A. A. Gill on America, Europe’s Greatest Invention—and How the New World Exceeds the Old
A. A. Gill on America, Europe’s Greatest Invention—and How the New World Exceeds the Old
Among the educated, enlightened, expensive middle classes of Europe, this is a received wisdom. A given. Stronger in some countries like France, less so somewhere like Germany, but overall the Old World patronizes America for being a big, dumb, fat, belligerent child. The intellectuals, the movers and the makers and the creators, the dinner-party establishments of people who count, are united in the belief—no, the knowledge—that Americans are stupid, crass, ignorant, soul-less, naïve oafs without attention, irony, or intellect.
The caveat is here:
These same people will use every comforting, clever, and ingenious American invention, will demand America’s medicine, wear its clothes, eat its food, drink its drink, go to its cinema, love its music, thank God for its expertise in a hundred disciplines, and will all adore New York.
Especially the last paragraph. America is not the clear-cut country we Europeans (and French) take it to be, and this insightful piece is a very nice read.
A. A. Gill on America, Europe’s Greatest Invention—and How the New World Exceeds the Old
Among the educated, enlightened, expensive middle classes of Europe, this is a received wisdom. A given. Stronger in some countries like France, less so somewhere like Germany, but overall the Old World patronizes America for being a big, dumb, fat, belligerent child. The intellectuals, the movers and the makers and the creators, the dinner-party establishments of people who count, are united in the belief—no, the knowledge—that Americans are stupid, crass, ignorant, soul-less, naïve oafs without attention, irony, or intellect.
The caveat is here:
These same people will use every comforting, clever, and ingenious American invention, will demand America’s medicine, wear its clothes, eat its food, drink its drink, go to its cinema, love its music, thank God for its expertise in a hundred disciplines, and will all adore New York.
Especially the last paragraph. America is not the clear-cut country we Europeans (and French) take it to be, and this insightful piece is a very nice read.
Twitter is fantastic in broadcast mode, but terrible in consumption mode.
Spot on analysis by Frédéric Filloux for the Monday Note. Twitter is great because broadcasters (heavy users) say so. But it’s still unfathomable for non-heavy users and those with very little following, like myself.
Twitter announced good numbers last week but it is failing in user growth. With a new interface, which could spawn a new approach to the product, Twitter can get its growth mojo back.
So Twitter product designers, solve this problem.
Twitter is fantastic in broadcast mode, but terrible in consumption mode.
Spot on analysis by Frédéric Filloux for the Monday Note. Twitter is great because broadcasters (heavy users) say so. But it’s still unfathomable for non-heavy users and those with very little following, like myself.
Twitter announced good numbers last week but it is failing in user growth. With a new interface, which could spawn a new approach to the product, Twitter can get its growth mojo back.
So Twitter product designers, solve this problem.
Can animals predict earthquakes?
Can animals predict earthquakes?
Birds and bats might serve the purpose because of their ability to detect magnetic fields. This capability probably helps the creatures navigate –but it could also allow them to sense earthquakes before they strike.
Can animals predict earthquakes?
Birds and bats might serve the purpose because of their ability to detect magnetic fields. This capability probably helps the creatures navigate –but it could also allow them to sense earthquakes before they strike.
Graphic designer Old Red Jalopy made these Lego movie posters for Yahoo!.
DE LA SOUL - Keep The Love Spinning
DE LA SOUL - Keep The Love Spinning
De La Soul can’t sell their old music online, so they’re giving it away for free, one day only. Go grab it.
DE LA SOUL - Keep The Love Spinning
De La Soul can’t sell their old music online, so they’re giving it away for free, one day only. Go grab it.
5 Leading Designers At Square, Dropbox, And Flipboard On How To Land A Dream Job
5 Leading Designers At Square, Dropbox, And Flipboard On How To Land A Dream Job
Insightful tips but one of the Square guys is wearing a short sleeve shirt. Is this level of hipsterness still admitted in 2014?
5 Leading Designers At Square, Dropbox, And Flipboard On How To Land A Dream Job
www.fastcodesign.com/3026039/l…
Insightful tips but one of the Square guys is wearing a short sleeve shirt. Is this level of hipsterness still admitted in 2014?
The Coca-Cola Company and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. Enter into Long-Term Global Strategic Partnership
Soon, Coca-Cola in every home.
The Coca-Cola Company and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. Enter into Long-Term Global Strategic Partnership
www.marketwatch.com/story/the…
Soon, Coca-Cola in every home.
The Case For Holographic Concerts
I was in Las Vegas last week and managed to see two Cirque du Soleil shows. My favorite part of both shows was actually quite similar. And I suspect we’re going to see a lot more of it in the future.
In The Beatles show (more about that here), things kicked off with giant silhouettes of the band playing one of their songs. This was topped in the Michael Jackson show by a hologram of the artist performing “with” the Cirque artists.
One was great. The other was spectacular.
This begs the question: why don’t we see more of this? That is, live performances of music where holograms (or at least silhouettes) stand in for the missing performers?
The Case For Holographic Concerts
I was in Las Vegas last week and managed to see two Cirque du Soleil shows. My favorite part of both shows was actually quite similar. And I suspect we’re going to see a lot more of it in the future.
In The Beatles show (more about that here), things kicked off with giant silhouettes of the band playing one of their songs. This was topped in the Michael Jackson show by a hologram of the artist performing “with” the Cirque artists.
One was great. The other was spectacular.
This begs the question: why don’t we see more of this? That is, live performances of music where holograms (or at least silhouettes) stand in for the missing performers?
How good is air safety?
Here’s a number that should be on the front page of every major newspaper: 224. That’s how many people died–worldwide–in airline crashes last year. Around 3 billion people boarded some 35 million flights, each of them traveling over 500 miles per hour in an aluminum tube 7 miles above the earth. And only 224 died. That’s simply an incredible number.
Also, 400 people died in the United States died from falling out of bed.
How good is air safety?
airfactsjournal.com/2014/01/w…
Here’s a number that should be on the front page of every major newspaper: 224. That’s how many people died–worldwide–in airline crashes last year. Around 3 billion people boarded some 35 million flights, each of them traveling over 500 miles per hour in an aluminum tube 7 miles above the earth. And only 224 died. That’s simply an incredible number.
Also, 400 people died in the United States died from falling out of bed.
Introducing Facebook Paper
Some thoughts:
Nice visual design, lots of new stuff in interaction and motion that is very much so in harmony with iOS 7.
However, if the use case is: having a more beautiful Facebook experience it’s interesting but definitely not game-changing.
We’ll see.
Introducing Facebook Paper
Some thoughts:
Nice visual design, lots of new stuff in interaction and motion that is very much so in harmony with iOS 7.
However, if the use case is: having a more beautiful Facebook experience it’s interesting but definitely not game-changing.
We’ll see.