Gadling http://www.gadling.com Gadling http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.gadling.com/media/feedlogo.gif Gadling http://www.gadling.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[What the financial meltdown means for the future of globalization]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/20/what-the-financial-meltdown-means-for-the-future-of-globalizatio/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/20/what-the-financial-meltdown-means-for-the-future-of-globalizatio/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/20/what-the-financial-meltdown-means-for-the-future-of-globalizatio/#commentsFiled under:



There's been a lot of chatter recently over what the global financial crisis and impending recession means for the future of globalization. You see, critics have latched onto the recent failures of markets as the perfect argument for why we need to curb international economic integration.

Although many economists strongly argued for the impending dominance of emerging economies, I think the ongoing global financial crisis has really shown us that these developing countries have not decoupled from the developed ones. We haven't seen an unwinding of the US current account deficit, for instance, and in fact, in the last month, there has been a flight to safety to the dollar.

Thus, one detail to keep in mind is that while the relative growth of these emerging economies is quite impressive, their absolute economic power still does not yet rival that of the US, Japan, EU, etc for dominance. Furthermore, the spread of the global financial crisis to emerging economies (salient examples include Russia and China) signal that these markets have not achieved a degree of magnitude large enough to have decoupled from developed markets.

So what's really at stake here? It's pretty much accepted science that globalization, taken as a whole, has helped mankind to an unimaginable extent. That's not really being debated now. But that doesn't mean there aren't losers.

Continue reading What the financial meltdown means for the future of globalization

What the financial meltdown means for the future of globalization originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chinafinancial crisisFinancialCrisisglobalizationindiaThu, 20 Nov 2008 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Spy games: A look at North Korea's covert operations (part 2)]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/20/spy-games-a-look-at-north-koreas-covert-operations-part-2/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/20/spy-games-a-look-at-north-koreas-covert-operations-part-2/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/20/spy-games-a-look-at-north-koreas-covert-operations-part-2/#commentsFiled under:



Read part 1 of this post here. And for additional reading, be sure to check out former Gadling blogger Neil Woodburn's excellent series, "Infiltrating North Korea," from last year. I also reported from North Korea for The Washington Post and The Christian Science Monitor this August.

The Blue House raid in January of 1968, although daring to the point of insanity, marked the first of several failures in the North's efforts to liberate the South by instigating a grassroots communist revolution. The assassin squad had trained two years for the job, with every detail of the mission mapped out, including figuring out the right insignia on their fake ROK uniforms.

Yet they made several simple miscalculations due to these delusions of South Korean communist sympathies. For instance, on the first day in the South, they encountered four woodcutters; they proceeded to spend the next five hours indoctrinating them in DPRK ideology rather than racing to Seoul. Furthermore, the agents released the woodcutters, who immediately reported the incident to the military. As a result, the country was on high alert when the agents entered the capital.

Continue reading Spy games: A look at North Korea's covert operations (part 2)

Spy games: A look at North Korea's covert operations (part 2) originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[What to do after your flight gets canceled]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/what-to-do-after-your-flight-gets-canceled/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/what-to-do-after-your-flight-gets-canceled/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/what-to-do-after-your-flight-gets-canceled/#commentsFiled under: ,

My weekend sucked. On Friday, I was suppose to fly out to Pittsburgh to visit my girlfriend, but my flight was inexplicably canceled. Well, Continental did offer a reason--Newark was too windy to take-off. But the funny thing was US Airways had a flight that departed 50 minutes later, with no problems.

Isn't that wind fickle, I tell you. I should probably kick myself, considering my long-time policy to actively avoid flying on US Airways. As my girlfriends says, there honestly should be a rule that if US Airways flies, then everyone else should be forced to. I would call it the "bare-bottoms rule."

I did invoke Rule 240 at the ticket counter, which I wrote about a couple weeks ago--this little-known rule requires the major carriers to put you on another airline's flight, at no charge. But aside from this small victory, which got me nowhere because the US Airways flight was already booked full, I'm out over $100 for my troubles getting to and from the airport.

I did get a refund of the ticket, but I still feel miffed. What are my options? An executive e-mail bomb may be in order, but first, I'm going to try the "senior" customer service line. Last time I did that with US Airways, they gave me a $250 voucher on top of my flight refund.

