Did pop art have its heyday in the 1960s? Perhaps. But it is also utterly contemporary

S43

Did pop art have its heyday in the 1960s? Perhaps. But it is also utterly contemporary Drawn from the private collection of Jose Mugrabi, Pop Masters: Art from the Mugrabi Collection is the first international exhibition presented by HOTA. It is the strongest signal yet of HOTA’s commitment to investing in a strong and vibrant visual arts community. Continued here

S47

Politics with Michelle Grattan: Frank Brennan on rewording Voice question Frank Brennan has been involved over decades in the big debates in Indigenous affairs. A Jesuit priest and an academic expert on the constitution, Brennan has advocated for recognising First Nations peoples in that document. But he has concerns about the breadth of Anthony Albanese’s proposed referendum question, arguing in his new book that its reference to the Voice making representations to executive government raises the prospect of many legal challenges. This issue of the potential for legal challenges is one that divides legal experts, with a number of authorities maintaining there is no problem. Continued here

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S23

EU poised to copy US subsidies for green technology - new evidence from China shows how it could backfire The EU is preparing to abandon its longstanding restrictions on state aid to take on US and Chinese subsidies over green technologies. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is spearheading a new commitment from EU leaders to “act decisively to ensure its long-term competitiveness, prosperity and role on the global stage”. She has talked about the need to counter hidden subsidies from the Chinese, both in green tech and in other sectors, though the trigger for the EU’s new approach is really President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This has committed the US to a record US$369 billion (£305 billion) to green its economy, including using tax breaks and subsidies. Continued here

S50

Amid warnings of 'spy hives', why isn't Australia using its tough counter-espionage laws more? Australia is facing an unprecedented threat of espionage and foreign interference. According to ASIO chief Mike Burgess in his annual threat assessment this week, More Australians are being targeted for espionage and foreign interference than at any time in Australia’s history. Continued here

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S28

Flooded Home Buyback scheme helps wash away the pain for Queenslanders Over the course of four days (February 25-28 2022), Ipswich received 682 millimetres of rain and the Bremer River rose to 16.72m in the centre of the city. Parts of the city were inundated, and almost 600 homes were damaged, many severely. Many of these houses had flooded before, as recently as 2011, because they were built in areas of high flood risk. On previous occasions, when the water subsided, these houses were simply patched up and left vulnerable to flooding. Continued here

S27

You've read the scary headlines - but rest assured, your cookware is safe “Are nonstick pans toxic”? “Can aluminium cookware cause dementia?” “Are my scratched pans still safe?” That’s just a sample of a few worrying headlines about the safety of our pots and pans recently. These stories often crop up in the media, and it’s easy to see why. We use our cookware every day. We want it to be safe. So are these concerns legitimate? Continued here

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S41

What is a 'shoey' and why did Harry Styles do one on stage in Australia? “Shoey” is Australian slang for having a celebratory drink out of a shoe. Usually the beverage is alcoholic and the celebration follows a sweaty quest to victory. The shoey has become a popular part of some sports and music festival cultures. As a cultural phenomenon, the shoey represents overcoming adversity - literally drinking out of the vessels that got you over the line. Newly minted Grammy and BRIT award winner Harry Styles did his first Australian concert – and we assume his first shoey – in Perth this week. Here’s the, um, footage (pun intended, sorry). Continued here

S13

Florida will no longer ask high school athletes about their menstrual cycles, but many states still do - here are 3 reasons why that's problematic Concerns are being raised across the U.S. about whether schools have a right to compel female athletes to provide information about their menstrual cycles. The Florida High School Athletic Association Board of Directors rejected a proposal in February 2023 that would have required high school girls to answer four questions about their menstrual cycles in order to play on school sports teams. The questions had previously been optional. Continued here

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S51

The Universities Accord will plan for the next 30 years: what big issues must it address? This is shaping up to be an enormously important year for higher education in Australia. The Albanese government is aiming to deliver a historic Universities Accord by December, to create a “visionary plan” for the sector over the next 10 to 30 years. The accord is underpinned by a review, chaired by former NSW chief scientist Mary O'Kane. On Wednesday, O'Kane launched a discussion paper, calling on stakeholders to come forward with “big ideas” and imploring them to be brave. Continued here

S55

Dirty gold: the fly-tipping gangs costing councils millions - and how you can help If you venture out to the countryside, the chances are you’ve probably seen piles of rubbish, anything from fridges to frying pans, rubble to refuse sacks dumped at the side of the road or in laybys. Waste crime is serious, hazardous and on the increase. Often referred to as “fly-tipping” it includes the illegal dumping of rubbish on private or public land or in water. It looks terrible and can have serious effects on the environment. In the UK, local authorities dealt with more than one million fly-tipping incidents between 2020 and 2021, which is an increase of 16% from the 980,000 incidents reported the previous year. Approximately 65% of this illegal dumping involved household waste. Continued here

