Cultural Intelligence (audio)

Computer Problems :D

John Lennon's first car (audio)

adapted from VOA

Farkas Klein - The millionaire who gave $10,000 to each of the miners

Victor Ruiz Caballero for The New York Times

“Farkas,” as everybody in Chile’s mining industry calls Leonardo Farkas Klein, gained international fame by helping save the miners’ families with generous donations of $10,000 each — even before rescuers pulled the men to the surface.

With his custom-designed Zegna suits, pink tie with matching Brioni handkerchief and colored diamond cufflinks — as he dressed on the night he held a dinner to meet the miners — Mr. Farkas is an original in this conservative South American country. He made millions of dollars as an entertainer in Las Vegas and on cruise ships, married well, and then returned to his native Chile five years ago to try his hand in the profession his late father loved: mining.

Since then, the former piano bar singer has become a national sensation in Chile, for his eccentric personality, wild parties and heart of gold. He has become Chile’s most prominent philanthropist, contributing millions of dollars to help needy Chileans, as well as earthquake victims in Chile and Haiti.

While that has endeared him to the country’s poor, the public nature of his gift giving and his personality have made him plenty of enemies among the Chilean elite. When he flirted in 2008 with the idea of running for president, he became one of the most feared rich men in Chile because of his populist appeal.

“The business people here don’t like me too much, I don’t think I fit in here,” Mr. Farkas, 43, said sitting in the office of his Santa Fe mining company. “One day I may go back to the United States. But right now I think I can do more here with my money and work than in America.”

Mr. Farkas has five Hummers, a private jet, a Caribbean island getaway, a wristwatch designed for him by Cartier at the request of Prince Albert of Monaco, a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead convertible he says he paid $2.2 million for, thanks to heavy import duties and other fees. He paid more than $400,000 to be the first South American to travel into space as part of Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic tour next May.

MR. FARKAS’S parents, Jews of Hungarian descent, left Transylvania for South America in 1939 amid the growing Nazi threat. Daniel Farkas Berger, his father, made and lost two fortunes in the mining business and his holdings were nationalized by Brazil in the early 1950s and Chile in 1970, under the Socialist government of Salvador Allende.

“My father always said money comes and goes,” Mr. Farkas said. “That’s why he said, ‘Always enjoy life. Eat in the best restaurants, have the best clothes.’ ”

A passionate music fan, Mr. Farkas’s father started his son on the piano at 2 years old. At 15, Leonardo put together a group of 15 musicians who played weddings and toured in Argentina, Brazil and Peru.

JUST before he turned 21, he moved to the United States, where he performed in the Catskills and Miami, playing in small clubs, and then on cruise ships. Unable to afford other musicians, he used much of the $10,000 he brought from Chile to buy 15 keyboards and called himself “The Orchestra Man.”

He was frugal back then, depositing much of his earnings in his mother’s Miami account so he could not spend it. “I never wanted to be famous,” he said. “I always wanted money.”

By 24, he had made his first million dollars, he said. Then at 27, while performing in the Catskills at the Concord Hotel, he met Betina Friedman Parker, an heiress to the Concord hotel fortune. A year later they married and took a six-month honeymoon around the world.

The couple moved to Las Vegas, where Mr. Farkas performed at the MGM Grand with Tom Jones. They played blackjack into the early morning and ate steak and eggs before going to bed at 6 a.m.

“My wife didn’t like it there,” he said. “So I had to choose the marriage or Vegas. I decided to choose my marriage.”

In 1995 they moved to Boca Raton, Fla., where they had two of their three children. Mr. Farkas retired and took up golf and tennis, but he grew bored and felt the need to do something “bigger.” When his father died in 2004, he decided it was time to go home.

“I told my wife, ‘We need to go back to Chile, I am going to fulfill my father’s dream, which was to go back to the iron,’ ” he said.

At first she was skeptical. “My kids didn’t speak Spanish when we came,” he said. But he persuaded her, he said, by saying they would stay only two years.

He built a large home overlooking Santiago with 24-carat-gold-trimmed tiles in the swimming pool. He threw outlandish parties, including a 15th wedding anniversary celebration for 200 guests last November that cost $4 million and involved 600 entertainers, including Brazilian carnival dancers, and the musical acts Donna Summer and Air Supply.

And he fulfilled his father’s dream of making it in mining. Today, he has four mines that export a total of three million tons of iron ore a year, all to China, he said. Two of his mines are within three miles of the San José Mine.

