"Criticised Bow" of Obama

I've just read an article of Obama's visit to Japan, his diplomatic gesture caused fire in the US reader for Obama's bowing to Japanese Emperor.

In the detail, the US president was recorded in the picture by a photographer. In the photo, it shows that he bowed under 90 degree angle when he greeted the relatively diminutive Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace on Saturday. This is second time, Obama bends over to national deligators. Last time was to King Abdulah of Saudi Arabia in G20 summit.

For critics, this action expresses that the US president belittles the power and the independence of the United State. Also, many bloggers went against this gesture of the President.

For me, the President's bow shows his respect to Japanese emperor, however, his action is overacting which causes controversial arguments among public. So in your opinion, what do you think of it?

Check your confidence

Have you ever measured your confidence in every aspect of life? Some of my friends I know, they want to pursue higher education, MBA is one specific example. But they are not sure whether they can make it or not. It is challenging and also much risky decision for them! As I understand, confidence is a feeling or consciousness of one's powers or of reliance on one's circumstances. In this post, I want to discuss confidence in negotiation which is very essential skill for businessman in the commercial world! How to negotiate to get a good deal in business is a big thing.

As I read some articles writing about negotiation skills in business, research on overconfidence shows that negotiators’ estimates—whether of a counterpart’s reservation price or some other quantity—typically are overly accurate. The revervation price is the worst price that you might get in a deal. Thus, it is better for us to seek out as much relevant, high-quality information about the other side as we can, and use that information to our advantage based on this research. Also, before and during the negotiation, you had better ask others within your organization to question you about your approach and assumptions.

In addition, remember that it rarely hurts to ask your negotiating counterpart for what you want. You will be amazed by what you can get—including valuable information—simply by asking. So always ask questions when you are not sure and try to avoid assumptions as much as possible. By doing this is very helpful to improve negotiation skills and when you master these skills you also enhance your confidence in business concept.

Finally, share with me how you level your confidence in business negotiation. Have you ever made a good deal by applying to sort of these skills? I bet all of us somehow experience some certain cases in negotiation:-)!

I already got some good deals when I get into negotiating some business:-). How's about you, guys?

Window 7 ver is best ?

Window 7 is hitting the software market and promote the increasing sale of laptop integrated with this operating system version. Microsoft let millions of consumers and professionals download test versions of the operating system. And by a wide margin, testers have found the new system to be the best yet from Microsoft However, there are still some different conception about this product. I would like to share seven collected points. Hopefully, that give you deeper knowledge and you can come up your own opinion about it.

1. It is only a minor update to Vista: There is some truth with Win 7. Vista was a massive effort to upgrade the core of Windows focusing on the edges of Vista, it looks very pretty. But Microsoft went further, adding consumer-friendly functions to paint Windows 7 as an upgrade.
2. Vista users need to upgrade
3. Window Xp is kind of better for some one
4. Window Xp users can't upgrade
5. It's too expensive
6. The initial release will be a mess
7. Mac users should abandon Apple

iPhone 3Gs or Blackberry Bold 9700 ???

In the recent days, I've been searching one smart phone for use. As you know, we are getting overwhelmed with new gadgets rolled out CES and Macworld. My choice focuses on iphone 3Gs or Blackberry bold 9700. Each of them has some special advantages, so i have not come close to setting aside which one i choose yet. After the jump, you are able to give me some useful suggestions based on my side-by-side comparison.

1.Pocketability: For all the whiz-bang features on a smart phone, for me it is still very important to have a phone that I can carry in my pocket. The Blackberry Bold fits this point. I think that it's never awkward to carry it. For the iPhone 3gs, I still feel that I should be carrying it around on a velvet pillow. It is not huge, but I find that when I drop the iPhone it is usually a result of some sort of awkward pocket transition.