What to do after your flight gets canceled originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hedonism Vacations: Spring Break for adults]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/hedonism-vacations-spring-break-for-adults/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/hedonism-vacations-spring-break-for-adults/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/hedonism-vacations-spring-break-for-adults/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Economic woes got you down? Here's a solution: party nude with the Aussies. A holiday resort in tropical Queensland has planned a month-long bacchinalian for guests to get their naked grooves on.

The White Cockatoo Resort, which is located near the town of Mossman, apparently operates on three levels of functionality: nudist, clothing optional and fully clothed for family fun. These occur at different times of year so that the kiddies don't get confused from the nudies.

Next March, they are going for a full-scale, adults only party month as a so-called 'hedonism resort'. I did a little digging and it turns out that the White Cockatoo is just one of dozens of places around the world to take a hedonist vacation.

Essentially, this sounds to me like the type of place where Joe Office would go to fulfill his wildest fantasies: eating food that's bad for you, walking around naked, drinking in the morning and going all-night clubbing. Like Spring Break for grown-ups.

Hedonism Vacations: Spring Break for adults originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hedonismnuderesortWed, 19 Nov 2008 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[What happens when you overload a donkey cart]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/what-happens-when-you-overload-a-donkey-cart/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/what-happens-when-you-overload-a-donkey-cart/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/what-happens-when-you-overload-a-donkey-cart/#commentsFiled under:

I don't usually Laugh-Out-Loud at silly Youtube videos, but I couldn't help it with this one. I think it's because the people who are busy trying to unload the cart are totally not realizing the absurdity of the situation (there's a donkey stuck in the air, let me just ruin it for you).

Bonus for any well-traveled Gadling reader. Can you guess where this was shot?

What happens when you overload a donkey cart originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[How do you poop on Mt. Everest?]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/how-do-you-poop-on-mt-everest/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/how-do-you-poop-on-mt-everest/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/how-do-you-poop-on-mt-everest/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

The days of poop-behind-a-rock be gone - a Nepali climber has recently started promoting the use of a packable toilet for hikers up the world's tallest mountain. Tired of the 965 kilos of waste he picked up during an expedition in May (including a corpse dating back to 1972! wtf!), Dawa Steven Sherpa is determined to make Mt. Everest a cleaner place.

His solution is the Luggable Loo - a portable bucket-cum-toilet that stores waste in a gas-impervious bag. This way, hikers will have a potty to sit on (plus!) but poop to haul out (not so much plus). The bags do their job to keep unwanted aromas from reaching expeditionists while they hike.

Still, if hauling your own waste out seems like too much trouble, what the hell are you doing climbing Mt. Everest anyway? Any good hiker knows that the first rule of messing with Mother Nature is to leave her exactly as you found her. That includes poop, too.

The loo retails from Cabela's Outfitters for $15 - not too shabby - and 6 of the "Doodie Bags" (as they are so named) will cost you $12.99. If I were Mr. Sherpa, I'd be handing these things out at the base camp. Who wants to clean up someone else's 20-year-old, iced-over poo anyway?

How do you poop on Mt. Everest? originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>greenmt. everesttoiletWed, 19 Nov 2008 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sex and the City: Beijing edition]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/sex-and-the-city-beijing-edition/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/sex-and-the-city-beijing-edition/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/sex-and-the-city-beijing-edition/#commentsFiled under: ,

Hehe, that might be a bit of false advertising on my part. So technically Sex and the City isn't coming to Beijing, though the movie version came out this May will undoubtedly show up in the Beijing pirated-DVD stalls.

No, what I'm talking about now are the "Sexy Beijing" videos that have been absolute hits with the expats. I myself lived off them this summer while working in Beijing. The series is a parody of Sex in the City, but set in Beijing, with a bumbling--but endearing--American expat substituting in for Carrie Bradshaw. The opening sequence alone is worth the watch.

Here are two. The first is about romance in Beijing.