He says working in Chile’s mining areas brought him closer to the country’s poor and inspired him to do more charity work. He now supports 16 orphanages for young girls. He makes many donations out of pocket without seeking a tax break, local politicians said, and is known for handing 5,000-peso bills (about $10) to strangers on the street and for tipping exorbitant amounts in restaurants.

Here in northern Chile he was the first mine owner in the area to pay his 3,200 employees “an ethical wage, when other businessmen didn’t,” said Brunilda González, the mayor of Caldera.

“His philosophy is, ‘God has given me a lot, so I’m going to give double,’ ” she said. “If he could solve poverty alone, he would.”

Rather than gratitude, however, his public philanthropy has earned him the enmity of the traditional business elite in Chile, where charity work is normally done with more discretion. It does not help that Mr. Farkas is openly critical of Chile’s upper class. “The rich people in Chile are very stingy, and all over South America,” he said.

Mr. Farkas says he is now considering offers from companies to buy a majority of his mining assets, so he can concentrate more on philanthropy.

“I am not so happy working so much, it is very stressful,” he said. “This year I have donated over $20 million. Not bad for a guy that used to play for $50 for happy hour at the Marco Polo Hotel in Miami Beach, right?”

adapted from The New York Times

Egypt's Crisis: Governments Send Planes to Evacuate Citizens From Egypt (fill in)

More countries …………………………….(send) planes to evacuate their citizens from the unrest in Egypt and leaders from around the world ………………………………… (ask) President Hosni Mubarak to seek a peaceful resolution to the anti-government protests.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs …………………………… (tell) reporters that the first U.S.-government sponsored flight ………………………. (leave) Cairo on Monday.

China's state television …………………………………… (report) yesterday that a Chinese plane ……………………………… (be) on its way to start transporting the more than 500 Chinese nationals at the Cairo airport. In a statement late Sunday, China's Foreign Ministry ……………………. (say) "Beijing …………………………………… (hope) stability …………………………………… (return) to Egypt soon.

Azerbaijan, India, Iraq, Japan and Turkey ………………………………………. (send) planes on Sunday.

Nationals of Britain, France and China ………………………………. (be urged) to avoid non-essential travel to Egypt, but their governments ……………………………………………… ( not announce) plans for evacuations.

Pakistan …………………………………… (monitor) the situation to decide whether or not to evacuate about 150 Pakistani families.

U.S. President Barack Obama ………………………………….. (call) for an "orderly transition" to a more responsive government in Egypt, while European leaders ……………………………………………… (appeal) for free and fair elections in the world's most populous Arab nation.

White House officials…………………………. (say) Sunday that Mr. Obama ............................................ (speak) with the leaders of Britain, Turkey, Israel and Saudi Arabia over the past two days. He ……………………………… (reiterate) his administration's support of the broad democratic rights of the Egyptian people, including the right to peaceful assembly, association and free speech.

British, French and German leaders …………………………………….. (urge) their Egyptian counterpart, President Mubarak, to "embark on a process of transformation which should be reflected in a broad-based government and in free and fair elections."

Prime Minister David Cameron of Britain, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel ……………………………….. (not call) for Mr. Mubarak's resignation.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ………………………… (say) "My country ……………………………….. (follow) the anti-government protests in Egypt with vigilance". He ………………………….. (hope) that peaceful relations …………………………………………… (continue)

Egypt, the Arab nation of more than 80 million people ……………………………….. (have) a peace treaty with Israel and ………………………………….(be) a mediator between Israelis and Palestinians

Photo: AP-Travelers and evacuees stranded at Cairo airport

Egypt's Crisis

Photo: AP Photo/Amr Nabil - An Egyptian mother hugs her child as she watches thousands of Egyptian protesters gather at Tahrir square in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011, with the ruling National Democratic party building burned at top right behind the red colored Egypt museum.

Key Players in Egypt's Crisis

• President Hosni Mubarak: The 82-year-old has ruled Egypt for 30 years as leader of the National Democratic Party. With no named successor and in poor health, analysts say the president is grooming his son, Gamal, to succeed him. Egypt's longest-serving president came to power after the assassination of his predecessor, Anwar Sadat.

