Archive for the ‘Archive’ Category

This is one of the main highways – 4 lanes. A couple of interesting things. First, note the condition of the road. It was full of potholes and uneven surfaces and the driver frequently changed lanes or slowed down to avoid these. Second, where is the traffic? Not many can afford a car so not much traffic at all. In fact, look at the photo below to see how people get around in Cuba.

Hitching (and often paying for it) is the most common way to get around outside of the cities.

This is the major department store in Cienfuegos (about 150 000 people). I don’t think Harvey Norman has anything to be concerned about.

Rubbish collection in Cienfuegos.

This is my favourite – you’d take your chance wouldn’t you? Give up or run? Run! Mind you, if they catch you, have a look below to see where they send you.

The prison just outside of Cienfuegos.

Here is a picture of the inside of the Cuban plane (which was filthy by the way) as we landed. It looks like smoke but imagine it is vapour of some sort. Both when landing in Cuba and back in Mexico, the passengers clapped once the plane landed! I don’t recall these two things occurring on any Air New Zealand flight.

Did a tour in Savannah on a Segway. I want one!!!

Went to Disney World and got on all the rides I wanted too – OK, so a big kid at heart.

Went to the Kennedy Space Center – an absolutely amazing experience.

The Space Shuttle Atlanta on the launch pad for the last ever launch scheduled for 24 February.

Saturn 5 which was the rocket to launch the Apollos. This is over 100m long and is totally overwhelming to look at.

A space suit.

There have been a lot of pictures of the devastation, some of which I have shared elsewhere. However, this picture below is different as I think it shows the acceleration and force. I lifted the remote control off the couch about an hour after the quake, and expected to find a clean outline of the remote (dirt flew from everywhere and has totally embedded in the couch).

However, what I found was that not only the outline of the remote, but the buttons had been impressed into the couch. Given that nothing fell on the remote to drive it into the couch, the only explanation was the force of the quake lifted and drove the couch into the remote at such an acceleration that the remote didn’t bounce but became imbedded into the couch!

I am in Bangkok for a workshop. Here are some pics.

The infamous water taxi.

Madame Tussauds – I could have smiled I guess.

I am in Washington at the moment and attended the Hershey Car Show. This is huge. Here is a selection of some of the cars.

Superb Leaders Communicate Superbly. This is one of the things that happens when they don’t.

ARTICLE

Chief Executives Lack Credibility – Study

By Julian Lee – The Age

An academic, a non-government organisation or a person on the street are regarded as more credible sources of information about a firm than its own chief executive, a study has found.

The picture was even worse for governments in an election year, because people were more likely to trust businessmen before politicians, the survey by public relations firm Edelman said. Only 38 per cent of high-income earners surveyed said they listened to what a firm’s most senior executive had to say when they were formulating a view on a company.

But businesses can take heart that during the last year their standing has risen – in last year’s survey the figure was only 19 per cent.

I have a conference in Rhode Island so stopped off in New York for a couple of days. Will hopefully have some pics from the top of the Empire State Building in a couple of days. I went to go up tonight but it was misty so wouldn’t have seen anything.

And if you are going to buy the new Apple MacBook Air, where better than the Apple Store, Fifth Avenue.

Photos to follow . . .