In the past week writ large across the world, we have seen how millions of people have protested extradition laws in Hong Kong. This would allow Hong Kong authorities to extradite Hong Kong residents to China for crimes they have committed instead of being tried in Hong Kong. Why the uproar? Because China has anContinue reading “Political and cultural freedom in New Zealand has reached its most vulnerable point in history”
Tag Archives: global politics
Book Review: In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park
Yeonmi Park has to be the bravest girl/woman in the world. She was born in the North Korean city of Hyesan which is separated by a river to the Chinese border and at the age of 13, she boldly and bravely managed to escape from there and gain her freedom. Yeonmi Park’s autobiography written at theContinue reading “Book Review: In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park”
FYI: The descent down the AI rabbit hole has now commenced
The following developments in AI have meant that we are on the verge of a very slippery slope indeed for fake news and the attendant chaos, disorder and conflict that this generates in the world.
The challenge of ruling a diverse nation never changes
This very weighty and important subject is as relevant right now as it was in the 16th Century. That was when a Dutch engraving by artist Pieter van der Borcht the Elder managed to capture the complexity and challenging nature of geopolitics and ruling in a country with many different ideologies and in the midstContinue reading “The challenge of ruling a diverse nation never changes”
Dismaland is Banksy’s dangerous molotov cocktail of pop culture rip-offs
Banksy’s pop up exhibition Dismaland in Weston super-Mare in Somerset this weekend is a dangerous and provocative molotov cocktail of pop culture references, Eurozone politics, rabid consumerism, and Disney fetishism exposed for our bemusement. Graffiti artist Banksy along with fellow art legends Damien Hirst, Jimmy Cauty and Jenny Holzer have taken over a derelict beachside lidoContinue reading “Dismaland is Banksy’s dangerous molotov cocktail of pop culture rip-offs”
A piano reverberates over collapsing glaciers
Earlier this year, renowned Italian composer Ludovico Eindaudi performed his ‘Elegy for the Arctic’ on a small floating platform in Wahlenbergbreen glacier in Svalbard, Norway. Around him glaciers crumbled and collapsed into the pearlescent water and the pristine quiet was pierced with the deafening sound of a fragile environment on the verge of implosion. HisContinue reading “A piano reverberates over collapsing glaciers”
The Art of Illusion: The Panorama of the Battle of Racławice
The Panorama of the Battle of Racławice (Panorama Racławicka) is a definite must on any trip to the city of Wrocław. The panorama is as iconic to Wrocław as Wawel Castle is to Kraków. The Wrocław Panorama is a gigantic 114 metre long and 15 metre high painting that depicts the battle of Racławice. This was an epic battle ofContinue reading “The Art of Illusion: The Panorama of the Battle of Racławice”
Documentary: Australia in the year 2020 (as envisaged in 1990)
This documentary from the late 80’s/early 90’s Australia offers fascinating insights into what the pre-internet world thought the new century i.e. right now would be like. As a child I remember watching this TV show and pondering about what 202o would be like. It felt like a pipedream to me, as inconceivable as driving a moon rocketContinue reading “Documentary: Australia in the year 2020 (as envisaged in 1990)”
Setting Up House in the Manholes of Milan
Italian Street Artist Biancoshock has lived up to his name by creating a couple of stunning street art installments on the thoroughfairs of Milan in Italy. In a satirical way, this installment shows that when people are forced to seek refuge in foreign countries, with little other than what’s on their backs and when forced to liveContinue reading “Setting Up House in the Manholes of Milan”
Ethical Fashion Part 2: The Big Winners and Losers in Australian and NZ Fashion
In Part 1, we discussed the exceptional documentary about the fashion industry The True Cost, and also the catastrophe at Rana Plaza which killed 1,100 workers in a sweat shop in Bangladesh. In this part, we will analyse the report which exposes brands for their ethical or unethical practices. I will most definitely be adjustingContinue reading “Ethical Fashion Part 2: The Big Winners and Losers in Australian and NZ Fashion”
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