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Category: 1301 (January 2013)
Boris Manenti the French journalist with Le Nouvel Observateur has published an article in the monthly magazine ‘Obsession’ on how big data collections could lead to big brother. In the article he states “Big Data is the massive volume of digital data that is so large to process that it needs additional management tools and database processing applications. It is much more than a concept; it’s a whole new technology that promises to “revolutionize our everyday lives.” The term “Big Data” originated from a simple observation. Every day around the world, 2.5 exabytes of data are generated. This data comes from everywhere: social networks, photos and videos posted on the Internet, GPS coordinates from smart phones, weather statistics from every corner of the earth, banking transactions, and so on. This massive amount of information only reveals its full potential after being processed, analyzed and cross-referenced.  …The implications of Big Data are numerous – in theory at least. For the moment, the analysis of massive amounts of data mostly concerns companies who use it as a way to analyze their clients’ consumer habits. …The problem is the public’s acceptance. Big Data cannot be allowed to turn into “Big Brother.” “The users’ trust is crucial,” says Chuck Hollis. “To get the best medical treatment, we give our doctor as much information as we can, because we trust him. Big Data needs to convince its users it can be trusted in the same way.” He adds: “Every new technology creates new fears. Fire, electricity, the Internet, Big Data. With good there is always bad, we just need to keep that in check.”  Inspired by Boris Manenti, Nouvel Observateur ow.ly/gXF3Z Image source Twitter ow.ly/gXF2K Big data collections could lead to big brother (January 31 2013)

Boris Manenti the French journalist with Le Nouvel Observateur has published an article in the monthly magazine ‘Obsession’ on how big data collections could lead to big brother. In the article he states “Big Data is the massive volume of digital data that is so large to process that it needs additional management tools and database processing applications. It is much more than a concept; it’s a whole new technology that promises to “revolutionize our everyday lives.” The term “Big Data” originated from a simple observation. Every day around the world, 2.5 exabytes of data are generated. This data comes from everywhere: social networks, photos and videos posted on the Internet, GPS coordinates from smart phones, weather statistics from every corner of the earth, banking transactions, and so on. This massive amount of information only reveals its full potential after being processed, analyzed and cross-referenced.  …The implications of Big Data are numerous – in theory at least. For the moment, the analysis of massive amounts of data mostly concerns companies who use it as a way to analyze their clients’ consumer habits. …The problem is the public’s acceptance. Big Data cannot be allowed to turn into “Big Brother.” “The users’ trust is crucial,” says Chuck Hollis. “To get the best medical treatment, we give our doctor as much information as we can, because we trust him. Big Data needs to convince its users it can be trusted in the same way.” He adds: “Every new technology creates new fears. Fire, electricity, the Internet, Big Data. With good there is always bad, we just need to keep that in check.”

 

Inspired by Boris Manenti, Nouvel Observateur ow.ly/gXF3Z Image source Twitter ow.ly/gXF2K

Björn Roth the 51 Icelandic artist and son of deceased Dieter Roth, the experimental Swiss-German artist has been featured in a New York Times article written by Randy Kennedy titled ‘Time and Other Collaborators’ Kennedy states “Over the last half-century few artists have explored impermanence - in art and life - quite as thoroughly as Dieter Roth, the wildly experimental Swiss-German jack-of-all-trades who died in 1998. Many of his signature materials were things you were supposed to eat, not make art with: chocolate, cheese, a veritable salumeria of sausages.  …on a recent visit to a cavernous Chelsea gallery filled with work mostly by Dieter Roth, to find a middle-aged man who looked mostly like him - the same pillowy broad face and balding head, the same weary basilisk eyes - supervising the installation. The man was in the midst of an intense discussion with two younger men, whose faces were vaguely competing variations on his own. "They're always pushing me: 'What do you want?' " the older man said of the younger ones, as the three puzzled over how to arrange a work. "The problem is I don't know what I want." The men - Dieter's son, Björn Roth, 51; and Björn's sons, Oddur, 29, and Einar, 24 - represent the second and third generations of what might be described as a persistent Roth art organism, more like a self-replicating species than a collective. …There are countless examples of artists' children carrying on their legacies through estates and exhibitions. But Dieter Roth wanted to push past that tradition. Although he began his career at a time when late Modernism still exalted the idea of the lone genius, he believed deeply in collaboration - with other artists, even with his collectors (one, Hanns Sohm, was a dentist) and with his family. That affinity for intrinsically collaborative work is now second nature to many young artists…”  Inspired by Randy Kennedy, New York Times ow.ly/gXEqa Image source Reckfilm ow.ly/gXEbA The problem is I don’t know what I want (January 30 2013)

Björn Roth the 51 Icelandic artist and son of deceased Dieter Roth, the experimental Swiss-German artist has been featured in a New York Times article written by Randy Kennedy titled ‘Time and Other Collaborators’ Kennedy states “Over the last half-century few artists have explored impermanence – in art and life – quite as thoroughly as Dieter Roth, the wildly experimental Swiss-German jack-of-all-trades who died in 1998. Many of his signature materials were things you were supposed to eat, not make art with: chocolate, cheese, a veritable salumeria of sausages.  …on a recent visit to a cavernous Chelsea gallery filled with work mostly by Dieter Roth, to find a middle-aged man who looked mostly like him – the same pillowy broad face and balding head, the same weary basilisk eyes – supervising the installation. The man was in the midst of an intense discussion with two younger men, whose faces were vaguely competing variations on his own. “They’re always pushing me: ‘What do you want?’ ” the older man said of the younger ones, as the three puzzled over how to arrange a work. “The problem is I don’t know what I want.” The men – Dieter’s son, Björn Roth, 51; and Björn’s sons, Oddur, 29, and Einar, 24 – represent the second and third generations of what might be described as a persistent Roth art organism, more like a self-replicating species than a collective. …There are countless examples of artists’ children carrying on their legacies through estates and exhibitions. But Dieter Roth wanted to push past that tradition. Although he began his career at a time when late Modernism still exalted the idea of the lone genius, he believed deeply in collaboration – with other artists, even with his collectors (one, Hanns Sohm, was a dentist) and with his family. That affinity for intrinsically collaborative work is now second nature to many young artists…”

 

Inspired by Randy Kennedy, New York Times ow.ly/gXEqa Image source Reckfilm ow.ly/gXEbA

Zachary "Zack" Kopplin the 19 year old American science education activist from Louisiana  known for his campaigns to keep creationism out of public schools and focuses on separation of church and state causes, has been featured by George Dvorsky in an article published on io9 titled ‘How 19-year-old activist Zack Kopplin is making life hell for Louisiana’s creationists’. Dvorsky states “For Zack Kopplin, it all started back in 2008 with the passing of the Louisiana Science Education Act. The bill made it considerably easier for teachers to introduce creationist textbooks into the classroom. Outraged, he wrote a research paper about it for a high school English class. Nearly five years later, the 19-year-old Kopplin has become one of the fiercest — and most feared — advocates for education reform in Louisiana. We recently spoke to him to learn more about how he's making a difference. Kopplin, who is studying history at Rice University, had good reason to be upset after the passing of the LSEA — an insidious piece of legislation that allows teachers to bring in their own supplemental materials when discussing politically controversial topics like evolution or climate change. Soon after the act was passed, some of his teachers began to not just supplement existing texts, but to rid the classroom of established science books altogether. It was during the process to adopt a new life science textbook in 2010 that creationists barraged Louisiana's State Board of Education with complaints about the evidence-based science texts. Suddenly, it appeared that they were going to be successful in throwing out science textbooks. "This was a pivotal moment for me," Kopplin told io9. "I had always been a shy kid and had never spoken out before — I found myself speaking at a meeting of an advisory committee to the State Board of Education and urging them to adopt good science textbooks — and we won." The LSEA still stood, but at least the science books could stay…”  Inspired by George Dvorsky, io9 ow.ly/gXDfK Image source Facebook ow.ly/gXDbO Making life hell for Louisiana’s creationists (January 29 2013)

Zachary “Zack” Kopplin the 19 year old American science education activist from Louisiana  known for his campaigns to keep creationism out of public schools and focuses on separation of church and state causes, has been featured by George Dvorsky in an article published on io9 titled ‘How 19-year-old activist Zack Kopplin is making life hell for Louisiana’s creationists’. Dvorsky states “For Zack Kopplin, it all started back in 2008 with the passing of the Louisiana Science Education Act. The bill made it considerably easier for teachers to introduce creationist textbooks into the classroom. Outraged, he wrote a research paper about it for a high school English class. Nearly five years later, the 19-year-old Kopplin has become one of the fiercest — and most feared — advocates for education reform in Louisiana. We recently spoke to him to learn more about how he’s making a difference. Kopplin, who is studying history at Rice University, had good reason to be upset after the passing of the LSEA — an insidious piece of legislation that allows teachers to bring in their own supplemental materials when discussing politically controversial topics like evolution or climate change. Soon after the act was passed, some of his teachers began to not just supplement existing texts, but to rid the classroom of established science books altogether. It was during the process to adopt a new life science textbook in 2010 that creationists barraged Louisiana’s State Board of Education with complaints about the evidence-based science texts. Suddenly, it appeared that they were going to be successful in throwing out science textbooks. “This was a pivotal moment for me,” Kopplin told io9. “I had always been a shy kid and had never spoken out before — I found myself speaking at a meeting of an advisory committee to the State Board of Education and urging them to adopt good science textbooks — and we won.” The LSEA still stood, but at least the science books could stay…”

 

Inspired by George Dvorsky, io9 ow.ly/gXDfK Image source Facebook ow.ly/gXDbO

Otto Fernando Pérez Molina the 62 year old Guatemalan politician and retired military officer who has been President of Guatemala for the past twelve months has been the subject of an article published by Mike Allison on Aljazeera titled ‘Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina's first year in office’. Allison states ‘Otto Perez Molina of the Patriotic Party stepped onto the international stage in February 2012, after announcing to Guatemala and to the world that he would support the decriminalisation of marijuana and other illegal drugs. While his proposal brought accolades abroad, his first year in office has been much more of a mixed picture, at best, for the people of Guatemala. Upon his inauguration on January 14, 2012, President Perez confronted a challenging environment following four tumultuous years under Alvaro Colom. Fifty-four percent of the population lived in poverty, a three percentage point increase from the start of Colom's term. …For the last few weeks, all the Guatemalan newspapers have been running stories about social unrest throughout the country over land conflict, mining, and indigenous rights. The massacre in Totonicapan, the earthquake and devastation in San Marcos, repression against civil society, tensions surrounding the poorly conceptualised, planned and executed end of the world celebrations, and Otto Perez Molina's military history make for poor relations between a large number of Guatemalans and the government. These are real concerns about the situation here as Guatemalans head into 2013 and the second year of this administration. I'm afraid that adverse decisions with regards to the prosecution of human rights violators and the increased reliance on the military to resolve problems that do not have military solutions will only stoke the flames of discontent which is unfortunate and dangerous for the people of this beautiful country.”  Inspired by Mike Allison, Aljazeera ow.ly/gXCq5 Image source Twitter ow.ly/gXCpm President Otto Perez Molina’s first year in office (January 28 2013)

Otto Fernando Pérez Molina the 62 year old Guatemalan politician and retired military officer who has been President of Guatemala for the past twelve months has been the subject of an article published by Mike Allison on Aljazeera titled ‘Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina’s first year in office’. Allison states ‘Otto Perez Molina of the Patriotic Party stepped onto the international stage in February 2012, after announcing to Guatemala and to the world that he would support the decriminalisation of marijuana and other illegal drugs. While his proposal brought accolades abroad, his first year in office has been much more of a mixed picture, at best, for the people of Guatemala. Upon his inauguration on January 14, 2012, President Perez confronted a challenging environment following four tumultuous years under Alvaro Colom. Fifty-four percent of the population lived in poverty, a three percentage point increase from the start of Colom’s term. …For the last few weeks, all the Guatemalan newspapers have been running stories about social unrest throughout the country over land conflict, mining, and indigenous rights. The massacre in Totonicapan, the earthquake and devastation in San Marcos, repression against civil society, tensions surrounding the poorly conceptualised, planned and executed end of the world celebrations, and Otto Perez Molina’s military history make for poor relations between a large number of Guatemalans and the government. These are real concerns about the situation here as Guatemalans head into 2013 and the second year of this administration. I’m afraid that adverse decisions with regards to the prosecution of human rights violators and the increased reliance on the military to resolve problems that do not have military solutions will only stoke the flames of discontent which is unfortunate and dangerous for the people of this beautiful country.”

