China’s Two Sessions: No Solid Plan for the Economy

Antonio Graceffo

Each year, governments around the world monitor the Two Sessions to see what China has planned for the coming year. This year is of particular interest because China is in the worst state economically and diplomatically that it has been in for several decades.

Marta Minujin Is a Tsunami of the Art World

Sandra Bertrand

Some artists make a splash from their first entrance. With enough talent, timing, and tenaciousness it’s almost a given. In the case of Argentinian-born Marta Minujin, she possesses all those attributes and more. Over a six-decade career that embraced soft post-war soft sculptures, large-scale fluorescent paintings, psychedelic drawings, and pioneering pop art performances, she has collided head-on with her critics.

'Drive-Away Dolls' Fails to Deliver any Substance or Consistent Laughs

Ulises Duenas

Things finally start to ramp up towards the end, and by then the slow place turns into a mad dash to the credits. Pedro Pascal and Matt Damon show up for a couple of scenes and the movie could have benefited from having them on screen longer, but maybe the budget wouldn’t allow for it. The absurdity of the plot and what the bad guys are chasing make for some good, cheap laughs, but it just seems too little, too late. 

The Ukraine Quandary: Assessing Conservative Resistance to Further Financial Commitments

Antonio Graceffo

The conflict has imposed significant economic strain, with escalating fuel and food prices affecting numerous countries. The continuous stream of news detailing the horrors of the war can lead to emotional desensitization for many individuals. Media coverage of the conflict has either diminished or become lost in the background noise of the overly saturated media landscape. Even discussions about funding allocations are losing their audience.

These Are the Nominees Who Deserve to Win the Oscar

Forrest Hartman

Anyone who has followed the Oscars knows that factors outside artistic integrity play into the eventual winners. Must a film or performance be great to land a nomination? Generally, yes. But the art is only part of the equation. Studio support, marketing campaigns, the past work of a nominated artist, and even the reputation of key players have a role in determining winners. Therefore, we think it’s worthwhile to toss those factors aside and talk about who deserves to win this year’s Academy Awards.  

Irish Life is Bleak and Treacherous in ‘The End of The World is a Cul de Sac’

Lee Polevoi

Louise Kennedy (author of an acclaimed novel, Trespasses) writes beautifully about the Irish and their tumultuous inner lives. In the story, “Hunter-Gatherers,” Siobhán’s fascination with a hare in her backyard turns sour when her lover Sid abruptly puts an end to the wild creature’s life. “In Silhouette” traces a line from the present-day Irish countryside to the Troubles of the 1980s.

New Book Offers Humorous Take on Younger Generation’s Views on Wealth

Glenn R. Miller

On the tree-lined stretch of stately condos and apartment buildings, the structure that had technically been in my possession since 7:37 p.m. two weeks ago Tuesday—the determined hour and minute my father suffered his heart attack—announced itself like Dad invariably did when entering into any setting: loudly, with exuberance, and flashing money.

The Unsettling Banality of Evil in ‘The Zone of Interest’

Ben Friedman

What differentiates The Zone of Interest from other lesser films centered around the Holocaust is its refusal to engage in the tropes. The atrocities of the Nazis are so inhumane that filmmakers humanize these characters. Whether it is Winslet in The Reader falling in love with a boy, all while “accidentally” committing genocide due to her inability to read, or Tom Cruise in Valkyrie playing a real- life German soldier who conspired to kill Hitler.

Why Overemployment Is Now Rampant in the IT Industry

Peter Chang

Coding is largely done in a solitary manner, sans the perfunctory “collaboration” and “teamwork”. And in an era when Agile project management methodology is all the rage, a coder’s tangible exposure to team collaboration seldom goes beyond giving a 40-second status update in the morning Scrum standup.

You Don’t Have to Go Crackers Going to Costa Rica

Eric Green

When we arrived at Costa Rica’s international airport, it was apparent that it had become truly international. It was much bigger, speedier to go through security and customs, and far easier to claim your baggage. Previously, the airport couldn’t seem to handle the large number of travelers passing through its gates. Now, with even bigger crowds, it was a breeze.

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