• Mohamed ElBaradei: The Nobel Peace laureate and former Egyptian diplomat has gained international attention as a vocal critic of Mr. Mubarak and his government. Until recently he headed the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency, and he has lived outside Egypt for years. ElBaradei founded the nonpartisan movement National Association for Change, and has offered to lead a transitional administration in Egypt if Mr. Mubarak steps down.

• Vice President Omar Suleiman: The new Egyptian Vice President has served as head of intelligence and is a close ally of President Mubarak. Suleiman is seen by some analysts as a possible successor to the president. He earned international respect for his role as a mediator in Middle East affairs and for curbing Islamic extremism.

• Ayman Nour: The political dissident founded the Al Ghad or "tomorrow" party. Nour ran against Mr. Mubarak in the 2005 election and was later jailed on corruption charges. The government released him in 2009 under pressure from the United States and other members of the international community.

• Muslim Brotherhood: The Islamic fundamentalist organization is outlawed in Egypt, but remains the largest opposition group. Its members previously held 20 percent of the seats in parliament, but lost them after a disputed election in late 2010. The group leads a peaceful political and social movement aimed at forming an Islamic state.

Retail giant Wal-Mart has launched a program (video)

Newly Launched Senegal Airlines to Begin Flights

Photo: VOA photo - J. Ritchey

Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade cuts the ribbon at the ceremony next to his son, State Minister for Air Transport Karim Wade

A new regional air carrier called Senegal Airlines will begin flights by the end of the month to other West African countries, including Mali, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.

The new airline replaces the now defunct Air Senegal International, which called off operations in 2009 due to continued money problems and a public falling out with its controlling partner, Morocco's Royal Air Maroc.Company CEO Edgardo Badiali says he hopes to expand and include flights to Europe and North America.

“I think the geographical position and the stability of the country will help us to build a hub in the sub-region in West Africa,” Badiali said.

The government hopes to avoid repeating its mistakes. It owns only a minority shre of the new Senegal Airlines, with the majority held by a broad group of private investors, including Senegalese-American rapper Akon (photo)

Dubai-based Emirates Airlines provided training and technical help for Senegal Airlines staff. The airline purchased six Airbuses for its fleet a short time ago.

At the ceremony Wednesday, the airline showed off two of its planes, with bright green, yellow and red stripes on the tail representing the national flag.

Badiali says his goal is to capture 40 percent of the Dakar market.

Senegal is building a new airport outside Dakar to handle more flights to continue its emergence as a key entry point to West Africa. The airport is expected to be complete by 2012.

Julia Ritchey | Dakar - VOA

Job Interview Quizz

An Optical Illusion Quiz

Facts of Real Life in Graphs :D

Taking Downsizing to a Whole New Level (video)

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Astronaut Supports Twin Brother From Space Following Arizona Shooting

Astronaut Mark Kelly remains at the side of his wife, US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head during a shooting rampage in Tucson, Arizona on January 8. Meantime, his twin brother, Scott Kelly, provides what support he can from 350 kilometers above the earth's surface on the International Space Station.

Since he heard the news of the shooting over a week ago, Scott Kelly has kept in close touch with his brother, Mark, through emails and at least twice-a-day phone calls. They are very long distance calls as Scott is orbiting high above the earth's surface carrying out his duties as the current commander of the International Space Station.

NASAphoto NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, Expedition 26 commander, poses for a holiday photo near Christmas decorations in the Unity node of the International Space Station

In an earth-to-space-station interview Tuesdasy, Scott told Houston television station KTRK that he does feel some frustration from not being able to be with his brother and Congresswoman Giffords, known affectionately to friends and family as Gabby.

"I would prefer to be there with Gabby and my brother and other friends and family, but I recognize that the best thing I can do, in my situation, which is here on the space station, is just to continue to do my job," said Scott Kelly.

Scott's brother Mark understands that sense of duty well since he is also an astronaut. The identical twins both have degrees in engineering, both served as Navy pilots and both joined the astronaut corps at the same time in 1996.

Scott says he spoke with his brother in the morning and that he is holding up well.

"I spoke to him, actually, this morning. I think he is coping as well as you can in this type of situation," he said. "Certainly, it is very difficult, but I think he is doing as well as you could expect anyone to do."

Mark Kelly is scheduled to be the commander of the space shuttle Endeavor on its last scheduled flight in April. He has flown on three previous shuttle missions. But his ability to carry out that final assignment may depend on how well his wife does in her recovery in the coming weeks. So far, doctors are pleased, noting signs of progress such as her ability to respond to commands and to open her eyes for brief periods.

