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THE IMPORTANCE OF FASHION BLOGS
Let’s not toot our own horn too loud, but I found this quite relevant and informative. I recommend everyone start a blog. Mom, you too. The power of this medium is unparalleled, and it’s reach is unmatched. It’s all about taking that leap, and choosing to do what you love rather than what you think is right. But we’ve digressed. In this short, Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune shares her thoughts on the importance of fashion blogs, while providing insight on how blogging and the internet at large are reshaping the concept of fashion. The game is changing right before our eyes and things will never be the same.
THE CASE FOR SOCIALIZED MEDICINE
The title of this article alone would be enough to effectively make most American politicians say forget about it. The facts, however speak louder than political buzzwords. Despite having the highest GDP of any nation in the world, America’s healthcare system is ranked 37th best. Despite all the debates about helping the poorest Americans with healthcare reform, the uninsured rate is still about 15.4%, accounting for just over 45 million Americans. In his article, “The Cure That Dares Not Speak Its Name”, Robert Kuttner breaks it down on how Canada, Great Britain and Germany have managed to succeed with universal care, and why our next push might need to be more ambitious than a “public option”.
WORLD’S MOST VALUABLE BRANDS GREW 26% LAST YEAR
In the modern, globalized economy, it seems like things are pulling in two directions. On one hand, the spread of information and commerce has been radically democratized by the internet, allowing a lot of folks to find opportunities that just didn’t exist even a few years ago. On the other hand though, the corporate powers already in place are caking even more than they used to, and the money and means of production are concentrated into the hands of less and less people. A veritable renaissance might be brewing in terms of art, information and even social and political attitudes, but shit like this should be a reality check for all of us. According to Brand Finance, the world’s top 500 brands grew by 26% last year, with the banking sector growing by $127 billion, the largest percent of growth.
NIKE(RED) “LACE UP, SAVE LIVES” CAMPAIGN
Upon, first watch, “Cool, new Nike campaign.” Upon second watch, “Wait, what did I actually learn from this?” While I support the initiative, I’d still like to be a bit more informed about the issue at hand. Perhaps I’m asking too much. On the surface it seems as though Nike has managed to link the initiative with their signature Nike swag allowing Maria Sharapova, Kobe and others to put on for Nike. 0:05 is a bit off. But remember I’m biased. Overall I’m cool with this. Nike’s putting on. This link provides more information on the initiative, and also informs you a bit more about the AIDS situation in Africa. Good shit Nike. I’m not mad.
65,000 YEAR OLD TRIBE BECOMES EXTINCT
I can only begin to speak on the importance of culture in one post. In short, I feel like culture is in many ways what ties us together as humans. Allowing us to relate the human experience to each other through language, dialect, rituals, beliefs and traditions. Last week, Boa Sr. passed away, as the last member of the Ancient Bo tribe the language and civilization have now become extinct. I’m not sure what this means for our global society, or how the extinction of this group fits into the larger context of human civilization. Undoubtedly, the departure of this tribe is a reminder of how truly precious culture is.
1ST ANNUAL LA STREET FOOD FEST TOMORROW (2.13.10)
Nick asked me the other day what exactly the joog meant. And I can say with certainty that this is it. I’ve been saying that there’s nothing’s better than good food and friends. And tomorrow I will prove my point. The 1st annual LA Street Food Fest is set to go down tomorrow at the Los Angeles Center Studios. The event goes from 11AM to 5PM and features an array of Los Angeles street vendors offering their unique dishes for the food loving public. Here’s the link for all the pertinent info. With $5 admission this is actually the joog. The pay as you go system, allows you to simply try whatever you like. The special Street Food Fest sampling menus go from $1 to $5 so it’s really just all good. Don’t thank me, thank Melissa. This is all her fault.
DAVE CHAPPELLE SET TO PERFORM TOMORROW NIGHT IN OAKLAND
Alright. Now let me put you up on this fly shit real quick. That headline is real. No joke. No lie. Dave Chappelle is set to perform in Oakland tomorrow night! (I don’t even fuck with the exclamations like that but I thought it was necessary here). It’s Dave Chappelle! Luke told us about his last show in Oakland. I can only imagine how it’s gonna go down tomorrow night. Set to hit the stage for the late show, doors will be opening at 10:30pm with Dave set to hit the stage round 11pm. The New Parish on 18th street is where it’s going down. And here’s the link you need. Joogin on a Sunday night. Who would’ve thought? Thank you and you’re welcome. This is Wine & Bowties.
3 STEPS TO ENDING HOMELESSNESS BY CHRISTINA SCHANES
While I consider myself a compassionate fellow, I admit that there are still many things that I take for granted. The privilege to simply have a place to reside, that’s my own, away from the conditions is an amazing thing. I often times find myself looking for ways to help others that are beyond me. Probably as a way to justify my inaction in the moment. “Well damn, I can’t build a shelter, so I can’t do anything right now…” It’s a downward spiral of excuses that usually ends with little progress. Going forward I think one thing we can remember is to acknowledge the fact that we can all have a huge effect on others if we take simple actions each day as individuals. Christine Schanes of the Huffington Post has got some ideas as well. Her three steps to ending homelessness serve as solid large scale initiatives that have good reasoning and ethics behind them. Hit the MORE to see what ideas she has in store.
CAN VOLCANOES PROVIDE RENEWABLE ENERGY?
Seems as though renewable energy will be the 2010 and beyond. Still learning the basics of the renewable energy game, Ben or my pops are probably the experts you should go to to learn more. While I’ve heard lots about solar energy, and my pops’ fascination with wind turbines, this article from National Geographic was my first introduction to volcano power stations. A new source of power for entire neighborhoods? Perhaps. I’ll let Christine take it from here.
BILL GATES PLEDGES $10 BILLION FOR VACCINES
You have to give Bill some credit for this one. Not that he can’t afford it, but ten billion is a lot of bread to drop. Over the next decade, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will pledge $10 billion to research and distribute new vaccines to the poorest countries of the world. The foundation estimates that more than 7 million children’s lives could be saved as a result of the donation. Given that so much of the wealth in our country is concentrated into the hands of so few people, we can only hope more of the world’s corporate giants start feeling generous and follow suit. This is definitely a big step in the right direction though. Full story below.
NO PANTS DAY 2010
Earlier this month, Improv Everywhere held their 9th Annual No Pants Subway Ride, gathering together over 3,000 participants in New York, and over 5,000 nationwide. Shit like this is so necessary though. Collective, free events simply for the purpose of putting a smile on peoples’ faces, or making them scratch their head once or twice. I mean, January in New York might be pushing it temperature-wise, but is it really necessary to have some pants on all the time? Props to Improv Everywhere for just asking the question.
APPLE UNVEILS THE iPAD
Like most major press conferences held by Apple, the one Mr. Jobs held today was pretty important. With this morning’s debut of the iPad, Apple unveiled one of their most talked about products, with a surprisingly low starting price of $499. With a 9.7″ inch display, the gadget falls some into what Jobs calls the “third category” between your laptop and your iPhone, with many of the same functions as both. Joel over at Gizmodo made a great point about how Steve and the folks at Apple handle these things though. Other companies hold press conferences and show you a geeked-up, fancy prototype, only to have the real product let you down. Apple, on the other hand, gets it right the first time, and shows off the actual product you’ll be spending your money on. Most of the time, we’re still blown away anyway. Check below for all the specs, courtesy of Techcrunch, as well as videos of the press conference, and the iPad at work.
