GLOBAL NEWS.

This week’s global outlook reports on Missile Silo Confessions; Gays in the Armed Forces; Chavez on the Defense; the Ukrainian Opposition’s teeth-tight Election Win; and why China doesn’t care about America. Click Read More for the full report.

The Weekly Outlook is an editorial briefing for wejetset’s online magazine. Each week we scan international news and aggregate the stories that will likely impact their respective region and possibly the world. From economic issues to politics, we strive to deliver news links that will be useful to our readers as they navigate their local and global spaces.

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ART & CULTURE.

This weekend, Ambika P3 in London hosts the second annual Kinetica Art Fair. Produced by Kinetica Museum, the fair is the first in the UK dedicated to moving, robotic, sound, light and time-based art. This year’s event features a special exhibition dedicated to pioneers and Masters of kinetic art, which includes original installations from the seminal 1968 exhibition, Cybernetic Serendipity.

Other pieces at the fair include a moving sculpture by a 75-year-old Hungarian former locksmith, a light and water projection inspired by the 2012 Olympics, and the Hydro-Acoustic Big Bang Filter—an instrument made from glowing, liquid-filled tubes. Read about the other innovations on display at Visit London Blog. Written by Elsa Brown

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GOOD IDEAS.

The main federal building in Portland, Oregon is preparing for a major makeover that could make it one of the greenest in the world. The General Services Administration plans to install vertical gardens along the building’s 200 foot tall facade as part of a $133 million renovation. The “vegetated fins” will bloom in spring and summer, providing shade, and cutting energy costs for the building by an estimated 60 to 65 percent.

According to project architects Cutler Anderson, the irrigation system will likely use captured rainwater, or grey water recycled from the building’s interior plumbing. Landscaping experts will experiment with vines and other vegetation this summer, and if all goes according to plan, the garden wall will be blossoming by 2013. Written by Elsa Brown

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LOCAL CULTURE.

For the past 14 winters, residents of Copenhagen have been unable to safely venture onto the city’s frozen lakes. Now, sufficient chill has turned the ice into a temporary extension of the city, a place for gathering, skating, sliding and even cycling.

Copenhagenzine describes how the frozen lakes augment the city and the way it is experienced: “The thing that hits me [...] is how much real estate is suddenly available to the citizens. [...] You really get the sense that the city has suddenly grown. Standing on the ice in the middle of one of the lakes you experience views that are otherwise inaccessible [sic].” Written by Elsa Brown

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TRAVEL INNOVATIONS.

We’ll go anywhere on a train. It doesn’t matter how far. The comfort, the stress free check-in and ability to get boat loads of work done make it worthwhile. Sounds crazy? We know, but it’s the truth. Luckily, this is something airlines are starting to realize. It’s a slow process but they’re coming around. The more they help us forget about the stresses of travel, the better off everyone is. Give us wifi, free meals, and a comfortable lounge (see Porter) and they’ll see more and more passengers become a charming, happy and empathetic bunch. Proof of this comes by way of Air New Zealand.

As reported by Gizmodo: “When you’re flying 90 odd-hrs just to get to Auckland, you’d be wanting to charge your iPod or laptop at least once. Air New Zealand’s done a major overhaul of its Boeing 777 plane, with sockets and USB ports galore. It’s not just for the suit-clad first class and business class passengers either. 11 Skycouches that turn into flat beds for two will make those weeks in the air fly past quickly, with the other seats providing extra leg room and comfort.” Click Read More for additional information and photos.

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TRAVEL INSPIRATION.

All eyes are on Dubai. The ups, the downs, the issues, the luxury – it’s all covered. Countless images echo through the media displaying typical angles about business and buildings. But very few capture the ethereal beauty of the city like the ones featured here by Christopher Wilson. His thoughtful photography brings out another side of Dubai while still highlighting its most obvious features. Check out one of our favorite sites, FLYLYF for more photos.

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GOOD IDEAS.

When was the last time you looked at a phone book? For many of us the answer has little to do with looking up a number. With the ubiquity of the internet, the phone book has become an irrelevant form of print reference and unfortunately a prevalent contributor to city waste.

Stop Yellow Waste is documenting the phenomenon of phone books left out on city sidewalks and taking steps to stop this preventable pile up. Their goal is to get phone companies to shift phone book distribution to an opt in model instead of the traditional opt out, and to urge people to opt out now, until the change is made. See photos of discarded phone books sent in from cities worldwide, submit your own, and learn more about paper waste at their website. Written by Elsa Brown.

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