Sarà uno dei sequel più attesi dell’anno: dal 28 marzo uscirà in tutti i cinema italiani G.I. Joe: La Vendetta. Dopo i 302 milioni di dollari incassati in tutto il mondo con il primo capitolo, la Paramount Pictures in associazione con HASBRO e con la produzione di Bonaventura Picturs, ha deciso di dare un seguito alla vicenda narrata nel primo capitolo di G.I. Joe: La nascita dei Cobra. La nuova pellicola è diretta da Jon M. Chu, scritta da Rhett Reese e Paul Wernick ed interpretato da D.J. Cotrona, Byung-hun Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Park, RZA, Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis e Dwayne Johnson.
Dall’azione fantascientifica del primo episodio, si passa ora ad un vero e proprio action movie di stampo militare. I G.I. Joe, da squadra d’elite di stampo futuristico, sono trasformati fondamentalmente nei migliori Navy Seals del mondo, in grado di portare a termine qualsiasi missione con la minor perdita di vite umane possibile. Duke (Channing Tatum) è ormai il capo dei G.I. Joe, un team composto da brillanti soldati del calibro di Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) e Flint (D.J. Cotrona). Nel mezzo di uno spaventoso attacco a sorpresa da parte del terribile Zartan (Arnold Vosloo), mascherato grazie a dei microprocessori da presidente degli Stati Uniti (Jonathan Pryce), gran parte del team G.I. Joe viene distrutto. Così Roadblock, Lady Jaye e Flint con l’aiuto dell’unico ed inimitabile comandante Joe (Bruce Willis) danno inizio ad una nuova missione per spodestare il finto presidente e vendicare i soldati uccisi. Nel frattempo Firefly (Ray Stevenson) riesce a liberare da una indistruttibile prigione sotterranea Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) e Cobra Commander (Luke Bracey).
Eliminati i molti protagonisti del capitolo precedente, la squadra dei G.I. JOE , non combatterà soltanto contro i propri mortali nemici COBRA, ma sarà anche costretta a far fronte alle minacce degli esponenti del governo che metteranno a repentaglio l’esistenza degli stessi G.I. JOE. Il produttore Lorenzo di Bonaventura, che ha preso parte ad alcune delle franchises di maggior successo fino ad oggi tra cui i miliardari TRASFORMERS, sapeva quanto la conclusione del primo film avesse lasciato le porte aperte ad ulteriori rivisitazioni dell’universo G.I.JOE. “Ho pensato che terminare il proprio film dando la sensazione che ci potesse essere un impostore nella stanza ovale, sarebbe stata una una cosa estremamente interessante da esaminare…era importante trovare un regista capace di far propri ala vicenda e che avesse tenuto conto dei molteplici personaggi” commenta. Nella scelta del regista infatti, i produttori hanno visto in Chu un occhio genuino e fresco, oltre che un grande entusiasmo nei confronti del marchio. “Sono cresciuto con G.I. JOE ed è stato familiare, per me, tornare indietro ai cartoni a fumetti, sentivo che potevamo riuscire a connettere questo marchio con altre generazioni. Questa mia versione vorrebbe essere ciò che ogni fan vorrebbe vedere” commenta. La mitologia di G.I. JOE scorre in profondità ed ha una vasta gamma di personaggi a cui attingere, ognuno con le proprie storie, sfumature, caratteristiche.
L’aggiunta del 3D darà al film una dimensione completamente diversa. Sia gli studios che il regista erano elettrizzati all’idea di questo arricchimento. “Il 3D ci consente di trasportare il pubblico all’interno del nostro film. Nel film esploriamo tanti luoghi diversi del mondo come Tokio, il Pakistan e l’Himalaya e grazie al 3D il pubblico potrà letteralmente entrare in questi ambienti. Gli spettatori vivranno le azioni come se fossero realmente lì. I pugni di Dwayne Johnson sembreranno più potenti. Non vedranno solo la spada di Storm Shadow che volteggia, ma avranno l’impressione di schivare i suoi colpi” conclude il regista.
Al suo fianco un gruppo di filmaker d’eccezione, tra cui il direttore della fotografia Stephen Window, che ha recentemente seguito la scenografia di FAST AND FURIOUS 5, la costumista Louise Mingebanch, lo scenografo Andrei Menzies, il coordinatore delle scene di guerra Thomas Deupont i quali hanno creato e coreografato elaborate sequenze, per un risultato d’eccezione. Molto accurata anche la ricostruzione di complesse armi e veicoli truccati “ Creare questi giganteschi giocattoli e dargli vita, è come tornare bambino di nuovo” scherza il direttore artistico Luke Freeborn.
Insomma, “Quello a cui il pubblico assisterà è qualcosa mai visto prima” almeno così giura il produttore…
Due dei concetti base per capire l’economia moderna sono la moneta e il debito pubblico di uno Stato. Quante volte abbiamo sentito parlare nei telegiornali o letto sui nostri quotidiani preferiti questi termini che però, a dire il vero, quasi mai ci vengono spiegati in modo semplice. Il risultato è che si genera sempre una gran confusione e non riusciamo a capire bene cosa ci stanno raccontando quei signori incravattati dei vari TG. Proviamo a spiegare, in termini più semplici possibili, alcuni di questi argomenti partendo dalla base: cosa sono i soldi? Cos’è la moneta?
LA MONETA
Per capire esattamente cos’è e a cosa serve la moneta (i nostri soldi) dobbiamo operare una prima distinzione fondamentale. Nella società, nella nostra vita di tutti i giorni, esistono due tipologie di oggetti con cui abbiamo a che fare quotidianamente e che hanno una qualche utilità, in parole povere “servono” a qualcosa. Questi oggetti li chiameremo d’ora in avanti BENI.
Come dicevamo poc’anzi i BENI sono solamente di due tipi: BENI REALI e BENI FINANZIARI.
I primi, I BENI REALI, sono tutti quegli oggetti concreti di cui ci serviamo giornalmente: l’automobile, il PC, una mela, un paio di occhiali, etc..etc.., sono oggetti che hanno un’utilità a prescindere dall’importanza che diamo loro. Un bicchiere d’acqua, per esempio, ha sempre un’utilità in se: dissetare.
IL BENE FINANZIARIO invece è un oggetto che non ha un’utilità a prescindere da tutto, ma l’acquisisce quando qualcuno (bisogna essere almeno in due) decide di dare un significato ed un valore a questo oggetto. Se tu mi dai una mela ed io in cambio ti do un foglio di carta con su scritto “io ti devo una mela” e tu accetti questo pezzo di carta in cambio della mela, abbiamo appena creato un bene finanziario: tu hai in mano il mio “io ti devo una mela”. Questo pezzo di carta diventa automaticamente un tuo credito al quale corrisponde sempre un debito di qualcun altro, in altre parole tu puoi utilizzarlo in qualsiasi momento per avere una mela!
