Intellectual Masculinity

Society’s moral soldiers

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:10:44 +0100

nprfreshair: We love our jobs and all but … we can still...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:28:22 +0100

We love our jobs and all but … we can still appreciate this ad campaign for Outside’s Go Magazine. It reimaginesthe technology that imprisons us as actual prisons. (Above, a mouse.)

And speaking of the cords that bind us (to our desks) we’ve done a couple of interviews that relate to that subject…

1) New York Times technology journalist Matt Richtel on digital overload and his series, “Your Brain on Computers”

2) Sherry Turkel on her book Alone Together about how technology is changing how we communicate.

So now to get out of this office and enjoy the last of this beautiful day…

via Twisted Sifter

micropolisnyc: Today is the 100th anniversary of Cass Gilbert’s...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:27:41 +0100

micropolisnyc:

Today is the 100th anniversary of Cass Gilbert’s Woolworth Building, one of New York’s most beautiful structures, and at the time of its opening, the world’s tallest skyscraper.

On this day in 1913, President Woodrow Wilson pressed a button in the White House, igniting 80,000 incandescent bulbs in the new, 792-foot Gothic tower.

So how does the New York City skyline compare to that of other world cities, a century after the Woolworth opened?

Using Yoni Alter’s “Shapes of Cities” design series (above) as a starting point, I put the question to a number of architects and experts, some with an obvious New York bias, a couple who’ve worked abroad and have substantial international experience:

Carol Willis, Founder and Director of The Skyscraper Museum: “The skyscraper is an American invention and now it’s an American export. Hong Kong is visually the most stunning, because it’s the most exaggerated in terms of density of construction and the dramatic contrast with the landscape. [But] I’m partial to New York. Looking at the Empire State Building gives me the most joy of any structure in the city. The Empire State Building still stands for the 20th century triumph of New York. The capital of capital.”

Rick Bell, Executive Director of the American Institute of Architects NY: ”New York’s profile has evolved over time, an eclectic mix of structures that are recognizable, resilient and robust. In architectural terms the excitement generated by our skyline here in NYC results from diversity of form, iconographic silhouette and sustainable aspiration. The product is the most loved skyline in the world, heralded by cinema and evoked by writers to symbolize hope and progress.”

Hisham Youssef, Principal at RTKL Shanghai and Co-founder of the Architectural Association of UAE: “I know one thing for sure, the view coming into Manhattan from JFK as I cross the Triboro bridge is un-matchable anywhere in the world. Dubai has its Burj Khalifa, but it does not quite have the same skyline…..yet. Shanghai (Pudong) has a very impressive skyline, and so does Hong Kong. And Asia knows how to play it up with all the LED, and lights on buildings. Hong Kong and Shanghai are among the best in the world, but do not share the same romance as Manhattan……until they have made many movies and built up this appeal, I think.”

Erik M. Ghenoiu, Graduate Architecture and Urban Design School, Pratt Institute: “A glance at [Yoni] Alter’s images suffices to show that in the New York of the last 100 years, [the urge to exploit high rental values] has consistently beaten out monumentality. It’s why even something like the Freedom Tower will turn out to be so regrettably boring…

“No city currently leads the world as the new architectural hotbed. Dubai, Shanghai, and Shenzhen no longer excite as much interest in the design fields as they did ten or even three years ago, and European favorites like Berlin and Barcelona have more or less wrapped up construction for the moment, and they didn’t accomplish as much in architectural terms as we had all hoped.”

Check out the Skyscraper Museum’s exhibition “The Woolworth Building @100”

Another eyeful

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 17:16:00 +0100

Because reality is obviously not enough for some of us, Google - Apple aren’t far behind - will soon be releasing their “augmented reality glasses”. On the outset, the idea is pretty simple. Stick on a pair of glasses and carry out a whole variety of tasks, hands-free. If you want to take a picture, you just say “take picture” and the glasses will do that for you. Afraid of getting lost? The glasses will provide you with a head up, or eye up display of a map. Want to send a message? Just speak, to send a message. It’s basically Apple’s Siri, wrapped round your eyes. All very clever and cool, but what happened to using our own eyes to search for information? Have we become so lazy, that we have to rely on technology to do things for us? The overwhelming answer is yes.