 

Inspired by Mike Allison, Aljazeera ow.ly/gXCq5 Image source Twitter ow.ly/gXCpm

Chrystia Freeland the 44 year old Canadian-american writer, journalist and editor of Thomson Reuters Digital has published an article titled ‘Finding economists’ common ground’. Freeland states in the article “This is a tough time for experts. Empowered by the Internet and embittered by the sour economy, many people doubt the wisdom of expert elites. Journalism sometimes casts further doubt by seeking polarized positions that can draw an attention-grabbing debate, or by taking refuge in he-said-she-said accounts to avoid the harder job of figuring out who’s right. Now one tribe of specialists – economists – is striking back. Concerned that the great unwashed have come to see all economic proposals as being equally valid, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business has led an effort to figure out what economists agree on, where they diverge and how certain they are about their views. To do that, the Booth school called on reputable economists to join its panel of experts. Each week, the panelists are asked whether they agree or disagree with a particular economic idea. … they did pick up a clear difference between men and women. “Women,” they wrote, “tend to be more cautious in taking a stance.” For women making their way in the 21st-century world of work, that reticence is mostly a handicap – a willingness to admit to uncertainty is one reason women are paid less and can find it difficult to break through the glass ceiling. For the benefit of the community as a whole, though, more female economists may be needed. The quest for objective economic knowledge is surely a good thing, as is the Booth effort to map where economists agree and where they diverge. But, given how profoundly and unexpectedly the world economy collapsed in 2008, maybe a little more womanly humility about that conventional wisdom would be a good thing, too.”  Inspired by Chrystia Freeland, Reuters ow.ly/gT6KV Image source WEF ow.ly/gT7ka A clear difference between men and women (January 27 2013)

Chrystia Freeland the 44 year old Canadian-american writer, journalist and editor of Thomson Reuters Digital has published an article titled ‘Finding economists’ common ground’. Freeland states in the article “This is a tough time for experts. Empowered by the Internet and embittered by the sour economy, many people doubt the wisdom of expert elites. Journalism sometimes casts further doubt by seeking polarized positions that can draw an attention-grabbing debate, or by taking refuge in he-said-she-said accounts to avoid the harder job of figuring out who’s right. Now one tribe of specialists – economists – is striking back. Concerned that the great unwashed have come to see all economic proposals as being equally valid, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business has led an effort to figure out what economists agree on, where they diverge and how certain they are about their views. To do that, the Booth school called on reputable economists to join its panel of experts. Each week, the panelists are asked whether they agree or disagree with a particular economic idea. … they did pick up a clear difference between men and women. “Women,” they wrote, “tend to be more cautious in taking a stance.” For women making their way in the 21st-century world of work, that reticence is mostly a handicap – a willingness to admit to uncertainty is one reason women are paid less and can find it difficult to break through the glass ceiling. For the benefit of the community as a whole, though, more female economists may be needed. The quest for objective economic knowledge is surely a good thing, as is the Booth effort to map where economists agree and where they diverge. But, given how profoundly and unexpectedly the world economy collapsed in 2008, maybe a little more womanly humility about that conventional wisdom would be a good thing, too.”

 

Inspired by Chrystia Freeland, Reuters ow.ly/gT6KV Image source WEF ow.ly/gT7ka

Marcela Valente the Argentinian Inter Press Service correspondent specialising in social and gender issues has published an article titled ‘Alternative Media Fights Back in Argentina’. Valente states “Sustained by editors and readers convinced that another kind of communication is possible, independent magazines are growing and strengthening in Argentina, offering a view different from the mainstream media coverage of political, cultural and advocacy issues. Overshadowed by more than 450 magazines belonging to 40 big publishing houses, some of them multimedia offerings, another 241 publications read in Argentina are devoted to literature, film, philosophy, humour, ideological and partisan discussions, history, music, visual arts, performing arts, design or gender issues. These are not endeavours taken up by editors in their free time, but a thriving industry with an estimated 1.4 million readers monthly, providing employment to small printers across the country. …These publications do not receive subsidies either from the government or businesses, and have little advertising. They live practically by the sale of each copy, something forgotten by commercial magazines, which have practically become advertising catalogues, satisfied with only being displayed or circulated among the public. Since 2011, the large majority of these alternative media have been united in the Association of Independent Cultural Magazines of Argentina (Arecia), demanding a bill that would help to strengthen a non-profit but sustainable sector. …[a] proposed rule democratises television and radio spaces, “but has omitted the graphics and Internet publications, as well as the independent and self-governed (media), without which the law could not have counted on the channels of discussion and dissemination,” independent media practitioners claim. …The text of the proposed law argues that strengthening these magazines is a way to “battle monopolisation, not just of products but of content”, and that it is also a way to “enshrine socially the idea that other types of communication are possible”.”  Inspired by Marcela Valente, IPS News ow.ly/gT3di Image source NationofChange ow.ly/gT39U Alternative media fights back in Argentina (January 26 2013)Marcela Valente the Argentinian Inter Press Service correspondent specialising in social and gender issues has published an article titled ‘Alternative Media Fights Back in Argentina’. Valente states “Sustained by editors and readers convinced that another kind of communication is possible, independent magazines are growing and strengthening in Argentina, offering a view different from the mainstream media coverage of political, cultural and advocacy issues. Overshadowed by more than 450 magazines belonging to 40 big publishing houses, some of them multimedia offerings, another 241 publications read in Argentina are devoted to literature, film, philosophy, humour, ideological and partisan discussions, history, music, visual arts, performing arts, design or gender issues. These are not endeavours taken up by editors in their free time, but a thriving industry with an estimated 1.4 million readers monthly, providing employment to small printers across the country. …These publications do not receive subsidies either from the government or businesses, and have little advertising. They live practically by the sale of each copy, something forgotten by commercial magazines, which have practically become advertising catalogues, satisfied with only being displayed or circulated among the public. Since 2011, the large majority of these alternative media have been united in the Association of Independent Cultural Magazines of Argentina (Arecia), demanding a bill that would help to strengthen a non-profit but sustainable sector. …[a] proposed rule democratises television and radio spaces, “but has omitted the graphics and Internet publications, as well as the independent and self-governed (media), without which the law could not have counted on the channels of discussion and dissemination,” independent media practitioners claim. …The text of the proposed law argues that strengthening these magazines is a way to “battle monopolisation, not just of products but of content”, and that it is also a way to “enshrine socially the idea that other types of communication are possible”.”

 

Inspired by Marcela Valente, IPS News ow.ly/gT3di Image source NationofChange ow.ly/gT39U

Justin Yifu Lin born as Zhengyi Lin the 60 year old Taiwanese economist and former Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank has published an article on Project Syndicate titled ‘Industrialization’s Second Golden Age’. In the article Yifu Lin states “…Historically, except for a few oil-exporting economies, no country has ever become rich without industrializing. Thus, all eyes nowadays should be on our economies’ real sectors. Confronted by the global financial crisis that looms over Europe, political leaders around the world are waking up to a stark new reality: unless the developed countries stop relying excessively on financial deal-making and start to rebuild from the ground up, they will lose their current standard of living. The global community must look beyond the eurozone and sovereign-debt crises and pay attention to the opportunity of structural transformation in the developing world’s real sectors. By structural transformation, I mean the process by which countries climb the industrial ladder – their workforces move into higher value-added manufacturing sectors as their sources of production advance. …For developing countries to benefit fully from industrial upgrading in China and other large emerging-market economies, their governments must identify tradable industries that are consistent with their latent comparative advantage. They also must help private firms to resolve information, coordination, and externality issues in the process of industrial upgrading. …In short, the imminent golden age of industrialization in developing countries will help to create jobs and spur recovery in advanced countries. The benefits of this new era will be two-pronged: it will contribute to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals – the plan to cut world poverty in half by 2015 – and also will help to drive a global recovery. Then, we may see a golden age for all.”  Inspired by Justin Yifu Lin, Project Syndicate ow.ly/gT0bU Image source Bdwgast ow.ly/gSZUZ We may see a golden age for all (January 25 2013)

Justin Yifu Lin born as Zhengyi Lin the 60 year old Taiwanese economist and former Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of the World Bank has published an article on Project Syndicate titled ‘Industrialization’s Second Golden Age’. In the article Yifu Lin states “…Historically, except for a few oil-exporting economies, no country has ever become rich without industrializing. Thus, all eyes nowadays should be on our economies’ real sectors. Confronted by the global financial crisis that looms over Europe, political leaders around the world are waking up to a stark new reality: unless the developed countries stop relying excessively on financial deal-making and start to rebuild from the ground up, they will lose their current standard of living. The global community must look beyond the eurozone and sovereign-debt crises and pay attention to the opportunity of structural transformation in the developing world’s real sectors. By structural transformation, I mean the process by which countries climb the industrial ladder – their workforces move into higher value-added manufacturing sectors as their sources of production advance. …For developing countries to benefit fully from industrial upgrading in China and other large emerging-market economies, their governments must identify tradable industries that are consistent with their latent comparative advantage. They also must help private firms to resolve information, coordination, and externality issues in the process of industrial upgrading. …In short, the imminent golden age of industrialization in developing countries will help to create jobs and spur recovery in advanced countries. The benefits of this new era will be two-pronged: it will contribute to the achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals – the plan to cut world poverty in half by 2015 – and also will help to drive a global recovery. Then, we may see a golden age for all.”

 

Inspired by Justin Yifu Lin, Project Syndicate ow.ly/gT0bU Image source Bdwgast ow.ly/gSZUZ

Kate Ruggeri the 24 year old American artist, curator, and DJ has been nominated by Blouin Artinfo as an emerging artist in an article titled ‘Painter-Sculptor Kate Ruggeri Finds Heroism in Humble Materials’ by Allison Meier. Meier states “Following a fire that wrecked her studio, Chicago-based artist Kate Ruggeri is persevering by creating work that evokes hope and heroes through the unlikely materials of old clothes, buckets of house paint, and twine. …she’s been experimenting with merging her interests in painting and sculpture into dimensional forms swathed with reclaimed fabric and discarded materials, and coated with thick layers of paint. The results have a scrappy, tactile quality, but also a quiet gravity. … “Joseph Campbell’s monomyth was my main inspiration, since I was little I’ve been interested in myths, adventure stories, and biographies. I don’t think it’s very difficult to identify with a hero at moments in your own life.” …One of Ruggeri’s sculptures, appropriately called “Hero,” strides like a DIY Giacometti, a paint-stained backpack on its shoulders and a walking stick pointing forward. “In the past few months, I have seen great heroics in my friends and community,” she explained. “My roommate had been mugged and shot walking home, and survived. There were a number of tragic deaths in the Chicago community. My studio building had burned down and I had lost all of my work.” … A painter at heart, she started using sculptural constructions as canvases because she was exhausted with looking at blank, flat surfaces. After building a wooden armature, she wraps it with window screens, fabric, found materials, and personal possessions. …“In my work, I try to create homages to human experience,” she said. “I see the viewer on their own journeys, having their own lives, their own struggles, triumphs. It’s a way to be self-reflective.”  Inspired by Allison Meier, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/gSY54 Image source lawnlike ow.ly/gSY33 I try to create homages to human experience (January 24 2013)

Kate Ruggeri the 24 year old American artist, curator, and DJ has been nominated by Blouin Artinfo as an emerging artist in an article titled ‘Painter-Sculptor Kate Ruggeri Finds Heroism in Humble Materials’ by Allison Meier. Meier states “Following a fire that wrecked her studio, Chicago-based artist Kate Ruggeri is persevering by creating work that evokes hope and heroes through the unlikely materials of old clothes, buckets of house paint, and twine. …she’s been experimenting with merging her interests in painting and sculpture into dimensional forms swathed with reclaimed fabric and discarded materials, and coated with thick layers of paint. The results have a scrappy, tactile quality, but also a quiet gravity. … “Joseph Campbell’s monomyth was my main inspiration, since I was little I’ve been interested in myths, adventure stories, and biographies. I don’t think it’s very difficult to identify with a hero at moments in your own life.” …One of Ruggeri’s sculptures, appropriately called “Hero,” strides like a DIY Giacometti, a paint-stained backpack on its shoulders and a walking stick pointing forward. “In the past few months, I have seen great heroics in my friends and community,” she explained. “My roommate had been mugged and shot walking home, and survived. There were a number of tragic deaths in the Chicago community. My studio building had burned down and I had lost all of my work.” … A painter at heart, she started using sculptural constructions as canvases because she was exhausted with looking at blank, flat surfaces. After building a wooden armature, she wraps it with window screens, fabric, found materials, and personal possessions. …“In my work, I try to create homages to human experience,” she said. “I see the viewer on their own journeys, having their own lives, their own struggles, triumphs. It’s a way to be self-reflective.”

