Winning The Boat Race - Lessons in Leadership & Teamwork

Leadership means getting the team to row in the same direction!

In Time Magazine’s December 3, 2007 issue, I read with great passion the article “Ready All, Row” by Thomas K. Grose (so much so that I cut out the article and am still keen to blog about it many months later). In this article, Grose talks about what it takes to win THE Boat Race. This 4-mile boat race is fought between two eights of Cambridge and Oxford universities every April on the Thames River. Among the many rivalries in the world, this is of course one of the most historic, dating back to 1829. The training, the hype and the race itself are extensive and intensive. Nearly 8 million people in the UK tune in, with millions more overseas. And, believing that sport is a perfect training ground for business, I am always on the lookout for lessons in leadership.

I often put in opposition two images of leadership style: (1) where the individuals in the boat are driven to excel and the direction sought of the boat is absolute perfection; and (2) where the focus is on team chemistry and individual expression where synchronization is more important than direction. Of course, neither path is necessarily at the exclusion of the other. However, as a matter of course, I tend to prefer the second orientation, putting an emphasis first on teamwork, especially when you don't always have access to the best talent. Knowing how to extract the best out of the personnel you have allows for the greatest leverage -- and people with talent will tend to gravitate to you. Key to success is the ability to galvanize the team around the same values and objectives. And, as the TIME article suggests, the interplay of the personalities is critical to gaining the extra insights, effort and results.

What does it take to create a well synched boat or team? The team needs superior communication skills (listening and sharing). It helps to have gone through some tough times together (and survived). And then, there is the alchemy that allows the team to be "in the zone" (or the groove), especially when it counts most. When these elements are suitably brought together, the fact that the team may have chosen the wrong lane at the start, been slightly off course at certain moments or hit an unexpected wave will more than likely be overcome.

For the record, the 2008 Race, this past April, was won by Oxford for the sixth time in this young 21st century--and yet with the slowest time clocked since 1947. Cambridge still holds an overall edge 79 - 74 with one dead heat. And, for one of the more eccentric reviews of this year's race, try Mark de Rond's piece (Cambridge Judge Business School) on orgtheory.net, "Why Cambridge Won the Race and Why It Nearly Lost It," written while intoxicated. I will be looking out for de Rond's book to be published this year, "Subjectivity of Performance," as he delves into business learnings from the world of THE boat race.

Robert Fahey takes 9th Real (Court) Tennis World Championship

Robert Fahey is a name that many of you will not know. But in the annals of sports, he will surely have to feature prominently for his latest exploit. He has accomplished the outstanding feat of 9 consecutive world Real (or Court for the Americans) Tennis championship titles, dating back to 1994. Fahey (IRT profile), 40, from Tasmania, Australia, beat 21-year-old American, Camden Riviere, from Aiken, South Carolina, at the marvellous Chateau of Fontainebleau in a most hotly contested final this past weekend. The match was played over THREE days with Fahey pulling it out 7/5 in the 12th set (you can read up on the match here). The tournament has been played every other year since 1996, meaning that with 9 titles, Fahey has been ruling the world of real tennis for 15 years. By taking the 9th title, he has also by-passed the French legend of the jeu de paume, Pierre Eschebaster who dominated for 26 years the court tennis world. Of course, Eschebaster would probably have won more titles had the war not interrupted his string of victories. Fahey, whose nickname is "Bag" (perhaps as in 'he has it in the bag'), has also won the the consecutive doubles World Championships played on the off years.

I am, myself, the proud owner of a real tennis racquet and have participated in two tournaments in my life (the second, in doubles, afforded me to progress to the second round thanks to my willing and able partner, Forman Wickes). I very much enjoy the spirit of the game and there is no doubt that the sporting challenge is up there. Clearly, this is not the most hotly contested of sports in the world, and you have to be super dedicated to find one of the few courts around (there are just three in France for example). But, it is a wonderful game replete with nostalgic quirks, scoring and humour.

Well done to Fahey. I dare say 2010 should be a great tournament as well... Will the "new generation" make it?

If you want to read a fun writeup on the sport, see Edward Reeves' article "The New Racketeers".

Lyon defeat PSG in Coupe de France

Olympique Lyonnais double up on PSG in the Coupe de France 2008, but is the French Ligue really competitive?

Having watched the Manchester United vs Chelsea in the European Champions Cup Final this week (prior post here), this Olympique Lyon (OL) v PSG Coupe de France final match was decidedly less attractive and fun to watch, although there was plenty of tension (to the extent any overtime match is tense). A goal-less regulation game which PSG dominated was not good enough to win. OL's Sidney Govou scored in the 102nd minute to sink PSG with a 1-0 scoreline. Here is a quick writeup in The Sports Network. What was more interesting than this tail-ending match itself, was the tale of the season.

PSG spent the majority of the season around the bottom of the league (Ligue 1), threatening to be relegated for the first time in its history. However, they managed, not only not to be relegated, but to win the League Cup, for the first time in ten years. And, they also got into the finals of the Coupe de France, the French equivalent of the FA Cup (which PSG had won in 2004 and 2006 most recently). What an up and down season! Winning the League Cup means a qualification in the UEFA. So, when all's said and down, they finished 16th (two away from the relegation zone) in the League and yet had two national cup final appearances. PSG would qualify as a team that plays well in the knockout tournaments...in France anyway. [They won the UEFA once in 1996].

And then there is the 7th consecutive Ligue 1 title for Olympique Lyonnais. That is an absolutely huge stint at the top... but also possibly proving the lack of solid competition? There have been several teams that have won 4 seasons in a row in France, but none has accomplished what Lyon did. A dynasty in the making. Congrats to my Lyonnais friends for yet another great year and their first double (odd stat since they had 6 other years to do so). It is the first time in 35 years that OL have won that cup. That said, when you see Manchester United which has won 10 of the last 16 Premiership titles (17 overall, 1 behind Liverpool I note) as well as three European Cup Championships (two in the last 10 years), THAT is a dynasty. And, curiously enough, the longest stretch of consecutive Premier titles in England is just three (done four times, once by Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal and Huddersfield[!]). So, I am going to have to argue that the English Premier league is significantly more competitive.

