Roadside existentialism by Hope Reynolds of Folk Studios.

Colors Magazine unflinchingly contemplates the intersection of media, politics, social media and the people’s power in issue 86, now on the Ace shop, revealing the backstage of contemporary journalism. With stories on drone-wielding paparazzi, terrorist press releases and anti-mafia vigilante television anchors, Making the News explores how world events are selected, shaped, and sent to you in time for breakfast.

Here, a glimpse into stories on Mexican bloggers read closely by the FBI, handwritten post-tsunami Japanese newspapers scribed by glow of flashlight, guerilla social media lessons in Cairo, and head count differentials for Russian protests between mainstream media and independent journalists, plus a glimpse into Colors’ Yellow Pages. The lot of it makes for alarming, engaging, enraging and inspiring summer reading.

SWOON, godmother of the Swimming Cities, stewarded by our pal Jeffrey Deitch. SWOON is hard at work creating artists’ hives in neglected metropoli like Pittsburgh, Detroit and New Orleans — stay tuned for more from the artist, and Jeffrey, here.

A genderless society, political intrigue and a journey across 800 miles of ice… Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Left Hand of Darkness was (and is) a groundbreaking, gender-bending 1969 novel that tracks Genly Ai on a trek across the cold, isolated planet of Gethen — a place where human beings are neither female nor male, and society is (in theory) not defined by gender. This weekend is your last chance to see the world premiere of a stage adaptation by Portland Playhouse and Hand2Mouth, with director Jonathan Walters and playwright John Schmor — get tickets at Portland Playhouse.

Portland Playhouse hangs its shingle at a petite, converted chapel in Northeast Portland. Their mission is to continually reinvent the means by which plays are heard and spoken.  We’ll keep you updated on Season Six which includes Detroit by Lisa D’Amour, The Other Place by Sharr White and Jitney by August Wilson among others.

You can also catch our interview with Ursula K. Le Guin from October, 2011.

Stalley shows our new Ace x Converse Pro Leather High Top Sneakers around town.

Prince’s House, a project from The Prince’s Foundation,  is a new kind of vision — making enquiries into our ability to address sustainability while maintaining our relationship with craft and materiality. At times it feels like we’re barreling toward a future where we’ll wear solar powered Snuggies, sunbathe under full-spectrum fluorescent lighting and dissolve high-efficiency miso-probiotic tablets under our tongues for dinner. The Prince sees it differently. No slave to the numbered spectrum of carbon output, but with due respect to contemporary technologies, he and his team aimed to create a prototype for a home that feels like home, while saving money, energy and our beloved Earth for inhabitants one and all. We appreciate that so much care was put into making the house feel as good as it is for the environment — the kinesthetics of living, thriving and being responsible stewards.

You can read about Prince’s House deeply considered materiality and its role in the conversation about sustainability innovation here, here, here and here but we wanted to share some of the details that make us relax a bit at the utterance of the phrase “zero-footprint.” Put away your tinfoil hats and stay awhile.

Sneak peek: our Thinking Cap series launches June 24. Slightly altered Ellen Gallagher work as our North Star. Stay tuned.