As for what sense can be made from the Tucson shooting, Scott Kelly says his view from high over earth's surface gives him inspiration that Americans can come together to solve problems just as astronauts do in space.

"The way we deal with challenges in this kind of environment, doing things that are very difficult is through teamwork," said Scott Kelly. "I would like to see, maybe, more teamwork from people, not only in government, but everyone, in meeting the challenges our country faces. Hopefully, if anything good can come out of something like this it is that we learn to work better together."

Scott Kelly is scheduled to end his current assignment as commander of the International Space Station in March.

Greg Flakus | Houston

How long have you owned a car?

Can you imagine having the same car for 77 years?




Mr. Allen Swift is a legend among Rolls-Royce collectors for owning his green Phantom I, S273 FP Rolls longer than anyone in the world has ever owned an individual Rolls-Royce.

In recognition of that fact, Rolls-Royce Motors presented him with a crystal Spirit of Ecstasy award at the Rolls-Royce Annual Meeting in 1994.

How did Allen Swift get the car?

When he finished high school, he was given a choice: either go to college or help his father run the family gold business. If he chose the family business, his parents promised to buy him any car he wanted.

Allen picked a brand new $10,900, 1928 Springfield Rolls Royce, which he owned for 77 years

In 2002, when he was 99 years old, he approached the Springfield Museums to discuss finding a new home for his Rolls-Royce.

In September 2005 Swift’s attorney informed the Museums that his client would donate the money to purchase the Verizon building, adjacent to the Museums.

Allen Smith died in October 2005 at the age of 102

The Wood Museum of Springfield History opened to the public in the fall of 2009. Today it showcases Allen’s 1928 Springfield-made Phantom I, S273 FP Rolls-Royce which has 170,000 miles on it, still runs like a Swiss watch, dead silent at any speed and is in perfect condition.

There is no organization like Guinness Book or a known records-keeping firm to verify if this, in fact, is the longest car/owner relationship from new ... but one could probably win a bet or have an interesting discussion based upon this information.

Click HERE to see the antique cars and motorcycles featured at the Museum of Springfield History

adapted from an extension of a Sirius satellite radio program on channel 161, the "Christian Car Guy Radio Show" and ...Notes from the EDJE

Flooding in Brazil and Australia (video)

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Music World News (Fill in)

Michael Jackson's Doctor to Stand Trial for Involuntary Manslaughter

Following a six-day preliminary hearing, a Los Angeles judge ………………………….. (rule) that Michael Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, ………………………(stand) trial for involuntary manslaughter. Authorities claim the 57-year-old doctor …………………………………. (give) Jackson a lethal dose of the powerful anesthetic propofol. If Murray …………………………… ( be convicted) he ………………………………………. ( face)
up to four years in prison.


Controversy Surrounds Britney Britney's New Release "Hold It Against Me"


There ………………….. (be) some controversy surrounding Britney Spears’ new single, “Hold It Against Me.”

In 1979, Country duo the Bellamy Brothers ………………………….. (have) a Number One hit with “If I Said You Had A Beautiful Body, Would You Hold It Against Me.”

David Bellamy …………………………. (say) in a press release, “If you ………………………. (listen) to the lyrics of Britney Spears’ new single, ‘Hold It Against Me,’ you ………………………. (find) some major similarities. Howard and I ………………….. (think) Britney …………… (be) a talented girl. But professionally, well, in all honesty, we ………………………. (feel) completely ripped off. Where ……………. (be) the originality?”

The Bellamy Brothers’ Nashville publicist ………………….. (say) they ……………………….. (decide) to “weigh their legal options.”

Gregg Allman Releases New Solo Album

On January 18 Rounder Records ………………………….( release) rock and blues singer Gregg Allman’s first solo album in 14 years. Low Country Blues …………………… (be produced) by T Bone Burnett. The album ……………………… (contain) blues covers, plus one original song.

Last year, Allman ………………………………… (undergo) liver transplant surgery …………………….. (bring) on by a long battle with Hepatitis C. His recovery ……………………. (be) a success and Gregg ………………………… (be now able) to promote his new album with U.S. concerts.

After wrapping up solo shows, he …………………….. (join) his Allman Brothers Band to perform 13 concerts from March 10 to 26 at New York’s Beacon Theatre.