See here for some highlights of the Lyon-PSG game at FC Footbal Blog.

Manchester United slip by Chelsea in Champions League Final 2008

In Moscow last night, it was high drama as Manchester United downed Chelsea FC in penalties 6-5 in the European Champions League Final last night after a 1-1 game (regulation and overtime). Man U won when they should not have. Although they scored first and dominated play (in terms of possession) in the first half, Chelsea's second half was masterful. Didier Drogba seemed to have a legitimate chance on goal every five minutes. He and Lampard hit the post. In the closing minutes of overtime (which was exciting mostly for observing the tactical substitutions), Drogba was ejected for hitting a Manchester player in the face (albeit a finger tip hit). Not even Russia's wealthiest man and owner of Chelsea, Roman Abramovich, could buy a goal (homecoming wrecked on ESPN). The fifth penalty taker for Chelsea was John Terry, captain of his team and the man responsible for heading away a goal in the overtime. On his foot, the game hung. Had he scored, victory was Blue and the ever inventive Ronaldo's penalty miss would have been historic. Instead, Terry slipped and hit the post in the torrential downpour (photo above from Martin Rickett/PA). He will indeed be haunted.

The game featured some fantastic runs, sharp passing and plenty of action. Other quick comments: The corner kicks were less than piercing. There were few menacing free kicks. Rooney was not present.

Whereas Chelsea had never won the Cup, it was Manchester's third victory, this one coming 50 years after the tragic 1958 disaster. A second place finish in both the Premier League and the Champions League. A difficult pill to swallow. To boot, Chelsea lost the League Cup final to Tottenham Hotspur. Too many seconds if you ask me.

As for [my team] Liverpool, it was a year of fourths... Fourth (or third if you want) in the European Champions League and the Premier.

Here is the BBC writeup.

Some other numbers:
Zero Champions League Cups for Chelsea, one red card, two cups for Sir Alex Ferguson, three (right) posts and 3 missed penalties, Giggs' 26th cup with Manchester United & his record 759th cap.

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly Educational Systems

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Teachers – How to get rid of the bad apples?

As much as I would love to continue praising the great teachers in my life, it occurs to me that many countries feel that their educational systems are in dire straits. With my Franco- Anglo- American educational upbringing, I want to look at each of the three systems I know best. Each has its strengths: US = positive reinforcement, extra-curriculars & universities; UK = all rounded academics & sports; FR = academics. However, they each have serious failings and somewhat similar challenges. These can be resumed as: low motivation and accountability among the teachers (no merit pay and no punishment for underperformance), staffing issues (over-staffed in France, under- in the US), and an increasingly stretched family situation.

Accountability Issues. For starters, I return to the story of being able to judge and bring true accountability to teachers. In France, note2be [see prior post en français], a sensible student-grades-teacher site, was closed down despite the very widely known failings of the French educational system. In the US, similar sites have been in existence with great success (e.g. Rate my professors), but that hasn't cured the US of its huge educational challenges. Per this banner [upper left] at Times Square in NYC, the Teachers' Union in the States is so strong that the worst teachers can't get fired. You can, meanwhile, vote for your worst teachers at TeachersUnionExposed. In a novel competition, the 10 worst teachers will be paid $10,000 to "get out." The site explains how difficult it is to unload bad teachers:

"In 2003, one Los Angeles union representative said: 'If I’m representing them, it’s impossible to get them out. It’s impossible. Unless they commit a lewd act.' Between 1995 and 2005, only 112 Los Angeles tenured teachers faced termination -- eleven per year -- out of 43,000. And that’s in a school district whose 2003 graduation rate was just 51 percent."

In the UK, the situation is similar in some regards. Referring to a May 5, 2008 The Daily Telegraph article, entitled ‘Bad teachers letting down children’, the General Teaching Council of England issued a report at the beginning of May saying that as many as “24,000 poor teachers may work in the state system” as school heads essentially relocate underperforming teachers to other schools rather than “dealing” with the problem. Since 2000, the report details that just 46 out of 500,000 teachers have been reported for incompetence.

Merit Pay & Staffing Issues. On the one hand, the lack of accountability and appropriate measures being taken is an absolute shame. Schools, like governments and even hospitals, can do with a healthy measure of good business practices. On the other hand, these “social” necessities [health, school] continue to struggle with adequate finances. Teachers and nurses both provide enormously important functions in our society. And both require substantial training and education. The lack of “good” pay is certainly not motivating. However, this is not an excuse not to find ways to measure performance and hold them accountable. Unlike nurses (where it is difficult to find statistical measurements), teachers can be graded by the objective evaluations of their students. But, just like bad teachers should be dealt with, good teachers should be recognized -- given their just due. And merit pay should be encouraged. However, merit pay is systematically rejected by the Unions.

The state of teaching today in the US--with its low pay, lack of accountability and "hyper" Gen Y student body--leads, not surprisingly, to a lack of teachers--much less, good teachers--coming into the profession. From Teachers Union Fact, "[a]ccording to NEA researchers, 41 states [in the US] are currently experiencing a shortage of math teachers. Forty-three have shortages of science and special education teachers."

Who is Responsible? For England, newly elected mayor of London, Boris Johnson met with NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg (Daily Telegraph article) and Boris is apparently considering taking direct control of Education (getting rid of the Board of Education). He will have his work cut out for him. But, I am afraid that the US (or NYC) has no solid answers (see comparative report against OECD countries). Certainly, the numbers in the US are not encouraging, with the perilously high dropout rates--if one can get a reliable figure [see here from the National Bureau of Economic Resources how the range of US high school graduates ranges from 66-88%]. The illiteracy and, in general, low levels of Maths and English are an embarrassment for the US. Surely, education is one of the biggest structural problems facing the US -- one that involves the ability to accommodate the influx of immigrants as well as the less fortunate neighbourhoods. While the US boasts a good number of "top students," I would have to believe that a large number of those students are children of immigrants from countries where academics are valued (i.e. China, Korea, India...); and that Middle America and below are seriously underperforming. For the US to maintain its position in the world, it will absolutely need both a high flying top end and a better-than-average average.

