December 21, 2022 - Americans' personal savings rate is near an all-time low - an economist explains what it means as a potential recession looms

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Americans' personal savings rate is near an all-time low - an economist explains what it means as a potential recession looms The rate at which Americans are saving money has dipped close to an all-time low, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The personal savings rate was 2.3% as of October, down from 7.3% a year earlier. It’s the lowest since July 2005, when the rate hit a record low of 2.1%. We asked Arabinda Basistha, an economist at West Virginia University, to explain the personal savings rate, what’s driving it so low and what it means as a potential recession looms in 2023. Continued here

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The 6 most anticipated Nintendo Switch games coming in 2023 Nintendo had a huge year in 2022, even with some of its most anticipated games getting delayed into 2023 or later. The coming year looks just as bright, with major franchise entries and some surprising new releases. Continued here

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World Cup: Fifa needs Qatar 2022 to leave a legacy of progress against corruption The men’s 2022 Fifa World Cup has ended, with Argentina crowned champions. But at this tournament in particular, there has been much to distract from the actual football being played. From start to finish, Qatar 2022 has been controversial. Naming the small state as host back in 2010 led to widespread criticism of Fifa. Since then, allegations of corruption in the awarding process have been investigated by the media, legal systems, and Fifa’s own ethics committee. A number of Fifa officials have been convicted of corruption charges or banned from football for ethics breaches. Continued here

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NZ report card 2022: some foreign bragging rights but room for improvement at home It’s that time of year when school and university students eagerly (or nervously) await their end-of-year results – but also an opportunity to see where the country in general might have passed or failed. Although international and domestic indices and rankings should be read with a degree of caution – measurements and metrics only tell us so much, after all – it’s still possible to trace the nation’s ups and downs relative to past years. Continued here

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How Terry Hall defined the sound of youth and disillusionment in Margaret Thatcher's Britain Terry Hall, who has died after a short illness at 63, was the voice of The Specials, an iconic band that bridged the youth sub-cultures and mainstream pop of the late 1970s and early 1980s, embodying the sound of disaffection in Thatcherite Britain. Born and raised in Coventry, Hall brought a distinctive stance, and sound, to British pop. As frontman of The Specials and then Fun Boy Three, his simultaneously deadpan yet melodic vocals, flecked with his native Midlands accent, belied the eclecticism that underpinned his music. Continued here

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COP15's Global Biodiversity Framework must advance Indigenous-led conservation to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 In the early hours of Dec. 19 — the last day of the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) conference in Montréal — the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted their new post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The goals and targets agreed within this framework, including the widely discussed Target 3, will guide conservation policy and investment for years to come. Target 3 — also known as the “30x30” target — calls for the conservation of 30 per cent of global land and sea areas by 2030. Continued here

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This course teaches students how to connect with older adults to forge intergenerational bonds and help alleviate loneliness and isolation Jeremy Holloway owns a program called Tellegacy that supports student connections with older adults outside of the North and South Dakota area. He receives support through the Department of Geriatrics in the University of North Dakota to provide service and a course for students and older adults in North and South Dakota. Uncommon Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. Continued here

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Investments in green energy infrastructure: an (over)performance that will last? The summer of 2022, which saw repeated heat waves, fires, and droughts in Europe and around the world, is confirmation that the effects of global warming are coming on stronger and faster than even the most pessimistic forecasts. To be able to hope to curb them, it is essential for us to change our current mode of energy production and consumption to a more responsible model. This paradigm shift will require major investments: the European Commission estimates that between 2021 and 2030, the EU’s energy sector will need a minimum of 175 to 290 billion euros per year for the development of green energies (solar, wind, etc.) and the necessary infrastructure. But from a strictly financial point of view, is the return for investors worth it? Do green energies, which represent the future, provide better financial performance, compared to fossil energies, which are doomed to disappear? Continued here

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Smart buildings: What happens to our free will when tech makes choices for us? Smart buildings, which are central to the concept of smart cities, are a new generation of buildings in which technological devices, such as sensors, are embedded in the structure of the buildings themselves. Smart buildings promise to personalize the experiences of their occupants by using real-time feedback mechanisms and forward-looking management of interactions between humans and the built environment. This personalization includes continuous monitoring of the activities of occupants and the use of sophisticated profiling models. While these issues spark concerns about privacy, this is a matter of not seeing the forest for the trees. The questions raised by the massive arrival of digital technologies in our living spaces go far beyond this. Continued here

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Is Gareth Southgate a successful manager? Two sports psychologists weigh in Will they ever bring it home? Despite a general belief that England’s men’s football team performed well in the aftermath of their World Cup quarter final exit, inevitably questions are being asked about the team’s future hopes of success going forwards. Some have suggested that the blame for England’s loss lies at manager Gareth Southgate’s door and believe he should be sacked. Continued here

