Popweekly: Digest for 12.21

The flowers on my table at Café ice Silom

That Hobby Looks Like a Lot of Work

These days, the fantasy of building a career on Etsy, an eBay of sorts of the do-it-yourself movement, is not just the stuff of dreams. Even before the recession, the site, which was founded in Brooklyn in 2005, was riding the "crafting" boom to prominence. When the job market collapsed, many hobbyists who already were selling jewelry or glassware as a sideline suddenly needed a real income.

While most people would find it impossible to meet a mortgage payment selling $8 crocheted mug cozies, some top-sellers on Etsy have moved beyond the stage of earning pocket money and are building careers -- in some cases, earning six-figure incomes.

These articles always pay only cursory attention to those not making a six figure income. I would like to hear more about the failures or those who simply make enough for a fun sideline.

Everything You Need to Know About Sneakers in 1500 Words

Men's footwear site The Shoe Buff has a comprehensive look into the history of what we wear on our feet. Impressive is the "History of Sneakers in 150 words" and their list of places to purchase which includes locations in my favorite cities.

The Saddleback Story

It all began when I had my first bag made while living in Southern Mexico as a volunteer English teacher to kids who needed a little help. I had looked everywhere for just the right bag, but with no luck. So I prayed for God to help me find the greatest bag ever, just like the one I had in my head. Well, as it turned out, He helped me to find that bag, but in a way I wasn't expecting.

In my search, I walked into a little leather shop and met the fellow working leather in the back. I asked him if he could make me a bag if I were to draw it out. I told him that I wanted this bag to be made so well that my grandkids would be fighting over it while I was still warm in the grave. He said "Si" and I said "Bueno" and that's how it all started. God directed me to the perfect bag that didn't even exist yet.

15 Books for Creative Domination

OK, we can't really promise creative domination, but we can promise motivation, organization, and realization. In the spirit of giving the gift of 99% for the holidays, we've rounded up a shortlist of promising new books on powering through the creative process and a handful of unbeatable, kick-in-the-pants classics. Go forth, read diligently, and conquer...

Thai Cinema: The decade in review

Small Thai films that deserve a wider audience find it hard, if not impossible, to penetrate the lucrative slots occupied by big Hollywood releases. Sometimes SF and Major struck deals with independent filmmakers for limited release of their films (like Wonderful Town), but the short shelf-life usually didn't allow word of mouth to travel. Even Thai studio films sometimes find it exhausting to compete with new American blockbusters - hence the glut of Thai comedy and ghost films to snatch back multiplex screens.

Multiplexes are thus increasingly influential in shaping the taste of Thai audiences. Alternative cinemas such as House, established in 2005, and the veteran Lido, indeed offer choices, yet they represent less than 0.5 percent of the number of total screens in Bangkok. If creativity comes with diversity, this is another area that the government must look into as we step into the new, more competitive decade.

Deloks: A Solo Exhibition by LIN Tay-jou

Deloks includes five short films created by Lin Tay-jou from 2005 to 2009. In a genre beyond those of TV and cinema, these movies interweave reality and fiction, narration of facts and strong visuals. The films incorporate myths, fables, and actual interviews to explore death and the tragedy of man's existence, depicting the metamorphosis of life and man's aspirations for rebirth. "Each time we film or watch the films, we enter into a different life field while being exposed to waves and waves of visual cleansing. In each film we experience the endless cycle of life and death, and of reincarnation, liberation, and salvation," the author Lin Tay-jou said.

This solo exhibition will be appearing at MOCA Taipei from December 11. 2009-January 17, 2010.

http://www.mocataipei.org.tw

Popweekly: Digest for 12.21

The flowers on my table at Café ice Silom

That Hobby Looks Like a Lot of Work

These days, the fantasy of building a career on Etsy, an eBay of sorts of the do-it-yourself movement, is not just the stuff of dreams. Even before the recession, the site, which was founded in Brooklyn in 2005, was riding the "crafting" boom to prominence. When the job market collapsed, many hobbyists who already were selling jewelry or glassware as a sideline suddenly needed a real income. While most people would find it impossible to meet a mortgage payment selling $8 crocheted mug cozies, some top-sellers on Etsy have moved beyond the stage of earning pocket money and are building careers -- in some cases, earning six-figure incomes. These articles always pay only cursory attention to those not making a six figure income. I would like to hear more about the failures or those who simply make enough for a fun sideline.

Everything You Need to Know About Sneakers in 1500 Words

Men's footwear site The Shoe Buff has a comprehensive look into the history of what we wear on our feet. Impressive is the "History of Sneakers in 150 words" and their list of places to purchase which includes locations in my favorite cities.

The Saddleback Story

It all began when I had my first bag made while living in Southern Mexico as a volunteer English teacher to kids who needed a little help. I had looked everywhere for just the right bag, but with no luck. So I prayed for God to help me find the greatest bag ever, just like the one I had in my head. Well, as it turned out, He helped me to find that bag, but in a way I wasn't expecting. In my search, I walked into a little leather shop and met the fellow working leather in the back. I asked him if he could make me a bag if I were to draw it out. I told him that I wanted this bag to be made so well that my grandkids would be fighting over it while I was still warm in the grave. He said "Si" and I said "Bueno" and that's how it all started. God directed me to the perfect bag that didn't even exist yet.

15 Books for Creative Domination

OK, we can't really promise creative domination, but we can promise motivation, organization, and realization. In the spirit of giving the gift of 99% for the holidays, we've rounded up a shortlist of promising new books on powering through the creative process and a handful of unbeatable, kick-in-the-pants classics. Go forth, read diligently, and conquer...

Thai Cinema: The decade in review

Small Thai films that deserve a wider audience find it hard, if not impossible, to penetrate the lucrative slots occupied by big Hollywood releases. Sometimes SF and Major struck deals with independent filmmakers for limited release of their films (like Wonderful Town), but the short shelf-life usually didn't allow word of mouth to travel. Even Thai studio films sometimes find it exhausting to compete with new American blockbusters - hence the glut of Thai comedy and ghost films to snatch back multiplex screens. Multiplexes are thus increasingly influential in shaping the taste of Thai audiences. Alternative cinemas such as House, established in 2005, and the veteran Lido, indeed offer choices, yet they represent less than 0.5 percent of the number of total screens in Bangkok. If creativity comes with diversity, this is another area that the government must look into as we step into the new, more competitive decade.

Deloks: A Solo Exhibition by LIN Tay-jou

Deloks includes five short films created by Lin Tay-jou from 2005 to 2009. In a genre beyond those of TV and cinema, these movies interweave reality and fiction, narration of facts and strong visuals. The films incorporate myths, fables, and actual interviews to explore death and the tragedy of man's existence, depicting the metamorphosis of life and man's aspirations for rebirth. "Each time we film or watch the films, we enter into a different life field while being exposed to waves and waves of visual cleansing. In each film we experience the endless cycle of life and death, and of reincarnation, liberation, and salvation," the author Lin Tay-jou said. This solo exhibition will be appearing at MOCA Taipei from December 11. 2009-January 17, 2010. http://www.mocataipei.org.tw