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S46

Many Indonesians still misunderstand climate change - so how can we change this? Despite the country’s good progress in addressing climate change, two recent surveys have shown many Indonesians do not understand climate change or its causes. The survey found 88% of respondents, aged 16 to 60 years, had heard of the term – but only 44% of them could define it correctly. Continued here

S11

Five hidden symbols in Vermeer's paintings This month, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam opens its doors to the largest ever retrospective of Johannes Vermeer, bringing together 28 of the artist's 37 extant paintings. It is an intelligent, carefully curated, and stylish exhibition, and a genuinely once-in-a-lifetime event. What first strikes you at the exhibition is Vermeer's incredibly realistic painting technique, particularly his skill in depicting light. How it gives shape and volume to objects, and how different varieties of sunlight, filtered through windowpanes and tinged by cloud-cover, modify the colours of objects, and make textiles seem to sparkle. But Vermeer's art is like an ice-covered lake, where hidden life lurks beneath a deceptively cool and crystalline surface. Within the artist's beautifully constructed visual reality is another dimension: an invisible reality of ideas spoken in the language of symbols. "For Vermeer, symbolism was crucial," Pieter Roelofs, one of the co-curators of the exhibition, tells BBC Culture. One of the curators' interests is how symbols functioned in Vermeer's art to communicate religious ideas. "They helped in presenting his paintings as a kind of virtuous example." Continued here

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S53

Why security vetting in Australia can be detrimental to diversity Deputy Director, Global Institute for Women's Leadership, Australian National University The public sector union has levelled complaints at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) this month, alleging that many diverse candidates who’d been given a conditional offer into the graduate program were then denied due to delays in security vetting. This reportedly lead to the rejection of around a quarter of the applicants. Continued here

S1

Bertrand Russell on the Secret of Happiness In my darkest hours, what has saved me again and again is some action of unselfing — some instinctive wakefulness to an aspect of the world other than myself: a helping hand extended to someone else’s struggle, the dazzling galaxy just discovered millions of lightyears away, the cardinal trembling in the tree outside my window. We know this by its mirror-image — to contact happiness of any kind is “to be dissolved into something complete and great,” something beyond the bruising boundaries of the ego. The attainment of happiness is then less a matter of pursuit than of surrender — to the world’s wonder, ready as it comes. That is what the Nobel-winning philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell (May 18, 1872–February 2, 1970) explores in The Conquest of Happiness (public library) — the 1930 classic that gave us his increasingly urgent wisdom on the vital role of boredom in flourishing. The world is vast and our own powers are limited. If all our happiness is bound up entirely in our personal circumstances it is difficult not to demand of life more than it has to give. And to demand too much is the surest way of getting even less than is possible. The man* who can forget his worries by means of a genuine interest in, say, the Council of Trent, or the life history of stars, will find that, when he returns from his excursion into the impersonal world, he has acquired a poise and calm which enable him to deal with his worries in the best way, and he will in the meantime have experienced a genuine even if temporary happiness. Continued here

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S12

Train derailments get more headlines, but truck crashes involving hazardous chemicals are more frequent and deadly in US As an expert in rail policy, Michael Gorman has consulted with railroad companies over the past 20 years. He worked for BNSF in the 1990s. Less than two weeks after train cars filled with hazardous chemicals derailed in Ohio and caught fire, a truck carrying nitric acid crashed on a major highway outside Tucson, Arizona, killing the driver and releasing toxic chemicals into the air. Continued here

S24

Ukraine war: history shows why Zelensky's mission to secure modern jet fighters is so crucial The recent bout of shuttle diplomacy around the capitals of Europe by Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, appears to be yielding results. Zelensky’s appearances in the UK, France and Brussels had two main aims. The first has been constant since the war begin a year ago: to maintain western focus on his message that Ukraine will not accept Russian occupation of his country’s sovereign territory. His second is currently even more important: to continue his pressure on European nations to continue to provide arms. Continued here

S6

Tesla Just Laid Off Workers That Voted to Unionize. Can Elon Musk Do That? You can't retaliate for organizing a union but that's not a get out of jail free card. Continued here

S30

The long and satisfying 28,000-year history of the dildo A headline bound to get you up in the morning — a 2,000 year old dildo from ancient Rome has just been discovered. The 16-centimetre wooden phallus was originally uncovered at the Roman fort of Vindolanda in Northumberland in 1992. It was originally catalogued as a darning tool – a sewing technique for repairing fabric with a needle and thread – likely because it was discovered next to a number of garments and craft waste. Continued here