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COVID hit companies hard. Why some kept their sustainability commitments, and others didn't Kenneth Amaeshi has received grants from the Tony Elumelu Foundation and the Scottish Government. He's also the president of the Sustainability Professional Institute of Nigeria, an industry association, as well as the Chief Economic Adviser to the Imo State Government, Nigeria - a part-time and pro bono position. Covid-19 has had profound implications for the “role of business in society”. One of them is the pandemic’s effect on companies’ sustainability strategies. These are efforts to avoid companies’ harmful impacts on the environment and communities, and to enhance the positive impacts. Continued here

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Mental blocks: how better design of acute mental health units could aid recovery It is a niche kind of membership that lets you in behind the doors of an acute mental health facility. Unless you work there or are admitted as an inpatient, these publicly funded private spaces that house people at their most vulnerable are really difficult to get into. Design matters. Fit-for-purpose psychiatric facility design promotes better mental health and wellbeing. This is a no-brainer for people who work and stay in these units. Continued here

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Biodiversity: one way to help countries stick to their commitments to restore nature Leader of the Human Rights and Environment Thematic Area at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute, Lund University When a hydropower dam in Argentina threatened to wipe out the hooded grebe, a bird found nowhere else on Earth, a local fishing community turned to the law for help. Continued here

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Spotify Wrapped: how sharing your music tastes can drive feelings of Fomo With its eye-catching animations, it would be easy to dismiss Spotify Wrapped – which gives users a roundup of their most listened-to music of the last year – as just another example of the festive feed fodder that engulfs social media every Christmas. But there’s something more sinister in Spotify’s playful graphics – and I’m not just talking about the data tracking. The streaming service is utilising the fear of missing out, or “Fomo” (the uneasy feeling that our peers are doing something better or more interesting than us) to increase the time that users spend on the platform. Continued here

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The Best and Worst Marketing Stunts of 2022 This past year was full of marketing stunts--some good and some not so great. Here are the most bizarre brand moments of 2023. Continued here

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Did He Jiankui 'Make People Better'? Documentary spurs a new look at the case of the first gene-edited babies In the four years since an experiment by disgraced scientist He Jiankui resulted in the birth of the first babies with edited genes, numerous articles, books and international commissions have reflected on whether and how heritable genome editing – that is, modifying genes that will be passed on to the next generation – should proceed. They’ve reinforced an international consensus that it’s premature to proceed with heritable genome editing. Yet, concern remains that some individuals might buck that consensus and recklessly forge ahead – just as He Jiankui did. Some observers – myself included – have characterized He as a rogue. However, the new documentary “Make People Better,” directed by filmmaker Cody Sheehy, leans toward a different narrative. In its telling, He was a misguided centerpiece of a broader ecosystem that subtly and implicitly supported rapid advancement in gene editing and reproductive technologies. That same system threw He under the bus – and into prison – when it became evident that the global community strongly rejected his experiments. Continued here

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The Jobs Where Emotional Intelligence Is Vastly Overrated, Backed by Science (and a Groundbreaking Organizational Psychologist) Emotional intelligence matters--but, as research and Adam Grant reveals, not nearly as often as you might think. Continued here

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How an American magazine helped launch one of Britain's favorite Christmas carols In 1906, a new carol appeared in “The English Hymnal,” an influential collection of British church music. With words by British poet Christina Rossetti, set to a tune by composer Gustav Holst, it became one of Britain’s most beloved Christmas songs. Now known as “In the Bleak Midwinter,” it was voted the “greatest carol of all time” in a 2008 BBC survey of choral experts. As a scholar of Rossetti, I’ve long been fascinated by the afterlife of her poems in music. The Christina Rossetti in Music project, a database of musical adaptations that incorporates my work, now lists 185 versions of “In the Bleak Midwinter.” Continued here

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Why winter solstice matters around the world: 4 essential reads If you’ve already spend hours shoveling snow this year, you may be dismayed to realize that technically, it’s not yet winter. According to the astronomical definition, the season will officially begin in the Northern Hemisphere on Dec. 21, 2022: the shortest day of the year, known as the winter solstice. The weeks leading up to the solstice can feel long as days grow shorter and temperatures drop. But it’s also traditionally been a time of renewal and celebration – little wonder that so many cultures mark major holidays just around this time. Continued here

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Five ways you can help stop biodiversity loss in your area - and around the world Biodiversity refers to the variety of life found on Earth and underpins the natural systems which grow our food, cleanse our air and water and regulate our climate. Human life cannot exist without it. But around one million animal and plant species are now threatened by extinction. At the recent UN biodiversity conference (COP15) in Montreal, parties agreed on a set of targets for reversing global biodiversity loss by 2030. This includes protecting 30% of the Earth’s surface and reforming subsidies for farming and fishing. Meeting these targets will require coordination between governments and businesses. Continued here

