-
Par yaworker-w dans Accueil le 8 Avril 2010 à 07:09
In 1977, cultural geographer Yi-Fu Tuan defined place as "a special kind of object." He called place a "concretion of value, though not a valued thing that can be handled or carried about easily; it is an object in which one can dwell" (1977:12). Since then, defining "place" has been a popular activity over the years for scholars from a number of the humanities and social sciences, but Tuan's description of place as a kind of object is a fitting introduction to this article, which examines the possibility that objects-even those that can be "handled or carried about easily," despite Tuan's hesitation on that point-can function as places.
Definitions of "place" have focused on a variety of qualities, the most common perhaps being boundaries, but also value, in the above example from Tuan, and behavior, in John A. Jakle's concept of place as "a setting that, because it contains a distinctive range of Medium Elsa Peretti Open Heart pendant inducing the continuation of those interactions" (1987:4).
The ambiguous phrase "a sense of place," commonly used to refer to an individual's general awareness of or connection to a particular place, can be equally diverse in meaning. Kent Ryden proposes that "a sense of place results gradually and unconsciously from inhabiting a landscape over time, becoming familiar with its physical properties, accruing history within its confines" (1993:38). The National Trust for Historic Preservation presents the similar but more pragmatic idea that a sense of Small Elsa Peretti Open Heart pendant a feeling that a community is a special place, distinct from anywhere else" (Stokes et al. 1997:192). These definitions, which tie a sense of place to time spent in a given locality or membership in a given community, have been critiqued for being at odds within the context of contemporary society, where technology allows for a steady increase in virtual and geographically distanced interaction (Shields 1996, 2003; Rojek 1998; Rheingold 1993) through the use of the Internet, cell phones, and other wireless communication devices.
Globalization scholars, studying the increasing pace of global interactions and processes, have noted that while people continue to live local lives, phenomenal worlds have become global, as distant events come to have an immediate impact on local spaces and vice versa (Inda and Rosaldo 2002). Knowing this, and knowing that social interaction is increasingly taking place in virtual settings, concepts such as "place" and a "sense of place" have been reconsidered.
This article explores the construction of place in the modern world by examining a contemporary custom that I refer to as serial collaboration. Serial collaboration is the process of passing an object from person to person and place to place in order to see how far around the world it can travel. Consideration of this custom reveals that it provides people with a means to temper the reality of increasingly non-tangible or abstract social connections through the creation of portable "places." To illustrate, I Elsa Peretti Teardrop pendant process, noting several related practices. I then propose a breakdown of the primary and secondary characteristics that distinguish this practice from others. I conclude by exploring how the abstract practice, in its multitude of specific manifestations, allows for an experience of place that is not tied to a particular location. If "home"-a concept often implied in the definitions of place as locations of extended habitation, such as Ryden's-is a concept that is increasingly unanchored, then concepts such as "place" and "home" must simply become things we can take with us when we travel.
CIRCULATING OBJECTS AND PASSAROUNDS
Before delving into the specifics of serial collaboration, it is important to note the custom's many small-scale relatives. "Circulating objects," or "passarounds" as they are also sometimes called, are a common custom within family and friend groups.1 The idea is simple: a pair or group of people passes or circulates an object among themselves as a marker of their connection. Usually, the group or pair is one that previously shared the same geographic area (a home, a hometown, a school, etc.) but is now separated by a greater distance. The object that is passed around becomes a tangible way for members of the group to experience each other's presence and reintroduces a sense of shared physical space to the distanced relationship. A recent article in the Canadian national paper The Globe and Mail addressed the topic by explaining one family's practice:
A passaround must be small enough to secrete into an article of clothing, a pocket or suitcase without the owner's knowledge, and usually just before one leaves after a visit. Upon discovery, a passaround must never be acknowledged but instead, hidden in the luggage, pocket or some such of the original donor. (Best 2006:A20)
Even simply staying within the family, the passarounds can gain a lot of mileage:
aucun commentaire
-
Par yaworker-w dans Accueil le 8 Avril 2010 à 07:06
At all times relevant to the charges, Hsu operated and was the Managing Director of two companies, Components Ltd. And Next Components Ltd. (the "Companies"), which purported to provide investment programs that extended short-term financing to businesses. Hsu recruited victims by guaranteeing high rates of return on short-term investments. After receiving money from investors, Hsu, for a time, repaid both the victims' interest and principal as promised. Believing Hsu to be trustworthy and the Companies to be legitimate and potentially profitable, victims often agreed to roll-over their invested funds into new investments with Hsu, contribute additional, larger sums of money to the scheme, or recruit friends to invest with Hsu. In reality, however, the Companies were merely vehicles for Hsu's Ponzi scheme, in which money owed as returns to older investors was paid with money received from newer investors, and Hsu never invested Medium Elsa Peretti Sevillana pendant victims. In the end, Hsu defrauded his victims out of more than $60 million.
