Back in June, our friend Douglas Rushkoff stopped by Flavorpill to promote his new book Life Inc.; it’s an interesting read about how corporations have come to dominate all aspects of our lives and what we can realistically do to even the playing field. One of the things he mentioned: local currencies. At the time, we thought he was nuts. And then we found out about the Brooklyn Torch Project, a North Brooklyn initiative “aimed at providing Brooklynites with a tangible medium of exchange that will circulate and support the resident community.” If you’re interested in getting involved, they’re looking for someone to help design the paper currency that will be used. After the jump, some of our favorite world currencies to help get your juices flowing. Read More »
1. Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet is producing a new film version of The Diary of Anne Frank for Disney. [via Variety]
2. David Byrne is auctioning off the folding bike he has ridden all over the world on eBay; proceeds will be donated to the London Cycling Campaign. [via David Byrne]
3. Thom Yorke says Radiohead will not release more full-length albums; they might put out some singles. [via Billboard]
4. Stephen King has sold the film rights to his Dark Tower series to J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof (co-creator of Lost) for $19. [via Cinematical]
5. Bansky might have put a new piece up — of a crucified Jesus in a graphic tee — in his hometown of Bristol. [via Evening Post]
Everyone has heard of his novels: Carrie, The Green Mile, Salem’s Lot, The Shining, and so on. Fifty-four of them have been turned into movies too, including the #1 ranked film on IMDb’s Top 250 list, The Shawshank Redemption. According to Forbes, Stephen King made $45M in 2008. This is why we thought it was a little odd when we heard that he was trying to *bank some extra buck with his newest novel, Under the Dome. Read More »
If you, like the rest of us, thought that the dire state of the global economy couldn’t really get much worse — think again. Felipe Ossa’s new play, Monetizing Emma, takes us into a horrific and disarmingly realistic near future, in which investing in teenagers’ futures has become the newest financial fad to sweep across the U.S., alluring and manipulating very smart and very vulnerable youth, like the titular Emma Dorfman. Financial wisecracks (and comedic Punch and Judy style banter from the two monetizers, anxious to get Emma on their books) are juxtaposed with Emma’s penchant for Jane Austen and punctuated by her struggle to retain her sense of self when everyone around her is bartering for a piece.
Intrigued? We sat down with director Leah Bonvissuto and members of the cast to discuss money, materialism, The Matrix, and the marketplace. Read More »
Recession life ain’t easy. Harder than pimpin’, that’s for sure. But while reading this article on WSJ.com about the death of bling culture, I felt like I’d been hit with something harder than the tremendous anvils that have been slamming us all: slowing economic activity, useless credit, foreclosure, and unemployment. Rappers are turning to imitation jewelry. Read More »
“The wealthy, at some point, decided they didn’t have enough wealth. They wanted more — a lot more. So they systematically set about to fleece the American people out of their hard-earned money. Now, why would they do this? That is what I seek to discover in this movie.”
- Look for Moore’s upcoming untitled documentary — we’re imagining a more global, blown out version of Roger and Me — in theaters this fall. He’s allegedly being very hush hush about the details (other than the statement above), but we’re hoping he picks up with Jim Cramer right where Jon Stewart left off. Also: Do you think people will want to pay to see a movie about how poor we all are? [via The Daily Beast]
Liquor taxes are going up all over the country, just when you’d think the Man would give us a respite and let us booze on the cheap to get over economic woes! Flavorpill asked the peeps on the other side of your Yuengling and Wild Turkey $5 happy hour special what exactly we need to do to keep our habits viable on the dole. We also wanted to know what it takes to become a bartender’s bud. After the jump what a few bartenders in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Chicago, and Miami had to say about keeping your buzz on without breaking your bank. Read More »
Allison Hemming is no stranger to the unemployment parade. In the ’90s, after she watched many of her friends get axed in the dot com burst, her answer to the chaos was to start the original, now legendary Pink Slip Parties, where people could console each other, get blasted, but most importantly, professionally network. Allison has since risen up to start the Hired Guns, a very successful talent agency that places creative professionals in high profile positions. (She also wrote Work it! How to Get Ahead, Save your Ass and Land a Job in any Economy!.) Who more perfect for us to ask what to do in a downturn? Read More »
File this under STFU: Oscar-winning director Michel Gondry is now selling signed caricatures for $19.95 via his adorable Web site. You email him a pic and then 6 to 8 weeks later, you get the best present ever in the mail. Or maybe we’re just obsessed with the idea because our mom would never let us get one when we were little because she said the artist would just play up our worst features. Well, caution be damned, we want one NOW. Maybe we’ll just have to stalk him again. The site also has T-shirts featuring artwork by his son Paul for sale and a Disasterology Calendar based on a prop from the Science of Sleep which won’t be accurate again until 2018. Ah! Make the superfluous cuteness stop! (PS. Is this yet another sign of the recession? Probably. But it’s the first one that actually makes us happy.)
More about it here and here. We were a little late to the twee party on this one.