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'RRR' sequel will battle colonization again, director says Telugu cinema broke into the American mainstream with RRR, a Tollywood historical action epic following two real-life Indian revolutionaries on a heavily fictionalized adventure. The film had everything: Animal brawls, dance numbers, and a weaponized motorcycle. But where can the story go from here? Director S. S. Rajamouli reveals there is a plan — and it involves many of the same keys to success RRR used. RRR followed Bheem and Raju, two friends wrestling with their loyalties, pasts, and futures as they fought the British Empire. Now, in a possible sequel, it looks like the duo is poised for a rematch. Continued here

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Cinderace stars in 'Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's next Tera Raid — what to know The Pokémon Company continues its promise to bring even more special additions to Pokémon Scarlet and Violet with Cinderace, the fully evolved form of Galar region starter Scorbunny. As reported by Serebii, the game will feature a Fighting Tera Type Cinderace in a limited-time Tera Raid similar to Eevee and Charizard before it. Thankfully, if you’re too busy to catch it before the end of the year, it will have another run soon after the start of 2023. There’s no other way to capture Cinderace in Scarlet and Violet, so this is a must-watch event for trainers looking to complete their Pokédex. Here’s exactly when you can participate in the Cinderace Tera Raid event. Continued here

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Hyundai’s 2023 Kona pulls its new look from the futuristic Ioniq 5 The redesigned Kona takes after the futuristic Ioniq 5's design with a new front design that features a light bar. Hyundai’s futuristic front light bar is here to stay. Hyundai is redesigning one of its first fully electric vehicles, the Kona, with a lot of cues from its futuristic Ioniq 5. Hyundai scraps some of the curvy features with the redesigned Kona and adopts a flatter hood and a light bar that reminds us of the Ioniq SUV. Continued here

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Stephen Bear: why reality star's conviction sets such a powerful precedent for revenge porn victims everywhere Reality TV star Stephen Bear has been found guilty of two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs and films with intent to cause distress, and one of voyeurism after profiting from intimate images of his former girlfriend without her consent. Bear’s conviction is a landmark moment in a climate where non-consensual sexual image sharing often goes unpunished. Bear’s victim, Georgia Harrison (also a reality TV star), has fought hard for this conviction. She discovered that footage of her and Bear was being shared with friends via WhatsApp, and was then posted to an account on the adult site Only Fans, where access to the video was being sold for profit. While the sex with Bear was consensual, the recording of it (via CCTV camera on his property) was not. Continued here

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Merry or scary? Santa's 'Ho ho ho' mirrors our own ambiguous Here it is again: the merry, festive Christmas season with its glitter balls, tinsel and the typical “Ho Ho Ho!” Holding onto his red belly, Santa grins and laughs at us from everywhere. Like Halloween pumpkins and clowns, Santa is one of our most popular cultural symbols associated with laughter. In fact, Father Christmas, clowns and demonic veggie visages have more in common than you might think! And our pop culture depictions of Santa’s laughter tell us a lot about the pitfalls and promises of humour, and the not obvious links between humour and laughter. Santa’s laughter is often benign. In the 1970 fantasy musical Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, almost every one of the jolly gent’s good deeds is accompanied with laughter, be it distributing the toys to children in the unwelcoming Sombertown or melting the heart of the Winter Warlock. The laughter thus underscores the niceness of Santa’s activities and adds a cheerful element to the gloomy urban and forest landscapes. Santa’s laughter can also be used to improve the educational system on Mars in the 1964 film Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Continued here

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Chickenpox and shingles virus lying dormant in your neurons can reactivate and increase your risk of stroke - new research identified a potential culprit Over 90% of the world population has the virus that causes chickenpox lying dormant in their nervous system. Most people contract the varicella zoster virus, or VZV, when they get chickenpox as children. For around a third of these people, this same virus will reactivate years later and cause shingles, also called herpes zoster. While most people are familiar with the painful rash that VZV causes for shingles, a wide spectrum of other complications can also occur even without visible skin symptoms. Among the most severe is stroke, in particular ischemic stroke, which occurs when the blood supply to the brain is restricted by narrowing arteries or blocked by a clot. Continued here

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India's spiritual city that 'sings' Squinting under the bright South Indian sun, I could see piles of boulders strewn haphazardly in the distance, while around me were intricately designed gateways, pillared pavilions and huge sculptures. I was in the city of Hampi, which is known for two main things: its unusual terrain of granite rocks in varying tones of grey, ochre and pink; and the ruins of centuries-old temples and palaces. Where I was, in the compound of the 15th-Century Vijaya Vithala Temple, the two collided. A Unesco World Heritage site, Hampi is often described as an open-air museum, filled with magnificent stone ruins on the banks of the River Tungabhadra. As the capital of the South Indian Hindu Vijayanagara kingdom from the 14th to 16th Centuries, the city was ruled by kings who lavishly spent on culture, religion and the arts. The Vijaya Vithala temple, which is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu, is an architectural masterpiece whose soaring columns and massive gateways are all hewn from the porphyritic granite found in the region. Continued here