2.Whole package, "computer" away from home: I would be much more satisfied with my iPhone when I think of it as an extremely portable computer, rather than a mobile phone replacement. I like having my iCal appointments and contacts sync'd with my desktop computer. The iPhone keeps me connected on a busy day away from my desktop.

3.Reading email and browsing the internet: I prefer the iPhone, though the browsing is still more awkward than I'd like.

4.Texting: The blackberry bold is winner. i find that blackberry keyboard easier to use than the iphone keyboard. Pressing a physical, tactile keys is still more comfortable to me than having a key dedicated to each letter on the smooth iPhone screen.

5. Which one is more practical? The iPhone is amazing, attractive device, but i still wonder how many people will be able to use it for their mobile contact. For some my friends, on a daily basis, they use the blackberry number as the phone number they give out to people who need to get in touch with them in person on an urgent basis. However, i see much potential in the iphone, especially as an element contributing into a center of virtual office.

I'm still running on the process of concerning which one is better. If you have some advice, just feel free to give me.

Starbucks over Recession

In recession, like many businesses, Starbucks hasn't avoided its negative effects. For a top band in world Retail, it has had reasonable strategies to confront difficulties and is now in the process of deep introspection on the fundamentals of reinventing itself. To the extent of my analysis, we would concentrate on how it run on in this recession climate.
To deal with the complain of quality service, especially speed service, its' CEOs proposed to serve more space in its restaurant as table sets instead of couch in the past. Also, to avoid from reduction in net income, they cut salary expense down by laying 1000 employees off and operating costs by closing 600 stores on over American. In the past, Starbucks was house of Premium Retail where customers found solace. The reason they came to it is more than coffee. So, in the recession, instead of reducing the price, they have increased the coffee quantities in each cup of coffee to attract traditional customers.
Along with what Starbucks had achieved in this period, other issues has been raised. Food Chains such as McDonald's are waking up to the rich aroma of coffee- and are all out to serve coffee. From a fast food outlet, customers are getting fast coffee at a fraction of what they could expect from Starbucks. And its' recession time folk, one in ten American are under the pressure of unemployment, perhaps, they wouldn't want to sit in their couches and keep sipping coffee. Obviously, Starbucks has a double-edged problem - one from its competitors and other from its own customers.
The recession isn't going to last for ever, so for now, Starbucks has to figure out how to handle emerged issues.

McDonald's big loss

The Fall of the Super-brand

According to Antonio Diaz Morales, marketing professor at the Instituto de Empresa de Madrid (IE), McDonald’s problem is that “although consumption outside the home is never going to stop, it is hard to have just one format that addresses people’s needs. One day, you can go to a restaurant like McDonald’s, but you can’t go every day ... The American consumer can be more loyal, but it is unthinkable that this would happen in Europe where there is more supply.”

It is true if you head to Mc Donald to eat, what would you expect? Like me, for the first time setting my feet in America, I was so eager to try the first bite of a chicken hamburger in Mc Donald since I was starving:-). Time after that, I feel the food there is so greesy and don't have lots of new things in the menu:(.

To prepare a fast food model for the 21st century, McDonald is going to revise every aspect of the business. This includes not only the way the company creates and presents its products but also designs new restaurants, merchandise and even improve the way people work. In each foreign country, the company launches new marketing strategy suitable with the culture. The campaign of Mc Donald focuses around the motto, "i'm lovin' it".

In general, McDonald is doing its best to recover from the big loss in the context of economic recession. In the United States, during the second quarter of the year 2003, the company announced an increase in sales for the third quarter amounting to 10 % compared with the year earlier. To get a full article in details, please make a click on this website here:
http://www.wharton.universia.net/index.cfm?fa=viewArticle&id=671&language=english

As a fan of Mc Donald or simply a regular customer or even seldom one, how do you suggest the company to put on a small change to make the food come to you more tasty?:-)

Coca-cola image promotion strategy

I have just found an interesting story talking about the way that Coca-cola develops its trademark and brand advocacy. The story has gained much coverage in public is the case involving Coca-cola and the a well-known Second Life content creator, Vint Falken. Coke themed outfit was made by Vint. The use of registered trademarks on an unauthorized basis has been the most prominent to date and created much discussion about this. The outfit, available to buy in SL, was also promoted in SLexchange (a website for retailer in SL). The outfit has been embedded Coca-cola trademark on purse, necklace, double layered prim skirt, top (worn as a jacket) and a bottle of Evian. This is very new and interesting way to advocate Coca-cola brand image for consumers.