As I sit here typing this blog post, I’m staring at a screen. Much of my day has been spent in an office staring at another screen. Before that, on my journey to the office, I was staring at another screen. And before that, I woke up to look at the alarm on my phone, which of course is another screen. There is a theme here and it’s called Asthenopia or repetitive eye strain. It’s a very common condition that occurs when eyes are over used. Smartphones, laptops, tablets and now the Google glasses are the latest, in a long list of gadgets designed to put our eyes to the test.

Whilst not causing any long-lasting damage, these gadgets can certainly account for fatigue, painful headaches, and weak or impaired vision. Have you ever noticed that when looking at a screen, you hardly blink? The eye muscles are pulled back and stretched to the point of becoming dry, hence the rubbing of your eyes when you look away from a screen. Blinking, believe it or not, is good for you as it naturally moisturises your eyes. At work, the pain has become so unbearable that I ordered an anti-glare protector for my monitor.

I appraise Google for the technology, but consider this? Is it really needed? I certainly won’t be parting with my money for a pair of ‘glasses’, just because everyone else has. My eyes are precious to me, as they should be to you. Pretty soon, we won’t be going to the opticians for eye tests, we’ll be going to specialised Google Glass ‘drop-in centres’ where Google will offer bi or varifocal versions of the glasses for those with vision problems. Who knows…they may even have in-in built anti-glare lenses? And let’s not forget Apple. They’ll probably buy Boots opticians and re-name it i - eye.

All jokes aside, vision impairment and eye strains have risen dramatically. My optician even said to me, that he hasn’t seen a generation as bad as ours. Just remember that, the next time you’re staring into a screen, for hours on end.

It's not racist, but it's sure as hell annoying...

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 22:47:00 +0000

I recently read an article by Ariane Sherine, the Guardian columnist, on an issue that I can totally relate to. The following conversation is drawn from my own experiences:

Stranger: Where are you from?

Me: London…

Stranger: No, I mean where are you really from? Like where are your parents from?

Me: Sri Lanka

Stranger: Oh right, so do you ever go back?

It’s at this point, where I lose interest in the conversation. What if I asked the stranger what his Anglo-Saxon roots were? And where his parents came from? Would they hail from the Caucasus or from the land that was once known as Prussia? What if I asked the stranger if he knew where Saxony was?

The comedian Omid Djalili once commented that if he stated he was Iranian, people would instantly think that he had a bomb strapped to him. Yet, if he called himself Persian, he would be viewed as calm and noble. What he would ask, is the difference? Modern day Iran was known as Persia at the time of the Mesopotamians, the Thracians and the Phoenicians. Even the tiny things make a difference now. For instance, you’ll never hear a cat being called an Iranian cat. They’re always called Persian cats. It’s as if being called an Iranian cat would draw up images of bombs and Ayatollahs, whereas a Persian cat is a wistful drawback to a time of Darius and Alexander The Great.

It’s hard explaining to a complete stranger that the only time you visited the country of your birth was once, at the age of 13/14, as a spotty British teenager. I was born in Sri Lanka, but only briefly resided there, for 2-3 years before making the journey to Britain. I’ve lived in London since then, and obviously developed a London accent. I also don’t speak any other languages fluently, other than English. Yet because of my dark/tanned complexion (I hate the word “brown”, I’m not “brown” in the same way that no-one is ”black” or “white”), I’ve often been questioned about my ancestry and heritage. I now find the constant questioning highly irritating.

I once said to a friend that the only difference between him and I was that I could stay out in the sun for longer. If only more people saw the world that way…

Misty

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:23:01 +0000

Misty

Just a thought...

Sat, 23 Mar 2013 10:57:58 +0000

Here’s something you won’t hear everyday…this tale challenges the conventional wisdom of getting rich and living in a consumer-driven society.