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Who is at the manger? Nativity sets around the world show each culture's take on the Christmas story For many Christians around the world, celebrating the Nativity, or the birth of Jesus Christ, is the most important part of the Christmas season. Among the most common Christmas traditions are small sets of figures depicting Joseph, Mary and Jesus that are displayed in individual homes, and live reenactments of the manger scene in communities and churches. While Nativity sets focus on the holy family, they can also include an angel, the three wise men bringing gifts, shepherds or some barnyard animals. Continued here

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New fossil foot analysis reveals the surprising and varied lifestyles of dinosaur bird ancestors Have you ever eaten chicken feet? If you haven’t, you might be surprised to learn there’s actually quite a bit of flesh down there. And scales too! They’re wonderful – and informative – pieces of engineering. As someone whose speciality is working on fossilised dinosaur skin, I have more than a passing interest in bird feet and the scales of other reptiles (yes, birds are reptiles too). Continued here

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Work in review 2022: The five biggest lessons of the year Even as many people moved closer to pre-pandemic living in 2022, daily life still doesn't look exactly like it did before. That's especially the case with work; this year, it became much clearer that many of us will never return to the workplace as we knew it.  Although it’s true that we’ve learned more about what a pandemic-era workplace might look like, there's a lot we still don't know going forwards, particularly about working models and equality. Both employers and employees are still contending with a landscape that is anything but settled. And the power struggle over flexibility is still raging, even as the global economy takes a downturn. Continued here

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Wolverine's return in 'Deadpool 3' might happen because of 'Avengers: Endgame' In an interview with SiriusXM, Hugh Jackman revealed a small but crucial detail about Deadpool 3, set for theaters on November 8, 2024. Not only could Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool steal the time travel device used by the Avengers in Avengers: Endgame, but Deadpool will snatch Jackman’s Wolverine from the past to give the X-Men’s resident berserker one more cinematic outing. Speaking to Radio Andy, Jackman gave Marvel fans a Christmas present in the form of a small plot reveal. Continued here

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Zimbabwe's stunning 80km safari train We rattled out of Dete Station towards the north-eastern boundary of Zimbabwe's Hwange National Park, an eager dozen – nine tourists, two engineers and one safari guide – en route from Victoria Falls to the Ngamo Plains, an elephant-laden grassland where dwindling acacia forests meet the arid sprawl of the Kalahari sands. I squinted into the midday sun and sipped a gin and tonic, balancing on one foot and leaning out of the side of our purpose-built, private railcar, hoping for a better view of a vibrant bird perched atop a wire. A fellow passenger had his camera zoomed in all the way. We caught glimpses of electric blue, a longish beak, a large head, but the light made certain identification difficult. Continued here

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Inverse editor James Pero's 11 favorite tech products of 2022 As 2022 comes to a close, we want to share with you the devices, software, and services that have made the Inverse gear team's lives both professionally and personally better throughout the year. Nothing here is sponsored, though our parent company BDG will get a commission if you buy anything through the affiliate links. Mostly, this is just our team's personal favorite tech of the year — all in one place. I’ve never feigned to be anything other than superficial. That’s my disclaimer before you read (or don’t read) the words I’ve written here. And while superficiality runs deep with me, it pales in comparison to my compulsion to be excruciatingly critical of everything that dares to exist in front of my eyeballs — in this case, as a Senior Editor at Inverse’s Gear section, loads of consumer tech. Continued here

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How to get a Building 21 access card in 'Warzone 2.0' DMZ Now that the mysterious Building 21 is live in Warzone 2.0 DMZ, you can start making your way through the challenging new area. But before you can begin your journey through Building 21, you need to acquire an access card, which is far easier said than done. These access cards have a chance of appearing in Al Mazrah from within the DMZ mode, with multiple ways to acquire them. But how exactly can you get your hands on a Building 21 access card and what’s the easiest method? Here’s what you need to know to begin the Building 21 quest in Warzone 2.0 DMZ. There are three main methods to acquiring a Building 21 access card within DMZ, though, keep in mind, none of them have a 100 percent chance of appearing. Continued here

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The Jan. 6 committee makes its case against Trump, his allies and their conspiracy to commit an insurrection: Five essential reads Co-director, Washington Office, Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy, Wayne State University From its first public hearing on June 9, 2022, the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capital has offered hours of riveting testimony detailing America’s first nonpeaceful transfer of presidential power. Continued here

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Proceed with caution: the trouble with trigger warnings Trigger warnings are widely used in many universities – and increasingly, the wider world. Last year, London’s Globe theatre attached a trigger warning to Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, advising it “contains depictions of suicide, moments of violence, and references to drug use,” among other things. In the US, the widest survey to date found an estimated half of all college professors used trigger warnings before introducing difficult content. In the UK, a survey earlier this year found 86% of undergraduate students support the use of trigger warnings. Continued here