S42

The NDIS promises lifelong support - but what about end-of-life support for people with disability? Official estimates predict that by 2032, more than one million Australians will be supported by the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Much of the focus on the NDIS has been with how much it will cost, how people can get on it and how they can best spend the funds allocated in their plans. But no attention has so far been placed on the end-of-life needs of this highly marginalised population. People with psychosocial disabilities (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder or major depressive disorders) and life-limiting diagnoses are particularly vulnerable. Continued here

S35

How Putin has shrugged off unprecedented economic sanctions over Russia's war in Ukraine - for now The U.S. and four dozen other countries have imposed punishing sanctions on Russia in reaction to its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. The sanctions were unprecedented in their scope and severity for an economy of Russia’s size. The initial sanctions included the freezing of Russian assets abroad and a ban on the export of key technologies to Russia. Over the course of 2022, the sanctions were ratcheted up significantly as the European Union eventually phased in a radical reduction of the purchase of Russian oil and gas. Separately, over 1,200 Western companies closed their operations in Russia. Continued here

S44

What if urban plans gave natural systems the space to recover from the cities built over them? It can be done Our cities have altered their original landscapes so greatly that their natural systems are profoundly compromised. These systems – such as swamps, rivers, creeks, aquifers and bushland corridors – need more space to function properly. Sometimes they assert their underlying presence through land subsidence, floods and fires. As Margaret Cook wrote in her history of Brisbane floods, the Brisbane River is “a river with a city problem”. In Australia, Melbourne in particular has been hugely altered. Historian James Boyce wrote: Continued here

S8

The Day Steve Jobs Prank Called a Starbucks and Ordered 4,000 Lattes: the Power of Humor and Storytelling How Steve Jobs linked the future with the present to persuade, motivate, and inspire. Continued here

S52

Australia's energy market operator is worried about the grid's reliability. But should it be? The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) this week released an update to its annual assessment of reliability, the so-called Electricity Statement of Opportunities. This has been reported as the market operator forecasting “power shortages”, or the network being “at risk of supply shortages”. The market operator has certainly put up in lights its message that there’s an “urgent need for investment in generation, long-duration storage and transmission to achieve reliability requirements over the next decade”. Yet the reliability outlook has actually improved overall since AEMO’s previous statement last August. Continued here

S26

Essentialising 'Russia' won't end the war against Ukraine. Might 'real and credible' force be the answer? Russia’s War on Everybody, by UK writer Keir Giles, is an alarming book. It argues that for years Russia has been waging “a clandestine war against the West”. The current all-out military aggression against Ukraine is only the latest escalation of this larger, hybrid war. “Shooting down airliners, poisoning dissidents, interfering in elections, spying and hacking have long seemed to be the Kremlin’s daily business.” Continued here

S68

Your Internal Clock Might Help You Optimize Your Workouts Clocks existed long before smart watches and ticking timepieces. Our circadian rhythm, the internal clock driving most organisms — from bacteria to humans — is an ancient biological function that steers how our biology. As researchers learn more about the circadian rhythm, they find new ways that our bodies, and those of other organisms, are influenced by it. A new study out this week provides another piece of evidence that exercise may also be connected to our internal clocks. Continued here

S19

Knitwear: Chanel to Westwood review - showcasing the diversity of knitted fashion The exhibition Knitwear: Chanel to Westwood is a powerful, evocative display of knitted history at Edinburgh’s Dovecot Studios. Once a unique tapestry studio in Edinburgh’s Old Town, it’s now a welcoming venue for contemporary arts, crafts and design. The exhibition consists of a vast array of knitted garments from the collection of Cleo and Mark Butterfield, owners of C20 Vintage fashion. Their archive is frequently used and referenced by fashion and costume designers and major brands, as well as loaned out for popular film and TV dramas. Continued here

S18

Environmental activists on trial barred from citing climate crisis in their defence Four Insulate Britain activists recently stood trial at Inner London crown court on a public nuisance charge for blocking a busy London junction in October 2021. Like Just Stop Oil, Insulate Britain is waging a civil disobedience campaign to force the government to implement policies to tackle climate change and fuel poverty – namely, suspending new licenses for fossil fuel drilling and renovating homes to help people use less energy. But this trial was unusual. One of the defendants, David Nixon, ignored the judge’s instruction not to explain the reasons for his actions to the jury. The trial judge sentenced him to eight weeks in prison for contempt of court. Continued here

S67

You Need to Watch The Most Bonkers '60s Sci-Fi Movie Before It Leaves HBO Max Next Week The 1966 sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage is probably more famous for what it inspired rather than what it is. From several parodies and homages (including South Park and the film Innerspace) to the immortal Coolio song of the same name, the legacy of Fantastic Voyage — a movie about a miniaturized submarine getting injected into a human body — far outweighs any love for the film itself. There are many reasons for this funny incongruity, but the mixed public perception of Fantastic Voyage probably started on February 26, 1966, when a print version of the story appeared in the Saturday Evening Post nearly half a year before the movie dropped on August 16, 1966. Serialized in episodic installments in the Post until March of that year, Fantastic Voyage was written by science fiction legend Isaac Asimov. Except it wasn’t. The book version was written by Asimov, but the movie wasn’t based on his writing. The script for the movie came first and then Asimov was asked to write a novelization based on that script. This led to many people erroneously believing that Asimov came up with the idea for Fantastic Voyage, even though he didn’t. Continued here