 

Inspired by Allison Meier, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/gSY54 Image source lawnlike ow.ly/gSY33

Shirani Bandaranayake the 54 year old first female Supreme Court Judge and the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka has been impeached by Parliament and now removed from office by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. In an article for the New York Times titled ‘Sri Lankan Parliament Impeaches Chief Justice’, Gardiner Harris states “…The chief justice’s fall from grace since that ruling [the court struck down provisions of a law that would have given greater power to the government’s economic development minister, Basil Rajapaksa, who is also the president’s brother]  has been dizzying, with the state-controlled media sharply criticizing her. Impeachment proceedings began in November. A parliamentary committee issued a guilty verdict against her in December, saying she had misused her power and failed to adequately declare her assets. Last week, an appeals court annulled the verdict and forbade further action by the Parliament against Chief Justice Bandaranayake. The Parliament’s willingness to ignore the court’s ruling and impeach the chief justice anyway set the nation up for a possible constitutional crisis. …Since President Rajapaksa dominates the Parliament, the impeachment effort is widely seen by many democracy advocates as an effort by the president and his family to further consolidate power and eliminate any impediment to their almost complete control. “The entire impeachment process is clearly politically motivated as a punishment to the chief justice for daring to apply the constitution in a way that went against the Rajapaksa administration,” Alan Keenan, of the International Crisis Group, said in an interview. The parliamentary committee found Chief Justice Bandaranayake unfit for office on charges of failing to disclose details of 20 bank accounts and intervening in cases before the court in which she had a financial interest. She was also alleged to have sought to protect her husband from corruption charges. She had protested the rapidity of the parliamentary proceeding and her inability to confront or cross-examine her accusers.”  Inspired by Gardiner Harris, New York Times ow.ly/gR6zH Image source Facebook ow.ly/gR67S Sri Lanka Chief Justice’s dizzying fall from grace (January 23 2013)Shirani Bandaranayake the 54 year old first female Supreme Court Judge and the Chief Justice of Sri Lanka has been impeached by Parliament and now removed from office by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. In an article for the New York Times titled ‘Sri Lankan Parliament Impeaches Chief Justice’, Gardiner Harris states “…The chief justice’s fall from grace since that ruling [the court struck down provisions of a law that would have given greater power to the government’s economic development minister, Basil Rajapaksa, who is also the president’s brother]  has been dizzying, with the state-controlled media sharply criticizing her. Impeachment proceedings began in November. A parliamentary committee issued a guilty verdict against her in December, saying she had misused her power and failed to adequately declare her assets. Last week, an appeals court annulled the verdict and forbade further action by the Parliament against Chief Justice Bandaranayake. The Parliament’s willingness to ignore the court’s ruling and impeach the chief justice anyway set the nation up for a possible constitutional crisis. …Since President Rajapaksa dominates the Parliament, the impeachment effort is widely seen by many democracy advocates as an effort by the president and his family to further consolidate power and eliminate any impediment to their almost complete control. “The entire impeachment process is clearly politically motivated as a punishment to the chief justice for daring to apply the constitution in a way that went against the Rajapaksa administration,” Alan Keenan, of the International Crisis Group, said in an interview. The parliamentary committee found Chief Justice Bandaranayake unfit for office on charges of failing to disclose details of 20 bank accounts and intervening in cases before the court in which she had a financial interest. She was also alleged to have sought to protect her husband from corruption charges. She had protested the rapidity of the parliamentary proceeding and her inability to confront or cross-examine her accusers.”

 

Inspired by Gardiner Harris, New York Times ow.ly/gR6zH Image source Facebook ow.ly/gR67S

Gilles van Kote the French reporter and Deputy Head of Environment and Science for the daily Le Monde, has published an article on Worldcrunch titled ‘How A Palm Oil Boom Is Tearing Apart The Indigenous Tribes Of The Philippines’.  Van Kote states “The palm oil plantation, started in 2005 by Nakeen, a subsidiary of the Filipino group A. Brown Company Inc. (ABCI), is very small – 200 hectares. Yet it still managed to upset the natural balance of this isolated northern region of the island of Mindanao, south of the Philippines archipelago… In 2008, the Hagpa Higaonon [tribe, one of the country’s many indigenous communities] was awarded a certificate of ancestral domain title (CADT) for 14,313 hectares of their territory, in accordance with the Indigenous Peoples Rights Acts. A victory that doesn’t, however, make them immune to other people’s greed. Nakeen has already announced its ambition to expand its plantation, which is already partly on the ancestral domain. …The arrival of Nakeen and its oil palms created a rift in the local population. The local authorities wanted to turn the region into the "capital of palm oil" in Mindanao. …Nakeen offered locals between 5,000 and 8,000 pesos ($121 and $194) a year per hectare to rent their land for 25 years. …for a daily wage of 200 pesos ($4,87). …The Alternative Forum for Research in Mindanao (Afrim), a Filipino organization, claims that these rental agreements "turn farmers into farm workers" and that "jobs are only available for a small percentage of the population – for a wage inferior to the minimum legal wage." …While an oil palm plantation in place of a forest that is already being exploited isn’t considered as deforestation in the Philippines, the environmental impact is very real. …an international mission launched by NGOs concerning another Filipino group in northern Mindanao found that the rental agreements were illegal and human rights were violated. “  Inspired by Gilles Van Kote, Worldcrunch ow.ly/gR3Em Image source Mediapart ow.ly/gR3zO Palm oil boom tearing apart indigenous tribes (January 22 2013)Gilles van Kote the French reporter and Deputy Head of Environment and Science for the daily Le Monde, has published an article on Worldcrunch titled ‘How A Palm Oil Boom Is Tearing Apart The Indigenous Tribes Of The Philippines’.  Van Kote states “The palm oil plantation, started in 2005 by Nakeen, a subsidiary of the Filipino group A. Brown Company Inc. (ABCI), is very small – 200 hectares. Yet it still managed to upset the natural balance of this isolated northern region of the island of Mindanao, south of the Philippines archipelago… In 2008, the Hagpa Higaonon [tribe, one of the country’s many indigenous communities] was awarded a certificate of ancestral domain title (CADT) for 14,313 hectares of their territory, in accordance with the Indigenous Peoples Rights Acts. A victory that doesn’t, however, make them immune to other people’s greed. Nakeen has already announced its ambition to expand its plantation, which is already partly on the ancestral domain. …The arrival of Nakeen and its oil palms created a rift in the local population. The local authorities wanted to turn the region into the “capital of palm oil” in Mindanao. …Nakeen offered locals between 5,000 and 8,000 pesos ($121 and $194) a year per hectare to rent their land for 25 years. …for a daily wage of 200 pesos ($4,87). …The Alternative Forum for Research in Mindanao (Afrim), a Filipino organization, claims that these rental agreements “turn farmers into farm workers” and that “jobs are only available for a small percentage of the population – for a wage inferior to the minimum legal wage.” …While an oil palm plantation in place of a forest that is already being exploited isn’t considered as deforestation in the Philippines, the environmental impact is very real. …an international mission launched by NGOs concerning another Filipino group in northern Mindanao found that the rental agreements were illegal and human rights were violated. “

 

Inspired by Gilles Van Kote, Worldcrunch ow.ly/gR3Em Image source Mediapart ow.ly/gR3zO

 

Henry Blodget the 46 year old American former equity research analyst and  senior Internet analyst, now CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Business Insider, has published an article titled ‘Apple's Cheap iPhone Is A Great Move For The Company’. Blodget states “At the end of this year, when Apple's cheap iPhone comes out, it is going to be amusing to listen to all the Apple fans who consoled themselves about Apple's loss of market share by dismissing competitors' phones as "cheap plastic crap." Because the new cheap iPhone is supposed to have a cheap plastic back. …But more importantly... Apple's decision to finally launch a cheap iPhone is a great move by the company. It's a move that is at least a year late, unfortunately, which has helped Apple lose a lot of global market share to competitors like Samsung.…Because the explosive growth in the smartphone market has now shifted to emerging markets like China and India, where there are few carrier subsidies and most people can't afford phones that cost $600. By insisting on maintaining the premium prices of its phones, Apple has missed out on this growth in the past couple of years. …Apple's decision to offer a $99-$149 phone will reduce the amount of profit that Apple makes per phone. And, relatedly, it will likely reduce Apple's profit margin. But that's okay. Apple's profit margin is still extraordinarily high--the highest in the industry, by a mile. Apple's profit margin, even after accruing for taxes that the company mostly doesn't pay, is an astounding 26%. …No other hardware companies have margins that are anywhere close to that high. …Apple has sacrificed revenue growth and platform growth by deciding to confine itself to the "premium" market.  And, meanwhile, Apple has raked in such an astounding amount of profit that Apple has no idea what to do with the cash piling up on its balance sheet.”  Inspired by Henry Blodget, Business Insider ow.ly/gQZtW Image source Financial Times photos ow.ly/gQYZu Apple’s cheap iPhone is a great move (January 21 2013)

Henry Blodget the 46 year old American former equity research analyst and  senior Internet analyst, now CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Business Insider, has published an article titled ‘Apple’s Cheap iPhone Is A Great Move For The Company’. Blodget states “At the end of this year, when Apple’s cheap iPhone comes out, it is going to be amusing to listen to all the Apple fans who consoled themselves about Apple’s loss of market share by dismissing competitors’ phones as “cheap plastic crap.” Because the new cheap iPhone is supposed to have a cheap plastic back. …But more importantly… Apple’s decision to finally launch a cheap iPhone is a great move by the company. It’s a move that is at least a year late, unfortunately, which has helped Apple lose a lot of global market share to competitors like Samsung.…Because the explosive growth in the smartphone market has now shifted to emerging markets like China and India, where there are few carrier subsidies and most people can’t afford phones that cost $600. By insisting on maintaining the premium prices of its phones, Apple has missed out on this growth in the past couple of years. …Apple’s decision to offer a $99-$149 phone will reduce the amount of profit that Apple makes per phone. And, relatedly, it will likely reduce Apple’s profit margin. But that’s okay. Apple’s profit margin is still extraordinarily high–the highest in the industry, by a mile. Apple’s profit margin, even after accruing for taxes that the company mostly doesn’t pay, is an astounding 26%. …No other hardware companies have margins that are anywhere close to that high. …Apple has sacrificed revenue growth and platform growth by deciding to confine itself to the “premium” market.  And, meanwhile, Apple has raked in such an astounding amount of profit that Apple has no idea what to do with the cash piling up on its balance sheet.”