Finally, there is the family situation. Split families. Dual-working parents. Too much television and/or internet. New "illnesses" such as ADD. Differing notions of discipline. SMS lingo and emoticons. There is, in all these challenges, an evolving dispensing of responsibility by the family. "It's not my job to teach my children," one can sometimes hear. And, truth be told, when parents are called upon to oversee 2 to 3 hours of homework per night for 10 year olds, that is a sign of system overload and just not feasible for full-time working parents. Parents are not necessarily perfect pedagogues--especially because of the emotional nature of parent-child relations. And, if a parent's time is split between hard work and hard homework, where is the time for the "other stuff?" Parents must learn to work better with the schools. Parents need to get aligned with the school's teachers. And, if possible, they ought to be involved with the school. But, sadly, the complicity is too often missing.

The solutions? Teaching is a magnificent profession when it is fully embraced. And, while the pay can surely improve, apparently, a teacher (at a day school) will be actually teaching students less than half the number of days in a year. The potential quality of life is virtually unique. However, motivation remains terribly low on balance. My feeling is that the educational systems need to have the best elements of a private enterprise (meritocracy...); but, these must be subscribed within a long-term view that a government must impose. Part of the challenge of changing an educational system is the precarious nature of swinging wildly from one curriculum to another or from one practice to another, in the process destabilizing the teachers AND distancing the parents from the ability to participate (when they do) in the complementary education. Parents have a substantial role to play which for many, in today's economically stressed times, is difficult to fulfill. Yet, having chosen to be a parent, they must take responsibility for their choice.

And What To Do As A Parent? Despite the invasive presence of computers and televisions, as I heard Luc Ferry (contemporary French philosopher) recently say, give love to your children and stress the value of the great classics (books, movies...whichever classics you may choose with passion). These are timeless values that give grounding and learnings for life. For, education to be "successful," it must be a complete concept. It needs to cover the academics, but also needs to have sentimental value. Both parents and schools have their responsibility. Stop the blame game and work together.

International Mix. If I had an educational cocktail to suggest, it would be the academic intensity of the Asian culture, the extra-curriculars of the American system, the rigour of the French academics and the playing fields of English schools. Unfortunately I don't know enough about the German system to comment although I hear many good things. If you know of positive elements of other educational systems, don't hesitate to chime in!

Background reading/viewing for this post:

* Two Million Minutes - a film comparing the education of 6 students in China, India & US (trailer on YouTube - where I picked up this comment from kesjalyn: "i go to the #1 high school in america (as ranked by US News and World Report)and i'm really lazy, i never work more than two or three hours a night, and i still get good grades. so our schools definitely do not expect enough of students." [note that US NWR got the capital treatment!)
* Nature.com, Making the Grade, May 2008
* Christian Science Monitor - World's schools teach U.S. a lesson
* Education Watch international - Validation of Rate My Professors

Brazil 1, USA 1 - Tit for Tat Visa Treatment

I recently experienced first hand the consequences of bad diplomatic blood between the USA and Brazil. It's a case of fingerprinting turned into finger-pointing...gone wrong. In short, the Brazilian Consulate did everything it could to delay my visa which mean that, ultimately, I received my visa too late and never went.

The treatment was not personal, I understand. It was clearly just a case of my being an American and, as seems so often the case overseas, that is not a positive attribute. In the case of Brazil, my treatment by the Consulate in Paris was the result of a retaliatory policy. Essentially, in 2004, the US began fingerprinting and photographing all but 27 [mostly European] countries when they enter the country. Brazil immediately responded with a tit-for-tat procedure (BBC & NYT article) that singled out Americans. Beyond fingerprinting, both ways, it is also a lengthy and costly affair for visitors to get visas.

The Visa Saga.
I was supposed to go to Brazil for a meeting to make three speeches and, as I was not going to conduct any business deals, I only needed a tourist visa. Since I was going to be away for a fortnight in the weeks leading up to my trip to Brazil, and knowing that getting a visa to Brazil for an American was a challenge, I went to the trouble of asking for a "special" second US passport [which took about a month] to allow for the visa application to be be started earlier and without my presence. The agency handling the visa application for me said that it should take four days. Having filed the papers two weeks in advance, that seemed quite safe. However, eight days later (the Tuesday before the Friday night departure), I found out that the Brazilian consulate wanted more papers. Clearly, the agency handling the visa could have been more on the ball. Anyway, I scurried around to get the demanded papers in on the Wednesday and was promptly told that the visa would take a further eight days. This meant that I would receive the visa the day after I was to leave Brazil. Not quite an exit visa I was looking for.

I made a few calls to try some "diplomatic" sweet-talking. "I realize the situation in the US is horrible...so sorry about the treatment of Brazilians..., etc." On the Thursday--the day before I was to leave--a person from the Consulate called me up and told me to write an email immediately to the Brazilian Consul explaining the importance and timing of my trip. Taking extra precaution, I chose to fax the same message to the Consul. A few more calls and emails later, nothing. I was told that the visa would come when it came. In effect, I was grounded. My Friday deadline came and went and I stayed in Paris.

The following week, in a twist of irony, I did receive an automated email from the Brazilian Consulate in Paris saying that their email system had been down for ten days and that emails would be treated as soon as possible. Of course, that meant that at the time the Consulate personnel told me to write the email, the server was already down. I sadly thought how smart I was to have also sent a fax.

The real salt in the wound is that when they finally returned the passport, with a visa in it, the visa had been put and dated three days before I was to leave. In other words, they just chose to hang on to my passport. All told, including the second passport application, the whole process took seven weeks. And to no avail, much extra work and heartache.

Aside from the troubles this caused my partners on the other side of the ocean, I regret the nature of the relationship Brazil and many other countries have with the US (which doesn't have to be just a country of blues and reds). And I regret not visiting again the land of the Cariocas. I don't believe there are any easy solutions. Dogma has its price. So, too, does terrorism. It's farcical when a feeble grandmother gets stripped searched at the security check point. And, visa blocking treatment like I received certainly doesn't do anything to help the world overcome terrorism any faster. The intentional delays [rejection] of my visa application will do absolutely nothing. It's quite the lose-lose.