In an effort to raise his public profile and thereby convince more victims to invest in his fraudulent scheme, Hsu pressured investors to contribute tens of thousands of dollars to various candidates for President of the United States, the United States Senate, and the United States House of Representatives.
Hsu made victims believe that failure to make political contributions to candidates he supported would jeopardize their investment relationship with him, and put their money at risk.
Hsu also violated the Federal Small Elsa Peretti Sevillana pendant campaigns in the names of others. Specifically, in 2006, Hsu asked two other individuals to make contributions, totaling more than $20,000 each, to designated federal candidates. Hsu then reimbursed these two individuals for the political contributions they had made on his behalf.
During a court-authorized search of the items seized from Hsu at the time of his arrest, FBI agents recovered extensive evidence confirming Hsu's role in the charged crimes, including, among other things: (1) thousands of dollars in cash; (2) checkbooks for bank accounts used to carry out the fraudulent scheme; (3) hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of checks from Hsu's victims; (4) bank receipts reflecting millions of dollars worth of financial transactions conducted by Hsu; (5) handwritten ledgers reflecting Large Elsa Peretti Sevillana pendant campaign contributions to be made by specific victims on behalf of various candidates for elected federal office; (6) a Cartier watch and Tiffany jewelry; and (7) receipts reflecting Hsu's travel throughout the United States via a corporate jet service.
Hsu is charged in the Complaint with one count each of mail fraud and wire fraud, and one count of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act. If convicted, HSU faces maximum penalties of 20 years' imprisonment on the mail fraud charge, 20 years' imprisonment on the wire fraud charge, and 5 years' imprisonment on the federal campaign finance charge. Hsu also faces a maximum fine of twice the gross gain or loss resulting from his financial fraud crimes, and an additional maximum fine of $250,000 on the campaign finance crime.
Mr. Garcia praised the work of the FBI in the investigation of this case. He added that the investigation is continuing.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office's Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Boyd M. Johnson III, Katherine A. Lemire, Alexander J. Willscher, and Rua M. Kelly are in charge of the prosecution.
If you believe you were a victim of these crimes, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, at (866)874-8900, or Wendy.Olsen@usdoj.gov. For additional information, go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/victimwitness.html on the Internet.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
aucun commentaire
-
Par yaworker-w dans Accueil le 6 Avril 2010 à 08:13
Walking into Bradley Gough Diamonds on West Jefferson Boulevard feels a bit like stepping into a friend's home. Almost before the door is shut behind you, the soothing movements of a nearby fish tank draw the eye and calm the spirit. Across the room, a large stone fireplace burns merrily during the winter months, urging visitors to warm their hands by its embers.
The sales counters gleam and are filled with a myriad of jewelry pieces discount Tiffany Cuff Links in the cabinets. According to Bradley Gough, when he designed and opened his sales store in 2002, he had a goal in mind.
"I wanted to create a jewelry store like one that might offering affordable prices," he says. "People in the Midwest not only desire unique interesting jewelry, they want and expect it at a great value."
Gough has been a part of the jewelry business in Fort Wayne since 1982, though he has been in the jewelry industry since 1978. When plans to build a new shopping mall called Jefferson Pointe were announced shortly after 2000, Gough decided to establish his business across from the mall. He currently operates his business as one of the premiere jewelry retailers in northern Indiana in a 5,000-square-feet building.
As Gough reaches the three-decade mark in the jewelry business, he says his goals have not changed over the years. "When someone opens a box from Bradley Gough Diamonds, I want them to know they have received the best," he says.
One way he does this is by adding new. Some of his business' most recent additions include Kabana and Hearts on Fire. "Kabana is a line of inlaid gem stones, including mother of pearl, that can only be purchased at a few places in Indiana," he says. "Hearts on Fire is an exclusive jewelry and discount Tiffany Key Rings of Boston made with the world's most perfectly cut diamonds, thus optimizing their brilliance."
Gough stays aware of new jewelry trends by attending national jewelry shows in Las Vegas, Arizona and New York. He also listens to customers who tell him of a new line of jewelry they have discovered while visiting other cities.
"If they have seen something they are excited about, it's an indicator that other people will feel the same way. I'll pursue that line to see if it is something we can add," he says.
