VIDEOS. France. — Bordeaux is one of the global homes of wine.
Australian vitocultural innovation has brought new world practices to old-world Europe.
On the other hand, tradition is important, and Bordeaux is a blend of European tradition & innovation. Have a look, it’s an interesting video.
Climate change may also effect wine-growing regions & the massive wine industry.

COMMENT, Paris – Paris is divided into: Old Paris, where all the buildings have consistent height, and often consistent or at least fitting facades.
Standing on level 5 of Georges Pompidou, you can see the whole of Old Paris, laid out before you. I did this last in April 2007, and was mesmerized.

And New Paris: Office district on the other side of Paris; La Défense. This modern office block tower district, is really an additional side to the old Paris not a central part of Paris.
The new 300 metre tower by …

COMMENT, Global — According to De Spiegel, France’s leader, Sarkozy, has made the sad decision to axe the English-Language component of France 24.
“French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced the killing off of the English-language news channel France 24, barely a year after it first hit the airwaves. ”
> De Spiegel: Sarkozy To Axe France 24
This is not how you win others over to your culture. It seems to play into the hands of further cultural homogenization.
The decision to cut France 24, seems a bleak decision for France, and Francophiles globally.

COMMENT, Global — Sometimes ideas matter. And to people all over the world.
How do I know?

Well simply, the most popular ideas 2thinknow tested online in 2007 were also the most intelligent. Not more Paris or Britney.
Readers, I’m proud of your intelligent choices…

COMMENT, Global – One of the trends I have noticed amplified whilst updating my book the Global Innovation Review 2007, is a return to the figurative in art and culture.
Why is this important? It shows direction in art. Away from post-modernist ‘I am a painter so why do I bother to paint?‘ thinking that typified the 90s. The 90s were however that kind of decade perhaps…!
Even moreso it shows a return to seeking meaning. It’s tiring looking at noir films, drinking black coffee and talk about meaninglessness.
Remember the artist …

ANALYSIS, France and Global — There is a problem with prediction. Always has been.
(I am going to wade into the historical and allegorical, into 2 centuries past. By doing this, I hope to shed some light on some alternate views on prediction of change events, and the differences in viewpoint between myself and Nassim Taleb, and his book ‘Black Swans’ on predicting change and usefulness of prediction.)
There was a problem if you lived in France predicting the revolution of 1789. Some signs were there in hindsight. But the reality is …

TRAVEL, France — When you visit France, there are some paintings you must see to complete your Parisian cultural visit and understand France, and the modern world.
As Ruskin said:
“Great nations write their autobiographies in three manuscripts, the book of their deeds, the book of their words and the book of their art.
“Not one of these books can be understood unless we read the two others, but of the three the only trustworthy one is the last.”

Or why the Pen is still mightier than the sword!
COMMENT, USA & Australia — The modern world of business and politics run on words. It has ever been thus.
The importance of words will only increase in a world of information, services, creativity and increasing automation of the means of production.
It has been my experience dealing with governmental and business leaders that the primary separating factor between those who got the ‘good’ jobs, and those who didn’t was self-expression with words. (Remember I have consulted or educated people at all …

COMMENT, Global – 24/7 may be good for some individuals, but the majority of us still work some version of 9 to 5.
Our sleep and lives cannot help be impacted by the people around us who work night-shifts.
Society’s need some standards. Rampant individualism impacts the whole.
In last nights hotel I was woken by round-the-clock traffic not there 10 years ago.
At home, in the space of 3 years, there has been a rapid increase in the amount of traffic going to and from work at all hours. Our formerly quiet place …

[ratings] TRAVEL COMMENT, PARIS — So here are 4 top Paris Hotels if you like luxury travel. There are many others, especially those of the boutique kind.
These are French people’s Paris hotels, as far as I can tell, and if you like a Marriott or other US chain instead stay there.

