Some economists are even predicting recession before year’s end, saying recently imposed currency and trade restrictions, high inflation, price controls and capital flight are making it tougher to protect Argentina from the global slowdown.
Because: Any Argentine over the age of 11 already has suffered from a crisis that slashed their (or their family’s) savings. They don’t deserve to go through it all over again.
Because: So many of my friends and classmates attended Rutgers. In fact, my little sister heads there for school next year. I have a hard time believing this happened at a place liberal (I say that because it’s New Jersey; ignore that Christie’s at the helm) and fun-loving place as people have described Rutgers to me. Ravi’s involvement in the whole situation, his reaction and all; it’s unsettling.
Because: Buenos Aires has had hipsters since I moved here and probably long before that, too, people just didn’t know the word. (Side analysis: That would have made them the ultimate hipsters, right?) I would describe a bar, like Caracas with stenciled street art adorning its internal walls and its outdoor ping pong table, to an Argentine friend as “hipster” and they would look at my quizzically, with no concept of what I was trying to get across. This breaks it all right down, because apparently all of them watch Mad Men, ride bikes and listen to Foster the People.
The most humorous part about this to me is that I learned I apparently live in a hipster neighborhood. Colegiales or bust!
Because:This is an important read. Be prepared, because many of the cited numbers and facts in this story are shocking. Maybe my generation isn’t idling because it’s/we’re too idealist and want to follow our “passions” rather than support ourselves, but because we really can’t do it. I have to say, this has me concerned for mine—and our—future.
Now on to plans for celebrating my 24th birthday, which is tomorrow.
Because: I deeply love this. It speaks so much about Sendak and his work, as well as the sweet innocence of childhood. I remember Mrs. Sandberg in the Walter C. Black elementary school library, where the walls were painted with versions of Sendak’s own wild things.
I recommend listening to Sendak’s Fresh Air interviews, as well as with Stephen Colbert. They’re both very different types of interviews, the latter often heartrendingly frank and the former comedic, but both very revelatory.
Because:That sounds about right. When people ask me if this city is expensive or cheap, I always have to give the ambivalent answer of “yes and no.” The bus costs about .25 USD to ride, but I feel as though I’m in on some secret if I find a decent-looking pair of shoes for less than $75 USD.
And conversely, articles about Argentina are almost always very negative in tone — they’re irresponsible, they’re renationalizing some industries, they talk populist, so they must be going very badly.
Because: Hmm. I agree credit should be given where credit is due. In the interviews I conducted for my last Businessweek piece, everyone did say the Argentine economy was doing pretty well, especially in comparison with the rest of the world, but there were all these exasperated-sounding comments about how it could be doing so much better. I think it’s like that kid who never applied himself in school growing up. You can say “you could do so well if you applied yourself,” but, if you don’t, you don’t.
The bad magic here is that people can no longer see this work as a painting. Now people look at The Scream or Van Gogh’s Irises or a Picasso and see its new content: money. Auction houses inherently equate capital with value. The price of a work of art has nothing to do with what the work of art is, can do, or is worth on an existential, alchemical level.
Because: I greatly admire Saltz’s work. He brings the art world into the mainstream media, often controversially, in the way few other journalists or critics do. I recommend reading the comments, too, as readers are unafraid to question his ideas or choice of words.
Because:I think it’s these types of people, ones who might not ever envision themselves as business owners, who can create and run businesses best. They do it because some idea or motivation is so arresting they have to follow through. That is where you compassion behind passion and ideals people can get behind personally and professionally.
