PHOTOAUTOMAT

All photographs belong to Hedi Slimane via his website. All Rights Reserved ®

Hedi Slimane. Born in Paris in 1968 from a Tunisian father and an Italian mother (dress maker), discover photography when he got his first camera at 11. Five years later he started making his own clothes -inherit trade from mom maybe- later he went to the École du Louvre and studied Art History. Organically he become involved in the fashion world, evolving and creating amazing pieces and changing menswear making it darker, more exciting and all together more rock.

I got to know him for his super contrasted Black & White online photos, a few years ago. Later I learned that he was taking a break from a very successful career as Artistic Director of Dior Homme, a fact that was described by Fashion Wire Daily (2007) this way: “Slimane leaves Dior with the well-earned reputation as the single most influential men’s designer this century, the most copied of his peers and the only one to achieve the status of a rock star.” You can read about this here and here.

 

Before abandoning the fashion world in 2007, in that hiatus from Yves Saint Laurent in early 2000 he moved to Berlin and started a residency at Kunst-Werke Institute for Contemporary Art, where he fell in love with photography again and started publishing books.

In his website you can loose yourself browsing the endless gallery of young musicians, models, artists and actors. Consistently with his inclination towards menswear his photos of guys are more frequent and very intimate. 

Men stand out and are deeply moving in an unusual way while being photographed in soft, ethereal,  almost too feminine poses, while remaining manly and sexy. Women are also sexy but strong, is a powerful combination of ambiguity and modernity with no space for cliches.

All photographs belong to Hedi Slimane via his website. All Rights Reserved ®

Go ahead take a walk in Hedi Slimane's world, and read Austin Considine's wonderful piece about him in The New Yorker: A Fashion Designer's Second Act.

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The PhotoAutomat section is edited by the Brooklyn-based photographer Andreína Restrepo.    

 

IN DOG WE TRUST

Photo: Lucy 'Wonder', isn't she lovely? - via her Instagram.

Hello dog lover! Hope you're having a beautiful weekend!

Here are some links for your Sunday morning, and the rest of the week!

Saving Sochi's Stray Dogs. The other side of the Olympic Games.

If you have a backyard. Why not build an agility course for your dog?

Can dogs stay healthy on a vegetarian diet? Interesting.

11 beloved dogs from literature. Which one is your favourite?

How do dogs perceive time? Tic Tac.


Video of the week: Almost Home by MOBY

Enjoy your Sunday! And follow Lucy on Instagram

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In Dog We Trust is curated by: Carola Melguizo from La Guía del Perro.

The Procrastinator (some) Times Sunday 2nd of February Edition

EDITORIAL

Hello everyone and happy Groundhog Day! This edition of the Procrastinator goes out in GMT so by the time I'm writing this I really don't know what is going to be Punxsutawney Phil prediction about the winter, but it doesn't matter, because we have our own. Oh yes, we put together a special Groundhog Day section to honor one of our favorite films, as well as one of our favorite weird rituals of this weird world we live in.

In the news section we have an NSA/Snowden/Facebook triangulation going on, we also have articles about asteroids and genetically modified monkeys; the SS14 Barneys campaign and sex with Google Glass; female advertising, writer's sleeping habits and Michel Houellebecq. Finally our In Dog We Trust section is also a special lovely Groundhog Edition.

We hope the winter turns out to be shorter than we expected. Follow us in Twitter if you want to be  informed about Phil's predictions, and all in all have a happy Sunday and a happy reading!



NEWS

Photo via The Independent.

The first news of this week in our edition is the nomination of whistleblower Edward Snowden for the Nobel Peace Prize. "Two Norwegian politicians say they have jointly nominated the former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden for the 2014 Nobel peace prize. The Socialist Left party politicians Baard Vegar Solhjell, a former environment minister, and Snorre Valen said the public debate and policy changes in the wake of Snowden's whistleblowing had "contributed to a more stable and peaceful world order". Read full article in The Guardian. E.T.P. 2' and/or The Independent. E.T.P. 2'

Image via Dazed Digital.

