Estes

M2 supply increased

2008-06-15T19:05:00.001+09:00

Money supply expands 14.9 percent, fuels inflation
Money supply is surging amid soaring inflation, which is set to further add to inflationary concerns.
Funds in the market, which find no investment targets, are flocking to short-term products, including money market funds.
According to the “trends of money and liquidity indicators for April,” which was released by the Bank of Korea on Wednesday, M2 money (outstanding balance), a measure of currency in circulation including time deposits and installment deposits with less than two-year maturity, increased to 1339.4349 trillion won, up 14.9 percent on year.
The April M2 growth rate is the highest figure since June 1996, when it posted 16.1 percent. The M2 growth rate has continued to increase since January, when it recorded 12.5 percent.
The Bank of Korea predicts the M2 growth rate will expand around 15 percent in May, higher than the April figure, as bank lending has been on a steady rise.
A BOK official said, “The money supply has increased due to expanding household loans, including mortgage loans, and corporate loans.”
Some economists say the steady growth of money supply will add to inflationary concerns. Money supply growth is one key factor for inflationary pressure along with surging international oil prices and soaring exchange rates.
Meanwhile, market funds are seen to be moving into short-term products, including MMFs, en masse. MMFs are a great channel for standby funds awaiting investments, since real interest rates have turned negative.
According to the “financial market trend for May,” released by the central bank, MMFs expanded 10.9 trillion won in May. The figure is the highest since the bank began tallying the data.
In contrast, fund inflows into banks have slowed.
By Kim Kyu-sung /mirror@fnnews.com

According to the Bank of Korea on wednesday, M2 money(outstanding balance) indicators increased to 1339.4349 trillion won, up 14.9 percent on year.
The bank of Korea predicts the M2 growth rate will expand around 15 % in may as bank lending has been on a steady rise.
Market funds(including MMFs) are seen to be moving into short-term products. And MMFs expanded 10.9 trillion won in may. But Fund inflows into banks have slowed.
The Bank of Korea said that the money supply continously increased since January 2008, and the indicator is recorded second hightest.
The reason of the increasing money supply is by fuels inflation. But by making money, the price index will be increased and the Won's value will be go down. These phenomenon would generate serious problem and richs will be richer and poor will be poorer. The president of Korea, Myung Bak Lee said that he will increase the Korea's economy about 7%, but if the M2 supply increase countinously

20200041 kwon hyuck sung

Strategy Versus Tactics

2008-06-13T22:31:00.002+09:00

20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim Entry # 14
Strategy Versus Tactics

What is the difference between a strategy and a tactic?

According to the bald guy in the video, Tim Berry, a doctor slash entrepreneur,
strategy is a long term plan compared to tactic, which is a short term actions.
Strategy requires a lot of committment while tactics requires testing, tracking, tweaking, little more ongoing day to day work. When a Strategy is a road map for overall plan, a tactic is the vehicle for the trip.

When you start working online, you get these emails about what they offer.
They offer you new, awesome tools. If you purchase these tools, you might
end up killing your business. The thing about these tempting tools are that
they all seem to be things that you need for your company. However, the truth is
that your online business is not really a billion dollar company. You have
limited resources; if you choose to buy things that are good for you but are
not necessarily essential, you will end up wasting a good deal of money.

When you start a business, it is critical for you to develop a strategy as soon as possible. Take actions that are congruent to the overall business strategy; if you don't do this, you will end up wasting your time, energy, and resources.

20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim Entry # 14

14. The iPhone Eyes BlackBerry's Turf

2008-06-13T15:46:00.003+09:00

With its next-generation iPhone, Apple wants to turn it into a much bigger player in the mobile-phone market. In order to do that, the CEO cut their price for the entry-level iPhone to $199 which is half that of the previous edition and right in line with what competitor's high end phones cost. This strategy of lowering prices was made to attract new customers, especially those who had been turned off by the higher price. Apple knows that everyone wants an iPhone, that's why they had to make it more affordable. Besides the lower prices, they are boosting the speed at which the iPhone can pull in e-mail and other corporate data making sure it works with programs used in corporates. They even opened up the iPhone so that outside software developers could create their own programs for the device.
Apple sees Reasearch in motion, the company behind the Blackberry wireless devices, as a standard for this market. They already have a huge lead in the market offering corporate customers several capabilities that Apple can't yet match. RIM has spent years developing capabilities that corporate tech managers want, but Apple doesn't have all the tools that RIM has built up over the years.
In my personal opinion, Apple is in the right path doing really well in everything they do, including the pc and software market as well as the mobile phone market. They have such a good brand image, that can't be hurt even when prices are lower which is necessary to make their brand more popular. I think they will catch up to the RIM company over the years and getting the experience and tools they need to do so. Apple is seen as a company of innovation and differentiation, which is an image gained by their products. I am sure their development will keep innovating more and more their products and give more satisfaction and comfortability to their products.

20600642 Entry #14

13. Has Microsoft really given up on Yahoo as Google Search Deal Looms?

2008-06-13T15:18:00.003+09:00

Microsoft, the software giant who was willing to buy the Internet pioneer, Yahoo for $33 a share, announced that they abandoned their plans of acquisition. But, there are rumors that Yahoo may shortly sign a search deal with Google. The problem is that Yahoo's investors aren't so happy because of its stocks which closed down 10%. It happened because if there's no Microsoft deal, there is less support for the acquistion premium that has buoyed Yahoo's stock since Microsoft's first offer. Investors are not seeing Yahoo's deal with Google as valuable as the Microsoft buyout offer because any deal that can pass regulatory muster most likely would require Yahoo to keep its own search ad unit in operation. In the deal created by Yahoo and Google there would be a creation of a open search ad auction in which any company could participate. In their statement Yahoo indicated that they saw little value to selling off its search operation to Microsoft, for this reason it seems unlikely it would do that with Google either.
In my opinion, Yahoo should sell their search operations because it is the only way they can at least try to follow Google and expand their market share. At the present moment Google is superior in its ability to make money out of search ads, which eliminates Yahoo as a competitor. If yahoo is not able to compete by themselves, with their own power, they should seek for other forces that could help them in regaining their competitive force.

20600642 Late Entry #13

2008-06-11T01:29:00.002+09:00

Truckers start striking over fuel prices

June 11, 2008

Trailer trucks are parked near the container terminal at Pyeongtaek Port in Gyeonggi Province as some members of the independent truckers’ union began to refuse to haul containers yesterday. [YONHAP]

Prior to a planned nationwide strike scheduled to begin Friday, unionized truckers in several locations have begun work stoppages, a move that could hurt Korea’s already fragile economy.

In the Pyeongtaek Harbor near Seoul, a total of 444 car carriers and truck drivers belonging to an alliance of unionized truckers called a strike yesterday in the container terminal. A total of 13,500 20-foot containers, which should be delivered to Seoul and other cities in Gyeonggi, were still piled up there. Other regions are face the same predicament.

The 59,893.5-square-meter (14.8-acre) pier, located in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, which is usually crowded with several dozen trucks at any moment, was empty yesterday. About 60 trailer drivers who went on strike yesterday repeatedly shouted “Raise shipping prices,” and “Lower diesel costs,” as they gathered at a vacant lot three kilometers away from the pier.

In Ulsan, drivers of a total of 130 car carriers already called a strike on Monday. They used to deliver 800 out of 1,200 cars per day produced by the Hyundai Motor Ulsan factory.

“With recent oil price hikes, drivers spend 480,000 won ($468) out of their daily wages of 550,000 won on fuel. As a result, we are bleeding red ink,” Kim Sang-soo, a driver, said.

About 180 truck drivers started to refuse shipments on June 5 in Changwon, South Gyeonsang.

Experts are worried about the expected economic damage to the country. They anticipate that if the strikes continue for more than a week, the estimated economic loss will run up to 500 billion won.

Meanwhile, the Korean government decided to introduce emergency transportation measures to prevent economic disaster. To maintain normal operations, the government will call on hundreds of non-unionized truck drivers and bring 500 military containers and 1,000 military trucks into service. Government officials recommended companies use the railroads for deliveries. Companies are also considering allowing private and commercial vehicles to ship goods.

On Monday, an alliance of unionized truckers announced that they will go on a nationwide strike.

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the whole world suffering from high-price so i think from now on, countries and companies investment replace-energy such as solar-energy or hybrid.

but Korea has not any well-known company in this industry. in the future,Korea will depend on foreign energy.

and knowledge based industry will be very profitable and human resource will be critical point in the global market.
Korea suffering from high oil price, but Korea has many cutting edge technologies such as Dram or NAND flash memory.
so we concentrate developing technology and human resource.

20500530 entry #14

Availability Uncertain

2008-06-08T20:56:00.003+09:00

Olympic Coach Mulls Life Without Ji-sung

By Kim Tong-hyung

Staff Reporter

Rarely in football can a single player impose his will on a team and dictate its fate. But that said, could there be any individual more critical to his team's success than Park Ji-sung?

Granted, this is not to discuss the midfielder's role with reigning European champions Manchester United, where despite garnering praise for his industrious play, he benefits from the diversionary brilliance of otherworldly talents such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

However, for the planet's other self-proclaimed Red Devils, or the South Korean national squad, Park is practically their name card.

The 27-year-old winger was clearly the country's most gifted player for the past decade and his brilliance on the pitch has resulted him logging heavy minutes in a grueling double duty for club and country.

The upcoming Olympic tournament in Beijing was penciled as Park's next major assignment for the Taeguk Warriors, carrying the nation's hope for its first Olympic football medal on his scrawny shoulders.

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) restricts entry to the Olympic tournament to players born after Jan. 1, 1985, but each squad is allowed to carry three over-aged players as ``wild card" picks.

And South Korea's under-23 coach Park Sung-hwa had declared a spot saved for the Manchester Untied midfielder, naming him in the provisional 40-man roster announced in April.

However, with Park's strengthened status with his club, moving up in manager Alex Ferguson's pecking order down the stretch of United's title run, as well as concerns about overuse, the coach is now forced to consider a Plan B that doesn't involve the country's most transcendent sports personality.

``Ji-sung is not as established as a Cristiano Ronaldo and not in a position where he has a strong opinion about a move that could stand against the club's interest," said coach Park.

`` The Olympic tournament overlaps with the opening of the new Premier League season, and joining the team in Beijing would require a lot of sacrifices on his part. We also need to consider his participation in the month-long World Cup qualifiers and the Manchester United training camp."

The coach would love to have Park at his disposal in Beijing, where South Korea is drawn in a tough Group D with Italy, Cameroon and Honduras.

Park's versatility, which allows him to excel as a wide midfielder from both sides of the flank and also as a support striker, combined with his wealth of international experience and reputation as a big game player, would provide a clear value to a team of youngsters.

It remains to be seen how the coach could replace Park in the lineup if he is not available for Beijing. The under-23 team has capable wing players in Daegu FC's Lee Keun-ho and Gwangju Sangmoo's Kim Seung-yong and may use a wild card spot on a central midfielder, which makes the Suwon BlueWings' Cho Won-hee and Seongnam Chunma's Kim Jung-woo logical candidates.

Coach Park had insisted he would use two spots for a left-footed midfielder or defender and a striker. Zenit St. Petersburg defender Kim Dong-jin had been discussed for the job, but with the fullback currently hobbled with an injury to his left calf, Chunnam Dragons' Kim Chi-woo is emerging as a likely replacement.

Jeonbuk Motors striker Cho Jae-jin was considered to have secured his ticket for Beijing, but the recent emergence of the BlueWings' striker duo of Seo Dong-hyun and Shin Young-rok, both under the age limit, may prompt coach Park to spend the veteran spot at another position.

As Park's Position and importance is getting higher, the club and nation's expectation also high. So because of the gain and loss about him between club and nation, Park 's availability about the olympic is uncertain.

20200041 kwon hyuck sung(late)

2008-06-07T18:58:00.004+09:00

Preserving the history of Korean food from her house

June 06, 2008

Drying garlic and bean paste jars. Photos by Lee Eun-joo

The hanok in Jungkangwon, an institution for traditional Korean cuisine.
PYEONGCHANG, Gangwon - The air is filled with the delicate scent of fried organic vegetables that add savory flavor to bibimbap, or steamed rice with assorted vegetables.

Walking closer to the main hanok, a traditional Korean-style house, in Jungkangwon, an institute of traditional Korean cuisine, you see hundreds of reddish-brown jar stands filled with doenjang (soybean paste) or gochujang (hot pepper paste), adding extra aroma to the air.

The jars are buried in salt and charcoal to keep fermented pastes fresh.

What you see here is rustic.

Garlic hangs from the hanok rooftop piled with wooden vessels, and a lotus pond reminds one of a Joseon scene.

Cho Jung-kang, the founder of the cuisine institute.
In the backyard, Cho Jung-kang, the owner of the 33,058-square meter institute, cultivates some 300 vegetables, including cucumbers, pumpkins, red peppers, lettuce, cabbages and eggplants.

Cho, 70, built the traditional house in 2005 to preserve, develop and educate people about Korean food. There are daily cooking classes, with reservations needed. Prices vary. The most popular tour runs 90 minutes and costs 20,000 won ($19.50).

“The influx of imported Western foods threatens the dining tables of Koreans today,” Cho said.

Her story begins in 1999, when she invested 3 billion won ($2.9 million) to buy land in Pyeongchang to build the traditional complex. The construction took seven years.

The surrounding was perfect for fermenting foods. And nature was all around - mountains and streams.

“People say the mecca of Korean cuisine is Jeonju, but the flavor is too strong,” Cho said. “Instead, I prefer cuisine from Gangwon Province ? it’s more mild.”

It wasn’t easy to start such an unpredictable business. She had to let go of her stable life as a well-known restaurant owner.

Timothy Wong from Hong Kong mixes rice for bibimbap.
At 37, she opened “Dongchon,” a hanjeongsik restaurant that serves rice, stew and various side dishes.

The restaurant branched out after opening in Seogyo-dong near Hongik University in Seoul. Former presidents Choi Kyu-ha, Chun Doo Hwan and Kim Young-sam often visited.

“My food doesn’t contain any artificial flavoring,” she said.

Cho inherited traditional cooking skills from her grandmother.

In fact, she is the 12th descendent of Cho Heon (1544-1592), who led an army during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592.

Pursuing justice and loyalty, he led some 1,700 soldiers, including monks, to recapture taken land. Most died in the battle, himself included.

Cho wanted to preserve that spirit flowing through her family’s blood.

“Korean culture and cuisine should be taught properly,” she said. “And Koreans should be proud.”

But first you need to be educated, she says.

The institution has traditional cooking kits, a museum, hanok seminar rooms and an icehouse kept at 1 to 5 degrees Celsius (33.8 to 41 F) all year round.

All the recipes taught strictly follow traditional form ? from ingredient selection, cultivation, cooking and storage.

But business wasn’t always easy.

The summer after Cho built the institution, heavy rain soaked ingredients, including soybean paste and kimchi. Some parts of the hanok are still under reconstruction.

“Words cannot express how shocked I was to see things collapse in no time,” she said.

But the incident steeled her to drive toward her goal ? establishing a school for traditional Korean cuisine.

“Fewer and fewer households make kimchi,” she said. “Naturally, some are not familiar with the process.”

She pictures an image of a royal kitchen depicted in the historical TV drama, “The Jewel in the Palace.”

With help from others, her vision is nearing fruition.

Yoo Myung-hwan, an official at the Gangwon provincial government office said, “Though there are no specific plans yet, we hope to turn the place into an educational tourist site.”

Cho’s youngest daughter, Kim Joo-sung, is also pitching in. Though she was an undergraduate industrial arts major, she decided to study food engineering for her master’s and doctorate.

Last week, Kim was making bibimbap with Han Young-soon, the general manager of the institute, and some 20 students from Hong Kong.

“The bibimbap recipe is inherited from the family ? it is 400 years old,” Kim said, while gently sorting one of the 18 vegetables on rice before mixing it with gochujang.

“It is said that you need a daily intake of 18 vitamins,” she said.

“Instead of taking concentrated supplements, why not eat a bowl of bibimbap?” she said.

After making bibimbap, Han led a group tour of the hanok.

“Hanoks have high ceilings,” Han said. “And there is hidden wisdom behind the architecture.” The high ceiling made of pine wood helps the air circulate better.

Visitors can spend a night here with a reservation.

Timothy Wong, a student from City University of Hong Kong, wanted to stay overnight if time allowed.

“Korean culture is high and noble, especially the cuisine,” Cho said.

“But it has been left out in the cold. It is now time to bring it back to our lifestyle.”

To reach Jungkangwon, take a bus from Dongseoul Bus Terminal (Gangbyeon Station, line No. 2) to Jangpyeong. The two-hour ride ticket costs 10,500 won. It is a three-minute taxi ride from Jangpyeong Terminal.

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in this era of globalization, local area can meet directly the whole world without any boundaries such as border or countries. so local area should have 'brand' to survive in global competition. because before globalization, country fight to country and local area is not important. but in the era of globalization, local era bocome major competitor. and we named it glocalization.

so, preserving korean traditional food is so important, and it's related to country's brnad image directly. specially, kang won province there is so many environmental resource.

20500530 entry # 13

Mad Cow Disease. What's Wrong???

2008-06-06T23:43:00.003+09:00

20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim entry # 13
The korean police conducted a 27th dawn compulsion suppression about the demonstrative unit which participated to a May 27th American beef trade opposition meeting. Like this, the opposition between the ROK Government and the citizen is getting overheating. From position of an American student studying abroad who dreams journalist, I said an opinion about beef trade policy and democracy, the Korean society, furthermore the US government.

It's so amazing how Korean people just get so excited like that.
Here are a few factors that i PERSONALLY think is effecting this uprise.
First, the Korean people who raise han-woo (korean cows) really don't want FTA to happen because it will lead to the decline of their own revenue. I personally think this is selfish yet unavoidable.
The next is that Korean people are very passionate, united, and emotional. When something like this, something violent, something that hurts and threatens our country comes into existence, they fight it. It might not me a real enemy, but they
still overreact to it.

Well, I also think that this uprise is not just about the mad cow disease. It is a fact that the internet & news are being censored to an extreme extent in korea. The police are abusing their power. Some females getting beat up for no reason. Some of the policies of president Myung Bak to me just doesn't make sense. They should happen like a 100 years later. President Lee is being very very pushy. The fact is that South Korea is a democratic country. No president has the right to do something when almost all of the citizens of the ROK oppose to it. I still do not understand how he isn't impeached yet.

aside from that, how do we, as managers and economists, deal with this situation. If we were the president of Korea, how would be display our leadership and control these people. How do we encourage them; how do we bring about the changes needed in korea without displeasing the people? I personally think president lee is an aweful leader. Communication. He should have communicated things better. It's just such a pity how people are getting hurt so much and yet the president is just sitting there.

20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim entry # 13

Is the Main Character Missing? Maybe Not.

2008-06-05T10:44:00.006+09:00

Is the Main Character Missing? Maybe Not.

Dan Walsh, a 33-year-old technology manager in Dublin has posted doctored version of the comic strip "Garfield" on his blog from February. He thought it might amuse a few friends of his. Yet as many as 300,000 people come and see his version of Garfield to his site and recently, it has leveled off to 30,000 to 35,000 a day.
Walsh does nothing to the panels except strip away Garfield and other characters like Odie the dog and Nermal the kitten, to create a new, even lonelier atmosphere for Jon Arbuckle, the main human character. Walsh said that Jon's loneliness and sadness was already there and he just deepens it by taking out Garfield and others.
Jim Davis, the cartoonist who first created Garfield occasionally visits Walsh's site. He says that Walsh's strips are fascinating, that he is flattered rather than peeved by the imitation.

The following comic strip's real version, which first appeared in 2002, Garfield keeps Jon company in all three panels. In the middle one, Garfield thinks, “Oh sure,” and then in the third: “There’s the one about the 12-foot chocolate éclair...”

>> Original Article

>> Garfield minus Garfield

What Dan Walsh did is just a simple thing: taking out Garfield out from the comic strips. Yet it worked. It worked so well that way too many people are visiting his blog. A simple act that he did made a big difference. He would be able to make some money using this. Some companies would like to pay him some money and advertise on his site. In short, a simple Innovation, a great deal of benefit!

20500419 Entry #14

Experts Revive Debate Over Cellphones and Cancer

2008-06-05T10:05:00.004+09:00

Experts Revive Debate Over Cellphones and Cancer
By TARA PARKER-POPE

Last week, three famous neurosurgeons told the CNN interviewer Larry King that they do not hold cellphones next to their ears. Dr. Keith Black, a surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles as well as Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon at Emory University Hospital said that they use earpieces so you keep the microwave antenna away from your brain. The other neurosurgeon, Dr. Vini Khurana, an associate professor of neurosurgery at the Australian National University also said that he uses it on the speaker-phone mode and do not hold the cell to his ears.
It is not clearly defined if the cellphone causes cancer; however, vast numbers of studies that have been published in scientific journals around the world show that wireless phones do pose a health risk.
Cellphones emit non-ionizing radiation, waves of energy that are too weak to break chemical bonds or to set off the DNA damage. There is no explanation if this wave leads to cancer yet but researchers say that just because science can’t explain the mechanism doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist. They claim that since the heat generated by cellphones and the fact that the radio frequencies are absorbed mostly by the head and neck, there are good chances of risk. Supporting that, in recent studies, the tumors tend to occur on the same side of the head where the patient typically holds the phone. Not only that but also some of the research suggests a link between cellphone use and three types of tumors: glioma; cancer of the parotid, a salivary gland near the ear; and acoustic neuroma, a tumor that essentially occurs where the ear meets the brain.
What is more concerned is that more and more children are using cellphones. Since their brain is still in the process of growing and their skulls thinner, they have more chances to be in risk.
It is much early to reach a conclusion that cellphones are either safe or not safe yet it is no harm to be careful.

>> Original Article

Nowadays, there are not many people without cellphone. Especially in Korea, most of the people including young and old have their own cellphones to carry. Starting from the moment they wake up, during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, during spare time, during classes, upto the end of the day when they go to sleep, people always carry cellphone with them and use it continuously. Since the market is almost saturated in Korea, the cellphone companies including Samsung are expanding their market to the other countries abroad. Yet if the concerns about cellphone continue on, those companies would meet a big downturn of the market.
The only way not to do so is to differentiate their products. Of course companies like Samsung have more advanced technology than other firms and have big technological potentials. It is nice to have camera, MP3 and other stuff in the cell yet what the customers need right now is the cellphone that does no harm to their health: that is the differentiation point that they need to make.

20500419 Entry #13

Older Brain Really May Be a Wiser Brain

2008-05-31T15:14:00.002+09:00

Older Brain Really May Be a Wiser Brain

The common thoughts about the older people are that they lack memorizing skill with aging brain. Yet a growing number of studies suggest that this assumption is often wrong. In the new edition of a neurology book, "Progress in Brain Research" suggests that some brains do deteriorate with age yet for most cases, it is only that a gradually widening focus of attention makes it more difficult to latch onto just one fact. Shelly H. Carson, a psychology researcher at Harvard says that this is nothing wrong or bad, but is useful since it may increase the amount of information available to the conscious mind. This can yield big advantages in the real world where it is not always clear what information is important, or will become important.
Dr. Harsher said that a broad attention span may enable older adults to ultimately know more about a situation and indirect messages of what is going on than younger people. Jacqui Smith, a professor of psychology and research professor at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan also says that since older adults take in more information in a situation and they are able to combine it with their comparatively greater store of general knowledge, they are going to have a nice advantage. This is the process of building wisdom, she said.

>> Original Article

It is really common that people misjudge older people about their memory and ignore them a bit. This research has shown how the older people might be better with their knowledge and attention as well as memory.
They say in few years, companies are going to suffer from lack of workforces of young people. The general age of the society is growing old but only few young ones exist. Companies will be desperately look for young people to hire; however, is it always a good idea to hire young people? Older workers have advantages such as tenure, wisdom and now, a greater span of attention on every situation they are in! As mentioned in the article, the world is chaotic, not predictable of what is important or what would become important. Now it is proven that older people may do better than older people.

20500419 Entry 12

Lee’s Trip Promotes Mutual Understanding

2008-05-30T23:15:00.002+09:00

By Kim Yon-se

Staff Reporter

President Lee Myung-bak will return home today, after ending a four-day state visit to China during which the two countries agreed to raise their bilateral relationship to a ``strategic partnership,'' an upgrade from ``partnership of comprehensive cooperation.''

With the two countries agreeing to foster closer ties, President Lee conducted ``economic diplomacy.'' China is currently Korea's biggest export destination ― in 2007 South Korea exported products worth $82 billion, while importing $63 billion worth of Chinese products.

During the visit, President Lee extended Korea's deep sympathy to those killed in the massive earthquake and pledged assistance in the region's rebuilding efforts. He is to visit the quake-hit region before coming home.

Sympathy for Quake Victims

An earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale hit Sichuan Province, a mountainous region in western China two weeks ago.

The first destination for on his overseas trips was the United States as many observers expected. Then he visited Japan on his way home in April.

Though Lee picked four countries ― the U.S., Japan, China and Russia ― as the four major diplomacy targets, his ``favorable'' comments were mainly concentrated on Korea's relations with the U.S. and Japan over the past few months.

Even a U.S. newswire carried an article, headlined, ``New pro-U.S. South Korean president aims to reassure China that he cherishes relationship.''

Some Korean think tanks, including the Institute for Foreign Affairs and National Security, analyzed that Lee's China visit is momentous in resolving misunderstanding in Beijing that the Lee government may have been lax in its relations with China while prioritizing relations with Washington and seeking future-oriented relations with Tokyo.

Lee might have conveyed the message that China is as important as the U.S. to Korea's diplomatic campaign to encourage North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program through his summit talks with Chinese President Hu Jintao and meetings with other Chinese leaders, sources said.

The Lee administration and the governing Grand National Party (GNP) believe that Lee and U.S. President George W. Bush established amicable personal ties through a two-day summit at Camp David near Washington, D.C. in April.

Conservatives said the Lee-Bush summit marked a crucial turning point in South Korea-U.S. relations, insisting that their alliance was undermined during the liberal administrations of Roh Moo-hyun and Kim Dae-jung.