La MONETA quindi è un BENE FINANZIARIO ed assume significato solo se c’è chi la emette e chi accetta di utilizzarla e serve ad esprimere il valore economico di qualsiasi cosa possa avere un prezzo o possa essere quantificabile in termini economici.
Ogni moneta che noi possediamo, in qualsiasi forma essa sia (banconota, moneta metallica, credito bancario) possiamo utilizzarla per pagare tutta una serie di cose fino ad un massimo espresso dalla quantità di denaro in nostro possesso. Facciamo un esempio concreto. Se noi avessimo solo una banconota del valore di 50€ potremmo acquistare tutti quei beni che sommati avranno un valore di 50€. E’ come se sopra la banconota ci fosse scritto: qualcuno ha un debito con te del valore di 50€, quindi puoi utilizzare questo pezzo di carta per pagare quello che vuoi fino ad un massimo di 50€. Nel momento in cui si entra in possesso di una quantità di moneta, automaticamente si crea un CREDITO (la tua moneta) a cui corrisponde sempre un DEBITO (tutte le cose che puoi pagare con quel credito).
Tutta la moneta in circolazione, quindi, non è altro che un DEBITO, ovvero un
“IO DEVO A TE” un ammontare di beni di pari valore.
Nella seconda parte dell’articolo cercheremo di spiegare come nasce questo debito e com’è possibile gestirlo in base al tipo di moneta che si utilizza.
Questo articolo è stato scritto da Riccardo Tomassetti, (referente economico del gruppo romano dell’MEMMT). L’originale si può trovare al seguente collegamento:
http://memmt.info/site/moneta-e-debito-parte-i/
Ulteriori informazioni ed approfondimenti:
Brunch at Sunshine Tavern
Year after year, cities across America continue to surprise us with new, innovative, and downright awesome businesses.
This year we’ve already brought you the coolest new businesses in Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco, and now we’ve gone nationwide, finding the hottest restaurants, boutiques, startups, and everything in between across the U.S.
There’s a corner store with a bike-through window, a mobile shop that sells vintage clothing from a 1960s trailer, America’s first pizza museum, and a Chinese restaurant that serves dumplings that look like Pac-Man characters.
Some of the businesses are based in brick and mortar stores, while others—like food trucks and mobile shops—sell their wares on wheels. We’ve also included several online-only businesses.
From San Francisco to New York (and everywhere in between), we’ve found the coolest new businesses in America that opened or expanded within the last year and a half. Email MNisen@businessinsider.com if we left off your favorite.
408 S. Main Street, Los Angeles, Calif.
What it is: An inventive new restaurant from former Lazy Ox chef Josef Centeno.
Why it’s cool: The restaurant is named for, but is definitely not limited to, one of the chef’s wildly popular and signature creations, the baco, described as a “hybrid taco-gyro thing” with fillings like pork belly, beef carnitas, and oxtail hash. Other dishes include Caesar-style Brussels sprouts, sauteed peaches, and coffee-charred rib eye.
205 Frederick St., San Francisco, Calif.
What it is: Bacon-centric food truck.
Why it’s cool: Bacon Bacon comes in the form of a food truck and a brick-and-mortar restaurant. And both serve, yep—you guessed it—all things bacon.
The Bacon Bacon Truck rolls around San Francisco distributing six bacon-friendly sandwiches, including a pork meatball banh mi and grilled cheese, as well as french fries and root beer. Bacon Bacon also sells a bacon bouquet and chocolate-covered bacon.
Based in Austin, Tex., found on Etsy
What it is: A new brand of mustache wax.
Why it’s cool: The man known as Jeremiah Newton, who also sports an impressive face full of hair, started Bearded Bastard to help soften the burliest of beards and tame the unruliest of mustaches. Products so far include the Woodsman mustache wax and Woodsman beard oil, but the new Austin-based company is developing many new man-inspired oils and tonics, which will be available soon.
Based in Austin, Tex., but found online
What it is: An iPhone case and tracker system.
Why it’s cool: A product of Treehouse Labs, BiKN turns your iPhone into a tracker for all the things that are important to you—pets, keys, bags, or anything really. The tracker is mostly run out of an app, but it is based on your use of the protective iPhone case and the BiKN tags. The case tracks your things even when your phone’s battery dies and the color-coded BiKN tags attach to the things you want to track.
1133 South Charles St., Baltimore, Md.
What it is: A fashion boutique and tattoo art studio.
Why it’s cool: Passersby recognize Brightside by its sunny, yellow shopfront. Named Baltimore’s best boutique in Baltimore Magazine, Brightside sells edgy, fashion-forward clothing, shoes, and accessories. Partners Christie Griffiths and Kike (Kee-Kay) Castillo run the operation together, with Griffiths focusing on the fashion and Castillo on the tats.
Based in Brooklyn, NY, but found online.
What it is: A cool new bike company in Brooklyn.
Why it’s cool: Brooklyn Cruiser believes in elegant, simple, and affordable bicycles. “We don’t believe in cutting corners in our design or offering inferior bikes and charging a fortune for better components,” says their website. They sell three-speed men’s and women’s cruiser-style bicycles, along with bike accessories like different seats, handlebar grips, and reflectors.
1711 Division St., Nashville, Tenn.
What it is: An exclusive restaurant with a menu that changes every night.
Why it’s cool: Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs Josh Habiger and Erik Anderson opened The Catbird Seat so that “we could cook what we wanted to cook, and cook it ourselves.” The menu each night varies based on what’s fresh, both in terms of ingredients and inspiration. Selections in the past have included pressed duck, hot chicken skin, porcini and parmesan Oreos, and bourbon balls.
Based in Philadelphia, Penn., but found online only
What it is: A startup that provides analytics for Pinterest.
Why it’s cool: Images drive the web, and smart businesses need to take advantage of visual platforms like Pinterest to connect with their customers. Curalate allows companies to actually measure the impact they’re having on Pinterest using image recognition algorithms.
10889 Lindbrook Drive, Los Angeles, Calif.
What it is: Fully customizable, high quality Neapolitan-style pizza.
Why it’s cool: From the owner of the incredibly popular Umami Burger chain, 800 Degrees is an entirely new take on the pizza restaurant. It’s almost closer to a sandwich shop, where customers add a series of optional toppings like Fra’ Mani salami, an egg, or truffle cheese. Or pick one of the pre-made pies and see it baked and ready within minutes.
627 S. 3rd Street, Philadelphia, Penn.
What it is: Modern American cuisine with molecular gastronomy flourishes.