This brings us to our second news: a very complete article published in Dazed Digital in which, having learned some of the NSA encryption methods, Stephen Fortune compiled Ten Ways to Fuck the NSA. "While code-breaking supercomputers are mentioned in the disclosures Bruce Schneier, one of the most respected cryptography experts commenting on this matter, assures us that the NSA have not been able to code-break any of the crypto used by cypherpunks and activists to shy away from prying eyes. Absolute clarity on the matter is unobtainable, as the NSA's capabilities in this regard are a tightly guarded secret. Against this backdrop it's not surprising to hear that 86% of (US) internet users have attempted some method of covering their tracks online. But the time has past for half measures: if you want to fuck the NSA check out our top 10 list." Read full article in Dazed Digital. E.T.P. 12'

Image via TIME with my Facebook non-meaningful procrastination info.

Non-meaningful Procrastination.  Finally, our 3rd article this week is about this crazy place that need no NSA to discover everything about our lives, because we just share it all without even think twice: Facebook. "Facebook will celebrate its 10th birthday next week. Created in a dorm room by Mark Zuckerberg and a few friends, TheFacebook.com came to life on Feb. 4, 2004. In its decade of existence, the social network has attracted 1.1 billion users, and all their pokes, wall posts, baby photos and engagement announcements add up to a whole lot of time." TIME magazine invite us to use their calculator so we can have an estimate of how much time we have wasted on Facebook. My case is not as dramatic as many others, I guess because I refused to sign in for a long time. Now I'm lost, like everyone else. Argh. At some point this year I'll sign off, this is my Chinese New Year resolution. Go ahead use TIME's calculator. E.T.P. 6 - 10' 

SCIENCE

An artist's interpretation of an asteroid belt in the closest known planetary system, Epsilon Eridani, 

via Mashable.

Do you remember that meteor explosion above Chelyabinsk, Russia, that happen almost a year ago? That meteor, even though it was a small one, injured more than 1,400 people and it was an unequivocal reminder that the skies are filled with thousands of potential catastrophes-in-waiting. Contrary to the expected, Eric Larsson in Mashable tells us, "we don't employ hundreds of people to monitor for space rocks around the clock. Often our fate lies in the hands of amateur observers and research teams, some of which staff teams of eight or fewer." But there are some asteroid hunters out there, like Stephen Larson, a senior staff scientist at the Catalina Sky Survey at the University of Arizona, who has been tracking asteroids since 2004, basically trying to save, you know, the planet. Read this intersting story in Mashable. E.T.P. 20'

*This piece is part of Mashable Spotlight, which presents in-depth looks at the people, concepts and issues shaping our digital world. 

Photo via The Guardian.

"Researchers have created genetically modified monkeys with a revolutionary new procedure that enables scientists to cut and paste DNA in living organisms. . . The feat was applauded by some researchers who said it would help them to recreate devastating human diseases in monkeys, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The ability to alter DNA with such precision is already being investigated as a way to make people resistant to HIV. But the breakthrough is controversial, with groups opposed to animal testing warning that it could drive a rise in the use of monkeys in research. One critic said that genetic engineering gave researchers "almost limitless power to create sick animals". Read full article in The Guardian. E.T.P. 8'

DESIGN, BUSINESS & INNOVATION

Photo via Esquire.

Esquire Magazine welcome us all to the future, a future in which we can all (finally?) be porn stars. "Sex With Google Glass is a new App set to revitalise your frankly analogue sex life by enabling you to star in your own porn movie. In short, you’re going to be able to: film your sex from every angle using your glasses and your iPhone, swipe between views, see the action through each other’s eyes, turn the lights off and play music (with voice command) and get suggestions for your next position." Read full article in Esquire. E.T.P. 4'

Photo: Postcard by PaperChase. The Procrastinator (some) Times archives.

Sarah Horowitz in Fast Company talks about how American freelancers are redefining the term success and how there is a radical ongoing shift happening in America's economy and work culture. I honestly hope she's right. "The nation’s 42 million freelancers are rewriting the definition of success--and it has nothing to do with gold watches, but everything to do with time. Independent workers are establishing a new way to work--and in the process, they’re cultivating a new way of life. Success in 2014 is less about wealth than it is about value--the value of time, community, and well-being."