In his summit with Chinese President Hu and a meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, Lee reiterated that the Seoul-Beijing relations have been elevated to a strategic partnership from a partnership of comprehensive cooperation under the Roh government.

Lee said the strategic bilateral relations indicate that the two countries will expand cooperation from trade to other fields, including diplomacy, regional security and North Korea policies.

Positive on FTA

While some Korean conglomerates are negative about a free trade agreement (FTA) with China ― a giant producer of cheap industrial goods ― Lee was an active cheerleader for the opening of trade talks during his visit.

A Seoul-Beijing FTA would play a significant role for the development of the economy of Northeast Asia, he said. ``The 21st century is the era of Pan Asia-Pacific. You (business leaders of the two countries) will be the leading players in the region ― a new growth engine for the world economy.''

A ranking Chinese official made sensitive remarks after Lee arrived in Beijing Tuesday, by calling the military alliance between Seoul and Washington a ``Cold War product.''

``East Asian nations has also changed a lot since the U.S.-South Korean alliance was forged in the 1950-53 Korean War,'' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.

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President Lee Myung-bak will return home today, after ending a four-day state visit to China during which the two countries agreed to raise their bilateral relationship to a ``strategic partnership,'' an upgrade from ``partnership of comprehensive cooperation.''
During the visit, President Lee extended Korea's deep sympathy to those killed in the massive earthquake and pledged assistance in the region's rebuilding efforts.
While some Korean conglomerates are negative about a free trade agreement (FTA) with China ― a giant producer of cheap industrial goods.A Seoul-Beijing FTA would play a significant role for the development of the economy of Northeast Asia, he said. ``The 21st century is the era of Pan Asia-Pacific. You (business leaders of the two countries) will be the leading players in the region ― a new growth engine for the world economy.''

President Lee visited the China to extend the sympathy and for FTA. The earthquake was so severe and cruel for china and it was not their problem. So we should help them to rescue people and improve the relationship with china. And president lee made some agreement about the FTA, the effect of FTA will be enormously arose.

20200041 Kwon hyuck sung

Business Intelligence before business strategy

2008-05-30T15:13:00.003+09:00

20700193 entry #12

introduction:

According to this video, business intelligence comes before business strategy
one must collect different informations before setting a strategy. An information, singular, is just one version of the truth. one must collect many different versions of the truth in order to see an objective, clear picture. If one implements a business strategy without doing this, his or her strategy would be obsolete.

Application to our class:
We have done a few presentations so far about different companies. This is gathering information. gathering business information. what we need to do before setting a strategy in the real world is doing what we did for these presentations. however, i guess we should do much more reserach than what we did for our presentations. i am talking about weeks, if not months, of research.

Reference:
chet phillips is the reference used in this video. he was good in gather information and i think he is a role model. we should definitely should follow him and pursue business information.
"Business inteligence is not about spying or wire taps. in essense, it's the ability of a business to convert its data into tiny and accurate information that generate competitive advantage."
this is why business intelligence is critical.

Conclusion.
So check the video out; intelligence is the foundation of business strategy. How are we gather information that is accurate and objective? How do we know if our information is clean and good? i hope we will be able to answer these questions soon.

12. The United States strengthens army with at least 2 thousand ‘warrior’ robots.

2008-05-30T11:56:00.002+09:00

The U.S. army will be gaining more technological power in the next 5 years. The U.S. military forces announced a US$ 400 million contract with Foster-Miller, a company that produces robots used to defuse mines and explosives, act as sentinels and also to carry heavy equipments. The contract predicts the production of an army of two thousand to four thousand replica robots ‘Talon’ specialized in defusing bombs.
According to the American magazine ‘Wired’, this is the Pentagon’s greatest investment made in robotics recently. In December, the U.S. government spent US$ 286 million purchasing units manufactured by Robotic FX.
The Talon, a robot operated by remote control, is already being used in Iraq and Afghanistan assisting troops in detection and defuse of explosives. Usually, the ‘life’ of a robot specialized in this area is short because many of the bombs cannot be defused and end up being exploded, but in a safe method.
Even though I am against war and investments in technological weapons, thinking in how many casualties and wounded soldiers this technology will be able to prevent, I think it is a good invention since it is used to protect and secure the life of many soldiers in the war field.

20600642 Entry #12

2008-05-28T09:34:00.002+09:00

Is Korea ready for smartphones?

‘Things are changing and larger phones are gaining popularity here.’
May 26, 2008

The BlackBerry 8707g and the BlackJack II
American adults these days are obsessed with the BlackBerry, checking their e-mails and returning messages with a whir of thumb movement.

Although the BlackBerry is used by people in over 120 countries who number 14 million subscribers, it has failed to catch on in high-tech Korea, where smartphones have had little appeal until now.

Even Samsung Electronics’ smartphone, the BlackJack, sold more than 2 million units in North America in 2006. But sales in the Korean market reached slightly more than 30,000 units during the same period.

But things could take a new turn as SK Telecom, which has 22 million subscribers, is planning to introduce the BlackBerry here in the second half of this year.

In a countermove, Samsung Electronics announced that it is releasing the BlackJack II later this month, while Taiwan-based HTC is expected to introduce its Touch Dual smart phone later this year.

Compared with mobile phones, smartphones have more functions like scheduling, sending and receiving e-mails and accessing the Internet.

The conventional mobile phone is used for text messaging and voice communication.

“Smartphones are called ‘a palm-sized personal computer,’ as they have a Qwerty-type keypad and access to Windows,” said Yoon Jong-jin, a high-level official at SK Telecom.

Laptop computers have the weaknesses of being big and running through battery power quickly. Smartphones, on the other hand, are not only convenient to carry but use very little power.

SK Telecom is planning to target salesmen and construction workers, initially.

The newest BlackBerry design is expected to be much slimmer.

“Korean consumers felt burdened by something larger than a mobile phone,” said Lee Young-soo, a researcher at LG Economic Research Institute. “However, things are changing and larger phones, like LG’s Touch phone, are gaining popularity here.”

The BlackBerry, developed by the Canadian company RIM, is expected to reach Korea some time in August.

Although the model hasn’t been decided yet, market insiders consider the 8707g model the most likely candidate.

This model employs a Qwerty keypad system and has a 320 by 240 pixel color screen. It has a tracking wheel that controls the system from the right-hand side of the screen.

The wheel is thumb-operated. It has a Bluetooth communication system allowing wireless access to the Internet, the use of e-mail, a digital camera and a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting system.

The BlackJack II, also uses a Qwerty keypad but it has a bigger screen, 2.4 inches, and a jog wheel, which operates more like a mouse, on the front and not on the side.

The Samsung smartphone operates on a Windows Mobile 6.0 system and has a 2 mega pixel digital camera with a MicroSD memory slot.

It also employs the Bluetooth system.

HTC’s Touch Dual is expected to launch in the third quarter of this year and employ a touch system allowing the user to operate or access any function by simply touching the screen, very much like Apple’s iPhone or Samsung Electronics’ Haptic mobile phone.

Unlike the BlackBerry or BlackJack, the Touch Dual uses a slide system.

By sliding the screen up, a keypad appears, allowing users unfamiliar with the touch system to use a more conventional method.

It uses the Windows Mobile 6.0 system and also has a 2 mega pixel digital camera like the BlackJack II and has a MicroSD memory slot.

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is this smart phone really success in Korea. i think it will be very high price, so it doesn't have competent. because i think in the Korea mobile phone market very sensitive of price, because many of customers are students or Young people.
but it will be very successful young-business man and late-20s or early-3s.
there are so many competitors, not just other mobile phone, laptop, PDA and so on.
smart phone, automatically will be expensive, for surviving in the competition, it should have high-quality technology.

20500530 entry #12

Korean Firms Lack 'Smart Power' (late)

2008-05-27T15:19:00.001+09:00

By Lee Hyo-sik

Staff Reporter

Samsung Electronics is the global leader in chip production, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group is within the top 10 car manufacturers in output and Hyundai Heavy Industries is conquering the world's shipping industry hands down.

They may be happy to see their cash registers bulging but their public relations are debatable. A recent Samsung Economic Research Institute report points to the general lack of this knowledge among Korean firms.

It suggested local firms should strengthen public relations efforts to establish a better corporate image abroad and invest more to recruit talented manpower and create a better workplace.

The institute said the average corporate performance of the top 100 firms listed on the domestic stock market is equivalent to 43 percent of that of the Standard and Poor's (S&P) 100 firms. But the size of their intangible assets amounts to only 3.2 percent of global firms.

In calculating the scale of intangible assets, it looked into 11 factors; national image, knowledge level, corporate culture, brand perception, corporate image, leadership, manpower competency, technology advancement, system capacity, quality of workplace and corporate networking.

When those of S&P 100 firms are set at 1, the overall image of Korean businesses stands at 0.03 with their knowledge level at 0.82 and corporate culture at 0.3.

Local firms' average system capacity, measured by inventory turnover ratio, is 1.7 times that of global companies, while their manpower competence, or the average salary amounts to 75 percent of what S&P 100 firms are paying employees.

Korean companies' quality of workplace, gauged by after-tax operating income divided by total labor costs, is 0.78, with corporate networking, or the amount of media exposure, at 0.005, and brand perception, or advertising expenditure, at 0.018.

SERI said the intangible assets of the country's leading companies are largely undervalued, compared with those of multinational firms in the U.S. and Europe, because they generate lower earnings from investment and are more vulnerable to market changes.

Samsung Electronics' technology advancement and system capacity are 1.8 times and 1.5 times those of Hewlett Packard, but its brand image and manpower competence lag far behind the U.S. computer maker. Also, Hyundai Motor is far superior to General Motors in system capacity and manpower competence, but its brand image and corporate networking are outpaced by the U.S. automaker.

The institute said Korean businesses should make an all-out effort to improve their corporate and brand images abroad to market their products and services at higher prices.

``It is important to generate large revenue and profits. But it is also as important for local companies to build up intangible corporate assets to become more competitive in an increasingly globalized marketplace,'' it stressed.

They may be happy to see their cash registers bulging but their public relations are debatable.
The institute said Korean businesses should make an all-out effort to improve their corporate and brand images abroad to market their products and services at higher prices.

20200041 kwon hyuck sung

Business Strategy in the Streets

2008-05-24T21:34:00.004+09:00

20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim entry #11

The streets are open for anything. You can have so many different types of
advertisements. I've seen people in costumes to weird-shaped balloons floating
around. You can do almost anything. you can paint anything, you can change things around, you can do things to people, you can leave something, you can take
something, you can spill something, you can do whatever you want as long as it's
legal. here's an example of something creative you can do.

The pictures above are pictures of creative advertisements of a game called "Clue."
The first two picture were Okay, but the third one with the red soap was just
totally brilliant.
We learned a lot of things is class about advertisements. In Markstrat, we
found out the marketing and advertising is truly essential in business.
We spent almost half, or more of our budget in advertising and sales. but with those
kinds of advertisements, those brilliant advertisements, i think we can have the
same effect with half the money.
Here is another example of a good advertisement:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid271552642/bctid1311211025

please visit the link and watch the video; it's a video of a drama promotion
that happened in the states. The show was called dexter, and this marketing
project was called "dexter's red fountains." Who would have thought of that?
who could possibly think, and promote this. I am sure that the people in charge
of these fountains were hard to convince. People may feel uneasy about all the
red liquid that signifies blood. However, i think hundreds of thousands of people
stopped by to check out what all the red stuff was about.
amazing effect.
Totally Awesome.

20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim entry # 11

Toothbrush Not Included

2008-05-24T14:18:00.003+09:00

By Linda Stern | NEWSWEEK
Jun 2, 2008 Issue

Original Article

Lost luggage, security checks, extra-bag fees and spilled shampoo make suitcase stress one of the worst parts of traveling, but Flylite thinks it has the solution. The two-year-old Massachusetts company is a clothing butler for frequent business travelers. New customers pay an initial $500 fee and pack their bags. Flylite workers then clean, press and store the clothes, polish shoes and scan everything into a virtual "iCloset." Each trip, travelers can virtually "pack" their suitcases by dragging and dropping clothing icons, after which Flylite delivers the bags to any U.S. destination. After each stay, Flylite picks up the bags, cleans the clothes and stores everything for the next trip. With two days' notice, it costs $100 to get the bag packed and sent anywhere within 25 miles of a major airport. Typical customers are road warriors who travel three to five times a month and store a dozen suits and assorted shirts, ties, recreational wear and golf clubs, says marketing VP John Walsh. "Time is a luxury to them," he says. The company, which says it's already profitable, isn't yet set up for travel outside the United States, but has many foreign clients who travel here. It plans iClosets in London and Dubai, and will soon start selling shirts and shoes to clients who are so busy jet-setting that they can't take time to go shopping. The new clothes will simply show up in their suitcases on the next trip—along with a bill.
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First of all the word "Dubai" caught my eyes. Yes, indeed Dubai is becoming a target for business these days. For all the effort they have made, they are finally getting a reward fro their hard work. Anyways, back to the point. The company who started this Flylight business is just a rookie to the business, it is only 2 years old. However their innovative idea is definatley scraping up some money. The key target customers are the "road warriors" who travel frequently, and for whom the time is a luxury to them. Even for me, sometimes I plan to go off somewhere but discourage myself due to packing my luggage. But if there was someone to pack for me? I would definately pay them. Only if it wasn't for $100, I would be their #1 customer. Keeping that in mind, for some people who are busier than I am, a $100 could be worth the time they spend for packing. But we must be careful now, just because you are lazy (though you have sufficeint amount of time to pack), and you have the money, I stronly urge them NOT to be so inclined with this news, These are really for the people who need the time to do something valuable rather than to pack.
However, this business would have a bright future, as increasing number of people fly more than 20 times a month, this is what they probably need.

20700775 Article Entry #15

The Wii Fit Workout

2008-05-24T13:48:00.003+09:00

By Anne Underwood | Newsweek Web Exclusive
May 21, 2008 | Updated: 1:46 p.m. ET May 21, 2008

As a health writer, I know the awesome benefits of exercise--improving cardiac and lung function, encouraging weight loss, boosting strength and endurance, improving mood and possibly even making you smarter. In theory, that's all terrific. It's the bit about getting to the gym more than twice a week that's the problem. Now Nintendo's new Wii Fit is bringing the gym--or a stripped-down version of it--to me and my Mii (the Wii's onscreen representation of me). At $90--plus $250 for the basic console--Wii Fit is not cheap, but it still costs less than an actual gym membership. And since it's in the middle of my living room, it's harder to ignore. That can only be good news.

Wii Fit follows on the success of the original Wii console, which has been a coveted item since its November 2006 release. Reaching well beyond the teenage-male fan base of the standard videogame, the basic Wii has attracted kids, soccer moms and seniors. Certain rehab centers are using it to help patients recover from strokes, injuries and, in some cases, war wounds. Physical therapists have even come up with a name for this new form of rehab--"Wiihab."

Where the original Wii featured golf, boxing, tennis, baseball and bowling, Wii Fit offers fitness training of four types--aerobics, strength training, yoga and balance games. Most of the exercises are fun, and all of them increase your heart rate or muscle tone while helping develop "core" muscle groups that aid balance and posture.

The key to all of this is the Wii Fit balance board that you stand on. It looks like a glorified kitchen cutting board but contains weight-sensitive areas for both feet. The concept came from a Nintendo developer who saw sumo wrestlers on TV weighing themselves with two scales. (Japanese scales go up to only about 300 pounds, so two scales are often necessary.) While trying out the two-scale idea, "developers noticed that keeping the balance between your left and right legs is actually very challenging and fun," says Cammie Dunaway, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Nintendo of America. Developers recruited Kaoru Matsui, a Japanese trainer, who was already using balance concepts, to advise them on specific exercises.

Don't even think about trying to fool the board. It uses four sensors to measure your body weight 60 times a second. It gauges not only the total pressure on each foot but also how your weight is distributed. It notes your tiniest wobbles and translates this into eerie insight into your posture and balance. On the ski jump, you have to position yourself just right, in alignment with a dot on the screen, as your Mii barrels down the slope. Then, as you reach the bottom of the ski jump, you straighten your knees, rise onto your toes and hold the pose to lift off and sail through the air. If you're successful, you'll enjoy waving to the applause of a virtual crowd. (If you're not, expect to tumble head over heels in an avalanche of snow and skis that's not pretty. Fall off the tightrope in the exercise of the same name, and it doesn't show us what happens.) At the end of each of the 40-plus exercises, you receive not only a numeric score but also a one-to-four star rating, from "unbalanced" at one end of the spectrum to "yoga master," "bodybuilder" or "calorie incinerator" at the other.

At their best, gadgets like Wii Fit can help people get in shape by combining exercise with the addictiveness of videogames. A half hour on the elliptical can be boring. Not so a videogame that's always offering you new rewards, like vocal encouragement ("great job") and extra points in the Wii Bank that unlock new exercises. Studies have shown that earlier games like Dance Dance Revolution helped people lose weight by making them want to come back for more. Can the Wii Fit hold one's interest for the months needed to lose weight and get in shape? Perhaps. But it certainly tries to ensnare your competitive spirit, allowing you to monitor your progress and play against family members. And there is the ever-present challenge of meeting your weight-loss goals, which the scale-based system excels in tracking.

One of the greatest virtues of Wii Fit is that it encourages you to try a broad range of exercises that you might not try otherwise. At the gym, it's easy to get stuck in a regimen of Stairmaster and weights, or the recumbent bike and treadmill. With Wii Fit, you'll want to sample all four types of training, getting a well-rounded workout. The games are especially fun, including the hula hoop and soccer. And though Wii Fit is no substitute for a workout with a trainer, it certainly beats sitting at the computer and exercising your index finger.

Is it for everyone? No. Anyone with a serious workout regimen can pass Go and keep their $90. Nor is it the way to develop a dedicated yoga practice. On the other hand, it could just be the gateway exercise program that a lot of us need to get up and get moving. By the end of a 30-minute workout, I feel the effects, but the sensation is great. In fact, I'm feeling so good, I just might go to the gym.

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This is amazing. They even thought out that the price of their product would be in the range of 90-250 dollars; however, according to them it is whole a lot cheaper than an actual gym membership, that is a way to move the customer segments to yours! By playing this game it can improve cardiac and lung function, encourage weight loss, boosts strength and endurance, improves mood and possibly even making you smarter. It also has all kinds of sports from golf to tennis. But you know everything has flaws, what I think the short side of this is that maybe because I watched the "FUN ENERGY" through internet, I mean all this work! all the sweat you let out! all the ENERGY you produce! it only does good FOR YOU! These days, we are learning to do all sorts of things, saving water, gas, is also good for ourselves but ultimately is for the good for the society, the world. Why don't we relate that thought to this wonderful game idea? Fun energy has its benefits for actually producing "Energy" to use the energy for other uses. The Wii Fit Workout has a better
entertainment variety, and its technology and popularity. Think about it! You can loose weight, prevent diseases (such as obesity, diabetes and sorts...), and also help produce energy! in order to cut down on oil consumptions. The blue ocean of the future? the answer is already given... make sure it doesn't only do the good for the consumer, but for all consumers, the community, the society, and the world.
20700775 Article Entry #14

The Summer of Our Discontent

2008-05-24T13:29:00.002+09:00

Are high gas prices killing the family road trip?
By Linda Stern | Newsweek Web Exclusive
May 15, 2008 | Updated: 1:16 p.m. ET May 15, 2008

Here comes the summer of our discontent. Economic pessimism and high prices on gas and food have Americans in a sour mood and curtailing their vacation plans, though they probably need those stress-busting breathers more than ever. Just ask Amy and Adam Geurden of Hollandtown, Wisc., parents of Eric, 6, Holly, 3, and Jake, 2. "We were going to take lots of weekends and short trips with the kids," says Amy. "We were going to go to the Wisconsin Dells, the Bay Beach Amusement Park in Green Bay, to Chicago and Door County." Then Amy did the math: 17 miles per gallon in the Chevy Suburban and $4 a gallon gas. Now the Guerdens are planning a "staycation" around the backyard swimming pool instead. "I'm really disappointed," she says.

So is almost everyone else. Almost 60 percent of Americans are cutting back their vacation plans because of gas prices. That's sad, because vacations are so good for you when you're feeling miserable. Here's how to squeeze in a little bit of travel fun without breaking the bank.

Location, location, location. Don't go so far away. "Everyone has places they've always wanted to go in their home state and region," says Tim Leffel, author of "Make Your Travel Dollars Worth a Fortune" (Travelers' Tales). "This might be the best summer ever to do that." Draw a circle on the map at 200 miles around your house, and choose a vacation spot within the circle. Alternatively, you can head way out of your circle. Instead of driving to the beach that's 400 miles away, fly to one of the Caribbean resort spots in Latin America for about the same amount of money. They've got off-season rates in the summer and have currencies pegged to the dollar, so they're not getting pricey like the euro countries. Leffel likes the beaches in Honduras, where prices are "cheap, cheap, cheap": a top hotel room and gourmet dinner will come in under $100. He's got more places and prices on his cheap destinations blog.

Getting there. Budget exactly how much you'll spend on gas by entering your destination and your car into the calculator at the American Automobile Association Web site. A family can save significantly by squeezing into the smaller car, or even renting a fuel-efficient car. (Hertz is offering a free tank of gas with a car rental, through the end of June.) Embrace all of those fuel-saving behaviors, like driving under the speed limit and keeping tires properly inflated. And check gasbuddy.com or your GPS system to find the cheapest prices on gas along your way. Fill up early in the morning or late at night, when cool air makes the gasoline more dense, and you'll get more for the money. Alternatively, leave the car at home. Competitive pricing on long-distance buses and decent train fares are making mass transit a solid choice for the summer of 2008. Companies like BoltBus and MegaBus offer some seats as low as a dollar. Plus, it's an adventure.

Creative lodging. Hotels are cutting deals this summer, and frequent travelers swear by the rates they get on Priceline.com and Hotwire.com. Before booking through a hotel Web site or 800 number, call the individual hotel directly and ask for their best rate. Pull out everything you've got—AAA membership, senior status, company affiliations, even your job title—to see if they've got a discount for you. Or seek unusual lodging: Kids love camping, and with all the RVs garaged because of high fuel costs, the campgrounds might be quieter than usual. You can arrange to swap homes with a like-minded family who lives where you want to travel. (Try homeswap.com or intervacusa.com). Or follow the time-honored tradition of freeloading off friends.

Saving along the way. It's the little things that will drain your vacation budget, so control them. Travel with a cooler, some ice, your favorite snacks and drinks. You can stop at grocery stores instead of fast-food chains and buy supplies for two meals a day. Make lunch your fancy restaurant meal. Bring your own bottle of bourbon (in the trunk, not the front seat) and have a drink in the hotel room before you go to dinner. Use coupons for attractions, and if you're staying put in a city, buy a book of passes (citypass.com) or restaurant discounts (entertainment.com). Plan museum visits in advance, so you can catch their free or reduced-price days. And skip the souvenirs: nobody really wants those shot glasses and snow globes anyway.
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Vacations are good, but the luxurious vacations that we have been going for the last few decades aren't that good. The rise of price of goods, oil, accomodation, everything! Finally we realize how demanding we were and not thankful until now.
Kids in Africa are dying due to lack of food, and from diseases. And we are planning on going to the most prestigious places of the world and stay at the most prestigious 5-7 star hotels, riding comfortably on airplanes. Since the time, and the situation has came to make ourselves realize the reality of ourselves, why don't we all give ourselves a humble vacation this year? If according to the article "staycation" is going to make you miserable, than go off somewhere you could help others that are in need. That is definately a buy1 get 1 deal, you get to get out from your house, and help people at the same time. This time, we should think of what "vacation" really means for us.
20700775 Article Entry #13

My Ebay Job

2008-05-24T13:11:00.003+09:00

Do 1.3 million people really earn a living on the site?
May 22, 2008 | Updated: 11:19 a.m. ET May 22, 2008

IS eBAY your JOB????????????
Original Article
Certain numbers have an iconic status in America's business culture. One of them is the number of people who derive income selling goods on eBay: 1.3 million. The figure has been cited by eBay executives such as former CEO Meg Whitman, speaking on 60 Minutes in March; by companies that are part of the eBay economic ecosystem; and, in late April, by presidential candidate John McCain. "Today, for example, 1.3 million people in the world make a living off eBay," he proclaimed. "Most of those are in the United States of America."

Where does this number come from? And do more than 650,000 Americans really "make a living" selling costume jewelry, baseball cards, and cameras in the world's largest swap meet?

The number can be traced to a 2006 study conducted by ACNielsen on behalf of eBay. The company surveyed eBay sellers around the globe, including 2,000 in the United States. And it concluded that "approximately 1.3 million sellers around the world use eBay as their primary or secondary source of income," with an estimated 630,239 in the United States. Take careful note of the phrasing, however: primary or secondary. That could mean 50,000 use eBay as a primary source and 1.25 million as a secondary source. Or it could mean the split is closer to 650,000-650,000.

EBay doesn't break out the numbers, but it's a safe bet the reality is closer to the former. Even the minority of sellers who meet the company's "power seller" requirements aren't coming close to "making a living" selling on eBay. To reach the lowest level, bronze sellers must rack up $12,000 in sales (sales, not profits), or move 1,200 items over the course of a year. "A bronze-level power seller isn't making a full-time living on eBay," says Cindy Shebley, who began selling on eBay in 1999. "They have to really crank it up and get into higher tiers, like titanium." Levels rise from silver ($3,000 or 300 items per month) to Titanium ($150,000 or 1,500 items per month). Shebley is a silver-level seller (mostly photography and lighting equipment) but says most her income comes "from supporting sellers as a consultant and a teacher." Shebley teaches classes and is working on a new book, How To Market an eBay Business.

A part-time seller, Shebley is nonetheless an integral part of the eBay economic ecosystem. The company itself (market capitalization of about $40 billion, 15,000 employees) is surrounded by businesses like the one run by Catherine Keener's character in The 40-Year-Old Virgin—a storefront that helped people sell things on eBay. In the real world, it seems there are almost as many businesses that will help you sell on eBay as there are items for sale on the site, from Mail Boxes Etc., to UPS, to bubble-wrap manufacturers, to software developers who have created more than 12,000 eBay applications, to Paul Mladjenovic, author of Zero-Cost Marketing, teaching an online class at the Learning Annex.

