jorge.cortell.net

In this cute decorative vinyl from chispum.com, the message says: “I want a boyfriend who only wants to sleep with me (and nobody else)”.

October knew, of course, that the action of turning a page, of ending a chapter or of shutting a book, did not end a tale.

“The man who was October”, G. K. Chesterton

Breakfast: Au Bon Pain, Le Pain Quotidien, and Europa Cafe.

October 9th

• Greek restaurant Molyvos

October 10th

• PeaceBar
• Candle Cafe

October 11th

• Indian restaurant Sapphire
• Gobo

October 12th

• Caravan of Dreams
• Souen Organic Macrobiotic (Union Square)

October 13th

• Angelica’s Kitchen
• Trattoria dell’Arte

October 14th

• Zen Palate
• Baltazar

October 15th

• Villagenatural
• Mana

October 16th

• Bonobo
• Back to Souen Organic Macrobiotic (this time 28 East 13th St)

October 17th

• Back to Angelica’s Kitchen
• Italian restaurant Abboccato

October 18th

• Moby’s tea house Teany

On Sunday October 9th we went to NY. Travel went smoothly and without anecdotes. We arrived, left things in the hotel (with its spectacular penthouse lounge that we had no time to visit) and we went for dinner (all the restaurants visited, here). Without exaggeration, from Monday 10 to Tuesday 18, virtually the entire time we were looking for apartments, visiting flats with and without agent, meeting with real estate agents, collecting information for signing the lease … and the first thing we noticed is that without a local phone, it was all much more difficult. Note for my next life: rent a phone upon arrival at the airport if I do something like this again (and if possible, with data, to view mails, maps, etc). Another thing that was needed was to open bank accounts (savings and checkings, both business and personal). We had to go 3 times, because there were missing papers, ID numbers, etc.. But in the end we succeeded. The main problem with the apartment was that we started looking for “an impossibility” (no-fee, good, nice, cheap … and in Manhattan!). By the time we realized we needed an agent, and then we had to raise the price limit, we had already spent almost half of the days available. In addition there were occasional “breaks” as having to visit an interesting prospect on Friday, or meet with immigration attorney in the spectacular Mandarin Oriental Lobby Lounge(Columbus Circle) on Monday.

View from the living room

In the end, after ruling out co-ops (because they demand a lot more paperwork, including personal interview, which could not be done since we had to return to Spain) we opted for 10 East 29th Madison Belvedere (between 5th Avenue and Madison Avenue). Just before leaving for the airport, we delivered all the papers in PDF and now we must wait for verification by an outside company (On-site), which, in the worst case,will make us pay the full year in advance.

Sundeck

Compared to renting apartments, the office was very simple: since we knew we wanted the power and flexibility of a co-working space, we visited several. First Projective Space, which we liked a lot, but it was already full. Then General Assembly, which is very well organized but conveys too cool of a formula, almost forced. We did not like GreenSpaces (somber, silent, isolated…). We went through WeCreate (sad), and went a couple of times DogPatchLabs, which was not bad, but because we could not meet with Matt, we ended up settling on NewWorkCity: a very cool place, with energy, flexibility, where the atmosphere is playful, well located…Perfect! (if it wasn’t because the immigration attorney says that we will need a “lease of physical space”, so we might still need to rent a second office).

Now, assuming everything goes well, to unravel the puzzle of move-buying appliances and furniture.

PS: at least we had a chance to visit the MoMA (always feel at home there).

From works to characters the list of plagiarism in mainstream media and culture is staggering. Read also the comments for further info and discussion.

It even happens between Harvard scholars!

Know of any comprehensive list of plagiarism? Let us know!

Governments that use stats to lie, that shamelessly change political stands, that pocket millionaire’s paychecks and retirements in even in times of crisis, that steal from citizens with any excuse, that do not care to spend 400$ or 600,000€ in a logo, that allow an out of control financial system (and force lower interest to finance a war driven by personal economic interests in a time that required higher interests) which places us at the edge of the cliff and dares to “rescue them” with everybody’s money, with a cost higher than which would be needed to end poverty in the world, and not making any changes so it does not happen again in the financial or food markets … all this and more, with complete impunity. Or even mockery (as when they propose to rescue the economy faking an alien invasion).

Wouldn’t it be better not to have a government? It looks so.

Wake up, please! Before the start their automated repression machine after you for breaking laws without you even knowing it, pass absurd laws making impossible freedom of expression online, and do it with the “voluntary collaboration” of large companies… and your passivity, ignorance and fear.

We all know TED. But there is a lot of information and academic material freely available online. Luckily that material is growing (education and science have always been areas which, unlike what copyrights zealots might want you to think, have grown thanks to sharing knowledge).

Some examples that I have found amazing:

- Integrative Biology, UCBerkley (English)

- Videos from Nobel lectures at Gustavus Adolphus College (English)

- Lectures on current neuroscience issues by Professor Francisco Rubia (Spanish)

Everyday 156,000 people die in the world. Yesterday a Mexican flower seller died from shot wounds, a Chinese mother died giving birth, a Turkish photographer died, a kid soldier was killed in Uganda, a Japanese widower died in love, and an American computer entrepreneur died, amongst others.

Keep thinking different.