Continue reading Sex and the City: Beijing edition

Sex and the City: Beijing edition originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beijingenglishromancesexWed, 19 Nov 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Spy games: A look at North Korea's covert operations (part 1)]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/spy-games-a-look-at-north-koreas-covert-operations-part-1/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/spy-games-a-look-at-north-koreas-covert-operations-part-1/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/19/spy-games-a-look-at-north-koreas-covert-operations-part-1/#commentsFiled under:



In celebration of the latest James Bond flick (granted, it was Die Another Day that featured blatant stereotypes about North Korean goons) and a longish piece in this week's Harper's on North Korea's propaganda machine, I thought I'd give a history lesson into a period of time when North Korea was even crazier than it may seem today (for instance, did you know some 30 North Korean spies managed to get all the way to Seoul and almost assassinated the South Korean president?).

But first, some blatant plugs for additional readings. Be sure to check out former Gadling blogger Neil Woodburn's excellent series, "Infiltrating North Korea," from last year. I also reported from North Korea for The Washington Post and The Christian Science Monitor this August. And if you're truly as obsessed about all this stuff as Neil and I, check out for part 2 tomorrow.

Anyways, so the North Korea of today, with its Lone Ranger worldview and its detachment with reality, can be traced back to the North Korea of the late 1960s, when it embarked on an unprecedented military and propaganda campaigns. But while the DPRK temporarily caused a fallout in US-ROK relations, the North failed to unify the peninsula as its heavy-handed military forays, following the "Vietnam Model", only solidified South Korean anti-communism sentiments. Yet perhaps the most important detail of all rests in not what was, but what might have been. Quoted in the summer of 1968 in the New York Times, a top US official exclaimed, "Few people realize how close we came to war."

Continue reading Spy games: A look at North Korea's covert operations (part 1)

Spy games: A look at North Korea's covert operations (part 1) originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>korean warKoreanWarnorth koreaNorthKoreasouth koreaSouthKoreaspiesWed, 19 Nov 2008 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[An artificial beach 300 meters from the real thing]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/an-artificial-beach-300-meters-from-the-real-thing/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/an-artificial-beach-300-meters-from-the-real-thing/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/an-artificial-beach-300-meters-from-the-real-thing/#commentsFiled under: ,

There's an absolutely amazing beach in Japan, filled with white sand, blue water, and a lapping wave. But this beach did not exist before 1993. It's known as the Ocean Dome, the most popular artificial beach in an arena that's quickly becoming fashionable. There's now artificial beaches in Monaco, Paris, Rotterdam, Toronto, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

The heated beach can accommodate 10,000 tourists, even though it's competing with plenty of other attractions on Kyushu Island - 1,500 kilometers south of Tokyo. The kicker is that there's an actual beach, which looks decent, 300 meters away. Talk about stiff competition.

Of course, if I was in Kyushu, I would definitely want to check out this place. First of all, the weather's always fantastic, since it's situated indoors. Then, there's the volcano. That's right, there's an artificial volcano that spews smoke every fifteen minutes and flames on the hour. If that's not enough entertainment, professional surfers can be found riding the waves.

You gotta love the Japanese. Check out the link below for some great shots. Absolutely spectacular.

Gallery: Japan's Ocean Dome

An artificial beach 300 meters from the real thing originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>artificial beachArtificialBeachbeachkyushuvolcanoesTue, 18 Nov 2008 20:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Why you should never travel on Acela Express]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/why-you-should-never-travel-on-acela-express/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/why-you-should-never-travel-on-acela-express/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/why-you-should-never-travel-on-acela-express/#commentsFiled under:

Last week I took Amtrak's high-speed train service, Acela Express, from New Haven to New York. My options were to take Metro-North, a commuter train which takes a little under two hours to get to New Haven, at a cost of $14.

The Acela train saved me about 15 minutes, but guess what, cost $60 more. Totally not worth it. First, the seats were not very big at all. You see, on most commuter trains, unless you're traveling at peak hours, you'll get the whole aisle to yourself. But Amtrak has airplane-style seats, uck right?

The Amtrak trains are also usually packed, since they do not run as often, so I had to deal with that. Plus, even though I was in a silent car, the carriage made a sqeaking sound whenever the train turned (I would advise you to sit in the middle of the car because of this).

I guess I'm not being quite fair, since the New Haven to New York stretch of the rail is the slowest in the Northeast Corridor. But I still advise you to save your money, and just book yourself on regular Amtrak. The seats are essentially the same size and you'll save at least 50%. And so what if you'll get there 15 minutes later, take the time to read a newspaper.