Photo: Katie Hill and Arin Andrews Bruce Weber via Dazed Digital

Inspiring, innovative and brave. Barneys New York has chosen 17 transgendered models to front its SS14 campaign and catalogue. "Photographed by Bruce Weber in New York, the Brothers, Sisters, Sons & Daughters campaign features both models and non-professionals from all over the trans spectrum . . . 10 per cent of all Barneys sales from February 11 will also be donated to the National Center for Transgender Equality and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center. Both organisations partnered with Barneys to create the campaign." Read full article in Dazed Digital. E.T.P. 6'

CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Illustration via Brain Pickings (fragment).

Brain Pickings' Maria Popova researched all sorts of documents, biographies and interviews of some of our favorite writers to find out their sleep/work patterns, and then correlated that data with the number of books published and major awards received. The results are inconclusive, of course, there is not ONE way to write. There are some Murakami-style early bird writers, but there is also Bukowski who woke up at noon and was equally a genius. The infographic and the illustrations are really nice though. Have a look here. E.T.P. 5' (Via Short List).

Photo via The Guardian.

And speaking of writers, I just recently read in Paris Review an interview that Susannah Hunnewell made to Michel Houellebecq. Wow, he really is a controversial man and anything I can say about the interview or him will be definitely an understatement or an insufficiently articulated personal opinion. So if like me, you read The Elemmentary Particles and didn't know much about Houellebecq, and you're interested in getting to know better (or worst) one really interesting character, please go ahead and read this interview in Paris Review. E.T.P. 18'

Image via Dazed Digital.

Finally, Dazed Magazine couldn't have said it better, so I will just quote here: "Is there a way to be a bad feminist? How do you survive in the male art world? What does it mean to be a female writer? In conjunction with our Girls Rule issue, some of our favourite writers, activists and artists will be musing on these questions for Girl Guides, a series of how-tos and thinkpieces on the state of modern womanhood. Here, Dazed writer Steph Kretowicz unpicks the neverending toxic cycle of advertising, body issues and inequality." Full article in Dazed Digital. E.T.P. 10'     

IN DOG WE TRUST

Photo: Lola via CBS Minnesota.

Hello dog lover! Happy Groundhog Day!

Here are some links you may like to explore:

 

Predicting Groundhog Day with a dog.
 

Groundhog Day's dog competition (Punxsutawney).

Andie Macdowell's dog recovering from surgery.
 

Groundhog dog toy.
 

Groundhog age in dog years conversion.

Video of the week: Shortee the ground vs Nyla the dog.

Enjoy your Sunday! And follow Bill Murray on Instagram

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In Dog We Trust is curated by: Carola Melguizo from La Guía del Perro.

GROUNDHOG DAY SPECIAL

Photograph from AP via National Geographic.

Dear friends, readers, followers, occasional visitors... today, February 2nd, is Groundhog Day. Is the day when Punxsutawney Phil, probably the most famous groundhog of the world, and definitely the only one with weather forecasting powers, comes out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob to predict the weather for the rest of the winter. I know.

This very peculiar ritual inspired Danny Rubin to write a story that later would inspire director Harold Remis to make a movie, that some would say is a modern classic... or at least a really nice comedy. Thanks to Groundhog Day, the movie, starred by Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, 21 years ago, a lot of people around the world (including some of us) heard for the first time about Phil the groundhog, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, and all together this wonderful and bizarre Groundhog/Winter/Forecasting universe.

For our mini Groundhog Day special we put together contributions from regular collaborators and friends and a collection of links for you to find out more about Groundhog Day... if that's what you're into. Also, don't forget to check this week's In Dog We Trust section because it's filled with nice Groundhog facts and info.


Groundhog Mono by Germán Herrera.

Dear Procrastinator by Marie James.

I am very bad with predictions but I found funny that we have to celebrate groundhog, the horse and the "crêpes" at the same time. So I made you a drawing. Happy ground-horse day to you!

A modern prediction, by Kerilyn Tacconi.

If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow this Groundhog’s Day, the ‘Amish' trend will really take off. Beards are already heading in that direction, and will continue getting more gnarly until they reach historic proportions. Then Brad Pitt will sport one to the Oscars and metrosexual men around the world will jump on the bandwagon (literally). There will be a run on chambray at JCrew; Smuckers and Tiptree will go out of business; Apple will start developing abacuses. The booze industry need not worry, though, as everyone needs a good rumspringa every now and again.