S40

Peace in Ukraine doesn't ultimately depend on Putin or Zelensky - it's the Ukrainian people who must decide Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has now lasted for one year. As overwhelming victory for either side looks unlikely, many are now calling for a negotiated settlement to the war. For instance, China is promising details of a peace plan imminently. A critical question underlying any negotiated settlement is: how can the demands on both sides be balanced to achieve a stable, durable peace? Continued here

S31

In a new study, we've observed clues that distinguish the very deepest part of Earth's core Not so long ago, Earth’s interior was thought to be made up of four layers: the crust, mantle, (liquid) outer core and (solid) inner core. In a new study published today in Nature Communications, we provide further evidence for the existence of an “innermost inner core” – a distinct internal metallic ball embedded in the inner core like the most petite Russian nesting doll. Continued here

S45

There could be alien life on Mars, but will our rovers be able to find it? Robotic rovers are currently exploring the surface of Mars. Part of a rover’s mission is to survey the planet for signs of life. There might be nothing to find – but what if there is, and the rovers just can’t “see” it? As an extreme environment microbiologist, the challenges of searching for life where it seems near-impossible are familiar to me. Continued here

S29

What's the 'weight set point', and why does it make it so hard to keep weight off? If you’ve ever tried to lose weight but found the kilos return almost as quickly as they left, you’re not alone. But there’s a scientific reason many people return to their previous weight after dieting, and understanding the science – known as the weight set point theory – is key to achieving long-term weight loss. Continued here

S9

Mining Underground Innovation It is hard to stop innovators from innovating — as we can see from the long history of skunkworks and unofficial side projects among R&D staff members.1 Consider Tetsuya Mizoguchi, an executive in Toshiba’s mainframe computing division, who was convinced that there was an emerging demand for lightweight, portable PCs at a time when all such devices were large desktop machines. After management rejected the idea, he went underground to develop the first laptop computer — positioning Toshiba as a leader in the new category when it debuted in 1985.2 Laptops now outsell desktops by more than 4 to 1. In our research at Ford Motor Co., we surveyed employees in R&D and found that from 2018 to 2021, 45% had developed projects without a manager’s consent.3 Workers have a variety of reasons for doing this work out of sight. From earlier research, we know that underground innovators may want to defer discussion until they can present their best case or avoid the pressure that comes from managers demanding results.4 We learned that employees sometimes prefer a shortcut to solving problems encountered at work, don’t want to spend time getting permission, or are simply driven by curiosity and determined to push past constraints — even if they aren’t being paid for the work. Many R&D managers view underground projects as harmless and potentially beneficial and thus do not object to them as long as employees are meeting their formal responsibilities.5 After all, these innovations are often a good match with the organization’s interests and cost relatively little to develop. Continued here

S49

Witch trials, TERF wars and the voice of conscience in a new podcast about J.K. Rowling Deputy Director, Institute for Ethics, Governance & Law. President, Australian Association for Professional & Applied Ethics., Griffith University One of the year’s most anticipated podcasts, The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling, has just launched. Only two episodes of the audio documentary are currently available, with more to follow in the coming weeks. Continued here