 

Inspired by Henry Blodget, Business Insider ow.ly/gQZtW Image source Financial Times photos ow.ly/gQYZu

Alain de Botton the 43 year old Swiss British writer, philosopher, television presenter and entrepreneur who discusses various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasizing philosophy's relevance to everyday life, claims to have launched the first Athiest Church in the UK, in the wake of a comedian led launch on an Atheist church in Canonbury. In an article published by Tom Marshall in the Islington Gazette titled ‘Nation’s first atheist church launches in Canonbury’, Marshall states “A Sunday gathering billed as the nation’s first-ever “atheist church” got off to a flying start this week – despite irking one the UK’s most famous non-believers who says he did it first. There was standing room only as some 200 people descended on the first congregation of the Sunday Assembly, cramming into an ex-church in St Paul’s Road, Canonbury. But writer and philosopher Alain de Botton, who is known as one of the most forthright atheists in the UK and last year published a book titled Religion for Atheists, told the Gazette that his organisation beat them to the punch. Mr de Botton, whose School of Life centre in Bloomsbury hosts Sunday gatherings of atheists, said: “We want to wish the comedians all the very best on their venture, while modestly adding that we have been ploughing this furrow for many years and they shouldn’t therefore claim the idea as their own …We wouldn’t want to start a schism so early on in the movement.” …Attendees enjoyed uplifting talks, readings, music and some time for quiet reflection, as founders and stand-up comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans led proceedings. Mr Jones said: “We’re huge fans of Alain’s and would love to get him down to talk, if he wants to … So many people turned up and were getting really excited, it was just overwhelming. It seems people just loved the idea and it far surpassed our hopes.”   Inspired by Tom Marshall, Islington Gazette ow.ly/gKBwH Image source Facebook ow.ly/gKBvZ A schism so early on in the movement (January 20 2013)

Alain de Botton the 43 year old Swiss British writer, philosopher, television presenter and entrepreneur who discusses various contemporary subjects and themes, emphasizing philosophy’s relevance to everyday life, claims to have launched the first Athiest Church in the UK, in the wake of a comedian led launch on an Atheist church in Canonbury. In an article published by Tom Marshall in the Islington Gazette titled ‘Nation’s first atheist church launches in Canonbury’, Marshall states “A Sunday gathering billed as the nation’s first-ever “atheist church” got off to a flying start this week – despite irking one the UK’s most famous non-believers who says he did it first. There was standing room only as some 200 people descended on the first congregation of the Sunday Assembly, cramming into an ex-church in St Paul’s Road, Canonbury. But writer and philosopher Alain de Botton, who is known as one of the most forthright atheists in the UK and last year published a book titled Religion for Atheists, told the Gazette that his organisation beat them to the punch. Mr de Botton, whose School of Life centre in Bloomsbury hosts Sunday gatherings of atheists, said: “We want to wish the comedians all the very best on their venture, while modestly adding that we have been ploughing this furrow for many years and they shouldn’t therefore claim the idea as their own …We wouldn’t want to start a schism so early on in the movement.” …Attendees enjoyed uplifting talks, readings, music and some time for quiet reflection, as founders and stand-up comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans led proceedings. Mr Jones said: “We’re huge fans of Alain’s and would love to get him down to talk, if he wants to … So many people turned up and were getting really excited, it was just overwhelming. It seems people just loved the idea and it far surpassed our hopes.”

 

Inspired by Tom Marshall, Islington Gazette ow.ly/gKBwH Image source Facebook ow.ly/gKBvZ

Audrey Garric the French journalist for Le Monde has published an article titled ‘Climate weapons really exist?’ in which she states “Could the rising tide of … natural disasters be explained by man’s voluntary action? Could these cataclysms be triggered deliberately by the army, for political reasons? For years, these conspiracy theories, relayed generously on the Internet, suggest that the climate could be manipulated as part of strategic or tactical wars. …In the U.S., from the 1950s, official reports or statements recognize the military usefulness of climate change techniques. "Intervention in atmospheric and climatic matters . . . will unfold on a scale difficult to imagine at present . . . this will merge each nation’s affairs with those of every other, more thoroughly than the threat of a nuclear or any other war would have done," said American mathematician John von Neumann at the height of the Cold War in 1955. Between 1967 and 1972 during the Vietnam War, Operation Popeye used cloud "seeding" techniques by injecting silver iodine. The idea was to trigger rain and extend monsoon season in order to slow down the movement of enemy troops through the Ho-Chi-Minh trail. As the U.S. and Russia were holding a scientific race to be the first to control the climate, the UN decided to create a legal framework. In 1977, the Enmod Convention, ratified by the UN General Assembly banned the military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques. It targets "any technique for changing - through the deliberate manipulation of natural processes - the dynamics, composition or structure of the Earth, including its biota, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, or of outer space."”   Inspired by Audrey Garric, Le Monde ow.ly/gKAOs Image source Facebook ow.ly/gKACe Do climate weapons really exist? (January 19 2013)

Audrey Garric the French journalist for Le Monde has published an article titled ‘Climate weapons really exist?’ in which she states “Could the rising tide of … natural disasters be explained by man’s voluntary action? Could these cataclysms be triggered deliberately by the army, for political reasons? For years, these conspiracy theories, relayed generously on the Internet, suggest that the climate could be manipulated as part of strategic or tactical wars. …In the U.S., from the 1950s, official reports or statements recognize the military usefulness of climate change techniques. “Intervention in atmospheric and climatic matters . . . will unfold on a scale difficult to imagine at present . . . this will merge each nation’s affairs with those of every other, more thoroughly than the threat of a nuclear or any other war would have done,” said American mathematician John von Neumann at the height of the Cold War in 1955. Between 1967 and 1972 during the Vietnam War, Operation Popeye used cloud “seeding” techniques by injecting silver iodine. The idea was to trigger rain and extend monsoon season in order to slow down the movement of enemy troops through the Ho-Chi-Minh trail. As the U.S. and Russia were holding a scientific race to be the first to control the climate, the UN decided to create a legal framework. In 1977, the Enmod Convention, ratified by the UN General Assembly banned the military or any other hostile use of environmental modification techniques. It targets “any technique for changing – through the deliberate manipulation of natural processes – the dynamics, composition or structure of the Earth, including its biota, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, or of outer space.””

 

Inspired by Audrey Garric, Le Monde ow.ly/gKAOs Image source Facebook ow.ly/gKACe

Mario Monti the 69 year old Italian economist and current caretaker Prime Minister of Italy will run for the premiership as leader of a centrist alliance in the next Italian general election. In an article by Vito Laterza published on Aljazeera titled ‘Technocracy's new bet: Mario Monti runs for premiership’.Vito states “His entry into the political arena will provoke major re-alignments in strategies, programmes and personnel in the centre-right and centre-left coalitions. His ambitious agenda of reforms will strongly influence the policies of the next government. …The rationale of Monti's proposals is not so different from Cameron's austerity programme in the UK: free up the market, reduce the weight of government and let the economy adjust itself. But the prospects for the global economy, especially the eurozone, look grim. European economies will grow slowly, if at all, for many years to come. Italy has struggled with low growth rates for the last two decades. …There is also a major difference with Britain. Italian workers receive very low salaries compared to most of their European counterparts. Further liberalisation without a comparable rebalancing of social protection would effectively mean a low-cost economy driven by cheap labour, reduced quality and quantity of social services and rising socio-economic inequalities. For both these reasons, the continuation of the technocratic agenda by political means is unlikely to result in anything more than a face-lift. … keeping confidence in the Italian government artificially high and interest rates on Italian bonds low. But for how long? Monti is aware that his decision to enter frontline politics "carries many risks and a high probability of failure". If he does fail, how bad will the next collapse in international credibility hit Italy and its people?”  Inspired by Vito Laterza, Aljazeera ow.ly/gKkTU Image source Twitter ow.ly/gKlaQ Technocracy’s new bet runs for premiership (January 18 2013)

Mario Monti the 69 year old Italian economist and current caretaker Prime Minister of Italy will run for the premiership as leader of a centrist alliance in the next Italian general election. In an article by Vito Laterza published on Aljazeera titled ‘Technocracy’s new bet: Mario Monti runs for premiership’.Vito states “His entry into the political arena will provoke major re-alignments in strategies, programmes and personnel in the centre-right and centre-left coalitions. His ambitious agenda of reforms will strongly influence the policies of the next government. …The rationale of Monti’s proposals is not so different from Cameron’s austerity programme in the UK: free up the market, reduce the weight of government and let the economy adjust itself. But the prospects for the global economy, especially the eurozone, look grim. European economies will grow slowly, if at all, for many years to come. Italy has struggled with low growth rates for the last two decades. …There is also a major difference with Britain. Italian workers receive very low salaries compared to most of their European counterparts. Further liberalisation without a comparable rebalancing of social protection would effectively mean a low-cost economy driven by cheap labour, reduced quality and quantity of social services and rising socio-economic inequalities. For both these reasons, the continuation of the technocratic agenda by political means is unlikely to result in anything more than a face-lift. … keeping confidence in the Italian government artificially high and interest rates on Italian bonds low. But for how long? Monti is aware that his decision to enter frontline politics “carries many risks and a high probability of failure”. If he does fail, how bad will the next collapse in international credibility hit Italy and its people?”

 

Inspired by Vito Laterza, Aljazeera ow.ly/gKkTU Image source Twitter ow.ly/gKlaQ

Elisabeth Rosenthal the American medical doctor specializing in epidemic disease, scientific and environmental matters has published an article in the New York Times titled ‘As Biofuel Demand Grows, So Do Guatemala’s Hunger Pangs’. Rosenthal states “In the tiny tortillerias of this city [Guatemala City], people complain ceaselessly about the high price of corn. Just three years ago, one quetzal — about 15 cents — bought eight tortillas; today it buys only four. And eggs have tripled in price because chickens eat corn feed. …Recent laws in the United States and Europe that mandate the increasing use of biofuel in cars have had far-flung ripple effects, economists say, as land once devoted to growing food for humans is now sometimes more profitably used for churning out vehicle fuel. In a globalized world, the expansion of the biofuels industry has contributed to spikes in food prices and a shortage of land for food-based agriculture in poor corners of Asia, Africa and Latin America because the raw material is grown wherever it is cheapest. …With its corn-based diet and proximity to the United States, Central America has long been vulnerable to economic riptides related to the United States’ corn policy. Now that the United States is using 40 percent of its crop to make biofuel, it is not surprising that tortilla prices have doubled in Guatemala, which imports nearly half of its corn. At the same time, Guatemala’s lush land, owned by a handful of families, has proved ideal for producing raw materials for biofuels. Suchitepéquez Province, a major corn-producing region five years ago, is now carpeted with sugar cane and African palm. …Roughly 50 percent of the nation’s children are chronically malnourished, the fourth-highest rate in the world, according to the United Nations.”   Inspired by Elisabeth Rosenthal, New York Times ow.ly/gKkg3 Image source Twitter ow.ly/gKkeF As biofuel demand grows so do hunger pangs (January 17 2013)Elisabeth Rosenthal the American medical doctor specializing in epidemic disease, scientific and environmental matters has published an article in the New York Times titled ‘As Biofuel Demand Grows, So Do Guatemala’s Hunger Pangs’. Rosenthal states “In the tiny tortillerias of this city [Guatemala City], people complain ceaselessly about the high price of corn. Just three years ago, one quetzal — about 15 cents — bought eight tortillas; today it buys only four. And eggs have tripled in price because chickens eat corn feed. …Recent laws in the United States and Europe that mandate the increasing use of biofuel in cars have had far-flung ripple effects, economists say, as land once devoted to growing food for humans is now sometimes more profitably used for churning out vehicle fuel. In a globalized world, the expansion of the biofuels industry has contributed to spikes in food prices and a shortage of land for food-based agriculture in poor corners of Asia, Africa and Latin America because the raw material is grown wherever it is cheapest. …With its corn-based diet and proximity to the United States, Central America has long been vulnerable to economic riptides related to the United States’ corn policy. Now that the United States is using 40 percent of its crop to make biofuel, it is not surprising that tortilla prices have doubled in Guatemala, which imports nearly half of its corn. At the same time, Guatemala’s lush land, owned by a handful of families, has proved ideal for producing raw materials for biofuels. Suchitepéquez Province, a major corn-producing region five years ago, is now carpeted with sugar cane and African palm. …Roughly 50 percent of the nation’s children are chronically malnourished, the fourth-highest rate in the world, according to the United Nations.”

