Laugh, I nearly shat!

East V. West

I did a "cultural awareness" workshop for work and came across this simple illustration of the key differences between east and west. It was produced by Chinese-born graphic designer / artist, who lives in Germany. I thought it was a very apt interpretation.

Bio:

Yang Liu was born in 1976 in Beijing, China. Since 1990 she has lived in Germany. She studied at UWE at Bristol, UK and gradueted with Master degree for Design in 2000 at the University of Arts Berlin, with Prof. Holger Matthies, since 1999 she has worked with Derek Birdsall in London, 2000 -2002 with Thomas Manss London and Berlin, 2003 - 2004 Chermayeff & Geismar New York, since 2004 she has established Yang Liu Design in Berlin

bath-time

meal-time

queuing

restaurant chatter

parties

weekend street scene


relationships

self

boss

opinion

on time

problems

beauty

Internet Ethics

***WARNING: Some links in this post contain adult material.***

I might be showing how far behind the times I am here, but I came across a story recently, which might make you think about right and wrong online.

Some of you might know Craig's List. It's an internet bulletin board started in San Francisco and is now available all over the world.

In 2006, a couple of jokers in Seattle posted at ad posing as a submissive female looking for a dominant male to defile her. The aim was to see how many responses they could get in 24 hours.

They got 178 replies and 145 photos.

People sent email addresses from home and work, phone numbers as well as their real names in some cases.

Next they posted all the replies on a wiki-satire site called Encyclopaedia Dramatica, with the goal of getting people to identify the respondents in real life.

The ethical debate has been raging ever since. The story was picked up by various news outlets including the BBC.

Opinion:

This ain't cool.

The men who replied weren't doing anything illegal - the ad was posted by an apparently consenting adult seeking a consenting adult for an activity in their own home. If they were trying to out kiddy-fiddlers, I'd have a different opinion.

Even if this is what you are into, you don't need to have it broadcast to the world; possibly affecting all other aspects of their lives.

The issue here is within society as well. Why should your interest in any variety of legal sexual activity affect your professional or social life? Who are we to judge others by what they like with their privates?

Yet we still live in a world where hatred and intolerance are rife; where violence against those who are different still occurs.

An example: the British blogger who wrote "girl with a one track mind" anonymously. It describes here experience as a sexually active woman in London. The site became so popular that it was turned into a novel.

The day the book was released a bunch of flowers arrived at her door. The courier made her lean out the door to sign. What she didn't know, was that there was a photographer in her garden. The card on the flowers said: "Zoe (her pseudonym). Congratulations on the book."

The story broke the next day in the Sunday times. She was hounded by the press, received threatening letters and her family was even harassed. She lost her job working on the Harry Potter films on the grounds that they didn't want to be associated with her.

Yet at the same time, Danny Radcliffe can get his shlong out in the West-end with no worries at all.

This is an example of a double standard and how someone's personal life can ruin the other aspects of their life - for no good reason.

Let's leave Bill Clinton out for the time being.

People have sex.
Most likely not with you.

Get over it.

Lets work on that evolution people.

Prank #002

Join the Billboard Liberation Front

Why should they have a monopoly on public space?

Take some back.

New Gig

There's a reason my posting level has gone down.

I've recently taken over as Managing Editor of a local indy magazine: Xpat.
Four thousand copies are published quarterly and distributed around the south of Taiwan.

It doesn't pay, but you do get very nice business cards.

To download the latest issue follow this link:

http://matt-gibson.org/portfolio/?page_id=26

Mission Statement:

Xpat Magazine seeks to maintain our position as Taiwan’s premier free arts and culture quarterly.

We are committed to exploring the issues that define the expatriate experience in Taiwan and uncover the true nature of Taiwanese culture.

Xpat Magazine puts an emphasis on fine writing and original thought from the expatriate community of Taiwan. We seek to provide readers with a unique perspective on politics, society, the environment, and culture.

The essays, fiction, and reporting in the magazine's pages come from promising new voices as well as distinguished names in the Taiwanese expatriate community.

Xpat Magazine promises never to compromise artistic integrity to commercial interests, at all costs.

The next issue is due out at the beginning of August and features articles on topics such as:

• The Taiwanese government's association with organised crime
  
• Shady Karaoke establishments
• Perils of Scuba Diving
• How to Learn to Scuba Dive
• Taiwan Beer, and
• Tibetan Tyranny

It's looking really good,
so I'll upload it when it comes out.

From Bongo Benna

Official Questions...

On an application form regarding eligibility for entry to Canada:


10. In periods of either peace or war, have you ever been involved in the commission of a war crime or a crime against humanity, such as: wilful killing, torture, attacks upon, enslavement, starvation, or other inhumane acts committed against civilians or prisoners or war; or deportation of civilians.

Henry Kissinger need not apply!