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For Australia to lead the way on green hydrogen, first we must find enough water I was Deputy Director-General then Director-General, Water Victoria (1989-92); then Secretary, Department of Energy and Minerals, Victoria (1992-1995). Later I was Deputy Secretary then General Manager, Office of Water, Victoria. During that time I was a Victorian representative on the Murray Darling Basin Commission and then on the Basin Officials Committee (2004-2011). I was Director and MD of a consulting company owned by a law firm (now called Norton Rose Gledhill) from 1995-2003. During that time I was involved with various water and energy projects including the corporatisation of the Snowy Mountains Scheme. I am a shareholder in Xpansiv, a large renewable energy and water exchange, and was formerly a board member. I am a board member and shareholder in Flinders Peak Water, an organisation dedicated to using recycled water for food/agriculture. Through Deakin University I am connected to various water-related projects, including MDB and Drought Resilience programs, funded out of government grants. Australia is well-positioned to be a global leader in green hydrogen production. Green hydrogen is produced using a renewable power source such as solar or wind. As a substitute for fossil fuels, it will help to meet growing renewable energy needs. Continued here

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Three leadership qualities that Elon Musk's replacement as Twitter's CEO will need to have In a strong response to a recent Twitter poll posted by Elon Musk, users of the platform have called for him to relinquish his position as CEO. Musk hasn’t confirmed he will step down since the poll ended, but any replacement will need to be able to steer Twitter back to calmer waters even with Musk staying on as majority owner. It’s been a tumultuous year for Twitter and Musk. He began building up shares in the company in January 2022 and his US$44 billion (£36 billion) bid to buy the platform was accepted in April. He then tried to pull out of the deal in July, before finally taking ownership in October. Since then he has made – and sometimes walked back – numerous changes to the popular social media platform. Continued here

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'Puss in Boots: The Last Wish' review: The radical reinvention Shrek needs has arrived Shrek changed everything — but not necessarily for the better. The animation industry was already on the cusp of metamorphosis. Disney was in the throes of an identity crisis following the end of its ‘90s Renaissance. Pixar’s Toy Story broke new ground for the CG animated movie. But where Toy Story proved the power of CG animation, Shrek mined its potential to deliver a sharp fairytale satire that spoke in the post-ironic language early aughts audiences absolutely ate up. It only took a smug arched eyebrow and a glib, self-deprecating tone for earnest cinema to begin its slow and painful death. With each subsequent Shrek movie — of which there are four (!) including the first Puss in Boots — the series lost its luster, becoming just another clever, self-aware franchise in a sea of clever, self-aware animated movies that spent more money on their disinterested stars than their shabby animation made by underpaid CG artists. Continued here

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10 biggest space launches and missions of 2022 From crewed missions to satellite launches, 2022 was full of groundbreaking space missions that captured worldwide attention. Continued here

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'Avatar 2' secretly fixes the first movie's most unique problem To avoid hearing three hours of Na’vi, James Cameron distilled a solution to a single line of dialogue. Whatever your feelings are with subtitles in movies, one thing’s for sure: Three hours of hearing space alien dialogue can feel like much. Continued here

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20 years ago, Martin Scorsese made his most underrated gangster movie — and his best action scene ever Flawed but engrossing, this historical picture reveals Scorsese's fascination with the past. Few directors understand and appreciate cinematic history like Martin Scorsese, one of several reasons his word carries so much weight in movie circles. Making Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Goodfellas gives you a hell of a lot of credibility, but Scorsese also understands who came before him well enough to have made multiple documentaries looking back through cinematic history. There’s 1995’s A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies, and in 2001 Scorsese released Il Mio Viaggio in Italia, or My Voyage to Italy. Continued here

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HBO 'Last of Us' creator has a flawed reasoning for why the game is successful It is a truth universally acknowledged that any film or television person adapting a video game must talk about the inferiority of video games as a medium. With this in mind, it is not entirely shocking that in an attempt to praise the quality of the source material for HBO’s Last of Us series, creator Craig Mazin reinforces the idea that games having artistic value is a surprise. In doing so, he ignores what makes video games special. What’s so special about The Last of Us? — “It’s an open-and-shut case: this is the greatest story that has ever been told in video games,” Mazin told Empire in a recent interview. First off, it is rarely a good idea to use grand sweeping statements if you can’t back it up. Saying that this conversation is open-and-shut is a massive claim. But is there support for what Mazin is saying? Continued here

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5 Books to Fire Up Your Imagination for 2023  Close out the year with these fun and imaginative reads to set yourself up for a more creative 2023. Continued here

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'Black Panther' star Tenoch Huerta doesn't want to rule the world — he wants to change it The scene-stealing Mexican actor who brought Namor to life talks about learning to swim, brutal workouts, and changing stereotypes. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Mexican actor secretly signed with Marvel Studios to play the role of Namor the Sub-Mariner. In Marvel’s comic book universe, Namor is the arrogant, ferocious ruler of the underwater kingdom Atlantis (think Aquaman with the brain of a Bond villain). He rises to the surface in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ryan Coogler’s sequel to the world-shaking epic of 2018 that made box office history and crisscrossing arms an iconic pose. Continued here