Why it’s cool: Opened by an alum of the highly regarded LaCroix and Blackfish in Philadelphia’s Queen’s Village neighborhood, Ela is regarded as one of the best new restaurants in Philadelphia.
Chef Jason Cichonski produces innovative dishes like diver scallop “noodles” with shiitake-marsala sauce and pickled golden raisins.
2419 West 14th St., Chicago, Ill.
What it is: A micro-restaurant named one of the best in Chicago.
Why it’s cool: EL has only one seating a night at a communal table. Dining here is an interactive experience, with each of the dishes explained by the chef and his small staff. If the idea of eating with 16 or so strangers makes you nervous, the food might convince you otherwise. Recent inventive dishes include ”cherries” (pictured; which are made from sea grapes, katsuobushi and umeboshi) and “French Fries and Ice Cream” (potato with leeks and vanilla).
Melissa Stanger//Business Insider
1632 Sansom St. and 1219 S. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Penn.
What it is: A classic donut shop with some outrageous flavor combinations.
Why it‘s cool: Federal Donuts is known for its unique and outrageous flavors like spicy peanut butter and jelly, maple bacon, and white chocolate pretzel. Their classic cake donuts are simple and are covered in either strawberry-, vanilla spice-, or Turkish mocha-flavored sugar. They also serve a mean fried chicken. The shop comes from Michael Solomonov, who cooks at the modern Israeli restaurant Zahav, one of the best restaurants in the city.
4770 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 1280, Miami, Fla.
What it is: A dynamic, full-service creative firm focused on developing brands within the entertainment and hospitality industries.
Why it’s cool: 50 Eggs has worked on some really cool projects. It owns and operates the award-winning restaurant Yardbird Southern Table & Bar. It has been commissioned to create a new visual identity and uniform for the Miami Heat and has developed a Hall of Fame book commemorating NBA legend and executive Pat Riley. And the company has designed merchandise artwork and logos for musician Tim McGraw.
50 Eggs’ reputation has garnered international recognition, with job seekers enlisting the aid of viral online videos to get the company’s attention.
696 Valencia St., San Francisco, Calif.
What it is: Barber shop/clothing store combo.
Why it’s cool: The first F.S.C. store outside of New York devotes 70 percent of its space to an old-fashioned barber shop. The space also houses a Freemans Sporting Club shop, which sells menswear and bespoke suit services. The store pays homage ”to the days when the highest level of care and customer service was de rigueur,” according to the company’s website.
Online and at various Chicago-area retailers
What it is: A curated online marketplace for local and vintage furniture.
Why it’s cool: Anyone who’s had a bad experience with Craigslist can see where the idea came from. Furnishly makes the process of finding and buying great furniture from individuals and a variety of partner stores easier and more reliable.
66 Gough St., San Francisco, Calif.
What it is: A designer shop honoring San Francisco’s history.
Why it’s cool: The one-man operation, run by Laureano Faedi, relies on San Francisco’s vibrant past for design inspiration. Faedi’s shirts and sweatshirts feature scenes highlighting everything from Playland at the Beach to the area’s minor league baseball scene. The shop, Faedi’s first, was created from recycled wood and old whiskey and wine cases.
Hall&Madden
Based in Chicago, but found online
What it is: A website that sends three new fitted dress shirts to men every month or few months.
Why it’s cool: Hall&Madden is attempting to provide a cheaper, more convenient alternative for male professionals shopping for shirts. The high-quality shirts cost around $50 (including shipping), are hand-picked by the company’s stylists, and are sent every one, two, three, or four months.
Hop Sing Laundromat/Robert Neroni
1029 Race St., Philadelphia, Penn.
What it is: High-end cocktail bar.
Why it’s cool: After months of changing dates, Hop Sing Laundromat opened in July and was one of the most hyped openings in Philadelphia in a while. Despite some very specific rules, a strict no-photo policy and a dress code, it’s one of the hottest bars in the city. The bar serves quirky artisanal cocktails like the Nevermore, a mixture of Vietnamese coffee, Ambler gin, Patron Citrónge, and a float of cream. All cocktails cost just $10, despite the fact that the bar has the most expensive well liquor in America.
Jojo & Sofia
Based in Chicago, but found online
What it is: A company that makes handmade vintage-style accessories, like tie clips, cuff links, and antique-looking jewelry.
Why it’s cool: Sarah Sebastian, founder of JoJo & Sofia, named the business after her two grandmothers. Aww!!
Based in Brooklyn, NY, but found online
What it is: An online platform that makes spending and earning money safer and more fun.
Why it’s cool: Kurrenci is an online platform that is partnering up with local, national, and global e-commerce sites to make money more valuable, safer and more convenient by using “kurrenci,” almost like points, as money. You can use it to buy things, give gifts, and donate to charity.
Opening Night
Richard Shay//Madame Zuzu’s
582 Roger Williams Ave., Chicago, Ill.
What it is: Madame Zuzu’s is a 1930s-style Chinese tea house which opened in mid-September 2012.
Why it’s cool: Zuzu’s was started by Billy Corgan, frontman of the Smashing Pumpkins. Patrons who visited the tea house for its grand opening on September 13th were able to meet Corgan and hear him play some acoustic sets.
What it is: A French bakery on the Upper East Side.
Why it’s cool: Maison Kayser, marked in New York by the orange bicycle that sits out front, is an import from Paris with some incredible baguettes and pastries. The patisserie is divided into two sections: the over-the-counter bakery area serving fresh pastries and breads, and the seating-only cafe where you can order a cafe au lait with yourpain au chocolat.
What it is: The first North American outlet of a popular Parisian clothing boutique and music label.
Why it’s cool:Located at the NoMad hotel and modeled after Paris’s seventh arrondissemont, the boutique carries its own namesake fashion line, as well as designs from designers like Michael Vivien and Andre Saraiva. The music label has released albums from popular electronic artists like Hot Chip and Digitialism.
1062 N. Orange Grove Avenue, Los Angeles, Calif.
What it is: The first L.A. outpost of an iconic New York gallery, located in West Hollywood.
Why it’s cool: Matthew Marks Gallery has been a Chelsea stalwart for many years, but the L.A. outpost is very distinct, with an exterior designed by Ellsworth Kelly, one of the gallery’s well-known artists. Recently, Jasper Johns debuted a well-received series of works at this gallery.
The Phoenix based mobile shop can be found by following their Twitter handle, @merrymayshoppe.
What it is: A mobile vintage shop. You can also buy online.
Why it’s cool: Merry May sells quality, vintage items—clothing for men and women and home goods—from their 1961 Shasta Airflyte travel trailer. Each piece of clothing they sell has a story behind it.
855 E Street NW, Washington, DC
What it is: A restaurant for the adventurous eater.