Album Sales Plummet


It ………………….. (be) a bad week for album sales in the U.S. Taylor Swift ………………………. (remain) at Number One on the Billboard 200 for the sixth non-consecutive week with Speak Now. But, she …………………………. (sell) only 52,000 copies during the past week. That ………………… (be) the lowest sales number for a chart-topping album in SoundScan history.




American Idol Returns with 2 New Judges

On January 19, the season premiere of American Idol ……………………………… (air) on FOX-TV. Several changes ………………………………………. (be made) to the reality show’s 10th season.

New judges Jennifer Lopez and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler................... (join) original judge Randy Jackson. They ........................................ (replace) former judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul

Awards Presentations / Winners

The 68th annual Golden Globe Awards ……………………….. (be presented) in Beverly Hills, California on January 16. The Golden Globes …………………….. (be considered)an indicator of which films ……………………….. ( compete) for Academy Awards.

Best Original Song nominees included Samuel Dixon, Christina Aguilera and Sia Furler for “Bound To You” from “Burlesque"; Bob DiPiero, Tom Douglas, Hillary Lindsey and Troy Verges for “Coming Home” from “Country Strong;” Alan Menken and Glenn Slater for “I See the Light” from “Tangled;” Hillary Lindsey, Carrie Underwood and David Hodges for “There’s a Place for Us” from “Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader;” and Diane Warren, who won the Golden Globe for “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” from “Burlesque.” The Best Original Score category included Alexandre Desplot for “The King’s Speech,” Danny Elfman for “Alice in Wonderland,” A.R. Rahman for “127 Hours,” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who won the Golden Globe for “The Social Network” and Hans Zimmer for “Inception.”



Look Who's Going On Tour!


Linkin Park …………………………. (begin) a North American tour in Sunrise, Florida on January 20.

The band’s 2010 album, A Thousand Suns, ………………………… (debut) at Number One on the Billboard 200. Linkin Park and its label, Warner Brothers Records, ………………………………. (offer) fans a free download of the show they attend.

Bassist Dave Farrell ……………………….. (say), “The energy we ………………………….. (get) from our fans is what ………………………………. (make) a great show. We ………………………….. (want) to show our appreciation by giving that experience back to them.”



adapted from VOANews

If the states of USA were countries ......

Which countries match the GDP and population of America's states?




At present the state of California would rank 8th among the biggest economies in the world, falling between Italy and Brazil on a nominal exchange-rate basis.
But how do other American states compare with other countries?


If you click HERE you will see an interactive version of this map, including population as well as GDP

Apple CEO Steve Jobs sent the following email to all Apple employees

January 17, 2011

Team,

At my request, the board of directors has granted me a medical leave of absence so I can focus on my health. I will continue as CEO and be involved in major strategic decisions for the company.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for all of Apple’s day to day operations. I have great confidence that Tim and the rest of the executive management team will do a terrific job executing the exciting plans we have in place for 2011.

I love Apple so much and hope to be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, my family and I would deeply appreciate respect for our privacy.

Steve

Apple's CEO Steve Jobs takes medical leave (video)

First anniversary of earthquake in Haiti

Amid the loss and horror that surrounded the earthquake in Haiti a year ago there are positive stories of triumph over tragedy.



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New wineries (video)

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2011 Consumer Electronics Show (audio)

Touring the Tigre Delta

By MICHAEL T. LUONGO

THE belle-époque building that houses the Museo de Arte Tigre in the Tigre Delta of Argentina opened as a social club a century ago.The building eventually fell into disuse before reopening as a museum in 2006, newly refurbished with marble, bronze and stained glass as part of a municipal improvement project.

“There are three places in Buenos Aires which are changing, which everyone is talking about,” said Diana Saiegh, the director of the Museo de Arte Tigre. “San Telmo, Palermo Viejo, and now, Tigre.”

The renaissance comes after a long decline.. Recently however, the municipality of Tigre has improved the waterfront walkways along the Río Luján and renovated the shopping and information arcades near the main train station. Developers have also become attracted to Tigre, building homes and spas on its remote islands, aiming once again at the very wealthy.

The region is vast. At 5,405 square miles, the Tigre Delta is among the world’s largest, and it is one of the only major deltas in the world that does not empty into a sea or ocean. It flows instead into the Río de la Plata, which separates Argentina and Uruguay, after the Río Paraná splits into several smaller rivers and forms a multitude of sedimentary islands covered in forest and grasslands. With its islands and canals, Tigre is what Venice might have looked like before development.