I have read a lot of "heavy traffic" in the blogosphere on the topic. One comment (below) seems to wrap up the Brazilian perspective neatly:

This is diplomatic "pay-back" at work. The American consulates in Brazil are probably the most hideous and inefficient foreign government representation we have here. I am talking not only about no mail submission, I am talking about 4-6 hours in a line to apply for an interview and then more hours in another line and a standing interview. So, we are just doing unto others as they do unto us. I wouldn't know how early you should arrive, but unless you have very prominent issues there is no chance your visa will be refused. I think we don't even maintain a "no-entry" list, except for known international criminals.

Here is the story of an US citizen and academic: Esperanto-USA. He points out that only 20 Americans will be handled per day at the Brazilian Consulate -- in reciprocity to the US policy.

Other stories of hoops and hassles getting a Brazilian visa for US citizens: Traveladvice.

And a very dignified response from Bruna:
"Ok, I can see how annoying it is to get a visa to Brazil... Could you imagine how it was for me, a brazilian citizen, to get one to visit your country? We have to prove we have no intention of staying there illegaly, as if everybody was crazy to live in USA. It´s humiliating. I had to collect all kinds of financial informations about my life to show I could stay there with my own money and had to prove I had strong reasons to come back home (such as a job or a house in my name). I´m sorry about your problems with brazilian visa, but USA seems to be the country that choses who is interesting to have there as a tourist."

All told, such treatment will make Brazilians visiting Americans and vice-versa less likely. Certainly, this reciprocal treatment will not reduce terrorism. I wonder what the total [opportunity] cost this means to the respective economies. Non-productive energies, non value-added expenses (visa charges), diminution of international interchange... An expensive price to pay by any measure.

An alter ego - The Dials on Vinyl

Ever get the feeling you missed out on something in life with the career that you chose? Well, I have always enjoyed a few passions on the side, including writing and music. If I were to have created a band, I think to myself, what band would that have been? What name would I have given it? Anyway, someone else did the thinking for me as I discovered that, out of Brighton, a band was formed a few years ago named The Dials. And, among their influences? The Grateful Dead. (see on their myspace page). I am sure that the Travelling Wilbury's are in there somewhere too, even if they don't admit it. The name of a concert they put on last year even appealed to me: What's Cooking?

And for my friends in Toronto, they have a gig there at the NXNE festival in June (13th).

And if you needed stunning wine review, try this goofy video: YouTube The Dials.

Le Tour du Monde en 80 Jours a Cafe de la Gare

Le Tour Du Monde en 80 Jours à la Café de la Gare: 4**** sur 5

Ce dernier samedi soir, grâce à des amis les Madeline, nous sommes allés en famille voir la pièce, "Le Tour du Monde en 80 Jours," la célèbre histoire de Jules Verne adaptée par Sébastien Azzopardi, au Théâtre Café de la Gare à Paris.

Cette adaptation suit les grandes lignes du livre, mais se permet beaucoup de libertés, plutôt hilarantes. La pièce se déroule en 75 minutes (presque une minute par jour!) et on ne voit pas le temps passer, mais on sort avec les rides de rire bien creusés. Ça fait du bien. Nos enfants (8 et 11 ans) ont également adorés, même si, entre les blagues d'adultes et les références très françaises, nous n'avons pas tout capté. Parfois, ça allait trop vite. Mais, le jeu physique et expressions burlesques des acteurs, leurs interactions avec le public nous ont emballés.

Nous avons eu la chance de voir la dernière séance de cette 2è saison et j'avais l'impression que les acteurs étaient déchaînés, proches du fou-rire pendant presque tout le spectacle. (Est-ce que c'est comme ça à chaque fois?).

Les acteurs qui ont fait de notre séance un vrai plaisir:

* Phileas Fogg - le grand Yan MERCOEUR
* Passepartout - l'eminement français Eric GUEHO
* L'Agent Fix, Lord Sullivan, ... - mon favori personnel Alexandre GUILBAUD
* Le Consul, Lord Isn't It, Ali, le pôlissemon ("policeman")... - l'excellent Romain CANARD
* Aouda, la princesse droguée - Réjane LEFOUL.

Sur les bémols, le service "téléphone" du théâtre était franchement mauvais -- à se demander s'ils voulaient des clients. Aussi, comme il n'y a pas de places attitrées, il faut se pointer en avance afin d'avoir des bonnes places et, comme on attend dehors, c'est moins drôle quand il pleut (comme c'était le cas samedi soir). A prévoir le parapluie si la météo s'annonce mauvaise.

Attention: La pièce reprendra le 18 juillet et je vous encourage vivement d'y aller...et avec enfants si vous en avez. D'ailleurs, le théâtre Café de la Gare ferme d'ici là pour des rénovations. Peut-être la salle sera meilleure aussi?

Café de la Gare, 41, rue du Temple, 75004 Paris
Réservation par téléphone au 01 42 78 52 51 à partir de 11h, y compris pour le jour même. Plan d'accès & Site internet
Métro : Hôtel de Ville (ligne 1-11) ou Rambuteau (ligne 11)
Bus : 29-75 arrêt Archives/Rambuteau ou 38-47 arrêt Centre Georges Pompidou
Parking : rue St Bon

Quelques autres sites/blogs qui en parlent:
MySpace de Romain Canard
Premiere
Bulle de Cola
Froggy Delight

Alain Robert - Modern Spiderman Climbs 4 Climate Change

Alain Robert - Super Spiderman Scales Skyscrapers for Climate Change

On an ABC World News wecbast from 4/15/08, I heard about Alain Robert, the proverbial fou furieux. Robert, a Frenchman, is as close as you will get to a real Spiderman...without the web (but, you CAN get him on the net).

Robert’s passion for climbing began early in his life and came despite a huge fear of heights. Overcoming vertigo as well as a couple of very serious accidents (two comas), he has climbed 75 buildings around the world bare hand. According to him, the best climb was the Sears tower in Chicago – still one of the tallest buildings in the world. In a climb of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi in 2003, he was watched by a crowd of about 100,000 people. See his biography here on is own site.