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Elon Musk Keeps Breaking His Word. It Matters More than You Think Broken promises hurt your credibility, even if you're one of the richest people on earth.Continued here S49 Going home for the holidays? How to navigate conflict and deal with difficult people The holiday season is upon us and for many that means all the tension that comes with it. This time of year can be a minefield of uncomfortable moments, disagreement and outright conflict. It’s no wonder many young people are apprehensive about returning home for the holidays after living far away. There are many reasons interpersonal difficulties can arise over the holidays. Perhaps your aunt doesn’t like what you did with her pie recipe, or your friend’s new partner has unsettling political beliefs. Maybe you haven’t lived at home in a while, but your family still talks to you like you’re the same person you were in school. Maybe you’re bringing your partner to meet your family for the first time, and aren’t sure whether everyone will get along. Continued here S41 Most Canadians welcome immigrants, but anti-immigration sentiments persist Hostility towards immigrants has become a powerful component of right-wing populism in several western countries. But for the time being, Canada has not succumbed to this wave. In Canada, attitudes towards immigration have never been a particularly divisive or salient election issue. Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada is the only federal party whose platform includes radical reform of Canada’s immigration system. Nonetheless, the party has twice failed to gain any seats in parliament. Continued here S9 The forgotten history of the US' African American coal towns The story of West Virginia's past often goes something like this: in the late 1800s, blue-collar workers came from Wales, Eastern Europe and other far-flung corners of the world to mine coal that ultimately built the cities that fired America to global superpower status. But that story leaves out an important element: the vibrant and sometimes tragic experiences of the region's African American communities, which were integral to the industry and to a burgeoning Appalachian culture.  Fleeing white-led violence and racial segregation laws (known as Jim Crow laws) in Southern states after the end of the US Civil War and the abolition of slavery in 1865, African Americans streamed north into the coal fields of West Virginia in search of jobs and a modicum of security. Continued here S37 Bedtime strategies for kids with autism and ADHD can help all families get more sleep Getting a good night’s sleep is important for children’s learning and development. When young people don’t get enough sleep, it can impact their mood, school performance, health, and behaviour. The impact of sleep on quality of life is a force everyone can relate to. For children with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism and attention-defect hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a poor night’s sleep can have even more far-reaching impacts on not only the child’s mental health, but on the mental health and stress levels of parents, too. Continued here S46 Female genital mutilation rates peak in Kenya during school holidays - an alternative option offers a solution Female genital mutilation is a practice deeply rooted in cultural traditions around the world. The World Health Organisation defines it as comprising all procedures that involve removal of parts of the external female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The cut is practised for various reasons. Some communities use it as a rite of passage. Some see it as a way of enhancing hygiene and aesthetics, sexual maturity, marriageability and social belonging. Continued here S24 Five options for restoring global biodiversity after the UN agreement To slow and reverse the fastest loss of Earth’s living things since the dinosaurs, almost 200 countries have signed an agreement in Montreal, Canada, promising to live in harmony with nature by 2050. The Kunming-Montreal agreement is not legally binding but it will require signatories to report their progress towards meeting targets such as the protection of 30% of Earth’s surface by 2030 and the restoration of degraded habitats. The first thing countries should do is stop paying for the destruction of ecosystems. The Montreal pact calls for reducing incentives for environmentally harmful practices by $US500 billion (£410 billion) each year by 2030. Continued here S14 2022's US climate disasters, from storms and floods to heat waves and droughts The year 2022 will be remembered across the U.S. for its devastating flooding and storms – and also for its extreme heat waves and droughts. By October, the U.S. had already seen 15 disasters causing more than US$1 billion in damage each, well above the average. The year started with widespread severe winter storms from Texas to Maine, affecting tens of million of people and causing significant damages. Then, March set the record for the most reported tornadoes in the month – 233. Continued here S30 Adjusting the intensity of farming can help address climate change We have little chance of tackling climate change and reducing biodiversity loss without a redesign of the world’s largest industry: agriculture and food. While shifting to more plant-based diets and reducing food waste will be critical steps, what occurs at the farm level will matter more. There, it will be the choices made around technology and intensity that will matter. Continued here S52 If Ebenezer Scrooge Had Instagram Follow @newyorkercartoons on Instagram and sign up for the Daily Humor newsletter for more funny stuff. © 2022 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices Continued here S67 Scientists found previously unknown genes that show humans are still evolving Some of these genes are connected to diseases like muscular dystrophy and may explain how new genes crop up during human evolution. The human genome is the gift that keeps giving. We thought we had uncovered all its secrets in 2003 when scientists announced the double helix of life had been completely sequenced and assembled. To be sure, some parts were missing, but those were minor gaps dismissed as unimportant since they didn’t seem to