A colorful array of all that is old

Accepting a new position for a local online newspaper has a way of eating up my time. That said, I'm harldy one for twiddling my thumbs during extra hours. Somewhere in the mix of my various daily tasks- both big and small- I always manage to fit in quality time for design. Home design, that is.

While I'm certainly no collector, I have long had an appreciation for vintage wares- from furnishings to art, books to jewelry. Something about the smell of a crocheted blanket from 1972 brings a full appreciation of just how extraordinarily talented so many people are. With a newer home that is just about prepped for interior design, I find myself combing through our copies of Dwell, apartmenttherapy.com and just about anywhere else that offers unique ways to revitalize things that have otherwise been long forgotten.

The latest plug must go to etsy, an extraordinary melding pot of all things handmade and vintage. With artists spanning the globe, it was actually quite easy to find our latest vintage addition to our home: a lovingly restored pillow straight out of Norway's mod squad years. There's something about vintage quality that gets me everytime, and carefully choosing each piece rather than rushing to the nearest Target (not that there's anything wrong with that...) leaves a deep sense of satisfaction.

Combing all of the local flea markets and antique shops every month leads to some nifty finds, but admittedly shopping online from my couch is still my preferred method. With that in mind, there are a host of invaluable blogs offering design advice and showcasing some simply amazing work- both new and old. Oh Joy is one such blog that I've only recently been tracking. From design-savvy pencils and yarn to credenza's and scarves, I've been pleasantly delighted at the array of things to consider. Just like the viral nature of the internet itself, I've been led to so many corners of the globe thanks to such blogs that keeping track of the nifty gadgets and ideas becomes a job in and of itself. A recent Oh Joy post led me to discover Sanna Annukka, a Finnish Brit who creates some lovely vintage-inspired designs heavy on Scand-fluence. Her wooden birds are simply stunning with a childlike simplicity that is easy to overlook.

For those like me who spend much of their working and leisurely hours online, Whorange recently featured a fabulous French artist who has ingeniously fused old style illustrative and publishing art with today's headlines- or, erm, websites and social media. Whether your a Twitter-addict or Last.FM fan, there's a piece of art for you.  Another phenomenal little nook online is Hooked On Houses, a one-woman show with splendid ideas. I particularly love her rendezvous with midcentury modern design, of which I am an official addict. Finding old interior design mags like Better Homes & Gardens fresh from 1966 is always a fun way to remind ourselves how ahead of its time the space generation often was.

With too many other retro inspired blogs and sites to list, I'll have to content myself with resuming my life and reluctantly perusing the net for my next piece in my spare hours. Until then, have fun... think ingeniously... and live colorfully.

Nesting Dolls & Economic Hitmen

A fresh faced girl with wide eyes that gently slope downward and pigtails curled up under a wreath of flowers looks up at me from beneath my wine glass' base. I pick up the stem between my pointer and middle fingers, bringing the nutty scented red closer to my nose while all the while staring at the matryoshka imprinted on the wine coaster. I found her, along with five sisters, in a tin can featuring bright red and white depictions of the quintessential Russian gift- the nesting doll. Matryoshki are so synonymous with the Russian Motherland that they are cited alongside the Kremlin's spired cupola's and supermodels as hallmarks of Russian life. The kitsch of the brightly-hued Russian girls keeping my wine from dripping on the table was enough to convince me of their necessity. For $2, I bought the tin and cork coasters along with matching dishtowels.

So why the talk of this latest purchase? Let me explain. I've begun reading a provocative 2004 New York Times Bestseller (the same sort I generally stay away from in hopes of not becoming one of the sheeple). This entertaining book, while limited in its source material by its very nature, is a tell-all of sorts by a former "corporatocracy" insider. "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" is John Perkins' guilt-ridden answer to his otherwise sexy, filthy rich jet-setting life that reads like a Bond novel. It might have been the perfect life for the Peace Corp. member gone bad if only it weren't for the fact that he was finding ways to legitimize a sort of New World Order (or "corporatocracy" as he prefers, dispelling any ideas of conspiracy in favor of more obvious and shady global business practices vis a vis loans to the emerging world).

Confessions recounts Perkins' days working as an economic consultant in the private sector. Dubiously charged with inflating economic predictions in emerging world markets (think Ecuador and Indonesia), Perkins claims to be one of a select few who worked to sustain the American 'Empire' within the private sector. His aquaintences, conversations and knowledge were far reaching and gave Perkins the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of the countries he sought to rob. He constantly reminds the reader that this is how the world operates on something of a parallel and unseen field, imaging what the rest of us lowly citizens know about our government and its relationships with the rest of the world. In moments of sheer brilliance, Perkins' retells conversations with ordinary citizens in impoverished nations who apparently aren't as 'in the dark' as we ourselves are.