Why it’s so cool: Renowned chef Jose Andres’ newly re-opened and redesigned restaurant operates with a tasting menu-only format. Originally a six-seat bar tucked in the corner of the second floor of his restaurant Café Atlántico, minibar made its grand debut on November 7th as a unique, singular space. The Spanish inspired bite-sized dishes blur the line between science and cuisine with molecular gastronomy.
221 North Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, Penn.
What it is: A cool outdoor bar and restaurant practically underneath the Ben Franklin Bridge.
Why it’s cool: Morgan’s pier looks like an old wharf with a modern twist. The bar throws cool parties that are reminiscent of backyard cookouts; one of the cool events is guest chef happy hour night, when local chefs take over the kitchen and cook their own cuisine.
What it is: A new, more casual restaurant from Michelin three-star chef Daniel Humm.
Why it’s cool: NoMad lets people experience Daniel Humm’s food without paying the steeper prices at his flagship 11 Madison Park, which is considered one of the best restaurants in the city. One of the most popular dishes is the roast chicken for two stuffed with brioche, foie gras, and truffles.
On nice days, you can eat a five-course meal outdoors at the hotel’s extremely popular rooftop bar.
906 North 6th St., Phoenix, Ariz.
What it is: A contemporary women’s clothing store in downtown Phoenix.
Why it’s cool: Nostra Style House “offers a unique selection of contemporary women’s clothing that inspires the aesthetic of every fashionista,” says their Facebook page.
Their clothing is fun, frilly, and feminine, and shopping here feels like you’re browsing a fashionable friend’s closet.
1628 Oak Lawn Avenue, Dallas, Tex.
What it is: A contemporary American restaurant in Dallas’s Design District.
Why it’s cool: Oak is regarded as one of the city’s best new restaurants. Chef Jason Maddy has impressed diners with modern and carefully-plated dishes like Moroccan octopus with pork jowls and Wagyu beef cheek with spaetzle. Almost all of the furniture comes from the restaurant’s own neighborhood, Dallas’s increasingly trendy Design District.
914 Howell Mill Rd., Atlanta, Ga.
What it is: A seafood restaurant and oyster bar.
Why it’s cool: Chef Ford Fry focuses on seasonal dishes with the freshest ingredients available. The seafood is high-quality and sustainable from the country’s best suppliers. The Optimist also serves beach-food classics like hush puppies and lobster rolls, which you can order with an extensive selection of wines and beers.
31 Greenpoint Avenue, Brooklyn, NY
What it is: An eclectic bakery in Brooklyn’s Greenpoint neighborhood.
Why it’s cool: Located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Oven.ly sells snacks like peanuts roasted in bacon fat and tossed with Old Bay and Worcestershire sauce to bars like the Oak & Iron and specialty stores like The Brooklyn Kitchen. It also provides baked goods to cafes like Joe The Art Of Coffee.
They opened their first storefront in May which offers their full selection of goods, including salted chocolate chip cookies and jelly donut muffins.
Already near Chicago’s O’Hare airport and recently opened at Dallas’ DFW International airport
What it is: A 24/7 pet hotel option that lets you pick up and drop off your pet at the airport.
Why it’s cool: The ultimate in convenience. In addition to providing particularly luxurious accommodations for your pet, Paradise 4 Paws will send a chauffeur to drop you off at the airport, park your car, then pick you up at baggage claim when you return, before bringing you back to their site so that you can pick up your pet.
248 Mullberry Street, New York, NY
What it is: A sandwich shop with refined takes on Italian classics.
Why it’s cool: Already massively acclaimed for their fine-dining restaurant Torrisi Italian Specialties, Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone opened Parm so they could showcase some of the simpler food they grew up with. Some of the classic sandwiches include chicken and eggplant parm, elevated by the best techniques and ingredients, and daily specials like fried chicken cacciatore.
1711 Division St., Nashville, Tenn.
What it is: A speakeasy-style bar for hand-crafted cocktails.
Why it’s cool: At The Patterson House, mixologists create handcrafted classic cocktails with all different kinds of spirits, house-made syrups and bitters, and eight different types of twice-filtered ice. The bar also offers the barrel-aged Solera Manhattan, which includes Jim Beam Rye, Corsair Spiced Rum, Carpano Antica Vermouth and Angostura bitters, aged in two different used Corsair Triple Smoke Whiskey barrels. The result is a unique flavor combination of rich dried fruits, vanilla, spice and a smoky finish.
Melissa Stanger//Business Insider
2313 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, Penn.
What it is: The nation’s first pizza museum.
Why it’s cool: Pizza Brain was started by Brian Dwyer, a pizza lover with such a large collection of pizza paraphernalia that he was able to fill a whole store—and it’s now America’s first pizza museum. Located in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood, Pizza Brain officially has the world’s largest collection of pizza memorabilia, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
Pizza Brain is also a pizzeria, and a really good one at that.
Proper Suit
Based in Chicago, but found online
What it is: A bespoke suit service now available in 12 major cities.
Why it’s cool: Already a hit in Silicon Valley, Proper Suit takes the hassle and pretentiousness out of great custom-made suits.
Once you’ve been measured by one of the company’s tailors, all you need to do is send a photo or explanation of what you’re looking for and the team will get to work.
What it is: A creative, high-end Chinese restaurant in Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood.
Why it’s cool: RedFarm brings you innovative, Chinese dishes presented in a very whimsical, playful manner. Check out, for example, the Pac-Man ghost dumplings with the sesame seed eyes. The restaurant is a collaboration between dim sum master chef Joe Ng, who is Chinese by birth, and restaurateur Ed Schoenfeld, who is Chinese by calling.
500 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ
What it is: An upscale resort with dining, shopping, and casino games.
Why it’s cool: The elegant, contemporary Revel resort in Atlantic City is a vacation all by itself. Right on the water, guests can visit the thrilling Ultra Lounge and casino for poker or slot machines. The Revel is home to the Amada, a Spanish tapas-style restaurant. The resort also features regular concerts by popular musicians, like Kanye West.
310 Chartres St., New Orleans, La.
What is is: A spirited new restaurant in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
Why it’s cool: NOLA’s fine cuisine makes itself known at SoBou, which stands for South of Bourbon Street. The restaurant offers a menu of classic Cajun-style New Orleans dishes with a Latin twist, such as shrimp and tasso pinchos.
Based in Chicago, but found online
What it is: An app that allows people to find and reserve parking spots in Chicago.
Why it’s cool: Parking in Chicago can be, well, difficult. SpotHero allows users to view rates, get deals and reserve spots wherever they might be headed in Chicago. Users can just flash their phone at a partner garage and park. The app also takes some of the agitation out of parking at giant events.