code anything functional (what at the time was considered “junk DNA”). Continued here S8 Why Don DeLillo is America's greatest living writer "A brilliant story about death and the fear of death," said the original jacket blurb on Don DeLillo's 1985 novel White Noise – adding that the book "is a comedy, of course." This month, Noah Baumbach's Netflix film of White Noise dazzles its way on to our screens, and we're promised "a fascinating, invigorating spectacle," a "thrillingly original" blast of cinematic lustre. So this feels like a good time to look again at White Noise's author – and consider why Don DeLillo is one of the great novelists of our time. He published his first novel in 1971, and for half a century has been one of those writers who makes us think in a new way: read him for long enough and the world begins to look different. Continued here S15 China's lucrative orchid industry is a test for the nation's commitment to conservation China is well known for its medicinal use of wild plants, a tradition that dates back thousands of years. These traditional Chinese medicines include many wild orchids, some quite showy. Typically, orchids are consumed alone or mixed with other herbs in tea or soup. The health benefits vary depending on species; conditions for which orchids are used include immune system boosting, hypertension and stroke. Continued here S43 Give the gift of presence and love during the holidays The holidays are a time for family, connection and love. Family traditions are an important component of the holiday season. They are constant and reliable. They allow us to slow down and be in the moment, appreciate each other and express gratitude. The holidays are happy times where generations and families come together to share time with and show generosity to one another. These are particularly important experiences in childhood, when we are starting to understand relationships and how the world works. Continued here S59 Indiana Jones 5 star says 'Dial of Destiny' is "just like the old ones" Vague hyperbolic teases about upcoming blockbusters probably belong in a museum. But Boyd Holbrook’s excitement for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, in which he stars as the righthand man to Mads Mikkelsen’s villainous ex-Nazi Jürgen Voller, cannot be contained. “I think it's gonna blow people's minds,” Holbrook tells Inverse in an interview following the release of the official trailer for the fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise. (Stay tuned for more from Holbrook in an interview reflecting on his role in Netflix’s The Sandman, later this week.) Continued here S61 26 years later, Final Fantasy's most ambitious story still hasn't been topped Final Fantasy features dozens of beloved characters and stories, and it’s easy to argue the franchise has pushed the medium’s storytelling forward by leaps and bounds over the years. While plenty of people have favorites like Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy X, the series’ most ambitious narrative is the cult classic spinoff Final Fantasy Tactics. While Final Fantasy often dabbles with weighty themes, Tactics is an entirely different story, with an epic tale of war that dives into themes of racism, xenophobia, religious dogma, and how history is skewed by those in power. On its face, Final Fantasy Tactics seems as simple as any other game in the series, but the way the narrative plays out and builds layers of complexity is incredible — and something that even very few modern games can match. Final Fantasy Tactics was the first game to introduce the Medieval-inspired world of Ivalice, with the story picking up shortly after a horrific conflict known as the Fifty Years War. Now, the country is going through an economic depression and sits on the precipice of another war. When the king dies, two potential heirs are left to fill the power vacuum. Continued here S48 Emily in Paris season three - Netflix hit loses sight of the real city Since her arrival in the French capital in season one of this immediate Netflix hit, Emily has used her American influencer flair to successfully promote all manner of luxury products to the French market via her viral social media campaigns. And with all the usual drama along the way, she goes from strength to strength in season three. The show’s love affair with big-name brands makes it a product placement dream. But it is, of course, the city of Paris that is its most successful product by far. Continued here S5 4 Simple Tricks Successful People Use to Be More Likable Start paying attention to what will naturally make you more likable as a human being. Continued here S50 Brussels sprouts have as much vitamin C as oranges - and plenty of other health benefits For many people, Christmas dinner is not complete without a side helping of brussels sprouts. Indeed, they are Britain’s favourite Christmas dinner vegetable. But if you’re not a convert, perhaps these health benefits will convince you to give them a second chance. Sprouts belong to the wholesome family of cruciferous or brassica vegetables, including cabbage, kale and broccoli. As with all brassica, brussels sprouts are packed with fibre, which is good for keeping the beneficial bacteria in your gut happy. Continued here S51 Washington Needs a Crypto Rethink Sam Bankman-Fried, the former poster boy for cryptocurrency, reportedly has agreed to be extradited from the Bahamas, to face fraud charges that could keep him confined for decades. The tremors from the collapse of FTX, his crypto-trading platform, continue to reverberate around Washington. At a hearing last Wednesday, Sherrod Brown, the Democratic head of the Senate Banking Committee, said he hoped that Bankman-Fried would “soon be brought to justice,” and added that he “owes the American people an explanation.” The thirty-year-old entrepreneur certainly owes FTX’s bereft customers a fuller account than the pleas of ignorance he offered up before being arrested. But Bankman-Fried isn’t the only one with explaining to do. There are also the politicians from both major parties who accepted his campaign donations and advocated for legislation he favored. According to Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the political donations that Bankman-Fried made actually came from money that he diverted