tumble77

» What's Wrong with the Culture of Wall Street?

one of the key reasons why the culture of Wall Street has not changed is precisely because we — as in most Americans — are so tied up in it. Our 401(k)s and our pension funds are tied up in Wall Street doing well, even if we don’t think this particular system of short-term bonuses and liquid culture is a good long-term strategy.

“ The generous attitude towards failure that big cities afford is invaluable—it’s how things get created. In a small town everyone knows about your failures, so you are more careful about what you might attempt.

— David Byrne’s Perfect City

Rodrigo Level, Sao Paolo - unurth - street art

“ The things that make it inefficient are part of what makes it so valuable to people.

—

HBS Cases: Customer Feedback Not on elBulli’s Menu — HBS Working Knowledge

Adrià says he doesn’t listen to customers, yet his customers are some of the most satisfied in the world.

Robert Sapolsky: The Uniqueness of Humans

“ Born in the 1950s, raised on comic book dreams of exploring deep space in a rocket ship, NASA showed a lot of promise as youngster. As NASA grew up, everyone told it to be realistic, focus on practical things closer to home: Velcro, Tang, pens that work upside down. Sure, it was taking care of its responsibilities, but its dreams faded away. Where did the last three decades go?

— Modcult: Wrenching on the Moon

thedailywhat:

Sold Out Tee of the Day: “It’s A Trap” by Matt Leyen.

Was Woot’s Shirt of the Day, but is presently sold out (!). Will presumable be back tomorrow (?). Check here for updates on where it might print next.

[woot.]

“ taking the fear and discomfort and embarrassment out of art

— Stephen Fry: The internet and Me

“ Language is an anonymous, collective and unconscious art; the result of the creativity of thousands of generations… Language is the most massive and inclusive art we know, a mountainous and anonymous work of unconscious generation.

— Edward Sapir via Daily Meh

NPR’s David Gilkey on Photographing Haiti

“ as if giving two shits about the world has gotten crushed under the boot sole of postmodernism

— The Death of Fiction? | Mother Jones

Thanks to the legendary John Clarke and Bryan Dawe from Australia’s A Current Affair, via Julia Whitty of MotherJones

When the front falls off of an oil tanker.

“ He seems sad. Regretful. As much as determined. — And admitted to mistakes. — “You don’t quit, I don’t quit”…headline?

— STEVE COLL, REBECCA MEAD, JOSEPH SCAREESHO
Live Chat: State of the Union: News Desk : The New Yorker

“ Ironic distance from his own campaign. Kind of amazing.

— STEVE COLL: Live Chat: State of the Union: News Desk : The New Yorker

“ Obama: acknowledging people’s anger and the justice of it, but always drawing the discussion back to rational, pragmatic grounds.

— James Surowiecki of the New Yorker on President Barack Obama’s 2010 State of the Union