Posts by Christina Feyerke

A black-and-white drawing. T.E. Gordon's "Hunting with Golden Eagles". A creative commons picture.

Eagle Hunting in Western China

8.02.2015

China’s Kazakh minority preserving culture

Chinese Kazakh eagle hunters ride with their eagles during a local competition in January, 2015 in the mountains of Qinghe County, Xinjiang, northwestern China. The festival, organised by the local hunting community, is part of an effort to promote and grow traditional hunting practices for new generations in the mountainous region of western China that borders Kazakhstan, Russia and Mongolia. The training and handling of the large birds of prey follows a strict set of ancient rules that Kazakh eagle hunters are preserving for future generations. (Photos by Kevin Frayer/Getty Images, introduction: Qinghe, Xinjiang/China)

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A figurehead on an old sailbot looking into the distance. The workforce crisis in 2030.

TED Talk. Rainer Strack: The workforce crisis of 2030…

2.02.2015

… and how to start solving it now

By 2030 – are mere 15 years from now! – many of the world’s major economies will have more job openings on offer than adult citizens to fill them. It is common knowledge that the demographic scales are tipping and will soon be seriously out of balance. In their quest for job seekers ready to subscribe to a work life of international mobility, countries must peer beyond their borders, says Human Resources expert Rainer Strack. His advice for economies and companies alike is to start thinking in terms of a “people strategy“: Forecasting supply & demand, finding ways to attract great talent and to upscale, educate and finally to successfully retain them and their manpower. A chart shows the present wish list of countries given the best marks by possible future expatriates and prospective naturalised citizens.

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Twinkind: A man looking at his 3D-printed mini look-alike.

3D-Technology: Print yourself another you

26.01.2015

There’s screeching violins and scary guns, minute bikinis and most interesting food. Human stem cells, bionic ears, fetuses or King Richard III.’s reconstructed face. With appliances becoming more affordable, 3D printing has not only enriched the options for the science and technology sectors considerably. A wide array of objects can now be designed and printed up to a certain scale with the range stretching from things practical to weird and from commercial products to manufacturing parts. Bioprinting of portions of the human body for medical purposes has revolutionised the field. And a wealth of exciting developments is still in the pipeline. Experts predict that privately owned 3D printers will be a frequent commodity in the not too distant future and 3-dimensional DIY activities a realistic option for virtually everyone.

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Two gargoyles symbolising, that avoiding unnecessary meetings can be such a relief.

TED Talk: David Grady on how to save the world from bad meetings

8.01.2015

The world over, businesses are being plagued by inefficient, tedious, overcrowded and often utterly superfluous meetings. The epidemic, that catapults myriads of workers into durable misery and plays havoc with their precious time, has sparked David Grady’s urge to help curb this rampant disease. Here are some of his ideas on how to become the master of your calendar again. His motto being: MAS – or no MAS?

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Beautiful buildings along Neisstraße in Goerlitz.

Filming Location Goerlitz: George Clooney was here …

3.01.2015

Imagine, you were a citizen of a usually quaint pretty small town situated close to the Polish border and, all of a sudden, George Clooney crossed your path! Or one of the ‘Inglorious Basterds’. Or perhaps you would happen to bump into Bill Murray right in front of ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’. Theoretically, you could. Practically, although the mentioned protagonists were physically present, you would probably have had to be satisfied with a clandestine glimpse of the desired human objects (one of which was voted „sexiest man alive“ not too long ago) from afar. With film sets meticulously cordoned off and actors well protected against curious intruders at all times, one does not just walk into stars of such calibre at random! Not even in the narrow alleys of remote Goerlitz. Unless, of course, one becomes an extra in one of the productions – allowed to play an (in?)significant role within the twinkling orbit of much-admired international celebrities.

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