EBay support has become a compelling industry because it turns out there's a lot of friction in this supposedly frictionless model. A few years ago, Doug Graham, owner of Graham & Company, an advertising firm in Great Neck, N.Y., began reselling other people's goods on eBay. In exchange for a 30 percent commission, Graham handles all the hassles. "You have to take nice photos, conduct realistic auctions, respond to e-mails, and handle shipping and packing," he says. "Each auction can take a couple of hours." Graham's eBay sales are about $150,000 a year, but this power seller isn't making an eBay living. "It's a nice profit center for a larger business."

EBay continues to attract people who would like to make a portion of their living selling. "We think there are about 600,000 sellers that use selling tools on eBay who are trying to make a buck," says J.P. O'Brien, chief executive officer of Sagefire, a Boulder, Colo., company that makes software programs that automatically download data on bought and sold items.

Of course, there's a big difference between making a buck and making a living, between a sometime-thing and a steady gig. The notion that 630,000 Americans—a number roughly equal to the population of North Dakota—are making something approaching a living wage selling on eBay is a little rich. I've been paid a few times to play the piano—it doesn't make me a professional musician.
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That's right doesn't mean all my money comes from my part time job working as a translator does not make me a professional translator.
ALthough statistics tells us 630,000 Americans are making some money from selling products at eBay, that does not make them their "Job." However, some people really do earn a living wage through this busines, that does not make you as a employee of eBay. Do you get the point? A professional job, or what ever work that is called a "job" has to have some sort of a binding, a responsibility, so that the company can pay insure you in health care. Some people only earn a buck a day through eBay.
Please, don't rely on eBay, and mostly don't misunderstand eBay as your working place.
20700775 Article Entry #12

Johnson & Johnson's Big Design Challenge

2008-05-23T22:25:00.003+09:00

Johnson & Johnson's Big Design Challenge
J&J Chief Design Officer Chris Hacker is a man with a mission: to bring sustainable design to corporate America

Chris Hacker, a chief design officer of Johnson & Johnson clearly states that his goal is to "create transcendent consumer experience.“ He built his career at JC Penney, Steuben Glass, Dansk, and Henry Dreyfuss Associates and was a design director of Aveda, the eco-conscious cosmetics brand, where "a crazy hairdresser who wanted to build a brand that could save the planet," according to Chris Hacker.
By 2005, Hacker's success at Aveda had caught the attention of Johnson & Johnson and had convinced its higher-ups that a new focus on sustainable design might be profitable. Before he was hired, all the designs were outsourced and then, by hiring Hacker, gathering a 120-person think tank.

Now he and his team increased the sales of the projects that they have been working on, such as new packaging for the Aveeno brand of skin-care products, which uses 30 percent post-consumer materials, and a redesigned Clean & Clear acne kit. The reason why their sales increase is that they think about what motivates the consumer to take the product home.
Hacker also hopes to change the way designers and corporations think about sustainability. "Everything we do is as sustainable as we can make it," he says. "It's part of the process, but it's not the definition. We're designing to create positive consumer experience, and while we do that—by the way—we're also making it sustainable. I'm on a mission to tell designers that sustainability has got to be a part of what they do."

>> Original Article

These days a company cannot survive without thinking about the environment and how it affects their image and reputation. More and more people are concerned about the environment, pollution and the future that they and their children are going to live in. So the more the company cares, the more people will recognize it and try to use the products that the company who cares makes. As professor said in the class, it is essential for the company to think and care about the external, or outside forces that acts upon the company. Also if the company does care about the environment, it becomes one of the compatibility that the company possesses. Not only the care but also the design of a product are essential for the company to have more compatibility and for the company can differentiate itself from others. Thereby, Johnson and Johnson is doing pretty well.

20500419 Entry 11

Why Microsoft Is Desperate for Yahoo

2008-05-23T19:59:00.004+09:00

Microsoft Corp Chairman Bill Gates
Yuriko Nakao / Reuters
Monday, May. 19, 2008 By JOSH QUITTNER

If you’ve come to think of your computer as a digital version of a car,
Microsoft is under assault in every direction. That's why Microsoft wants to have Yahoo.How desperate?
This king of software suggested Yahoo for a joint venture that Microsoft woul have position in Yahoo's search business.
Ironically, Microsoft is very vulnerable in this situation.
Why?
Because Bill gates has gone off some where to serve humanity.
Who is there to watch the gate?
With no strategy, google might snatch the search engine.
Microsoft is an empire in rapid decline.
Vista and Windows 7 was a disaster. Then, the market for desktop/ laptop becamse smaller. The internet maniacs are gradually moving from computers to mobiles
Another Giant called "apple mobile" basically ate up microsoft mobile. With iPhone 2.0, the picture does not get pretty.

Microsoft admitted that Microsoft's search biz has stalled: "The fact is that we are not where we want to be in this business yet and we've been in this position longer than we'd all like."

Dear Microsoft here is what you could do..
1. Figure out a way to combat Google. as you promised innovate and disrupt in search. But it is said that even Yahoo Acquistions could be little late.
2. Figure out a way you could survive in the mobile phone industry (Move fast)
3. Think innovatively how to revive the uses of computer rather than mobile phones.
4. Search engine business? Since many say that you guys are a step too late, why don't you do something with your MSN search engine?
5. Good luck !

20700775 Article Entry #11

2008-05-23T15:10:00.003+09:00

After rat incident, you can call Nongshim boss direct

May 23, 2008
Nongshim chairman Sun Wook and other executives are personally answering complaint calls to the company.

The food company suffered a public relations crisis in March when a customer supposedly found a rat’s head in a pack of shrimp crackers, a popular snack.

Around 20 executives, including Sun, will take turns answering customer calls for two hours each day. This “hotline” will go on indefinitely, the company said. “We wanted to do something substantial to let our customers know we are looking at revamping our structure to avoid anymore safety accidents,” Sun said.

The company yesterday started its “Customer Satisfaction Campaign,” which will run through September. During this period, Nongshim will deliver its food to low income areas for free, and the company will promote its new shrimp crackers, which will be made in factories with upgraded safety procedures. The company invested 30 billion won ($28.7 million) in safety measures. Nongshim will also start research and development on new snacks and hold an exhibition in September featuring snacks they think people will eat 100 years from now. “We want this campaign to be more than a one-time event. We will invest more in our factories in Korea as well as China,” Sun said.

this is good strategy. because of this Hot-line, nong-sim can recover faith from their customer. in America, there was like situation to P&G , asprin.
P&G well overcome the event, and then P&G get healthy and honesty compay image.
disaster or critical event, sometimes it will be a chance to developing compay.
through overcoming the event, nong-sim can get good image.

20500530 entry #11

11. Streaming Movies—from Netflix

2008-05-22T17:34:00.000+09:00

Bit by bit, the vast library of movies and TV shows available on DVD is making its way online. It's out there on the servers. We know where it lives. So why can't we get it onto those expensive big-screen TVs we talked ourselves into buying? Netflix, the king of snail-mail DVDs, may be the company that finally makes it happen.
You may not realize this, but if you have a Netflix account, you already have the ability to stream movies to a Windows PC at no additional charge. That service has been available since the start of the year for any subscriber paying the minimum $9 monthly fee for an unlimited account. Now, if you are willing to spend $100 on a gizmo called the Roku Netflix Player, you can watch those same movies on a TV with no fuss and no charge other than the hardware purchase.
The Netflix service is far from perfect, but it is likely to get better with time. And even with its flaws, Net¬flix's all-you-can-watch subscription model is sweet, especially when you consider the alternatives—namely, purchasing a movie download for up to $18 or paying $4 or so for a one-day rental from Movielink, iTunes, or a cable on-demand service.
The Roku is a small box that superficially resembles products such as Apple TV or Vudu. But while the setup is similar, the operation is completely different. Other services download the content to a hard drive for playback; Netflix is pure streaming.
I think it was obvious that Netflix would be entering the internet service film business. After beating Blockbuster with its innovative and convenient business of renting DVD’s by mail, now it makes one more step forward entering the internet service, but with one more innovation differentiating from other internet service offerings. Netflix is now bringing the internet service films to the TV screens. It is a great innovation because it brings more convinience to their customers. The only thing they need to improve right now is the quality of titles and make it easy for people to find what they want. I think that once these minor problems which can be overcomed easily are fixed and improved, this business will be a real success in the industry. Other internet service servers should look for innovation if they don’t want to run out of business, because not only the service is convinient but also the price is accessible and friendly.

20600642 entry #11

Amazing Marketing Advertising. Humor

2008-05-16T21:34:00.001+09:00

20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim Entry # 10

The most popular way to advertise products is by using advertisements. T.V. commercials are the easiest ones to be creative with. I have some very interesting, intriguing T.V. commercials and they most definitely have been stuck in my mind for quite a long time at that time.
Using statements like "This product is good for your health!" or "This product contains this!" do not work anymore. Not only are they not convincing; they are not interesting. People do not watch uninteresting things.
The most successful marketing is achieved when "word of mouth" is stimulated. No matter how many people watch your advertisement, it will never beat an advertisement that a lot of people like and talk about.
So enjoy this movie clip maybe you can think of a funny, creative advertisement too.

20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim Entry # 10

2008-05-16T21:09:00.002+09:00

Water becoming the new gold rush

May 12, 2008

In the 21st century, fresh water is quickly becoming as precious as gold.
The world’s water industry spent an estimated $300 billion last year to collect, treat and distribute water, a figure excluding the lucrative bottled water business.
That makes water a vast market for companies that can tap in.
The reason for the hefty price tag is simple. The world is suffering from a freshwater shortage. According to the United Nations, 1.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water.
European, American and Japanese companies have been driving into the industry since the late 1990s. In addition to providing water services in their home countries, these companies are focusing on areas that have water shortages, including countries in the Middle East and China.
With 20 percent of the world’s population, China possesses only 7 percent of the world’s freshwater.
Korea is also a target. French-based company Suez has secured a contract with local Hanhwa to build and operate a sewage treatment plant in Yangju, Gyeonggi and Busan.
Veolia, also a French-based water company, has contracted to build a sewage plant in Incheon.
According to the Korean government, local private companies are trying to get in on the action. Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction is the leader, providing 40 percent of the world’s water treatment services that involve purifying seawater into freshwater, mainly for countries in the Middle East.
“Those countries are selling oil to buy water services,” said Jin Bo-geun, a manager at Doosan Heavy.
Other local companies, including Kolong Industries, GS Engineering and Construction and Samsung Engineering, have all said that they will make various water services a part of their company’s goals.
The Korean government has also announced plans to help expand the local water industry, with the goal of making it a 20 trillion won [$19.16 billion] business by 2015. The government also wants at least two local companies included in the industry’s top 10 in the world. The government will help by cooperating with private companies to increase investments.
However, these state efforts are criticized by many industry experts who say the reason for Korea’s slow development in the water services industry stems from the country’s passive effort in privatization of water.
-------
the developing water industry is good chance for local cities to developing local economy. because, there is no significant source for developing local economy in local area but in Korea, they has good and clean water.
and their is domestic company which has good technology to developing water industry.
and it can be blue ocean.

but in my opinion, privatization of water is harmful to the whole country economy.
due to the privatization of water, cost of using water is increasing sharply.
for the developing water industry, Korea government try to other way.

20500530 entry #10

10. Yahoo and WPP in Partnership

2008-05-16T19:35:00.002+09:00

Yahoo will be announcing on Friday of its new partnership with WPP Group, an advertising holding company. This will give the clients of WPP a greater number of websites on which they can post their messages.

With this partnership, many web publishers that use Yahoo's services will be able to get more direct access to WPP's clients while WPP clients in turn can focus their messages to visitors that are more receptive. In addition, the information that the agency can collect about the demographic profile of people who visit the Yahoo service will benefit the database that Group M, WPP's planning and buying agency, collects on customer information.

This deal comes at a particular time for Yahoo because it had just resisted a takeover from Microsoft. Now, an investor named Carl C. Icahn is pushing Yahoo to go under Microsoft. WPP's Martin Sorrell, the chief executive, stated that he'd like to see Microsoft and Yahoo reach an agreement. He does not like the market being at an unbalance and seems to be hoping that Yahoo and Microsoft will get together. This would benefit him, since he will be able to reach more sites from which the agency can collect information.

It seems that in making this partnership with Yahoo, WPP will be gaining a greater advantage. While publishers that use Yahoo's advertising auction service will get more access to clients through WPP, the WPP Group receive more information for their database and from there, can use this information to narrow down and specialize their advertising.

If Yahoo and Microsoft does reach an agreement, again the WPP Group will be the one to benefit more because their range from which to collect data will increase greatly.

Hilary Schneider, the executive vice president for global partner solutions at Yahoo stated that the deal between the WPP Group and Yahoo was "about enabling WPP's full range of agencies to buy digital display advertising across the entire Internet in a much more efficient way." This shows how WPP is indeed benefiting more from the partnership than Yahoo would be. The financial terms, however, were not disclosed.

20600642 entry#10

SK Telecom Denies Virgin Mobile Rumors

2008-05-15T10:41:00.004+09:00

SK Telecom Denies Virgin Mobile Rumors

SK Telecom, a famous Korean mobile operator is trying to expand its market to the U.S. and China since the domestic market is about to be saturated. SK Telecom is having preliminary talks on the deal with other companies, considering various scenarios and tapping opportunities, such as buying Virgin Mobile USA so that they can combine it with Helio, SK's own US mobile service. SK has approached Sprint Nextel last November but was rejected even though Sprint Nextel had been offered $5 billion investment.

>> Original Article

There are several ways for a company to expand to the global market. Some common tactics are: (1) exporting, transferring goods to other countries for sale; (2) licensing, selling the right to produce and sell a brand-name product; (3) franchising, letting others use the companies name and operate by giving certain amount of money; (4) joint-venture, agreement among two or more companies to pursue common business objectives; (5) Greenfield venture, creating a wholly owned foreign subsidiary. SK may choose any strategy they would like to but what they really need to consider is their outside forces as well as inside forces. U.S. as well as China has very different sets of regulations, culture, and so on.
The best way that I think is to do joint-venture. The companies that joined together would be able to cover up their weaknesses, what each of the company lack. In the case of U.S., SK can cover up as if they are not from one of the Asian countries until their company’s image and status is settled. In the case of China, it would be even greater to join with other company since Chinese are more to trust Chinese company than foreign companies. Even if they M&A with local companies, it would be better to use something similar to joint venture or Greenfield venture.

20500419 Entry #10

When will food prices fall?

2008-05-13T10:23:00.002+09:00

Food Price Rise Could Last Another 2 Years

You may have to get used to paying more for your groceries for another two years or more.

Experts say an increase in global food consumption combined with increasing use of crops such as corn and soybeans for alternative fuel production are partly to blame.

Agricultural economists who've studied food price fluctuations cite historical trends that show run-ups in farm commodity prices typically happen in five-year cycles.

More from CNNMoney.com:

• The High Price of Going 'Organic'

• Rebate Checks: How to Spend 'Em

• Recession-Proof Job: Personal Financial Adviser

Prices flare up in the first two to three years of the cycle and then start to moderate by the fourth or fifth year, said Chris Hurt, agricultural economist at Purdue University .

If 2007 was the first year of this latest cycle, Hurt said farm supply could start catching up to demand by 2010, helping to push down milk, bread, cereal and other grocery prices.

Until then, "Americans will be moving backward in their [food] lifestyle." By that he means that more families will trade down to cheaper food alternatives, or eat out less often, in order to adjust their budgets to both higher food and fuel costs.

Wal-Mart, the No. 1 discounter and supermarket chain, said Tuesday that spending patterns in its stores already support the trend. The retailer said shoppers are buying more white meat and less red meat, stocking up on larger package sizes and buying more boxed frozen meals as eating at home replaces going out.

"This is the first price boom we've seen since the 1970s," said Bill Knudson, professor of agricultural economics at Michigan State University, agreed. "There's an old industry saying that high prices cure high prices. My personal opinion is that food prices will remain high for another two or three more years."

The good news, however, is that "there's no grave concern" of a pending food shortage in the United States, Hurt said.

Why Is Food More Expensive Now?

Experts point to four main global trends for the rise in food prices.

First, growing incomes in developing countries such as China, India, Malaysia mean citizens in these countries are eating better and more frequently, thereby putting more demand on the global food supply.

More from Yahoo! Finance:

• 6 Ways You Can Eat Better for Less

• Rising Food Costs: Solutions Amid the Squeeze

• Stock Up on Food for Rich Returns

"People are consuming more quantity and higher-quality foods," said Hurt. "They are eating more meats, eggs, grains and [drinking] milk."

Second, adverse weather patterns over the past four years have harmed crop production in Australia, southern Europe, Ukraine and even parts of the United States.

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) economist Jim Sartwelle said a prolonged drought in Australia - a major wheat and dairy producer - has led to big drops in world exports of wheat and milk.

Third, the United States is normally a big food surplus nation but, "with a weak dollar, there's been a run on our pantry of food supplies," Sartwelle said. "A lot of our excess production is going overseas and this is pushing up domestic prices."

Fourth, burgeoning demand in the European Union and the United States for ethanol and other biofuels has sparked a price surge in corn, soybeans, sugarcane and other commodities used to produce those alternative fuels.

It's not only consumers feeling the price pain, Sartwelle said.

He said that "even with higher retail prices, farmers and grocers get very little increase in their profit margin," because it's being offset by higher packaging costs, energy cost to produce and stock food and fuel to transport products.

Bill Ferriera, president of the Apricot Producers of California, also sees a bump-up in the costs of farming.

"Fertilizer costs have doubled from last year and farm labor availability is a big problem," he said. "Many farmers are choosing not to grow produce that is labor intensive."

Despite these food price hikes, Americans still spend only about 10% of their disposable income on food and beverage purchases per year, according to the Department of Agriculture.

That's below the 15% share of disposable income that Europeans spend on food and drinks, and the whopping 70% that citizens of Pakistan and Bangladesh budget for consumables, said Hurt.

So even with a 4.5% expected rise in overall food prices, Americans, per person, will only spend an extra $87 this year on groceries, according to the Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture.

But that's little consolation for consumers whose budgets are already stretched amid the the worst food price inflation in 17 years, according to government reports.

The latest nationwide quarterly survey from the AFBF, which tracks supermarket prices for 16 basic grocery items, showed the total cost of its basket of goods rose to $45.03 in the first quarter of 2008, up 8% from the prior quarter.

Products with the steepest retail price jumps were a 5-pound bag of flour, up 69 cents to $2.39; cheddar cheese, up 61 cents to $4.71 a pound; corn oil, up 58 cents to $3.01 a 32-ounce bottle; and dozen large eggs, up 55 cents to $2.16.

But higher prices aren't here to stay, Hurt said. He's confident that producers will allocate more land to production over the next two to three years. "I expect greater use of technology to increase crop yields and better use of genetics to create drought-tolerant crops," he said.

Knudson said the United States this year is expected to dedicate 2 million acres of land from its federal Conservation Reserve Program to farming in order to increase production during lean times.

"In Canada more land will also be committed to farming this year," he said. "All this should help to eventually increase food supplies through the [price] boom cycle."

There is no doubt that you will need food for your living. Even though food is
daily essential thing, the price is going up and up and up. How can you handle
this? Imagine if your income stays for several years and food cost is going up,
how dare it is! This article talks about "When will food prices fall?".

20100174 #9 Entry

Mad cow risk is negligible, experts say (late)

2008-05-11T23:47:00.004+09:00

Health experts said in a forum yesterday that there was very little risk that U.S. cattle would again contract mad cow disease or that the illness would transmit to humans.

The forum took place amid growing public anxiety about mad cow disease ahead of planned imports of U.S. beef, which were halted due to mad cow fears in 2003.

They said cases of mad cow disease have sharply decreased in recent years as countries have toughened regulations on protein-based cattle feed, which is believed to be the major cause of the illness, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

U.S. beef poses little risk when "specified risk materials" - cattle parts which can be potentially contaminated with BSE agents - are removed from the meat, they said.

The disease is not easily transmitted from cows to humans, they said.

"Only 166 out of 60 million Britons have harbored the human form of BSE (formally known as new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). It is not easy for humans to develop the disease because of a high species barrier from cows to humans," Cheong Hae-kwan, a medical science professor of Sungkyunkwan University, said.

"Also, only a small number of Britons contracted the disease even though Britons had been exposed to BSE agent for 10 to 15 years before the first case of the human form of BSE was reported," he said.

Shin Dong-chun, a medical science professor of Yonsei University, also said, "While 190,000 cows have contracted BSE worldwide, only 207 humans have been infected with the illness."

"When all SRMs are eliminated, a BSE risk is reduced 100-fold. The danger would drop by the same amount when protein-based cattle feed is restricted," he said.

He said the risk of BSE transmission would be further decreased due to the species barrier.

Professor Lee Yong-soon of Seoul National University also said BSE would soon "disappear" due to enhanced safety measures worldwide. He noted BSE cases decreased from 35,000 in 1993 to 141 in 2007.

"If this trend continues, BSE will come to an end within three to four years or five years at the longest," he said.

Ermias Belay, An official from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, also told The Korea Herald, "There are several European countries (e.g. Switzerland, Germany) with a high level of BSE incidence but no vCJD cases, indicating that there must be a substantial species barrier preventing the ease of transmission of BSE to humans."

In the meantime, U.S. Ambassador to Seoul Alexander Vershbow said yesterday that the risks for U.S. beef have been exaggerated, while the new import rules for U.S. beef are scientifically proven.

By Jin Hyun-joo

Health experts said in a forum yesterday that there was very little risk that U.S. cattle would again contract mad cow disease or that the illness would transmit to humans."If this trend continues, BSE will come to an end within three to four years or five years at the longest," he said.

One of experts said that " Mad cow Disease will be eliminated within three to four years." and "the Mad cow risk is negligible." But I think that these opinions do not include the nation's health. The danger of Mad Cow disease still exsist, because those are just expectation.

I'm sorry, I'm late. Because the article didn't be resisted.

20200041 hyuck sung kwon

2008-05-09T21:59:00.003+09:00

Camping under the stars in a city setting

May 09, 2008

A family gets ready for a cookout at the campsite on Nanji Island. [JoongAng Ilbo]
Camping is all about outdoor adventure. You pitch a tent in the middle of nowhere for a night under the stars. You want to be as far away as possible from civilization to smell the campfire smoke and the crackle of firewood.
Camping begins with an urge to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and get closer to nature. But with limited time — due to our busy lifestyles — an extended trip to the countryside is hard to arrange.
But there is another option: a camp site located in the heart of Seoul called the Nanji Camping Ground on Nanji Island, northwestern Seoul.
You don’t need to prepare much before you hit the trail like picking a spot and contacting the park rangers. There’s also no need to bring cumbersome camping gear like tents or an ax to chop firewood. The camping ground is already equipped with all the equipment you could possibly need for a fee. You can get tents, blankets, mats, lanterns, burners and barbecue grills.

A Native American tepee. By Lee Eun-jo
There are also outdoor kitchens, shower stalls, washing machines and a convenience store that sells meat for your barbecue.
With such facilities, the site can host as many as 600 campers.
The island is located near the Seoul World Cup Stadium in Sangam-dong. The campsite was built in 2002 to accommodate visitors to during the Korea-Japan World Cup in June that year. Seoul City entrusted the area to a private developer.
It’s surprising to see such greenery on the island. Nanji Island was part of a 6.6 million-square-meter landfill from 1978 to 1993.
The island was no haven for nature nor wildlife, owing to Korea’s rapid industrialization. Nanji overflowed with trash and produced methane gas and toxic water.
The Seoul city government decided to take action to restore the island’s habitat and get rid of the pollution.

The wasteland was turned into a recreational area and now incorporates five natural parks: Pyeonghwa (Peace) Park, Nanji Stream Park, Hangang Park, Haneul (Sky) Park, and Noeul (Sunset) Park. There are also nature preserves, plazas, riverside lawns and a camping ground.
Today municipal gardeners grow barley, vegetables, peanuts, flowers and willow tree seedlings there.
Nanji is made up of two words: nan or orchids, and youngji, or mushrooms, because the area used to be known for those plants. It’s also called Duck Island, because it’s shaped like a duck on water.
The camp is located along the Island’s Nanji Stream. Once you get there, the city seems far away. That said, camping here doesn’t compare to pitching a tent in a forest far from the city and you won’t see much wildlife.
On the other hand, you won’t run out of water and you can get involved in a number of other activities: bicycling or inline skating along the Han River, yachting, playing basketball or just picnicking.

You can prepare your own food at the campsite on Nanji Island. [JoongAng Ilbo]
Over the years, camping here has become immensely popular and you are advised to book in advance.
Different tents are available for rent, such as the classic hexagon tent or a more exciting yurt, a Mongolian tent, or a Native American tepee.
When you arrive, the tents are already pitched so you don’t need to fumble around with complicated tent poles and pegs.
“It’s like a rustic hotel,” said Algie Cucuzella, an English teacher in Korea who was camping with 10 of his friends.
“It’s well organized and close to nature,” he added, pointing to the vast grassy field before him.
Cucuzella came across the city’s camping site on the Internet while searching for the DJ Festival taking place nearby.
He and his friends planned to stay for two nights and three days — they rented a yurt.
“Though it’s not proper camping in the woods, there are loads of natural spaces for families and kids, along with drinks and foods,” he said.
Kim Tae-yeon, who was grilling some fresh shrimps and clams, said, “Nanji Camping Ground is where Seoulites can camp without stress.”
She said it’s rare in a city like Seoul to enjoy a barbecue among wild flowers with a view of the peaceful Han River.
As a housewife, she said, “If you grill meat at home, the whole house is filled with the smell of cooking meat.”
After you check in at 11 a.m. you can go inline skating, bicycling or yachting along the Han River.
If you don’t have enough time to stay overnight, you can also register just for picnicking.
All you need to do is borrow a shadetent, if you wish to stay out of the sun.
“There are some downsides, though,” said Park Hee-sung, 30, a keen camper at Nanji. He has been visiting the ground since 2003.
He said that as the site has grown in popularity, it has become more expensive and commercial.
“Living nearby, my friends and I always have get-togethers here at the camp ground,” Park said. “It’s way better than meeting in a crowded restaurant.”
But Park says the camping ground is different now.
Ever since the site was featured on a television program, more people have been visiting.
“It’s become crowded,” Park, 30, said, noting that to get a spot with a nice view, you need to get there early. Before, they were able to get a decent spot even if they came in the late afternoon.