While it is rare to find such an insider plagued by guilt and retiring from his extremely powerful role, there is a question of his genuine reasoning. Is the book a tell-all for Americans and Westerners- revealing to us how the First World cheats the rest through the likes of Haliburton, the IMF and other major organizations and corporations? Or is it simply another cheap way to make a buck in a consumer-driven market such as he purports to have shrugged off after a life of intrigue and economic espionage? It certainly leaves an unsettling feeling, questioning our very altruism. Are we really helping countries in Africa when we build them an energy plant or provide them with clean water when, in actuality, the work is being done predominantly by our own firms... recycling our own donated money, essentially, and leaving the poor nation in massive debt to us- repaid only through agreements that benefit us. I equate this unease with the feeling of being cheated by someone so sly that you fail to recognize it while it's occurring.

In light of my little red matryoshka coaster, who is still beaming up at me, I wonder exactly how she came to be- how her $2 figure was decided upon and by whom. Is it really all as simple as supply vs. demand? Or somewhere is there an economic hitman robbing a southeast Asian country blind by falsifying economic projections and raising their interest rates, building factories in the process and bringing about cheaply made goods of icons from thousands miles away to those employment dumps... and eventually making their way beneath my wine glass.

For the Love of Russia

For the love of Russia (for that matter, be it for the love of democracy), it is appalling that the seasoned men's magazine, GQ, has deliberately halted print abroad of a September-edition article by a veteran correspondant investigating ten-year-old terrorist attacks in Russia. Scott Anderson compiled a report on the various inaccuracies and questions pertaining to the decade-old Moscow terrorist attack- a very prominent and somber attack in recent Russian history- that will only see the light of day in the United States.

As NPR's Morning Edition feature explains, GQ's owner Conde Nast (who also owns Vanity Fair and publishes both magazines in the States and abroad, including in a Russian language version) decided to pull the article from the Russian GQ version due to its sensitive investigative nature. While NPR and other reports were unable to obtain interviews with GQ and/or Nast, they were able to discover that the piece was pulled through no fault of its author or his journalism standards. To the contrary, reports suggest that Anderson took great pains with the sensitive issue he was investigating and was able to find at least one insider (a former KGB agent who was involved in the Chechen terrorist investigations and later imprisoned rather unexpectedly) who was forthcoming with information. That information suggests a link between the Russian government, then led by Putin, and the atrocious terrorist attacks which were said to be from Chechen terrorists. Obviously, this rather unorthodox and contrary view of the terrorist attacks has given rise to a plethora of conspiracy theories, of which I'm not here to debate about.

It is speculated that GQ decided against publishing the article in Russia for fear of financial retribution from the Russia government if not worse. Perhaps more telling of their fear is that the American edition itself has been all but shelved (it is not featured on its cover, nor has it marketed it in a typical fashion, preferring instead to hide it between the pages). If a Western magazine is able to quietly shelve investigative material for fear of retribution (financial or otherwise) what then, may we ask, is the state of journalism in this country let alone in Russia?

While much of the blogosphere and forum talk on the article includes rants and raves about the corruptions of modern-day Russia, I suggest we look further. There have been many quick-witted types who understand what this says about the state of journalism in our country, but I have yet to see anyone suggest what this says about America's perception of Russians and how that will impact our relations with them. I am speaking of real Russians, not Putin or those in government, but everyday citizens of the Russian Federation. Do we believe that they are not worthy of reading alternative viewpoints and investigative journalism on topics that directly relate to their country let alone the world? Are we questioning their ability to decipher truth? Are we silently encouraging the dillution of the fledgling Russian democracy through a discouragement of freedom of the press out of fear, thus acknowledging the supreme power of heavy-handed politics and the recent killings of Russian journalists? We acknowledge our failures to many Russian neighbors as we hastily made amends with Stalin for victory in WWII, yet we never came to terms with Russians themselves. Unlike the Poles, the Balts or the Finns, we viewed the Russians as a contentedly dominated people played like puppets by a maniacal dictator. All of these years later, do we see them in much the same light?

While it is true that those in power (*government and otherwise) will be directly responsible for what is censored or squelched, ultimately it may be in our hands alone to provide the information. It is imperative that we recognize the age of immediate dissemination of information in which we live and the intricate democratic web in which we must play a great role. In truth, then, the failure of GQ to publish this article abroad speaks more to our willingness to accept Russia as a neo-USSR rather than keep open dialogue, debate and conversations going. In not risking ourselves (ie. GQ, media money, etc) in the circulation of investigation, we take away from Russians one fundamental avenue for democracy that might be the only thing we have to give them.