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• The Economy

  If we�re addicted to oil, our twelve-step program should begin with admitting that we have a problem.
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  • 011: Get Lost
  • Date: Jul 16 2008
  • Contributors: Chris Weller, Max Joseph, and Danielle Flug

• Oil: A History

  A short history of black gold, from the ancient Persian army's flaming oil-dipped arrows to today's piercing pain at the pump.
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  • 011: Get Lost
  • Date: Jul 14 2008
  • Contributors: Piece Studio

• Blacker-than-black Market

  In Ciudad del Este, Latin America�s lawless capital of contraband, $500 goes a long way.
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  • 011: Get Lost
  • Date: Jun 05 2008
  • Contributors: Sacha Feinman

• Retiring Gracefully

  
  
  American Express has a newish policy of phased retirement, which allows "soon-to-retire" employees to act as mentors to younger ones and pass down valuable skill sets that newer workers lack. From Business Week:
  
  "Rather than retiring and leaving the company at once, participants gradually give up their day-to-day responsibilities, while replacing some of their free time with activities like mentoring and teaching master classes to their successors. In addition, they get more time out of the office doing whatever they want�be it planning for life in retirement or doing charity work...It also helps them avoid some of the emotional and financial hurdles of sudden retirement."
  
  The Business Week piece is part of an ongoing case study. There are more videos (like the one above) here.
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  • Date: Aug 21 2008
  • Posted by Patrick James

• The Death Of The American Mall

  The American shopping mall, that shrine to bland, homogeneous commercialism, seems to be an endangered species. As WorldChanging reports, malls are falling into desuetude all over the nation. We�re not going to miss them much. Everything we found valuable about mall culture has been perfectly archived in Bill and Ted�s Excellent Adventure and Clueless. And guess what all that old space is being used for? Art galleries and mixed-use pedestrian plazas. Awesome. Happy Monday, folks.
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  • Date: Aug 11 2008
  • Posted by Andrew Price

• A KFC Grows In Fallujah (Almost)

  Two weeks ago a report from a Marine public information officer trumpeted the establishment of Fallujah's first Kentucky Fried Chicken, carrying the picture above. Fox News picked up the story and ran with it. We're spreading democracy and popcorn chicken throughout the region! It's all gravy! KFC is the fried chicken in the gold mine�if it survives, things must be safe!
  
  
  
  But sadly, even Fox News' army of vigilant fact-checkers and guardians of veracity were duped. TPM Muckraker did some investigating and a Yum! Restaurants International spokesman told them: "This store is not approved by KFC International and we have working [sic] with the US Military to warn the troops of this situation." Watching this LiveLeak video of marines visiting the restaurant it seems pretty clear it's a knock-off.
  
  Thanks Nate!
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  • Date: Aug 05 2008
  • Posted by Andrew Price

• India's Art Market comes out with a big bang , promise to expand thrice of its size in 2009