Why you should never travel on Acela Express originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[There's no one as Irish as Barack Obama]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/theres-no-one-as-irish-as-barack-obama/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/theres-no-one-as-irish-as-barack-obama/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/theres-no-one-as-irish-as-barack-obama/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

President-elect Barack Obama is truly multicultural. His heritage list has added up during this year's electoral race: Kenyan, Indonesian, Hawaiian, and Kansas'ian? Now it turns out that, like any good American mutt, Obama is Irish, too.

According to a search undertaken by Ancestry.co.uk, Obama's maternal roots can be traced to the village of Monegal in Ireland's County Offaly. Apparently the future President's great-grandfather was a shoemaker from the village who eventually emigrated to New York.

A musical group from the village, Hardy Drew and the Nancy Boys, has even written a song for the occasion.



The chorus of the song says: O'Leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara / There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama...
and the lyrics go on to suggest that Obama is as Irish bacon and cabbage and call for the President-elect to get his jig on doing Riverdance.

During the recent election hubbub, the villagers of Monegal have claimed Obama as their own and invited him to come and visit the village, with hopes that the President-elect's search for his Irish roots will also boost tourism to the quiet town.

There's no one as Irish as Barack Obama originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>heritageirelandobamarootssongTue, 18 Nov 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Product Review: iHome iP27 Portable Speaker System]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/product-review-ihome-ip27-portable-speaker-system/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/product-review-ihome-ip27-portable-speaker-system/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/product-review-ihome-ip27-portable-speaker-system/#commentsIf you're tired of being reduced to earphones to get your iPod groove on while travelling, Apple has come up with a new solution. The iP27 is the newest version of the iHome speaker line, a docking station that plays music directly from your iPod.

The iP27 has a nifty alarm clock functionality that allows you to wake up to your favorite tunes, along with remote volume and play/pause control. The speakers themselves fold down flat and slide into a carrying case, so all in all, the system is really geared for travelers.

The cons to this system are that the speakers lack a lot of bass, compromising the sound quality; and as well, there is no radio function (for those few times you want to catch up on your foreign news?). I've also heard that some older versions of iPod aren't compatible, but the Nanos and iPhones work just fine.

On the upside, the unit has an AA battery option and a downsized AC cord, so it's a bit sleeker and less space-consuming than it's iHome counterpart. Users of the iH27 probably won't notice too many differences in the two units.

Rationally, I can't think of any traveler that would actually use this unit, much less want to carry it around all over the place in their luggage. Definitely a geek-ified piece of equipment, but it will probably find its cult following.

Product Review: iHome iP27 Portable Speaker System originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alarm clockipodipod dockspeakersTue, 18 Nov 2008 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Should we be worried about China's rising economic dominance?]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/should-we-be-worried-about-chinas-rising-economic-dominance/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/should-we-be-worried-about-chinas-rising-economic-dominance/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/18/should-we-be-worried-about-chinas-rising-economic-dominance/#commentsFiled under:



There's been a growing chorus of China watchers who have been saying--for years now--that one day, it won't be annoying Americans overflowing the world's greatest cities, but equally annoying Chinese tourists. But there'll be even more of them, as China's middle class is predicted to explode from something like 6 percent of their 1.3 billion population right now to 45 percent in 2020.

I don't doubt that this will be true one day. The question is, though, will that day be any time soon? Given the recent global meltdown, many have seen a monumental shift in economic power, from America and the west to China and the east (as well as other regions with emerging markets, such as Russia and South America). But the market crashes in a wide swatch of developing countries have really brought this "decoupling" theory--in which emerging markets are no longer linked to the fate of the US economy--into question.

I think to examine this shift in economic power and to answer the bigger question of should we be worried, it may be effective to look at one small part of the puzzle: initial public offerings (IPOs). You remember those from the heady tech-bubble days, right?

Continue reading Should we be worried about China's rising economic dominance?