from customers. Although a number of the recipients have now returned Bankman-Fried’s tainted money, or donated it to charity, few, if any, have repudiated the approach to crypto regulation that he was pushing. Continued here S6 The Top MIT SMR Articles of 2022 In 2021, Anthony Klotz, professor of management at the University College London School of Management, coined the term “Great Resignation” to describe the burgeoning economic trend of employees leaving their jobs in the wake of COVID-19. In 2022, we’ve seen how this reshuffling in the labor market has affected workplaces and managers. Employees are more vocal than ever about their dissatisfaction at work, and companies must now strike a balance between addressing employees’ needs to increase their engagement and planning for economic uncertainty in the months ahead. It’s not surprising that, during the past year, readers sought out articles focused on removing friction from the workplace — from fixing toxic culture to rooting out bad bosses — and dived deeply into topics such as work design, decision-making, and corporate purpose. Employee engagement and well-being were also top of mind for managers, with articles on building a respectful hybrid work culture and supporting mental health among the most popular. No-meeting days allow for efficient collaboration while preventing disruptions of focused, heads-down work. The authors suggest several ways to deploy a no-meetings policy or adjust an existing one. Continued here S18 Disney's Black mermaid is no breakthrough - just look at the literary subgenre of Black mermaid fiction Mermaids have become a cultural phenomenon, and clashes about mermaids and race have spilled out into the open. This is most pointedly apparent in the backlash over Disney’s much-anticipated “The Little Mermaid.” After Disney unveiled its trailer for the film, which will be released in May 2023, social media captured the faces of gleeful young Black girls seeing Black mermaids onscreen for the first time. Less inspiring was the racism that simultaneously occurred, with hashtags like #NotMyMermaid and #MakeMermaidsWhiteAgain circulating on Twitter. Continued here S45 Heavy periods are common. What can you do, and when should you seek help? Around one in four women of reproductive age experience heavy periods, also known as heavy menstrual bleeding. Periods are a very personal experience and women (and people with uteruses) who have had heavy periods for a long time will often consider this normal, or something to be simply put up with. A woman with normal periods loses between six to eight teaspoons of blood with each period. On average, bleeding lasts for five days, but a normal period can last for up to eight days. Trying to work out the amount of blood loss can be tricky, but if you have any of these symptoms you probably have heavy periods: Continued here S53 My Year of Reddit and Relaxation In Gary Shteyngart’s absurdist dystopian novel “Super Sad True Love Story,” from 2010, a neurotic middle-aged protagonist, Lenny, is lovesick over a twenty-four-year-old Korean American woman, Eunice. One of the main aspects of their generational divide is their respective relationships to words and images. Lenny is alienated from modern culture because he loves books; he is so ashamed of his affection that he makes an effort to stop reading or talking about literature. Eunice, on the other hand, is part of a cohort that communicates predominantly through images. When Eunice and Lenny exchange correspondence through GlobalTeens, a popular communication platform, the service lightly admonishes them for their digital letter-writing, prompting them to change formats: “Switch to Images today! Less words = more fun!!!” This element of “Super Sad True Love Story” has stuck with me for over a decade, a period during which written communication has ceded more and more ground to images. To a writer, there is something obviously unsettling—in a Darwinian sense—about the relative ease of using images instead of words. Responding to a message with a series of emojis has come to feel more natural than offering a thoughtful explanation. Encapsulating a complex group social dynamic with an apt screenshot from a popular movie is almost as satisfying as composing a nice turn of phrase. The continued diminishment of the written word is such a foregone conclusion that it’s almost not worth getting sentimental over. On a bleak day, the signs are everywhere. Books are chiefly useful insofar as they generate source material for podcasts or streaming shows. Those streaming shows are most successful when they generate GIFs and memes for social media. Continued here S54 The Best Podcasts of 2022 This year was a landmark one in podcast history. Adnan Syed, whose case was the basis of “Serial” ’s explosive first season and of further reporting in “Undisclosed,” was freed from prison after twenty-three years. And as the media landscape continued to shift, with resulting shakeups roiling the podsphere—excellent shows ending, reins passing, audio talent adapting—great work continued to be made at all levels, from corporate behemoths to public radio to independents. Investigative reporting continued to thrive, but some of the most nourishing series lightened the mood, threading the form with humor, surprise, and joy—as when Tom Hanks appeared on “Dead Eyes.” Here are ten of the best podcasts I heard this year. The Vancouver-based production studio Kelly & Kelly, which made the very funny satirical true-crime series “This Sounds Serious,” has a knack for making tricky genres (fiction-style scripted dramedy, riffing-based documentary) enjoyably listenable. In “Let’s Make a Sci-Fi,” three comedy writers—Ryan Beil, Maddy Kelly, and Mark Chavez—set out to write a science-fiction show, but as they pitch ideas about German-shepherd-size crabs, three-mile-long intergalactic ships, and “space horses,” they have a hard time not making each other laugh. Each episode sees them enlist the counsel of an expert and discuss a new aspect of sci-fi world-building, but mostly the show is a refreshing exercise in understanding what the creative process is all about: imagination, risk, logic, amusement, and space horses. 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... 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