What it is: A permanent pop-up retail shop in Chelsea whose merchandise is always different.
Why it’s cool: The Chelsea shop has changing exhibits that are meant to provoke and inspire. Formerly known as A Startup Store, the vendors tell their stories through the products they sell. For example, last February the theme was “love,” bringing vendors selling non-traditional Valentine’s Day items such as glittered Toms shoes and Jambox speakers, plus an in-store photo booth.
3111 Southeast Division St., Portland, Ore.
What it is: A restaurant serving unfussy tavern-inspired food.
Why it’s cool: Sunshine Tavern is meant to be a warm gathering place for family, friends and everyone in between. The Tavern is home to vintage Ms. Pac-Man and Donkey Kong video games, and a 14-foot shuffleboard table. Sunshine Tavern is a former machine-shop-turned-restaurant, with a comfortable yet edgy open kitchen and a bar made from reclaimed bowling lanes. Chef Jenn Louis offers tavern-inspired food with fine, seasonal ingredients, which pairs well with the bar’s twists on classic cocktails.
540 Atlantic Ave., Boston, Mass.
What it is: A waterfront restaurant named Boston’s best new arrival by Boston Magazine.
Why it’s cool: The newest restaurant from celebrated chef Jody Adams is on the ground floor of Boston’s Atlantic Wharf, and has already received a nomination for a James Beard Award. Specialties include spicy lamb-sausage flatbreads, grilled and fried squid salad with beans, olives, and vinegar peppers, and whole roasted trout.
1100 Westheimer Rd., Houston, Tex.
What it is: A new high-end restaurant in Houston.
Why it’s cool: The menu often changes based on what’s available from the suppliers, meaning the ingredients and dishes are always fresh. The product of chef Chris Shepherd, Underbelly is called “The Story of Houston Food,” and offers dishes as diverse as the cultures and neighborhoods represented in Houston.
What it is: A new specialty boutique in New York’s NoLita neighborhood.
Why it’s cool: Warm carries a wide selection of art, clothing, accessories, and gifts curated by husband and wife team Winnie Beattie and Rob Magnotta. The eclectic boutique includes chic Parisian labels, but is also inspired by surf culture. They sell some very unique accessories made out of things found in nature, like antlers, driftwood, and sections of tree trunk.
1900 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Austin, Tex.
What it is: A corner store that goes above and beyond for East Austin residents.
Why it’s cool: Wet Whistle isn’t your typical corner grocery. In addition to staples, the store has great espresso, farmers market produce, vegan snacks and aguas frescas. The store knows its hip clientele: it even has a bike-through window for people looking for groceries or coffee on the go.
11900 FM 812 in Del Valle, Tex.
What it is: A full-service apparel manufacturing facility near Austin.
Why it’s cool: White Star can put together single garments for one person, or a run of several hundred for a local designer. It serves as a sort of incubator for designers, with studio space and staff available to help move from sales sample to final production.
Boonsri Dickinson, Business Insider
505 Jones St., San Francisco, Calif.
What it is: Private speakeasy in the library of Bourbon and Branch.
Why it’s cool: Wilson & Wilson takes exclusive to a whole new level. Would-be patrons have to reserve a spot online and are escorted into the speakeasy through a series of password-protected hallways. Only 28 patrons can visit at a time. Drinks are served as a $40 tasting menu that includes the aperitif, the main drink, and the digestif.
1057 S. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, Calif.
What it is: A comprehensive, independent video game store in L.A.’s Koreatown.
Why it’s cool: A comparative rarity in the world of video games, World 8 is independent of the large chains. It offers a huge variety of recently released games, as well as classics from older systems, and a variety of hardware and collectibles. They also host a variety of tournaments and events.
Paolo Barnard
Il più grande crimine. Le crisi economiche per distruggere la democrazia
Ecco cos’è accaduto veramente alla democrazia e alla ricchezza comune. E a vantaggio di chi.
Questa è una inchiesta di rigore scientifico che si è avvalsa della consulenza di dodici economisti universitari internazionali. I loro nomi, le note e la bibliografia che attestano della serietà di questo saggio sono elencati in calce. Ma l’ho scritto in stile narrativo affinché chiunque possa leggerlo e divulgarlo.
“Le elite sapevano che gli Stati a moneta sovrana avrebbero potuto creare la piena occupazione senza problemi, in tutto il mondo, ma ciò gli avrebbe sottratto il potere. Dovevamo soffrire.”
Ecco Il Più Grande Crimine.
E’ semplice da capire. Ci fu un giorno di non molti anni fa in cui finalmente, e dopo secoli di sangue versato e di immane impegno intellettuale, gli Stati abbracciarono due cose: la democrazia e la propria moneta sovrana moderna. Un connubio unico nella Storia, veramente mai prima esistito. Significava questo: che per la prima volta da sempre noi, tutti noi, avremmo potuto acquisire il controllo della ricchezza comune e stare bene, in economie socialmente benefiche e prospere. Ma questo non piacque a qualcuno, e fu la fine di quel sogno prima ancora che si avverasse.
Questo saggio vi parla del più grande crimine in Occidente da l secondo dopoguerra a oggi. Milioni di esseri umani e per generazioni furono fatti soffrire e ancora soffriranno per nulla. I dettagli e l’ampiezza della loro sofferenza sono impossibili da rendere in parole. Soffrirono e soffriranno per una decisione che fu presa a tavolino da pochi spregiudicati criminali, assistiti dai loro sicari intellettuali e politici. Essi sono all’opera ora, mentre leggete, e la spoliazione delle nostre vite va intensificandosi giorno dopo giorno, anno dopo anno. La loro operazione su scala globale è definita,
per gli scopi di questo saggio, come Il Piano Neoclassico, Neomercantile e Neoliberista. Sulla loro identità mi dilungherò fra poco, ma per ora posso dire che sto parlando dei leader dei maggiori istituti finanziari del mondo e delle corporations di stazza multinazionale, accompagnati da uno stuolo di fedeli pensatori economici e di tecnocrati. I politici, obbedienti, spesso li seguono a ruota. A volte li sentirete chiamare “gli investitori internazionali” che si riuniscono in alcuni club esclusivi come la Commissione Trilaterale, il Bilderberg, il World Economic Forum di Davos, l’Aspen Institute e altri.
Sono coloro che il settimanale The Economist ha di recente chiamato “I Globocrati”.
Di seguito un video riassuntivo ma è consigliabile la lettura.
Link originale: http://memmt.info/site/il-piu-grande-crimine/
Quest’anno doppio appuntamento con Romics, che ritorna con l’edizione primaverile da giovedi 4 a domenica 7 aprile alla Nuova Fiera di Roma.
