by Ou Ning

Ever after the country’s economic reforms, Chinese cities have always been influenced by the American model. In particular, the development of suburban housing connected to city centres by highways has become standard. For a long time, automobiles have been a symbol of modernisation. Commuting to the city office from a suburban residence becomes a much desired image of the bourgeoisie. But in fact, such city zoning is a total loss. Panyu, Guangzhou, is a typical case of failure. Because of the development of the so-called Huanan banukuai, the population in Panyu increased rapidly. Luoxiqiao (Luoxi bridge)is overloaded by the busy traffic and is always congested. Furthermore, as many developers are no longer willing to pay for public facilities, whose construction costs were supposedly included in their land costs according to the authority’s idealistic computation, such services are all lacking. People now live in exquisite houses in the suburb, but take pain to squeeze through the congested traffic for necessities like schooling and medical services in the city. Not really better off than the poor.

In lieu of an in-depth front page story today, here’s a collection of front pages from Chinese newspapers who marked the death of pop superstar Michael Jackson:

Most of the headlines are variations on either “Michael Jackson dies” or “Goodbye Michael.” A few newspapers went with something different, but the usual punning headlines that accompany major international news stories were fairly uncommon:

• Dongguan Times (东莞时报): “The Whole World Mourns”
• Chengdu Evening News (成都晚报): “Farewell to a Legend”
• New Information (新消息报): “The King Will Not Return”
• Modern Express (现代快报): “Heaven Gets the Moonwalk”
• City Evening News (城市晚报): “Remember”
• Chinese Business View (华商报): “The Black and White Life of a Lonely King”

In addition, major online news portals like Sina, Sohu (auto-plays music), and even Xinhuanet collected news, music, photos, and memories from Chinese and foreign media.

via http://www.danwei.org/front_page_of_the_day/a_nation_mourns_for_michael_ja.php

Photos of the league’s top 10 players in action formed the templates for the posters. The players themselves were then invited to a studio to create custom poster designs — silk-screening the images on top of one another in various combinations. As the case-study video and the judges noted, the “posters became the battlefield.”

http://adage.com/cannes09/article?article_id=137548

http://www.damndigital.com/archives/2456 

The intention was to create a system with Mandalas interacting with the user. It was inspired by Carl G. Jung’s notes, that said “schizophrenics use figures in concentric circles in a instinctive impulse to reorganize imagination.”

The four-story building that houses the bar Vesper at 493 Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill collapsed shortly before 2 p.m.

The collapse also badly damaged the apartment building next door at 491 Myrtle. Councilwoman Letitia James, who was at the scene, said that it would have to be demolished. All told, at least 14 people were left homeless.

493 Myrtle was cited on May 1 by the Buildings Department for having a crack running up the east exterior wall from the ground floor to the roof, as well as separation cracks on the interior on the third and fourth floors.

Article.

Masahiro Karino is a Japanese graphic designer with a keen eye for logical process to his creations. In his contributing theory ‘A dream of typography’ for the published book ‘Lead Between the Lines’, he constructed a logically (grammatically) organised theory about translation of music into graphics. This logical method to visualise sound also has an angle to think about relationship between matters and language, which is influenced by research in thought of Ludwig Wittgenstein.

His final projects ‘does typography dream of music? & musicological typography’ can be seen as one of the realization of his logical method with music and typography. This achievement of two years pursuing his passion for conceptualising creations has been also evaluated as class of distinction.

He directs now this logical theory to expanding into more general sounds to graphics. He believes this translation could approach various visualisation in indescribable elements in a project. This is his intention of design that a designed object is a communication instrument, which harmonises an element of creation with a communicated motif, and the harmonised object also have an indescribable element of the motif.

http://www.masahirokarino.info/

PieLab, the newest eatery to open in Greensboro, Alabama, would be a familiar space to creatives who frequent their local cafes. It’s a place you can order a slice of Chocolate Bourbon Pecan pie, maybe some lemonade or coffee, read a book, sketch a picture, review the day’s headlines with your neighbors. Except PieLab is not really a cafe, it’s a space created by fourteen designers as part of the design-for-good movement Project M, hoping to draw the community in to a neutral space for conversation and connections. And of course, because of one very obvious reason: Who doesn’t like pie?

http://roxik.com/pictaps/

http://labs.opera.com/news/2009/04/01/ 

Dear Visitor,

I gotta warn you! Before you click through my large collection of photos, you should not forget, what you hear and read daily in of your home countrys’s media about China’s boom.

They talk about “The Sleeping Giant”. About “The Birth of the New Super Power” or “The Awakening of the Red Dragon”. Often with a strange kind of undertone, which is supposed to frighten us. The reality definitely looks more peaceful.

For years I’ve been fascinated by the country and the people. Whenever I linger through the boom town Shanghai, I carry my snap shot camera with me. Because at every corner you can discover people that either are napping in the strangest positions and situations, or are even snoring, while in a deep sleep. The missing mattresses and pillows are noteworthy!

The calmness, the flexibility and the adaptability of those, who are jointly responsible for the revival of China fascinate me. I would be happy, if I could bring over some of these feelings to you.

Now, enjoy a selection from my collection of over 700 photos SLEEPINGCHINESE.

Yours,

Bernd

 http://www.sleepingchinese.com/

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — City police faked the murder of Kermen Basangova in an attempt to ensnare her deputy, who was plotting to kill her. Above, newscasts of the phony crime. There was confusion the next morning when she came to work.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/world/europe/17petersburg.html?_r=1&ref=global-home 

http://www.kkoutlet.com/player/index.php?video=11-diesel.flv

http://www.wkshanghai.com/guidebook/  by WK Shanghai 

Posted on June 8, 2009 by Salmaan Khan

Just moments ago, we stood with Mayor Bloomberg, Speaker Quinn, Borough President Stringer, Congressman Nadler, and other leaders and supporters and cut the ribbon on the High Line, officially opening the first section to the public. This historic day is the culmination of ten years of advocacy, planning and construction, and we’re so grateful to everyone who has helped make this opening possible.

We expect many visitors from the neighborhood, from across New York City, and from around the world to come get a first glimpse in our opening season. We hope you will visit us in the coming days and weeks, and see for yourself the beautiful, one-of-a-kind new park you have helped us build. When you come up for the first time, remember that the landscape is still young, and it will continue to evolve through its first season and beyond. We hope it becomes a place you’ll want to return to again and again.

PLEASE NOTE: If you plan on visiting us in the next few days, please plan on entering the High Line through the Gansevoort Street access point. You will be able to exit the park through any of its access points.