 

Inspired by Elisabeth Rosenthal, New York Times ow.ly/gKkg3 Image source Twitter ow.ly/gKkeF

Benoit Georges the French journalist and head of Innovations and Skills department with Les Echos has published an article on Worldcrunch titled ‘Do Smart Phones Make Us Dumber? Asking The Internet's Intelligence Questions’. Georges states “Italian linguist Raffaele Simone and French philosopher Jean-Michel Besnier deliver very different views on the matter. According to Simone, modern men and women are “caught in the Web,” absorbed in the “media sphere”, which he describes as an “environment in which online electronic media play a fundamental role,” and create, “from nothing, trends, needs and new pressures.” …Written knowledge allows thoughts to be structured and more complex than oral communications. It is based on a specific form of intelligence Simone called “sequential” – meaning the way we assimilate new information, one after the other. The Web and videos, on the other hand, favor a “simultaneous” form of intelligence – we are capable of taking in different types of information at the same time but without “being able to put them in order as a logical succession, with hierarchy.” …Jean-Michel Besnier’s … asks a simple question: “How does the cultured species that we are, born from the Age of Enlightenment and having witnessed totalitarianism, let itself become a slave to its machines?” The situations in which we delegate our responsibility to objects or programs are multiplying: Search engines algorithms decide which websites best match our needs; the so called “service” robots that are supposed to take better care than us of the elderly or autistic children; the GPS navigators without which we are completely lost… Besnier believes this dehumanization existed long before computers. According to him, the industrial revolution – that transformed men into operators of machines that were more powerful than them – was already part of this movement.”   Inspired by Benoit Georges, Worldcrunch ow.ly/gH0mm Image source Twitter ow.ly/gH0kW Do smart phones make us dumber? (January 16 2013)

Benoit Georges the French journalist and head of Innovations and Skills department with Les Echos has published an article on Worldcrunch titled ‘Do Smart Phones Make Us Dumber? Asking The Internet’s Intelligence Questions’. Georges states “Italian linguist Raffaele Simone and French philosopher Jean-Michel Besnier deliver very different views on the matter. According to Simone, modern men and women are “caught in the Web,” absorbed in the “media sphere”, which he describes as an “environment in which online electronic media play a fundamental role,” and create, “from nothing, trends, needs and new pressures.” …Written knowledge allows thoughts to be structured and more complex than oral communications. It is based on a specific form of intelligence Simone called “sequential” – meaning the way we assimilate new information, one after the other. The Web and videos, on the other hand, favor a “simultaneous” form of intelligence – we are capable of taking in different types of information at the same time but without “being able to put them in order as a logical succession, with hierarchy.” …Jean-Michel Besnier’s … asks a simple question: “How does the cultured species that we are, born from the Age of Enlightenment and having witnessed totalitarianism, let itself become a slave to its machines?” The situations in which we delegate our responsibility to objects or programs are multiplying: Search engines algorithms decide which websites best match our needs; the so called “service” robots that are supposed to take better care than us of the elderly or autistic children; the GPS navigators without which we are completely lost… Besnier believes this dehumanization existed long before computers. According to him, the industrial revolution – that transformed men into operators of machines that were more powerful than them – was already part of this movement.”

 

Inspired by Benoit Georges, Worldcrunch ow.ly/gH0mm Image source Twitter ow.ly/gH0kW

Lucy Lippard the 75 year old American internationally known writer, art critic, activist and curator among the first writers to recognize the "dematerialization" at work in conceptual art and was an early champion of feminist art has been featured by Chloe Wyma in an article for Blouin Artinfo titled ‘Four Decades After Lucy Lippard's "Six Years," Is Conceptual Art Still Relevant? Wyma states “If you want to understand the stakes of the “dematerialization of the art object,” look no further than the late British artist John Latham’s “Art and Culture,” the entrance piece at “Materializing Six Years: Lucy Lippard and the Emergence of Conceptual Art” at the Brooklyn Museum. The piece mockingly takes its title from mid-century formalist art critic Clement Greenberg’s influential text: An open briefcase reveals a copy of Greenberg’s book, an overdue notice from the library, and vials containing the masticated pulp of its pages. The byproduct of a party where Latham invited guests to chew the pages of Greenberg’s book, the work takes the radical propositions of dematerialization quite literally, turning the bible of formalist art criticism into formless cud. Casting off the cloth of the detached, Greenbergian art critic, Lucy Lippard played a crucial role, not only as a writer, but as curator and collaborator within the diverse artistic activity that’s now catalogued under the rubric of Conceptual Art. As she writes in the forward to the exhibition, Lippard and her circle “invented ways for art to act as an invisible frame for seeing and thinking rather than as an object of delectation or connoisseurship.” In their critique of the art object, they sought to remake the art world as a network of ideas to be shared, rather than a marketplace of objects to be bought and sold.”   Inspired by Chloe Wyma, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/gGWLj Image source Fluxusa ow.ly/gGWJS Is Conceptual Art still relevant? (January 15 2013)

Lucy Lippard the 75 year old American internationally known writer, art critic, activist and curator among the first writers to recognize the “dematerialization” at work in conceptual art and was an early champion of feminist art has been featured by Chloe Wyma in an article for Blouin Artinfo titled ‘Four Decades After Lucy Lippard’s “Six Years,” Is Conceptual Art Still Relevant? Wyma states “If you want to understand the stakes of the “dematerialization of the art object,” look no further than the late British artist John Latham’s “Art and Culture,” the entrance piece at “Materializing Six Years: Lucy Lippard and the Emergence of Conceptual Art” at the Brooklyn Museum. The piece mockingly takes its title from mid-century formalist art critic Clement Greenberg’s influential text: An open briefcase reveals a copy of Greenberg’s book, an overdue notice from the library, and vials containing the masticated pulp of its pages. The byproduct of a party where Latham invited guests to chew the pages of Greenberg’s book, the work takes the radical propositions of dematerialization quite literally, turning the bible of formalist art criticism into formless cud. Casting off the cloth of the detached, Greenbergian art critic, Lucy Lippard played a crucial role, not only as a writer, but as curator and collaborator within the diverse artistic activity that’s now catalogued under the rubric of Conceptual Art. As she writes in the forward to the exhibition, Lippard and her circle “invented ways for art to act as an invisible frame for seeing and thinking rather than as an object of delectation or connoisseurship.” In their critique of the art object, they sought to remake the art world as a network of ideas to be shared, rather than a marketplace of objects to be bought and sold.”

 

Inspired by Chloe Wyma, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/gGWLj Image source Fluxusa ow.ly/gGWJS

John Owen Brennan the 57 year old American chief counterterrorism advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama whose responsibilities include overseeing plans to protect the country from terrorism and respond to natural disasters has been nominated to fill the position of CIA Director on the resignation of General Petraeus resulting from his affair with his biographer. In an article published in Wired titled ‘If You Thought Obama’s Drone Godfather Was Powerful, Wait ‘Til He’s at the CIA’ Spencer Ackerman and Noah Shachtman states “If confirmed by the Senate to lead the CIA, John Brennan … will be clothed in immense power. He’s already an architect of the CIA’s accelerated counterterrorism campaign, the one that launches drone strikes at suspected terrorists around the world. From his perch at the White House, Brennan has been a major advocate for the CIA, perhaps more effectively than the men running Langley, thanks to his close relationship with Obama. …By putting Brennan at the CIA and former Senator Chuck Hagel at the Pentagon, Obama’s national security predilections come into focus: aggressive but secretive wars with minimal troop and logistics footprints, matched with winding down the long slog in Afghanistan. …Brennan suddenly looks like the most powerful member of Obama’s national security team. Hagel looks like he may face a tough confirmation fight, and in any event is new to the Pentagon, a management challenge like no other. …“Brennan is The Guy now,” Zegart notes. “There’s no more important asset, coming into the head of the agency, than having that kind of trust of the president. Brennan is possibly unique in that respect: I can’t remember an incoming CIA director with that kind of relationship with the president.”” Inspired by Spencer Ackerman and Noah Shachtman, Wired ow.ly/gGS16 Image source White House ow.ly/gGROp Will be clothed in immense power (January 14 2013)

John Owen Brennan the 57 year old American chief counterterrorism advisor to U.S. President Barack Obama whose responsibilities include overseeing plans to protect the country from terrorism and respond to natural disasters has been nominated to fill the position of CIA Director on the resignation of General Petraeus resulting from his affair with his biographer. In an article published in Wired titled ‘If You Thought Obama’s Drone Godfather Was Powerful, Wait ‘Til He’s at the CIA’ Spencer Ackerman and Noah Shachtman states “If confirmed by the Senate to lead the CIA, John Brennan … will be clothed in immense power. He’s already an architect of the CIA’s accelerated counterterrorism campaign, the one that launches drone strikes at suspected terrorists around the world. From his perch at the White House, Brennan has been a major advocate for the CIA, perhaps more effectively than the men running Langley, thanks to his close relationship with Obama. …By putting Brennan at the CIA and former Senator Chuck Hagel at the Pentagon, Obama’s national security predilections come into focus: aggressive but secretive wars with minimal troop and logistics footprints, matched with winding down the long slog in Afghanistan. …Brennan suddenly looks like the most powerful member of Obama’s national security team. Hagel looks like he may face a tough confirmation fight, and in any event is new to the Pentagon, a management challenge like no other. …“Brennan is The Guy now,” Zegart notes. “There’s no more important asset, coming into the head of the agency, than having that kind of trust of the president. Brennan is possibly unique in that respect: I can’t remember an incoming CIA director with that kind of relationship with the president.””

 

Inspired by Spencer Ackerman and Noah Shachtman, Wired ow.ly/gGS16 Image source White House ow.ly/gGROp

Robert Barry the 76 year old American artist renowned for his non-material works of art, installations, and performances using a variety of otherwise invisible media, has been interviewed by Celine Piettre for Blouin Artinfo in an article titled ‘Artist Robert Barry Discusses Working With "Time, Light, and Darkness"’.  Barry states “I don’t like this term [Conceptual Artist]. I find it very limiting, as far as I’m concerned in any case. I use materials: time, space, color, words. My work is visual, and not purely about ideas or concepts. …I don’t work so much on language as on words, which I perceive as objects. They have a color, a size. They exist in a given space and time. They have a tangible aspect. Words are also very personal. They come from us and say things about us. They have a story. We all interpret them according to our own experience. I’m always surprised when people ask me this question. I’m interested in words — that’s it. It’s like I painted flowers or landscapes. It’s a personal interest, a work material that offers infinite possibilities. …Video is a natural medium for me. I’ve used it since the beginning of my career. It’s a medium of time — a notion, a material that is truly integral to my work, like light. I like the idea of light emerging from the darkness and plunging into it again. It’s something that everyone experiences. …It’s important to me that there can be different levels of perception, experiences, and time. All these components of the real are combined here: the idea of art, war, light, words, and speech — they work together to make the piece. … In general, I like using music in my work because it’s an art that exists in time.” Inspired by Celine Piettre ow.ly/gwWNu image source TownNews ow.ly/gwWMO I use materials: time, space, color, words (January 13 2013)Robert Barry the 76 year old American artist renowned for his non-material works of art, installations, and performances using a variety of otherwise invisible media, has been interviewed by Celine Piettre for Blouin Artinfo in an article titled ‘Artist Robert Barry Discusses Working With “Time, Light, and Darkness”’.  Barry states “I don’t like this term [Conceptual Artist]. I find it very limiting, as far as I’m concerned in any case. I use materials: time, space, color, words. My work is visual, and not purely about ideas or concepts. …I don’t work so much on language as on words, which I perceive as objects. They have a color, a size. They exist in a given space and time. They have a tangible aspect. Words are also very personal. They come from us and say things about us. They have a story. We all interpret them according to our own experience. I’m always surprised when people ask me this question. I’m interested in words — that’s it. It’s like I painted flowers or landscapes. It’s a personal interest, a work material that offers infinite possibilities. …Video is a natural medium for me. I’ve used it since the beginning of my career. It’s a medium of time — a notion, a material that is truly integral to my work, like light. I like the idea of light emerging from the darkness and plunging into it again. It’s something that everyone experiences. …It’s important to me that there can be different levels of perception, experiences, and time. All these components of the real are combined here: the idea of art, war, light, words, and speech — they work together to make the piece. … In general, I like using music in my work because it’s an art that exists in time.”