S1

Bertrand Russell on the Secret of Happiness In my darkest hours, what has saved me again and again is some action of unselfing — some instinctive wakefulness to an aspect of the world other than myself: a helping hand extended to someone else’s struggle, the dazzling galaxy just discovered millions of lightyears away, the cardinal trembling in the tree outside my window. We know this by its mirror-image — to contact happiness of any kind is “to be dissolved into something complete and great,” something beyond the bruising boundaries of the ego. The attainment of happiness is then less a matter of pursuit than of surrender — to the world’s wonder, ready as it comes. That is what the Nobel-winning philosopher and mathematician Bertrand Russell (May 18, 1872–February 2, 1970) explores in The Conquest of Happiness (public library) — the 1930 classic that gave us his increasingly urgent wisdom on the vital role of boredom in flourishing. The world is vast and our own powers are limited. If all our happiness is bound up entirely in our personal circumstances it is difficult not to demand of life more than it has to give. And to demand too much is the surest way of getting even less than is possible. The man* who can forget his worries by means of a genuine interest in, say, the Council of Trent, or the life history of stars, will find that, when he returns from his excursion into the impersonal world, he has acquired a poise and calm which enable him to deal with his worries in the best way, and he will in the meantime have experienced a genuine even if temporary happiness. Continued here S14 Ukrainians' commitment to fight off Russia grows stronger, as does their expectation of victory, as war enters second year United States intelligence experts expected Russian troops to quickly overtake Kyiv shortly after Russia launched a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. But Ukraine continues to control Kyiv and the majority of its other territory. Most Ukrainians have expressed a strong willingness to keep on fighting for their country. Ukraine has had more than 100,000 volunteers join the war since the spring of 2022 – in addition to the 1 million people drafted that year. Continued here S17 Five emerging trends that could change our lives online The way we live our lives online is rapidly changing. Artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality and innovations such as blockchain – a kind of digital record for transactions — are set to transform the online world, affecting everything from social media to how people and businesses make money from their creativity. If you’re feeling confused by the pace of change, here’s what you need to know about five trends on the cusp of making a major impact. Continued here S21 We need to break the cycle of crisis in Aotearoa New Zealand's arts and culture. It starts with proper funding In times of crisis, arts, culture and creative experiences play an essential role. Whether through a music gig, a performing arts festival, a visual art exhibit or a well-thumbed book – these bring joy, comfort and relief in troubled times. Taking part in creative activities and events boosts individual and collective wellbeing, brings communities together, and keeps our social bonds in tune. Continued here S25 Working more and making less: Canada needs to protect immigrant women care workers as they age The pandemic has heightened Canadians’ awareness of the 3D jobs — dirty, difficult and dangerous — done by many migrant workers in our communities. When the pandemic first struck, many of these workers were on the front line working in essential services. Engaged in low-wage work in health and child care, immigrant care workers had high rates of COVID-19 infections, while also experiencing widespread job losses and continuing financial struggles to make ends meet. Continued here S7 Why Are Job Interviews Suddenly So Terrible? The internet is full of job seekers complaining about insane interviews. What are companies thinking? Continued here S48 As livestock theft becomes a growing problem in rural Australia, new technologies offer hope Last week, it was reported that 700 sheep with an estimated value of $140,000, including nearly 200 valuable merino ewes, were stolen from a Victorian property in a highly sophisticated rural crime operation. Such large-scale rural theft is increasingly common. Rural crime is not isolated to certain states. Rather, stock theft is an Australian problem. Evidence from these large-scale thefts shows that offenders use “corridors” across state borders to move stolen rural property and livestock great distances. Continued here S22 UK shoppers are choosing bricks over clicks right now, but here's why it isn't the end for online retail British retail sales figures showed an unexpected bump in activity over the Christmas shopping period that exceeded expectations – particularly given the current UK cost of living crisis. But beneath the headlines of positive sales in recent months, it was more surprising to see physical stores performing markedly better than online shops. Many multi-channel retailers, including Next and Seasalt, said their physical stores outstripped online sales, while online retailers such as Asos and Boohoo experienced poor Christmas trading. Revenues for online grocery firm Ocado fell by 3.8% in 2022 despite record Christmas trading. Continued here S16 Three in five long COVID patients have organ damage a year after infection The latest data from the Office for National Statistics suggests that more than 1.2 million people in the UK report living with long COVID for 12 months or more. Several studies have confirmed that symptoms can persist in people with long COVID for more than a year after infection. And long COVID can occur regardless of whether or not people were very sick when they caught the virus. Continued here S38 We planted pine in response to Cyclone Bola - with devastating consequences. It is now time to invest in natives During Cyclones Hale and Gabrielle the poor management of exotic plantations – primarily pine – has again led to extensive damage in Tairāwhiti. Critical public infrastructure destroyed; highly productive agricultural and horticultural land washed away or buried; houses, fences and sheds knocked over; people’s lives and dreams upended; people dead. The impacts on natural ecosystems are still unknown, but there will have been extensive damage in terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments. Similar damage occurred during storms in June 2018 and July 2020. Continued here S5 5 Attributes of Team Members and Leaders That Often Limit Success Unleashing your full potential requires that you recognize key attributes in the people around you. Continued here S54 E-cigarettes should be in plain packaging - just like cigarettes Plain packaging needs to be brought in to protect young people’s health. This would undermine efforts to hook a new generation on nicotine. Without logos, colours or images to draw on, vape products will be less able to communicate with potential customers. Vapes are aggressively marketed to young adults. Packaging draws on cultural references that teenagers like and understand, such as video games. And edgy brand names, such as Ninja Vapes, make the habit look rebellious. Continued here S15 'Compassionate listening' is a Buddhist tenet: What it is and why it matters Although the importance of communication in fostering better relationships and solving problems is well-recognized, much focus has been placed on “talking it out” — while the role of listening tends to be overlooked. “Compassionate listening” is critical to interpersonal and political communication, because without it, more talking can exacerbate the existing divides and misunderstandings. Continued here S34 I am a Ukrainian American political scientist, and this is what the past year of war has taught me about Ukraine, Russia and defiance Over 8 million Ukrainians have fled their homeland during this past year of war since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. To me, these are not just numbers. My family and friends are among them. I am a Ukrainian American political scientist. As a specialist in Eastern Europe, I have evaluated this war over the past year from my professional perspective. Yet this war is also deeply personal. Continued here S37 104 shark and ray species now receive new protections, but are they enough? However, the large expanse of the ocean makes it hard to properly enforce protections in these MPAs, making this a global challenge. A solution to this issue lies in the use of international treaties like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), wherein 184 member countries propose ways to ensure that species are not threatened due to international trade. At the recent CITES Conference of the Parties (COP19) held in Panama City in November 2022, I witnessed the discussions that went into four proposals to include 104 shark and ray species in the CITES Appendix II. The acceptance of these four proposals, which included 54 requiem sharks, 37 guitarfishes, six hammerheads and seven river rays, would restrict their trade to sustainable and legal avenues. Continued here S10 How shrinking teams are pushing workers to the brink As the head of marketing for a UK restaurant group, James’s role was to develop its long-term strategy, steadily build its digital audience and gradually increase footfall. However, his job looked different in practice – there were never enough employees to get even the smaller, more routine tasks done, let alone focus on the job he was hired to do. “From day one, there was a lack of numbers,” says London-based James, whose surname is being withheld for career-security concerns. “I was spread too thinly to be able to work effectively: I’d have to try and fit the big-picture strategic stuff of marketing alongside the granular day-to-day stuff.” His bosses, he says, showed little sympathy, and James often found himself working 16-hour days. Continued here S62 The Search for the Perfect Stone For a few weeks every winter, Tucson briefly goes rock crazy. In 1955, local gem-and-mineral enthusiasts began hosting a get-together, an event that’s since become something much more commercial, and much more overwhelming. This year, there were forty shows throughout the city, each of them a mazelike complex of dozens or hundreds of venders, drawing tens of thousands of visitors in total. Browsing one afternoon, I saw available for purchase a bathtub made of quartz, a case of onyx obelisks, an uncut twenty-two-carat diamond, a pendant made from a meteorite, a fossilized dinosaur tooth, and a daunting number of beads. A ubiquitous ad on the radio had an even more tantalizing proposition: “Do you want to take a picture with a baby goat inside a giant geode?” North of downtown, mineral dealers from around the world have taken over a complex of storage units, storefronts, and showrooms. “We nicknamed it Mineral Mile,” Jolyon Ralph said. Ralph, a genial, well-connected Londoner, runs Mindat.org, a mineral-education Web site. The Mineral Mile dealers focus on rocks in their raw, or raw-ish state. (A gem is a mineral that’s been cut, polished, and faceted; not all minerals are suited to become gems—some are too opaque, or too soft—and many are more valuable in their uncut crystal form than if they’d been turned into gems.) Mineral collecting has gone through several eras. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, European royalty amassed rare specimens as evidence of imperial reach and wealth. A hundred years ago, industrial titans did the same; J. P. Morgan, who donated much of his collection to New York’s Museum of Natural History, has a form of pink beryl named for him. In the nineteen-fifties, as the atomic era spurred a new interest in Earth science, rock collecting became more democratized. Many of the rock hounds I met in Tucson traced their fascination back to their uncle’s or grandfather’s rock collection. (The hobby is persistently and overwhelmingly male.) Continued here S2 Lose Your Inner Critic to Become a Stronger Leader Improve your leadership by getting rid of your meanest friend. Continued here S63 “Suzhou River,” Reviewed: Gangland Romance as Political Critique There are enough genres mashed up in Lou Ye's 2000 film "Suzhou River" to fill a festival, and its complexity is far more than a display of the director's virtuosity. Cinematic form has a special meaning for filmmakers working under censorship, and Lou, a Chinese filmmaker, did (and still does) as many other filmmakers (such as the Iranian director Jafar Panahi) do under similar circumstances. Lou constructs an intricate narrative to remind viewers of his need to take roundabout measures to suggest what's on his mind; by calling attention to brazen artifices, he emphasizes the obstacles to his depiction of reality. The puzzle-like