Each time, Robert gets into some kind of trouble… and depending on the country is fined (no more than 2000$) or spends a bit of time in jail as consequence.

Aside from overcoming his own fears, Robert does these stunts to raise awareness for Climate Change, or is it Climb-ate Change? Having scaled buildings in as distinct places as Hong Kong, Taipei, Finland, Lithuania and Moscow, it is a great [and unique] way to see the world. I suppose his carbon footprint is compensated by not taking the elevator up.

Not sure from where his funding comes -- have to imagine it is more than available on his [hair raising] sponsors page. Guess his speaker fees are up there.

Here is an gripping 7 minute video from YouTube on Alain Robert free-climbing.




Others blogging on Alain Robert:
Notes 2 Clip or is it Clips to Note
Life in the Fast Lane

Philadelphia Flyers defy Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 4 of Eastern Conference Finals 2008

Feeling penned in, Philadelphia Flies the Coop to live another day...winning Conference Final Game 4 by 4-2

The Philadelphia Flyers have had a great 2008 season when all is said and done and, regardless of the outcome of game 5 in Pittsburgh (the chances of a comeback are truly nought in this series), any Flyers fan should be well satisfied with the Eastern Conference Finals appearance. This is for two main reasons:

1/ The Flyers went from a last place finish in the NHL last season to top FOUR (there is no third place playoff with Dallas)...along the way knocking off two higher seeds (including the top seed, Montreal). And getting into the playoffs was a performance by itself -- considering the disastrous 10-game losing streak in the latter part of the season.

2/ There is hope yet that next season CAN be better as they got to this point without their best player (Simon Gagne who had played all of 7 games and then was out with a "mild" concussion) and they [will have] bowed out against the mighty Pens without their best defensive player, Kimmo Timonen (which hurts against the best NHL offensive player Evgneni Malkin). Moreover, there are several rookie or young Flyers who, with a solid playoff run and a good season under the belt, may come out to bloom...

Meanwhile, it is quite fun to observe the two Conference finals. The Penguins are dominating the Flyers in much the same way the Detroit Red Wings are dominating the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final. And, the two dominating teams both have led their Conference Finals series 3-0 and both lost the fourth game away against the "we have nothing to lose" mentality of the reeling opposition.

Now the Flyers must go to Pittsburgh and Dallas must go to Detroit to face the executioner. The home teams in both cases are ruthless: the Pens are 11-2 in the Playoffs, 7-0 at home. Detroit is 11-3 overall and also 7-0 at home. And, if a playoff game hinges on any one player, Marty Turco has managed to beat Detroit only once lifetime and is 0-9-2 at Detroit.

There is talk in Philadelphia that Braydon Coburn and Kimmo may return for Game 5 in their relative bruised conditions. Even the the consideration is inspiring. The "nothing to lose" mentality will go to Pittsburgh and we'll see what happens; but come what may, it has been a great season for the Flyers and a great demonstration for any corporation that has been "down and out": performance follows the quality of the team as a whole when the team knows how to stick together in the tough periods.

Sports Sponsorship from Lovemark Emirates Airline

I had a marvelous marketing moment recently. I was walking down the Champs Elysées and, having just flown and enormously enjoyed Emirates Airline, I saw a photograph [left] on this storefront of a Paris St-Germain (PSG) football player wearing his uniform emblazoned "Fly Emirates."

Here is the thought: the Emirates' advertisement actually made me feel good about PSG, a team I don't follow at all! I wonder to what extent the marketing folk at Emirates are aware of such a reverse feelgood factor? Is there any way to capture that beneficial sentiment emitted from a sponsoring brand? It could appear a cruel twist of fate that Emirates must pay so much money for this real estate. The complementary imagery between any two associated brands is vital.

I add that Arsenal FC currently has the same Emirates-style contract; however, in this case, it does not move me in the same way (as I am a Liverpool die hard fan). Meanwhile, the marketing team at Emirates clearly has targetted many top notch teams around the world. As their Chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, says on this site: "Emirates believes that sponsorship is one of the best ways to integrate with our passengers. It allows us to share and support their interests and to build a personal relationship with them." They participate in a whole host of sports (golf, tennis, rugby union & league, football, horse racing, sailing, etc.) and have a long trail of sponsored teams and associations, including the English RFU Rugby Sevens, Team New Zealand America's Cup, FIFA, and many more.

Aside from pondering the efficacy of sports team sponsorship, I would love to know if anyone else has had other similar moments where the sponsor company (lovemark?) actually creates the affection?

Knowing that any single person can be a brand him or herself and may want to buy or sell (i.e. blogs) advertising space, I have come up with a few magical, fantasy associative advertising opportunities:

• Man United on the NASA space shuttle
• Madonna on Virgin Atlantic
• The Beatles on Liverpool F.C. shirts
• And, what about the Emirates and my Flyers...
  

Any other joint ad-ventures you can come up with?

No Country for Old Men - Film review

No Country for Old Men - Film Review: 4.7/5.0 stars

"No Country for Old Men" was one of two films that I saw on the plane from Dubai to Paris, both of which featured Vietnam veterans. And, I was totally surprised by the strength of this film since I hadn't read up about the film ahead of time.

The New York-based Coen brothers (Joel and Ethan) have created a powerful film noir style that is masterfully applied to No Country for Old Men. Having just been on safari in Kenya, observing the ouster of the “older males” among various animal species, one is reminded of the pitiless nature of Nature.

Directors of Raising Arizona (whacked out comedy), The Man Who Wasn't There (film noir) and the whimsical Barton Fink, the Coen brothers are returning to American cinema what generic Hollywood is taking away: superior plots, unpredictability and thought provocation.

No Country for Old Men, based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy (which I never read), was released in November 2007. Among the clever parts to this film is the ability to express extreme violence without necessarily showing it. And, among the finer surprises, evil is not vanquished...if anything, it is insidiously starified. And, with all three main characters’ lives intertwined yet rarely overlapping (physically), you never really know who the “hero” is. And the ending is designed to make you reflect. There is no gratuitous happy ending in NCFOM.