Groundhog Day Graham Crackers via Babble.

Procrastinate away and find out more about Groundhog Day.

- Really interesting facts about the origin of Groundhog Day, and the use of other animals like bears, badgers and even goldfish to predict nature's changes in this article from The Huffington Post called: The Secret of Groundhog Day. E.T.P. 4'

- Watch Primus performing the song Groundhog's Day live in Bonaroo 2011. E.T.P. 7'21''

- If you haven't seen Groundhog Day, the movie, have a look at the trailer. E.T.P. 2'54''

- If you have seen the movie maybe you want to read this article written by Ali Arikan a couple of years ago in Slant: Imagining Sisyphus Happy: A Groundhog Day Retrospective. E.T.P. 12'

- Finally if you're the cooking type and you are really into celebrating this day, here are some recipes you can prepare to enjoy your Sunday. E.T.P. 1-2 hours.

The Procrastinator (some) Times Sunday 26th of January Edition

EDITORIAL

There are some themes that we shouldn't stop talking about like repression in Putin's Russia, and others that I'm not quite sure if we should talk at all, like French presidents love affairs. This edition of the Procrastinator have them both, feel free to let us know what you think about it. The Mac is now 30 years old, but still an icon of innovation, you can read about it in our Design section. We share some photos of our latest outing around the Capital Ring in Our Weekly Procrastination, and La Guía del Perro's In Dog We Trust share with us an awesome DIY special edition.

Hope you enjoy this edition and make sure you find time for some meaningful procrastination as is the last Sunday of January ;)

Happy Sunday and happy reading!

NEWS

Photo via The Independent.

The latest news in the whole Hollande-Trierweiler-Gayet issue is that Valérie Trierweiler lost her First Lady status as President Holland confirms the separation. Is not that as if I've been closely following the news, quite the opposite perhaps, but since every update keeps appearing everywhere I am quite intrigued about your opinion in this whole love/political affair. I mean, do you care at all? I'll give you a topic: Should private lives of big political leaders shadow the 'real' news. Please dicusss. And if you want to read The Independent article, here it is. Warning: no meaningful procrastination guaranteed.  

A little bit more interesting is in Anne Penketh and Kim Willsher in The Guardian. As rumours about François Hollande's alleged affair swirl, they argue the women of France admit they don't live up to their chic image. "Shock news from across the Channel: French women do get fat, they have brattish, fussy-eater children, chipped nails, they sometimes sleep on their own wearing big cotton knickers and they do mind if their husband is enjoying cinq-à-sept trysts with his mistress". Read full article here. E.T.P 8'

Via The Atlantic.

In the spring of 2002, US government's researchers began tracking a group of roughly 15,000 high school sophomores—most of whom would be roughly age 27 today—with the intention of following them through early adulthood. Like Jordan Weissmann, who writes this article for The Atlantic, many of those students graduated college in 2008, just in time to grab a front-row seat for the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the economic gore fest that ensued. Two years ago, the government’s researchers handed their subjects an enormous survey about their lives in the real world and the main insights are that this group of 27 year olds are as highly educated as they are highly indebted. See more interesting charts illustrating the life of young-adults in the wake of the Great Recession in The Atlantic. E.T.P. 8'

Photo: The Procrastinator (some) Times.

Finally, our friend Luis sent us this article published in Nautilus called "Why we procrastinate?", is not recent, but it's quite interesting, in it Alisa Opar analyzes the research of the British philosopher Derek Parfit espoused in his seminal book, Reasons and Persons. "We humans, Parfit argued, are not a consistent identity moving through time, but a chain of successive selves, each tangentially linked to, and yet distinct from, the previous and subsequent ones. The boy who begins to smoke despite knowing that he may suffer from the habit decades later should not be judged harshly: “This boy does not identify with his future self,” Parfit wrote. It is a weird notion, but Emily Bronin, reach more or less the same conclusion back in 2008. We think of our future selves, says Pronin, like we think of others: in the third person. Read full article in Nautilus. E.T.P. 6'