complexity of "Suzhou River" (which is playing at Film Forum, in a new restoration) warns viewers to watch the film strategically, not to take it at face value, to be wary of what they're seeing even as his enticing tale draws them in. In "Suzhou River," Lou—a filmmaker of meticulous craft and a powerful sense of symbolism—builds his protagonist's story around the character's own storytelling, devising multiple layers of action, from documentary-like exploration to faux-archival video clips to the depiction of fantasy-like fiction that then links up with the protagonist's daily life. That's why, in a way, just describing "Suzhou River" is a form of critical thought, because its twists and turns are so abrupt, its dramatic structure so elusive, that it requires a sort of roadmap to highlight its ironies and allusions, the realities implied by its calculated evasions. Continued here S69 'The Last of Us' Episode 6 Fixes a Glaring Blind Spot in Post-Apocalyptic Stories Post-apocalypse stories have a lot of questions to answer: what happened to cause the apocalypse? How are people still eating today? Do vehicles still work? What form does the government take? How do people have their medical needs met? But one of the questions rarely answered in these stories is one of basic feminine hygiene. Despite affecting a large portion of characters in these projects, it often goes completely ignored. That is, until The Last of Us Episode 6 doubles down on answering this question out in the open — even if it makes some people uncomfortable. Continued here S33 The My School website has just been updated. What makes a 'good' school? Parents often worry about which school will be the best one for their children. Is the local public school the best option or would another public, faith-based or independent school be a better fit? The My School website has just been updated for 2023. This is the site launched in 2010 by then education minister, Julia Gillard, which allows you to search information about individual schools. Continued here S60 Presidential elections in Nigeria: alarm over violence and security likely to drive vote With Nigeria’s presidential elections slated for Saturday 25 February, the country’s independent electoral commission’s offices have suffered several attacks in recent weeks. Concerns over security have been such that its head, Mahmood Yakubu, expressed doubts on 9 January whether the elections could take place. Already, in early November, the US embassy had decided to repatriate its “non-essential” diplomatic personnel from the federal capital, Abuja, following a security briefing that was kept confidential. The move prompted a good number of diplomats and businessmen to flee at the time. In turn, the Nigerian press’ reaction ranged from criticism of Washington to alarmist views about rising violence. Continued here S4 Stop Wasting Time on Press Pitches Join the existing conversation to get your company in the spotlight. Continued here S57 Word from The Hill: Albanese at the National Press Club, Aston byelection, Super battles As well as her interviews with politicians and experts, Politics with Michelle Grattan includes “Word from The Hill”, where she discusses the news with members of The Conversation’s politics team. In this podcast Michelle and politics + society editor Amanda Dunn discuss Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Wednesday appearance at the National Press Club, where he spoke about security, broadly defined, and confirmed an increase in Australia’s defence budget over coming years. They also canvass the Aston byelection, to be held on April 1, with its high stakes for Peter Dutton. Finally, they look at the debate about superannuation that the government has opened up – an issue that always touches some raw nerves. Continued here S3 How AI and Chatbots Can Benefit Your Small Businesses A guide to streamlining operations, enhancing customer service, and driving growth. Continued here S20 Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons play - how silence and body language can communicate as much as words When we talk to each other, there’s what we say out loud, what we wish we could say, and what we’re saying without saying anything at all. The words we use and how we use them were continually questioned throughout the new production of Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons at the Harold Pinter Theatre, London. Written by Sam Steiner and directed by Josie Rourke, it explores how a proposed “hush law” would impact a couple as they navigate their relationship through the early stages of romance to the more mundane elements of cohabitation. Continued here S36 Russia announces its suspension from last nuclear arms agreement with the US, escalating nuclear tension After decades of progress on limiting the buildup of nuclear weapons, Russia’s war on Ukraine has prompted renewed nuclear tensions between Russia and the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his annual State of the Nation address on Feb. 21, 2023, that Russia is “suspending” its participation in the U.S. and Russia’s last remaining nuclear arms agreement – known as New START. Continued here S56 In defence of vultures, nature's early-warning systems that are holy to many people With their long, featherless necks and stern-looking faces, vultures are an easy target for people’s fear and loathing. In books and films, they usually appear as a forewarning of bad things to come. And they are often used to describe someone who benefits from the misfortune of others. But vultures should be celebrated, rather than dreaded. They are more than harbingers of death. They are a symbol of hope and luck in places from Ghana to Chile to Tibet, and, if we let them, they can warn of environmental change and illegal activities. Continued here S59 Nigerian elections are crowded with candidates: use this new tool to decide who to vote for in your area Eighteen political parties are contesting for Nigeria’s presidential elections scheduled for 25 February. Yes, 18 parties. But that’s not the highest number of parties in Nigeria’s election history. The record was in February 2019, when 73 political parties presented presidential candidates. In the 2023 elections, the Nigerian media have devoted most of their attention to four parties and their candidates. This leaves an information gap about the others. And the presidency is just one position being filled. There are hundreds of