So is this a sign that the real-world brands are simply giving up trying to police their brands in virtual worlds? There are many strategies that giant corporations use to polish their brands. This activity that Coke applies is new and potentially developing in the next coming years. In this case, Coca-cola has made a smart move. They have understood that allowing residents to work with their brands will bear far greater opportunities than if they prevented brand usage. Coke works hard to promote their brand in the real world and now utilize other options for their brand to be extended virtually by other people which is a very productive strategy.

Link: http://www.kzero.co.uk/blog/?p=859

Among soft drinks such as Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew or Dr. Peppers, I still do favor Coke or Pepsi:-). Which brandname do you pick?

Youth Violence emerge in Chicago

As I watched on the CNN channel today, youth violence in Chicago is rising and becomes a big problem for this whole country. Attorney General Eric Holder met with Chicago's mayor and community leaders to discuss remedies for violent crimes involving young people. He said at a news conference: "Nearly two weeks ago, this nation was shocked, shocked by a video showing scenes of such graphic violence that they left an indelible mark in the mind of every American who has seen them."
He also said that 60 percent of the youngsters surveyed had been exposed to violence, directly or indirectly, in the past year; nearly half of the adolescents said they had been assaulted at least once, and more than one in 10 were injured as a result.
While watching this show, I was thinking that why violence is the first solution pop up in young people's minds to solve conflicts. It is true that exposure to violence on TV or in any other media badly affects their cognitive thinking and their behaviors. This is really the serious problem which can't be solved in a day but in a long run!
Source: CNN channel, Oct 7, 2009. Cabinet Officials, Chicagoans discuss ways to end teen violence.

International Festival

Vietnamese girls in Traditional dance
Hi,

Please, enjoy in the most beautiful and outstanding pics of 2009 International Festival in Bowling Green.

Bill Clinton's negotiaion

Hey guys, I found this video of Bill Clinton on the Daily Show with John Steward. In the interview he discusses how he negotiated with N. Korea for the release of the 2 reporters. Some of the interview is funny but I thought it was interesting to hear him speak about dealing with that leader and that culture.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/18/bill-clinton-on-the-daily_n_291221.html

Big personality

He is still healing the world after his death. Who is he ? He is not only unforgettable King of Pop but also Wacko Jacko. Regardless to his negative aspect, I'm one of his fans for long-time since i started listening to Pop music. To those in the nation's capital and worldwide, and worldwide focused on the plight of the hungry in Africa, Michael Jackson was the ambassador of hope. The song "We are the world" has made "tens of millions," says USA for Africa, and now two legal documents transferring his rights and profits to the group, signed by Jackson, are expected to bring in a combined $50,000 at the Alexander Autographs auction at the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut. The more i know him the more I admire him, especially as his contributions still is going on to poor people after his death. He was a bigger philanthropist than most people gave him credit for.This is exact what MJ looked like to the public for the past many years. Let give your thoughts of him.

Welcome

I'm very excited to get on this class with all you who come from different countries all over the world. Thus, i will have a great chance to exchange culture with my classmates. Besides, this is the first time, almost my classmates are working experienced people, so i am able to learn directly from them in my class. Thoughout this class, we can consider our blog a forum to share our personal experience as well as opinions to issues relative to MBA course in particular and jobs in general. I hope that all of us would be willing to express ourselves as well as recommend others.