Featuring non-standard actors for Coen films, NCFOM has, all the same, a strong cast:

• Tommy Lee Jones as Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (for Whom the Bell Tolls?);
• Josh Brolin as Llewelyn Moss (the man who never quite makes it);
• Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh (pronounced so close to sugar you can taste it);
• Kelly Macdonald as Llewelyn’s wife, Carla Jean Moss;
• and, finally, a somewhat unbelievable Woody Harrelson as Carson Wells (the supposedly toughest SOB bounty hunter).

Amply recognized, No Country for Old Men was honored with numerous awards: three British Academy of Film awards, two Golden Globes, and four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

See here for a slew of other "official" reviews of the film (4.6/5 on average). Definitely a film to see when you are not feeling down, though.

Music Within Film Review - based on true story of Richard Pimentel

Music Within - Film Review 4.0/5 stars

Directed by Steven Sawalich (second feature film after Sunday in the Park with George and Phil in 2000), Music Within is a film much less to do with music (as much as all the wonderful 1960s hits strike the nostalgic chord), but everything to do with the power within. With Ron Livingston (roles in Office Space, Band of Brothers) playing the lead protagonist, Richard Pimentel, he learns that having a natural talent [public speaking] is not enough to succeed in life. Pimentel takes the challenges and manages to add much pepper to his life via his perspective-altering experience in Vietnam.

While Pimentel, the man with a new meaning, manages to seduce the gorgeous and free loving Christine (Melissa George), the greater relationship developed in the film is with his pal, Art Honeymoon (Michael Sheen who played Tony Blair in The Deal), a man with Cerebral Palsy. Art is indeed a piece of art.

Full of purpose and based on a true story (Pimentel was instrumental in creating the Americans with Disability Act ADA, passed in 1990), the film lays open the dysfunction of families and couples. It also demonstrates the beauty of imperfection. And the film tackles the very real question: “What do you want [with your life]?” Pimentel rises to the challenge: “Get a Life!” (by Dr. Padrow [Hector Elizondo] at Harvard University. Here is a letter by Richard Pimentel regarding the film (via Milt Wright & Assoc.).

One of the more important pieces of [business] advice comes out of a Pimentel radio interview in the film: “Don't lead with anger.” The lesson: do lead with passion [but don't let the bad emotions in].

And, in one likely non-accidental reference, I was smiled at the statement: "If Bush wins, ... Oh the cost of it." Of course, they were referring to George Senior in a different context. But, the ADA was passed under George Bush Sr.

I think Roger Ebert's review of the film is a worthwhile read as it contains many personal comments. Ebert rightfully points out (as Pimentel himself admits), the ADA was the work of many people, including Marca Bristo.

Personally, although the film has apparently only won a couple of small awards (see the top line), I give the film a great thumbs up. Great acting, great music and plenty of thought provoking moments.

Flyers bully Montreal out of Conference Playoffs 2008

Well, it's time I fessed up. Our Philadelphia Flyers bullied the Montreal Canadiens 6-4 (read here Game Trax -- in Montreal) in Game 5, enough to win a convincing Conference Semi-Final playoff by 4 games to 1. My prediction had been for a Habs victory in 6 or less games. Got that wrong (at least for the Flyers, I got it wrong...I was right that Liverpool would be knocked out in the Champions' League semi-final, if with the very wrong score).

Bravo to the Daniel Briere (who was ironically held scoreless in game 5), Marty Biron (another 31 saves) and, most notably, RJ Umberger, a truly talented all-rounder. Worth noting again the the Flyers field a very Canadian team...with 15 players from up north (and arguably the three best -- Briere, Biron and Gagne -- from Quebec, although Gagné is still out with concussion).

I suspect the next stop will be Pittsburgh (they play game 5 this afternoon). Considering the season's awful record against the Penguins, the outlook again doesn't look good (same problem with the Canadiens for the Flyers this past season).

No prediction this time, but I have to assume it is going to take another herculean team effort and some masterful coaching. The sum of the parts was clearly bigger than individual parts against Montreal.

Emirates Airline marvels again on Nairobi-Dubai-Paris

After a first experience on Emirates Airline, two weeks ago (post here), I have since taken three more flights with Emirates (EK). Turns out our first experience was not one-off. We flew from Dubai to Nairobi a week later, then on Thursday we did a double header: Nairobi to Dubai (5 hours) then Dubai to Paris (7 hours) with a two and half hour layover in Dubai's bustling airport. Each time, the flight (in Economy) was a pleasure.

This last time, we added a special wrinkle, something we could have made a real flap about: a last minute injury. At 1pm on Thursday, our very last day on holidays, my son, Oscar, fell by the pool on a lava rock and gashed his knee. So badly, that it needed 6 stitches which were put in by the Serena Lodge (Amboseli) medic. The "operation" took over an hour and a half (including having to find him, first) and happened on our room's balcony (i.e. outside), replete with monkeys onlooking (photo to right; one of them finally managed to steal some cotton).

With Oscar sown up, we hit the road (and in Kenya, that is not an understatement). Our valiant driver, Ibrahim, took us to Nairobi airport in a little over 5 hours, with Oscar stretched out in the backseat. We arrived at the airport in plenty of time and were able to get a decent seat for Oscar in order for him to keep his leg straight as much as possible.

On the flight EK722 (May 1) to Dubai, the staff were good enough to reserve a set of four seats which allowed Oscar to sleep stretched out for the full 5 hours. I would like to signal out the kind services of Mohamed Haji. When we got to Dubai, Oscar got a fast and furious nose bleed. This afforded us a visit to the Dubai Airport medical centre. A doctor from Senegal and a nurse from Kerala, India, took care of Oscar's nose then reviewed and re-dressed his knee. All clear. And very civilised! Then Oscar was taken by wheelchair to the "Special Handling" area which meant a comfortable seat, juice and biscuits... The rest of us managed to find seats outside (although they are at a real premium at the overcrowded Dubai departures level).

Our flight EK073 (May 2) from Dubai to Paris was as pleasurable as the flight out (again on the Boeing 777-300ER), if different because of Oscar's leg.