Should we be worried about China's rising economic dominance? originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>financial crisisFinancialCrisisfniipomeltdownTue, 18 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA['Workingman's Death' Film Review: Dirty jobs, global edition]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/17/workingmans-death-film-review-dirty-jobs-global-edition/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/17/workingmans-death-film-review-dirty-jobs-global-edition/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/17/workingmans-death-film-review-dirty-jobs-global-edition/#commentsFiled under:



Michael Glawogger's "sequel" to Megacities (which I reviewed last week in two installments, part 1 and part 2), Workingman's Death, also documents the plight of workers from around the globe. It is not meant of course, by any means, to be Megacities II.

His style has evolved in the last few years, from a more experimental approach in Megacities, with its exploration of staged shots, unorthodox soundtrack, and a complete lack of structure to a more traditional documentary approach in Workingman's Death.

In Workingman's Death, Glawogger hews a more traditional approach to documentary filmmaking than in Megacities. He rejects reenactments, but he also does not favor the shaky first-person style common to many documentaries. Rather, he crafts his images with close attention to traditional cinematic forms-composition, color, lighting, camera movement-which juxtaposes with the jumbled and often jarring sights within these alien workplaces. Even without reenactments of intimate moments-the dehumanizing striptease scene in Megacities, for example-Glawogger still conveys, through the contrast of time and place, a poignant sense of personal narrative.

Continue reading 'Workingman's Death' Film Review: Dirty jobs, global edition

'Workingman's Death' Film Review: Dirty jobs, global edition originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>documentaryfilmglawoggerworkingmans deathWorkingmansDeathMon, 17 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Putting out fake fires]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/15/putting-out-fake-fires/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/15/putting-out-fake-fires/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/15/putting-out-fake-fires/#commentsFiled under:

Ever wondered what the scene of a runway accident looks like? This might be the closest you'll get: one photographer has captured some interesting shots of crews going through air disaster simulations.

Apparently at JFK, you can actually see the simulation rig they use--"an intimidating black oblong structure situated dangerously close to one of the runways."

The photographer also traveled to the sites of a few actual accidents, which provides for more of a somber mood. Check it all out here.

But remember, flying is still much safer than driving!

Putting out fake fires originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accidentsphotographySat, 15 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Watching Seven Years in Tibet]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/14/watching-seven-years-in-tibet/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/14/watching-seven-years-in-tibet/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/14/watching-seven-years-in-tibet/#commentsFiled under: ,

I've been on somewhat of a movie spree lately--I think it may have just a little to do with my new Netflix account.

I don't know why I haven't seen Seven Years in Tibet, seeing as Tibet is near the top of my top dream destinations. The movie really exceeded my expectations, I guess it helps the story takes place during the 1940s, an action-packed period with WWII and the birth of modern China. Oh, and the whole annexation of Tibet thing.

What's particularly well-done about the movie is how they played off the political issue. I didn't think it was overly preachy; in fact, it really touched me how director David Thewlis chose to illustrate the oppression of the Tibetans by Communist Chinese. Watch the movie if you want to know more about their history and on-going plight.

And lastly, the landscapes are pretty gorgeous, though most of what you see was technically filmed in Argentina (there's 20 minutes of footage secretly shot from within Tibet). On a lighter note, Brad Pitt was given the dubious honor of third worst accent in a movie for his portrayal of Heinrich Harrer.

Watching Seven Years in Tibet originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>tibetFri, 14 Nov 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA['Megacities' Film Review: An eye-opening tour of the world's greatest cities (part 2)]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/14/megacities-film-review-an-eye-opening-tour-of-the-worlds-gre/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/14/megacities-film-review-an-eye-opening-tour-of-the-worlds-gre/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/14/megacities-film-review-an-eye-opening-tour-of-the-worlds-gre/#commentsFiled under:



Read part 1 of my review.

Megacities in particular features a rather unorthodox audio track that escapes categorization. While Workingman's Death employs a soundtrack composed by the industrialist musician John Zorn, Megacities relies on the "discarded" sounds of the local environments and cultures to fashion a coherent narrative voice. In this way, Glawogger becomes one of the refuse-combers that he films in Mexico City and Mumbai, gleaning what others in a global consumer society have left behind.

He astutely employs sound to highlight the absurdity of everyday situations-the squishing of headless chickens flapping around in a bloody oilcan, the overly-saccharine Latino pop music playing during the striptease, triumphant blares of unseen trumpets during an awkward photo shoot of Mexican soccer players, who happen to be standing next to a trash heap.