Also, Park said the camp charges a lot of money for materials that were once free in the past, for example, the shade- tent.
Bae Sung-hwan, 30, said there more restrictions than before on what you can and can’t do.
“You’re not allowed to skate or ride a bicycle in the campsite,” he said. “The safety officers, who are randomly posted throughout the site, will not allow running, sports, fireworks or a campfire,” Bae added, with a sigh.
“Camping is supposed to be a family leisure activity — simply eating and sleeping in tents isn’t camping.”
“But I guess there aren’t any other places where you can see the Han River and cook at the same time.”

To reach Nanji Camping Ground, go to Mapo District Office Station, line No. 6, exit 7. From there, it takes 20 minutes by foot along the Han River. Or, go to Sangam World Cup Stadium Station, line No. 6, exit 1. There is a Homever discount store where you buy groceries for your trip. Take a taxi from the station. It costs 5,000 won.
By car, take Olympic Bridge toward Gayang Bridge. The Gangbyeon Expressway exit leads to Han River Park.
Parking costs 3,000 won. Pets are not allowed. Reservations are a must. All tents are booked on weekends until July, but they are available on weekdays. You can take your own tent anytime. There’s space for 150 tents altogether.
The entrance fee to the campsite is 3,750 won. Tent rentals range from 28,000 won to 60,000 won per night, according to the number of persons.
Other equipment available are blankets (1,500 won each), mattresses (1,000 won), lanterns (1,000 won), grills (ranging from 6,000 won to 25,000 won according to size), movable shades (20,000 won), burners (3,000 won), tables (6,000 won) and chairs (1,000 won).
Call (02) 304-0061 for more information, or visit www.nanjicamping.co.kr.

By Lee Eun-joo Staff Reporter [angie@joongang.co.kr]

What to take?

Any camping trip requires basic equipment — even if you’re camping in the city.
Though Nanji Camping Ground provides the basics, you can save a few dollars by taking some of your own gear.
You can take your own tent, especially since most tents are already booked until July. Also, since it is still chilly at night, take extra blankets and clothes. You’ll need a sleeping bag until summer really hits.
And you’ll need food. For an evening feast, buy fresh seafood from local fish markets, sausages and vegetables. Most Koreans bring samgyeopsal, or pork.
If it’s your first time grilling, ask neighboring campers for help. Getting a fire going isn’t that easy. You’ll need charcoal, newspaper, wood and matches.
Camping gear is available for rent at the camp ground, but check ahead for availability.

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nowdauys, many people concerns about well-being life especially, in well-developed country.
and this segment will be growing, so demand for product which can me supporting well-being life such as camping-car, cooking-grill etc.
and demand for place which people have d good time with their family.

20500530 entry #9

9.Microsoft's war against Google

2008-05-09T17:41:00.003+09:00

Currently, Google is the largest and most lucrative advertising market online and internet search sites. In order to be able to compete with them, Microsoft, which was way behind Google were willing to buy Yahoo, the number 2 power in online advertisements. The two sides failed to agree on a price of the proposed acquisition which valued Yahoo at $47.5 billion. But after three months both sides are seeing that it will be difficult to try to compete with Google by themselves separately.
The CEO of Microsoft, sees the online advertising business is essential for their future because consumers and businesses increasingly are switching from desktop software to free online services that do the same things. Looking at Google’s market dominion right now, it is almost impossible for Microsoft to catch them. They are taking 77% of the revenues from little text ads on their sites, Microsoft after yeas trying is at 5% of US search revenue.
I think it will be really hard for Microsoft try to compete against Google which is almost monopolizing the market, and standing on the top by itself. I think they need to faster in the acquisition of Yahoo so that they can be able to compete against them. If it is a real necessity for the company, and both sides are seeing that they are not able to compete by themselves the process of acquisition should go faster. I think that when they join they are going to be able to compete more effectively.

20600642 Entry #9

SKorea may seek changes to U.S. beef pact amid mad cow fears

2008-05-09T17:05:00.002+09:00

SKorea may seek changes to U.S. beef pact amid mad cow fears
05.08.08, 1:03 AM ET

South Korean government said it would consider demanding changes to its US beef import agreement because of the problem with mad cow disease. Prime Minister Han Seung-Soo said that the government may reconsider suspending imports if a new mad cow case emerges in the US in a nationally televised press conference.
In Korea, there is a huge Internet-driven tide of public criticism after the agreement of importing US beef was made. Korean government as well as US government has been saying that US beef is totally safe but thousands of people have staged candlelit protests against the imports.
Even though another mad-cow-case occurs, Korea cannot stop beef imports immediately as the government said in the press conference. Instead, it has to wait until the World Organization for Animal Health revises its position that US beef is safe.

>>Original Article

The percentage of a chance for human to get mad cow disease is not so high. Why people are so into this problem must be because of the anger: anger that their government has signed the contract even though they knew the dangers; anger that their government has no power to change this incidence; and anger that their protests and shouted-out opinions are not heard or of any concern.
Now what will come into play are the other beef-related products. Hanwu, the Korean beef as well as the Australian beef’s price will go up higher. Other companies which produce products such as instant food including fast food and noodle also will be concerned. The ones who protests that they do not use US beef will do well later on since they prevent the risk factor. This incidence might become a great opportunity for some companies or industries.

20500419 Entry #9

Guerrilla Marketing

2008-05-09T00:40:00.004+09:00

20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim
Entry # 9
Guerrilla Marketing
check this out.

Summary of the video :
Statues that are made out of metal draw attention; and they do more when they're naked. Men, and women, consciously, unconsciously or subconsciously glance at naked statues. Some of then are a little shy, but still, they are interested. What if these dull-colored statues were wearing bright-colored underwear? that most definitely will make them take a look. This is how a bikini-manufacturing company decided to guerrilla-market their product.

Thoughts:
There are a million great ideas out there but I personally think this is the best example of a succesfull guerrilla marketing. This is just totally genious. I have a question, though. I have seen a lot of examples of guerrilla marketing for products.
How about services? Is is possible for insurance companies to come up with guerrilla marketing? I mean guerrilla marketing as in genious, brilliant ones. As technology advances, we will be able to express much, much more. Holograms may become commercially available in a few years time. Who knows, may be something better might come out. I think we should really make use of our brains to do these things.
I think i just might have a passion for marketing. This is awesome.

20700193 entry # 9

10 Things Your Airline Won't Tell You

2008-05-02T20:53:00.002+09:00

1. "Welcome to the crowded skies."

If you've flown lately you've probably noticed that air travel feels like rush hour on the subway. Indeed, as airlines get more efficient, they're squeezing more people onto fewer planes. But that's had an unintended consequence: More fliers get left behind. Airlines have always overbooked flights to compensate for last-minute cancellations. But they don't always get the numbers right. And with so few seats open on later flights, fewer folks are volunteering to get bumped. As a result, the number of involuntarily bumped passengers is up, having grown 44 percent between the first nine months of 2005 and the same period in 2007, according to the Department of Transportation.

The silver lining for travelers is that airlines must get involuntarily bumped fliers to their destination within four hours of the expected arrival time or refund them up to $400. The bad news is, the problem isn't going away — airlines are busy developing computer systems to help them rebook bumped passengers. "Instead of fixing the problem," says Tony Polito, an associate professor at East Carolina University who has published several studies on the airline industry, "they are institutionalizing it."

2. "Your hard-won air miles are worth less all the time."

Air miles are easy to accrue. You can earn them using your credit card, getting a mortgage, "for anything short of breathing," says Tim Winship, editor at large of SmarterTravel.com. American Airlines, for example, has thousands of "mileage partners" to whom it sells air miles, making its frequent-flier program an important revenue center. And United Airlines' Mileage Plus plan brought in $600 million for the company in 2006.

But as miles flood the market, they're getting harder to use. Joe Lopez, a publications manager in Phoenix, wanted to redeem the 70,000 miles he earned on Northwest — but couldn't find a flight he liked. "It was ridiculous," he says. (A Northwest spokesperson says 50,000 miles will get you a seat on almost any domestic flight the airline offers.) What's worse, some airlines have reduced the shelf life of air miles, while others increased the amount required for an upgrade. Winship says customers can keep their account current by using a credit card affiliated with the program, which will build miles as they make purchases. You can also redeem a small amount of miles, to keep your account active, on things like magazine subscriptions.

3. "We'll give you a good deal — if we can get something out of it."

Once in a while airlines do offer serious bargains. Currently, they're doing so in an effort to steer you away from the Expedias and Travelocitys of the world. Why? Airlines pay these online booking sites a fee for every ticket they sell — something they'd rather not do. The upshot: If you're looking for the best deals — anywhere from a few dollars off to savings of 25 percent or more — your first stop should be the airlines' own Web sites.

The industry is following the lead of Southwest, which long ago pulled its tickets from travel sites. In 2005 it introduced Ding, a computer application that scans for the best fares and regularly updates you on deals. What does Southwest get in return? Loyalty and repeat fliers. "Subscribers to Ding are highly engaged customers," says Anne Murray, senior director of marketing communication with Southwest. "They fly a lot." American recently launched a similar application called DealFinder, which offers big discounts on flights, and other airlines may follow. But there's a limit, says George Hobica, creator of Airfarewatchdog.com. "If every airline does this, how many of these things can you run on your computer?"

4. "We love hidden fees."

The inflation-adjusted price of an airline ticket has actually fallen since the airlines were deregulated in 1978. But at the same time, fuel costs have skyrocketed. How do airlines make up the difference? In part through special fees. These fees keep the listed ticket price competitive but boost the total cost to travelers, often at the end of the booking process, when buyers are less likely to change their mind.

The most common is the fuel surcharge, which ranges from $5 to $25 or more. (Southwest hedged against rising oil prices before they spiked; it doesn't have a fuel surcharge.) Other examples of fees: Northwest charges $15 for an exit-row seat. United now charges $25 each way for checking a second bag. And Allegiant, a small airline that provides services from cities like Missoula, Mont., to the Sunbelt, charges $9.50 just to book a ticket online — a process that costs the company virtually nothing. Even frequent-flier programs, which are supposed to let you book "free flights,"have added fees for things like booking too close to your travel date. "I keep seeing more and more of these hidden fees," says Hobica. "I get complaints from people all the time."

5. "Customer service isn't always our top priority..."

Twice last year, when Larry Meyer tried to fly from the U.S. Virgin Islands to Florida, he arrived at the airport only to find his flight had been canceled and nothing was available until the next day. "It really rubbed me the wrong way," he says. "They have my number in the computer; you'd think they could call me." And some customers, after enough bad experiences, have started fighting back. Kate Hanni, who was delayed on the tarmac for nine hours in 2006, formed a group that pushed New York State to enact a passengers' rights law.

According to Claes Fornell, a professor at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, the major U.S. airlines currently have their lowest customer-satisfaction ratings in seven years. "There is collusion in dissatisfaction," he says. "They all offer about the same lousy service." But David Castelveter, spokesperson for the Air Transport Association, which represents the airlines, sees it differently. He says fliers, upset by delays that are often out of the airlines' control, assume customer service is the problem when other factors are to blame. "This is a customer-service-driven business," Castelveter says.

6. "...unless you have a lot of miles."

They may be making a lot of customers miserable these days, but if airlines could be said to cater to anyone's needs, it's those of the folks in the top tier of their frequent-flier programs — heavy travelers, many of whom fly for business and therefore buy the most expensive tickets. "These people get white-glove service," says Henry Harteveldt, a travel analyst with Forrester Research. "[Airlines] really want to cultivate that relationship." These favored fliers get the first crack at upgrades. The reservation center answers their call on the first ring. They often get special bonus-mile offers and free upgrades. And they can use first-class check-in, meaning shorter lines through security and early boarding.

Chuck Guedelhoefer, president of Raths, Raths and Johnson, a structural-engineering firm in Willowbrook, Ill., cherishes the benefits he gets from United's top-tier membership program. For one, it makes it easier for him to redeem frequent-flier miles. And because he has so many with United, he always gets seated in the exit row, so he doesn't have to pay for upgrades to business class. "I even get treated better at the ticket counter," he says.

7. "Our planes are ancient."

Airline passengers in Europe are accustomed to seat-back entertainment systems with movies on demand and videogames — innovations that seem like space-age fantasies compared with the pull-down screens still so common here. That's because after the industry's near collapse in 2001, most major U.S. airlines decided they couldn't afford new jets and stopped buying them. Now our commercial fleet averages 12 years old. And with so many older jets in the air, airlines feel little pressure to upgrade, says Richard Aboulafia, an aviation analyst with the Teal Group.

"An inordinate number of our planes [in the U.S.] are old and inefficient," says Harteveldt. Among U.S. carriers, Northwest has the oldest planes, with an average age of 17 years. (JetBlue and AirTran, by contrast, have the newest fleets, averaging three years old.) It's not that old aircraft are dangerous; they're maintained to high safety standards. But in addition to being dingy and less comfortable for passengers, old planes cause more delays due to last-minute mechanical problems, and they guzzle fuel, a cost that filters down to customers. The situation is only going to get worse, says CreditSights analyst Roger King, since most U.S. airlines have placed few or no orders for new planes.

8. "Even we don't understand our pricing."

Most flights are divided into first class, business and economy. But when it comes to pricing, there are often up to 200 different price points for seats on each plane. "Ticket pricing is a mix of science, game theory and art — a three-dimensional matrix," Harteveldt says. The biggest factor, beyond basic costs like fuel and labor, is the competition. Airlines track each other's fares, then try to determine how many business travelers, who generally pay a premium for flexible tickets, are likely to book a flight. On routes with lots of business travelers, seat prices can stay high because airlines know they'll book seats at the last minute. As each seat sells, the prices of others fluctuate. "Domestic fares can change up to three times a day," says Hobica.

But prices don't only go up. If demand from business travelers is lagging, prices may fall as the flight time gets closer. If that happens and the fare drops by the time your flight leaves, you can get a voucher from a number of airlines for the difference — United, Southwest and Alaska do this without deducting a fee.

9. "We're at the mercy of "Leave It to Beaver"-era technology."

Air traffic in the U.S. has been increasing, but our air-traffic control hasn't changed much since the 1950s. This radar-based system tracks planes as they take off, travel and land. And while it's reliable, it's not efficient. Planes are routed across the country on a series of highways in the sky, spacing them at least five miles apart for safety. And that's the problem: Because radar pinpoints planes only every 12 seconds, their exact location is never known. "It's like driving a car when you only look out the window every 12 seconds. You can't get close to anything," says R. John Hansman, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology International Center for Air Transportation.

The airlines would like to see this system replaced by one based on GPS technology, Castelveter says. That would allow planes to fly much closer together safely, which would help congestion. The main sticking point is how to pay for it — Congress has yet to decide how to fund the change.

10. "You'll wait because the system's broken."

Last year was one of the worst years on record for airline delays: Only 77 percent of flights arrived on time, while 76 percent departed on time. And the antiquated air-traffic-control system isn't the only reason. Airlines routinely stuff more flights into a given time slot than ever have a hope of taking off. For example, there's room for 32 to 52 flights to leave New York's JFK airport between 8 and 9 a.m., but 57 are normally scheduled, automatically leading to delays, according to congressional testimony by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Newark, LaGuardia and O'Hare all have similar chronic overscheduling problems. And when bad weather rolls in, delays increase and spread across the country. Fed up, the Federal Aviation Administration stepped in last year, capping flights going in and out of JFK at 83 for peak hours, down from the usual 100. Caps will be imposed at Newark as well.

Even the airlines say it's a necessary temporary step. But the carriers would like more action from the government, including pushing through upgrades of the air-traffic-control system, which would increase capacity at airports. Castelveter blames part of the problem on corporate jets — which take off and land at smaller airports in the region whenever they choose, exacerbating delays. "It's an incredibly complex problem," says Shannon Anderson, associate professor of management at Rice University, one involving aging technology, competing airlines and private and commercial carriers. "Just capping the number of flights is not going to solve it."

These days, you call the world as a Global Village which means that the world
has become a daily based system. So that, you travel by cars and trains a lot,
even airplanes more. As I was reading this article, I've got enough interest
in airline companies. This article tells you the things that the airline companies
do not tell you. Have fun reading.

20100174 #8 Entry

The Most Valuable Soccer Teams

2008-05-02T16:03:00.008+09:00

The Most Valuable Soccer Teams
Edited by Jack Gage and Paul Maidment
04.30.08

When Yank Malcolm Glazer bought Manchester United for $1.5 billion in 2005, everyone wondered why since the team was worth only about $1.25 billion. Yet today, it worth about $1.8 billion and is the world's most valuable soccer teams.

The second highest is Real Madrid and Arsenal as well as Liverpool following after. Yet Man U. is by far the most valuable since Real Madrid is around $1.29 billion, Arsenal $1.2 billion and Liverpool $1.1 billion dollars worth.

>> Original Article

Sport is becoming more and more like a way for the companies’ chance to enhance the brand recognition. I am not so sure how they evaluate each team’s value yet I believe it would probably be out of the advertising companies’ marketing budget. Companies such as Coca Cola, Nike, Samsung, are dying to support the teams since there is load of possibilities to enhance the brand recognition and to appeal to the fans. Even without the fans, it would enhance the brand recognition and the company’s or brand’s image.

#1 Manchester United
Country: England
Team Value: $1,800 mil
(€1,333 mil / £897 mil)

#2 Real Madrid
Country: Spain
Team Value: $1,285 mil
(€951 mil / £640 mil)

#3 Arsenal
Country: England
Team Value: $1,200 mil
(€888 mil / £598 mil)

#4 Liverpool
Country: England
Team Value: $1,050 mil
(€777 mil / £523 mil)

#5 Bayern Munich
Country: Germany
Team Value: $917 mil
(€679 mil / £457 mil)

20500419 Entry 8

8.Brazil, the New Oil Superpower

2008-05-02T14:56:00.000+09:00

The Brazilian state owned company Petrobras made a colossal oil discovery of 5 to 8 billion barrels of light oil and gas and a field called Tupi in southern Brazil area. This is the world’s biggest oil find after the 12 billion barrel field discovered in 2000. This field will be able to produce about 100, 000 barrels a day, but this number can reach 1 million before 2020 which is more than the biggest US oil field in Alaska. The major challenge for the Petrobras company is to glimpse beneath the 7000 feet of water, then 17000 feet of sand, rock and finally a massive salt layer. Today, there are tools in order to do it but even though they are an experienced company in deepwater drilling, they never had a field coming from below the salt canopy.
I think this discovery is going to be a great asset to the country’s growth because the oil they have been producing until now was only for self sufficient purpose. Specially now that the world is worrying about the lack of usable oil, and the price of oil is continually increasing. Now, with this humongous amount of oil, they will be able to produce oil and export them throughout the globe. If the current technology would be able to explore this field, so it gives us hope to discover more oil fields throughout the globe and make use of them.

20600642, entry #8

Viral Marketing

2008-05-02T13:08:00.003+09:00

20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim Entry # 8
"V-Marketing"
"video about marketing"

This simple, interesting video nicely summarizes the most efficient, ideal way to market your product. Marketing usually means advertising, recruiting sales people, etc. But what if we can implement this "Viral" marketing? the phrase "word of mouth" comes to mind. Really, if you can make a product that's good enough and if you can manipulate people to talk about that product to their peers, so they would buy it and they would tell their friends who would tell their friends to buy it, this pyramidical, domino effect and make you rake in a LOT of money.
How do we do this?
I think this is what we call viral marketing. I think it's brilliant.
but how do we do this? how do we implement and excute this strategy?

source - www.youtube.com - video title "how to sell soap"
posted by thomasz68 at May 5, 2006

20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim Entry # 8

2008-05-02T09:38:00.004+09:00

Daddy diaper bags, barking robots fill ’08 niche

Rucksack-like diaper bags that dads can carry without embarrassment, tourist packages for senior citizens and mobile phones with tracking chips for children are among the year’s most promising products, according to the National Statistical Office’s analysis of “BlueSumers.”
BlueSumer, a word created by the statistics agency, means consumers drawn to “blue oceans,” a phrase that describes new, uncontested markets. The agency designated seven BlueSumer categories for 2008 yesterday. They include parents of only children; young consumers seeking high-end goods and services; middle-aged and older consumers actively seeking travel and cultural services; childless couples and couples whose children have grown who have time for romance; stay-at-home dads and house husbands; people who live alone and children and parents concerned about the increasing crimes against children.
“We interpreted changes in social trends and consumer sensitivity based on national data,” the statistics agency said in a statement. “After analyzing the population, consumption and other statistics, we have designated the BlueSumers.”
For example, the agency pointed out that people in their 50s accounted for 17.5 percent of overseas tourists last year, higher than any other age group. In addition, spending on culture and entertainment by people in their 50s or older is increasing. Accordingly, the agency said travel and leisure packages for older people and cosmetic surgery that hides aging are promising products.
Also, with the number of sexual crimes against children under 13 rising to 1,081 in 2007 from 642 in 2003, worried parents will purchase mobile phones for their children with tracking chips and security services that guard children’s safety, the agency said.

for the great success of business, we need great comparative advantage own business item, or we aim for 'blue ocean' it means less competition.
niche market one of the blue ocean market.
parent of only children and young urban profession, stay at home dad and people in need home-care, those people bluesumer, it means consumer drawn to blue ocean.
these segment are growing, own strong purchasing power.
so in my opinion, business for these segments will be very successful.
because, less competition in own strong purchasing power segments and these segments are growing.

20500530 entry #8

2008-04-30T00:29:00.003+09:00

BOCA RATON, Florida (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co (KO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Friday it would continue to make acquisitions, but they were not necessary for the world's largest soft drink maker to meet its long-term growth objectives.

Coca-Cola reiterated its long-term targets to increase its annual sales volume by 3 percent to 4 percent, revenue by 5 percent to 6 percent, operating income by 6 percent to 8 percent and earnings-per-share by a high single-digit percentage rate.

Those targets do not include acquisitions, said Coke Chief Financial Officer Gary Fayard during a presentation at a conference in Florida hosted by the Consumer Analyst Group of New York.

"We will continue to do bolt-on acquisitions but they are not included in the growth model," Fayard said, adding that the company's picture of success was to reach its targets by growing its existing business.

"We can never replace organic growth with acquisitions," said Chief Operating Officer Muhtar Kent, who will soon become chief executive officer. "Organic growth is the oxygen of our business."

Kent also said that acquisitions would have to be done in a disciplined manner.

"You can't just keep adding things to your system," Kent said. He also said the company was looking at fewer, but more important brands, than in the past.

"We're not focused on big bets that are going to be big and important," Kent said
Coca-Cola has benefited from its recent acquisitions of FUZE teas and Glaceau vitaminwater, which have boosted sales at a time its traditional carbonated soft drinks, including Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Sprite, were experiencing sluggish U.S. sales, as many consumers began choosing drinks like bottled water and tea, which are viewed as healthier.

Coke shares were down 24 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $57.75 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Martinne Geller; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

BOCA RATON, Florida (Reuters) - Coca-Cola Co (KO.N: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Friday it would continue to make acquisitions, but they were not necessary for the world's largest soft drink maker to meet its long-term growth objectives.
"We're not focused on big bets that are going to be big and important,"

Coke's CEO said that they will not depend on the M&A strategy. But I think that the M&A will be important, because of the radical changing of the beverage environments.
The image of coke getting bad and the health problems being important, it is hard to expand the brands. So i think that m&a is good strategy for Coke.com

7.Seoul`s beef deal a boon for U.S.

2008-04-29T12:41:00.003+09:00

Korea is the only country among the top six destinations of U.S. meat, other than Canada, that has agreed to fully open its market to U.S. beef, government data showed yesterday.

Limits on the age or cuts of U.S. beef products have been imposed by Mexico, Japan, Taiwan and China/Hong Kong, according to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

Canada allows beef imports from its neighbor to the south with almost no restrictions.

Seoul agreed earlier this month to gradually open its market to boneless and bone-in U.S. beef from animals of any age, in return for a U.S. promise to enhance safety standards.

Mexico is the largest market for U.S. beef with $1.1 billion worth of beef imports, followed by Canada with $620.3 million, Japan with 244.3 million, Korea with 118.8 million, Taiwan with 172.1 million, and China/Hong Kong with 36.3 million as of last year, the U.S. Meat Export Federation said.

The imports of the six countries represented 87.6 percent of the value of exports of U.S. beef in 2007, according to the U.S. federation.

Korea was included in the top six nations, although shipments were limited to boneless meat from cattle less than 30 months old, and the market was only open for five months last year.

Korea, which banned U.S. beef imports in December 2003 due to mad cow disease fears, partially opened its market to U.S. beef in January 2006, accepting only boneless beef from cattle younger than 30 months old. But it suspended imports in October after bone fragments deemed risky were repeatedly found in shipments.

The latest beef agreement is expected to help Washington increase pressure on other Asian nations to fully open their markets to U.S. beef.

"South Korea has raised the bar for other Asian nations such as Japan, Taiwan and China, and the United States will continue to press for full market access through the rest of the Pacific Rim so that unreasonable restrictions on U.S. beef and beef products are fully removed," U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said in a statement released shortly after the agreement was made.

The United States exports its beef to 96 nations with few conditions, but those countries are not major importers of U.S. beef.

Korea is the only country among the top six destinations of U.S. meat, other than Canada, that has agreed to fully open its market to U.S. beef. Seoul agreed earlier this month to gradually open its market to boneless and bone-in U.S. beef from animals of any age, in return for a U.S. promise to enhance safety standards. South Korea has raised the bar for other Asian nations such as Japan, Taiwan and China, and the United States will continue to press for full market access through the rest of the Pacific Rim so that unreasonable restrictions on U.S. beef and beef products are fully removed,"

I think that the president of Korea try to make the market economy which encourage the harsh competition among the supplier. But the matter of mad cow desease dosen't be solved, the desease can threat the nation's health. So I think that these decision would be concerned about the health, desease and economy.