Tigre is named for the jaguars — which were called tigers — that once roamed here, before the islands became important agriculturally for wicker and fruit in the mid-1800s.

Later on the British built trains bringing these products to market. British character pervades Tigre, with Victorians and half-timbered mock Tudors. Many of those structures and the museum are on what locals call “continente,” the mainland. This center sits on the Río Luján tributary and is a launching pad from which boats travel from the Estación Fluvial terminal to the islands in the delta. In addition to the museum, there is an amusement park and a market where handmade reed furniture, leather, artisanal food and other products are sold.


Tigre still attracts artists, like Sebastián Páez Vilaró, son of the Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró. His atelier, where he makes bronze and copper repoussé art, is a miniature of his father’s amorphous Casa Pueblo in Punta Del Este. Mr. Páez Vilaró, 25, said he finds Tigre inspiring “because I can enjoy nature and the land and still be close to Buenos Aires.”

A number of spa resorts and gated communities — called “countries” after American country clubs — have opened on the islands. For example, there is Bonanza, an island where the Bonanza Deltaventura company offers horseback riding, kayaking, bird-watching and tramping through forests, where botanists point out plant species. Some new developments attempt to bridge the two worlds.

The Isla el Descanso, is a small island occupied by a retreat that highlights its natural attributes: lagoons, channels and gardens. The owner, Claudio Stamato, created it when he converted his weekend home into a retreat with sculptures by Alberto Bastón Díaz, an Argentine artist. Its most famous visitor was Madonna, who came in 2008 with her children and bodyguards.

Other developments are more ambitious. Delta Eco Spa, on an island near Bonanza, is a sprawling resort that opened in November 2009, six years after construction began. Building is continuing, according to the hotel’s commercial director, Marcelo Israel, with much of the material coming laboriously by boat. “Constructing in the water is not the same as constructing on solid ground,” he said.

Though its physical structure is not finished, the spa’s vision seems complete. It is meant for romance: Children under 10 are not permitted, and rooms feature showers for two; each room comes with a patio deck. Private vacation bungalows are being developed on the island to offer guests even more privacy.

The precursor to Delta Eco and the wave of other spa resorts that have been built is Rumbo 90, which opened in 2005. It’s intimate, with only seven guest rooms and a rustic-romantic candlelit dining area whose menu emphasizes river fish and other local products. It’s possible to visit for half days or just for lunch, but Paula Gezzi, an owner, said that day-trippers are limited to maintain the sense of solitude. The resort fronts Canal del Este, which Ms. Gezzi described as “upscale.” Across the water, a neighboring island has large, expensive homes.

Ms. Gezzi, 32, vacationed as a child in Tigre. “Twenty years ago,” she said, “the only thing to do was have some fun in the day and then return to the city, but now people choose to stay on the islands.” She added, “you are only half an hour from land, but you feel very far away.”

Her sentiments were echoed by Norma Effrón of Buenos Aires, who was celebrating her 54th birthday at Rumbo 90 and was staying there overnight for the first time. “I love the vegetation,” she said. “I love the water. There was a time when I used to come very often, but it was only to stay for the day.” This time, she said, she found that “Tigre is a way to refresh the head.”

Susana Neira, 53, a Buenos Aires-based tour guide, finds the mainland just as restorative. Ms. Neira is a member of the Buenos Aires Rowing Club, located between Tigre’s train station and the Estación Fluvial. She calls the club’s baronial British structure a “Harry Potter place". Among Ms. Neira’s favorite pastimes is rowing along the Tigre waterfront.

As she paddled there on a recent trip, people waved from the Puerto de Frutos, the tourist market. At water level, the intimacy is astounding: kayakers stop one another for directions, and one can hear the conversations coming from the docks of island houses.

The crew boat returned to Tigre as the sun set, casting a golden glow over the water, silhouetting the Parque de la Costa amusement park.

Ms. Neira stopped rowing, taking in the view. “I spend all my free time here in Tigre,” she said.

adapted from The New York Times Photos by Beatrice Murch for The New York Times

Companies get logo makeovers - but how successful?

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Starbucks shakes up logo

Starbucks, the Seattle-based global coffee chain is commemorating its 40th anniversary this year and on Wednesday CEO Howard Shultz announced that the iconic green siren is getting an updated look to mark the company's milestone year and Starbucks' next chapter "in our history."