Here are the further thoughts I would like to add to the prior post regarding the EK service:

* The flight attendants are very international -- intentionally, Emirates recruits from a very wide array of nationalities, allowing them to announce at the outset: "On this flight, we have crew members speaking the following languages..." On this EK073, there were 10 different nationalities. Some kind of proof that diversity pays! The wonderful staff that helped us out included the energetic Lydie (an Aussie) and dapper Aman. There was also the kind Z'ied (not sure on the spelling).

* Each seat is equipped with a "ICE" (information, communication, entertainment) system. The ICE digital wide screen is a touchscreen (super easy to use) and is as good as it gets.

* The USB slot at each seat (to the right of the telephone-cum-"remote control") is to allow passengers to view your holiday pictures on the wide screen TV or to listen to your personal media player through the ICE system. IPODs can even be read if they are set to "disk mode."

* The ICE booklet (for May) is very agreeable to read and shows the extremely wide variety of options and selections available. It even includes a set of good old rock'n'roll box sets, a random set of audio books (Crime & Punishment, David Copperfield, Tom Peters Live in London...), comedy (Monty Python, Woody Allen, Peter Sellers...) and a brief guide to the anthology of major composers and classical musical periods over the past 500 years (nice pedagogical touch, no?).

In any event, as if I needed any further proof, the very day we took our flight back, the newspapers were splattered with the Emirates financial results: profits rocketed up 62% to Dh5.3 billion in fiscal year 2008 (Mar) on revenues of Dh41.15 billion, despite a Dh1.83 billion extra fuel bill. As this Gulf News article writes, Emirates Airline is indeed an important part of the Dubai success story:

"Emirates contributes about Dh47 billion, or nearly a quarter of Dubai's Dh198 billion GDP, to its economy, the airline said yesterday."

Hopefully the bosses of these flight attendants will get wind of their great service. In the meantime, I can only say: fly Emirates whenever you can!

Boris Johnson voted in Mayor of London 2008-2013

Boris Johnson has won a most interesting and widely publicized London mayoral race. Congratulations Boris! And, perhaps, fittingly, it was a May Day [2008] victory. This "Observers" article pitting a pigeon-on-his-head Ken Livingstone (Labour) and a baked-beans-on-toast-munching-Boris (Tory) gives quite the tone for the battle waged and the less-than-conventional nature of the candidates.

And, if his own "Back Boris" site is anything to go by, Boris Johnson's tenure as Mayor promises to provide a very different type of administration than we are used to seeing in ANY political function, anywhere in the world. Here is what the home page said (on its last day of publishing):

"If Ken Livingstone wins on Thursday, it is another four long years of waste, deceit, scandal, cronyism, crime and congestion. He will revert to form - nothing will change and Livingstone and Labour will think they can continue to ignore Londoners real concerns."

Talk about not mincing one's words--of course, I would have preferred there not to have been a grammatical error in the last sentence. But, then again, maybe that's political blogging in the modern era?? We have seen what free-wheeling can do in French politics.

Boris' acceptance speech (on YouTube) is an absolutely brilliant, inspiring (and gracious) speech:




Hopefully, there will be enough action behind the words to allow for a strong 5 years. I certainly agreed with Boris' Daily Telegraph article regarding the over-population issue (written Oct 2007).

Updated with blogs/articles discussing the outcome:
* A good blog post on the office of Mayor of London and background on Boris comes from US Post (not -al service).
* A fellow Franco-Anglo Hillblogger (bonjour) with "Let's Get Cracking."
* And a useful piece from Cow's Blog -- someone else who met Boris.
* An opinion piece from Charles Moore at the Daily Telegraph where Moore positions the Johnson victory as an indictment of Brown as much as anything else.

A man, born in 1964 (in New York), moved to London when he was five (as I did), who has lived in Brussels (my birth town) and went to English boarding schools... hum, sounds like a jumble I resemble. A man after my own heart.

Anyway, good luck Boris.

Twitter Tweet Clouds versus Blog Clouds

Thanks to Greg Verdino's post, I was inspired to find out what my Twitter or "Tweet" cloud would look like. I attach it [above] in order to compare whether my twittering is consistent or not with my blogging. Per Greg's comments, a lot more "doing" than being...no real surprises... The differences match the different platforms. I note the presence of "reading" and "watching" and "checking" in my tweets! All good pre-blogging activities.



Compare for yourself.

And, bouncing off of Joe Jaffe's post on Cuss-o-meter, my blog came up with a no-kidding 0%! Hum. Maybe I should be getting madder, eh, Joe?

Comments and Thoughts after Visit to Dubai 2008

OUR VISIT TO DUBAI FOR FAMILY HOLIDAYS

Rarely does one get a chance to see a city in the making, especially if you have lived all your life in "old" Europe and/or the East Coast of America. For those in the Shanghai's of the world, it is perhaps current currency. Dubai was my first such experience, where there are an enormous number of cranes constructing the city in front of your eyes. According to a number of sites (for one, see here), 20% of the world's active cranes are in Dubai City. You wonder if or how all the empty spaces will be rented out at the promised exorbitant rates. But, you do get the feeling that Dubai is the new promised land...

Fashioned with verve, ambition and purpose, Dubai is a fascinating place to visit. For such a lightly populated city, it has many surprises, especially in terms of its diverse architecture. Dubai is a hybrid of many cities. At times, you see can the Las Vegas inspiration (all along the road to Bab Al Shams you can see large detoured billboards representing the type of resort to be constructed by the Al Bawadi Group over the next 8 years). The project involves the building of 12 enormous themed tourist attractions (as in "Andalusia" photo to the right below, or Asia Asia, Europa, Musica, Americas, etc...) that speak to Dubai's international appeal. Then there is the NYC feeling of the monster skyscrapers--albeit with a greater density of interesting architecture--along Sheikh Zayed Road. Down at the Dubai Marina, you might as well be in Miami. That said, Dubai also has its own markings, including the Arabic finishing touches on many of the skyscrapers, and wonderfully decadent hotels lining the beach (numerous 7* locations, if not necessarily 7* in service, certainly in price). To make sure you aren't in the West, you also have the painted camels (ex cows) dotted around the city and beach (see down below for one fine example).

