Without the state

Remembering Jane Jacobs

She loved cities and celebrated the life that teems within them. She articulated better than anyone how the best ideas about making cities great come not from theories and master plans but from careful observation of what goes on around us.

Slippery slope...

In a world of ever more government intrusion into our lives, here is another - what does it matter after all, so long as the minidisc player isn't a minor?

Found via a comment here (always worth reading) which led to here, and in turn to here and to the link above.

Everything you ever need to know...

about shoelaces!
[via Rebecca]

From the same source - how to fold a t-shirt in 5 seconds

FEMA's dirty little secret

Refugees from Katrina living in FEMA accommodation cannot give interviews without a FEMA minder present.

Jane Jacobs dies

Jane Jacobs, renowned writer on urban planning issues, died in Toronto on Tuesday morning.

Welcome to the apocalypse #2

Welcome to the apocalypse #2, originally uploaded by ibanda.

I'm not gloomy - really! This just happened!

Based on a photograph taken from the viewing gallery of the Empire State Building.

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My new website is operational where you can order copies of selected images online.

Panchromatica Images

If you see anything on Flickr you would like a print from, get in touch and I will see what I can do. Special rates for flickr members!

Also see here for craft items

Crafts & etc

Social Enterprise

Young, gifted and not for profit.

In the 19th century, it was charities that changed society, charities responding to the new urban problems of industrialisation.

In the 21st century it may be time for something new: social entrepreneurship, for example.

It means taking a business eye to the problems of society, and then applying a business imperative to get things done, but without the profit motive.

Even the Beeb seems to be waking up to the idea!

I wouldn't have thought it possible but...

 

This past year, for the first time since the pit of the Great Depression, we in the United States managed to drive our annual personal saving rate below zero.      

What this basically means, on the surface, is that all of us together, as a group, spent every dollar of household income we had leftover after taxes, plus another half a cent that we must have borrowed.

A pretty amazing feat for the most powerful economy on the planet - but for how long?

The implications are pretty terrifying really...

When we see householders as a group choosing to save none of their current income, preferring instead to use it all for current consumption, we can infer that they do not value the future enough to save for it.

Fading away

Fading away, originally uploaded by ibanda.

Posting will be light for a while - deadlines looming.

Oh God this is familiar...

Charlie Brooker in today's Guardian:

Install this driver. Now update it. Now update it again. Register to login to our website. Then validate your membership. Forgot your password? Click here. Now there. Fill out this form. And this one. And this one. Please wait while TimeJettison Pro examines your system. Download latest patch file. Please wait while patch file examines own navel. Remove cable. Insert cable. Gently tease USB port with cable. Yeah, that's it baby. That's the way. Now show us your bum or I'm deleting your inbox.