 

Inspired by Celine Piettre ow.ly/gwWNu image source TownNews ow.ly/gwWMO

Ashfaq Yusufzai the Pakistani journalist for IPS News has published an article titled ‘Remittances Soothe the Scourge of Militancy’ in which he states “A majority of the 5.5 million people living in FATA have been … affected by the decade-old militancy, which began in earnest in 2001 when U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban government in Kabul, forcing the militants to cross over to Pakistan and establish sanctuaries along the 2,400-kilometre-long border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. FATA soon became infested with Taliban cells. As Pakistan emerged as a frontline state in the U.S.’ ‘war on terror’, armed forces poured into FATA in a full-scale military offensive in 2005 designed to root out the Taliban. The army offensive, coupled with the militants’ resistance, made it impossible for civilians to carry on with everyday life. Now, for the first time in years, people … are finally starting to see improvements in their lives, as remittances from a younger generation of migrants who fled the region in search of employment abroad streams into FATA, easing the financial burden of unrelenting militancy. …Abu Zar, an official at the FATA Secretariat, told IPS that the militarisation of the region has brought misery to many residents but has also fuelled a wave of migration to Gulf states like the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman, which is now helping people get back on their feet. “Currently, more than 400,000 FATA residents are living and working in foreign countries”, up from less than 100,000 prior to 2005, …The younger generation has been going abroad in droves because of the prolonged insurgency”, in order to escape a sharp decline in trade, business opportunities and income in FATA, he added.” Inspired by Inter Press Service ow.ly/gwWbA image source WFSJ ow.ly/gwWb7 Remittances soothe the scourge of militancy (January 12 2013)

Ashfaq Yusufzai the Pakistani journalist for IPS News has published an article titled ‘Remittances Soothe the Scourge of Militancy’ in which he states “A majority of the 5.5 million people living in FATA have been … affected by the decade-old militancy, which began in earnest in 2001 when U.S.-led forces toppled the Taliban government in Kabul, forcing the militants to cross over to Pakistan and establish sanctuaries along the 2,400-kilometre-long border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. FATA soon became infested with Taliban cells. As Pakistan emerged as a frontline state in the U.S.’ ‘war on terror’, armed forces poured into FATA in a full-scale military offensive in 2005 designed to root out the Taliban. The army offensive, coupled with the militants’ resistance, made it impossible for civilians to carry on with everyday life. Now, for the first time in years, people … are finally starting to see improvements in their lives, as remittances from a younger generation of migrants who fled the region in search of employment abroad streams into FATA, easing the financial burden of unrelenting militancy. …Abu Zar, an official at the FATA Secretariat, told IPS that the militarisation of the region has brought misery to many residents but has also fuelled a wave of migration to Gulf states like the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman, which is now helping people get back on their feet. “Currently, more than 400,000 FATA residents are living and working in foreign countries”, up from less than 100,000 prior to 2005, …The younger generation has been going abroad in droves because of the prolonged insurgency”, in order to escape a sharp decline in trade, business opportunities and income in FATA, he added.”

 

Inspired by Inter Press Service ow.ly/gwWbA image source WFSJ ow.ly/gwWb7

Esther Dyson the 61 year old American former journalist and Wall Street technology analyst, now entrepreneur who concentrates her investments on emerging digital technologies, and is Chairwoman of EDventure Holdings focusing on issues related to medical technology, aviation, and space travel. Dyson has published an article on Project Syndicate titled ‘The rise of the attention economy’ claiming people in the attention economy spend their personal time attracting others' attention. Dyson states “…companies go online to earn money. Google is perhaps the purest example of a company that transforms purchase intentions into income; most other "internet" companies offer something of independent value on the other side of those searches. But many individuals, most of the time, go online without any interest in buying something. They are there to find out about the world, catch up with friends, play games, listen to music, chat, or just hang out - and, increasingly, to get the attention of other people. Thanks to highly productive surplus economies, they can spend a lot more time being economically inactive. …This attention economy is not the intention economy beloved of vendors, who grab consumers’ attention in order to sell them something. Rather, attention here has its own intrinsic, non-monetisable value. The attention economy is one in which people spend their personal time attracting others’ attention, whether by designing creative avatars, posting pithy comments, or accumulating "likes" for their cat photos. Just as we are driven to spread our physical DNA, so apparently do we have an urge to spread our virtual identities, so that we cannot be erased. Instead of physical descendants, we are offering our own virtual selves to posterity.” Inspired by Project Syndicate ow.ly/gwVob image source Twitter ow.ly/gwVdO The rise of the attention economy (January 11 2013)

Esther Dyson the 61 year old American former journalist and Wall Street technology analyst, now entrepreneur who concentrates her investments on emerging digital technologies, and is Chairwoman of EDventure Holdings focusing on issues related to medical technology, aviation, and space travel. Dyson has published an article on Project Syndicate titled ‘The rise of the attention economy’ claiming people in the attention economy spend their personal time attracting others’ attention. Dyson states “…companies go online to earn money. Google is perhaps the purest example of a company that transforms purchase intentions into income; most other “internet” companies offer something of independent value on the other side of those searches. But many individuals, most of the time, go online without any interest in buying something. They are there to find out about the world, catch up with friends, play games, listen to music, chat, or just hang out – and, increasingly, to get the attention of other people. Thanks to highly productive surplus economies, they can spend a lot more time being economically inactive. …This attention economy is not the intention economy beloved of vendors, who grab consumers’ attention in order to sell them something. Rather, attention here has its own intrinsic, non-monetisable value. The attention economy is one in which people spend their personal time attracting others’ attention, whether by designing creative avatars, posting pithy comments, or accumulating “likes” for their cat photos. Just as we are driven to spread our physical DNA, so apparently do we have an urge to spread our virtual identities, so that we cannot be erased. Instead of physical descendants, we are offering our own virtual selves to posterity.”

 

Inspired by Project Syndicate ow.ly/gwVob image source Twitter ow.ly/gwVdO

Jodi Dean the 44 year old American International lecturer having written widely about politics and culture with activist interests include digital media, post-structuralism, neoliberalism, psychoanalysis, and the OCCUPY movement. Dean has published an article in The Guardian titled ‘Occupy and UK Uncut: the evolution of activism’ claiming the challenge these movements face is how to grow without becoming instruments of the systems they contest. Dean states “Earlier this month, Occupy Our Homes engaged in anti-foreclosure actions across the United States. In Atlanta and Minneapolis, activists helped families occupy vacant bank-owned homes. In Sacramento and Detroit, groups protected residents from eviction. In Philadelphia, Chicago, and St Louis, demonstrators protested against foreclosure. Thousands took part in these actions, yet coverage was restricted to local media outlets. Why did the protests get so little attention? Declining public interest in Occupy doesn't account for it. Occupy Sandy, a relief effort organised by Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protesters to assist the victims of the hurricane, was covered. …Occupy Sandy's mutual aid connected the hurricane to a critique of capitalism for failing to provide infrastructures adequate to the needs of an urban population in a changing climate. It has used its access to the community as an opportunity for consciousness-raising. Similarly, UK Uncut links its attack on Starbucks and Google with a larger analysis of the connections between profits for corporations and cuts for people. It channels anger at corporations' failure into an exposition of the deeper unfairness of the system itself. Both movements are embedding themselves deeper into society. Instead of jumping from issue to issue or rising up only to sink back down, they are building solidarity. They're organising for a longer struggle, finding ways to create spaces for debate within a broader commitment to collective, egalitarian solutions.” Inspired by The Guardian ow.ly/gwUNH image source lareviewofbooks ow.ly/gwULb Grow without becoming instruments of system (January 10 2013)

Jodi Dean the 44 year old American International lecturer having written widely about politics and culture with activist interests include digital media, post-structuralism, neoliberalism, psychoanalysis, and the OCCUPY movement. Dean has published an article in The Guardian titled ‘Occupy and UK Uncut: the evolution of activism’ claiming the challenge these movements face is how to grow without becoming instruments of the systems they contest. Dean states “Earlier this month, Occupy Our Homes engaged in anti-foreclosure actions across the United States. In Atlanta and Minneapolis, activists helped families occupy vacant bank-owned homes. In Sacramento and Detroit, groups protected residents from eviction. In Philadelphia, Chicago, and St Louis, demonstrators protested against foreclosure. Thousands took part in these actions, yet coverage was restricted to local media outlets. Why did the protests get so little attention? Declining public interest in Occupy doesn’t account for it. Occupy Sandy, a relief effort organised by Occupy Wall Street (OWS) protesters to assist the victims of the hurricane, was covered. …Occupy Sandy’s mutual aid connected the hurricane to a critique of capitalism for failing to provide infrastructures adequate to the needs of an urban population in a changing climate. It has used its access to the community as an opportunity for consciousness-raising. Similarly, UK Uncut links its attack on Starbucks and Google with a larger analysis of the connections between profits for corporations and cuts for people. It channels anger at corporations’ failure into an exposition of the deeper unfairness of the system itself. Both movements are embedding themselves deeper into society. Instead of jumping from issue to issue or rising up only to sink back down, they are building solidarity. They’re organising for a longer struggle, finding ways to create spaces for debate within a broader commitment to collective, egalitarian solutions.”

 

Inspired by The Guardian ow.ly/gwUNH image source lareviewofbooks ow.ly/gwULb

Johan Galtung the 82 year old Norwegian sociologist, mathematician and the founder of the Peace Research Institute Oslo in 1959, has published an article on the Inter Press Service titled ‘Preventing World War III’ in which he states “A Third World War is not impossible, but fortunately is rather unlikely. Let us explore why, and what can be done to prevent it. The worst-case scenario is a world war between the West - NATO, U.S., EU with Japan-Taiwan-South Korea - and the East - the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) with Russia, China, Central Asia as members and India, Pakistan, Iran as observers. With four nuclear powers on each side, and West versus Islam as a major issue. In the centre is the explosive mix of a divided territory (Israel-Palestine) and Jerusalem, a capital divided by a wall. …The United Nations vote showed a 3/4 world united in YES for Palestine, NO to USA-Israel. Both are turning any moral high ground into moral deficit through continued expansion-occupation-siege and invasion-occupation-extrajudicial killings. The world is not against U.S.-Israel defending true homeland borders or 1967 borders but against the force and excesses they seem incapable of reversing. Reverse those policies and they could regain the moral high ground. …Islam, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, covers more of the world territory and population than the West, but has few friends outside; unlike the West, emulated and admired by Russia-China-India, by Latin America and Africa. In all but Israel, Islam has a huge and growing diaspora by immigration-birth-conversion. Not a superpower, not an alliance, only “Islamic cooperation”; but present everywhere. The result is uncertainty and fear: what do they want? A challenge to other worldviews, guaranteed by the freedoms of speech and religion. Islam offers healing togetherness and sharing to a West suffering from materialist individualism and egoism.” Inspired by Inter Press Service ow.ly/gwRNj image source Facebook ow.ly/gwRJT Preventing World War III (January 9 2013)

Johan Galtung the 82 year old Norwegian sociologist, mathematician and the founder of the Peace Research Institute Oslo in 1959, has published an article on the Inter Press Service titled ‘Preventing World War III’ in which he states “A Third World War is not impossible, but fortunately is rather unlikely. Let us explore why, and what can be done to prevent it. The worst-case scenario is a world war between the West – NATO, U.S., EU with Japan-Taiwan-South Korea – and the East – the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) with Russia, China, Central Asia as members and India, Pakistan, Iran as observers. With four nuclear powers on each side, and West versus Islam as a major issue. In the centre is the explosive mix of a divided territory (Israel-Palestine) and Jerusalem, a capital divided by a wall. …The United Nations vote showed a 3/4 world united in YES for Palestine, NO to USA-Israel. Both are turning any moral high ground into moral deficit through continued expansion-occupation-siege and invasion-occupation-extrajudicial killings. The world is not against U.S.-Israel defending true homeland borders or 1967 borders but against the force and excesses they seem incapable of reversing. Reverse those policies and they could regain the moral high ground. …Islam, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, covers more of the world territory and population than the West, but has few friends outside; unlike the West, emulated and admired by Russia-China-India, by Latin America and Africa. In all but Israel, Islam has a huge and growing diaspora by immigration-birth-conversion. Not a superpower, not an alliance, only “Islamic cooperation”; but present everywhere. The result is uncertainty and fear: what do they want? A challenge to other worldviews, guaranteed by the freedoms of speech and religion. Islam offers healing togetherness and sharing to a West suffering from materialist individualism and egoism.”

