My Favorites in August: Brand Challenges, Speaking Out Against Racism & The Creative Apocalypse

Illustration by Andrew Rae (via nytimes.com)

“The Creative Apocalypse That Wasn’t” (via nytimes.com, illustration by Andrew Rae)

August, the month of holidays, sunshine, nature and sports… right? To me it was all of the above, but I also read a couple of very interesting articles, watched debates and opinion pieces. In this month’s favorites you will find a single article about cycling (!) and many more about creativity and innovation, marketing challenges and tolerance.

Yes, tolerance. I translated the short position piece of a German TV anchor, published it on this blog and on YouTube, and was stunned by all the hate comments that it received. After the surprise, and thinking about it, I see it as a sad manifestation of trolls’ and racists’ hopelessness. I prefer them to just comment under a video than to represent me in our parliaments and institutions. Anyway, here are some much more interesting things to read and watch. I hope you’ll like them too.

Continue reading →

Immigration, Religion, Sex… Some Of My Favorite @Intelligence2 Debates

Image via robertleeming.com (click to read his interesting post about IQ²)

Image via robertleeming.com (click to read his interesting post about IQ²)

I love debate, even when I face stupid or irrational arguments. It’s stimulating your mind, makes you work on your self-discipline, entices you to find smart arguments, and encourages dialog which is healthy for any stable society. Recently I found out about Intelligence Squared, an organization that stages debates held in the traditional Oxford style around the world, and which broadcasts these debates on YouTube. I’ve watched dozens of them, from business to politics, sex or religion. Here are some of my favorite Intellgence² debates, as well as my positions to the motions that are being discussed in them. Continue reading →

“Open your Mouth. Show Attitude.” @AnjaReschke1’s Comment Against Hate Speech (in English)

In a time where Europe sees increasing news coverage about migrants both inside (ex: Paris, Calais) and outside its borders (ex: Syria, Lybia), there is a worrying uptake of public hate speech on the internet and attacks on refugee shelters. Yesterday evening, in the German television news program Tagesschau, broadcast on the German public-service television network ARD, Anja Reschke made a 2-minute, important statement on German public TV: “Open Your Month, Show Attitude.” While anyone can have an opinion on the way – and the extent to which – countries should receive and help migrants, there a universal, important message in what she said. Here it is in English (links and bold passages added by myself). Continue reading →