A Book To Be Picking Up

Lately I've been reading The United States of Europe by T.R. Reid of the Washington Post. I'm not really that far through but just needed to pass along a recommendation to everyone to read through the third chapter of the book about the creation of the Euro currency unit.

I say this not so much because it's so informative. Histoy and journalists have documented thoroughly the great effort waged to create the common currency unit on the European continent. But because it's so insightful. Reid uses several anecdotes from all across the continent to describe "Euro Day", or January 1st, 2002 - when overnight the currencies of all the European countries (less three, of course) converted their currencies to the unit.

The chapter is beautiful. It's an amazing story of how a widely diverse continent suddenly shared a huge, common, binding experience. All sharing the fears and trepidations of the currency conversion going awry (and losing their national symbols in their home currencies), and all of those fears washing away in joyful astonishment - just by going to the cash machine and having it spit out crisp 20 Euro notes - just as planned.

I know it's nothing to get all weepy-eyed over - but the amazing power of the experience comes across so well in the way Reid presents it. Think about all the Y2K fears - only actually knowing that something was going on - a huge work effort. And that somehow, someway that something worked - just as planned. The payoff being a smiling face on the front of newspapers across the continent - clutching a fresh currency, and a symbol of unity among people across cultural boundaries.

Believe me, it's a tearjerker - just like when Goose died.

RIP - Chris Penn

Han & Leia - Believin'

We're all about people's individual talents to put together a little something out of a few scraps here and there. But when the love story of Han and Leia is set to Journey's Don't Stop, Believin', we begin to wonder where the line should be drawn.

Freedom of.... Search

Venturing back into real life again for a moment -

An unsettling story has been buzzing around the past couple days over the Department of Justice's requests to search engines to turn over random, apparently not personally identifiable search requests. Makes us a little uneasy when we start down the slippery slope of handing over our data. A key attribute of the Internet is that if you want to remain private and anonymous, you can - and still benefit from all that the web has to offer.

However, the US Department of Justice has filed suit against Google for refusing to comply with a broad request for their search data that MSN, AOL, and Yahoo all have already complied with.

So those people out there who aren't starting weblogs and brandishing themselves all over the internet, or those people (like us) who prefer to keep some of the things we're looking up private - could be exposed to the watchdogs.

As usual - the intentions here are good, but the implications are not thought through. It seems that, of the major search engines, only Google (and even them in their own self interest) is advocating their users privacy. Gold star to them. No gold stars to the others though - who turned our data in with nary a peep of concern over our privacy.

Chicago Fashion Foundation Hosting Meet 'n' Greet Event

The fashion design community in Chicago is blossoming fairly rapidly. Amid all the small boutiques, new independent designers, and educational opportunities from the International Academy of Design and Technology (IADT), the Art Institute of Chicago, and others - the fashion talent and knowledge in the Chicago market is flooding. So much so - that many of our fashion graduates have a hard time finding opportunities to ply their trade - and further stimulate their creativity.

We are always trying to encourage further involvement in the Chicago fashion industry - if you are reading this and are interested in the industry - consider joining an industry organization such as the Chicago Fashion Foundation. They all offer valuable networking opportunities and you can always consult them on anything related to your design background.

Presently, [meen kyolë] is involved with the board of the CFF. The organization is hosting a Meet-and-Greet event on January 18, 6:30-9pm at Koros Art & Style, 1019 West Lake Street, Chicago, IL 60607 (312) 738-0155.

The event is open to the public as an opportunity to engage the Chicago fashion community and expose both the abundance of budding talent as well as the people working to put Chicago on par with the recognized fashion capitals of the world.

For more information, go to the CFF's website: http://www.chicagofashionfoundation.com/.

Danish Yule

"Dansk Jul" that is. We've just returned from our sojourn to Denmark for visits with family and friends and to re-connect with the Scandinavian fashion landscape. Quite the exciting time we had over Christmas and New Years.

Denmark has a cultural tradition of setting a "Hygge" or cozy atmosphere. Any time of year would feel like Christmas to an American or Western European with all of the candles and holiday-like atmosphere the Danes live their everyday lives with.

However, at Christmas time the Hygge atmosphere in people homes spreads out into the streets and shops, truely making the country a fabled winter wonderland with warm lights and fashionable sleek decor everywhere.

Then there's New Years - where the whole skyline is awash in fireworks that are much bigger, and much more explosive, than those us poor Americans get to play with. There is no official fireworks display - because everyone, everywhere sports a few rockets to light the night sky with and explosives to make you duck for cover.

In Chicago, we enjoy watching fireworks from the rooftops of some to the people under your window, is filled with soof the high-rise apartment buildings. It's quite the spectacle to watch all of the suburb's various displays dotted on the horizon. Nothing compared to those of Copenhagen - where the horizon is smothered and everything in between you and the horizon, right up to your window is filled with dazzel dazzle.