This folk-tale is common to many cultures in Asia and Africa and it goes like this:

“A traveler observes a fisherman sleeping in the shade of a tree. He rouses the sleeping man and asks him why he isn’t catching fish. ‘I already caught two fish for my family’s evening meal.’ ‘If you had a bigger net and worked longer, you could catch ten fish,’ says the stranger. ‘But I only need two. What would I do with ten?’ ‘You could sell them. Do the same every day until you have enough money to buy a boat.’ ‘Why would I do that?’ ‘To catch even more fish. You could employ people, and send them out to catch more. You would grow rich.’ ‘What would I do with the money?’ ‘You could enjoy yourself and go to sleep in the shade.’ ‘What am I doing now?’ asks the fisherman.

Journalist by degree. PR by profession...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:32:29 +0000

So what’s it like now that I’ve finally found a paid internship? Well, to begin with, I’m out of my comfort zone and in the world of PR. As I said before in my previous post, PR is a world away from journalism and to be honest, it goes somewhat against my beliefs as a journalist. However, I am certainly not complaining that I work in the field of healthcare PR because the people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting on my internship journey are some of the most dedicated, passionate and hard-working individuals that I’ve ever encountered.

I have found the work challenging, and at times difficult to grasp as well as understand. The vast majority of it relies heavily on data and the input of data which to me, being the arty-creative type, is like a foreign language. Nonetheless, I’ve found myself getting to grips with it all, however I am still in the process of learning to prioritise tasks and take the initiative when the occasion arises. In addition, one of the key elements of working in PR is the ability to work well as part of a team. This particular element is something that I’m still getting used to, but in time, I’m sure that I will be able to.

I can’t really discuss much else about the internship because one of the quirks of working in Healthcare PR is that we are governed by the ABPI code. Put simply, it governs what can and cannot be said by people like me who work within the pharmaceutical industry. Representing GSK certainly has its perks…and the ABPI code is one of them. I could tell you about a ground-breaking new drug that…well that’s another story…

latimes: It turns out the ancient universe is even more...

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:34:26 +0000

latimes:

It turns out the ancient universe is even more ancient

New findings from the European Space Agency’s Planck space telescope suggest that the universe is an estimated 13.8 billion years old, 100 million years older than previous thought.

Take a look at the picture above - that’s the radiation imprinted on the sky by the Big Bang itself, an observation from Planck that proved pivotal to the new age estimate.

From Science Now:

The map represents the first 15.5 months of observation by the Planck space telescope, which looked at the universe’s cosmic microwave background — that extremely cold, barely noticeable glow left after the Big Bang when the universe was just a cosmic baby — about 380,000 years old.

But don’t worry universe, you don’t look a day over 12 billion.

Photo: ESA, Planck Collaboration, NASA / Associated Press

What if art ruled the world…?

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:42:05 +0000

BatBond----20.12 Mtl-Que Canada

Kenny Random’s art in Padova, Italy www.kennyrandom.com

Traduction: "Their weapons. Our weapons." Armed forces & police forces VS. civilians & their cameras

Monster Graffiti by =Sch1itzie

Alejandra Guerrero and Christian Cisa - Berlin

Amazing 3D Street Art Lets Pedestrians Walk on Spider-Man’s Webs by Kurt Wenner

by Banksy

FtMuq

What if art ruled the world…?

What happened next...

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 21:44:00 +0000

Regular readers of my blog will probably know that a lot of my blog posts recently, have been about graduate careers and internships. More to the point, they’ve been more focused on the lack of career opportunities and the illegalities of unpaid internships.

However, for me, things have now changed. I secured a full-time, fully paid internship with a PR company called Virgo Health. They specialise in medical communications, which for me, is far removed from the world of television and radio production. The essentials however remain the same; that of working to tight deadlines, being proactive, productive and dedicated to the task at hand, which to me, are key tools in any journalist’s armoury.

I will keep everyone updated with how the internship goes and whether or not I prove to be a success in the PR industry. Just watch this space…!

Blogs: Edward discusses graduate underemployment | Prospects.ac.uk

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:37:37 +0000

Blogs: Edward discusses graduate underemployment | Prospects.ac.uk:

My first official post for the UK’s biggest Graduate careers website.

Crafting the perfect modern resume

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 11:10:35 +0000

Source: staffingtalk.com via Edward James on Pinterest

Intern Aware: “Unpaid internships are particularly hard...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:04:32 +0000

Intern Aware: “Unpaid internships are particularly hard for people who live outside of London and whose parents can’t afford to.”