Continue reading 'Megacities' Film Review: An eye-opening tour of the world's greatest cities (part 2)

'Megacities' Film Review: An eye-opening tour of the world's greatest cities (part 2) originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>documentariesdocumentarymegacitiesworkingmans deathWorkingmansDeathFri, 14 Nov 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Product Review: On-the-go business footwear (with Gore-Tex)]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/14/product-review-on-the-go-business-footwear-with-gore-tex/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/14/product-review-on-the-go-business-footwear-with-gore-tex/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/14/product-review-on-the-go-business-footwear-with-gore-tex/#commentsIf you guys don't know already, New Haven is a wet place. So I was really excited to find a pair of dress shoes made out of Gore-Tex. The Berlin GTX, which retails for about $200, have been an absolute critical part of my wardrobe. In fact, I just wore them to a lunch dinner with Ted Sorenson, one of JFK's closest advisers (I did make the mistake of wearing jeans, but these shoes at least got me through the door).

Best of all, the GTX is really for people on the go. I'm thinking in particular of those long treks through the airport. My old pair really made my soles hurt just from the walk between the security checkpoint and the gate.

And if you somehow do get them wet--I'm thinking the only case this would happen is if you ford a river--the removable Ecco Comfort Fiber System (ok they might have went a little far with the marketing) means you'll have a dry shoe in no time. But again, I can't emphasis enough how clutch the Gore-Tex has been in keeping my feet dry; I think it also helps keeping everything down there aerated.

The only downside is the shoes came with the laces all mistied. I tried relacing, and this may be a sign of my stupidity rather than anything on Gore-Tex's part, but even now, the laces pop out on the inside of the shoes. Again, I think I'm just rather thick-headed.

There's a couple other styles that I've found on the Gore-Tex site.

Product Review: On-the-go business footwear (with Gore-Tex) originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessweardress shoesDressShoesgore-texshoesFri, 14 Nov 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[What social network should you be on?]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/13/what-social-network-should-you-be-on/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/13/what-social-network-should-you-be-on/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/13/what-social-network-should-you-be-on/#commentsFiled under: ,

I've really only bothered with Facebook, but apparently that makes me out of the loop with some 80% of the world. It's a bit curious that certain social networks are popular with specific countries, some that aren't even on the same continent. For instance, Orkut is wildly popular in Brazil and India. In America, MySpace is king, though by far for the 20-something generation, it's Facebook. Take a look, and see what you're suppose to be using.


What social network should you be on? originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Thu, 13 Nov 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA['Megacities' Film Review: An eye-opening tour of the world's greatest cities]]>http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/13/megacities-film-review-an-eye-opening-tour-of-the-worlds-gre/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/13/megacities-film-review-an-eye-opening-tour-of-the-worlds-gre/http://www.gadling.com/2008/11/13/megacities-film-review-an-eye-opening-tour-of-the-worlds-gre/#commentsFiled under:



Think you know New York or Moscow? That you've seen all the sights in Mexico City or even took a tour of the slums of Mumbai? Well, you haven't seen anything until you watch Megacities by Michael Glawogger, one of my favorite documentaries. It'll take you to places and people in these four megacities that you've never seen. Oh, and the cinematography!

"I don't use beauty filters!" says Austrian filmmaker Michael Glawogger, concerning his 1998 documentary, Megacities. "If the place wouldn't have beauty in itself, it's not possible for me to make it look beautiful." Through a mastery of cinema aesthetics-from color and composition to the mixing of the soundtrack and manipulation of the scene transitions-Glawogger infused the apocalyptic urban wastelands he saw, a world populated by blue-dyed men, knife-wielding hustlers, and sagging prostitutes in the nude, with an aura of the surreal.

This film reject standard documentary conventions, such as the use of voiceovers and a strict narrative arc; yet they ultimately offer, through their flipbook storytelling structure, a coherent narrative of a world in flux, buffeted by unseen forces of globalization.


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'Megacities' Film Review: An eye-opening tour of the world's greatest cities originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>glawoggermexico cityMexicoCitymumbainew yorkNewYorkThu, 13 Nov 2008 09:30:00 EST