20200041 kwon hyuck sung(late)

Nine Ways to Cut Down on Car Expenses

2008-04-25T23:18:00.002+09:00

Neglect your car and you will pay in the long run.

Everyone wants to save money, but when it comes to your car, most people focus exclusively on how to save money on gas while neglecting other important areas.

More from TheStreet.com:

• A Nation in Crisis: Beer Prices on the Rise

• Do the Math on Mortgage Points

• No More Line of Credit for You!

This is especially true now that full-service gas stations no longer exist in most areas of the country. Self-service means that basic mechanical checks are a thing of the past.

If you haven't been properly maintaining your car, now is a great time to take some time to check all those small things that often get put off or overlooked.

Money isn't routinely spent on your car by only buying gasoline. It's estimated that more than 5% of all vehicle accidents are the direct result of lack of vehicle maintenance resulting in approximately 2,600 deaths, 100,000 disabling injuries and $2 billion in financial losses each year.

By taking the time to make sure that your car is in top working order, you will help your car last longer and improve driving safety in addition to saving money on gas.

Here are nine basic maintenance checks you should make and how they can help save you money:

Original Article

Nowadays, cars have been so essential to our daily life which also means that expenses on cars are inevitable. This article will introduce you 9 ways to cut down car expenses.

20100174 #7 Entry

7.Nokia starts listening

2008-04-25T17:23:00.000+09:00

Nokia is a dominant global wireless force, but it is losing their market very in the U.S. market, and very fast. The company’s share was in 20% two years ago and dropped to 7%. There were two problems that made them not work so well. The First was that the American wireless technology is CDMA which is well made by Korean cellphone companies. The second and the major problem was that AT&T and Verizon Wireless companies are the dominant wireless carriers in a point that the cellphone companies have to work through them in order to succeed. The second problem was the one that brought them down because they didn’t want to be under the control of their competitors. Now, they say they are changing their strategy in the US market first by entering in partnership with AT&T and Verizon and moving their sales force to places near to their headquarters. They also increased their investment in R&D to make products unique to the US market.

I think that Nokia made a huge mistake entering the US market with such a mentality. Even though it is a leading company in a global level, letting their proud intervene in a new international business was not an intelligent action for such an experienced action. By this fact, I remembered Prof. Abraham’s lecture, when he told us that Disney failed when they tried to enter to France and didn’t let them invest in the amusement park because of their proud and totally failed. I think that when entering into a new market is very risky to any company in the world. It is an unknown environment that you have to learn. Just because it is company it doesn’t mean you don’t have risks, and such a successful company should know by their experience that this is a fact and applies even for them. At least it is good thing that they didn’t end up with depts, and are able to try again.

20600642 entry #7

The Power of Satellites

2008-04-25T04:07:00.003+09:00

20700193 entry #7 - the power of satellites

One of the things we have learned and discussed in class is that we have to keep up with new technology. As we have experienced in Markstrat, we have to upgrade our existing products. What's amazing nowadays is that satellite pictures are available through a program called "google earth." And nowadays, there are sites you can go to in order to check out funny or interesting scenes that are captured on google earth.
One of these pictures is a picture of fishing boats casting nets in front of pohang!
the following picture is shows boats catching fish with fishing nets:

you can see the nets shaped round as boats circle around to close the nets.
until now, i didn't really know how fishermen caught fish with nets!
well anyways, if you go to the reference site below, you can zoom out and
check out the satellite map of Pohang!
p.s. be careful what you do outside! someone's watching you!

http://www.gearthhacks.com/downloads/map.php?file=29680

20700193 entry #7 the power of satellites

Best Life-Saving Car Safety Features

2008-04-24T21:11:00.004+09:00

Best Life-Saving Car Safety Features
Jacqueline Mitchell 04.15.08, 4:00 PM ET

Car accident is the number one cause of death in Korea. In US, "At least 50 children are injured weekly, and at least two children die every week from injuries sustained when a vehicle backed over them." There are hundreds thousands of accidents happening right at this moment all around the world. Then how can this be controlled?

1.Seat belts
2.Airbags
3.Electronic stability control (ESC): senses impending skids the slides and applies the breakers to bring the car back under control
4.Lane departure warning systems: helps preventing accidents by awakening sleep-deprived drivers as they swerve into other lanes,
5.Anti-lock braking systems: prevent a vehicle's wheels from locking by rapidly applying intermittent pressure when a driver brakes,
6.Tire pressure monitoring systems: rely on a dashboard warning light to alert drivers about under-inflated tires.

These features merely mean that "we have the possibility of preventing crashes from happening altogether," and this is why safety restraints should exist.

Experts say that if children are seated in properly installed car and booster seats or more, more lives would be saved, or if more cars have side-impact and side-curtain airbags are installed more lives would be saved as well. Not only is that, seat belts also crucially important. "Frontal airbags do not eliminate the need for seat belts," says Karen Aldana, a spokeswoman for the NHTSA.
Safety experts encourage motorists concerned with their vehicle's crash test results to visit the NHTSA's Web site, www.safercar.gov or http://www.iihs.org/. The NHTSA tests frontal, side and rollover resistance; its ratings are based on a star system.
Also consumers may visit http://www.ConsumerReports.org and http://www.ConsumerReports.org which provide information on vehicles equipped with certain safety features.

Yes, the vehicles these days have more features that minimize injury; it does not grantee the safety when the accident actually occurs.

>> Original Article

Nowadays, there is at least one vehicle per a household in Korea as well as in US. As the distribution of vehicle is increasing, the accident rate is increasing. As mentioned earlier, the number one cause of death in Korea is not cancel or suicide but car accidents. Thereby the car-safety product market is increasing its size.
As professor mentioned in the class, using FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) is one of the way to succeed in business. FUD is the reason why well-being related products or why the organic products are so much issue and preferred by the customers. No one ever knows when the accident will occur nor die or get hurt in the accident; yet in the minds of people there is always fear of getting in an accident.

20500419 #7

2008-04-24T15:09:00.003+09:00

Flower power sees local economies and exports bloom

The regional economy has earned 10 billion won from the event, 25 times the initial 390 million won investment, according to the Gwangju Spring Flower organizing committee.
April 15, 2008

Toddlers inspect the tulips and azaleas at the Goyang International Flower Show in 2006. [JoongAng Ilbo]
April erupts in an explosion of pinks, yellows, purples and whites as flowers bloom and trees blossom throughout the peninsula.
Not only that, the roads around Mount Namsan become an exhaust-filled parking lot as families and friends motor past to take in the burst of new life.
Eyeing an opportunity to put the cash register into gear, local governments are pouring money and time into setting up flower exhibitions with a view to boosting regional and international sales.
The Goyang International Flower Show is one of the leading flower expos in Korea, held once every three years.
The other two years are not fallow: Smaller exhibitions targeting domestic visitors are popular.
This year the Goyang exhibition will feature 500 different kinds of flowers for two weeks starting April 24 at Lake Park in Ilsan and at a nearby indoor exhibition hall.
One of the highlights will be a replica of Sungnyemun, otherwise known as Namdaemun, which burned down in February this year. The six by five meter arrangement was made using a floral mosaic design, said Choi Young-seon, a public relations official at the flower show.
Mosaics have been popular at the exhibition ever since a leafy Captain Hook, Peter Pan’s nemesis, was introduced at the show in 2006.

Competition is stiff and entrants for the competition know an award translates into sales.
Kim Hye-sook, 44, won an award from the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries last year with her floral rendition of the Korean Peninsula.
Nam Hyung-seok, 39, who created the word for “sand” with flowers won the Gyeonggi government award the same year.
Despite the fact that last year’s competition, which attracted 160,000 people, was a domestic event, eight companies from five countries including Taiwan, Germany and the United States participated.
Additionally buyers from 10 countries including South Africa, Mexico and Germany visited.
The event helped win an export contract worth over $2.2 million.
This year 10 companies from six countries including Japan, Germany, Singapore and China will be participating.
In 2006, the show, with its 7 billion won ($7.18 million) investment, earned 6.9 billion won, including income made from restaurants near the exhibition.
Woo Ji-hwan, chief manager of the Goyang International Flower Show, said, “Flower sales were naturally stimulated as visitors were given the opportunity to personally arrange them and make their own flower- pots.”
The Gwangju Spring Flower Expo 2008, which was held for 10 days this year starting March 21, attracted 98 companies from Korea, China and Japan. Export contracts amounted to roughly 350 million won with the help of the flower expo.
In its first year, which was 2007, around 170,000 visitors stopped by.
“The Gwangju Spring Flower Expo is an event where visitors can see spring flowers in an indoor venue earlier than in other parts of the country,” said Kim Byeong-guk, a public relations officer at the Kimdaejung Convention Center, which managed the flower expo.
Kim added that visitors could enjoy various kinds of flower culture through 15 different theme parks during the expo.
The expo organizing committee estimates that the regional economy has earned 10 billion won from the event, 25 times the initial 390 million won investment.
Other smaller regional cities are planning similar flower festivals. April and May will see some 30 flower festivals across the country, including the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, which ended on Sunday.
The Mount Sobaek Royal Azalea Festival in Danyang and the Azalea Festival of Mount Goryeo on Ganghwa Island are waiting for visitors or waiting to be opened.
In May next year Anmyeon Island on the West Coast is planning an international flower expo called Korea Floritopia. The organizing committee says 77 companies from 21 countries will participate.
The last flower exhibition held in this area was in 2002. The organizing committee is looking at a 154.9 billion won economic boost to the region.
“The expo will be an opportunity to boost the agriculture and tourism industry in the region, whose economy has been hit hard by the recent Taean oil spill,” said Min Jun-gi, an administrator of the Korea Floritopia.
The organizing committee of the Goyang flower show is planning to increase its exports of cactus and orchids.
The Gwangju flower expo organizing committee is working on exporting flowers displayed during its show to central Asia, including Kazkhstan and Uzbekistan.
“Until now most of the flower exhibitions in this country lacked foreign buyers as the flowers that were on display were foreign flowers,” said Kim Doo-hwan, a professor at Konkuk University.
“If we develop new flowers in Korea, we can boost exports, tourism and create a boom of Korean flowers around the world,” Kim said

Number of foreign tourisr who visit in korea just 2 million per a year.
and except of seoul, je-ju island and some place, there is no famous place.
and nowdays, korea suffering from centralize economy system, most of the money flows to seoul.
but, korea is famous about beautiful mountain and sight-view.
'Flower festival' is good for promoting tourism and developing local economy.
20500530 entry #7

The Mark-to-Market Melee

2008-04-19T00:01:00.002+09:00

Mark to market is a seemingly innocuous term for the requirement that companies, banks, hedge funds, mutual funds and the like report the market price of the financial instruments they hold and trade.

Do you all remember the Enron Crisis? and all those related financial and accounting report frauds? That led to some of the serious economic devastations? By filing bankrupsies?

There is an act passed by 2 congressman after these unbelievable crisis.
The Sarbane OXley Act.
Under this act, all accounting books must be signed by the management team and the executive team of the company.

According to a small but powerful group of America's financial decision makers—mostly supply-siders and those in their thrall—the chief cause of the credit market meltdown is not folly, or reckless lending, or the demise of America's financial management. It's an accounting rule.

for the complex new financial instruments, the valuations became far more unstable. Many hedge funds and financial institutions had borrowed huge sums of money to buy assets for which there wasn't an active market. When that debt started to go bad, it triggered a chain of unfortunate events. In many instances funds were forced to sell assets to meet margin calls. Occasionally creditors would seize assets and sell them. (That's what happened to the Bear Stearns hedge funds that failed last year.) This spiraling activity had the effect of further depressing prices for such instruments. In some instances buyers disappeared entirely. The valuations of these new instruments also plummeted because of market psychology.

"[I]t is appropriate for you to consider actual market prices, or observable inputs, even when the market is less liquid than historical market volumes, unless those prices are the result of a forced liquidation or distress sale"

20700775 Article Entry #10

A Penny Saved is a Penny Spent

2008-04-18T23:35:00.002+09:00

Do you remember what Professor Abraham Lee told us ALL THE TIME?
Do you remember when the authors of "JANITOR BOB" came and told us?

Yes, that's right to NEVER GO IN DEBT.

the article I read awakened me again. In order to set your purses straight read this.

As talk of recession and belt-tightening makes headlines, I wonder where and how I lost my grandfather's sense of thrift.
-> Yes, where did the sense of thrift that our grandparents taught us?

Yet my generation racks up debt the way our grandparents used to squirrel away pennies.
-> A penny saved is a penny spent. How are you using the money that your parents or your grandparents of stacked up? Aren't you using more than they gathered?

George Loewenstein, professor of economics and psychology at Carnegie Mellon, who says the availability of cheaper goods, as well as Internet shopping and longer store hours, make it far easier to waste money. "It used to be that the simple opening and closing of store doors exerted some control on spending. That's all gone now," he says.

-> Same with me here, I feel very ashamed. The cheap 99cents $9.99 goods lure me into buying. DON"T FALL IN TO IT! Also, the 24 hour stores, I just get tempted to going, in the early hours, just for NO REASON. Maybe the old days were better when the shops and stores were nice enough to control our spendings.

some of the "belt tightening" is more psychological than frugal. I've hung out with playground moms who take pride in their Payless shoes, yet think nothing of wearing $150 jeans and driving SUVs. I'm no better. Does it really matter if I pack my lunch every day when I'm so deep in debt?

Actually, it does. "Just like if you skip a bag of Doritos every day you'll lose weight long term, the same goes for cutting back on small expenses," says Loewenstein. And once you decide to look for it, there is advice out there. It's even free. "Prices are going up, and the people who come to my site are trying even harder to be frugal," says a thirtysomething New York blogger, "Madame X," whose anonymous myopenwallet.net blog uses her own life as an example of how to be thrifty (don't shop with friends; cook cheap meals at home). Her blog name sounds less than virtuous. But her grandfather would surely be proud.

-> SO think about it. Save! and be thrift. Be frugal.
Penny a day can one day become a dollar and a dollar a day can be come hundreds and so on. The most important thing to remember is to "NEVER GO IN DEBT."

20700775 Article Entry #9

A Tale of Two Sneakers

2008-04-18T23:20:00.002+09:00

Adidas and Puma may be among the most recognized brands in the world, but neither might exist if not for a bitter rivalry between two brothers from a little-known village in Germany. In the 1920s, Adolf (Adi) Dassler, a soft-spoken sports fanatic who spent hours working on shoe designs in his workshop, and Rudolf Dassler, a gregarious salesman, started a small shoemaking business in the Bavarian enclave of Herzogenaurach, focusing primarily on hand-sewn athletic footwear. But as their business took off, the two brothers grew increasingly frustrated with each other. They disagreed on everything from politics, the future of the company and one another's choice in wives.
Finally, in the mid-1940s Rudolf left in a huff and set up a rival shop across the river, while Adi remained in the initial plant. His company was renamed Adidas, and in 1948 Rudolf registered his new company, Puma.

A journalist was sent to Germany to cover some detailed side stories since the Beijing olympics were on in a few months.
She covered this story about two brothers who had their shoe businesses and eventually became the famous Puma and Adidas.

Puma and Adidas both became famous by putting their shoes on the African American Athelete, and when it was televised, and photographed.
Though considering that time of the history, in order for their businesses to succeed they needed a connection with the Natzi Government which they fortunately had. HOWEVER

How did Adidas become a more bigger market than Puma?
It was during the soccer game, when the three striped shoes were worn on all the soccer players, instantly, Adidas Got phone calls and letters from other countries that they wanted to sell the product in their country. Well, puma had their slow way up the business.

IMPORTANT PART IS THAT .. THey sold the SPORTS, not the Sports apparels.

Adidas is now the second-largest sports apparel company in the world, and owns Reebok, but at one time it lagged way behind Reebok. How did it turn around?
Adidas made the terrible mistake of saying it was not interested in jogging, and then aerobics became huge and Adidas and Nike both made the mistake of saying they were not interested in aerobics. They completely missed out on these trends, but Reebok didn't. Within about three years Reebok went from revenues of a couple hundred million to several billion. It continued on that way for years. But then Reebok lost its way. And Adidas, for all its mistakes, never lost its way as badly as that … Through it all, Adidas has remained in the consciousness as a solid sports brand. Reebok doesn't have that, either as a sports or lifestyle brand.

How are Puma's prospects now?
The French conglomerate PPR, which owns Gucci, has now acquired it. A few years ago it was being sold in bazaars and people had declared it dead, and it is now being named in the same breath as Gucci … That repositioning will probably be taught to MBA students for several years.

As a business case, what are the most important lessons we can draw from the history of Puma and Adidas? What has made them such enduring brands?
At the beginning of the story, there's always a great product. Puma has survived its worst years because it had a great soccer boot. It's the same story for Adidas; it just makes great products. Another interesting lesson is that you need great enemies. I don't think either company would be where it is today if it hadn't been stimulated by the rivalry with the other.
This article is so interesting especially for BS students to read
If you want to read the original article visit newsweek.com and type in the title of my article!

20700775 Article Entry #8

Book by metallurgists blames rivets for Titanic tragedy

2008-04-18T22:43:00.002+09:00

NEW YORK - The tragic sinking of the Titanic nearly a century ago can be blamed on low grade rivets that the ship's builders used on some parts of the ill-fated liner, two experts on metals conclude in a new book.

ADVERTISEMENT

The company, Harland and Wolff of Belfast, Northern Ireland, needed to build the ship quickly and at reasonable cost, which may have compromised quality, said co-author Timothy Foecke. That the shipyard was building two other vessels at the same time added to the difficulty of getting the millions of rivets needed, he added.

"Under the pressure to get these ships up, they ramped up the riveters, found materials from additional suppliers, and some was not of quality," said Foecke, a metallurgist at the U.S. government's National Institute of Standards and Technology who has been studying the Titanic for a decade.

More than 1,500 people died when the Titanic, advertised as an "unsinkable" luxury liner, struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage in 1912 and went down in the North Atlantic less than three hours later.

"The company knowingly purchased weaker rivets, but I think they did it not knowing they would be purchasing something substandard enough that when they hit an iceberg their ship would sink," said co-author Jennifer Hooper McCarty, who started researching the Titanic's rivets while working on her Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University in 1999.

The company disputes the idea that inferior rivets were at fault. The theory has been around for years, but McCarty and Foecke's book, "What Really Sank the Titanic," published last month, outlines their extensive research into the Harland and Wolff archives and surviving rivets from the Titanic.

Original Article

I have no doubt that you all have watched the movie Titanic.
If so, you probably know the reason why Titanic sank on her first sail.
By the way, this article shows me different cause why Titanic sank.
It was rather interesting. Take a look.

20100174 #6 Entry

6. The free entry of National Museum

2008-04-18T19:13:00.002+09:00

Starting on May 1, admission to the National Museum of Korea, the National Folk Museum of Korea, the National Museum of Contemporary Art and 11 other national museums will be free.

Visitors won`t have to pay a penny to check out some art and artifacts through the year`s end. Unfortunately, this does not apply to special exhibitions.

The free entry applies to foreigners. For more information, go to the official websites of each museum, including the national museums in Gyeongju, Gwangju, Jeonju, Buyeo, Daegu, Cheongju, Kimhae, Jeju, Chuncheon, Jinju and Gongju.

By Jean Oh

the National Museum of Contemporary Art and 11 other national museums will be free.
Visitors won`t have to pay a penny to check out some art and artifacts through the year`s end. Unfortunately, this does not apply to special exhibitions.

I think that this new rules are very good decision. The free entry can encourage the citizen's cultural life and their interest about the art. This rule also indicate that the Korea is proposing to the advanced nation.

20200041

It's not a bird. It's not a plane. It's Flogo!

2008-04-17T20:24:00.002+09:00

entry 6 20700193 haeyeon Ryan Kim

There's an interesting way to advertise your logo now!
There is a new company that makes machines that enable you to make little clouds
in any shape you want. the sizes are limited to about 24 inches (2 feet).
i personally think this is too small... but still, i think it's a great idea.
it seems to be made out of little soapy bubbles. Disneyland is supposed to have rented it..interesting, brilliant, yet a little small.

entry 6 20700193 haeyeon Ryan Kim

original article -

Advertising In The Clouds

Have you ever wondered what you would say if you could use the clouds to advertise?

Lexington, AL - April 9, 2008 - Introducing Flogos, short for flying and logos. Francisco Guerra, the inventor of Flogos says, "Flogos are a revolutionary way to market products, services and events".

Guerra, an Alabama inventor and owner of Flogos makes clouds into effective advertising of any shape with their SnowMasters manufactured cloud machine. Flogos has no limitations, it can be made in any

shape, word, or logo. Flogos can be 24, 36 or 48 inches long. Flogos lasts for hours and can travel for miles

The clouds are environmentally friendly – Totally Green!

"FLOGO FOAM is safe for air travel", says Guerra.

"They will fly for miles," Guerra said. "They are durable so they last a while. "The secret is our formulation and equipment. We're able to keep the cloud together for a long time." He said, the Flogo clouds can hover at various heights, depending on the amount of helium and oxygen mixed into the formula. "As a norm, they'll fly about 300 to 500 feet high," Guerra said. They can sail much higher or lower if needed, he stated.

Major League Baseball franchises and various Fortune 500 companies have expressed interest, as well as a presidential campaign. Cloud advertising is easy with Flogos, as demonstrated in their testing videos: Cloud Advertising

Flogos is a new product that can be licensed or the machine can be rented. The company has a product that makes artificial snow for national theme parks. They have provided effects in motion pictures and for various events.

For more information about Flogos contact Francisco Guerra.
Phone: 256.229.5551, francisco@snowmasters.com
Website: www.flogos.net

Press coordinator: Mike@snowmasters.com
Spokes Person: Francisco@snowmasters.com
Local Press News Story

India braces for protests during Olympic torch relay

2008-04-17T11:45:00.005+09:00

India braces for protests during Olympic torch relay
By GAVIN RABINOWITZ 04.16.08

New Delhi, the heart of the world's Tibetan exile community, is suffering from the anti-China protests for the Olympic torch relay on Thursday.
The world's largest, 100,000 membered Tibetan exile community have threaten more of the protests since demonstrations that broke out first in March in Tibet. The exiles have gone on hunger strikes and shaved their heads to protest China's crackdown on protests in Tibet. More recently, about 100 Tibetan exiles tried to breach the security cordon around the Chinese Embassy on Wednesday, leaving the spray painted street, saying "No Olympics in China." Now Chinese Embassy is surrounded by barricades and barbed wire.
Now they are planning on torch run, expected to begin early Thursday, hours before the run scheduled for the 4 p.m., when the relay starts. Thousands of Tibetans reportedly were heading to New Delhi to protest and will take part in their own torch run as well.
Some exiles have said that they plan to make a more dramatic statement, trying to douse or steal the Olympic flame if possible, although they don't have specific plan.
Since China is growing economically, diplomatically and militarily in recent years, Indian government want to build good relationship with China, yet the public sympathy likes with the Tibetans, who have sought refuge in the country since the Dalai Lama fled Tibet after a failed uprising against Beijing in 1959.

>> Original Article

It is interesting how the nationalism can effect so strongly on the worldly event. Since the occurrence in March where Tibetans were cracked down by the Chinese officials, the image of China has fallen into dump. Of course there must be many people or nations who still support China yet overall, its image must have been shaded dark. That means the Chinese products or companies harm. Surely, it is not of Chinese companies fault yet people would perceive them as dictator-types or tyrants. So, to say, as I learned in the class, political environment do huge harm on the organization’s well being.

20500419 Entry 6

6. Simulation with special suit to target senior customers.

2008-04-16T23:53:00.003+09:00

In order to increase senior aged customers, engineers of the Japanese automobile company, Nissan began to test their cars with a special suit that simulates the physical effects of the age of the human body. The special suit affects the articulations such as knees, ankles, and elbows. There’s also an eye glass that simulates sight problems common in elderly people.
I think it is an innovative idea to test these kinds of things in order to know more about their customer’s needs. A company that gives this much effort in researching the needs of their new target, will be able to drive a lot of customers because of the value added to their products.

20600642 Entry #6

2008-04-14T12:38:00.002+09:00

`Hanji' Wear Fashion Show Hits Stage

By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter

Hanbok, or Korean traditional costume, is considered one of the most representative icons of the nation's tradition. But it has generally remained trapped in the past, mostly seen through epic films and dramas.

It is rare to see modern Koreans donning hanbok in their daily lives, in contrast to the Japanese ``yukata,'' a cotton kimono with stencil-dyed patterns originally designed for comfortable dress in the home by both men and women.

To modernize the traditional costume, Chae Keum-seok ― a professor of the Clothing and Textiles Division of Sookmyung Women's University ― and Jeonju municipal government of North Jeolla Province ― have put together an informal yet traditional form of leisure clothing made from hanji, or Korean traditional paper. The comfortable piece, an upgraded version of the hanbok, is designed for casual outings and rest at home.

To showcase the hanji-made hanbok, the ``Han-Style Fashion Show'' will be held at Fashion Center in Samsung-dong, southern Seoul, on Monday.

At the show, about 125 pieces of hanbok uniforms and casual outfits will be showcased.

These new hanbok focus on simplicity, functionality and sensuality based on the nation's representative images, such as hangeul ― or the Korean alphabet, through a survey of 5,000 experts in various sectors.

Chae transformed the ``durumagi (traditional topcoat for men),'' ``chima (traditional skirt),'' ``baji (men's pants)'' and ``jeogori (bolero-like jacket worn over the skirt)'' into modern, comfortable styles ― one-piece and two-piece garments with a modern twist.

She retained the traditional details such as the ``git'' (collar), ``goreum'' (clothes ties) and ``baerae'' (the curve of the sleeves) as the basic frames. Then, she designed the costumes using traditional colors such as indigo blue, multi-colored stripes, jade green, pure white and ink black.

To be suitable for casual purposes, Chae combined cotton with mulberry plant fibers, which is material that is used to make ``hanji'' ― traditional Korean paper that is hand-made by processing the bark of the mulberry plant.