L’ormai nota rassegna internazionale sul fumetto, l’animazione, i games e l’entertainment è organizzata dalla Fiera di Roma e da I Castelli Animati – FestivalInternazionale del Cinema di Animazione. La manifestazione si avvale, oltre che dei diversi padiglioni commerciali dove trovare proprio tutto sul settore, di una grande sala per eventi e proiezioni, il Pala BCC, con posti a sedere per circa 3.000 persone, un grande palco e tutte le migliori attrezzature per la proiezione di film, concerti, spettacoli e dove si tengono tutti i grandi eventi di Romics.
Visitando i numerosissimi stand all’interno dei padiglioni della Fiera si potranno trovare tutte le novità, le grandi case editrici, le fumetterie, i collezionisti, i videogiochi, i gadget e incontrare tantissimi autori ed editori. Quattro giorni di kermesse ininterrotta con eventi, spettacoli, proiezioni per tutti i gusti, gli incontri con i grandi protagonisti del fumetto internazionale, gli autori, tutte le novità, le mostre.Tra le novità del 2013, il lancio dei due Romics TV Talent Show: “A mano libera”, il primo TV Talent Show dedicato al fumetto; un programma alla scoperta del fenomeno storico e spesso seminascosto dei disegnatori di fumetti attraverso la voce diretta dei protagonisti. Un viaggio nel dietro le quinte per capire come nasce una storia e chi c’è dietro ogni fase.“Su la maschera” il Primo TV Talent Show dedicato al Cosplay, realizzato da Romics e iLIKETV. Un contest che farà emergere il desiderio di partecipazione, la grande creatività, la voglia di apparire “sotto mentite spoglie” e di mettersi in gioco dei cosplayer italiani e internazionali.
In questa edizione sarà presente “Il Romics International Cosplay Championship”, un evento che durerà diversi giorni e che includerà grandi iniziative: sarà un vero e proprio Campus Cosplay. Tra le attività: il tutorial tenuto dall’ospite speciale Goldy, uno dei più grandi cosplayer Giapponesi, che mostrerà come realizza i suoi magnifici robot; la gara Cosplay Internazionale con in premio un biglietto aereo A/R per il Giappone.
Ogni anno inoltrela rassegna festeggia un personaggio che ha fatto la storia dell’immaginario collettivo da diversi punti di vista e quest’anno è il turno di un grande supereroe: Superman. L’Uomo d’acciaio verrà celebrato con tantissime iniziative: una grande mostra che racconterà, attraverso una serie di disegni e immagini di copertina, la storia del primo supereroe americano. Una celebrazione, una vera e propria festa che si terrà nel Pala BCC, con tanti ospiti a tema.
Grandi maestri del fumetto internazionale si alterneranno sul palco di Romics per raccontare la loro straordinaria carriera artistica e per illustrare le basi tecniche e teoriche delle loro creazioni. Fumetto in diretta, workshop, tavole rotonde per incontrare i grandi protagonisti del fumetto italiano e internazionale.
La rassegna è anche l’appuntamento per gli addetti al settore e per il pubblico per fare il punto sullo stato del fumetto italiano e internazionale. Conferenze, tavole rotonde,incontri sul tema e con gli autori, un work in progress in un’officina sempre all’opera: sul fumetto, l’animazione, il cinema, il rapporto con i nuovi media,la multimedialità, il gioco, il videogioco, le interazioni con la fantascienza e il fantasy; inoltre offre l’opportunità di seguire lezioni sul fumetto e l’animazione,aperte a tutti.
Tra i numerosi autori, critici, editori che calcheranno il palco di Romics per incontri e presentazioni, alcuni nomi in anteprima: Andrea Cascioli, una delle straordinarie firme legate all’universo futuristico di Nathan Never, il grande fumetto fantascientifico della Sergio Bonelli Editore;Goldy, uno dei più grandi cosplayer Giapponesi, che mostrerà come realizza i suoi magnifici robot.
Non è finita qui: nell’edizione di aprile 2013 Romics diventa anche “il primo festival transmediale in Europa, dedicato alla fan culture”, grazie alla presenza di un vero e proprio Movie Village che, all’interno del vasto programma della manifestazione, darà corpo, voce e anima alle nuove forme di narrazione che legano oggi i grandi colossal cinematografici alle più innovative serie televisive, al fumetto, all’animazione e ai videogames.Il grande cinema “di genere”, i film più attesi su supereroi e beniamini della fantascienza, del fantasy e dell’horror saranno protagonisti di spettacolari preview (da Oblivion a Into darkness, da Fast & Furious a Epic, Turbo e altri blockbuster dei prossimi mesi), con convegni ed exhibit di materiali scenici dedicati sia agli addetti ai lavori che al grande pubblico, con la partecipazione di professionisti delle major,riviste di settore, giornalisti, editori di fumetti e di libri, esperti di effetti visivi e della comunicazione cinematografica e con la media partnership di ComingSoon.it, Best Movie e XL Repubblica.
Un omaggio speciale verrà dedicato agli Zombie, una delle creature più odiate/amate del recente universo fumettistico, televisivo e cinematografico. Per spiegare il fenomeno una tavola rotonda andrà ad indagare e ad approfondire il tema Zombie nei suoi innumerevoli risvolti nei fumetti, nella TV, nel fantasy.
The Tallinn Manual, the first attempt to lay down international ground rules for cyberwar, was published this week under the direction of NATO’s think tank, the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Center of Excellence. Written by more than 40 academics, lawyers, and experts from NATO countries, the 282-page manual defines under which conditions a country can respond to a hack attack with military force; which targets are off limits (schools, hospitals, and UN staff, for example); and guidance on proportionate response to digital attacks carried out by non-state entities. It also warns that cyberwar combatants can be tried for cyberwar crimes.
Almost on cue, a few hours after the manual was published, South Korea was hit by a crippling cyberattack that prompted local digital security experts to point the finger at North Korea—not the first time its sworn cross-border enemy has been accused of state-sanctioned cyberwar games.
Thomas Wingfield, one of the authors of the Tallinn Manual and a professor of international law at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, talked to Bloomberg Businessweek about the new ground rules for cyberwar and whether South Korea has a good case for launching a counterstrike against the culprit of today’s attack.
We sought to answer two questions: How can a country define when it is at war in cyberspace? And if it is at war in cyberspace, what rules of engagement would apply? What is a permissible response, and what would be considered a war crime?
To answer this, we sought to define two types of cyber events—the first one being the “use of force.” This would be an unlawful attack on a country. But that does not permit the targeted country to respond militarily. The second type of cyber event is an armed attack. In this scenario, people are killed or there is severe property damage. It might look something like a bomb went off, though the damage was wrought by malicious code. So far we haven’t seen the standalone cyber-armed attack.