other political posts that will be determined. Continued here S66 'Last of Us' Episode 6 Sneakily Makes the Game's Most Incredible Level Even Better Joel and Ellie’s relationship has slowly but surely grown and evolved over the course of The Last of Us’ first five episodes. But in Episode 6, the two misfit survivors grow closer than ever. Not only does the episode, titled “Kin,” see Pedro Pascal’s Joel make the commitment to take Bella Ramsey’s Ellie as far as she needs to go, but it also gives the two characters the chance to bond and open up to each other. The Last of Us Episode 6 even features a campfire chat that is among the most laidback that the series has delivered up to this point. However, the conversation in question doesn’t just serve to bring Joel and Ellie closer together. It also sets up two iconic moments from 2020’s The Last of Us Part II (and presumably from Season 2 of the show). Here’s how. Continued here S65 This 38 Mph E-Skateboard Is Too Fast for Any Sane Person Wherever you’re going with the Defiant: One electric skateboard, you’ll get there fast. Just make sure you don’t get a face full of concrete on the way there. The e-skateboard startup Defiant Board Society introduced its first offering to the e-mobility market and did so without holding back. There are a ton of new companies offering their takes on e-mobility, so Defiant Board Society is just the latest of the bunch. Going off the branding, the company looks like it’s trying to capture a specific demographic, particularly the edgier among us who are interested in going ridiculously fast. Continued here S39 Emergencies Act inquiry final report is a reminder that we all have a role in upholding the rule of law On Feb. 17, Justice Paul Rouleau issued his final report for the Public Order Emergency Commission. In a calm and measured tone, Rouleau concluded that the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act to address the February 2022 Convoy Crisis was appropriate. The Commission’s legally mandated role was to determine if the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act was justified by gathering facts and laying them out before the public. In the overall framework of the act, such commissions promote the rule of law by facilitating public accountability. Continued here S58 Russia pulls out of New Start nuclear treaty - we've already seen how such agreements have limited aggression against Ukraine Vladimir Putin’s decision to pull out of the New Start nuclear weapons treaty with the United States will have predictable responses. Stocks in defence corporations will rise at the prospect of new markets for nuclear missiles. Disciples of deterrence will reassure the public that arms control was never really needed. Those who fear the end of the world as we know it will sound the alarm – playing into Putin’s hands, some will say, by causing alarm and weakness in the west. Continued here S32 Will the Turkish earthquakes affect how the country is governed? As the death toll in the Turkey-Syria earthquakes spirals past a record 46,000 – and a fresh earthquake has struck the Turkish region of Hatay – there is mounting criticism of the Turkish government and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for delaying rescue efforts and politicising the disaster. The aftermath of this catastrophe has ramifications for the critical Turkish presidential elections in May and Turkey’s relations with Syria, Greece and Cyprus. Continued here S64 Elsa Majimbo’s Unfiltered Comedy "What's quite amazing in her comedy," the director Julia Jansch said, of Elsa Majimbo, "is that we find ourselves in all her jokes." In the spring of 2020, a teen-age Elsa Majimbo started posting the brutally honest, lo-fi videos that have made her a social-media celebrity. At the time, she had an audience of about ten thousand followers. She kept herself entertained during lockdown, at her family's home in Nairobi, Kenya, laughing at her own jokes and filming herself—in closeup-selfie mode—on her rose-gold iPhone. Part of Majimbo's charm is that she seems to enjoy her wickedly blunt musings as much as her online fans do. She débuted what is now one of her signature props: the potato chips, punctuating every single thought with a satisfyingly staccato crunch, a snack-food version of the comedy-club drummer's punch-line rim shot. A few videos later, she introduced a pair of sunglasses à la Neo from "The Matrix." Something about her riffs on style, work, isolation, and manners struck a chord, globally. She now has more than four million followers across Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, has been featured on a digital cover of Teen Vogue, and was named a top creator by Forbes, in 2022. Continued here S61 Russia, One Year After the Invasion of Ukraine A year ago, in January, I went to Moscow to learn what I could about the coming war—chiefly, whether it would happen. I spoke with journalists and think tankers and people who seemed to know what the authorities were up to. I walked around Moscow and did some shopping. I stayed with my aunt near the botanical garden. Fresh white snow lay on the ground, and little kids walked with their moms to go sledding. Everyone was certain that there would be no war. I had immigrated to the U.S. as a child, in the early eighties. Since the mid-nineties, I’d been coming back to Moscow about once a year. During that time, the city kept getting nicer, and the political situation kept getting worse. It was as if, in Russia, more prosperity meant less freedom. In the nineteen-nineties, Moscow was chaotic, crowded, dirty, and poor, but you could buy half a dozen newspapers on every corner that would denounce the war in Chechnya and call on Boris Yeltsin to resign. Nothing was holy, and everything was permitted. Twenty-five years later, Moscow was clean, tidy, and rich; you could get fresh pastries on every corner. You could also get prosecuted for something you said on Facebook. One of my friends had recently spent ten days in jail for protesting new construction in his neighborhood. He said that he met a lot of interesting people. Continued here Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) Tweets Tweets follow me on Twitter Microsoft Silverlight - Change the World Connect with Me Random Hacks! - My Blog @ MSDN Loading... Where Dreamers Dare! Loading... About Me Sayan Will copy and paste later from my official biography! 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