The Dubai airport is an experience unto itself. The diversity of people lining up at immigration takes a page out of the United Nations yearbook. It would even have been proportionate representation except for the relative under-representation of the Chinese. The airport, which is open 24/7, is just bustling with activity. Its duty free stores are the most active in the world--the liquor stopover is elemental for all Dubai residents as it is impossible to buy liquor in town.

Our first port of call, after profiting from the "inside the airport" 88-room NH Hotel, was the delightful Bab Al Shams desert resort (part of the Jumeirah Group). Along the way, you go through the Desert Gates (pictured below).


The authentic outside-in-the-desert dinner at the Al Hadheerah, replete with horse show, camel riding (photo on right) and a variety of dancers, was a lovely first 'night out.' You can also have your personalised henna painting or partake in a traditional Shisha. Altogether, we spent two fairly slothful days at Bab Al Shams, including a one-hour camel ride -- a warning to those who don't know: a camel's girth is huge and for your legs, therefore, riding a camel can be a tortuous experience. As I mentioned above, on the way to and from Bab Al Shams, you see at once the desert of the past and the Dubai of the future. With all the themed resorts along the road (due to be built between now and 2014 -- see here for virtual vision of the future projects), Bab Al Shams desert resort will likely become some day Bab Al Shams downtown resort.

Moving to the city, we next stayed at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, where we had a lovely experience, benefitting from the splendid family activities available (especially the Wild Wadi 12-acre water park). The beach facilities and amenities, the multiple pools and ever-available buggy services were just perfect. We also enjoyed a very lively dinner at our friends Peter and Isabelle who live in Jumeirah 1 [thanks!].

The mega hotels in Dubai, dotted along the beach, are impressive. The standout architectural novelty, Burj Al Arab Hotel (below in the distance), comes complete with helicopter pad (cum tennis court) on the 25th (top) floor and a panoramic restaurant/bar on the other side that will cost you $500/pp on average for dinner. In typical extravagance, the hotel offers helicopter or Rolls Royce airport transfer for a ride that only takes 20 minutes (without traffic) or costs 40 Dirhams (c. 7€ or US$10) by regular taxi.


At Madinat Jumeirah, down the coast, is an Arabian-style sprawling complex with 3 different hotel environments (Mina A'Salam, Al Qasr and Dar Al Maysaf). There are nearly 600 rooms & suites, 29 summer houses and 7 royal villas (each with a private pool). And with each of the estimated 30 pools in the complex, there is a lifeguard (by law) through to 10pm. With guards sitting even at the private swimming pools, there is not much room for skinny dipping and it certainly is an intrusion on romance. We enjoyed a lovely abra ride around the Madinat creek, a visit to the "souk" (aka another big name mall) and dinner at an Arabic/Lebanese restaurant (one of 45 restaurants located in the Madinat complex).


Aside from the muezzin and ever present veiled women, you get a sense of the formalism in Dubai after reading the newspapers. When reporting on the country's ruler, you can read on any one page of the Gulf News up to ten times the full moniker of "Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, his Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum" (which, once you have written it once, you can apparently reduce to Sheikh Mohammed for short). Of course, you will also see multiple references to Abu Dhabi President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, not to be confused with General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Sure makes one appreciate terms like Sarko and GW.

Among the curious sights, you will see buses after 5pm in rush hour, packed with exhausted Indian construction workers, their heads bowed in sleep, leaning on the headrest of the seat in front. Earning a paltry 700Dhs per month for non-stop 12-hour gruelling days, they are at the low end of the totem pole (and are frequently treated as such by the locals). There are apparently 20,000 workers at the Dubai Burj Tower alone, working day and night. We were driven onto the construction site of the world's highest building by our driver -- unheard of access in western countries. But it is an impressive sight to see cranes functioning some 629 metres (today's current height) up above you. The building's completion date varied according to the person with whom you were speaking. And its final height has been kept under veil as well (some figures point to surpassing 800 metres-- wikipedia says 818 m).

I have two astonishing mental images to share with you (not photographable). First, was one of a fully veiled woman driving an SUV with dark windows. The second was when a young (25-years-old) Emirati drove up beside me (seated in the taxi passenger seat) at around 60kmh and, burnishing a big smile, faked turning his SUV into the right flank of the taxi. Very pointed.

Speaking of DTA taxis, which were nationalized in 1997, there are 12,000 of them in Dubai -- apparently not enough for the peak hours and, because of the heavy traffic, invisible in downtown Deira (the other side of the Creek - night time photo to the left)... But, virtually all the taxi drivers were polite and service oriented.

As for taxi economics -- a topic which continues to interest me (a hangover from «Freakonomics»?) --I found one willing driver, Mohammed, who revealed all. If a car (whether the driver is solo or partnered) earns Dhs12,000 in a 30-day month (i.e. the car must rack up Dhs400 every single day 7/7), the driver earns a 35% commission. With the metre feeding directly into HQ, every move of the taxi is recorded. All the petrol and insurance, etc., is taken care of. Therefore, a solo taxi driver can, if he makes the quota, earn Dhs4,200/month or about $650USD.

As usual, each "foreign worker" sends home any excess cash. And, of course, a majority of the Dubai residents are "foreign workers."

There is a very clear cultural division (of labour) when it comes to the jobs. Here is what we discovered:
* The non-officer Police are from Yemen.
* The Taxi drivers are Pakistani (also heavy trucks) or Indian [all of the ones we had were from Kerala]; any female taxi drivers are Filipina.
* Personnel in the hotels are mostly Filipino and Sri Lankan.
* The technical jobs are also won by the Filipinos.
* You will find Bangladeshi as waiters.
* And, as for the Emirati--those that have to work--you will find them at the airport and as officers in the police force and army.


Dubai is a modern marvel (perhaps a lovemark unto itself!). In the image of the monumental Burj Dubai Tower, its future is inspiring, but not ensured. It sometimes feels like a house of cards -- but, it has every chance of success based on the sense of service and its prime location in the world. I would be an even bigger fan if there was not always a latent feeling of oppression. Then again, you can get the same feeling, in different parts of town, in pretty much any city. It is a worthy visit -- just don't forget to budget for it.