Hello, Idealists.

Hi. I'm now part of the Aspirationalist team, which consists of two (2) people. We are not cynical or pessimistic. Actually, I'm usually quite optimistic and peppy.

For anyone out there at all, I'm going to recommend a book that proves, in my opinion, that you need not be a pessimist to be realistic, satiric, incisive, smart, or a MacArthur genius grant winner. Just read The Braindead Megaphone, by George Saunders.

That's it for now. Happy Tuesday.

Masdar

Its a brave new world of ambition and innovation, and even when in shades Orwellian science fiction, visions of the future can look pretty bright. This promotional video is for Masdar City, a very real endeavor breaking ground tomorrow. Located outside of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, its a small city designed to be completely green, producing zero waste and zero carbon emissions. By its completion, this center for education and renewable energy research and industry should be home to nearly 50,000 individuals, and a commuting destination to thousands more. Some of the city's features, such as solar panel covered buildings and walkways seem fairly modest, while others, such as replacing all vehicle traffic with light rail and autonomous "personal rapid transit" pods, err on the side of fantastic. But then, little seems out of the ordinary when you're building an entire city from the ground.