Hi, a nice read, yet a bit disheartened to read about your experiences of being a graduate when I am...

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:41:42 +0000

Hi, a nice read, yet a bit disheartened to read about your experiences of being a graduate when I am a matter of months away from finishing my university course! It seems it is a big wide world out their after all, with a lack of space for recent graduates! You seem to have a lot of experience in your field of study, any thoughts about graduate schemes or trainee programs?

Sympathy...

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:06:50 +0000

I do think it is unfair that people are asked to “work” for nothing, as it selects for those with well-off parents, who can support them during this time. Less well-off people can’t afford to do it - but it isn’t just the hard commercial world of nasty capitalists that do this - a LONG list of Labour MP’s was discovered a while back offering unpaid internships. Until the fit hit the shan, anyway… when some hurried covering-up was done.

And, by the way, an internship at a Fashion PR Agency doesn’t become Agency work as defined in law just because it’s an Agency. - Agency work is where you are employed by an agency, who hire you out to other companies. Not the same thing at all.

Don’t forget, in the original scheme of things, apprentices weren’t paid at all - their parents PAID the tradesman to take them on and teach them the work! Never mind about work for nothing - money changed hands in the opposite direction!

The problem is, of course, supply and demand. Broadcasting, Journalism, Fashion, Politics and similar popular desirable sectors have at LEAST fifty to one hundred times more people wanting to work in them than they have staff places. Therefore, they don’t NEED to pay much, if anything.

For example, you wouldn.t have to pay much to attract candidates for personal-body-masseur to Beyonce - you’d be swamped! On the other hand, cleaning London’s sewers is a hard dangerous unpleasant job, and I bet they don’t get away with “internships” - no one wants to do it that much!

Rod Buck

£10 a day?

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 18:10:00 +0000

Now, I’m usually a cool, calm and collected individual. There is one situation however, that makes my blood boil. The unpaid internship.

I recently attended an interview, for a “paid” Fashion PR internship, with an agency called Cube Company. Now legally, if an employer stipulates that the internship is to be paid, then the employer has to pay the intern the national minimum wage, which currently stands at £6.19. I on the other hand, found that I was to be paid only £50 a week, for the duration of the 3-6 month internship. By anyone’s standards, that amount of money does not even cover food for a week, let alone travel, in London of all places. The interviewer then divulged to me, that this was the norm in the Fashion PR industry. £10 a day is the norm is it?

Employers will always try to swindle their way out of paying their interns. The link below tells you all that you need to know about who exactly gets the minimum wage. If you scroll down to the part about “Work Experience and Internships,” it clearly stipulates that you’re not entitled to the NMW if you’re either:

https://www.gov.uk/your-right-to-minimum-wage/who-gets-the-minimum-wage

A student doing work experience as part of a higher education course.
Of a compulsory school age (usually 16)
A volunteer doing voluntary work
On a government or European programme
Work shadowing

Now, I don’t fall into any of those categories. Neither am I one of those, who falls into this category:

The following types of workers are not entitled to the minimum wage:

self-employed people
company directors
volunteers or voluntary workers
workers on a government employment programme, e.g the Work Programme
family members of the employer living in the employer’s home
non-family members living in the employer’s home who share in the work and leisure activities, are treated as one of the family and are not charged for meals or accommodation (e.g au pairs)
workers younger than school leaving age (usually 16)
higher and further education students on a work placement up to 1 year
workers on government pre-apprenticeships schemes
people on the following European Union programmes: Leonardo da Vinci, Youth in Action, Erasmus, Comenius
people working in a Jobcentre Plus Work trial for 6 weeks
members of the armed forces
share fishermen
prisoners
people living and working in a religious community

So which category do I fall into? Do I fall into this particular category?

Workers are also entitled to the minimum wage if they are:

part-time
casual labourers, e.g someone hired for 1 day
agency workers
workers and homeworkers paid by the number of items they make
apprentices
trainees, workers on probation
disabled workers
agricultural workers
foreign workers
seafarers
offshore workers

One name stood out to me. Agency workers. I did after all apply for an internship with a Fashion PR agency. So technically, I am an agency worker? Right? Wrong. Agency workers are those that are employed by recruitment agencies. I was not an agency worker, so I still didn’t fall into that category. So who was I then?