Hanji fabrics are used to make underwear, as it is durable, easy to dye, and prevents bacteria buildup.

They are regarded as healthy fabrics that are known to be effective for patients who suffer from skin allergies.

Jo Hee-suk, an official of culture affairs of Jeonju municipal government, said that the garments are much lighter than those made of cotton, very durable and easy to wash.

``Hanji has the potential to develop as the nation's next generation fabric. Garments made of hanji are expected to become popular products as comfortable wear and uniforms,'' said Jo.

Jeonju is renowned for its traditional paper, which has a distinctive quality. It is the nation's largest Korean paper-producing city. Jeonju makes 40 percent of Korean traditional paper produced in the country.

it is good try. but i'm wondering about it's successibility for young-generation even korean. because nowdays, many of young-people purchase clothes for their status.
sell for young-people, the clothe must be expensive and very unique or fashionated.
but,natural fabrics are also good for the health. since many textiles are made from oil by products. so ths clothe maybe good for seniors.

20500530 entry #6

1% Luck and 99% Effort

2008-04-13T12:15:00.001+09:00

(late) 20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim Entry #5
The following is an inspirational video of the feet of su-jeong gang, a korean ballerina. This clip motivated me to do my best in the things i do. how much effort do we put in our work? Am i really doing my best in academics? I even forgot to post this article on time. We do have excuses, maybe we had other important things to do; maybe we were too tired. Maybe our computer broke down. Maybe we got sick. Maybe, maybe. But really, if we wake up a little early, watch fewer movies, and stop goofing around, we could stand out. We will be different. We will be winners.
P.S. Let's win MARKSTRAT!!!
(late) 20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim Entry #5

The Growth in 'Green-Collar' Jobs

2008-04-12T22:15:00.002+09:00

Even in a shaky economy, there are expanding opportunities in environmentally friendly industries.
Original Article By Karen Breslau | Newsweek Web Exclusive

"the resulting green economy can generate a lot of good jobs at a far greater scale than a pollution-based economy."

Gamesa, a Spanish-owned wind energy company that two years ago started making turbines at a former U.S. Steel plant near Philadelphia, has been hiring 1,300 people in the states.

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama stopped in at Gamesa While much of the hype around the emerging "clean tech" to pitch their plans for boosting the alternative energy sector.

Van jones, founder of Green for all says that Green economy will be created in less glamorous sectors: weatherizing homes and offices, installing solar panels and retrofitting factories with energy-efficient technologies.
He wants "The green economy to come is going to be a broad-shouldered, mass movement of American labor."

I can not agree more on Jones. It has to be a mass movement of all labor. Cost reduced so that everybody is allowed to be part of the movement.
I am so happy to see these Green collar jobs increasing, and also very thankful to see these companies doing good to the community and the country. My wish is that
Korea, does some what a similar movement as soon as possible, especially since the New president was elected and his plans are to be carried out.

20700775 Article Entry #7

Ménage a Yahoo

2008-04-12T21:47:00.003+09:00

Will Microsoft be outdone by Google and AOL?
Original article by Elizabeth Corcoran Forbes.com

Yahoo is still looking for a good partner to merge in.
By themselves the so called "joint-venture" with Microsoft is being reconsidered it seems. From the whole acqusition saga what is true is that in 2 months Yahoo will soon be a different company.

Yahoo has announced this time that they are launching a 2-week "trial advertising" with Google. A way of testing two separate ideas: the financial implications of letting Google's powerful ad-serving engine take over Yahoo's search ads.

Of course Microsoft made his bit to Yahoo to avoid the takeover by News Corp., Time Warner, AOL, or Google. However Ballmer (Microsoft C.E.O.) is hesitating due to the amount of $40 billion for Yahoo will already make Microsoft at its stake.

As Web surfers plug search term into Yahoo's search engine, will see a series of ads running besides the results, served by Yahoo's in-house systme and no more than 3% generated by Google's adsense.

Meanwhile, some bet that Microsoft will raise its bid for Yahoo.

WE'LL SEE...
20700775 Article Entry #6

Air Korea starts hiring campaign

2008-04-11T21:07:00.003+09:00

Air Korea starts hiring campaign

Air Korea, Korean Air`s low-priced airline, is starting its recruitment campaign, company officials said yesterday.

After being granted an airline operating license from the Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs on April 7, the company has began recruiting employees through its website.

The air carrier plans to hire more than 100 new and experienced employees for its marketing, human resources and finance divisions. Applications will be accepted until April 20.

Company officials said pilots, engineers and flight attendants will come mainly from Korean Air and it will employ more flight attendants in June or July.

Air Korea plans to launch its first flight between Gimpo and Jeju Island in early July and will expand services to between Busan, Jeju Island and Gimpo by 2009.

Short-distance international routs to Japan, China and Southeast Asia are to be launched by 2010, company officials said, adding that JAL Express, Japan Airline`s low-fare airline, is launching its first flight to Korea next year. "With experienced core staff from Korean Air and new employees, Air Korea will try hard to become a successful low-fare air carrier," an Air Korea official said.

By Koh Young-aah

(youngaah@heraldm.com)

Air Korea, Korean Air`s low-priced airline, is starting its recruitment campaign, company officials said yesterday. The air carrier plans to hire more than 100 new and experienced employees for its marketing, human resources and finance divisions. Applications will be accepted until April 20.

The "대한항공" established the new company which targeted to the low-priced market. The "air Korea" is the company's name and they started recruitment to hire 100 new employees. I think that these event could give some energy to our economy and our job-market.

20200041 kwon hyuck sung

130 year old hardware factory turned into a tourist attraction

2008-04-11T17:33:00.008+09:00

130 year old hardware factory
turned into a tourist attraction.

Das Dick

It is not the best way to redesign the city in the way that the old buildings are torn down and the new shinny tall buildings are replaced those places. Some of the famous cities in Europe are remodeling the old, destroyed factories or warehouses without destroying them all, so that they could be used once again.
Esslingen, a small city with about 90,000 people, is in the southwest of Germany. There are many hardware and other components factories. What makes this place special is the building called Das Dick. It was built in 1870 and named after its owner from 130 years ago. Inside the building, there is variety of restaurants, providing variety food from worldwide, a movie theatre with 9 screens, wine bars, a 10m high aquarium-type-of water tank, and so on. It is attracting millions of people a year.

In 1998, the productivity of the factory decreased yet it was not able to destroy it down since it was the registered cultural property of the country. So the city and the factory owner have invested 25million Euro to remodel it. Now it has become the symbol of the city.
The Mayor of the city says, "We have chosen the best policy to reserve the image of the city as a traditional, historied factory town, preserve the registered cultural property of the country, and be helpful to the citizens."

Inside Das Dick

>>Origianl Article

These days in Korea, there are lots of constructions going on. Samsung’s subunits are moving into 강남 as well as some of LG subunits. Not only that, everybody is interested in reconstructing the town or some part of it. Then where would they throw away all the industrial wastes from torn-down buildings. Also how much would it cost to buy the materials for building those?
It’s really nice to build and redesign the city as whole yet they really have to consider about the environment as well. They need to consider ESSD (Environmentally sound and sustainable development) rather than doing all the works in such a manner that pollutes environment and wastes all the resources that God has given us to ‘keep.’

20500419 Entry 5

5. Apple's OS Edge Is a Threat to Microsoft

2008-04-11T17:16:00.001+09:00

Apple has brought an innovation to their recent upgrade of the Macintosh operating system. With a new feature called “spaces” you are able to switch from the Mac Operating system to the Windows OS, and switch it back. The new feature is a threat to the dominating Microsoft’s OS. With the launch of the I-Phone 2.0 in the future and its programming software, people will need the Mac OS to use it. So, I-Phone users are going to draw their preference to the Mac computers because they don’t need to give up Windows applications in doing so.
I think it is a very clever way that Apple used to attract people for the use of their computers. Because a lot of people think that Mac OS is very complicated and the great majority of people who used the Windows OS had difficulties in working with the Mac. The launch of the upgrade of the I-Phone which requires the Mac OS for its use was a strategic plan to “trap” people for the need of their Operating System. They have already done it on the mp3 industry with the I-Pod which requires the I-tunes for its use, but coming with the same strategy in a much greater dimension which challenges the dominance of the Microsoft Windows OS is very interesting and intelligent.

20600642 #5 Entry

Maybe You Need to Gain 10 Pounds

2008-04-11T14:31:00.003+09:00

As if America's weight problem weren't already complicated enough—a recent government study has found that carrying a few extra pounds may actually help you live longer.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute checked death records for 37,000 adults, along with age and weight, and found that people who were overweight (for someone who is, say, 5' 4", that means weighing 145 to 169 pounds) had no greater risk of dying from cancer or heart disease than those who were of normal weight (for a 5' 4" person, 110 to 144 pounds). Even more remarkable, the overweight group was less likely to die from a host of other conditions, including chronic respiratory disease, infections, and Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. While being overweight left people at higher risk of death from diabetes and kidney disease, as a group, people in the overweight category outlived the obese, the underweight, and people at normal weight.

Although lead study author Katherine Flegal, PhD, a senior research scientist at the CDC, and her colleagues did not look at why being overweight could have a protective effect, they hypothesize that extra pounds might provide the body with a reserve during illness and recovery from major operations.

The results have provoked some strong reactions. "This research should be completely disregarded," says Walter Willett, MD, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. He points to other large studies that have found that being overweight can shorten life. But, says Flegal, this research used self-reported weights. If subjects shaved pounds off their actual size, obese people could have dropped into the overweight category. But for most critics of the new research, quality of life is a major sticking point: Just because someone lives longer doesn't mean they spent that time free of pain and disease. Flegal's research didn't analyze quality of life. But you can live those extra years in good health regardless of your weight, believes Steven Blair, a professor of exercise science, epidemiology, and biostatistics at the University of South Carolina. He published a study in December that suggests overweight people who are active and fit have a lower mortality risk than their out-of-shape, normal-weight peers. "These studies show that the hazards of being overweight, in terms of mortality, have been exaggerated," he says. "We need to rethink the description of the overweight group."

These days, people try to go on a diet and lose weight.
But this article says, gaining few more pounds will help
you to live healthier. How's this? Isn't is incredible?

20100174 #5 Entry

2008-04-08T17:22:00.006+09:00

Eco-trendy shopper bags add style to mall run

A shopper bag by “second hotel,”.
Today, fashion is all about extremes, particularly bags. It’s either a big bag ― already too heavy by itself with the size, metal details and exotic leather ― or a small clutch ― too small to fit anything except credit cards, a mobile phone and maybe some lipstick.
Caught between the two, a new breed of bags has opened up for serious shoppers. They are light, stylish and environmentally friendly. They are “shopper bags.”
The Environmental Ministry has enforced a policy of making customers pay for plastic and paper bags at retail shops since 1999 in an effort to encourage recycling and discourage the reckless use of disposable goods. In the past, moms used to carry grocery bags to market, but they weren’t trying to make a fashion statement. In contrast, the new breed of shopper bags are.

Benetton’s eco-bag. Provided by the companies
“I often use a shopper bag because I don’t want to ruin my expensive bags by putting heavy stuff in them,” said Lee Yun-jeong, a 33-year-old designer. “I keep a folded shopper bag in my purse for emergencies.”
Lee said she does not want to waste 50 won (5 cents) on a plastic bag. “I never use them. They are ugly and I don’t want them in my house,” she said. “A shopper bag gives me a sense that I am doing something to protect the environment. Plus, you look chic when you carry one.”
If you don’t own a famous “I Am Not A Plastic Bag” by London designer Anya Hindmarch, don’t worry. Other stylish alternatives are available in Seoul.
As a part of its environmental campaign, Benetton Korea sells eco-bags. The design is nearly identical to that of the notoriously hard-to-get Hindmarch limited edition, except that the cotton canvas bag is marked with “Green is My Religion.” The eco-bag is priced at 15,000 won and sold at Benetton stores nationwide. All proceeds go to the Climate Change Center of the Korea Green Foundation.
The design product retailer “second hotel,” in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, sells shopper bags imported from France’s Delphias. They come in different sizes featuring graphics of fresh vegetables, such as carrots and spring onions, and are priced from 30,000 won to 48,000 won. The store also sells its own design, a stylish gold-colored shopper bag, at 10,000 and 20,000 won.

A shopper bag by “second hotel,”
MMMG, another design company in Seoul, also sells “recycle bags.” Made with recycled materials, the cotton bags feature illustrations to add a touch of cuteness. They are priced from 4,800 won to 7,500 won and you can pick one up at MMMG stores nationwide and via www.mmmg.net.

By Ser Myo-ja Staff Reporter

This is good idea which aimed niche market and helpful to sustainable development.
as we know, housewives use so many plastic bags or Boxes for shopping in retail shop, supermarket and depatment store.
but they are ugly, so young housewives or single young lady doesn't want them.
fashionated shopper bag is good product for those kind of people who want catch two rabbits, which are convenience shopping and pretty shopper bag.

20500530 entry #5

Reverse Marketology

2008-04-06T12:36:00.002+09:00

Why health and beauty companies are telling us we'd be just fine without buying a thing NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE By,Sarah Kliff.

Few companies are working on their campaigns that allow for the relationship with the customers to flow both ways: the advertiser tells them how to prevent a headache or increases their self esteem—so the consumers do something nice for the advertiser—buy the product.
So Let's check out some of the products that are working on their "reverse Marketology." these days.

Weight Watchers
"Diets are mean," say the ads in their new "Stop Dieting. Start Living" campaign. But isn't Weight Watchers a diet plan?

Dove, Johnson & Johnsons have been adorning their Web sites and print ads with health advice and self-esteem affirmations, but not so much about why you need their product. Have they forgotten the bottom line? No. What they're doing is banking on the idea that they can win customers with flattery and lots of helpful information.

Tylenol
has also gotten altruistic, with print advertisements offering friendly advice on how to avoid aches and pains that might prompt people to perhaps buy their product. "Sit up straight. Slouching can cause headaches," one slogan advises.

Usually Beauty and health ads work in 2 basic models: 1.Frighten them, (bandwagon) that if they don't use it they might be in danger or something. Or, 2.Show them a bombshell that they can become when they use their product.

But some of these ads are telling you why you don't need their product.
AWKWARD as it seems.
Then there's the uncomfortable fact that Dove's parent company, Unilever, also owns Slim-Fast, marketer of "the hunger control shake," a product whose ads show women saying, "Goodbye roll, hello control!" So much for embracing those curves.

Are these Contradicting ads so helpful? Well the statistics says some sales went up by using these types of ads however, not so much, but they certainly say they were in the "spotlight" (catching many people's attentions).
Would I buy their product? Ofcourse I would, but I would careless about their helpful tips because they are just incredulous to me. I am very crtical when it comes to those kind of "Marketing strategies" and when I can really see what they are trying to do to me? I careless..

So I guess that is what "reverse marketology" is all about.

20700775 Article Entry #5

2008-04-06T01:23:00.002+09:00

Survival of the fit pens in the computer age

Signing credit bills is an art, at least for me. I look forward to that moment when I can reach to the inner pocket of my suit and feel the assuring body of my Montblanc pen. When I have a meal or purchase that is heavy on my wallet, I forget the feeling the instant I scrawl my signature. As I said, it’s an art. When I am done, a brief glance at my Montblanc is a must for a job well done. Ahhh... It’s a good feeling to have.
Not born in the age of computers, I filled my elementary school days with fountain pen ink splattered across my notebooks. Of course I wasn’t using a Montblanc then.
But at home I would always try to write with my father’s. Maybe being born in Berlin has helped nurse my love for Montblanc pens. I think that growing up around someone who carried such a pen like a treasure box had some influence on me.
Maybe the symbolic meaning attached to a pen led me to my current job. I love writing. It’s me versus writer’s block; me against the deadline. The constant struggle is addictive. If not for the deadlines and the convenient instant-eraser ability of a computer, I would use a pen in my work. It would do the job nicely.
Today, brand-name pens have taken on a different meaning in their diminished role. Consider this: Middle-aged men have few outlets to express themselves in the way of a fashion statement. Suits, ties, cuff links, glasses, watches and maybe hairstyles are the limited venues.
Enter a stylish pen. History has witnessed how great men with great pens signed significant treaties.
It’s the same nowadays except that corporate deals and mergers are on that list, too. Did JPMorgan Chase and Co. executives sign their takeover bid for Bear Sterns with a Montblanc? I don’t know, but I can assure you that corporate bigwigs didn’t sign with a Bic.

Officials at Montblanc fret now that they are no longer a “strictly pens” company. Today, the company has expended its business into watches, jewelry, handbags and accessories. The company has even bought a watch movement maker. This way, they can manufacture watches with their own movements, which is the yardstick for serious watch enthusiasts.
Yet despite all this, my private thinking is that when you want to buy a product, buy it from someone that specializes in making it. So even if it’s just for drawing circles during long, boring meetings or some pen twirling, having a classic pen will go a long way. It takes more than six weeks to make a nib for a fountain pen at Montblanc. I appreciate such craftsmanship because when you shell out a fair amount of money, you need more than sentimental reasons to do so.
There is a reason why the name Montblanc ― or any other pen company for that matter ― has survived over 100 years, well into the age of computers. To find out your own reason, you’ll just have to get a pen for yourself.

how are pens surviving in the computer age.
what is value position for surviving in the age.
fit pen's value positioning is authority and cashignpower.
the fit pen is prove men's cashiong power and authority.
Maybe the symbolic meaning attached to a pen led them to their current job.

20500530 #4

By Brian Lee Staff Reporter [africanu@joongang.co.kr]

LGT hopes to lead mobile Web era

2008-04-04T23:08:00.002+09:00

LG Telecom, the nation`s smallest mobile carrier, yesterday said it will become the leader of the mobile internet era with the launch of its "OZ" flagship third-generation service.

"The center of the world`s telecommunications industry is quickly shifting to the mobile internet. We will spearhead a new era in the mobile internet," Jung Il-jae, LG Telecom`s CEO, said at a news conference.

Jung said his company will make it cheaper and easier to surf the internet, check e-mails, and use other internet services via handsets by offering drastic cuts in wireless internet charges and providing a mobile web environment similar to that of a computer.

He said the current mobile data services offered by its two bigger rivals - SK Telecom and KTF - are expensive and cumbersome.

"One has to go through complicated steps to reach content that one wants. What`s worse is that service charges are astronomical," Jung said.

For example, he said, it costs about 6,000 won to download a 1.5-megabyte song via mobile phone.

LG Telecom will charge the same for up to one gigabyte of data downloads or transmissions a month, under its new mobile internet tariff plan. The new service will also give its subscribers limitless access to mobile internet services for the first six months after they sign up. Although the promotional plan will be available until September, LG Telecom plans to roll out new competitive data tariff plans, Chung said.

For users who hope to use the service on select days, the company also unveiled a daily pricing plan, which charges only 1,000 won per day for limitless data usage.

The company also plans to roll out cheaper handsets capable of delivering mobile internet services on high-resolution wide-screens.

LG Telecom is banking on the mobile internet for its 3G service, while its bigger rivals have highlighted the video calling features of their respective 3G brands, named "T" and "SHOW."

LG Telecom entered the 3G market belatedly with a nationwide launch of its Revision A network in late February. SK Telecom and KTF`s 3G services are supported by HSDPA networks.

Jung said LG Telecom was open to adopting Google`s mobile software for its 3G service, saying the U.S. company`s platform is similar to that of the Korean company.

"We are not in a good position to make Google phones now, but we are willing to actively discuss with foreign companies if it helps to promote our service," he said.

The nation`s mobile market is shifting towards 3G services, led by KTF, which began its nationwide service in April last year. SK Telecom followed suit in October in 2007.

Some 7.8 million people, or 17 percent of the nation`s mobile phone users, subscribed to 3G services as of the end of February. Industry sources expect the number of 3G subscribers to surge to 15 million by the end of this year.

KTF has the largest share of the 3G market with 4.2 million subscribers, followed by SK Telecom with 3.6 million subscribers. LG Telecom has only 80,000 3G subscribers.

By Jin Hyun-joo

(hjjin@heraldm.com)

"The center of the world`s telecommunications industry is quickly shifting to the mobile internet. We will spearhead a new era in the mobile internet,"LG Telecom will charge the same for up to one gigabyte of data downloads or transmissions a month, under its new mobile internet tariff plan.The nation`s mobile market is shifting towards 3G services, led by KTF, which began its nationwide service in April last year. SK Telecom followed suit in October in 2007.

LGT make new plan to enter the 3G service. I think that this project is little late, but good decision. The internet service in the mobile-phone is getting grow and the industry scale is increased. By offering the low price of using internet with new competitive data traffic system, and the developing those project can make huge power to LGT.

How Retailers Turn Us Into Spendthrift Suckers

2008-04-04T19:18:00.002+09:00

Money
Why you're a big sucker
Tuesday April 1, 5:29 am ET

By Paul J. Lim, Money Magazine senior editor

Bet you think you spend money pretty sensibly. Well, Dan Ariely would bet you don't. A noted behavioral economist with current posts at MIT and Duke, Ariely has been proving for years that consumers often spend more when they plan to spend less.
ADVERTISEMENT

Now he's put his findings into layman's terms in a new book, "Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions." In it, he explains how marketers exploit our blind spots of logic and how we can see them coming. Today's shaky economy, he argues, is no place to waste money being irrational.

Original Article

Do you spend your money sensibly? I bet you think so,
and I thought that, too. But as I read this article
I was quiet shocked that the more I try not to spend
more money, the more I spend. Here are few Q&A s,
why don't you go over these?

20100174 #4 Entry

4. Will Boeing Pay for Delays?

2008-04-04T14:29:00.002+09:00

*Original Text:

Customers of the much-anticipated but late-to-the-gate 787 Dreamliner are waiting for Boeing to make official what they strongly suspect—that delivery of the first plane will be delayed into the second half of 2009 or beyond.

Deliveries of the Dreamliner are already 10 months behind schedule and glitches along Boeing's complex global supply chain slowed production and forced the company to redesign its wing box. Asked on Apr. 3 about the possibility of yet another delay, Boeing (BA) spokeswoman Yvonne Leach simply acknowledged that an announcement of a revised schedule is coming soon.

Customers for the advanced-technology plane, which will be the first commercial jet to make extensive use of lightweight carbon-fiber technology, are growing restive. Several say they may seek financial compensation and replacement aircraft. Virgin Atlantic Airways, one of the largest European customers with 15 planes on order, said it was opening talks with Chicago-based Boeing. Qantas Airways (QAN), with 65 planes on order, and International Lease Finance (ILFC), an aircraft-leasing outfit that is the biggest buyer of the new plane with 74 planes on order, have also begun compensation talks.
Payments to compensate customers, along with additional support for suppliers that will need to keep engineers on staff longer than expected, could lead Boeing to a large write-off at some point, says Cai von Rumohr, an aerospace analyst at Cowen & Co. He doubts Boeing has quantified the losses, but notes they will grow particularly steep if the delays extend to more than a year. Boeing's Leach declined comment on that.

Von Rumohr expects the first delivery in the third or fourth quarter of 2009. That would extend first deliveries to 18 months beyond the original schedule. While Boeing had projected deliveries of 109 planes next year, a more realistic expectation is anywhere between 20 and 50. "Boeing has egg on its face," von Rumohr says.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I think that with this delay in delivery problems that are bringing a lot of customer's dissatisfaction is very bad for the company that is losing a lot of them as said before. Costumers are already looking for compensations, some of them are already leaving and looking for replacement. Besides the problem with compensation to their customers, the company has another problem which is their suppliers who have to keep working and get paid. I think that Boeing is passing through a serious problem because they are losing their value, their customers, and also money. I think that these problems are still going to affect their future business if they don't find a way to restore their trust and value with customers.

20600642

Chinese Wages Growing By Leaps And Bounds

2008-04-02T19:42:00.003+09:00

Chinese Wages Growing By Leaps And Bounds
Shu-Ching Jean Chen, 04.02.08, 4:36 AM

< Summary >

China's official statistics agency has confirmed that the labor costs have been rising fast, showing the fastest growth in six years. The mean annual wage grew by 18.72% in 2007, to 24,932 yuan ($3,556.63), which is 14% higher than average of the preceding six years.
Though the agency did not release a detailed profile of each industry, China Business News pointed that state-protected industries, including securities, banking and aviation industries, had reported average yearly wages exceeding 100,000 yuan ($14,265.34) in 2007. That is more than five times of those for nonmetals mining and extraction, farming and traditional manufacturing lines.
Not only that, the businesses working in the areas like insurance, legal services, telecommunications, tobacco, oil and gas rewarded their employees well, paying a mean annual wage of between 80,000 yuan ($11,412.27) and 100,000 yuan.

>> Original Article

China is growing so fast! As many professionals suggest, it is going to be the number one within a decade or so. Even now, most of the industrial products are made in China, from the factories that international groups built in China. Even most of Nike’s shoes are made in China and exported to other countries. Also other types of companies in other industries such as service businesses or construction businesses are entering Chinese market, seeing great potential there.
China has been famous for its cheap labor cost. Many companies could save budget and make more profit. Yet nowadays, there are so many competitors and it is getting a bit hard to get good employees with comparably low salary. That must be why the labor cost is rising fast. Also Chinese Economy is growing fast, which indicates their GDP probably is increasing. People are much better off than they were 10 years ago, or even 6 years ago. Not only that, but the education is being emphasized as well, contributing the education level to get higher and people’s expectation get higher with it, too.
It is a great news that Chinese people’s life are better off yet as the news indicated, it’s better for the people with certain jobs, not the people with the low-prestige jobs. It is obvious that the gap between haves and have-nots would be deepened as it is in United States as well as in Korea. Chinese government should consider this matter and try to prevent it beforehand.