  The recent Art Summit was the Indian art scene’s attempt to climb a new rung in its international aspirations, says NISHA SUSAN An astounding 10,000 art enthusiasts walked in to witness India’s First International Art Fair, India Art Summit(TM) 2008, firmly establishing it as a one stop destination for art in India. With an overwhelming mix of art collectors, artists, critics, curators, students and art enthusiasts from across India and overseas, the Summit achieved exactly what it set out to - making art, and the knowledge of art, accessible to a widespread audience. Commercially speaking, the fair clocked in a record sale of approximately 50%, with the 34 participating galleries selling over 280 artworks worth Rs.10 crores approximately. Given that the total value of the 550 artworks on display was approximately Rs. 20 crores, India Art Summit has emerged as one of the most successful first editions of any art fair across the world. With all eyes now on India, event producers Hanmer MS&L, have announced plans to schedule India Art Summit 2009 between 19th - 22nd August’ 2009 in New Delhi. Next year, the fair is proposed to be over three times bigger and applications are already pouring in from across India and world. While in the first year, the focus was largely on Indian art and Indian galleries, the second year will see participation from galleries across the world showcasing a sizeable array of artworks from different parts of the world. Ashok Art Gallery is a five-year old Delhi gallery that largely functions online. A mom-and-pop operation with a handful of unknown artists, Ashok Art Gallery has never had any exposure in the media. Their only previous art fair experience was with the Mumbai art expo earlier this year. As one among 35 galleries that participated in the recent India Art Summit (between August 22 and 25), Ashok Art Gallery did not expect to become front page news. But their 27-year-old Oriya artist Kanta Kishore’s marble sculptures of rolled-up newspapers were sold within hours of the fair’s opening. Gallerists Ashok Nayak and Kavita Vig, Kavita’s husband Bharat and septuagenarian mother-in-law watched astonished as the art young Indian superstar Subodh Gupta and politician Maneka Gandhi came to their stall. And in their wake, thousands of visitors and the press.Sculptures and installations sold almost as well as paintings, signalling a new trend. The panel of speakers and choice of topics at the Art Forum also drew many accolades and was deemed as amongst one of the best such initiatives of its kind, internationally. Mr. Sunil Gautam, Managing Director, Hanmer MS&L commenting on the fair said, “It is great to see that India Art Summit has emerged as the most inclusive collaborative art platform in India in it’s very first year. We believe that this initiative is a step in the right direction to put India on the global art fair circuit.” Commenting on the success of the fair, Mr. Philip Hoffman, Chief Executive, The Fine Art Fund said “The Indian market is very important in the global art scene and this fair is a major step. I can imagine this to be major fair in Asia competing alongside London, Miami and Basel in the next 5-10 years. The sales results of the fair seemed very impressive by comparison to other fairs in their first year.” Applications for participation in India Art Summit 2009 can be submitted at http://www.indiaartsummit.com India Art Summit - Backgrounder The art fraternity in India has for long felt a gap and the need for a collaborative industry platform in the country owing to the phenomenal growth and global interest in Indian art. While the art fraternity the world over gets numerous opportunities to interact and collaborate through various art fairs, biennales & expos, there was no such platform in India. Therefore the time was right for India to offer a suitable platform for art. The initiative has received invaluable recognition and endorsement from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and Sotheby’s. The Summit hopes to achieve the dual purpose of, on one hand, serving as a window for International collectors to get a single access point to Indian art and, on the other, exposing the Indian collectors to a range of global Art that will be showcased at the fair in the coming years. More than just a place for buying and selling art, this initiative will enable diverse stakeholders from India and around the world to come together and discuss the creative and commercial aspects of Indian art. Today, Indian art is greatly appreciated both internationally and within the country, annually growing at 30-35%, the Indian art market is currently worth Rs 1500 crores. The Indian art market has gone up by 485 percent in the last decade making it the fourth most buoyant art market in the world. The total auction market size of Indian art has changed from US $5 million in 2003 - just five years back - to nearly US $150 million this year.
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  • Date: Sep 04 2008
  • Posted by contemporary

• Online Retail Graveyard

  Aaaaand if this kind of thing really thrills you, you'll appreciate this web site dedicated entirely to dead malls. Thanks JBK, recreational mall scholar
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  • Date: Aug 13 2008
  • Posted by alexandra_m

• Doing Well By Doing Good - How Business Should Be!

  Lately, I’ve come to realize I qualify for being on the ‘lunatic-fringe of do-goodiness'. All my life, I’ve loved creating mutually-beneficial opportunities, and I tend to believe that most of us are this way – we’re happiest ‘doing well by doing good’. Sadly…too often the unfortunate few - who are clever and on the lunatic-fringe of bad-doing, tend to work their way into power and ruin things for the rest of us… Now, I’m standing up to represent the forces of good. I know more and more people are joining me. Seven years ago in Portland, Oregon, I founded DoughNation Services LLC – and became stunned to learn that not only had I founded a business, but apparently also created a new industry: donation services. The donation services industry proves ‘doing well by doing good’ is not only possible – it’s joyful. I believe this is the spirit that is meant to be at the center of how we conduct business locally, nationally and globally. DoughNation provides pickup, tax deduction documentation, and delivery for donations of quality clothing, furniture and household goods. Our most unique benefit is that the deductions we document for our clients actually get them back more money at tax time than they paid for service - usually at least 1½ again more than what they paid. Plus, we give people an easier way to help their community benefit from the good things they no longer use. There’s so much more in the donation services industry than this basic service. From working with families who had suffered the loss of a loved one, we created an amazing service called Gentle Disposition, where we clear an entire home through donation, recycling and disposal so that we can relieve that devastating burden and create as much benefit as possible from the things left behind. Similarly, we work with those who are downsizing to ease the stress of transition.. Walking this entrepreneurial road has been the most difficult journey for me ever – I never imagined it would be so difficult. Despite the hardships, build DoughNation and pioneering the donation services industry has been the most deeply fulfilling work I’ve ever done, and it was impossible for me to walk away from this wonderful work. Now, nearly seven years later, I’m so thankful I never quit. Two years ago I gained the best business partner I could imagine, Lorca Harrison, and with her we have begun reaching the next level, and the future looks bright. We have a nationwide vision for DoughNation and the donation services industry, and one day, I look forward to the joy of speaking before the national convention of the donation services industry. Until then….
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  • Date: Aug 07 2008
  • Posted by KimBreas