The work that I would have been doing with the team at Cube Company, ranged from typing up blog posts and writing press releases, to painting, tidying up samples, working on photo shoots and all the other things that go with working in a Fashion PR agency. In anyone’s book, that’s a pretty full-on internship. That’s not work experience, and that’s certainly not work-shadowing. I’m definitely not a volunteer, so why do employers feel they have the right to pay a young, diligent, hard-working graduate £50 a week? Do they really believe that £50 will suffice for a week’s work in London?

The Labour MP Hazel Blears, towards the end of last year, chaired a cross party bill with the view to outlawing the advertising of unpaid internships. Whilst the bill was only put forward in December, the Government has for years, turned a blind eye to the issue of unpaid interns. Is it because their own parliamentary interns are sometimes unpaid? I have heard some horror stories. A film production graduate from my old university - UCA - was offered a 40 week unpaid internship. Forty weeks? How did the employer expect her to live, whilst being unpaid for that amount of time?

Those who have the finances to support themselves through unpaid internships, may well count themselves lucky. However, even if I had the finances to support myself through such a lengthy period of time, I would still speak out and request that I was paid the National Minimum Wage for the duration of an internship. The opportunity to undertake work experience or unpaid internships whilst being a student is invaluable. However, once you’ve graduated, you no longer have the necessary funds to do this. Yet, I am being constantly told, that the only way to break into my industry - TV Production/Journalism - is through the unpaid internship route. It is quite frankly an outrage that the advertising of unpaid internships is still lawful, even though the practice is unlawful under minimum wage law.

Government support is of course, essential, in order to bring to an end this mad, bad situation. Yet, it is also vital that students and graduates speak up and stand firm on this issue. Finding the confidence to speak out is half the battle, but what then, are our degrees for? They gave us the confidence and ability to demonstrate our knowledge and expertise in a particular area. Use that same confidence, to demand that the work you do, has to be paid for. We have voices, and we should be using them to bring to an end this unscrupulous situation.

Below are some useful links:

http://www.internaware.org/

https://twitter.com/internaware

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2012/dec/01/interns-rebel-against-unpaid-placements

http://www.nus.org.uk/en/campaigns/citizenship/unpaid-internships-we-cant-work-for-free/

https://twitter.com/LibbyLovePink

https://www.gov.uk/your-right-to-minimum-wage/what-is-the-minimum-wage

Enternships Blog: Davos 2013: Young Global Leader Rajeeb Dey - "It's time to rethink recruitment"

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 16:17:24 +0000

Enternships Blog: Davos 2013: Young Global Leader Rajeeb Dey - "It's time to rethink recruitment":

enternships:

Against the backdrop of 75 million young unemployed, Rajeeb Dey, CEO of Enternships.com has spoken out against traditional recruitment methods in front of world and business leaders at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. He shared his insights into the limitations of…

roseaposey: “Judgments”I took this last year, but in...

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:39:23 +0000

roseaposey:

“Judgments”

I took this last year, but in retrospect, I think it’s my strongest piece from high school.

Working on this project really made me examine my own opinions, preconceptions and prejudices about “slutty” women and women who choose to cover all of their skin alike. I used to assume that all women who wore Hijabs were being oppressed, slut-shame, and look down on and judge any woman who didn’t express her sexuality in a way that I found appropriate.

I’d like to think I’m more open now.

The Graduate Blues...

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:17:00 +0000

My previous post, focused on taking those first tentative steps into that thing you call a journalism career. However before all that, many of you probably went through the same tale that I will now recount to you. My story is not unique, but I do hope it strikes a chord with you all. It happens to be a rather personal take on life during and after university, so any comments would be humbly obliged…

I cast my mind back to 2008/2009 and remember that it was a time of huge upheaval in both my personal and professional life. I had just left the University of Hertfordshire with a qualification in English Literature and Print Journalism, well and truly sewn in the bag. Alongside that, I was embarking on the grand adventure - in my eyes at least - of moving in with my girlfriend. I had fleetingly fled the nest many years before, but actually moving in with your girlfriend was quite a big deal, especially when you happen to be 22/23. Now, it was not all plain sailing, but to cut a long story short, we eventually settled on residing in Surrey.