20500419 Entry 4

Dongwon says sorry over fishy tuna tale

2008-03-29T02:24:00.003+09:00

Dongwon says sorry over fishy tuna tale

March 22, 2008
It’s double-trouble for Dongwon F&B.
The company not only has to apologize for the knife blade that wound up in one of its tuna cans this week, it is going to have to apologize for an apparent lie as well.
The Korea Food and Drug Administration confirmed yesterday that the knife blade got into the Dongwon tuna can while employees were fixing a conveyor belt.
Dongwon said earlier that it was impossible for a blade fragment to get past its metal detectors and an X-ray machine at the factory in Changwon, South Gyeongsang.
The popular canned food manufacturer also said it was the first time fragments from a knife blade had gotten into a can.
But apparently that’s not the case. According to the KFDA, a similar incident took place in November 2006.
In response, Dongwon yesterday apologized via its Web site. An official who refused to be named admitted that the company’s investigation had not been “thorough.”
The KFDA said a conveyor belt broke at the Changwon factory where the can was produced on July 4 last year. The mishap caused production to be suspended for about 32 minutes and factory employees fixed the belt with a box cutter, a portion of which was found in the can, the KFDA said in its press release.
“We think it is highly possible that the box cutter’s blade broke during repairs and the fragment got into the can,” read the agency’s press release. “We also confirmed that there was a report from a customer that a knife blade was found in a tuna can on Nov. 29, 2006.”
During subsequent tests, the factory’s metal detectors and X-ray machine failed to detect foreign substances in cans, according to the KFDA.
Dongwon has been ordered to improve facilities at the factory and recall the 167,050 light standard tuna cans produced at the factory on July 4 that expire June 29, 2014.
“The company loosely dealt with foreign substances in its products which can be threatening to customers,” said Choi Soon-gon, an official at the KFDA.
Following Nongshim’s recall of its popular snack Saeukkang, a month after a fried rat head was found in one of its packets, Dongwon said it will withdraw the tuna cans.
According to the Green Consumer Network in Korea, a Seoul resident said he found a blade fragment in a Dongwon tuna can on March 3.

By Lim Mi-jin JoongAng Ilbo/ Kim Soe-jung Staff Reporter [soejung@joongang.co.kr]

The company not only has to apologize for the knife blade that wound up in one of its tuna cans this week, The Korea Food and Drug Administration confirmed yesterday that the knife blade got into the Dongwon tuna can while employees were fixing a conveyor belt. In response, Dongwon yesterday apologized via its Web site. Dongwon has been ordered to improve facilities at the factory and recall the 167,050 light standard tuna cans produced at the factory on July 4 that expire June 29, 2014.

In these days, many problems occured in food, and those problems treate the citizen's health. I think that many company got some problem in managing the factory, especially investigating the safety of products. The manage of employees, products, processes and facillities are very important and sensitive matters. And those responsibilities are charged on CEO and middle officials. So the ceo of company which produce the food and eating thisngs have to get more concern about the facilities , employees and processes.

20200041 kwon hyuck sung

POOR BILLIONAIRES

2008-03-29T01:35:00.005+09:00

Original Article:
Poor Billionaires
In a nation with rampant hyperinflation, bread is a bargain at just $10 million. Inside Zimbabwe's collapsing economy.
By Scott Johnson | Newsweek Web Exclusive
-----
Have you ever studied U.S. Histroy and have seen a picture of Germans after
WWII, using cash money as wall papers for their home?
Well, that is happening in the 21century in the country of Zimbabwe. Can you imagine?

According to Newsweek "The bill, released for the first time last month, is actually not a proper currency note at all but rather a "bearer check."

Last week in Zimbabwe 10 million dollars could buy exactly two rolls of toilet paper. By now it probably won't get quite that much.

Surprisingly, during this chaos Tomorrow, that is 29th of March 2008 is their
Presidential election date! Rober Mugabe, the 28 year long president of Zimbabwe was
blamed for such a economic catastrophe, people blame the legacy of sanctions and British Imperialism. His challenger, Simba Makoni says:" simply removing Mugabe will do wonders for the economy by restoring a modicum of confidence in the markets."

Officially, one U.S dollar is worth about 30,000 Zimbabwean dollars. As of last week the real price on the black market was about 35 million dollars, or 1,166 times the official rate.
The average wage for a farm worker is 30 million dollars per month. A domestic worker makes about five times that amount, and a laborer in one of Zimbabwe's decrepit factories can expect to earn as much as 300 million per month.If you're a government worker you'll earn a monthly pension of 60,000 (yes, thousand) a month. But an empty potato sack alone costs 2 million, or 33 times your monthly pension.

The most problematic factor is fluctuating price of oil.
Every Single price of a product depends on the change price of oil, so the price of oil controls basically everything there.
Say you've bought a side of beef that costs 20 million, and transport was a million, now you sell the beef for 22 million. Then the price of fuel rises, but you've already sold your beef, so it'll cost you 24 million in the end.

Right now, in Zimbabwe, one really knows where to start. "We just don't have people here who have dealt with this kind of hyperinflation," says David Coltart.

20700775 Article Entry #4

2008-03-28T21:11:00.002+09:00

Search Engines Dig Deeper, Wider

A screen shot of Daum

By Cho Jin-seo
Staff Reporter

If you are looking for a good, affordable French wine, you may consult the 4,519 posts on Yahoo's blog search engine. Or, you could visit the wine search engine on Daum and make your choice among some 500 labels available.

Focus and concentration is the new mantra of Web search engines. Every week they are adding more specific knowledge into their databases. They then provide it to users in separate and specified sections, rather than showing thousands of web pages in a single list like Google does.

The so-called ``specialized searching'' is the hot trend in the Internet search industry here. Due to meticulous demands from Internet users and fierce competition among Web sites to win advertisers, portals are continuously upgrading their searching techniques into a level that excels Google and other foreign engines, at least for Korean-language sources.

``Portal users, who were used to `consolidated searching,' are becoming more selfish. They don't want to see a long list of Web sites any longer. They want to see information tailored to their queries,'' said Sunny Park, Yahoo Korea's public relations official. ``The focus of Web searching is rapidly shifting from quantity to quality.''

South Korea is one of a few nations where Google has little presence because of local search engines' strong performances. Naver has dominated the field with its ``consolidated search'' system, which shows multiple sections of search results for a single query. The service now processes almost 80 percent of all search queries by Korean Web users.

To increase their shares of the pie, Naver's smaller competitors, such as Daum, Yahoo Korea and Paran, have been focusing on more specific fields that Naver has overlooked.

Paran is attracting young video and computer gaming audiences with its game search engine. Daum introduced wine searching in partnership with liquor distributor Doosan last year. It also has a vast database of medicine where people can find out the reasons behind doctors' prescriptions.

Yahoo Korea, which has a much different structure from its U.S. version, has been digging deep into blogs. Even though Naver has tried to block its blog pages from external search engines, Yahoo has somehow infiltrated it. It says that it now has access to some 150 million posts on 7 million blogs in Korea, the largest volume in the industry.

Most recently, Daum, the No. 2 player after Naver, expanded its search engine coverage to cafes ― the free, autonomous online communities, which were open only to members. The decision sparked protests from some cafe managers, but Daum lifted the barrier.

Daum says that there are some 400 million posts on its 7.2 million cafes. They include practical information, such as best camping sites for family trips, suitable gifts for wedding anniversaries, and how to overcome depression from failed stock trading.

Daum spokesperson Lee Seung-jin said the firm sees a meaningful increase in the number of visitors on the launchings of specific search functions. Encouraged, the site recently increased the size of its search query window on its top page.

``The newest trend in the portal industry is always reflected on the top page,'' said Yahoo's Park. ``Daum's bigger search window means that portals are now going back to the basic ― the Web search.''

``specialized searching'' was niche market in search-engine market.
many number of visitors on the launching of specific search function means customers prefer basic function of search-engine more than blog,cafe and news etc.
South Korea is one of a few nations where Google has little presence because of local search engines' strong performances.The reason why they prefer to such sites is only easy to access and comfortable to use for Korean netizens. In contrast to that, foreign web sites are not easy to access and not get accustomed to it as well.

20500530 # 3 .

Mitsubishi to Manufacture Regional Jets

2008-03-28T19:02:00.003+09:00

AP
Mitsubishi to Manufacture Regional Jets
Friday March 28, 5:44 am ET
Mitsubishi Heavy to Make Mid-Sized Regional Jets After Japan Carrier ANA Places First Orders

TOKYO (AP) -- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is going ahead with its mid-sized regional jet -- the first "made in Japan" passenger aircraft in three decades.
The announcement from the company President Kazuo Tsukuda came Friday, a day after major Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways placed the first orders for the twin-engine aircraft that seats about 70 to 90 people.

Original Article

Now, Mitsubishi is becoming one of the jets manufacturing company.
They've been succeeded in vehicle field. Their products, cars, were
pretty competitive in the market. But now, they are becoming a humongous
jets manufacturing company. I have no doubt that they will make much profit
through manufacturing jets. As written in article, starting from ANA, Japan
Airline company, they will expand world wide in Reginal Jets field.
I'm looking forward to see them growing gigantically.

20100174 #3 Entry

3. Carrefour China: Lessons From A Global Retailer

2008-03-28T11:56:00.000+09:00

Carrefour was the first retailer to open its hypermarkets that offer everything from electronics to groceries. Its first hypermarket was opened in 1995, now after 13 years it has 73 hypermarkets throughout 29 cities. China is the fifth largest market for Carrefour from which came $2 million of turnover in 2005 and an annual growth expectance of 25% to 30% over the next five years. The company in mainland is led by Jean-Luc Chéreau who came in 1999 after doing business in Taiwan for seven years. He was interviewed and talked a little about Carrefour’s experience in China.
When he came to China, the market was just beginning to open, they started by opening stores in the main cities and costal areas and learned about their consumers from those cities before expanding to other cities. Their entrance to the market can be considered of 18 years including the first entrance to Taiwan. The difference is that in the western and middle part of China, the market is less mature because there is limited purchasing power. He also says that those companies who entered to Taiwan when the mainland’s market was closed have a great advantage in China. The way Chinese people do business is different from what he used to do. Every time there was a change in the company, the partner company they were negotiating with came and wanted to renegotiate the a contract that was signed for ten years. It’s a different world, you can’t have preconceived ideas because you were successful in the U.S. or Europe.

20600642

HEY EVERYBODY

2008-03-27T23:45:00.005+09:00

WE'VE MADE OUR ESTES TEAM
YAHOO ACCOUNT (Min Sun & Jurie took care of making one and e-mailing it to Prof. A.Lee) -> Ask the ID and PW to us in class
so don't worry about it ! Thanx.
Oh, by the way, let's continue introducing ourselves!
And let's do our bests in the simulation game and WIN! ^^

World's Most Desirable Luxury Brands

2008-03-26T20:17:00.010+09:00

World's Most Desirable Luxury Brands
Nicola Ruiz, 03.25.08, 12:00 PM ET

Summary
The Nielsen Company has conducted an online survey, asking 25,000 consumers in 48 countries which luxury brand they would buy if money were no object. Top on the list, of course, was Gucci. Gucci's worldwide sales have increased since Mark Lee has become the president in 2004 and CED in 2005. As Michael Macko, a fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue puts it, "That red and green stripe is some of the most iconic luxury branding ever created, and people want a piece of it."
Chanel and Calvin Klein tied for the second place. Chanel has provided all those classic yet stylish products including dresses, tweed suit and quilted handbags. On the other hand, Calvin Klein has been successful as well: its global retail sales increased to $4.5 billion in 2006.
The interesting fact is that when looking at who actually buys these designer brands, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong come out on top. There are only 7% of North American shoppers who would actually buy these. Not only so but 37% of North American consumers claimed they would not buy the designers' even if money were no object.
Contrast to Asians who would, in a matter of second, pick out a fake bag, North Americans are less aware and less concerned about the designers' products.

>>Original Text

It’s always interesting to see which brand is THE most famous. Actually I thought Prada would be the number one brand on the list because of the movie “Devil Wears Prada.” Prada was on the list but in 9th place.
From this article I, again, realized the importance of acknowledging the regional and cultural differences. I always thought that North America may be the number one consumer of these designers’ brands but it was totally different. Rather, the places that I didn’t’ really thought of, the places like Middle east countries as well as Asian countries are more interested in these and buy more of it. Now it makes sense a bit. When thinking of North American countries, the word that comes into mind is ‘Individualism.’ They don’t really care about what others think about them than the Asian countries or any other countries. On the other hand, Asian countries including Korea, Japan and China, people really care about how they would be seen in the others’ eyes and how others think about them. It’s a humongous difference. I knew that there should be a great difference but through this article I felt it directly.

World's Most Desirable Luxury Brands in Pictures

No. 1: Gucci
Gucci Gucci founded the House of Gucci as a saddlery shop in Florence in 1906. A century later, the company's horse bit and stirrup motif is an enduring symbol of luxury. He started out selling leather bags to horsemen in the 1920s and progressed to luxury luggage as his clients graduated from equine transportation to horseless carriages. Today, with Frida Giannini at the creative helm, handbags with the interlocking double-G logo are among the company's biggest money makers.

No. 2: Chanel (tied)
Chanel is one of today's best-known fashion brands, and has been practically since it was founded by Coco (Gabrielle) Chanel in 1909. Coco Chanel established herself as the 20th century's single most important arbiter of fashion by offering women no-nonsense, elegant, relaxed and functional clothes. Today, the tweed Chanel suit with a nipped-at-the-waist cardigan jacket remains one of the most popular--and most copied--fashion staples. In 1983, Karl Lagerfeld reinvigorated the brand with a dose of sexiness. He's been designing the collection ever since.

No. 2: Calvin Klein (tied)
In 1968, Calvin Klein and an investor started the company as Calvin Klein Limited with a small line of men and women's coats. In the '70s, Klein won two Coty Awards for his minimalist styles, and by the middle of the decade he had created a designer-jeans craze by putting his name on each pair's back pocket. Advertisements featured a 15-year-old Brooke Shields who famously said, "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins." In 2003 Phillips Van Heusen acquired the brand, and today there are three tiers within the collection ranging from high-end pieces to moderately priced casualwear.

No. 4: Louis Vuitton
The French luxury fashion and leather goods brand, now a main division of the French holding company LVMH, was founded in 1854 as a luggage retailer. The company is now known for its monogrammed leather handbags and employs designer Marc Jacobs as its creative director. Keeping up with the demand for exclusive luxury, the company is collaborating with a series of artists for limited-edition handbag collections.

No. 5: Christian Dior
The designer founded the company in 1945 and quickly became famous for the "New Look," a fitted jacket with a nipped-in waist and full calf-length skirt. After the rationing of fabric during the World War II, Dior's lavish use of material was bold and shocking. Since 1996, chief designer John Galliano has been at the creative helm of the French fashion house, owned by the LVMH luxury goods group.

>> Original Article

20500419 Entry 3

STARBUCKS ANNOUNCES NEW UPGRADES

2008-03-25T17:07:00.006+09:00

EXCERPT FROM ORGINAL ARTICLE
Starbucks Announces New Upgrades
Wednesday, Mar. 19, 2008 By BARBARA KIVIAT Coming soon to your corner Starbucks: More coffee-ness.
Elaine Thompson / AP

Starbucks is changing, it is on their transformation stage.
Although they still beleive that "location" is still the most significant factor in increasing sales just like McDonald, Pizza Hut and sort... they got a new plan, and they are confident and optimistic about it.

Why the new plan?
Well..The new plans preceeds after two very rough quarters in the U.S market
the reason number 1 is U.S. business fall, and softening consumer spending.

So what are the specifics of the plan?

loyalty-rewards program
starting in mid-April for anyone who buys a Starbucks card and registers it online.
1.will get free refills on drip coffee,
2.a free cup of coffee when they buy a bag of whole bean coffee,
3.two free hours of Wi-Fi a day
4.and free upgrades — including syrups, soy milk, and extra whipped cream — on all lattes.

Also, they are introducing a new blend
Pike Place Roast
this is an old fashioned coffee making process : HAND DRIP that baristas use

AND MORE!
Starbucks plans to roll out a new espresso machine, the Mastrena, which is half a foot shorter than the current Verismo model and will let customers more easily see baristas making drinks. The new machine also gives baristas more freedom to pull different sorts of shots — such as a ristretto (which takes less water) and a long shot (which takes more) — and to more closely control the process of steaming milk.

AND HERE IS THE REAL STARBUCKS PLAN
The company will introduce a web site for customers and another for employees to share thoughts with the people who run Starbucks. MyStarbucksIdea.com will initially include about a dozen categories, such as coffee, atmosphere, food, music and social responsibility. People will be able to post, discuss and vote for ideas, such as having a separate line for customers who want to quickly order drip coffee. Forty-eight Starbucks employees will respond to the posts and take suggestions back to management. "Their job is to show up every day and engage with customers about their ideas," says chief technology officer Chris Bruzzo.

REMEMBER?
Today, in class Prof. Abraham Lee talked about Boston consulting group chart?
DOGS-PROBLEM CHILD-STARS-CASH COW?
Well, I remember, that starbucks started a "DOG BUSINESS"
which was : procucing CDs, promoting movis, selling teddy bears and warming up breakfast sandwiches. THEY WERE DETERMINATE ABOUT KILLING THE DOGS.
They are back "ON THE RIGHT TRACK"

HOWEVER
the article states: "Unlike many sellers of coffee, Starbucks sources its own beans from Latin America and etc... and other players don't"
-> I found this disturbing as a "COFFEE BEAN" fan, I mean Coffee bean do go out to the fields of africa, pacific, and latin America as well!...

Well, the Good News is, We hope to see the Starbucks TRANSFORM!

20700775 Article Entry #3

TOTALLY AMAZING

2008-03-24T18:26:00.009+09:00

Nokia has a brilliant idea for the next generation mobile phones.
the video included in this article is just so amazing.
i just can't wait to see this technology come out.
this design just blew my mind!!!!

"The main idea behind Nokia Morph concept phone is the use of nanotechnology based flexible materials, transparent electronics and self-cleaning surfaces. These materials should enable Nokia to produce a mobile device that “…might be stretchable and flexible, allowing the user to transform their mobile device into radically different shapes”. Different shaped devices you see in the picture, is actually the same one mobile handset, that transforms itself into the concrete shape according to the user needs. The concept was developed by Nokia research center in cooperation with Cambridge University and is on display at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. "
Make sure you watch this!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX-gTobCJHs

Article 4 20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim

2008-03-23T16:59:00.002+09:00

Entering the emergency ward at Tuen Mun Hospital in Hong Kong these days feels a little like getting clearance into a correctional facility. A woman cloaked in head-to-toe blue protective gear stands watch at the sliding glass doors, checking visitors' foreheads to ensure that no one running too high a fever gets through. Those who pass muster are given a blue surgical mask and entry to the fluorescent-lit waiting room. Those who don't are ushered to a clutch of plastic chairs outside, under a blue tent — a makeshift isolation and triage area — near a sign that says, in English and Chinese, "Fever Area."

Flu season is hitting Hong Kong especially hard this year. Outbreaks of common influenza have blossomed all over this dense city, with some 800 cases reported in schools in the last eight days. Doctors have confirmed that two children with flu have died since February, sending parents into a panic that culminated Wednesday when the government abruptly closed all primary schools, kindergartens and day-care centers for two weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands of young children with a lot of unscheduled time and adults at a loss to figure out what to do with it.

The government's extreme response probably says more about Hong Kong's medical history than its current diagnosis. Five years ago, the SARS epidemic crippled the city, killing nearly 300 people and grinding public life to an eerie halt. At the time, the government came under fire for not doing enough to curb the spread of the disease, leading to the eventual resignation of the acting health chief Yeoh Eng-kiong. "This is not as bad as SARS," says Lam Tin Lung, an ambulance driver who worked through that health crisis. "But we take more caution now. We've learned to be more aware of diseases."

Over the last two weeks, the government says Hong Kong's medical workers have put in 15,000 hours of overtime to meet demand at the city's overcrowded hospitals. The Hospital Authority has earmarked nearly $2.6 million in extra funds through the end of April to bulk up services and help pay for overtime at hospitals like Tuen Mun, where emergency ward admissions have spiked about 20% in recent weeks. A specially appointed panel of doctors has examined the cases of the children who died in order to ascertain whether it the flu was the cause — and whether the flu strains circulating in Hong Kong were particularly deadly or showed any signs of the H5N1 bird flu virus. The panel found no evidence of H5N1; both children who died with confirmed cases of the flu had a common flu strain, and both are thought to have died from complicating factors — not the flu itself. (A third child's death has not yet been linked to flu, and is still under investigation.) "I think this year we probably have a little bit more seasonal flu, perhaps more widespread," says Dr. Yuen Kwok-yung, a professor at Hong Kong University and head of the panel. "But it's not more virulent."

Public health experts are still worried, however, that the current flu outbreak will lead to even greater use of the antiflu drug Tamiflu. The powerful treatment has been proven particularly effective against H5N1 and has become widely prescribed in Hong Kong — it is increasingly available illegally, without prescription, in pharmacies — so resistance to the drug is growing fast here. Doctors say the overuse of Tamiflu is creating a manifold risk, not only of weakening a weapon against a potential bird flu outbreak, but also of helping to spread a virulent strain of drug-resistant common flu in the wider population. "It's not a good thing to abuse," says Yuen.

But it's hard to keep a community still scarred by recent medical history from doing whatever it can to protect itself. Samuel Ho, a professor of psychology at Hong Kong University, says that during the SARS epidemic, Hong Kong residents were exceedingly concerned about infecting their families and loved ones with the virus. "People were worried about whether they would get the flu," says Ho, "But they worried more about their relations. ... How can I protect my wife? My kids?" He says that to help alleviate the kind of mass insecurity that recurs in Hong Kong during bad flu seasons like this one, doctors need to inform people not only of the true risks they face, but also what they can do to control them.

In the meantime, health officials hope that closing schools will help curb the high infection rate. On Friday morning, a train that would normally be shuttling office workers is instead abuzz with families. Mega-strollers clog the aisles. A mom wipes the nose of her round little boy, while a young girl in pigtails and a flu mask collapses on her father's shoulder, laughing. This is, after all, a day off, and this particular train is headed to Hong Kong Disneyland. It's not a bad way to spend a sick day.

Flu season is hitting Hong Kong especially hard this year. Outbreaks of common influenza have blossomed all over this dense city, with some 800 cases reported in schools in the last eight days. Over the last two weeks, the government says Hong Kong's medical workers have put in 15,000 hours of overtime to meet demand at the city's overcrowded hospitals.

These days I caought a cold and it was extremly severe, I spended hard time during 2 weeks. The article says about the flu and the danger of it. I think that it was not only hong kong's problem. So we have to take care ourselves and always be cleaned.

I am sorry about putting the article late. I got hard time this week because of the flu.

High oil prices push people to buy green goods

2008-03-21T19:48:00.004+09:00

High oil prices push people to buy green goods

Sales of bikes and energy-saving products are on the rise.
March 20, 2008
As the price of crude oil hovers around $100 per barrel, people are looking for eco-friendly ways of saving money and companies are tapping into the trend.
Recently, CJ Mall, a Korean Internet shopping site, said it sold more than 1,000 bicycles between the beginning of last month and March 14, four times more than the same period a year ago and 10 times the number from 2006.
The Velo folding mini bicycle by Strida was the hottest seller, with 120 units rolling out the door, despite a steep price tag of 480,000 won ($480).
“We saw many people, especially in their 20s and 30s, choose bicycles this year as an alternative to cars,” said a CJ Mall official.
Sales of other energy-saving goods are also on the rise. Energy-saving power strips and water-saving shower-heads have been popular items, said Kim Chan-young, a cashier at the Gayang branch of Grand Mart in southern Seoul.
The nation’s gadget makers, such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, aren’t missing out. The market has seen a recent rush of energy-efficient electronics.
LG recently launched new lines of refrigerators which can lower energy consumption by up to 26 percent. Samsung’s newly released Pavv Cannes 450 TV consumes 50 percent less energy than other similar models.
An official from LG said people can save 6,000 won per month when they consume 10 kilowatts less by using energy-efficient goods.
The era of high oil prices has also prompted local firms to jump into the alternative energy business.
According to filings posted on the Financial Supervisory Service Web site, nearly 160 companies have launched renewable energy businesses since last September, LG Electronics, Daelim Industrial and Kumho Industrial among them.
The Ministry of Knowledge Economy also said yesterday that it is moving along with its plan to build 100,000 solar energy-powered houses in Korea. The ministry started building the houses in 2004, and it plans to invest 49 billion won in the project this year.
Under the plan, the government foots 60 percent of the bill while future residents pay the remaining 40 percent. The ministry expects around 2,700 solar houses to be constructed this year.
“An increasing number of people are applying for subsidies to build solar houses,” said a ministry official.

By Sung So-young Staff Reporter

hardship of economy sometimes are good for supplier and customer.
because of rising oil price, new industries are grown and developed such as
bicycle, green goods and alternative energy industry.
and rising oil price makes technologies are developed especially in home-electronic for the saving energy.
we're able to argue that these are good dimensions of high oil prices.

20500530 second article.

Eight Ways to Live Rent-Free

2008-03-21T17:50:00.002+09:00

Everyone would like lower housing costs. But what would it take to live rent-free?

A lot of homeowners are running smack into financial troubles these days. Roughly 900,000 U.S. homes are in foreclosure -- up 71% from a year ago.

Overall household finances aren't much better. More than 800,000 Americans declared bankruptcy in 2007 despite tougher bankruptcy laws now on the books -- an increase of nearly 40% from 2006. More from TheStreet.com

• Turn Clutter Into Cash

• 8 Reasons High School Makes You Poor

• Can't Sell Your Home? Try Something Else

That means a lot of people are looking for ways to slash their housing costs as a way to shore up their finances. You can live rent-free if you are flexible and think beyond typical home ownership and renting.

Sure, this calls for sacrifices and isn't feasible for everyone. It helps to be single or married without children to find free housing, although in special circumstances it may be possible to do so with a family.

Being flexible with where you live is also important since those who can live anywhere have more opportunities to live rent-free than those who need to live in a particular city.

Consider these eight alternative ways to get housing and you may find that your bank account has never looked better:

Original Article

Wow, isn't it wonderful to live Rent-Free?
While reading this you'll find out 8 ways to live Rent-Free.
You know that these days many people are suffering due to mortgage loan.
But if you live in ways stated on the artcle above, you are free about it.
I thought these are extraordinary ways to do.

