🌍 Culture Making

• 💸“Did you send the money to papa?”

  A look at the innovative mobile money transfer services reshaping lives in India.

• 🌍Skyscrapers not to scale

  Discover the intriguing data-driven globes from Yale’s G-Econ group, which showcase various global statistics through unique topological representations.

• 🥤A Coke is a Coke is a Coke

  Andy Warhol on low-meets-high.

• 📚Biblioteca Vasconcelos, Mexico City

  This striking library interior evokes elements of futuristic design, reminiscent of sci-fi aesthetics, yet it captures the essence of what a library represents in culture and learning. "Vista de la Biblioteca Vasconcelos" by Eneas, 25 June 2006.

• ⏳Time lost

  In reflecting on the meaning of time and our experiences, Dietrich Bonhoeffer offers profound insights.

• 🎭Eighty percent of success ..

  Quoting Woody Allen

• 🎙️Ira Glass on the taste-execution gap

  A pep talk for creative folks from the This American Life host.

• 😢Part of why we’re holding off, for the moment, on hosting traditional comments on this site

  Reflecting on Rozanov's critique of Herzen and the paradox of emotional impact in literature.

• 🐍Victorian leeches to the rescue!

  A fascinating look at modern uses of ancient leech therapy for serious medical conditions.

• ⏰Einstein’s day job

  Exploring how Einstein's work at the patent office intertwined with his revolutionary theories on time and simultaneity.

• ♻️How long before a new building represents a net energy savings?

  An embodied-energy argument against teardowns.

• 🪖It takes a village to ruin a country

  A chilling account of political power struggles and violent coercion in Zimbabwe under Mugabe's regime.

• 🌍All the countries that’re fit to print

  An observation on the media coverage of countries located in the interior of continents.

• 🧠Choose and lose

  Exploring the taxing nature of making decisions and the creative process behind commitment.

• 😂Some classical humor

  Jokes can be tricky to translate, but here's a taste of classical humor from the Philogelos.

• 🚌A bit of 1990s Kenyan public transit hip-hop

  The cultural implications of public safety in Nairobi, as highlighted in Jimmy Gathu's impactful 1993 track.

• 🤔The costs of monitoring our own happiness

  A thought-provoking reflection on happiness, gratitude, and the complexities of life choices.

• 📉The decline of culture (as a search term)

  An exploration of the trends in public interest toward the concept of culture, observing seasonal fluctuations in search activity.

• ✉️Chesterton on mixing it up

  On the clever chaos a young journalist might create.

• 🦫Would I be making a stronger statement with willow?

  A comedic take on a beaver grappling with artistic integrity while constructing his dam.

• 🤔Alan Jacobs on athiests’ faith in faith

  A reflection by Alan Jacobs on the influence of secular life over religious beliefs.

• 🏍️Albert Borgmann on motorcycle maintenance

  The implications of advancing technology on our relationship with motorcycles and the care they require.

• 📚An unstoppable commitment to storytelling

  A reflection on why Salman Rushdie's _Midnight's Children_ remains a monumental literary achievement.

• 🌍For English Studies, Koreans Say Goodbye to Dad

  Parents in South Korea are increasingly seeking global opportunities for their children through English fluency, driven by dissatisfaction with the local educational system.

• 🌟Pixar’s R&D

  A look into Pixar's unique culture and pioneering spirit in animation.

• 🤖Robot pets vs. bio pets

  An intriguing look at how pets and robots interact in households, highlighting the challenges of integrating technology with our furry friends.

• 😂Stephen Colbert interviews N.T. Wright

  Insights on humor and wit in the interview with Wright on "Life After Heaven."

• 🎭Txt in contxt

  A reflection on the playful nature of texting and its linguistic creativity, featuring insights from linguistics professor David Crystal.

• 🎶Aztec ‘noisemakers’ reconsidered

  Exploring the intricate sounds of pre-Columbian instruments and their revival in modern research.

• 🙏Ingrid Betancourt’s amazing post-rescue press conference

  A remarkable press conference delivered by a survivor of jungle captivity, reflecting on her emotional rescue experience. "The helicopter almost fell from the sky, because we were jumping, shouting, crying, embracing, we couldn't believe it. God has done a miracle for us -- and it's a miracle that I wanted to share with all of you, because all of you have suffered with my family, with my children, with me."

• 🎮Sections of a Happy Moment, by David Claerbout

  I love how the game and social, inter-generational connection emerges in spite of a not-that-hospitable brutalist urban setting.

• 🎶Surreal & the Sound Providers, “The Place to Be”

  Exploring the collaborative spirit of cultural creation, much like we hear in the rhythm of hip-hop.

• 🚗Parking diplomacy

  An exploration of creative solutions to the challenges posed by neglected embassy properties.

• 🌍Before and after, around the world

  A reflection on humanity's impact on the environment through changing landscapes over time.

• 🦓Bolivia’s volunteer zebras

  A creative approach to addressing urban traffic safety issues can be seen in La Paz, Bolivia, where volunteers dressed as zebras help pedestrians cross the busy streets.

• 🎢Disney’s 10 rules of theme-park design

  Explore Disney's guiding principles for creating enchanting theme park experiences through Mickey's 10 Commandments.

• 📇Edge-notched cards

  An exploration of the forgotten art of organizing knowledge through edge-notched cards, a precursor to modern data sorting methods.

• 💍Marry or be fired!

  A top-down approach to creating that basic unit of culture making - the family.

• ⛑️Sandbag challenge

  Researchers examined how professional engineers outperformed volunteers in building effective sandbag dikes, highlighting the importance of expertise in flood prevention.

• 🦋The Butterfly Effect effect

  A nice parable of unintended consequences.

• 🚗The rage of stickers

  Alan Jacobs shares intriguing insights on how car personalization correlates with road rage.

• 🚆Train crossing, Bangalore, South India

  Watching this video triggers slight and not unpleasant olfactory memories of my own times in B'lore in the late '90.

• ⚔️Albania’s sworn virgins

  An exploration of gender roles and social necessity in traditional Albanian culture through the practice of sworn virgins.

• 🎶Beyond Bollywood - Shillong’s love affair with western music

  Reflecting the rich musical heritage of Shillong, where rock and gospel blend seamlessly in a unique cultural tapestry.

• 🇩🇪Legitimizing the Eszett

  An exploration of the recognition and preservation of unique European letters on the internet, including the Eszett in Germany.

• 🌄The Largest Human-Made Art on Earth

  An exploration of Jim Denevan's massive ephemeral art, where creativity meets the vastness of nature.

• 🏠All-the-way House

  A look at Children of the Night, a unique shelter providing care and opportunities for former child prostitutes.

• 🍛Currying favor

  A reflection on how the global journey of curry began with its roots in India and transformed into a culinary phenomenon.

• 📚Room to Read

  Room to Read is dedicated to providing education and resources, focusing on building schools, multilingual libraries, and supporting girls' scholarships.

• 👶You can call me Al

  Reflecting on evolving parental nicknames and the cultural influences behind them.