By this time, I had enrolled at the University for the Creative Arts’ Broadcast Journalism degree. My girlfriend and I - admittedly her more so than me - had trawled through UCAS and various other university courses, and eventually settled on the institution based in the quaint town of Farnham. The first thing that struck me about Farnham was how quiet and uneventful it was. It certainly was not your average university town. It was chock full of Tory leaning elderly citizens, who did not seem to appreciate the warmth and joyfulness we students brought to the town.

As for the degree, nothing prepared me for the rather shambolic, college feel to it. During my previous university experience, I had become accustomed to regular lectures and seminars. The “lectures” and “seminars” felt more like one big workshop. Perhaps the reason behind this, was the relatively small number of students studying the degree. My previous course at Hertfordshire numbered well over 100+ students. Anyhow, we covered the various aspects of the basic features of Journalism; the law, the ethics, the how, what, why, where, when and of course, shorthand.

Upon completing the first year, the final two years would be dedicated to refining our chosen specialisms. I had chosen television production, with a view to becoming a current affairs producer once the university merry-go-round was over. I could bore you with stories of dodgy equipment, faulty cameras, faulty computers and such like, but I am sure this happens at all other universities so, it is of no surprise that it would happen at a small university like mine. Eventually, after many trials and tribulations - sleepless nights, essays on subjects not even remotely connected to journalism, a 10K word dissertation - I graduated with a 2:1. All this however, came with a huge personal cost attached to it. My relationship with my girlfriend of nigh on four years, had come to a mutually agreed end. I found myself scrambling around desperately, in that summer of 2011 trying to find a place to live.

But make it I did, and in doing so entered a new chapter in my life…being a singleton, which for me was a rather daunting experience. On a positive note, I met some incredibly gifted, fun and intelligent people along the way, who I would not hesitate to call close friends. And so, with my degree in tow, I set out to make the most of it, in order to find that elusive thing called a career. Try as I might however, I found journalism jobs hard to come by and increasingly scarce. I had known for some time that print journalism was on its deathbed, and that the way forward was on-line, interactive and user-generated. For all my experience, which I will come on to later, I found entry level or graduate level jobs in television production extremely difficult to either secure, or even find. I found that the vast majority of “jobs” available were internships and work experience.

In the vast majority of cases, graduates who secure work experience and internships, either live at home or live with partners at a relatively low expense. I on the other hand, did neither. I had not lived at home for nigh on 8 years, which in anyone’s book, is a long time. I found myself sucked into the world of retail, which with all my journalism experience, I found to be a very bitter pill to swallow. Uncouth managers, even worse retail staff, the constant questioning of “why are you working in retail if you have a degree?,” and the now indelible reply, of “well, I need the money, okay?”

I had worked for the Ordnance Survey, and dabbled with the BBC and Sky Sports. Along the way, I had found the time to set up my own fashion magazine, which although short-lived, proved to be a stepping stone for my peers once I had finished at Hertfordshire University. I had also worked for numerous fashion magazines and public relations agencies, and to the envy of many, worked at London Fashion Week. After all that, I kept being rejected on the grounds of a lack of “actual” experience.

Recently, I have found that the world is not as welcoming as I thought it would be. Then again, the world owes us graduates nothing at all, so why should it welcome us with open arms. In terms of career options, I have seemingly moved away from the world of TV production and into the more expansive world of public relations and social media. Blogging, tweeting, establishing your own website and personal style, really do help to enhance your on-line profile and presence as a journalist. It is far removed from my degree, but the essentials remain the same; the ability to write succinctly and eloquently. Whilst I may not be utilising my production skills, the basic essence of being a journalist remains. That burgeoning curiosity and that hunger for knowledge and information remains. Was it all worth it? I believe it was. Good things come to those who wait…right?

Below are some very useful links for getting that career off the ground:

http://mediamuppet.com/

http://www.inspiringinterns.com/

http://www.enternships.com/

http://www.milkround.com/

http://www.bubble-jobs.co.uk/