If a client brings in a photo or even just an idea of something they would like to wear, Gough's in-house designers can help with that. "We will sit down with a client and design the ring or other piece they have in mind and have it made. The customer is involved with every step of thisprocess,Tiffany Elsa Peretti Sevillana earrings his or her satisfaction," he says.
Gough also believes in helping clients restore older pieces of jewelry. "We have a master jeweler and master watch maker on staff who can provide maintenance for nearly any piece of jewelry, including older Swiss and Rolex watches," he says, adding that his business also offers jewelry appraisals.
Though some jewelers might prefer not to become involved with heirloom pieces, Gough says he is cognizant of the importance of such pieces. "They stand for something special to family members. We appreciate that if someone brings in their grandmother's wedding ring that needs fixed, we have a valuable item in our hands. We consider it a compliment when we are entrusted to service jewelry that means so much to its owner," he says.
Such attention to customers' needs have helped Gough attract and keep clients over the years. "When a local business transfers employees out of the Fort Wayne area, these people stay with us because we've developed a trust factor with them," he says. "They know we will continue to offer the best quality jewelry on the market." The trust factor has extended through generations as Gough is now serving the children of earlier clients with engagement and bridal pieces.
For those who cannot travel to his store, Gough uses email and the company Web site to assist with their shopping. "A customer from Montana may ask to see certain pieces of jewelry, so we'll send photos back and forth by email," he says.
Gough also offers items for sale on the Internet with a discount for purchase there. "The Web site is not our main focus of sales," he adds, "but it is an active part of it."
Women are not the only clients at Gough's store. In fact, some of the store's most popular purchases are men's watches. "Men appreciate the high-fashion design of quality, Swiss mechanized watches," he says. "These items are usually given as a reward for an accomplishment, such as a first job, promotion or retirement." Gough is a dealer of the Rolex, Tag Hauer and Maurice Lacroix watch lines.
aucun commentaire
-
Par yaworker-w dans Accueil le 6 Avril 2010 à 08:11
As shoppers rush to buy last-minute Valentine's gifts, five of the nation's leading jewelry retailers - Tiffany & Co., Ben Bridge Jeweler, Helzberg Diamonds, Fortunoff, and Leber Jeweler, Inc. - today pledged their support to permanently protect Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed from large-scale metal mining, including the massive proposed Pebble gold mine. The retailers, who had $2.2 billion in sales in 2006, took this step at the invitation of local Alaskans, who seek to protect wild salmon, clean water, and traditional Alaskan ways of life from the damaging effects of industrial metal mines.
"I am pleased to stand with others in the jewelry industry today in announcing our support for protecting Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed from large-scale mining," said Jon Bridge, Co-CEO/General Counsel of Seattle-based Ben Bridge Jeweler. "As retail jewelers, we want to be able to tell our customers that the Elsa Peretti Infinity Cross pendant mined responsibly -- that the materials used in the jewelry they purchase have been mined in environmentally friendly ways, respectful of the Bristol Bay salmon fishery and the communities that depend on it."
The controversial Pebble mine is highlighted in a new report released by the No Dirty Gold consumer campaign led by EARTHWORKS and Oxfam America. The report, "Golden Rules: Making the Case for Responsible Mining," documents the toll of irresponsible mining on people, discount Tiffany Bangles prices are driving new mining development globally. The report describes human rights violations and environmental concerns at metals mines in the United States and around the world. (To download a copy of the report, visit http://www.nodirtygold.org/.)
The retailers are among a group of 28 jewelry retailers, representing 23 percent of U.S. jewelry sales, who have endorsed the No Dirty Gold campaign's "Golden Rules" - human rights and environmental criteria for mining. The announcement takes those commitments a step further.
"Some of the world's leading jewelers have recognized that the Bristol Bay watershed is a treasure worth protecting. We applaud their principled position and commitment to not source metals from areas of high conservation value," said Payal Sampat of EARTHWORKS.
The proposed Pebble mine is backed by the UK-based Anglo American, one of the world's largest metals mining companies, and Canadian firm Northern Dynasty Minerals. The Bristol Bay watershed, where the proposed mine would be located, supports the world's most productive wild salmon fishery -- which is critical to the state's economy and to the livelihood of many Alaska Native communities.
"We want to express a sincere thank you to these jewelry companies," said Bobby Andrew, a spokesperson for Nunamta Aulukestai (Caretakers of the Land), an association of eight Alaska Native corporations. "The proposed Pebble mine threatens the wild salmon fishery that discount Tiffany Bracelets and our people for generations."