We didn’t invent any new rules or definitions here. With an armed attack, this is standard—a loss of human life or major property damage, caused by a cyberattack. No big insight there. It is a disruptive, unlawful act [to a nation’s critical infrastructure], but not quite so bad that it would allow for countries to retaliate and start bombing whomever is behind the attack.
With South Korea today, from what I’ve seen, I’m not even sure that could be regarded as a “use of force” cyber event. With the Tallinn Manual, we’re addressing only attacks that kill people and cause widespread property damage. Most cyber events occur below the “use of force” threshold. The manual is not meant to be the official rule book on all things cyber and bad. Instead, it is the best set of rules that can be applied to the most violent end of the cyber spectrum.
For a majority of the experts who worked on the manual, they agreed that no matter which type of entity produces the armed cyberattack—whether it be a pirate group, a country, individuals, whomever—it would not matter. For whichever entity that conducted that armed cyberattack, then the military response would be activated against them. A small minority in the group said “no, no, no” to this. But the clear majority of the group of experts were in support of this conclusion.
Il paesaggio dell’ Albania è costellato di 750mila bunker, simboli in cemento della paranoia dell’ex dittatore comunista Enver Hoxha, a capo del paese dal 1944 al 1985. Hoxha temeva un’ invasione da parte delle potenze straniere, si sentiva accerchiato. Il risultato è un bunker ogni quattro cittadini, in un paese di poco più di tre milioni di abitanti.
I funghi di cemento sono ovunque. Nei campi, nelle strade, nelle spiagge. Sono riutilizzati come locali, come case stravaganti, come rifugi per gli animali. Qualcuno li distrugge per riciclare i materiali di cui sono fatti. Ma per i cittadini albanesi, e per il fotografo olandese David Galjaard, vincitore del Aperture Foundation/Paris Photo First Photobook Award nel 2012 con il libro Concresco, i bunker sono molto più di questo. Sono il simbolo di un regime che non esiste più, ma che ha influenzato profondamente il paese. Per Galjaard i bunker sono metafore. “Concresco non è l’Albania, è la mia visione dell’Albania“, ha raccontato Galjaard parlando del suo libro: “ Tutti sanno di Stalin, ma nessuno conosce Hoxha“, ha continuato: ”È una storia segreta, probabilmente perché l’Albania è così piccola. Concresco può essere visto come introduzione ad un paese che solo poche persone conoscono.“
In effetti la storia di Enver Hoxha, dittatore comunista a capo dell’Albania per quarant’anni, non è molto conosciuta. Grande ammiratore di Stalin, Hoxha iniziò il suo programma di bunkerizzazione del paese all’inizio degli anni ’50. Nel 1968 la produzione di rifugi aumentò considerevolmente a seguito dell’uscita dell’ Albania dal Patto di Varsavia. Da quel momento in poi la paranoia di Hoxha degenerò nella convinzione che il paese potesse finire sotto attacco in qualsiasi momento. I bunker sarebbero serviti per permettere agli albanesi di combattere gli ipotetici nemici.
La produzione dei rifugi si è conclusa solo con la morte del dittatore. Ma la loro presenza continua ad affascinare i visitatori dell’ Albania. E così è stato anche per Galjaard, che aveva al suo attivo già un libro dedicato ai bunker olandesi, When The Siren Goes. Dopo è arrivato Concresco, frutto dello studio e della permanenza prolungata in Albania del fotografo. Per finanziare il suo libro, Galjaard è dovuto ricorrere all’aiuto di organizzazioni artistiche e dell’ambasciata olandese a Tirana, a un finanziamento pubblico e ai risparmi che teneva nel cassetto. Ma ne è valsa la pena. Le 750 copie del libro sono state vendute tutte, e ora sono un oggetto raro.
Are you a chess player/enthusiast, but haven’t heard of Phiona Mutesi? If you don’t already know the name, it’s time you learned about this amazing person and how she achieved lofty chess goals in the face of near impossibility.
Phiona grew up knowing complete poverty in Kampala, Uganda. Katwe is an especially impoverished section of that city, and that’s where Phiona calls home. The area is rampaged by AIDS and its citizens are at constant risk of contracting the deadly disease. AIDS took Phiona’s father, in fact, when she was only three years old. She, her mother, and her siblings lived in a shack, and nobody attended school because education of any kind was a luxury they couldn’t begin to afford. When Phiona was nine years old, she was introduced to Robert Katende, an ex-soccer player who had gotten the idea that teaching chess to the local children would help them. His idea caught on, amazingly, and chess was officially part of the community. It didn’t take Katende long to recognize Phiona as a shining chess star. She loved the game, and she had a great amount of talent. He began organizing small tournaments, and Phiona won them all.
Then she began traveling to chess tournaments and she won those, too. Suddenly, Phiona wasn’t just the local chess wonder, she was also becoming internationally known. Tim Crothers got wind of the story and showcased Phiona’s journey in an article for ESPN. That article gained massive amounts of interest within the chess community, and Phiona’s story went worldwide. She was the chess champion of Uganda at only ten years old, and today she is a candidate for the women’s master title. She says she wants one day to attain the elite chess title of Grandmaster, and I don’t think there are many chess lovers in the world who don’t want that for her, as well. Just this past weekend she visited ASAP (After School Activities Partnerships) in Philadelphia for the 9Queens Chess Academy and spoke to approximately fifty young chess-playing girls and their coaches/parents. She even had the opportunity to give her first simultaneous exhibition (one person plays against multiple people at the same time).
Among those in attendance was renowned women’s chess master and author Jennifer Shahade, who went over some of Phiona’s games for the group. She will also make an appearance this Thursday, December 6th, at Chess in the Schools in New York, followed by an engagement at Gompers Preparatory Academy in San Diego on Saturday the 10th. Finally, Phiona will be meeting kids from Jay Stallings chess program at Trinity Classical Academy in Santa Clarita on Wednesday, December 12th.
When you’re stuck in a cubicle, all you can dream about is the freedom of working from home. Your own office, your own tools, your own decor…oh, it’s simply glorious!
Then real life smacks you in the face: you’re distracted by a steady stream of interruptions, your backside hurts from sitting on your hard kitchen chair all day, and someone moved those notes that you absolutely must have for your client meeting.
But before you justify the financial burden of renting office space to escape the challenges of working from home, follow these tips to make your home office a sanctuary of productivity and efficiency.
You can also check out “8 Tips for making the most out of working from home”
I’m not saying you’re never allowed to lounge on the couch and sketch ideas for a project while enjoying the fireplace or watching your favorite movie, but you need a real office.