The new logo will start rolling out in March and features the siren alone, without the "Starbucks Coffee" encircling her image. "Throughout the last four decades, the siren has been there through it all. And now, we’ve given her a small but meaningful update to ensure that the Starbucks brand continues to embrace our heritage in ways that are true to our core values" Starbucks CEO said in a post on Starbucks' website.

Who is the siren, anyway? In the search for an image that captured "the history of coffee and Seattle’s strong seaport roots," Starbucks' founders came across a 16th century woodcut of a twin-tailed mermaid.

"There was something about her – a seductive mystery mixed with a nautical theme that was exactly what the founders were looking for. A logo was designed around her, and our long relationship with the Siren began," Starbucks says on its website.

Just a few hours later, the backlash against the change started building on both Starbucks' website and other social media platforms such as Facebook. A quick scan of the reactions showed consumers were mixed about the refurbished logo

anonymous wrote "Was the Starbucks corporate office asleep through all of the Gap controversy when they tried changing their logo? Leave it alone! There's nothing wrong with it,"

MimiKatz wrote"Who's the bonehead in your marketing department that removed the world-famous name of Starbucks Coffee from your new logo? This gold card user isn't impressed,"

anonymous wrote "I prefer the old logo. I've been a Starbucks fan since I lived in Portland in the late 80's and I've been in Mississippi for the past 11 years enjoying Starbucks. I'm all for change...I think it's great, but I'm not impressed with the new logo."

gerberfranz wrote "Removing the Starbucks name off your logo does not make any sense. I have been a big supporter of Starbucks since the early days, taken expensive rides in taxis to get my morning coffee, even waded through two feet of snow in my business suit. I do not see the logic of your business development folks. Free advertisement on every cup, every day. Think about it."

Cjsvendsen wrote "Wow... What a beautiful and compelling way to move the company into the new millennium. I always thought that the harsh black band around the siren represented the shackles of history past"

a Facebook user wrote "Love the new logo. Streamlined, modern, simple, elegant. Change is obviously more difficult for some than others..."

"Logo changes get a lot of attention and we were expecting a lot of discussion about this change," said Starbucks' spokeswoman Deb Trevino. Regarding the backlash, Trevino said the company expects customers comments to even out over time.

Starbucks' logo change is reminiscent of a similar move made last year by No. 1 clothing chain Gap Inc. In early October, Gap shocked its fans by changing its iconic blue-box logo encasing the word "GAP instead to a small box placed above the word Gap. The move spawned such fan fury that Gap quickly backpedaled on its marketing misstep and reverted to its old logo a week later.

It remains to be seen if its latest Starbucks logo facelift causes an uproar and how Starbucks deals with it

adapted from CNNNews and MoneyCNN

Gourmet Chocolate and i-Pads (video)

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Electric Cars Lead New Models in 2011 (video)

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Contest Winner Will Play Alongside Tiger Woods in ProAm Tournament

One lucky amateur golfer will win an opportunity to play alongside American superstar Tiger Woods in a Professional-Amateur (ProAm) tournament a day before the start of the Dubai Desert Classic in February 2011.

Dubai Desert Classic organizers are sponsoring the contest, which is open to both men and women amateur golfers holding a valid handicap. Anyone meeting the required maximum handicap limit of 18 for men and 26 for women can register free of charge on the Dubai Desert Classic tournament website.

Organizers say a draw will be held two weeks before the start of the European Tour event to choose the contest winner. That player will join Tiger and two other amateur golfers in the ProAm competition February 9 at the Emirates Golf Club. The amateur contest winner also will receive two season "golf in Dubai" hospitality tickets.

The Desert Classic is holding the contest to increase golf's popularity in Dubai, especially among young people. Organizers hope the marketing promotion will draw more fans at professional events in the Emirate, where spectator galleries are notoriously sparse.

Woods will be playing in the Dubai Desert Classic in February 2011 for the first time in two years. He previously won the tournament in 2008 and 2006.

Tiger is looking to rebound from a winless 2010 season, the worst of his 15-year professional career that saw him drop to second in the PGA's world rankings after 281 weeks as number one. The American golf great missed the first five months of last year's PGA Tour on a self-imposed hiatus from golf to deal with personal issues.

Some information for this report was provided by AP. Adapted from VOANews