What Does Guanxi Look Like?

Poking around the blogs this morning I stumbled upon a set of images created by Chinese artist Yang Liu for a 2007 show. The figures reflect observations of the contrasts between German (blue) and Chinese (red) culture. I think one can extrapolate a more general tongue in cheek contrast between East and West in this series.

Here is the entire run of plates in a PDF file. The titles are in German but you will easily get the point.

Shots Fired in the 'hood

While Inman Park is now known for its Victorian homes and our spring festival, 145 years ago today the neighborhood was the epicenter of the Battle of Atlanta.

The battle, commemorated in the massive panoramic painting Atlanta Cyclorama, was a major defeat for the vastly outnumbered Confederate forces under John Hood. Nine thousand men died on the battlefield that day, including Union general James McPherson.

The events of July 22 foretold the fall of Atlanta on September 2, 1864. Atlanta would then become the trail head for Sherman's March to the Sea, the revolutionary tactic of total war that broke the spine of the Confederacy.

Visitors to Inman Park can commemorate the battle with a stop at Springvale Park. Civil War buffs will want to see the amazing collections in the Atlanta History Center, stop by Oakland Cemetery, and make the run to Grant Park for the experience of rotating around the Cyclorama.

Wal-Mart's Sustainability Index

(from the Wal-Street Journal online. click to enlarge)

The big announcement comes today that Wal-Mart will begin rating all of its products for environmental and social sustainability. The major initiative will focus initially on the top 1,500 suppliers but will eventually address the entire Wal-Mart vendor Community.

There is a good overview of the new program in the New York Times today, complete with a chart of the core issues suppliers will need to address for each of their SKUs.

Is this the second positive post about Wal-Mart in less than a month?