Sunday 28 September 2014

The Procrastinator (Some) Times Sunday 28th September Edition


EDITORIAL

Hello friends, happy last September Sunday (*long scream in mute*).

In the News section firstly we have an article about Venezuela's almost impossible fall to bankruptcy (almost impossible, sadly does not mean impossible); secondly, an interesting op-ed article in which Paul Mason lists the things that a city needs to be perfect (in his very personal opinion, and to some extent, also in mine); and finally, Julian Assange on Google: "it really wasn't personal, until yesterday". In our Design, Business & Innovation section we reflect on how design have moved from aesthetic realm to the worlds of strategy and collaboration; plus Alibaba, the new worldwide giant; and the digital version of (y)our beloved Post-Its. The Culture & Entertainment section showcases the wonderful collaboration between photographer Sandro Miller and John Malkovich; "A Life Worth Living", Albert Camus and the search for meaning; and the project "Is the New" via The Diagram. In Dog We Trust by La Guía del Perro shares with us 21 facts about dogs that will blow your mind (yes, they will blow your mind like an Upworthy headline), and the influence of Lassie and 101 Dalmatians on our dog preferences. Finally, for Our Weekly Procrastination we visited the Dennis Hopper exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, have a look (:

If you still don't follow us in Twitter, well... you should. And if you still don't have a Procrastinator Tote Bag, well... you could. Just saying.

Happy Sunday and happy reading.


NEWS

Illustration via The Economist.

"Venezuela’s streets are calmer now than earlier this year, when clashes between opposition protesters and government forces left more than 40 people dead. The reshuffle appears to have strengthened Mr Maduro’s position. Bondholders may well keep getting paid. But the price of the revolution’s survival seems to be the slow death of Venezuela." There is not much to be add, just read full article in The Economist. E.T.P. 3'


Photo via The Guardian.

From a close body of water warm enough to swim in to cab drivers who are banned from giving you their opinion, Paul Mason, the economist editor of Channel 4 news, inspired by George Orwell's great imaginary pub Moon Under Water, lists the 10 (real) things that a perfect city needs. I love his list and his invitation to dream on. "For the Economist, it's Melbourne, Vienna and Toronto; for Monocle magazine, it is Melbourne, Tokyo and Copenhagen; for the global recruitment consultancy Mercer, the index of "most liveable cities" begins with Vienna, Zurich and Auckland. When I read these lists, which are nearly always topped by cities in Australia, Canada and Scandinavia, I imagine them being compiled by a terrified, monogamous young couple dressed head to toe in Uniqlo or Gap. Their typical criteria – low crime rates, cheap private schools and access to world-class outdoor sports – always seem to match those of the stereotypical modern salaryman, not the complex real-world individual." Read full article in The Guardian. E.T.P. 5'

Photo via The Guardian.

James Camp on The Guardian: "How does a wanted man have a book party? On Wednesday night at Babycastles, a Manhattan videogame-art collective, Julian Assange celebrated the publication of his new book, When Google Met WikiLeaks. He was present via videochat. The collectivists projected him on their walls. A crowd had formed to see the shining-haired hacker king – youngish New Yorkers, mostly. They stood or sat and drank beers as Assange talked about the internet.
Assange said: “Compare the mission statements of Google and the NSA – the NSA, who literally say, ‘We want to collect all private information, pool it, store it, sort it, index it, and exploit it.’ Whereas Google says, ‘We want to collect all private information, pool it, store it, sort it, and sell those profiles to advertisers.’ Really, they’re almost identical.” Read full article in The Guardian. E.T.P 4'

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