Dating AKB48: the J-pop cult banned from falling in love
2inShare Jump To Close A Japanese pop idol, hair freshly shaved to the skin, takes to YouTube and bursts into tears as she begs for mercy over her transgression. "My name is Minami Minegishi of AKB48 Team B," she says, referring to the hugely successful group she became a founding member of seven years ago. Minami Minegishi had just been accused of having a boyfriend. "As an original member of AKB48, I am supposed to set an example for the junior members," she continues. The article in question came out in the Shukan Bunshun magazine last week, and showed alleged photos of Minegishi leaving the house of boy band member Alan Shirahama. Such "scandals" are common in Japan; despite the flagrant marketing of J-pop idols as sex symbols, any hint of them engaging in an actual relationship is harshly frowned upon. Minami Minegishi just turned 20 years old. Make no mistake — taking over Japan is exactly what AKB48 has achieved in recent years. The no-relationship rule may not even be legal.
Artfactories
Nous, espaces intermédiaires, Nous qui occupons des espaces délaissés, Nous, pratiques d’espace membres de la grande famille des occupations, au côté du mouvement squat, du Tiers-paysage, des Tiers-lieux, de l’occupation des places, du mouvement 15M...
Cult Movies - Top 10 List - Top Ten List - StumbleUpon
Top 10 Films About Nonconformists "This is a world where everybody's gotta do something. Ya know, somebody laid down this rule that everybody's gotta do something, they gotta be something. "If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed." "Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. "They're not that different from you, are they? "My life, I mean . . . "Man, I see in fight club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. "I mean, it's real hard to be free when you are bought and sold in the marketplace. "Vice, Virtue. "Anybody here? "And now they're telling me I'm crazy over here because I don't sit there like a goddamn vegetable. Forgotten Movie Classics © 2015 Shelf-Life Productions LLC
The Most Isolated People in the World
The part of the Indian Ocean encapsulated by the eastern shore of India and the shores of Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma) is called the Bay of Bengal (map). The eastern edge of the Bay of Bengal is defined as a set of islands called the Andaman Islands, an archipelago, most of which are under control of India. North Sentinel Island, a small dot of land, is part of the Andaman Islands. Between 50 and 400 people are estimated to live on North Sentinel Island. In 1967, Indian authorities began their first meaningful attempt to engage the Sentinelese by leaving coconuts as gifts on the island’s shores. More recent events strongly buttresses that this decision to cut off hopes of contact is just fine with the Sentinelese. What do we know about the Sentinelese? And that, unfortunately, is all we may ever learn. Bonus fact: Just south of Newfoundland, Canada, are a group of eight small islands collectively known as Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
L'art et la culture : les atouts d'une France en crise ?
Une étude vient d'être publiée et elle place la France en tête dans la catégorie de la créativité artistique et culturelle, ex aequo avec l'Italie. Il s'agit du rapport Nation Goodwill Observer qui mesure le capital immatériel, comprendre l'image de marque, des 26 pays les plus importants dans le monde. Malheureusement pour nous, c'est le seul domaine où l'Hexagone se trouve en tête : le reste n'est pas brillant. simo0082, CC BY 2.0 L'étude a été conçue par Havas Design+, HEC Paris, Ernst & Young, W&Ci ainsi que la société de conseil Cap ; c'est l'institut Harris Interactive qui a interrogé 1000 leaders économiques et d'opinion de 15 pays différents pour ensuite compiler les chiffres afin d'établir un palmarès des pays en fonction de leur image à l'internationale. En effet, l'objectif est d'évaluer pour chaque pays l'impact et l'image des valeurs et du capital immatériel, autrement dit savoir comment les 26 pays les plus puissants son considérés à travers le monde. Pour approfondir
100 Free Foreign Language Classes Online - StumbleUpon
March 1st, 2010 If you have always wanted to learn a language but were too put off by the high cost associated with most classes, then take a look at all these great opportunities to learn a foreign language online, at no cost to you. With so many learning opportunities online, it is a shame not to take advantage of all that you can, so be sure to spend some time with these classes. French If you want to learn French, no matter your experience level, then check out these free classes. BBC Languages French. Spanish From the basics to more advanced college courses in Spanish, see what is available in this listing. Learn Spanish. German Learn German from these free classes. BBC Languages German. Italian Some of these Italian classes are from Italian websites, so you know it can’t get much more authentic than this. Italian Language Course. Portuguese Whether you want to learn Brazilian or European Portuguese, these classes will help you out. BBC Languages Portuguese. Japanese Beginning Japanese I.
The Sublime Sci-Fi Buildings That Communism Built
The House of Soviets in Kaliningrad. Photo by Frédéric Chaubin, from "CCCP: Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed." The architecture of the Eastern Bloc—a conundrum of impossible complexity, or at least that's what it looks like judging from the daily view of my collection of coffee table books. Yes, that's right, coffee table books. These are not your parents' dour architecture monographs, complete with such entries as "On the problems of developing the center of Kishinev" or "Approaches to using the vernacular in Tashkent and Navoi" (real items from a 70s-era release) but are lavish, glossy, and handsome. The 1975 Soviet film The Irony of Fate, a Russian favorite for Christmas season viewing to this day, boasts a Twelfth Night-like plot that turns on the anodyne similarity of Soviet housing. Milan Kundera wrote, in The Unbearable Lightness of Being, "in the realm of totalitarian kitsch, all answers are given in advance and preclude any questions." The Druzhba sanatorium.
La culture pour sortir de la crise... oui mais comment ?
Le Monde.fr | | Par Irina Bokova, directrice générale de l'Unesco Dans une tribune publiée le 5 décembre dans ces colonnes, Laure Kaltenbach et Olivier Le Guay livrent un excellent plaidoyer sur la culture comme levier de croissance économique. L'Unesco se réjouit de cette reconnaissance du lien entre culture et développement et s'il est possible de prolonger la réflexion, nous voudrions proposer le témoignage de plusieurs décennies consacrées à mobiliser la culture pour le développement durable. Une nouvelle économie créative émerge en effet au niveau mondial. Une première chose est certaine : profiter pleinement du potentiel de la culture appelle à ne pas réduire celle-ci à sa dimension monétaire. L'Unesco peut aussi témoigner que la reconnaissance internationale de traditions parfois minoritaires ou mal connues dans leurs pays d'origine rejaillit souvent sur l'identité du pays tout entier, dont les membres se réapproprient fièrement le patrimoine.
