the best combination that form the common sense and talent.

 That special combination of talent and common sense can provide what we call knowledge and has become the true value, in the most important asset, available to organizations today.

It is no coincidence that in the instability that presides this time, knowledge quoted upward in the corporate market and that, after many years of talk of Human Resources, is finally tilting the balance more toward humans than inputs. Angel Arbonies said that true knowledge management is achieved when you start treating people as an end, not as a resource. And that change in approach, full of common sense, has led the business corporations to look to their professional trying to discover what their talents and under what conditions can be more valuable to the company.

Many companies have found that is the talent of their team the real differential factor can be placed over their competitors. And that "revelation" has triggered programs and strategies to ensure loyalty and talent, because a good professional who is not comfortable in an organization is a potential target of a competitor.
The techniques of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) for the management and customer loyalty, are aimed at the very fabric of human enterprises to manage and loyalty talent internally. It is the TRM (Talent Relationship Management), a term coined by the prestigious firm of Nicholson International Headhunting, in an analysis carried out among numerous companies on five continents, has drawn up a list of the factors to which the talents of a company are more sensitive:

1. quality of managers
2. good organization
3. possible mergers and alliances
4. level of compliance with its expectations
5. individual factors of motivation

No Business Plan that endurance or strategy that will hold or that goal is met if the people involved in their dynamics do not believe or do not feel motivated to do their best in the draft in which participating. It is not enough that professionals are well paid, it is necessary to consolidate a talent emotional attachment to the company.

At the time of publishing this article from the summer weather in the final straight, which means that it is autumn in the business world. Fall brings the Business Plan, his Serene Majesty the Business Plan. This does not mean that until now been absent from our lives, but the review of the Business Plan of autumn is crucial because there was not much time or opportunity to take action to make the numbers vary considerably. 

Fall is also time to effect coups, and announcements unexpected surprise maneuvers to shake the markets, the Stock Exchanges, shareholders, readers of the daily economic and employees themselves.

Some of the big business (mergers, acquisitions, strategic alliances ...) have been brewing under the summer to be the center of attention in the autumn. Wanted lever and strategies that increase or restore lost confidence. It's the time of harvest. To give just one example sufficiently representative of the news of the fall, Google had just launched on September 2, Chrome Google browser, which can be considered a bombshell on the whole rule.

There are many, many important decisions metidas in a Business Plan, but what really important in the spreadsheet that is hosting our Business Plan are not the formulas or the numbers themselves as absolute values. The numbers are not democratic, nor are all equal, nor have the same value, not even the fact that some are bigger than others are given to those most important to them. The Business Plan is a planning exercise and weight, both in the principles, as in the development, and in the explicit and implicit conclusions to be drawn from it. In this document, as in any strategic document of a corporation not only must know how to write, you also have to learn to read and, therefore, like to develop any type of document, we have to think about the reader, you have to think in the market, we must think about the customer.

Because of this Master Plan derived everyone else, the five senses are limited to apply in its drafting and, as with all decisions are taken, most are far more transcendent, meaning that more and better we must apply the common sense . Analysis - Diagnosis - Target - Strategy - Action Plan - Budget, that is the cadence logic that leads us to the construction of the Business Plan.

Start a Business Plan by putting numbers in boxes or developing ways to reach a predetermined outcome, it would be like taking a pile of bricks and begin applying plaster and paint to return to left in the battery, then build the foundations of the house, erecting The basic structure of columns and floors, placing furniture and, ultimately, take back the previously painted bricks and make them fit into the set and finally reviewing the boards to disguise the gaps and give the appearance of unity to the final outcome. With this method the end result is not a house, is a decorated fragile and that does not hold either the first blizzard, a setting in which no one can live.

In a large company (although this is not a necessary condition), a Business Plan can also be the battleground where occurring differences of interests, power struggles and personal ambitions. The Business Plan, in short, can be a dream or a nightmare, and in either case, their development tends to be accompanied by a few nights sleeping whit nightmares.

 Shareholders, managers, directors, employees, competitors, customers ... they must all be taken into account, embedded in the relevant concepts and properly evaluated and weighted so that the end result is something ALIVE.

The Business Plan, as well as the organizational structure of a company, is dynamic, not static. Business Plan with an unshakable will of a Business Plan is dead and therefore represents a dead company.

The days are shorter and the feeling is enhanced by night shift schedule which takes place towards the end of October in most Western countries. It is the night before and the feeling of arriving at the office at night and leave it at night will also becoming increasingly widespread.

Autumn is a season of muted colors that, as it progresses on schedule, are always bathed by the cold light of our desktop lamp. However, no matter how difficult it is the present scenario, no matter how complicated they are to take decisions, do not forget that the world in all its splendor, is still out there.

As financial markets roil , art collectors seeking a safe haven eye up opportunities in the Middle East. If anything, some players expect an even stronger market in the Middle East than in China, because so many of the art initiatives-to showcase the region's artists as well as import Western art-have the direct backing of the government or royal families. Abu Dhabi is planning to spend $50 million to fill its Louvre.  

While galleries are increasingly showing Middle Eastern contemporary art, especially in London, it is still uncommon in Western collections says Conde Nast's Portfolio. Most of the artists are unknown outside of the Middle East.

That could be about to change as British art collector and marketing guru Charles Saatchi makes his interest in Middle Eastern art known. A recent addition to his planned exhibiton list is Out of Arabia: New Art and New Perspectives in which he showcases artists from Syria, Iraq and Lebanon and predominantly Iran.

At time of writing artists include:

• Iran: Sara Rahbar, Tala Madani, Laleh Khorramian, Rokni Haerizadeh, Ramin Haerizadeh, Ali Banisadr
• Lebanon: Jeffar Khaldi
• Iraqi: Halim Al-Karim, Ahmed Alsoudani
• Syria: Diana Al-Hadid

For most recent list of artists, bios and images visit Saatchi online , latest news on Middle Eastern art, Islamic art, thread art, feminist art, identity art.

Subscribe here to Art Radar Asia

With the exception of BEA, it’s unlikely that you could name any of the other eight. If you’re in the insurance business, you might have heard of AdminServer or Skywire Software. What about Moniforce, Captovation, Empirix, Global Knowledge, or ClearApp? The ninth remains a mystery. It might have been the Interlace Systems deal from last October. Mr. Phillips said that Oracle had spent $30B to complete the deals; another executive said the price was closer to $34B. 

In addition to buying products and customers, Oracle continues to spend significant amounts on R&D. The budget hovers around $3B. If you add up all of the R&D spending over the same 44 month acquisition binge, one executive said it would come very close to “$10B in organic R&D.” Believe it or not, there are close to 3,000 products in the Oracle arsenal.

If you’re looking where the money is going, here is a partial list: