Field labeling and relabeling are terms that describe the process for applying new labels to installed/existing fire-rated door frames and door leaves.
The former term field labeling is most accurately used to describe the practice of applying labels to fire-rated door frames and door leaves that were not labeled during the manufacturing and/or fabrication processes. These products are identical to their properly labeled counterparts, they were simply shipped into the field (to the job site) without their labels (or they were mislabeled). Manufacturers and their agents are not permitted to apply labels to their products once they ship from the factories or point of fabrication (e.g., a shop authorized and operating under the manufacturer's label label service program). In these cases, the certifying agency/organization who maintains that manufacturer's files and listings for the specific products in question is the only entity who can apply the correct labels to the door frames and doors.
For example, when a manufacturer's fire-rated door leaf is tested, certified, and labeled by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and that new product is shipped into the field without its label, UL is the only certifying agency/organization who can field label that door (because UL maintains that manufacturer's listings). In these situations, the certifying agency/organization has access to all of the product-specific details and can verify (with the manufacturer) how the products were fabricated. In other words, the certifying agency/organization has confidence that the products in question are identical to those that were tested by the manufacturer.
Field relabeling is the term that best describes the practice of replacing original labels on fire-rated door frames and doors that have become illegible (e.g., painted over) and damaged, or have been removed. Identifying the manufacturer of some existing door frames and doors can be problematic.
Another factor that complicates this issue is that there are many serviceable door frames and doors in use today that are products from manufacturers who have ceased operations. Consequently, any official testing records and product listings that were once available through one or more of the nationally recognized testing labs are not readily available.
The original labels on fire-rated door leaves contain significant amount of information regarding the construction of the doors; internal construction that cannot be assessed visually during a field relabeling inspection. This important information is lost forever when the labels are rendered illegible or are missing. For this reason, relabeling labels placed on existing door frames and doors most likely will not identify the manufacturer, and might not identify the original certifying agency/organization.
It's important to know that the persons performing field relabeling evaluation inspection services rely on other information to assess the condition and suitability of installed door frames and doors. For example, most field relabeling service providers will rely on the installation requirements specified in NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives, and the prevailing building, fire, and life safety codes that are applicable to the building in which the doors are installed. (To be clear, NFPA 80 is NOT a fire door test standard and its requirements cannot be considered equivalent to a fire door test standard.) They might also rely on installation standards such as the Steel Door Institute's SDI-122, Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for Standard Steel Doors and Frames, or the Hollow Metal Manufacturers Association's HMMA-840, Guide Specifications for Installation and Storage of Hollow Metal Doors and Frames.
Another standard that might be used to evaluate steel (aka, hollow metal) door frames Underwriters Laboratories (UL) publication UL 63, Outline Investigation of Fire Door Frames.
FM Approvals. Click here for more information regarding FM Approvals' field labeling and relabeling services.
Intertek/Warnock Hersey. Click here for more information regarding Intertek's field labeling and relabeling services.
QAI Labs. Click here for more information regarding QAI's field labeling and relabeling services.
Underwriters Laboratories. Click here for more information regarding UL's field labeling and relabeling services.
CAUTION: Before contracting with any field labeling or relabeling service provider, confirm their labels will be accepted by the appropriate code enforcement office or authority having jurisdiction.
DISCLAIMER: Due to the disparity between non-testing/non-certifying agencies, their accreditation, and their relabeling practices, DoorSafety ONLY recommends and endorses the field labeling and relabeling practices of the nationally recognized testing/certifying agencies.


London -- An Old Master painting found in Africa sold Tuesday night for $9.6 million as big-ticket art buyers looked beyond the contemporary buzz of Frieze Art Fair.
Art collectors of ArtKabinett social media network are visiting all the aisles of London-based Frieze Fair.
Pieter Brueghel the Younger's figure-packed "Census at Bethlehem" had recently been discovered by the London-based Old Master dealer Johnny van Haeften in a house in Kenya.
The oil-on-canvas work, dating from about 1611, was owned by a descendant of the third Lord Delamere, whose 'Happy Valley' set was the subject of the film "White Mischief." His family had owned the Brueghel for four centuries. A dead gecko fell out of the frame when Van Haeften first took the painting off its wall.
The larger painting was priced at 6 million pounds for the second edition of the Frieze Masters fair, which opened to VIP visitors Tuesday.
Frieze Masters and its contemporary sister Frieze are the flagship events of a week that sees as much as $2 billion of art for sale at fairs, auctions and gallery shows.
The second edition of Masters, devoted to a range of modern and traditional works, was expanded by about 30 percent to include 130 dealers. Tuesday's VIP preview was noticeably more crowded than last year.
The lineup of the fair has been bolstered by the arrival of heavyweight 20th-century specialists such as Mnuchin, Dominique Lévy, Michell-Innes & Nash from New York, as well as Van Haeften.
Other early confirmed sales at Masters included Carl Andre's 1972 aluminum "First Eleven Cardinals," sold to a European collector for $2 million at the booth of the New York-based gallery Sperone Westwater.
The London dealer Daniel Katz sold a Damien Hirst-like 19th-century Italian "Vanitas" marble head, priced at 125,000 pounds, to another European buyer.
Meanwhile, nearby in Regent's Park, the 11th edition of the Frieze Art Fair opened to VIP visitors. Europe's biggest fair exclusively devoted to works by contemporary artists was this year trimmed down to 152 galleries from more than 170 and made more spacious. Floors were wooden and walls white, contrasting with Masters' carpeted aisles and grey booths.
In the first hour of the fair, White Cube sold the 2013 abstract "Brown Roofing Exercise With High Road" by the Chicago-based painter Theaster Gates for $125,000.
Frieze primarily attracts wealthy collectors looking to buy works by emerging artists priced in the $10,000 to $200,000 range.
Oscar Murillo, who has a studio in London, is one of the contemporary market's hottest names. The New York-and London-based dealer David Zwirner had two of Murillo's gritty abstracts on his booth. Both sold, priced at as much as $150,000. Two years ago, the Colombian-born artist's canvases could be bought for less than $3,000.
Most conspicuous of the works by big-name established artists was an installation of five pieces by Jeff Koons on the booth of Gagosian.
The stainless steel "Sacred Heart (Blue/Magenta), (1994-2007), part of the U.S.-based artist's acclaimed "Celebration" series, was priced at $22 million, according to dealers, making it the most expensive work in the fair. As the preview entered its evening phase, gallery staff members said there was serious interest in the works on the booth, without specifying which.
There was also plenty of interest -- and confirmed sales -- on the booth of the Paris and Salzburg dealer Thaddaeus Ropac. Georg Baselitz's monumental black bronze figure sculpture, "Yellow Song," dating from 2013 and from an edition of six, sold priced at 1.3 million euros ($1.8 million).


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Common Recs From State School Security Task Forces
Written by: Jill Mullen
As states grapple with how to respond and address public concerns about school safety, many have opted to create a task force or study committee to assess potential holes in the state's safety framework. These appointed groups are charged with everything from studying school emergency plans to finding funding for new safety grants. The result is usually a report issued to the governor or legislature with recommendations for improvement or standardization.
In 2018, 21 states initiated a task force to study school safety — perhaps in reaction to the school shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and Santa Fe High School in Texas. After the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut in 2012, at least 12 states created task forces and are currently still working on implementing those proposed recommendations. The reports released since 2016 reveal some common action items:
Professionals in schools: School Resource Officers and Mental Health Professionals
Task forces consistently recommended putting more school resources officers and mental health professionals in schools. The Alabama Emergency Task Force on School Safety and Security released a list of key recommendations in late 2016 and emphasized the importance of SROs in ensuring school safety. The recommendations encouraged the legislature to prioritize more funding for SROs, with the goal of putting one in every school. In August 2018, Pennsylvania's School Safety Task Force published its final report to Gov. Tom Wolf and noted it repeatedly received requests from participants to increase the number of mental health professionals in schools. The report recommended the governor increase access to mental health services in schools by strengthening existing statewide intervention programs and encouraging schools to develop partnerships with community organizations.
Communication: Law Enforcement and Schools
Task forces consistently identified communication between law enforcement, schools, parents and students as a way to avoid and mitigate school safety emergencies. The Illinois Terrorism Task Force School Safety Working Group focused a majority of its recently released recommendations on information-sharing not only between schools and law enforcement, but also between schools and students. The working group advocated for school districts to share information on threats with law enforcement and law enforcement to share information necessary to protect student safety with schools. The group also recommended setting up a tip line for students to report information about possible threats. The Ohio School Safety Task Force similarly recommended setting up a tip line for students, and encouraged school and safety partners to create a communications system for clear reporting and exchange of information during an emergency.
School Facilities: Physical Security
One of the most tangible recommendations seen in task force reports is updating and strengthening school building security measures. The Arkansas School Safety Commission listed a number of security strategies schools can adopt to enhance security, including creating a single entry point for the campus, installing bullet-resistant glass in classrooms, building exterior fencing and securing roof access. New Hampshire also highlighted facility security as a major concern in its 2018 report. The New Hampshire School Safety Preparedness Task Force recommended enhancing monitoring capabilities at schools, replacing keys with access cards and adopting best practice guidelines for new construction projects.
school safety State Inquiries
Investing in Children Through the Arts
CTE Action in the 2018 Legislative Session
Trends and Changes in Approaches to School Safety
Education for the 21st Century: Entrepreneurship Meets CTE
States Explore Solutions to Learning Loss and Equitable Transitions
A Turning Point: School Resource Officers and State Policy

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home F1 Italian press magazine after the Ferrari collide in Brazil
Italian press magazine after the Ferrari collide in Brazil
by LALASPORT 11/19/2019 12:02:00 PM
The main media outlines that the tension between Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel has exploded in Interlagos.
There were only five laps left to finish the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc has just climbed to fourth position after a magnificent braking rush at the end of the finish line over Sebastian Vettel. However, Vettel was not going to sell his defeat so easily and thanks to the use of the DRS in the inter-straight line of Interlagos, the German returned to stand in parallel with Leclerc to recover his lost position. The rest of the story belongs to the history of Ferrari.
Two car punctures and out of the race, mutual exchange of reproaches on the radio and a meeting in Maranello this week with both protagonists organized by Mattia Binotto to try to stop, with a view to 2020, the enmity that since the 2019 Russian Grand Prix has installed in the garage of Cavallino Rampante.
A new controversy that has not gone unnoticed by the press of the transalpine country, which censor harshly in the editions of this Monday the performance of the Maranello team in the penultimate test of the Formula 1 World Cup 2019.
Press review in Italy after the Brazilian F1 Grand Prix 2019
Corriere Della Sera: "Behind the Ferrari clash, there is the annoyance of Sebastian Vettel, which triggers a reaction immediately after a setback suffered, Leclerc overtaking in the 'S "Senna. The consequence: a useless and fatal detour, since Seb had enough space ahead to attempt a replica of a completely different nature. The German, for some reason, behaves, suddenly, like a child he he removes the toy and reacts like a child. His gestures on the track are similar to angry shrieks. The frame of the collision tells us of a psychological dynamic and reiterates that this leads Sebastian to convert a small blow or a discreet damage into a unbearable affront, in a terrifying chasm. It has been that way for a long time and now it is easy for all fans to see that this process has already produced several losses. It is very difficult to handle ar a phenomenon that is sometimes crazy ".
La Gazzetta Dello Sport: "Stupidity. Tense environment. The situation at Ferrari is getting complicated. Leclerc and Vettel, a relationship that was serene in the last two races, runs the risk of deteriorating after contact in Brazil. Many small precedents pose serious problems of management to Cavallino. The two pilots did not want to feed the controversy, but the tense situation is more than evident "
Il Giornale: "Ferrari disaster with a touch of Vettel and Leclerc. Ferrari has ruled out the possibility of finishing on the podium. The broken voice and seemingly confused state of Mattia Binotto at the end of the race showed Maranello's garage problems: lack of leadership and the useless dispersion of forces Scuderia has a latent disease that creeps in from the beginning of 2019: sometimes weaker, sometimes more leathery, like a virus that cannot be eradicated The symptoms of a technician named to make leader without success ".
La Stampa: "The rivalry between the drivers explodes. When two cars touch each other at 300 kilometers / hour, the minimum that can happen is that they break. The crash is not the only bad news for Ferrari: in Interlagos, the Honda engine showed which is superior and even the Mercedes has finished ahead of them. A worrying fall ".
Photos from as.com
Italian press magazine after the Ferrari collide in Brazil Reviewed by LALASPORT on 11/19/2019 12:02:00 PM Rating: 5
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The exclusive Organize 365 Sunday Basket is made of durable cardboard and beautiful papers in four beautiful colors, gray, red, navy, and black. The Sunday Basket system and accompanying workshops (click here for details) use two sets of color coordinated slash pockets in order to keep your paper organized and maintained week to week. The physical Sunday Basket bottom has a divider section that when extended will hold those slash pockets upright, and the entire basket can fold flat for easy transport. There's also a handy mesh pocket in the front to hold your favorite pens, highlighters, and sticky notes.
Since your Sunday Basket needs to live on your kitchen counter (I recorded a Podcast all about why!), this basket is beautiful and functional, which makes it ideal for the productive home.


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1517 Blogcast
The Curious Tale of the Three Kings and their Belated Christmas Carol 00:00:0000:00:00
The Curious Tale of the Three Kings and their Belated Christmas Carol
It is that Christmas carol, the curious "We Three Kings" that we are looking at today in our examination of the origin and meaning of Christmas carols.
If you aren't one to follow the Christian liturgical calendar, it might seem strange to sing, or write about, a "Christmas" song after the 25th. For those familiar with the liturgical calendar, you know that the 12 Days of Christmas isn't a countdown to get us to Christmas day. Instead, the "12 Days" is the length of the Christmas season that lasts until Epiphany Sunday. Epiphany Sunday is the day we celebrate the revelation of Jesus as the Messiah with the witness of the Wise Men.
That's right, despite what your porcelain nativity set taught you, everyone didn't show up on the same evening. And when the "Wise Men" showed up, well, we have little information about that. The Wise Men, Three Kings, Magi: they have a small cameo in the second chapter of Matthew's Gospel. And that has been enough for a veritable cottage industry of theories, pictures, porcelain figurines, and songs.
It is that Christmas carol, the curious "We Three Kings" that we are looking at today in our examination of the origin and meaning of Christmas carols (check out past articles here, here, and here).
The story in Matthew's Gospel doesn't tell us how many wise men there were, only the number of gifts (three). And we have no indication that they were kings. All of this is the invention of John Henry Hopkins Jr., a single Episcopal rector who wrote this song to fill in the lack of carols for Christmastide (another name for the 12 days of Christmas).
It is that Christmas carol, the curious "We Three Kings" that we are looking at today in our examination of the origin and meaning of Christmas carols
Hopkins wrote the lyrics and melody. The lyrics are an embellishment on the singular Gospel inclusion of the Magi. The tune, which starts in a minor key, uses triple meter to evoke a medieval, almost middle-eastern sounding lilt. It's a beautiful hymn that makes a harmonic shift for the hopeful refrain of:
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
But just as singing Christmas carols after Christmas might strike you as odd, so too should the story that inspired the song. Who were these kings, after all? At some point in history, the visitors were likely turned into kings to validate western rulers who would have liked to see themselves at the nativity scene. It was John Calvin, among others, who pointed out the obvious unwarranted decision to suck up to local authorities with the identification of the wise men as monarchs.
So what were they? Most likely, there were Magi, the plural of Magus, meaning some kind of sorcerer. Simon Magus was the sorcerer that Peter confronts in the ninth chapter of the book of Acts. Magus, or Magi, was a reference to people that worked in what we might call "metaphysics" at best or "sorcery" at worst. They were probably some kind of courtly figures in a Persian court. Whatever they are, or were, it doesn't lessen how strange it is for them to appear at the incarnation. Why would they be there, and why would Matthew think it necessary to tell us about this visitation?
Despite being foreigners and practitioners of another religion, they have the sense to know that something is going on. After all, when Herod hears that a "king is born," he knows this is supposed to happen in Bethlehem (Matt 2:5). Similarly, something has tipped off these Magi, and they have a star leading them to Herod and then to Bethlehem to seek and find the newborn and his parents in a stable.
Both Matthew, and Hopkins Jr., focus on the gifts brought to the Christ child. And while we might be able to recite the three gifts from memory –gold, frankincense, and myrrh – you may not know how these gifts were related to the role of these foreign prophets and what they said about the child they were gifted to.
In Hopkins Jr's telling of the story, we get more of an explanation as to what these meant. The gold was to mark the Christ child as royalty.
Over us all to reign
The frankincense, a kind of incense, was meant to signify the deity of Christ. Incense, in a church service or in allegory, represents the prayers of the faithful ascending to God in heaven (Rev 5:8).
Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Prayer and praising, all men raising
Worship Him, God most high
And finally, the gift of myrrh. The first two gifts might seems strange but appropriate. But myrrh is a funeral gift. Gifting it to baby Jesus is the equivalent of bringing a baby-sized coffin to a child's first birthday. But if the Holy Family didn't know what to do with that gift on that first Christmas, Hopkins spells it out for us with the third stanza:
Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb
This is the wonder, and paradox, and curious nature of the good news of a God born to die. Even if those Magi and the other manger-side visitors didn't quite get it yet, with nearly two thousand years of hindsight, we can rejoice in this final mysterious gift. It is a reminder of who this child will become in death. Here is the first couplet of the final stanza from Hopkins:
It wasn't the strict religiosity amongst Herod's scribes, nor was it the mysticism or piety of the various messianic sects within Judaism that God used to proclaim the kingship, deity, and ultimate sacrifice of His son.
Three (or more) outsiders crash the Christmas story, only crack one of the four gospels, and bring a curious arrangement of gifts for the child that they've learned about through some kind of curious natural theology and the help of a star. It's a weird story, but one that we can embrace for all it's weirdness. This is a post-Christmas Christmas hymn about a couple of Persian wizards that drop some serious foreshadowing on the Babe of Bethlehem with their gifts. We don't need to understand it all to know there's a common theme here we might be tempted to overlook for familiarity's sake: God uses the outsiders and the obscure to shame the wisdom of the world. It wasn't the strict religiosity amongst Herod's scribes, nor was it the mysticism or piety of the various messianic sects within Judaism that God used to proclaim the kingship, deity, and ultimate sacrifice of His son. He used some number of obscure Persian wizards. And we sing this song, with it's emphasized "Oh, oh" leading into the chorus, about a yonder star that shines its light for all who seek Christ: the King, and God, and sacrifice.
Dan van Voorhis
Church Seasons
Gospel: Matthew 5:21-37 (Epiphany 6: Series A)
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9 (Epiphany 6: Series A)
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16) (Epiphany 5: Series A)


This week on the MS Dev Show, we talk to Brian Muenzenmeyer, author of the Node port of Pattern Lab. Pattern Lab is a really cool open source project that provides a new way of thinking about designing and architecting websites, with a set of tools to make this a much easier and nicer team approach.
At the heart of Pattern Lab is Atomic Design. It makes you think about composing small components individually and stitching them into larger and larger componenets. This happens to a point in other design patterns that we use in software, but is really emphasized here. If we consiously design each atomic piece, and how it fits into the bigger picture, we can also plan for change in the future. I love the following image, it really visualizes the concept well.
During the show, we talked about "operationalizing your style-guide." I really think that this is important, because we can codify the style guide for a brand itself. When it changes, the effects can flow throughout our software naturally with little human effort and interaction. This also turns the creation of our software into a cross-functional team approach. Designers, Managers, and other non-technical roles get a larger direct say into the end-result of software.
That's where the tooling of pattern-lab itself comes in, to solve these problems. There are tools to keep your code in sync with open browsers, in real-time. Pattern Lab also contains tooling to keep multiple browsers on the same page of your site as you navigate from page to page, to make testing easier. It does all of this and more without getting in the way of your current tooling. You can still use your favorite programming tools or languages with these libraries.


If your favorite pool is closed, be sure to check one of the other facilities in the area.
The military art exhibit is on display until July 31st.
As always, if you are thinking about buying or selling a home in Lorton, give us a call–we'd love to help!
Unique restaurants with delicious menus can be found throughout Alexandria, and Restaurant Week is a great opportunity to check some of them out. Alexandria's Restaurant Week takes place this year from January 21 to 30. Two special pricing options are available: $35 Prix-Fixe Three Course Dinner and $35 Dinner for Two. You can go to this website to see a complete list off all the restaurants that are participating; menus are posted daily and many will let you make online reservations. A sampling of participating restaurants include A La Lucia, Bastille, Chart House, Geranio, La Bergerie, RT's, Shooter McGee's, The Wharf, Austin Grill, Chadwicke's, Murphy's, Southside 815, Hank's Oyster Bar and FireFlies. There is a wide range of cuisines represented here, so you shouldn't have a problem finding something to eat. I hope you have a great meal this week! Let us know which Alexandria restaurants are your favorites.
The "Eagle Express" is a new bus route between the Franconia-Springfield Metro station and Fort Belvoir. It runs during morning and afternoon rush hours with fares of $3.65 with a SMarTrip card or $3.85 if you pay with cash. Riders will need a government-issued photo ID to be able to ride the bus on post. From the Metro, the bus travels through Telegraph Gate and stops at the new hospital, John Kingman Road, Jackson Loop and the intersection of 12th Street and Gorgas Road near the Commissary. The new bus is fuel-efficient has seating for 39 and standing space for 36 for a total of 75. This new route was implemented to try and offset the rise in commuter traffic due to the BRAC. It provides a great alternative for personnel to get to Fort Belvoir and for those living on base to get to the Metro!
There are a lot of reasons why buying a home in Northern Virginia is a good idea right now. Interest rates are still fantastic, prices are still low compared to the peak and the job market continues to be extremely strong. But as you probably already know, real estate is not just local, it's hyper-local. Here are 6 big reasons why buying a home in the Kingstowne or Springfield area is a great investment right now.
A lot of military personnel and employees are still slated to move to Fort Belvoir as part of BRAC (base realignment and closure process). In fact, the next big move will be in September when 6,400 employees will be relocated to the base's main campus.
Because of reasons #1 and #2 many government contractors are also relocating to the area. The 37 acre Metropark Complex at the intersection of Beulah and the Franconia-Springfield Parkway is already home to SAIC, Calibre Systems, DCS Corp and CGI Group. A new 13 acre development is also going up in that complex that will consist of another 4-5 buildings and 875,000 square feet of office space.
Inova Health System already has a 150,000 square foot complex in the Metropark and they are petitioning the county to double its size with an additional 8-story building.
The Hilltop Village Center should be complete in 2013 at the intersection of Beulah and Telegraph. The anchor store will be Wegman's. People love Wegman's.
Vornado Realty is finally moving forward with its vision of the Springfield Town Center around the site of the current Springfield Mall. They are starting phase 1 which will be a total renovation of the mall itself. They will then expand the Town Center to include high density office and residential space somewhere along the lines of what Pentagon Row has become.
So why are these 6 good reasons to buy a home right now in Kingstowne, Springfield and the surrounding areas? Because it will drastically increase the demand for housing but there is already a limited supply. I can't predict the future but if Econ 101 taught me anything about the law of supply and demand then home values should continue to increase at a healthy pace over the coming years.
Starting in May 2011, the Fairfax Connector will begin educating the public on bus service changes that will be put into effect because of the BRAC. Information will be provided on their website as well as social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. Public meetings will be held in June so residents can comment on proposed routes and schedules. The new schedules will be finalized by August, with the new service to be implemented by late September or early October. Nine new buses are proposed and this significantly augments bus service in South Fairfax County.
New information is also available about the I-95 HOV and HOT lanes. The new proposal allows for a third lane to be added to the current lanes on I-95. The third lane would begin in Stafford County and end just inside the Beltway. Original plans called for this lane to continue all the way into DC. This updated project will link to the 495 HOT lanes currently under construction and provide a "direct HOT to HOT lanes connection" between I-95 in Springfield and Tysons Corner.
There will also be a ramp built from existing HOV lanes on 395 at Seminary Road. This will provide direct HOV access to the new Mark Center site in Alexandria that will soon be home to 6,400 Defense Department employees.


It appears the president himself is leading the all-out rebuttal over his ill-fated July 13th words, "You didn't build that" remark.
He is not only going from one stump speech to another with the familiar war cry of "my words were taken out of context," but the Democratic National Committee has launched a state-by-state denial of what is fact.
David Axelrod, Obama's lead strategist, insists the president is "not worried" about the mounting Republican offensive to the surprising remarks – merely informing the voters of the truth.
But the "you didn't build that" remark has becomes the mainstay of Republicans more than happy to paint the liberal commander-in-chief as a hostile foe to business and the private sector as a whole.
The entire incident has provided the most hard-hitting Romney ads yet.
In truth, the off-the-cuff honesty of Obama during the Roanoke speech has not been missed by shocked business owners throughout the country. The comments were the reason the phrase "letting the Genie out of the bottle" were invented.
If this was indeed a blip on the radar screen of a long campaign, the Democrats have been spending a lot of money and effort discounting it. Only time will tell just how damaging the remarks will be to Obama's chances of re-election.
Campaigning last week in the State of Washington, the president again refuted his own comments and attempted his form of clarification.
"I have to tell you, I generally have patience with what the other side says about me. That's the requirement of this job. And if you don't like folks talking about you, you probably shouldn't run for president. The one thing I do have no patience for is this argument that somehow what I'm criticizing is success. That's an argument you hear from the other side: 'Oh, he wants to punish success.' I want to promote success," he said.
A spokesman for the Republican National Committee Communications commented that his remarks were causing "a little bit of panic in Chicago right now." He was referring of course to the headquarters for President Obama's campaign.
The ill-fated remarks could not have come at a worse time for the campaign. As the economic news on all fronts in July has been flat at best and dismal in most cases, castigating the very people suffering the heaviest losses provides lasting energy in campaign ads and the minds of voters all the way to November.
Far more damaging than remarks made last week in Great Britain about Mitt Romney's critique of their Olympics.
No brutal campaign ads there.


The great things about this series is that I don't just get to choose songs by great acts but I get to reminisce about tracks that I'd forgotten about. Browsing the running order on Wikipedia may not be quite the same as handling the gatefold sleeve of a double album (look it up, kids) but it still generates those "Oh, do you remember...?" moments as a buried treasure bursts from a box at the back of your brain.
P.S. I did almost choose Cameo with Word Up, but I actually prefer Gun's version from 1994.
I've recently been catching the Scottish sketch show "Burnistoun" which has been running on BBC2 England. To be honest, it's a bit hit and miss - and it's no Chewin' The Fat - but it's had it's moments.
Unfortunately my computer died last night so until it has been resuscitated, blogging will be light. I do have a number of NOW! posts scheduled and one or two others, so there will be at least a weekly fix of blogging activity, but otherwise I may be gone for some time.
Inspired by Stephen, I decided to find this video which I can remember watching streamed live on Facebook last year. To the casual eye, it's the Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2011 collection. To the discerning ear, it's the divine Miss Annie Lennox with a fantastic performance of two of her biggest hits, accompanied soley by a piano.
Sit back, close your eyes, relax... and enjoy.
Yesterday I posted some photos taken in Bristol's Arnos Vale cemetery. The active part of that cemetery is beautifully tended whilst the older areas have become a nature reserve. Prior to visiting that, I popped into the Catholic burial ground, Holy Souls Cemetery, next to it.
This was different in character, partly because it was much smaller and partly because the first area you enter has a number of overgrown graves and gravestones clad in ivy and other climbing plants. There was also a grave marked by a rather ostentatious crucifix - I've never seen anything quite like it.
You can find the recipe I used here. I used around 5g of dried yeast (as opposed to 10g of fresh yeast). On my first attempt my warmed milk was too warm and killed the yeast and consequently the loaf never rose. To circumvent this on the second attempt I dissolved the yeast in a little bit of lukewarm water (half just boiled and half cold) with around 5 g of sugar. Halving thus established that it was active - it produced bubbles/froth - I added the milk mixture to it, ensuring the milk had cooled sufficiently this time.
Other than yeast problems, the process is reasonably straight-forward although messy and lengthy!
A few weeks ago, after lunch on a Saturday, I embarked on a random walk. Shortly after starting out, I realised I was near Bristol's Arnos Vale cemetery. Like many people, I like the peace and tranquillity of graveyards and cemeteries.
As someone who enjoys spending time alone and loves to go on urban walks with just his iPod Shuffle for company they offer a space for reflection quite unlike anywhere else. There is a reverence about them which comes as much from a proper respect for their place in society as much as from any supposed consecration of the ground itself.
Arnos Vale is unusual in that it has a visitor's centre and actively encourages people to come and enjoy the grounds which contain the cemetery, gardens of remembrance, chapel, war memorials and a nature reserve. As such, one can move from the tended and pristine lawns with rows of graves to the wooded areas where the graves lie peacefully amid the fallen leaves of seasons past.
There will be more pics from this shoot appearing over on the the widow's window, which I update (almost) daily.
This weeks Tuesday Titter has been inspired by Stephen Glenn's recent entry for G in his "L, the U and Everything: A-Z of the Music I have". He posted a video of Gloria Gaynor singing "I Will Survive" which reminded me of this week's video.
It's an internet classic which has been around since long before You Tube! If you've not seen it before, watch and enjoy. If you have seen it before, watch and enjoy again!
This week's Sunday Sound is a special double A-side edition featuring the legendary Billy Joel (who also featured in this post).
This is the last of my posts commemorating Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday. I wanted to shift focus from remembrance to the practical action which the Poppy Appeals facilitate. To that end, I have chosen three videos and I make no apologies for the quantity or length of these.
This post is dedicated to my cousin, currently serving on his second tour to Afganistan. I sincerely hope, in the best possible sense, that he never needs to draw on the services of poppyscotland.
Yes, the subject of this weeks Guilty Pleasure is Gloria Estefan whom I really liked back in 1989/1990. As I remember, she was one of the few artists that both I and my elder little sister liked. As a general rule, if she liked an artist (and here you can read Michael Jackson as well as New Kids on the Block).
Tomorrow is Armistice Day and as in previous years, I shall be marking this with some appropriate posts.
Today's post is a classic and oft quoted poem by Laurence Binyon. It's sobering to think that although this was first published on the 21st September 1914 - just under two months into the Great War - it still has a relevance today.
You can find my previous posts on the subject of Remembrance here.
This week we reach NOW! That's What I Call Music 5 and although there were a number of good tunes to choose from, I really couldn't not choose Simple Minds with Don't You Forget About Me. Not just because it's a great tune - and it is - but also because of it's association with one of my favourite films of all time: The Breakfast Club.
Unfortunately, as it's available to rent on You Tube, clips and trailers are hard to come by with Embedding Disabled by Request. I have found this, although the picture quality isn't the best.
James Naughtie is one of my favourite Radio 4 personalities. Not only is he the "good cop" to John Humphrys' more robust and assertive cop on the Today programme but his too-rare pieces of reportage showcase a great skill of approaching complex issues from a sympathetic and human viewpoint. His reports from the campaign trail in the last US elections were essential listening in this regard as were those from Japan in the wake of the Earthquakes earlier this year.
Aside from his political nous, though, Naughtie also has a wide range of artistic and literary interests which the Today production team also ensure are utilised when the opportunity arises. These interests are also given expression when presenting the Proms and Radio 4's monthly Bookclub.
The format of the Bookclub is an interview the author of a given book, guiding the listener through the thought process of the writer, the issues and plotting devices, the characters and intent as well as chairing a discussion and taking questions from the audience. Naughtie does this expertly, showing a real knowledge of the book under discussion and ensuring that the major themes and questions are addressed.
This month's book happens to be one of my favourites and by one of my favourite authors: The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. It's waiting on my iPod to listen to but I've no doubt it'll be a corker. You can find it on iPlayer or you can download the podcast.
We were talking in the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh, where our readers had been re-reading the book, sometimes after several years, and returning to the themes that Iain has picked up in his overtly science fiction books (which he writes under the name of Iain M. Banks, a distinction which I think he now mildly regrets) and which have given him a cult following. The Wasp Factory presents a world where the certainties that Frank lives with are ones that would repel or terrify the average reader – burning dogs, tortured wasps, murders, a bizarre substitute religion in which he believes that the future is foretold by one of his grotesque killing machines, which kills its animal victims in a dozen different ways. So why was the book so popular?
His answer is that he thinks readers get the joke – "it was a hoot and a giggle" – in a way that critics certainly didn't. A number of reviewers wondered how a publisher could stoop so low in letting the book onto the streets. Why can't they get it, he wonders? "It's a simple method, gross exaggeration. Being a science fiction writer helps – the term is extrapolation but it's basically exaggeration." When Eric, a brother whom Frank hasn't killed, emerges from an old-style psychiatric hospital, it allows Frank to appear normal by comparison, but readers learn of the strange happenings in his past. By the end of the story, Franks makes a discovery that is clearly one of the most important of his life and will shape his future. We do mention in the course of the programme what this revelation is, simply because the book has been around for long enough for that to seem reasonable, but I won't talk about it here, in case some of you are reading the book for the first time. Let's just say that it changes his identity.
The story is set in a community in the far north of Scotland, which Iain knows well, on an island. Frank's father Angus, an eccentric doctor, is part of the psychological puzzle of the novel, going every now and again to Inverness to sell drugs, which he makes at home, and perhaps sharing some of the Frank's attitude towards women – in the absence of a mother in the house, he rails against the betrayals of women, even Mrs Clampy, the housekeeper, who is a bastion of sanity in the place. Iain is happy to describe it as a psychological study : Frank creates not just a physical environment that suits him, and his urges, but a mythological one too. Iain is as convinced as aetheist as you are ever likely to meet (he will acknowledgement that perhaps 1% of him is simply agnostic, but no more). Iain says, as you might expect, that he's always found Frank a fascinating character, but he echoed the feelings of surely nearly every reader of the book when he said that he wouldn't like to find himself living next door to him.
I don't know if you agree with the reviewer who said that he found it incomprehensible that a publisher could have stooped to such levels of depravity (that was The Irish Times) or with one of our readers who said that, having not expected to enjoy it, she found herself reading the gory and funny bits to her husband on a long car journey and laughing out loud. Either way, it was a landmark book – a piece of gothic fiction and fantasy that established Iain Banks' career and seem to fit happily into the early 80s punk-influenced popular culture. I hope you enjoy the programme."
If you've not heard the programme before, do give it a go. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
I'm not going to muck about with a long introductory spiel this week as my Sunday Sound is a major hit from a legendary artist and the story behind the song is so well known as well. So, here's Mr Eric Clapton with Tears in Heaven.
It's time for this month's 5 on the 5th and the theme this month is "Movement"... I must confess I found the theme tricky - especially as only have my phone to take pictures with - so you'll just have to imagine any movement illustrated for yourself.
Remember you can see more 5 on the 5th entries here and more of my pictures over on the widow's window.
I take no responsibility for this getting stuck in your head.
One of my favourite wireless programmes is Desert Island Discs which, like most of my radio listening, is now done via podcasts... My iPod Shuffle being a vehicle for producing my own personalised and remixed Radio 4 (with the odd programme from Radios 1, 3, 4 extra, 5 live and Scotland thrown in for a bit of variety).
But back to DID... in the days before my Shuffle it was a programme that I only caught now and again but now I listen every week - and have also downloaded many of the archived episodes which are now available. It is one of those great Radio 4 institutions which has the ability to surprise and delight on a regular basis whether you know of the guest or not.
Sometimes you learn new things about the Castaway you thought you knew a lot about and sometimes you're introduced to a unknown person whose life is of particular interest. This week it was the latter, the guest was Lord Victor Adebowale, whom I must confess I knew nothing of. He's a former chief executive of Centrepoint and now heads up Turning Point, a Social Care enterprise in London.
DID is repeated tomorrow morning at 9am on Radio 4 and is also available as a podcast here.
Although there were a number of good tunes I could have chosen from NOW! That's What I Call Music 4, one track towers over all the other candidates - Pride (In The Name Of Love) by U2.
You can enjoy more videos by Rob Paravonian here. Check out the American Idol Loser Song and his take on the Friends Song too.


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text:
Biz Words
JP companies and JP biz ppl
HORENSO
What is 5S?
Japanese Job Interview
Useful Links / Useful Web Sites
Tips for Business Sustainability from Japan's Longest-established Companies
Japan has the highest number of companies with longevity in the world. What is the reason behind it?
In Japan, the word akinai has been in use from long ago. It's usually translated into English as "business." However, akinai has a different origin and nuance from business. According to Ohmi merchants, who lived mainly in current Ohmihachiman City and Higashiohmi City, Shiga Prefecture, akinai suggests that while profit is important, it is desirable to do business continuously, and more importantly, implies that to offer the best products and services in terms of quality "on customers' behalf." The most important thing of all is to work for society and one's community. They were extremely prosperous in the Edo period (1603-1867) and whose business philosophy has been handed down over the centuries to become the cornerstone of modern business in Japan. Even now, such business principles are followed by major business entities such as Itochu Corporation (general trading company), Nishikawa Sangyo Co., Ltd.(producer and distributor of bedding goods and home interior products), Wacoal Corporation (lingerie and female clothes manufacturer and marketer), and Nippon Life Insurance Company. During Japan's pre-modern period, hard work by Ohmi merchants brought wealth and prosperity to their families through their doing business as a traveling peddler. But they were not reputed to be self-serving or scheming. Why? Because there was the management philosophy adopted by Ohmi merchants, known as "Sanpoyoshi" – referring to a win-win business relationship that realized "good seller, good buyer and good society." Pursuing this philosophy resulted in mutual benefits to the company, its customers and to society as a whole. In modern terms, these tenets would correspond to devotion to customer satisfaction (CS) and serious pursuit of corporate social responsibility (CSR).
Nishikawa Sangyo, founded 446 years ago, is famous throughout Japan for its futon (bedding), bedding goods and other interior products. The company has adhered to the wisdom of its founder and pursued its management philosophy accordingly. We will decipher the secret of success in doing business in current tough business environment, by an interview with Yasuyuki Nishikawa, president of the company, and examining the history.
Framed corporate philosophy "Sincerity, Kindness,
Co-prosperity" written with a brush
Business That Results in "Sanpo-yoshi"
Nishikawa Sangyo's corporate philosophy calls of "sincerity," "kindness" and "co-prosperity." As a guiding force the company taps into the precious experience and wisdom accumulated by Nishikawa family heads for many generations. At the root of the concept is the business philosophy known as "Sanpoyoshi," ("good seller, good buyer and good society") that forms the motto of the Ohmi merchants, meaning that all three parties should benefit mutually from business activity. A "royal road" to the epitome of management may not actually exist, but Nishikawa Sangyo seems to have reached the pinnacle of success, thanks to its long and prosperous history. We ask Yasuyuki Nishikawa, the current president, about the company's knacks for successful management, and he replies unhesitatingly: To think of the "customers", to put yourself in the customers' shoes, and to make "customers" happy are the most important factors. What Nishikawa has attempted is to talk about the company precepts in contemporary terms to all employees for the company's future, through the customer's point of view.
Tradition Is the Results of The Continuing Process of Innovation
President Nishikawa, now 45 years old, succeeded the position of Jingoro Nishikawa, who now serves as chairman, at the time the company celebrated its 440th anniversary six years ago. It was purely by chance that President Nishikawa came to take over the company, through his marriage to Jingoro Nishikawa's niece.
"I have not worked for the company nor was I familiar with the bedding industry and textiles. However, no company can avoid changing along with the changing times," he admits and thinks. "I couldn't have imagined I'd become president. So in a sense, I think I am able to view the company objectively and take things calmly, and may be good for the company management. Perhaps Jingoro Nishikawa understood that I was suited for the job and he entrusted me with the task. He advised me, 'Don't just stick blindly to traditions or rest on the laurels of our traditions.' In my understanding, tradition comes from the results of the continuing process of innovation while looking back at the past. That made me think that I should determine clearly what we would keep with us and what we would change,
because I believed both aspects coexisted within the company," he explains. "I'm not entirely sure, but I suspect that at first some employees may have been skeptical about me, wondering 'Who on earth is this man?'" he adds.
Ohmi merchants on the map
Retailers, Consumers and Company Are All on the Same Boat
One day while visiting a manufacturing section, it seemed to him that the employees took elaborate measures to ensure that the best quality products would be provided to customers in good faith, although I thought the profit margin would be getting smaller. Yasuyuki Nishikawa had an opportunity to ask a question of why they make in such a way. But they replied, "If we cut corners, it would no longer be a Nishikawa product." That short conversation made him realize that the code of 'sincerity' inside the Nishikawa 'DNA' remains even now, after more than four centuries in every section and department of the company.
On the other hand, thinking that employees at production departments sometimes tend to feel self-satisfaction with their products and the results of their work, which could hinder them from further growth and development, Nishikawa decided to clarify the company motto in contemporary and specific terms. He thought that this marked a good opportunity to realize once again the true meanings of the business codes and what they mean to employees, as well as to make them the basis for his management policy and judgment that stemmed from the Nishikawa identity.
"It is fortunate that old reference books on management philosophy and others such as Kanjo-mokuroku have been retained by the Nishikawas. Some of them were written more than 200 years ago. Yet they are surprisingly applicable to modern management, stating that business is always destined to go up in smoke if a merchant only make money for himself, and that one should always be honest not only to the customer but to society," he says. Furtheremore, it turned out that Nishikawa's main customers were not the end-users, but retailers such as department stores and their buyers who in many cases do not use the actual products themselves. He learned through question and answer sessions with the employees that their answers to the question "How do consumers like our products?" tended to reflect the opinions of the buyers.
"There was a sense that no one took responsibility for Nishikawa company once the products were shipped, even if retailers maintained large inventories. Nor were we even informed about how products were sold at department stores, to put things in extreme terms," he expresses his concerns.
Reform #1 Improved Personnel System For Uplifting the Spirit of Challenge
From Nishikawa's point of view, there was a tendency based on seniority organizational structure, in which employees contented themselves with the unchanged situation. He revised their employee performance evaluation, applicable to the current management system, so that he thought employees will try to work harder with a positive attitude; can establish a track record in accordance with the company policy; and can be promoted in a timely manner enhance their performance levels. In general people are likely to prefer a stable environment, and the original spirit of challenge and motivation to perform higher quality work tends to diminish subconsciously. So the new evaluation system is not strictly a performance-based salary system, but the rating system must be transparent so everyone understands how the employees are evaluated.
Nishikawa continues, "Furthermore, employees who confront new challenges, and who engage in numerous initiatives, trying one way after another, and who steadily achieve a measure of success will be awarded each month. This is an attempt to evaluate the performance on a day-to-day basis." In addition, Nishikawa has initiated another award system for employees who attempt new challenges, like gathering materials and setting up a database to share that with others. Alternatively, the candidate might be an office worker who makes a favorable impression on the clients over the phone. Candidates are considered based on either their self-recommendation or recommendation by others. "There could always be employees in every department who take up their jobs with gusto. So I ask the department heads and managers to make several recommendations each time," says Nishikawa. The selection committee, which does not include him, chooses one or two among the nominees. The award recipients are supposed to make a brief presentation about his or her approach to tasks, explaining their motivations and so on, in front of the others, in the expectation this will enhance the awareness of the other employees. Nishikawa believes that the performance-based evaluation system are needed to some extent because of the severe business environment, even though this system might be resisted by some. It will, more importantly, positively affect the motivation of employees.
Reform #2: Challenge of Running the First Retail Store
The company launched its very first retail store. It may seem a violation of the tenets of business for a manufacturer and wholesaler to operate its own retail store, although the store does not sell all its products. However, in Nishikawa's view, having their own store enables them to understand end-users' true preferences and trends, as well as to have employees know how difficult it can be to run a retail business: They are able to see what products they should develop for customers, and how they should help the retail stores that sell Nishikawa's products to prosper. Through a change in the way of thinking, the first new lifestyle shop, called 'Siestarea,' was created, with a consultant assigned to the premises with expert knowledge about comfortable sleep. The project was conceived by a development team led by female staff. "We also started another project, entrusting a female-led development team to run a new type of a custom-made pillow shop, called 'PILLOWY café shop,' offering the perfect pillow for the right fit to each consumer," Nishikawa adds. "These challenges make it easier to obtain evaluations of our products from end-users directly, which help to introduce new products to our retailers," he continues.
Such attitudes by Nishikawa toward business are understood by retailers, and department stores and specialty shops. They have opened exclusive Nishikawa sales corners in their stores. In addition, Nishikawa has launched sales of a special mattress named "AiR" (www.airsleep.jp) for athletes, based on the concept of "Sleep for Winning." The new product was honored with the government's "Good Design" award. Nishikawa talks about the story behind the creation of the AiR mattress. "I was considering the adoption of unorthodox colors such as brilliant pink to the AiR, which were not normally used for bedding products in this industry. Then suddenly I was struck by an idea. While I was out jogging, I caught a glimpse of the sole of a runner's shoes. Noting that the sole was brightly colored, it occurred to me that runners wore such colorful shoes even though they themselves could not see the soles when running. Why was this, I thought. It gave me a hint for developing new products. It seems that people tend to feel some satisfaction in the most unexpected places as the part of their lifestyle. Nishikawa Sangyo should pursue this idea for a sleeping mattress, even though they cannot see its color, much in the same as running shoes." He thinks one of the themes of Nishikawa Sangyo is related to "Sports and Health" and this will be the way of developing new products. Nishikawa thought that the second generation head of his company must have dyed mosquito nets yellow-green with something similar in mind. Prompting a challenging spirit in thinking is very difficult, but this project proved a major turning point, helping employees to realize that the company traditions emanate from the results of continual experimentation, an attitude that pursues the traditional Nishikawa spirit.
Reform #3: Launching More Own Unique Brands
Jingoro Nishikawa, the current chairman, the 14th generation company head, initiated sales of famous brand products under license, first in the bedding industry and another milestone for Nishikawa Sangyo. Currently the company has forged business ties with numerous famous brand products, such as CÉLINE, Etro, Wedgewood, Yves Saint Laurent and others. Further now Nishikawa company is preparing to actively promote its own brands, to show a different and new aspect of Nishikawa to consumers.
"For Customers," and Further Challenges
We ask Yasuyuki Nishikawa about the management plan and strategies in a
10-or 20-year term. "Consumers do not buy our products every day in the way they would buy food," he remarks. "They may understand the value of our products by using them for a long time. For example, we cannot see the stuffing inside a futon, comforter, even if coarse materials are used. Nishikawa Sangyo does deliver high-quality products to our consumers, so that they trust us, in accordance with the codes of management as put forth in the 'Rules of the Company' that were established hundreds of years ago. There are two things in writing, compliance of laws and attitude of business, which mention 'In the codes and regulations,' to the effect that 'employees will get along with each other, strive to work, sell products on a small commission, do not get an extra commission even if running out of stock," he explains.
"I think the way of thinking about business and management that Nishikawa Sangyo has maintained for generations would be advantageous. I myself worked for a Japanese bank's overseas subsidiary, involved in finance and cash flow-based business. I would say the listed Japanese and foreign companies have a tendency to rely on short-term profits. I want to engage in somewhat long-term interest for the future, and not for big profits, as Ohmi merchants did, so as to keep Nishikawa company rolling along toward future generations," he tells his views. "Bedding is not only a furnishing for sleep, but a thing that helps consumers feel rested and comfortable the next day. Recently as sleep itself has been reconsidered in terms of enhancing beauty and preventing aging, or boosting the immune system and metabolism, Nishikawa established the Japan Research Laboratory of Sleep Science, marking a first time for the bedding industry to be involved in analyzing the efficacy of sleep, and sharing its findings with professionals in other fields. We believe we'll be able to prove the efficacy of sleep by demonstrating evidence and developing extensive new products for consumers.
"Our first step has been to propose bedding products to top athletes, people for whom good rest is essential. I hope they will be at their peak and make a big success in the Olympics four years from now, the year in which our company observes its 450th anniversary. I am eager to go further to promote these, which may become a part of our core business for hundreds more years," says President Nishikawa. Sleep is indispensable, and bedding is likely to be the infrastructure that provides a sound sleep. "Unfortunately, even athletes, who are expected to have 'physical capital,' do not give enough consideration to the quality of their sleep," he thinks. "They should arrange for their own bedding to best suit themselves with more scientific analysis of sleep, with the same attention they devote to their diet and training."
At the conclusion of the interview, Nishikawa shares his thoughts and attitude towards his obligations in order that Nishikawa Sangyo would continue to develop and prosper in the future. "I try to learn and experience a lot for Nishikawa, but I think I myself should maintain my status as a 'knowledgeable amateur' in the bedding industry," he remarks. "Why? Because that will enable me to have different points of view, and perceive things objectively and fairly."
The Key to Success: Business is "For the Customer"
Five Keys to Overcome Difficulties
According to Teikoku Databank, Japan has 435 long-established companies with histories of over 300 years. One such company, Nishikawa Sangyo is a leader in the bedding industry as well as an established blue-chip company. Nishikawa has survived and overcome numerous difficulties, such as economic crises, wars and natural disasters, based on the "Sanpo-yoshi" business philosophy, that calls for providing mutual benefits to a business, its customers and to society at large – an unchanging aspect of the tradition of Ohmi merchants that has been handed down for generations. Nishikawa Sangyo gives top priority to the policy of "Customer First" and has a steady development by reading the trends of the changing times. The reason behind their success can be categorized into five points.
① Pioneering Spirit, Prescience, Positive Action
The origin of Nishikawa Sangyo dates back to its founder, Nizaemon Nishikawa (1549-1644). The son of a merchant family in Ohmi-hachiman City, located on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa in present-day Shiga Prefecture, Nizaemon started making sales trips from home in 1566, when he was 19. His first products were kaya, mosquito nets, linen and other dry goods. Then he began dealing in other products, such as tatamiomote, straw-matting carpets. Ohmi merchants dealt mainly in textile products that were produced around their home town for sale to people in faraway local areas. They also purchased local specialties in those areas to sell around their home town when returning home, creating an efficient system of domestic trade. Founder Nizaemon had originally started his business at a different place in Ohmi-hachiman from the current location of the Nishikawa residence. He moved there and opened a store as soon as the government guaranteed freedom of trade. It was such a good timing for him to take an action. He instinctively sensed the timing was favorable for doing business. Also, we couldn't help but think he had business acumen for opening a shop at Nihonbashi, Tokyo in 1615. It still stands on the same location, as Nishikawa's Tokyo Nihonbashi main store. Such a shop was also a first for merchant from Ohmi and came about only 12 years after Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu took the reins of government, making Edo (now Tokyo) his administrative capital, where many people would gather in the future. In terms of foresight, it should also be noted that the 13th generation Jingoro Nishikawa introduced a management system he learned while in the United States. He also gave employees an enlightening education, learning bookkeeping, abacus, calligraphy, and English. He must have understood the need for English in his business.
② Innovative Ideas
It was the second generation head of Nishikawa Sangyo who proved to have a flair for design. The founder, Nizaemon Nishikawa, fathered four sons. It was the youngest, Jingoro, who succeeded his father as the second generation head of the company. Jingoro is credited with originating the Ohmi-kaya, a mosquito net dyed in yellow-green with red edging. During the trip, Jingoro took a rest in the shade of a tree. He was suddenly inspired by this brilliant idea when he awoke from dozing off in the shade of a tree, and happened to see beautiful fresh leaves before his eyes. This led him to think that people would feel refreshed in the morning if they saw such colors of netting when they awakened. The mosquito net business helped to establish the foundation for the Nishikawa family's prosperity, thanks to its strong sales. Hereafter the newly designed mosquito nets became a synonym for mosquito nets until now. Afterwards Nishikawa started to sell straw-matting carpet, thus more than four centuries ago starting to assume the form as an interior designer and manufacturer.
Ohmi-kaya, a mosquito net dyed in yellow-green with red edging
③ Spirit of Challenge, Flexibility
In the same spirit of challenge in which Nishikawa opened its branch store in Tokyo in 1615, the company expanded with a totally different item, yumi, the archery bow, through its acquisition of a bow wholesaler. Nishikawa's bow business scored a success in Edo, because samurai warriors needed bows and the company's fifth generation head anticipated a great demand for them. It should be noted the sales of "futon" established the existence of the current Nishikawa Sangyo. Futons were
made by every house in-house at that time. It was in 1887 that Nishikawa ventured to launch the sales of all-season bedding. This greatly contributed to the stabilization of sales, since mosquito nets is only in demand around summer. Once again through the spirit of challenge the company's innovation for consumers made it a pioneer in the bedding market.
As for mosquito nets, the company steadily increased sales by expanding the overseas to Southeast Asian countries, such as Singapore in 1917, and subsequently to Africa and South America.
④ A Keen Sense of Management, Crisis Management, Financial Statements
A financial report is a formal record of business activities, providing information about a company's financial status and performance. Risuke Nishikawa, the third generation family head, had already run a business making efficient use of the report more than 300 years ago. The report including inventory, called Kanjo-cho, the oldest existing accounting book in Japan, was submitted twice a year to the head store in Ohmi.
three types of
saving account book by the Nishikawas,
in which the first bonus system in Japan
was established
Enactment of Bonus System
The family head, whose excellent management skills earned him the reputation as the restorer of the Nishikawas, was Risuke Nishikawa, the seventh generation head. In 1789 Risuke created an epoch-making human resource system called mitsuwarigin-seido, the first bonus system in Japan, paid out to employees twice a year. One-third of the net profit was allocated to employees as a bonus, another third for the company's internal reserves and the remaining third for the head office (now stakeholder). For employees, that meant that the harder they worked, the larger their bonus, and the more the company's cash flow improved as well.
However, after Risuke was succeeded by the eighth generation head, some employees tended to enjoy themselves too much and splurged their bonuses gratuitously. So the head office decided to retain their bonus until they leave the company or set up a branch, besides allowing them to draw pocket money for their daily life when needed. This way they could receive their deposited bonuses with interest. This system became the forerunner of the modern corporate pension system.
Raising the Reserve Fund
A saving-type insurance system was also established in the Edo period for the first time, because people lost all their household goods in a fire in Edo, where fires and feuds frequently occurred. Actually, Risuke Nishikawa lost two stores to out-of-control fires. The purpose of the system was to rebuild stores if they suffered from
accidental disasters, and offered three types of insurance funding: for reconstruction, for religious ceremonies and emergencies. The system has been carried over until now, being officially documented in 1799.
Establishing Business Compliance
Nishikawa Sangyo already adopted the use of consolidated and harmonized
sets of compliance controls involving three parties – the head office, branches and family relatives – to ensure all necessary governance requirements could be met and sharing of responsibility, so that the company's results would improve.
The head office also gave employees the opportunity to set up a branch if they worked hard and demonstrated managerial ability. Thus some employees were motivated by the possibility of someday having their own shop.
⑤ Social Contribution
In 1993, the company's 14th generation head, Jingoro Nishikawa – the current Chairman & CEO – set up the Nishikawa Cultural Foundation to contribute to society and communities through cultural and educational support. This was conceived as a means to express gratitude to the public for supporting Nishikawa Sangyo. The company's philanthropy is also based on the traditional "Sanpo-yoshi" management philosophy touched on previously in this article.
One story about Nishikawa's social contributions dates back to September 1923, when the Great Kanto Earthquake devastated Tokyo and surrounding areas, causing widespread damage, with an estimated 143,000 deaths. The 12th generation head, Jingoro Nishikawa, made efforts to re-open the Tokyo Store as soon as possible for victim relief, and commenced reconstruction of the store, thinking and acting flexibly, because bedding and related goods were in short supply.
In response to the emergency he requested other branches to expedite delivery of blankets and other bedding products, just as the Ohmi merchants would have done in olden times. Thanks to this flexible supply system, not only were survivors overjoyed to receive goods quickly, but the company minimized the impact of the damage. More recently Yasuyuki Nishikawa, the current president and C.O.O.,
made a similar contribution to victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011. Nishikawa says, "Depending on the quantity and thinking of management, we were happy to take the necessary measures to assist victims as soon as possible, because an emergency situation is totally different from ordinary times. We just think about our management in the long term in such a case, and I felt that I was doing my best to emulate the wisdom of our company's earlier leaders. Our motto is to contribute to society and to help customers, expressing our gratitude for supporting us."
Posted in About Japanese companies and Japanese business people, News, Work in Japan: Japan Biz Cultural Words, 未分類
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Television Credits
More About Isabel
ISABEL GALUPO
Isabel Galupo is a queer, part-Filipina, Jewish woman with three moms and a dad (yeah, you read that right). After being an only child for 10 years, Isabel found herself an overnight oldest kid with four younger sisters; this made her really good at changing diapers, but also at observing, adapting, and - at times - escaping into genre fiction. It only makes sense, then, that she grew up to be a writer, constantly drawing on her unusual family dynamic and intersecting identities to tell stories at the knife's edge of painful insight and bizarre heart.
Isabel graduated from Ithaca College as a Park Scholar with a B.S. in screenwriting and a minor in sociology, and participated in the Lambda Literary Writer's Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices in 2015. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband.
Maiden & Princess
(little bee books, 2019)
Written with Daniel Haack
Order Maiden & Princess here and add it on Goodreads!
Isabel is an Emmy-nominated TV writer who was most recently staffed on TRANSFORMERS: EARTHSPARK for Nickelodeon Animation and Hasbro. Previously, she was Staffed on WB Animation's LITTLE ELLEN, produced for HBO Max.
Isabel has freelanced for Netflix's RIDLEY JONES and WE LOST OUR HUMAN, Mattel's BARBIE: IT TAKES TWO, Amazon's CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, Nickelodeon's TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES and THE CASAGRANDES, as well as for a handful of forthcoming shows for PBS and Apple TV+.
Her favorite books are:
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender; The Mothers by Brit Bennet; America is not the Heart by Elaine Castillo; Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
Her favorite TV shows are:
She is passionate about LGBTQIA representation in children's and YA media:
Search Party, Yellowjackets, Superstore, Fleabag, Twin Peaks, Quantum Leap, Gravity Falls, and Veronica Mars
As a bisexual woman who grew up with two Moms, Isabel aspires to write the kinds of stories she wishes were available to her as a child -- stories that showcase the beauty of queer love and families.
She actually has three Moms and a Dad:
And she's grateful to all four of her parents for encouraging her passion for writing from a young age.
She has four younger sisters:
Their names are Olivia, Maya, Ryley, and Lucia, and she loves them more than anything in the world.
Someday she'd like to live in:
A house near the beach in coastal Chile, or a chic apartment in the middle of Paris, or a farmhouse in the rolling hills of Tuscany, or...
Photos by Maya Washington
For any book inquiries, please contact agent Brent Taylor:
brent@triadaus.com
TriadaUS Literary Agency
For any TV inquiries, please contact agent Karen Kirkland:
karen.kirkland@culturecreativela.com
Culture Creative Entertainment
For personal inquiries, use the form below.
© 2019 by Isabel Galupo. Proudly created with Wix.com


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The Brothers Bloom Dvd
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Summit Films
Leading Role
The Brothers Bloom, orphaned at a young age, begin performing confidence tricks as young children; Stephen dreams up elaborate scenarios and his younger brother, Bloom, creates trust with the marks. Stephen creates his first con as a way of encouraging his brother to talk to girls.
Twenty-five years later, the brothers are the world's most successful con men. They even have a regular accomplice: Bang Bang, a Japanese explosives expert who rarely speaks. Bloom, however, is dissatisfied with being nothing but an actor in Stephen's schemes. He is tired of being no more than the characters his brother has come up with and wants an 'unwritten life'. He quits and moves to Montenegro. Three months later, Stephen finds Bloom and convinces him to execute one final con. Bloom reluctantly agrees. The brothers will masquerade as antiques dealers and target Penelope Stamp, a rich, socially-isolated heiress who lives alone in a New Jersey mansion.
Bloom and Penelope meet when Bloom purposely runs into Penelope's sports car with his bike. Penelope reveals that she has been alone for most of her life and has picked up an array of strange hobbies such as juggling and kung fu. Bloom senses Penelope's craving for adventure and hints that he is sailing to Europe tomorrow. The next morning, Penelope arrives at the harbor to sail with the brothers to Greece.
On the ship, Melville, a Belgian hired by Stephen, begins the con, telling Penelope that the brothers Bloom are in fact antiques smugglers and he wants their help with a smuggling job in Prague. Penelope is thrilled with the idea of becoming a smuggler and convinces the brothers to accept the job, unaware that this is part of the con. Meanwhile, Bloom and Penelope are becoming attracted to one another, but Stephen warns Bloom that the con will fail if he actually falls in love with Penelope.
At the hotel bar in Prague, Bloom is visited by the brothers' former mentor and current enemy, Diamond Dog. He warns Bloom that Stephen will not be around forever, and tells Bloom he should join him. Stephen arrives and stabs Diamond Dog in the hand with a broken bottle, telling him to stay away.
In Prague, Melville cons Penelope out of a million dollars and flees, according to plan. Penelope still wants to go ahead as an antiques smuggler and steal the rare book that Melville told her about. The brothers tell Bang Bang to set off a small explosive in Prague Castle that will trigger the fire alarm, allowing Penelope to sneak in and steal the book. But Penelope accidentally switches the backpacks containing the explosives and they blow up the entire tower, creating panic in Prague. Despite this, Penelope enters the museum and steals the book. She is caught, but somehow convinces the chief of police to let her go.
The team goes to Mexico to complete the con. Bloom, who has fallen in love with Penelope, reveals to her that they are con men and the whole adventure has been a con. Stephen has anticipated his brother's change of heart and written it into his plan. The brothers fight and a gun accidentally discharges, wounding Stephen. Penelope checks out the wound, realizes that it is fake blood, and leaves with a broken heart. Bloom punches Stephen and leaves for Montenegro once again.
Three months later, Penelope finds Bloom, wanting to be with him and to become a con artist. Unable to deny his love for her but not wanting her to be like him, Bloom meets with Stephen to set up one final con, where they will fake their own deaths. The team goes to St. Petersburg, where they must sell the rare book to Diamond Dog. They are ambushed by Diamond Dog's gang while heading to the exchange. Stephen is kidnapped and held for $1.75 million. Bloom suspects this is just another one of Stephen's tricks; Penelope, just in case, wires the money from her bank account to the mobsters. Bang Bang takes this opportunity to quit working for the Bloom brothers; as soon as she leaves, her car explodes, leaving Penelope and Bloom uncertain whether she was caught in the blast or faked her death.
Bloom goes into an abandoned theater to make the exchange, and finds Stephen tied up and beaten. Bloom demands that Stephen tell him if this is real or if it is a con. A hit man tosses Bloom a phone, and Diamond Dog confirms that it is real. The hit man attacks them, and Stephen takes a bullet for Bloom and collapses on the floor. Bloom again asks whether this was real, or just the "perfect con". Stephen gets up and assures Bloom that he is fine. Stephen tells Bloom to leave St. Petersburg with Penelope, and that they will meet again.
Bloom and Penelope drive away. After several hours, Bloom discovers that Stephen's bloodstain on his shirt has changed in color from red to brown, indicating that it is not fake blood. Realizing that Stephen has surely died, Bloom breaks down on the side of the road while Penelope tries to comfort him. As they are leaving, Bloom recalls what Stephen had said earlier, "The perfect con is one where everyone involved gets just the thing they wanted" – and that perhaps his brother really pulled off the perfect con.
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