20100174 #2 Entry

Debtors Are Better Savers: Surprising Survey

2008-03-21T17:28:00.002+09:00

Americans really want to save more money. The overwhelming majority (80 percent) say they do save money, but not as much as they would like because of the expenses of daily living. More than half (56 percent) say they save as much as possible because they're worried about tomorrow.

More from Bankrate.com

• Tackling Debt as a Family

• When One Spouse Files for Bankruptcy

• Are You Spending Smart?

But fear doesn't motivate everyone to save, and in fact a rather casual attitude about saving prevails among some people. Two out of 10 Americans say they don't save much because they work too hard to scrimp on the things they really enjoy. And 14 percent say they don't really worry about saving. However, this number doubles to 30 percent among people who live by their words and actually don't save a portion of their salary each year.

Bankrate commissioned GfK Roper to conduct a random survey of Americans' attitudes about savings and debt as part of our Financial Literacy series. See our poll analysis on debt-related questions, released in February.

Original Article

I didn't realize that nondebtors aren't saving as much portion of their income
than debtors. I thought that millionaires without debt would be easier to save
their income, but this article that I've posted tells me it's not. It's said
debtors more aware of their budgets because they have all the monthly payments.
I bet it's so important for us to have such a habit, saving.

20100174 #1 Entry

2. Samsung’s new plant in Vietnam

2008-03-21T15:26:00.002+09:00

After expanding their handset facilities to countries such as China, India and Brazil, Samsung is now trying to expand their handset plants into Vietnam. Their proposal was submitted a month ago to the Vietnamese authorities. According to their plans, the plant is going to produce 30 million handsets on the earlier stage, and after that it will expand their production to 100 million handsets per year. The cost for this new plant is US$670 million. The reason for expanding a plant in Vietnam is because of its cheap labor and its current ranking as the 6th most attractive place for foreign investment after China, India, Russia, the United States and Brazil.

20600642

Survivor - Sounds like FUN!

2008-03-21T14:23:00.002+09:00

The article i pasted below is about a TV show called Survivor. It sound pretty fun; people actually go to micronesia and try to live there under harsh circumstances. Apparently, a woman had to live in a rat/bat infested cave. She gave up. Too bad, since there's a big prize for the person who becomes the ultimate survivor.
It's a pretty good idea for a show, it also is for an English camp. What us koreans changed this survivor program to a small scale english survival camp? it's an idea.

there's the original article -
Note: Survivor Micronesia aired last night, Wednesday, as a result of tonight's basketball game (the show will also not be on at all next week). I've heard from a few people who wondered why I posted about tonight's episode early; sorry if the results got spoiled, and alas, I don't have advance access to the show or its results. If you missed the episode, you can watch it online.
For the second week in a row, a contestant left Survivor Micronesia without being voted out at Tribal Council. Kathy Sleckman quit the game after having an emotional breakdown. After a rainy night spent in a rat- and bat-infested cave, she flipped out, crying and telling everyone, "I can't be here one more minute. I can't take it." She also said that she could no longer feel her family, whatever that means.
While Jeff Probst isn't usually fond of quitters, he was compassionate and led her away. I kind of wanted to see what happened afterwards, when she realized she wasn't going to get to fly home immediately, as contestants are all sequestered until the game is over.
Kathy adds to the unprecedented number of people who've either quit or left the game this season. Last week, Chet gave up and told his tribe to vote him out, just as Jon Dalton did the first week. And also last week, Jonathan Penner was forced to leave due to his injury. In other words, four of the nine people who've left have done so essentially voluntarily or been forced to leave outside of Tribal Council.
Overall, the favorites seem destined to win, as they're just steamrolling over the fans. Of the seven people who've actually been voted out, only two have been favorites, and those two eliminations occurred when the tribes hadn't yet been mixed up. Although there's been talk of the favorites turning on one another, they seem more content to go after the fans.
In the meantime, the fan/favorite interaction has provided for some entertainment. Last night, Ozzy trained Erik, who is in awe of his Survivor idol Ozzy. Cirie compared them to the father and son in The Lion King, and said Erik "just worships the ground that he walks on."
At the reward challenge, the editors had some fun showing both Erik and Ozzy eating bananas in a slow, suggestive manner while Ozzy said, "He's like a wide-eyed kid in a candy store. It made me feel proud that we were able to win and bring him in and let him experience this." Erik may be in luck, as Ozzy has shared his banana with reality show contestants before.

Article 3 - 20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim

Hey I'm Jurie

2008-03-21T02:19:00.004+09:00

Hi! My name is Jurie, I'm 23 yrs old. I major in Mass Media and US International Law.
It was so nice to have dinner that day with some of you at Hoyam that day.
I am so glad to be in this group and hope this semester becomes a blast with
you all in group "ESTES." I appreciate everyone welcoming me eventhough I entered the group a bit later then some of you.
We have some great Ideas already for the next big assignment for us and I am thrilled to be part of it ! ^^ Let's learn much, earn that much as well and have fun this semester!

Hard to eat a slice of a Pizza.

2008-03-21T01:26:00.005+09:00

Commenting the original article from
CNNmoney.com "A Slice of pizza gets pricier." By Allan Chernoff

Why is a slice of pizza getting pricier?
Primarily, the Rising wheat price is one factor.
Therfore that indicates that not only pizza prices are stiffing up but all food products made out of wheat will be pricy for atleast couple of months, probably until this winter. Bread, noodles, burgers... mostly what the Americans eat everyday. Bakery, Italian restaurants, fast food chains, pizza places, etc... they are surprised by the price of bag of a wheat itself. According to the Chicago Board of Trade a bushel, "60-pounds of wheat, now trades for more than $1100, more than two-and-1/2 times what it was just a year ago."

We have covered, why a slice of a pizza will be pricy. And how pricy.
Then let's go to the bottom line, why are wheat prices going up?

"You can lay part of the blame on ethanol. Huge demand for ethanol has farmers planting more corn to produce the fuel when they could be growing wheat"

Interestingly enough, the farmers learned a lesson and their plan for the winter is to go back to their original job and plant and produce more wheat so that is why we can expect normal wheat prices by this upcoming winter, atleast.

Basically, the U.S is promoting Bio-ethanol industry using corn as an alternative energy for petroleum, so the demand of corn had increase, so that the farmers changed their crop from wheat to corn, and because of this the stock farmers who fed their stocks the grains were also hit by this phenomena.

I met a person in the airplane, he said he buys wheat at the cheapest places and sells in other places at a high price. (I was sitting in a business class...)

These days... grains are not just grains, they are weapons.
I believe one of the reasons why China is growing so fast is because of this.
Remeber what Prof. Abraham Lee told us in his lecture? China is buying all the raw materials, and similarly, that is why POSCO is doing so well with their Steel industry.

It is just interesting to realize once again that all industries are so interconnected to each other.

20700775 #2 Second Entry

The Most Expensive Speeches

2008-03-20T10:11:00.012+09:00

Summary
Throughout the history, there have been a number of great speakers like Lincoln, King and Churchill but they may not have earned so much like the speakers of this century. Donald Trump has got the highest speaking fees ever paid, $1.5 million from delivering speeches at the Learning Annex in 2006 and 2007. Not only him, has the formal president of United States, Bill Clinton dominates the list when ranking the dough at the lecture.
The reason people pay that much money, according to Zanker from the Learning Annex, is that they just worth it. They give the specific, actionable advice to the audience so that they attract a huge crowd who are eager to pay to hear them speak.

>>Original Text

It’s interesting how people pay just to hear someone that they like, or rather admire, speak. Yes, of course they give you some actionable advices, the things that you can just apply to their everyday life; yet so can do the books which would cost less than the tickets. Also the things that those famous people talk about are some kind of known facts of how we should live or how we can earn tons of money. Surely they would get more from those lectures, but for me, it is kind of never-understood thing.
On the other hand, this article is interesting in the way that it shows how a person, not of less or more but the same as everyone else, can be a BRAND himself. People pay money to see him or hear from him in the way they buy clothing, house or grocery. It’s just- just like Professor Abraham Lee puts it- WOW.

In Pictures: The Most Expensive Speeches

No. 1: Donald Trump
$1.5 Million
The Learning Annex, 2006 And 2007
The Donald earned a staggering $1.5 million per speech at The Learning Annex's "real estate wealth expos" in 2006 and 2007. Trump appeared at 17 seminars and collected this fee for each one. Trump was contracted to speak for an hour at each appearance, but "he usually goes a couple hours" if you include the time he spends fielding questions from the audience, according to Learning Annex founder and President Bill Zanker.

No. 2: Donald Trump
$1 Million
The Learning Annex, 2005
Trump set the stage for his million-five payday with the Learning Annex after earning $1 million per speech in 2005.

No. 3: Ronald Reagan
$1 Million
Fujisankei Communications, 1989
The late former president was reportedly paid $2 million by the Japanese media company for a 1989 tour of Japan, which included two speeches. We rank Reagan a notch behind Trump because he also gave press interviews with Fujisankei-owned media outlets during his visit.

No. 4: Tony Blair
$500,000
Guangda Group, 2007
The former British prime minister was pilloried in November by government-run newspapers in China when they revealed he had been paid half a million dollars by a property development company in Guangdong province to deliver a speech at a luxury housing development.

No. 5: Bill Clinton
$450,000
Fortune Forum, 2006
The Man From Hope generates more on the public speaking circuit than any former president ever has. His most expensive speech to date? An address he delivered in September 2006 at the Fortune Forum in London, for which he earned $450,000. And that wasn't even his best-paying gig: That honor goes to a November 2003 speech he was scheduled to deliver in Japan on behalf of Sakura Capital Management. But the speech was canceled and the $500,000 proceeds were donated to the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Foundation.

>>Original Article

20500419 Entry #2

2008-03-18T23:25:00.001+09:00

Hi!

2008-03-17T23:45:00.003+09:00

Hey there everyone! I'm Ryan and it's a pleasure to be in the same team with you guys. I'm majoring in Global management and industrial design; the picture above is a picture of me and my first art piece. Anyways, I'm sure we're gonna have an awesome semester!

Samsung's slush fund

2008-03-17T22:19:00.006+09:00

This blog regist latre.

특검 ‘삼성생명 차명주식 배당금’ 비자금 확인
입력: 2008년 03월 17일 02:21:05

ㆍ“200억 ~ 300억 상품권·채권 매입”

삼성그룹 비리 의혹을 수사 중인 조준웅 특별검사팀은 삼성이 삼성생명 차명주식 배당금으로 채권과 백화점 상품권을 대량 매입한 사실을 확인했다. 이는 삼성이 이건희 회장 일가의 삼성생명 주식을 전·현직 임직원 명의로 차명 관리했다는 것을 뒷받침하는 것이어서 파장이 예상된다.

특검팀 관계자는 16일 “삼성생명 전·현직 임원 10여명의 배당금 사용처를 추적한 결과 100만원권 수표로 바꾼 뒤 신세계백화점 상품권을 매입하는 공통된 흐름을 보였다”고 밝혔다. 특검팀은 지금까지 삼성생명 배당금으로 조성한 200억~300억원 규모의 비자금을 확인하고 자금흐름을 추적 중이다. 특검 수사 착수 이후 삼성의 비자금 조성 사실이 구체적으로 확인된 것은 삼성화재의 보험금 미지급금 10억여원 외에 이번이 두번째다. 특검 관계자는 “상품권 매입자금으로 사용된 수표 추적 결과 이상한 돈 흐름이 포착됐다”면서 “최초 사용자와 자금 흐름을 감추기 위한 ‘돈세탁’ 수단으로 보인다”고 말했다.

특검팀은 배당금 중 일부가 삼성 전략기획실이 관리하는 삼성의 차명 의심계좌로 유입된 사실을 밝혀냈다. 또 일부 배당금은 저금리 채권을 사는 데 이용된 뒤 다시 채권 할인 과정을 거쳐 수표로 현금화된 정황도 확보했다.

특검팀은 이 자금이 2002년 대선 때 삼성이 정치권에 건넨 대선자금과도 관련이 있는지 수사 중이다

김용철 변호사는 지난해 11월 “삼성은 김인주 전략기획실 사장 집무실 바로 옆에 있는 비밀 금고에 현금·상품권과 함께 로비 장부를 보관해 왔다”고 주장했다. 특검팀은 삼성생명 차명주식 보유 현황과 비자금 사용처를 캐기 위해 14일 이 회장 일가의 재산관리를 맡았던 삼성 전략기획실 전모 상무를 소환조사했다. 특검팀은 전 상무로부터 이 회장 일가의 계열사 지분 및 개인재산 내역을 제출받아 확인 중이다.

The Samsung group's slush funds are detected by special inspector team. The slush funds's amount is assumed about 200~300 hunred million one. The family of Lee-the chairman of Samsung- made these slush fund by money laundering and the special inspector team search that those fund's were related with 2002 president election fund.
I think that this matter is very sensitive and importance matter in our society. Samsung is the biggest company in Korea, and they get high position in our economy. So the moral problem of samsung will heavilly effect on the public opinion.
And by exposing the absurdity the brand image of samsung is decreased and also the revenue of samsung is decreased. The moral problem of huge company can decrease the prodictivity and morale of employees. There are many bad effect by samsung problem, so government have to heavily cope with samsung problem
20200041 권혁성 Kwon Hyuck Sung (late)

Hello everyone!

2008-03-17T19:56:00.004+09:00

I'm Minsun Lee, a 23-year-old healthy cheerful girl:D
I like reading books, listening to music, watching movies and etc.
On the weekends, I like going to DVD room, just to watch movies with my friends!
It's cheaper than going to the theatre you know..., also while watching, we can chat, eat something and.. something like that!(it's not like what you think=-=!)

Anyways, I wish we can have a great semester, great class together!

How about introduce ourselves?

2008-03-17T10:18:00.004+09:00

Hello my name is hyuck sung Kwon
I am 02 학번 and I major in management and Graphic design.
I like playing games, watching movies, playing basketball and etc...

Dinner Appointment TODAY.

2008-03-17T09:52:00.002+09:00

Just to make sure no one misses our dinner together today -

HYOAM RESTAURANT 6PM.

See you all there!! :D

The time is gone

2008-03-15T21:40:00.003+09:00

Designer credit cards compete for wallet share

March 01, 2008

Credit cards are turning arty.
Card issuers are trying to catch the eyes of customers with innovative designs, as the entire industry is in a fierce battle for a bigger piece of the credit pie.
Kookmin Card this week unveiled a card with its front covered with a leather-like pigment. The design upgrade will be applied to its KB Star Card product set to debut next week and it will have two types: ostrich and crocodile.
“We were inspired by the fact that wallets that contain cards are mostly made of leather,” said Cho Yong-soo, assistant manager of the card marketing department at Kookmin Card.
“Although the material is not real, it feels like leather.” Current KB Star Card subscribers can also receive the newly-designed card upon request.
The card unit of the nation’s No. 1 lender forecast that the industry is increasingly placing priority on design to distinguish brands, because customers now tend to take the design factor into consideration when choosing which card to use.
“The time is gone when credit cards competed against each other with functional benefits, such as discounts and points,” said a spokesman.
It was Hyundai Card, a unit of Hyundai Group, that prompted the design rivalry among card issuers. In 2003, when the majority of credit cards differed only in color and geometric pattern, Hyundai introduced a transparent card. Next came a “mini card,” almost half the size of the industry standard that functioned the same as regular-size cards, and its colors were vivid ― like red and hot pink. The card firm recently unleashed another innovation, adopting the industry term “color core.” The new product has a colored plate, or core, which means the 0.8-milimeter side of the card is tinted. Conventionally, cards have white sides.
According to Cha Kyung-mo, a spokesman with Hyundai Card, the company aims to make cards serve as “decorations” for wallets. “When a Korean adult carries an average of four credit cards, we hope our card will win a position game inside the wallet. Raising the so-called wallet share is our goal,” he said. Designing one card takes hundreds of millions of won (over $100,000), he said. BC Card has fashion models on its Rainbow Card for the younger demographic.
Samsung Card lets subscribers design cards with pictures from movies or their own photos. - By Seo Ji-eun Staff Reporter

The time is gone when credit cards competed against each other with functional benefits, such as discounts and points,” said a spokesman
many company's credit card has been arty. companys trying to catch the eyes of customer with design, not a convenience or function.
credit card well known as convenience, so credit card companies competed with functional things something like point or discount.
but they trying to moving customer's heart with arty design.
arty design for credit card will be cultural icon. I think this marketing strategy following postmodernism. nowdays customer can choose credit card's design. it is following postmodernism's idea : individuality is regarded so important.
not only credit card but also many of things are going to be unique and special, and only unique product will be survive in the market.

20500530 Lim Ji Hoon

Merges, Merges.

2008-03-14T20:02:00.003+09:00

a while back, there was this big news about microsoft trying to buy out Yahoo. I don't think it happened yet. but guess what - AOL bought Bebo.
Bebo was really big a while back, until Facebook came out. It probably is still pretty big; apparently, it's worth 850million dollars.
Here's the original text -

AOL buying Bebo for $850 million was a pleasant surprise to wake up to this morning. Wow! I think this is a smart move for AOL as Bebo is currently the third largest social network on the Web behind Facebook and MySpace. With AIM offering one of the larger social graphs on the Web but a turnstile of online social networking profile site attempts in the last two years it looks like AOL has finally decided to invest externally in a solution with a lot users and page views. This just adds to the a number of other acquisitions that recently occurred in the social platforms group which include Goowy and Yedda.
Other than that I really don't have any information on the Bebo acquisition which I find sort of amusing since all my blogging buddies (TechCrunch, CenterNetworks and GigaOm), many of which I personally introduced to my colleagues at AOL, seemed to be in the loop on the Bebo acquisition news before most the AOL social platforms group in which I work and I assume Bebo will be placed in. Oh and you can see my bebo profile here.
Congratulations to the newest Silicon Valley millionaires and AOL employees from Bebo. - reuters.

I wonder what kind of bright future this could possibly bring. AOL is a so-so company in the online business; so is Bebo. These two companies might actually hit it off quite well together. to be honest, i really have no idea what's going to happen. But i'm looking forward to find out. Maybe i should buy AOL stocks or something.

Article 2 - 20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim

"Human Car"

2008-03-14T17:23:00.003+09:00

The automobile industry is one of the most competitive industries in the market. Great automobile companies such as Ford, GM, and Toyota are always trying to bring innovations to their products in terms of technology, marketing, labor costs and etc. But an interesting thing that I found about Ford is that they brought some kind of innovation that differentiated their advertisement compared to other companies’. Every time you watch a car commercial on TV you see that there’s always a nice woman or a handsome man driving on a spectacular view on the background. When we watch those kinds of commercial, we are supposed to desire that car not for the car itself, but because we idealize that moment. We want to be that man/woman driving. We want to have that peace and joy that person has while driving the car. And we unconsciously think that if we possess that car we will be able to enjoy everything we see on the television. Now, what Ford did, was advertising their cars, with people. They show people actually “making” (illustrating) a car with their own bodies. The message that they leave to the costumer on the video is that “a car is just a car, until it’s powered by you.” It is actually true because what gives power to a car is not technology. A car without a person to drive, it’s nothing but a useless machine. I think that what Ford is trying to do is add consumer’s value to their cars, saying that we are the most important thing for them. Technology is always changing and innovative devices are always being added, which means that the cars are also constantly changing. But our value as a consumer never changes, and that is the most important thing for Ford.

Jin Chung
20600642

Do you know McIntosh?

2008-03-14T16:50:00.005+09:00

excerpt from Global Business section from TIME magazine, march 10, 2008 edition.
Original Title: Life At the Top. A New Tune for High-End Audio. McIntosh, beloved by fans but bereft of strategy, got aremix from its latest owner. By Kristina Dell

Do you know a company name: McIntosh? , I am not talking about Steve Job's brand and that by the way would be Macintosh.

Perhaps many are not aware of the name.
McIntosh is not a generic brand of Macintosh. Then What is this brand and Who owns it?

Well, the owner of McIntosh, is Ivan Messer, and his motto can explain him pretty much thoroughly. "Nothing but the best or why bother?".
As the motto tells us, he is one of those perfectionist guys. He is a bit of a strange person for he had been spending five years for doing nothing but building a home theater worth a million dollars. His setup included 14 speakers, 16 amplifiers and 400 amps of current. (MORE POWER THAN MORE HOUSE HOLD COULD CONSUME IN JUST A SOUND SYSTEM!!!) He described his sound system "You could get seasick watching Master and Commander in my theater."

Messer started accumulating this brand about 20 years ago from now, and as soon as he got some hold of a money he immediately spent 25,000 dollars on his first system containing a steal 7ft tall XRT2K Mac loud $45,000dollar each.

He calls it a big boy toy. He is also very proud of his inventions as he says: "If there wer another brand better, I would get it, but 90% of what McIntosh makes is the best in its class."

However, we all know that being the best, does not exactly relate to high profits.

Yes,the brand has been attacked by Japnese copycat brands, and audio market has become a rough place for niche labels like McIntosh.

The dark years were led to a buyout by D&M holding, a japanese audio company traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, however in the past fiscal year the company had sales of alsost ONE BILLION and earning os 53 Million.

"PERHAPS YOU"VE HEARD THAT TUNE BEFORE?" is the strategy that Bernard Arnault used.

Now they have enough money to do better development and make better products.

What victor Pacor, the president of D&M holdings on the rationale for acquiring mcintosh, was the key to success (I believe)
He told them " HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE WHAT YOU WANT." YOU CAN'T DO THAT WHEN YOU'RE STRUGGLING TO MAKE PAYROLL."

They said that their strategy was that : they are never the earliest developers of a technology. We wait for the dust to settle, and then the technology is mature enough so we can add to it.

Chairman of Island Def Jam Music Group, stated about McIntosh "I think the average untrained person can hear that it's a smother, silkier sound, a very warm sound that doesn't mistreat the music but enhances it."

the writer mentions the merits and some negative sides of the brand as he mentioned
"I inquired about the cheapest McIntosh purchase and it was $3,500, not so bad, I tohught, but that was just for the power and preamp the $45,000 speakers were extra.

the writer wrote the article very balanced. And it had a clear voice to the readers.
He wrote McIntosh as "the sound of Money. and clearly states the actual customer target.
the components aren't for the casual listener...

Prestigious but yet very pricy, McIntosh definately is special, as it is profiting every year.

If you are still suspicious about their success, then read over there business strategy stated above.

20700775 #1 First Entry

What do you know about CLIFFDIVING??

2008-03-14T16:23:00.005+09:00

I spent my highschool years in Africa. You can probably imagine what it was like, with all the lions and zebras and giraffs and stuff. To tell you the truth, I've never seen a wild lion; Africa is not as wild as most people think it is. Well, i have seen a rhino and a lot of pelicans. I do love my experience there.

Anyways, what i wanted to talk to you about here is about cliffdiving. cliffdiving can be very dangerous, but only if you don't know what you're jumping into. There are specific designated spots you can jump into; like the spot on the picture. if you jump into shallow waters, you might get seriously injured. If you want to go cliff diving, go with someone who has experience. Not just any kind of experience; jump at a spot where that person has jumped before.

If you ever get the chance to go to Senegal, West Africa, go to the "serpent" (snake) island and look for the spot on the picture. I can assure you that no sharp rocks are waiting for you under the surface.
Article 1 - 20700193 Haeyeon Ryan Kim

Yes, You Too Can YouTube

2008-03-13T21:45:00.001+09:00

Yes, You Too Can YouTube

YouTube, a video sharing website, has greatly succeeded with enormous stock of videos and users account. For YouTube is open free to the users and visitors, it has mainly depended on the advertisements, letting their clients post up their banners, pictorial display ads, and text ads on its site. So far, the company has got their revenue based on pay-per-click, but now it is trying to turn it other way by implementing a new tactics called "in-stream" advertising. The video ad clips or pictorial ads will be overlaid on videos so that it would be more eye-catching. For this "in-stream" advertisement, YouTube is now releasing a set of free software tools to the Web developers and let them create fully functional YouTube players on their own sites. By doing so, there will be more and more people watching YouTube's video clips with the in-stream advertisement, even if they do not visit YouTube site. Yet since it is new, there will be some turbulence and will take a few years to be adopted. It might be risky but it also might be a great chance to renovate the world of advertisement.

Original Text: http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/03/12/youtube-Tivo-Spore-tech-personal-cx_ag_0312youtube.html

Since internet became a part of our life, everything changed. I can look up the news from far away, from some country that I never have heard of instantly. I can meet the people that I would have seen or talked to otherwise. I also can find the information at the speed of light, the information that I would have looked up in the library for three days, and nights and still wouldn’t be able to find. In short, internet is just so amazing.
Not only for my own purposes, for the business, the internet is just a great opportunity for every single business: even a small shop, the mom-and-pop shop as Professor Lee says, can advertise locally or get a better supplier by searching and contacting online. Now that small shops are actually using internet as a key to success, then why wouldn’t the big firms? It is just obvious that they would be eager to use the internet as a new business opportunity, as a great information center, and as a great advertisement tool.
For YouTube, this era is just perfect. There are thousands and millions of people visiting YouTube everyday and the company’s clients, eager to show their products or brands to those people, are ready to give whatever it wants as long as their products are recognized by those users. It’s just perfect.
YouTube has been a great success in terms of revenue through advertisements so far, and with this new “in-stream” advertisement, it’s just going to be bomb. There would be tons and tons of clients. Also since the advertisement is within the video clip, YouTube would charge more for advertisement.
Yet there are some concerns. First of all, YouTube has to remember that users are sometimes impatient and disturbed easily. It is rare the web-surfers click on the pop-ups. It’s just disturbing. If YouTube puts too much advertisement on the video, or the advertisement play time is too long, they are not going to come back. I have seen many of my friends stopped using Pandora TV (http://pandora.tv/) after it put in three ads that take about 30 to 40 seconds. It’s just that simple. Advertisement is good as long as it doesn’t disturb the users. Secondly, YouTube has to remember that there are many other rivals and substitutes. There are many ways to advertise for the clients and there are other sites that offer the same system that YouTube has. Right now, YouTube may be the number one but it doesn’t mean that it is going to be number one.

20500419 Entry #1