 

Inspired by Inter Press Service ow.ly/gwRNj image source Facebook ow.ly/gwRJT

Francis Wade the Thailand based freelance journalist and analyst covering Myanmar and Southeast Asia has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘A bloody year for Southeast Asia's environmentalists’ referring to a murky "military-government nexus backed by powerful business forces is behind" silencing environmental movements. Wade states “The year hasn't been kind to Southeast Asia's environmental defenders. Anti-copper mine protesters in Myanmar have been firebombed and Laotian journalists critical of major hydropower projects were silenced; in Cambodia, two activists, including famed anti-logging campaigner Chut Wutty, have been killed; in the Philippines, the number of land activists alone who were assassinated stands at six. The levels of oppression are consistent with a global increase in the number of assassinations of activists, journalists and community workers who expose the ills of economic development - in 2009, according to research by Global Witness, 56 killings took place across the world; last year, 106 were slain. Behind the campaigns to snuff out environmental movements in Southeast Asian countries lurk a murky military-government nexus backed by powerful business forces. The deaths this year in Cambodia and Philippines were "carried out by men in uniforms", said Global Witness in June, who were "acting on behalf of private sector interests and/or governments". The stories are not new, but the intensity of attacks may well be: the month of May in the Philippines was the deadliest on record for environmental defenders, and it continued throughout the year. ... where increased competition for resources combines with unwillingness by Southeast Asian governments to protect their populations from the ill effects of investment, indeed complicity in clearing the land of any resistance - the alarm bells are ringing louder.” Inspired by Aljazeera ow.ly/gwSgb image source The Guardian ow.ly/gwCiw Bloody year for Southeast Asia environmentalists (January 8 2013)

Francis Wade the Thailand based freelance journalist and analyst covering Myanmar and Southeast Asia has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘A bloody year for Southeast Asia’s environmentalists’ referring to a murky “military-government nexus backed by powerful business forces is behind” silencing environmental movements. Wade states “The year hasn’t been kind to Southeast Asia’s environmental defenders. Anti-copper mine protesters in Myanmar have been firebombed and Laotian journalists critical of major hydropower projects were silenced; in Cambodia, two activists, including famed anti-logging campaigner Chut Wutty, have been killed; in the Philippines, the number of land activists alone who were assassinated stands at six. The levels of oppression are consistent with a global increase in the number of assassinations of activists, journalists and community workers who expose the ills of economic development – in 2009, according to research by Global Witness, 56 killings took place across the world; last year, 106 were slain. Behind the campaigns to snuff out environmental movements in Southeast Asian countries lurk a murky military-government nexus backed by powerful business forces. The deaths this year in Cambodia and Philippines were “carried out by men in uniforms”, said Global Witness in June, who were “acting on behalf of private sector interests and/or governments”. The stories are not new, but the intensity of attacks may well be: the month of May in the Philippines was the deadliest on record for environmental defenders, and it continued throughout the year. … where increased competition for resources combines with unwillingness by Southeast Asian governments to protect their populations from the ill effects of investment, indeed complicity in clearing the land of any resistance – the alarm bells are ringing louder.”

 

Inspired by Aljazeera ow.ly/gwSgb image source The Guardian ow.ly/gwCiw

Daniel Connell the Australian visual artist who draws heavily on India for inspiration has had a large charcoal mural defaced at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale - India’s first biennale based out of Kerala. The mural was attacked by unknown vandals rubbing it with a burnt coconut husk and water. Nicholas Forrest in a Boulin Artinfo article states “Titled LOOKHERE, Connell’s project consists of two 6.5 by 6.5-foot portraits as well as a series of paste-ups with images of local residents. The damaged work is a portrait of a man named Achu, who is a local tea vendor. “It seems that it was premeditated to a certain extent in that a tool was sourced rather than just using the hand,” Connell says. “The charcoal was simply smudged and wiped. If they had been really angry they could easily have removed the whitewash with little effort.” The reasons for the defacement are unclear, although Connell has run through multiple possibilities. His first suspicion was that it was a faith-based act - Achu, the vendor, is Muslim, and the biennale is also being held near the site of India’s first mosque - but locals were quick to dismiss this. Instead, Connell now suspects that it might be the work of local artistic intelligentia, angered at having been excluded from the event. Also possible culprits are extreme leftist groups active in the area, who, opposed to Western influence, have launched poster campaigns accusing the Biennale of corruption and elitism. The defacement might also be an act of jealousy from local business rivals of Achu’s tea shop, envious of his success.” Inspired by Nicholas Forrest ow.ly/gwAIm image source Blogspot ow.ly/gwAE8 Charcoal was simply smudged and wiped (January 7 2013)

Daniel Connell the Australian visual artist who draws heavily on India for inspiration has had a large charcoal mural defaced at the Kochi-Muziris Biennale – India’s first biennale based out of Kerala. The mural was attacked by unknown vandals rubbing it with a burnt coconut husk and water. Nicholas Forrest in a Boulin Artinfo article states “Titled LOOKHERE, Connell’s project consists of two 6.5 by 6.5-foot portraits as well as a series of paste-ups with images of local residents. The damaged work is a portrait of a man named Achu, who is a local tea vendor.   “It seems that it was premeditated to a certain extent in that a tool was sourced rather than just using the hand,” Connell says. “The charcoal was simply smudged and wiped. If they had been really angry they could easily have removed the whitewash with little effort.” The reasons for the defacement are unclear, although Connell has run through multiple possibilities. His first suspicion was that it was a faith-based act – Achu, the vendor, is Muslim, and the biennale is also being held near the site of India’s first mosque – but locals were quick to dismiss this. Instead, Connell now suspects that it might be the work of local artistic intelligentia, angered at having been excluded from the event. Also possible culprits are extreme leftist groups active in the area, who, opposed to Western influence, have launched poster campaigns accusing the Biennale of corruption and elitism. The defacement might also be an act of jealousy from local business rivals of Achu’s tea shop, envious of his success.”

 

Inspired by Nicholas Forrest ow.ly/gwAIm image source Blogspot ow.ly/gwAE8

Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani the 80 year old Italian fashion designer has been profiled by Christina Patterson in an article published in The Independent titled ‘Valentino Garavani: The man who turned fashion into an art form’. Patterson states “Audrey Hepburn wore them. Elizabeth Taylor wore them. So did Grace Kelly and Jackie O. …anyone who was anyone, and who was beautiful, and glamorous, and famous, and chic, wore Valentino clothes. And the clothes, it seems, weren’t just clothes. The clothes, it seems, from the way they’ve been displayed, in a new exhibition marking the 50-year career of Valentino Garavani, were art. …Sometimes, it’s just in the cut, but it isn’t “just” a cut, because the cut, like a line in a Picasso, is the mark of the master’s art. Sometimes, it’s in the beadwork, or the edging, or the stitching of a piece of cord. Sometimes, it’s in a piece of silk that’s been cut to make a rose. When you leave the gallery, and go into the room that has cabinets showing close-up examples of the craft, it almost makes you gasp. It makes you think of those medieval artists who carved whole worlds on tiny bits of ivory. It is art. Even to me, it’s art. …a wedding dress that was made for Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece. The dress, apparently, took 25 seamstresses four months. Like, perhaps, the dresses of Marie-Antoinette. But at least the seamstresses are called seamstresses. What Valentino calls his seamstresses (or used to, before he sold the business on) is “le ragazze”. “Le ragazze” means “the girls”. It must be quite strange to be a 60-year old woman and called a “girl”. It must make you think of those Brits who called their adult male African servants “boy”. “To dress stars or empresses is very pleasant,” says Valentino, “because their concept of high fashion remains so pure.” He isn’t joking. He really seems to think that the world he displays, of money, celebrity, flattery, name-dropping, and, of course, an all-consuming obsession with appearance, is something to flaunt.” Inspired by Christina Patterson ow.ly/gpQnf image source Georges Biard ow.ly/gpQm2 Turned fashion into an art form (January 6 2013)

Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani the 80 year old Italian fashion designer has been profiled by Christina Patterson in an article published in The Independent titled ‘Valentino Garavani: The man who turned fashion into an art form’. Patterson states “Audrey Hepburn wore them. Elizabeth Taylor wore them. So did Grace Kelly and Jackie O. …anyone who was anyone, and who was beautiful, and glamorous, and famous, and chic, wore Valentino clothes. And the clothes, it seems, weren’t just clothes. The clothes, it seems, from the way they’ve been displayed, in a new exhibition marking the 50-year career of Valentino Garavani, were art. …Sometimes, it’s just in the cut, but it isn’t “just” a cut, because the cut, like a line in a Picasso, is the mark of the master’s art. Sometimes, it’s in the beadwork, or the edging, or the stitching of a piece of cord. Sometimes, it’s in a piece of silk that’s been cut to make a rose. When you leave the gallery, and go into the room that has cabinets showing close-up examples of the craft, it almost makes you gasp. It makes you think of those medieval artists who carved whole worlds on tiny bits of ivory. It is art. Even to me, it’s art. …a wedding dress that was made for Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece. The dress, apparently, took 25 seamstresses four months. Like, perhaps, the dresses of Marie-Antoinette. But at least the seamstresses are called seamstresses. What Valentino calls his seamstresses (or used to, before he sold the business on) is “le ragazze”. “Le ragazze” means “the girls”. It must be quite strange to be a 60-year old woman and called a “girl”. It must make you think of those Brits who called their adult male African servants “boy”. “To dress stars or empresses is very pleasant,” says Valentino, “because their concept of high fashion remains so pure.” He isn’t joking. He really seems to think that the world he displays, of money, celebrity, flattery, name-dropping, and, of course, an all-consuming obsession with appearance, is something to flaunt.”

 

Inspired by Christina Patterson ow.ly/gpQnf image source Georges Biard ow.ly/gpQm2

Busani Bafana the Zimbabwean Journalist and founding member / coordinator of the Network on Environment & Agriculture Reporting, a media network in Zimbabwe that seeks to promote coverage of agriculture and science issues by journalists, has published an article on the Inter Press Service titled ‘Farmers Need to Grow Climate Smart’. Bafana states “Farmers cannot wait much longer for negotiators to reach an agreement on including a work programme on agriculture in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. And until one is approved, “it will continue to be difficult for farmers to produce the food needed, and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” [states] Anette Friis from the Danish Food and Agriculture Council and spokesperson for Farming First, a global coalition calling on world leaders to increase agricultural output in a sustainable and socially responsible manner. “Countries failed to get an agreement on agriculture at this year’s (Conference of the Parties) COP18 in Doha, which means that discussions will not move to the next level and a work programme on agriculture is not foreseen for the near future.” “Progress has been excruciatingly slow,” [states] Bruce Campbell programme director [CCAFS] Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security . “One sentence in Durban in the final agreement. Then a few non-committal sentences at SBSTA in June. This mirrors the UNFCCC negotiations generally. What can one say, but that we are on target for a four-degree warmer world, which is likely to reduce growing seasons over much of sub-Saharan Africa by more than 20 percent.” According to CCAFS, agriculture and land use change, mostly from deforestation, contribute an estimated one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions. However, an improvement to crop yields since 1960 has already reduced agricultural emissions by 34 percent. Arguing that farmers around the world are experiencing the impacts of climate change daily, Farming First says the agriculture sector could play an important role in both climate change adaptation and mitigation. …Climate-smart agriculture includes conservation agriculture, crop rotation, agro-forestry, better weather forecasting and integrated crop-livestock management. It is aimed at environmentally-friendly increases in food production, which thereby reduce the emissions produced from agriculture.”  Inspired by Inter Press Service ow.ly/gpPYR image source Linkedin ow.ly/gpPYa Farmers need to grow Climate Smart (January 5 2013)Busani Bafana the Zimbabwean Journalist and founding member / coordinator of the Network on Environment & Agriculture Reporting, a media network in Zimbabwe that seeks to promote coverage of agriculture and science issues by journalists, has published an article on the Inter Press Service titled ‘Farmers Need to Grow Climate Smart’. Bafana states “Farmers cannot wait much longer for negotiators to reach an agreement on including a work programme on agriculture in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. And until one is approved, “it will continue to be difficult for farmers to produce the food needed, and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” [states] Anette Friis from the Danish Food and Agriculture Council and spokesperson for Farming First, a global coalition calling on world leaders to increase agricultural output in a sustainable and socially responsible manner. “Countries failed to get an agreement on agriculture at this year’s (Conference of the Parties) COP18 in Doha, which means that discussions will not move to the next level and a work programme on agriculture is not foreseen for the near future.” “Progress has been excruciatingly slow,” [states] Bruce Campbell programme director [CCAFS] Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security . “One sentence in Durban in the final agreement. Then a few non-committal sentences at SBSTA in June. This mirrors the UNFCCC negotiations generally. What can one say, but that we are on target for a four-degree warmer world, which is likely to reduce growing seasons over much of sub-Saharan Africa by more than 20 percent.” According to CCAFS, agriculture and land use change, mostly from deforestation, contribute an estimated one-third of total greenhouse gas emissions. However, an improvement to crop yields since 1960 has already reduced agricultural emissions by 34 percent. Arguing that farmers around the world are experiencing the impacts of climate change daily, Farming First says the agriculture sector could play an important role in both climate change adaptation and mitigation. …Climate-smart agriculture includes conservation agriculture, crop rotation, agro-forestry, better weather forecasting and integrated crop-livestock management. It is aimed at environmentally-friendly increases in food production, which thereby reduce the emissions produced from agriculture.”

