• “Over It” – The rant of an angry, Agnostic, British, Indo-Pakistani woman of Muslim heritage. | .

  Brilliant “rant” (not really a rant, more like good old common sense)!
  QUOTE
  I am over members of my community putting pre-pubescent girls in a hijab when they are not even old enough to understand or give consent to this. I am over the fact that so many parents don’t understand that they are sexually objectifying their own daughter since the intention of the hijab is predominantly to conceal the sexual attraction of women from men.
  UNQUOTE

  tags: the_opinionista fundamentalism islamism opinion feminism britain muslim

• Susan Cain: The power of introverts | Video on TED.com

  Been following Susan Cain’s work for a while – this is a lovely TED presentation she gave in Feb.2012.
  QUOTE
  In a culture where being social and outgoing are prized above all else, it can be difficult, even shameful, to be an introvert. But, as Susan Cain argues in this passionate talk, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated.
  UNQUOTE

  tags: ted_conference susan_cain introversion introverts

• Evgeny Morozov: The IGod: Steve Jobs’s Pursuit Of Perfection—and The Consequences. | The New Republic

  Brilliant article about Steve Jobs and Apple, by Evgeny Morozov. Here’s something to think about: Jobs as Henry Ford, radically changing the landscape (or: the internet) with his inventions and innovations…
  QUOTE
  On the surface, the car analogy seems flawless: both technologies allowed customers to do what they wanted, and boosted their autonomy, and gave them more choices about how to live their lives. But as any environmentalist, urbanplanning activist, or committed cyclist can attest, liberation was only one part of the impact that the automobile had on how we live, especially in America. Congestion, pollution, suburban sprawl, the decline of public transportation, the destruction of public space in the name of building more highways—these are only some of the less discussed effects of the automobile. Of course, the automobile did not have the same effects everywhere—compare how easy and pleasant it is to get around without a car in Portland versus Dallas—so simple appeals to technological determinism, or to the zeitgeist, or to the canonical myths about how the automobile would transform and liberate our culture, do not explain very much. Some cities and communities simply approached the automobile with the kind of philosophical sensibility that Jobs applied to his washing machine, and others did not.
  UNQUOTE

  tags: evgeny_morozov steve_jobs apple innovation

• The Struggle for a Bigger Paris | stephanekirkland.com

  Fascinating history and analysis of the politics that have made Paris the political entity it is today. Conclusion:
  QUOTE
  We know from history that any institutional change in the governance of cities is a long and difficult process. Today, the issue is clear, the potential solutions are limited, and the months following the presidential election are a rare political window of opportunity. It will be fascinating to see if Greater Paris is able to organize itself to meet its challenges, if it will give itself a government appropriate to the ambition it needs to have for the future, or if it will continue to wallow in the gridlock of individual interests being put before those of the metropolis.
  UNQUOTE

  tags: paris stephane_kirkland amalgamation politics cities

• Can a new typeface inspire greatness in a city? | SmartPlanet

  Who would have thunk? Interesting video.
  QUOTE
  A city’s typeface. It’s not the first thing I think of when I imagine ways to make a city great, but in Chattanooga, Tenn. they make a strong case for the importance of having a custom typeface for the city.
  UNQUOTE

  tags: chattanooga typeface design urban_design branding smartplanet

• Short film captures the importance of ‘thinking cities’ | SmartPlanet

  Must-see.
  QUOTE
  The film, “Thinking Cities,” focuses on how cities are using Information Communications Technology (ICT) to start to come up with these solutions. It highlights interesting projects in cities like Boston, Seattle, and Stockholm where ICT is being used right now to address issues like waste, energy use, and civic engagement.
  UNQUOTE

  tags: cities geoffrey_west urbanization smartplanet

• Egg-making stem cells found in adult women | SmartPlanet

  Not surprised, actually:
  QUOTE
  …this week, scientists revealed that adult women have ovarian stem cells that are capable of becoming eggs.
  UNQUOTE

  tags: smartplanet fertility women

• Tribal Plan | Metropolis Magazine

  2009 article about Ziba’s (then-new) HQ, which I visited recently when I attended GOOD Ideas for Cities. It’s a knock-out space and building, very beautiful. I found the following passage intriguing, given the interest in ‘pinning’…
  QUOTE
  The workstations are situated amid an interlocking sequence of podlike meeting rooms connected by sliding doors. It’s in these rooms that teams spend most of the workday, pinning their inspirations and ideas to the walls. “At first they were looking at one big room for everything,” says Jeff Stuhr, one of Holst’s two founders. “But we suggested a sequence of intimate spaces that you could journey through.”
  UNQUOTE

  tags: pinning ziba metropolis_magazine brian_libby portland architecture design

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Posted: 03|4|12 at 9:30 am. Filed under: links.

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