Just as it seems fast has come todominate our lives, the new trend of Slow … Slow Food, Slow Money, Tree-Changing is become more prominent…

CULTURE COMMENT, Global – I am learning French at current at the Alliance Française, Melbourne.
Why is French so important?
Simple.
French is a culturally rich language.
French has traditionally been the language of diplomacy.
French is a language and a system of thought. French culture and intellect is integrated into French language.
The French are a culturally inventive and creative people. Part of this is the language.
Learning French can help you become an innovator, an ideas person.
And whether French or not, we should all learn languages to broaden our minds.
Learning French and other languages
There’s 4 …

ANALYSIS, Sydney & Melbourne, Australia –
An open letter to visiting President Bush.
Mr Bush is in Sydney Australia at current for the APEC summit, this was written just after his joint speech with Mr Howard today.
Dear Mr President,
You spoke at the APEC Summit with our Prime Minister, Mr Howard.
I agreed with your remarks Sir, about freedom and human rights being critical to the world’s future.
But the Oil War is not the way to spread freedom.
This war is deeply unpopular because the people ‘get’ it was not an honest war.
Another’s freedom …

COMMENT, Global — We’ve have been in a post-modernist age for some time now.
But someone forgot to tell those 1950s-loving industrialist neo-cons.
The innovation zeitgeist is with the Creative Age.
Let’s look at where that innovation is for a moment.

COMMENT, Melbourne – There has been much debate recently over the 7 Wonders of the World,.
However no-one has focused on the most inspiring wonders representing mankind’s achievements.
Such lists may seem unimportant, but they are symbolic. Symbolic of our achievements, our history, our foibles and humanity’s potent greatness.
But how to properly arrive at a list of the 7 New Wonders?
To arrive at an updated list of the 7 New Wonders of the World we could engage in a vote (an exercise done recently), but that tends towards nationalistic results.
So we started …

ANALYSIS, Melbourne – With the recent tense stand-off in British relations, intelligent people are underestimating Russian power, when Russia has traditionally (even under the Tsar) been a pole of power in Europe.
The Russian Bear has always viewed the concept of diminished power as rather misleading, hence the recent ‘strong-man’ photos of Putin fishing as well as renewed nuclear force deployment and military investment.
Russian & America: Mein Freund?
US discussions on a missile shield in Poland/Czech republic were ostensibly to protect Europe from ‘rogue’ states.
Of course, no one in the US really …

2THINKNOW COMMENT, Melbourne – “Left turn at Albuquerque.”
Unless you have watched Bugs Bunny you wouldn’t know that. But chances are you have. No matter where you live.
And you might know:
“Quoi de neuf, docteur ?” (Francais)

” Che succede, amico?” (Italiano)
“Hej šefe koji ti je vrag?” (Yugoslav)
“Eh, What’s Up Doc?” (English)
… or in any other language you care to name.
Bugs Bunny is a cartoon that has almost universal understanding across multiple languages all throughout the world.
Animation lends itself to universal communication.
Animation can be dubbed easily into any language. The lips moving don’t …

ANALYSIS, Sydney, Australia – Too often too much of what we buy is too disposable.
The innovation zeitgeist is to be found in returning to an old paradigm.
Innovation is the old sensible paradigm
Buy goods that last and are reparable. That is the paradigm.
For environmental and quality of life reasons, this is now an emerging innovation trend in the infancy stages of innovation.
But I’m not saying that this is now easy.
Remember our grandparents repaired what they bought?
Our grandparents saved and purchased long-term value goods. We may think we are wealthier, but …

ANALYSIS, San Francisco – WordCamp 2007 commenced today in San Francisco, at the Swedish American Hall on Market St. This is my second post.Presenter in the second session, was experienced journalist and IT veteran John Dvorak. He was joined by writer from the (sadly rumoured to be defunct) Business 2.0, OM Malik.
Dvorak had two interesting points regarding innovation:
“Bloggers present themselves as bloggers”
“Citizen journalism”
Schedule: http://2007.wordcamp.org/schedule/blogs-vs-journalism/
Both these allude to the innovation zeitgeist as 2thinknowTM define it.
The innovation zeitgesit in blogging is the upcoming professionalism and redesign of the presentation of user …

ANALYSIS, San Francisco — From WordCamp 2007. Podcasting will be a new media, and will grow in revenues. By then it may not be called podcasting.
It may be called something new and snappy, and will be in some ways more like TV/radio.
Marketing, including naming (eg. iPod is sexier than media player and is now the generic name) is important to product development and adoption (see Apple…)
Thanks to Dan Kuykendall, of www.mightyseek.com for an excellent and well balanced presentation of the what, why and how of pod-casting; and despite being first …