 

Inspired by Inter Press Service ow.ly/gpPYR image source Linkedin ow.ly/gpPYa

Ronnie Barkan the 35 year old Israeli human rights activist, conscientious objector and co-founder of Boycott from Within, a group of Israeli citizens and residents which supports the Palestinian call for BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel), has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘Demanding equality - how is that illegal?’. Barkan states “If the anti-boycott law is ever put to the test, the first cases may provide an even greater boost to the BDS movement. …speaking as an Israeli-Jewish boycott activist who is working to end Israeli apartheid, the law actually serves our struggle. There is a long list of discriminatory laws against non-Jews in Israel or those affected by Israeli policies. Many of these laws were passed during the early days of the state following the forced ethnic cleansing that was meant to create an artificial Jewish majority on that land. Such racist laws were put in place to maintain, as well as institutionalise, that crime. Then came the military occupation of 1967 which introduced a whole slew of repressive military laws aimed specifically against the Palestinians under occupation. Military tribunals, with a whopping 99.7 per cent conviction rate, still stand to this day. In that sense, the anti-boycott law is nothing out of the ordinary. It is only different in one respect - that the target audience includes the privileged group under Israeli apartheid. …The Israeli anti-boycott legislation, which is meant to stifle any attempt to hold it accountable for its violations of international law, is a serious matter. Consequently, it is worrisome that several European governments have recently attempted to protect Israel from holding it legally accountable by conditioning their vote at the UN on denying recourse for Palestinians in front of the International Criminal Court, where they may have access to the protection of international law.” Inspired by Aljazeera ow.ly/gpPrG image source Restiamoumani ow.ly/gpPpU Demanding equality – how is that illegal (January 4 2013)

Ronnie Barkan the 35 year old Israeli human rights activist, conscientious objector and co-founder of Boycott from Within, a group of Israeli citizens and residents which supports the Palestinian call for BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel), has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘Demanding equality – how is that illegal?’. Barkan states “If the anti-boycott law is ever put to the test, the first cases may provide an even greater boost to the BDS movement. …speaking as an Israeli-Jewish boycott activist who is working to end Israeli apartheid, the law actually serves our struggle. There is a long list of discriminatory laws against non-Jews in Israel or those affected by Israeli policies. Many of these laws were passed during the early days of the state following the forced ethnic cleansing that was meant to create an artificial Jewish majority on that land. Such racist laws were put in place to maintain, as well as institutionalise, that crime. Then came the military occupation of 1967 which introduced a whole slew of repressive military laws aimed specifically against the Palestinians under occupation. Military tribunals, with a whopping 99.7 per cent conviction rate, still stand to this day. In that sense, the anti-boycott law is nothing out of the ordinary. It is only different in one respect – that the target audience includes the privileged group under Israeli apartheid. …The Israeli anti-boycott legislation, which is meant to stifle any attempt to hold it accountable for its violations of international law, is a serious matter. Consequently, it is worrisome that several European governments have recently attempted to protect Israel from holding it legally accountable by conditioning their vote at the UN on denying recourse for Palestinians in front of the International Criminal Court, where they may have access to the protection of international law.”

 

Inspired by Aljazeera ow.ly/gpPrG image source Restiamoumani ow.ly/gpPpU

Mehdi-Georges Lahlou the 29 year old French-Moroccan artist based in Brussels drawing on the history of performance and installation-art, and incorporating references to Belgian Surrealism in his works. Born to a Christian mother and Muslim father, the theme of crossing boundaries set by culture, religion and gender is present in all of his installations and performances. Lahlou is the subject of an article by Nicolai Hartvig published on Blouin Artinfo titled ‘Mehdi-Georges Lahlou Dons Heels to Stir Religious Debate’. Hartvig states “…[his] works hit on several sensitive issues in Muslim culture: the prohibition on modifying one’s body, nudity, sexuality, and improper use of the Koran and religious objects. …With his loose combination of religious iconography and incongruous objects, the ambiguous humor in Lahlou’s work is often misunderstood. But his approach is never casual — rather it blurs the boundaries between personal commentary on his subjects alongside artistic thought. “I’m not an activist shouting. I am truly respectful of religions and beliefs, except when they kill or hurt people,” Lahlou explains. “As a person, I have a political opinion, I take a position or I don’t. But in my work, I don’t want it to be like that. I want people to be in an awkward position and not know what’s happening, whether it’s humor or reality, true or false. I lean toward being stupid [in my work] because I don’t want to make people think that I am saying bad things. You can have criticisms, but that doesn’t mean that you’re against something. You can have fun with everything — but can you really have fun with everything?” …Lahlou plans to reduce his physical presence in his work. “There is the fear of repeating myself, even if everything I do is different. Since I am the basis of my work — I’m often the model, even if I’m not there — I get a bit tired of myself. Today, I want to think more, to be a bit less present,” he says. “But I think that I will still have things to say for 30 more years.” Inspired by Nicolai Hartvig ow.ly/gpOAu image source Twitter ow.ly/gpOzv You can have fun with everything (January 3 2013)Mehdi-Georges Lahlou the 29 year old French-Moroccan artist based in Brussels drawing on the history of performance and installation-art, and incorporating references to Belgian Surrealism in his works. Born to a Christian mother and Muslim father, the theme of crossing boundaries set by culture, religion and gender is present in all of his installations and performances. Lahlou is the subject of an article by Nicolai Hartvig published on Blouin Artinfo titled ‘Mehdi-Georges Lahlou Dons Heels to Stir Religious Debate’. Hartvig states “…[his] works hit on several sensitive issues in Muslim culture: the prohibition on modifying one’s body, nudity, sexuality, and improper use of the Koran and religious objects. …With his loose combination of religious iconography and incongruous objects, the ambiguous humor in Lahlou’s work is often misunderstood. But his approach is never casual — rather it blurs the boundaries between personal commentary on his subjects alongside artistic thought. “I’m not an activist shouting. I am truly respectful of religions and beliefs, except when they kill or hurt people,” Lahlou explains. “As a person, I have a political opinion, I take a position or I don’t. But in my work, I don’t want it to be like that. I want people to be in an awkward position and not know what’s happening, whether it’s humor or reality, true or false. I lean toward being stupid [in my work] because I don’t want to make people think that I am saying bad things. You can have criticisms, but that doesn’t mean that you’re against something. You can have fun with everything — but can you really have fun with everything?” …Lahlou plans to reduce his physical presence in his work. “There is the fear of repeating myself, even if everything I do is different. Since I am the basis of my work — I’m often the model, even if I’m not there — I get a bit tired of myself. Today, I want to think more, to be a bit less present,” he says. “But I think that I will still have things to say for 30 more years.”

 

Inspired by Nicolai Hartvig ow.ly/gpOAu image source Twitter ow.ly/gpOzv

Nick Cohen the British journalist, author and political commentator has published an article in The Guardian titled ‘Secular Britain is ruled by religious bureaucrats’ asking why is the church still such a force in our society when most of us disregard its clerics' teachings? Cohen states “The number of people who say they have no religion jumped from 15% in the 2001 census to 25% in 2011. If the remaining 75% were believers, this leap in free-thinking would be significant but not sensational. But those who say they are religious are not faithful to their creeds, or not in any sense that the believers of the past would have recognised. Church attendance is in constant decline. Every year that passes sees congregations become smaller and greyer. As striking as the fall in religious observance is the public's near total disregard for the teachings of the clerics and prelates, who could once claim to be society's moral guides. …When millions of people tell the census takers they are "Christians", therefore, they are muttering the title of a childhood story they only half remember. What is more, their spiritual "leaders" know it. …I can see no way of proving that allowing free debate proves happiness. It may well be that people are happier when their illusions and taboos remain intact. But if you prevent challenges to their beliefs, you are not treating them as adults; you are patting them on the head and saying that they cannot handle robust debates – infantilising them, in short. What applies to individuals applies to countries. Facing up to the truth about religious decline, and adapting our institutions accordingly, will doubtless cause pain to some. But it will allow Britain to become an honest and grown-up country that meets the first requirement of maturity by seeing itself as it is.” Inspired by The Guardian ow.ly/gpMLI image source Twitter ow.ly/gpMKT Britain is ruled by religious bureaucrats (January 2 2013)

Nick Cohen the British journalist, author and political commentator has published an article in The Guardian titled ‘Secular Britain is ruled by religious bureaucrats’ asking why is the church still such a force in our society when most of us disregard its clerics’ teachings? Cohen states “The number of people who say they have no religion jumped from 15% in the 2001 census to 25% in 2011. If the remaining 75% were believers, this leap in free-thinking would be significant but not sensational. But those who say they are religious are not faithful to their creeds, or not in any sense that the believers of the past would have recognised. Church attendance is in constant decline. Every year that passes sees congregations become smaller and greyer. As striking as the fall in religious observance is the public’s near total disregard for the teachings of the clerics and prelates, who could once claim to be society’s moral guides. …When millions of people tell the census takers they are “Christians”, therefore, they are muttering the title of a childhood story they only half remember. What is more, their spiritual “leaders” know it. …I can see no way of proving that allowing free debate proves happiness. It may well be that people are happier when their illusions and taboos remain intact. But if you prevent challenges to their beliefs, you are not treating them as adults; you are patting them on the head and saying that they cannot handle robust debates – infantilising them, in short. What applies to individuals applies to countries. Facing up to the truth about religious decline, and adapting our institutions accordingly, will doubtless cause pain to some. But it will allow Britain to become an honest and grown-up country that meets the first requirement of maturity by seeing itself as it is.”

 

Inspired by The Guardian ow.ly/gpMLI image source Twitter ow.ly/gpMKT

Ines Benitez the Spanish Journalist has published an article in the Inter Press Service News titled ‘Salvaging Waste Food for the Hungry in Spain’ Benitez states “A recurring question in crisis-stricken Spain is how to ensure that surplus agricultural products reach those most in need. One response is citizen initiatives to protest the waste of food and to advocate efficient management along the full length of the food chain. …But those responsible for most of the waste in industrialised countries are consumers, who throw out perfectly good food on their plates or get rid of food that has gone bad in their larders through sheer neglect or for lack of a little basic planning before shopping. A European Parliament (EP) report in late 2011 said that Spain wasted 7.7 million tons of food in good condition every year, an average of 163 kgs per person. This squandering is at odds with the fact that over 21 percent of Spain’s 47 million people are living in poverty, according to the Economically Active Population Survey by the National Statistics Institute (INE). The same EP report indicates that 42 percent of the 89 million tons of food wasted in the European Union comes from households, 39 percent from industry, five percent from the distribution system and 14 percent from other sources. …A study in May 2011 commissioned by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and carried out by the Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology (SIK) warned that 1.3 billion tons a year of food are spoiled or go to waste worldwide.” Inspired by IPS News ow.ly/gpMeA image source Facebook ow.ly/gpMdn Salvaging waste food for the hungry (January 1 2013)

Ines Benitez the Spanish Journalist has published an article in the Inter Press Service News titled ‘Salvaging Waste Food for the Hungry in Spain’ Benitez states “A recurring question in crisis-stricken Spain is how to ensure that surplus agricultural products reach those most in need. One response is citizen initiatives to protest the waste of food and to advocate efficient management along the full length of the food chain. …But those responsible for most of the waste in industrialised countries are consumers, who throw out perfectly good food on their plates or get rid of food that has gone bad in their larders through sheer neglect or for lack of a little basic planning before shopping. A European Parliament (EP) report in late 2011 said that Spain wasted 7.7 million tons of food in good condition every year, an average of 163 kgs per person. This squandering is at odds with the fact that over 21 percent of Spain’s 47 million people are living in poverty, according to the Economically Active Population Survey by the National Statistics Institute (INE). The same EP report indicates that 42 percent of the 89 million tons of food wasted in the European Union comes from households, 39 percent from industry, five percent from the distribution system and 14 percent from other sources. …A study in May 2011 commissioned by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and carried out by the Swedish Institute for Food and Biotechnology (SIK) warned that 1.3 billion tons a year of food are spoiled or go to waste worldwide.”

 

Inspired by IPS News ow.ly/gpMeA image source Facebook ow.ly/gpMdn

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