As a freelancer, you need four walls and a door that you can enter and say to yourself (and others), “I’m at work now.” (tweetable)
Your office should be a welcome, comfortable, calming place for you. (Whether that’s fresh flowers, hockey memorabilia, or inspirational quotes, I’ll leave to your tastes.)
In addition, choose equipment (chair, desk, keyboard, mouse, and monitors) that you’ll be comfortable using all day every day, even if they’re a little bit more expensive than you were thinking. Spread the purchases over time if need be.
Ultimately, if you dread entering your office (no matter the reason), you won’t enjoy “going” to work. Fashion your office such that you smile when you walk in!
Note: Sometimes you just need a change of scenery for the day, and that’s okay.
Now, just because you’re smiling and comfy in your office doesn’t mean that all of your distractions aren’t going to stop bursting into your space – literally – and interrupting your work.
You have to set rules about how family, friends, roommates, and pets should interact with you during business hours.
Not sure what rules to set? Here are a few of my favorites:
Talk with your family and friends about your needs. For example, it’ll be easier to get your family to agree to your closed door policy if you promise to have dinner with them nightly at 6:30 without fail.
In those first few days when everyone is adjusting to your rules, you may bump into some intentional or accidental resistance. Be firm but gentle in your reminders. Here are some examples:
Situation 1: Your family forgets what a closed door means.
For younger children, help them make a sign to hang on your office door to help them remember.
For teenagers, ask them to do a chore for you every time they interrupt you – soon enough, they’ll stop!
As a drastic measure (only in final desperation), lock the door.
Situation 2: Someone drops by unannounced and you’re in a creative groove.
Remember, you don’t have to answer the door even if they know you’re home. (If that feels really uncomfortable to you, tell them you were on a business call or had music on and didn’t hear the doorbell.)
If you do decide to answer the door, don’t welcome them in.
“John, hi! I’m so sorry, but I’ve got a conference call with a client in a few minutes and I need to finish preparing. If you can call ahead next time, I’ll let you know when I’m free to watch the latest episode of The Game of Thrones.”
You may feel rude, but you’re not – imagine yourself walking in unannounced at their job/appointment and expecting them to drop what they’re doing for you.
“It’s just like if I were to visit you while you’re preparing a legal brief, Aunt Emma. Sure, it’s not impossible for you to stop and have tea with me, but the interruption will cause you to lose your focus and work flow.”
Situation 3: When your door is open, your spouse comes in to chat with you for longer than you’d like.
First, remind your spouse that work time interruptions need to remain brief. Then schedule a specific time to discuss the longer topic.
“Honey, I’d love to talk to you about the kitchen remodel, but I just don’t have time right now. Can you give me an hour to finish this project and then we’ll talk? Come get me at 2:30.”
If that doesn’t seem to work, you might have to close your door more often.
Okay, so you have a great office and time to work…but now you’re playing Spider Solitaire and Words With Friends instead of working.
Time to remove your distractions, even if it means (eep!) removing games from your office computer. (Use a work login if your work computer and home computer share the same motherboard.)
Also consider using a different browser for work and play with bookmarks specific to each task.
This goes for other items as well – if you keep getting distracted by your TV, cell phone, tablet, cat, or logic puzzles, remove them from your office.
(Want to go minimalist? Check out this post.)
Finally, clean up after yourself regularly. Establish a “home” for your office supplies, current projects, inspiration, and past projects. Then spend five to ten minutes tidying up before leaving your office.
When you return, you’ll know exactly where everything is and can easily start on a different project without accidentally putting client A’s sketches with client B’s project notes. Especially if you share your computer with your family, you don’t want red Kool-Aid spilling all over your printer paper.
In my opinion, this is one of the most undervalued and overlooked aspects of creating and maintaining a home office sanctuary that you enjoy working in.
Minimalism is one of the fastest growing movements these days and seeks to help people live more conscious lifestyles. By incorporating the principles of minimalism into your office, you can greatly increase your productivity, create more space for yourself, and begin to make more conscious choices about your working habits. Here are the top five rules to creating a minimalist office.
The best way to begin having a minimalist office is to eliminate paper from your workspace and your life. Only print things that are absolutely necessary to have a hard copy of – save anything else to your computer. Go through existing files and scan anything that you need to keep, storing all of these files in a folder on your hard drive. Then, you can shred everything that’s left and recycle the paper. It’s also helpful to opt for paperless statements for bills and other accounts, while also taking a few extra minutes to call and cancel mailers and newsletters that you receive. Finally, you can ask co-workers to send files to you by email rather than dropping it at your desk or sending a fax. Once you’ve begun to eliminate paper from your life and have digitized your documents, you’ll have more space and will be able to focus on work free of distractions.
Consider how many of your office supplies and machinery you actually use on a regular basis. Do you really need a personal supply closet in your desk? It’s important to think about how often you actually use office supplies like paper clips, staples and a stapler, rubber bands, highlighters, or hole punchers. Most likely, you don’t need these items on a very regular basis. When you do need one of these supplies, you can either keep just a few of each in your desk or you can head to the office supply closet where you’ll always be able to find what you need. The same goes for machinery on your desk. Consider whether you really need a printer, scanner, fax machine, and copier all in your office — or, could you go somewhere else on the few occasions that you need one of these machines? Better yet, could you find a digital way to meet this need using just your computer?
Many people naturally decorate their desks with photos, desk toys, or other knick knacks. One of the best ways to create a minimalist office is to simply get rid of these extra items. If an item on your desk is not serving a functional purpose, it’s likely that it doesn’t need to be there and is only distracting you from focusing on your work. A clean, minimalist environment can greatly enhance your focus and make it easier for you to complete work on time. If you’re dedicated to keeping a photo of your family nearby, choose just one or two photos that are great quality and that can act as a showcase for your loved ones, rather than keeping an entire collage of all of your memories on your desk.
Though you don’t want to create an elaborate filing system for your minimalist office, it’s important to work with a basic system that will enable you to keep work that you still need to do separate from the work you’ve already completed. Many people find it helpful to keep a single inbox on their desk where all work that needs to be completed can be placed. After the work is finished, it is kept out of the inbox and filed away or saved on the computer and shredded. Additionally, only keep papers on your desk that are pertinent to the current task you are working on. Any other papers will only clutter your working environment and make it more difficult for you to focus and work without distractions.
If you want to have a minimalist office in order to gain the benefits associated with a clear mind and a distraction-free workplace, it’s important to make sure that your environment is as simple as possible. Keep your desk and walls free of clutter and extra items that are decorative or otherwise demanding attention. The only things that should be on your desk are the essentials that you need to get your work done, such as a computer, inbox for the few papers you’ll be receiving, and perhaps a land-line telephone if your employer requires that you have one. Walls should be kept simple and clean in order to create a balanced and proactive working environment for you to focus.
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