This week’s editorial musings from magpie’s nest<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The quote<\/mark><\/strong> Toys are really not as innocent as they look. Toys and games are the preludes to serious ideas\u00a0Charles Eames<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Design for performance<\/mark><\/strong> World Stage Design<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is a pretty special event, a quadrennial celebration of how any and every kind of live performance can be staged. This year it\u2019s being held in Sharjah (18-25 October).\u00a0There will be workshops, exhibitions, competitions, and networking a-plenty for professionals, users and consumers. We took a deep dive into what\u2019s happening and why, via an extended interview with Project Director\u00a0Jacqui George<\/strong>\u00a0from Sharjah Performing Arts Academy; our report is\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Access Art Dubai<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0The\u00a0Art Dubai catalogue<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(120+ easy-access instant-click images of works on show) is now online\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>. Art Dubai runs 18-20 April\u00a0at Madinat Jumeirah;\u00a0tickets<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0are on sale now, AED 100 for one day or AED 200 for a three-day pass \u2013 but until 11 April you can bag a 20% discount\u00a0using promocode\u00a0ARTDUBAI20<\/strong>. Shop\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stressed UAE …<\/mark><\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0Apparently\u00a0work-related stress<\/strong>\u00a0is prevalent in the UAE, with 90% of professionals regularly responding to work emails and calls outside official hours: 76% reporting their work-life balance has worsened since the pandemic: and 59% saying they find it hard to switch off. Market research agency Perspectus polled 2,000 people, which didn\u2019t include team magpie …<\/p>\n\n\n\n … Happy UAE<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0On the other hand, the UAE has been ranked ranked 21 out of the 147 countries listed in the\u00a02025 World Happiness Report<\/strong><\/a>, above the likes of the UK (23rd) and the USA (24th). Finland is considered the world’s happiest nation for the eighth year. It\u2019s worth noting that this kind of index has been widely criticised for oversimplification and inherent biases \u2013\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>, for instance \u2013 though\u00a0our reading of it<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0suggests that the authors do take a rather more nuanced approach\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dupper? Sinner?<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0When magpie was a mere fledgling, \u2018brunch<\/strong>\u2019 was a portmanteau of \u2018breakfast\u2019 and \u2018lunch\u2019 that happened around 11am. Arriving in the UAE to discover that \u2018brunch\u2019 meant something which ran from midday to 4pm was initially problematic but soon second nature. But on 4 April the Hilton Jumeirah\u00a0Trader Vic\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0has scheduled a \u201cbrunch like no other\u201d \u2013\u00a0from 6pm to midnight<\/strong>. Makes you nostalgic for the midmorning OJ and eggs benedict\u00a0…\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Poking the beast<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0Twitter locked our account for a few days last week because of this post: \u201cDogequest maps US Tesla owners and invites them to remove their listing by proving they have sold their vehicle<\/strong><\/a>\u201d We regard that as simple reporting of an actual fact and chose not to comment on it, believing that readers can make up their own minds. Still, we\u2019ve been forced to delete it, so please don’t click\u00a0here<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0in case it annoys them. Possibly unrelated fact: we hear that Tesla and X\/Twitter have the same beneficial owner\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then and now<\/mark><\/strong>\u00a0A Long Return<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0is a short film juxtaposing two videos along the same section of Salah al-Din Road, a main thoroughfare connecting north and south Gaza. Taken five years apart, in January 2020 and January 2025, the footage is synchronised to illustrate the full impact of the war. Recommended\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Branding with Louvre AD<\/mark><\/strong><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>The deadline for proposals to the\u00a0Made with Louvre Abu Dhabi<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0branded goods initiative (\u201can exclusive range of innovative, high-quality products that embody the spirit of the museum and resonate with both local and international audiences\u201d) has been extended to\u00a030 April<\/strong>. There\u2019s some information\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>, but we still have several questions about the deal \u2013 we received no response when we asked originally, but you may have better luck …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grassed up<\/mark><\/strong> Touch Grass<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is an iOS app that blocks all the other apps on your phone until you find some grass to touch (it uses AI to recognise the green stuff). There are no shortcuts, and AFAIK it\u2019s not possible to cheat; just go outside and take a break. Of course, it\u2019s not so relevant if \u2018outside\u2019 is virgin desert or a balcony on the 49th floor of a city centre tower…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Apply here<\/mark><\/strong> So you\u2019ve got a great\u00a0idea for an app<\/strong>? Hooray, but don\u2019t expect to get rich from it. The\u00a02025 State of Subscription Apps<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0report from RevenueCat says 81% of new apps are making less $1,000 per month within two years of launch; only 5% reach $10,000 pm …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Something for the weekend<\/mark><\/strong> Pop the bubbles<\/strong><\/a>. Try it\u00a0here<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Things we didn\u2019t know no.94<\/mark><\/strong> Honey<\/strong>\u00a0doesn\u2019t go off \u2013 there\u2019s too much sugar, too little water and too low a pH to allow mould and bacteria to grow. Tutankhamun\u2019s tomb contained some that was still entirely edible\u00a0…<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earworm of the week<\/mark><\/strong> Woomb : Shape Yourself Around Me<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
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