Last year, Nunamta Aulukestai and a diverse group of Alaska Native communities, commercial fishermen, businesses, and sportsmen publicly invited jewelry retailers to express support for the protection of Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed from large-scale mining. The invitation ran as a full-page ad in National Jeweler magazine. (For a copy of the ad and jeweler pledge, see http://www.protectbristolbay.org/.)
Consumers today are more aware of the human and environmental costs of the goods and services they purchase than ever before. While other business sectors have responded to demand for cleaner, ethically produced goods and services - such as sustainably harvested wood products and fair trade coffee - the mining sector lags behind in terms of embracing an independent system for standards and verification. Some 100,000 consumers in more than 100 countries have signed on to the No Dirty Gold pledge, urging mining companies to provide alternatives to "dirty" gold.
"Consumers and jewelry retailers across the country have clearly signaled their desire for certified, more ethically produced metals," noted Raymond C. Offenheiser of Oxfam America. "The question is: when will mining companies step up to meet this obvious demand?"
Keywords: Conservation, Conservation Value, Ecology, Economics, Environment, Fair Trade, Government, Human Rights, Minerals, Mining, Mining Sector, Northern Dynasty Minerals, Oxfam America, Politics, Sports.
This article was prepared by Resource Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2008, Resource Week via VerticalNews.com.
aucun commentaire
-
Par yaworker-w dans Accueil le 5 Avril 2010 à 07:28
The five-year legal battle between Tiffany & Co. and eBay Inc. moved to a federal appeals court on Thursday.
The two sides agree on at least one thing: there are counterfeits for sale at the online auction house. But they differ on whose duty it is to prevent those knockoffs from being sold, which formed the crux of legal arguments before the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
The court's decision, which isn't expected Elsa Peretti Almond cuff links, will mark the first time a federal appeals panel rules on the issue of counterfeit sales at online auctions. According to legal experts, and others in the intellectual property community, the case has the chance to set precedent in a field that has had little regulation.
Tiffany lost its initial case against the Web site in a U.S. District Court decision handed down a little more than a year ago. That ruling, based on a 2004 lawsuit, said it is Tiffany's duty to police eBay auctions for counterfeits and notify the Web site of any trademark infringement.
This is a new business model, Tiffany attorney James Swire said of eBay during his argument. If you're going to place that burden on brand owners, you have to consider that there's a lot of small brand owners out there.
Swire used his time before the three-judge panel to restate Tiffany's argument that eBay's business model contributed to, and sometimes profited from, the sale of counterfeit goods. Based on that general knowledge, Swire said, the Web site should be held responsible for verifying the Elsa Peretti Eternal Circle cuff links its users sell. Tiffany sought to protect the consumer and protect the brand owner, he said.
That focus is not mentioned once in the district court decision, he added.
During Swire's argument, Judge Richard Goldberg interrupted to ask what more eBay could do to prevent counterfeits.
They could do a lot more if they had the responsibility to take action, Swire replied.
Bruce Rich, attorney for eBay, countered that the Web site Atlas cuff links respond to brand owners' specific requests and pointed out that Vero, its own notification system, had stopped hundreds of thousands of counterfeit auctions in recent years. Rich told the court Tiffany is asking eBay to police every item labeled Tiffany on the site with tools it does not have.
Multiply that out by all the other luxury goods on sale at eBay and you would have a model that collapses, he said.
The appeals court panel acknowledged the importance of the case, allotting each side 20 minutes to make its argument, instead of the typical five or 10.
Judge Barrington Parker Jr. alluded to the historical significance of the proceedings when he referred to Inwood Laboratories Inc. vs. Ives Laboratories Inc., a 1982 case upon which the lower court based much of its ruling. In that case, the U.S. Supreme Court found that those not directly responsible for trademark infringement could still be held responsible for it. Brands have used the case to target flea market owners and landlords who allow counterfeiters to sell on their property.
When Inwood was written, what we're dealing with now would have been in the realm of science fiction, Parker said.
The courtroom, normally half full, was packed with attorneys representing other Web sites and luxury brands. Yahoo, Amazon, Coty and the Council of Fashion Designers of America have all filed briefs in the case.
aucun commentaire
Suivre le flux RSS des articles Suivre le flux RSS des commentaires
 Actions
|
 Connexion |
 Créer mon blog |
Créer mon compte |
Aidez-nous, faites un don ! |
|
Aller à l'accueil
Contact
Chercher un article
Vous avez reçu un nouveau message !