Category Archives: New Utopia

David Byrne-starrer special filmAmerican Utopiais all set to release in the theatres of the United States, but for justone night. The Emmy-nominated film gives audiences nationwide access toByrne's Broadway that played to sold-out, record-breaking audiences during its original 20192020 Broadway run.Read further to know the reason behind the film's one-night theatre run.

Iconic Events Releasing, River Road Entertainment, Participant, HBO Entertainment and Warner Music Entertainment announced on August 12, 2021, that the filmAmerican Utopiawill release in the US theatres for one day on September 15. The HBO film will screen two days before the show marks its return to Broadway at St. James Theatre on September 17, 2021. The theatrical screening of the film will also have an introduction by David Byrne, thefrontman of the American rock band Talking Heads. The film which was helmed by Spike Lee, was jointly bankrolled by Lee and Byrne. The theatrical event will also have a conversation between Lee and Byrne.

American Utopia,a concert film, features Byrne's Broadway show of the same name. It gives its audience access to the iconic show. Byrne's Broadway show played to a sold-out and record-breaking audienceduring its original run from 2019 to 2020. The film featuresGrammy, Academy, and Golden Globe Award-winning musician David Byrne, performing his songs from his 2018 albumAmerican Utopia.Byrne performed with International musicians in the special film. He also sang some solo songs and iconic tracksfrom the former American rock band Talking Heads. The international musicians, who joined Byrne, were Gustavo Di Dalva, Jacquelene Acevedo, Daniel Freedman, Tim Keiper, Chris Giarmo, Karl Mansfield, Tendayi Kuumba, Stephane San Juan, Mauro Refosco, Bobby Wooten Ill, and Angie Swan.

Lee and Byrne produced the film under the bannersA Mule Filmworks, 40 Acres, and Todomundo and RadicalMedia. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in September 2020. It also began streaming on HBO in October 2020. The film garnered six Emmy nominations in its name. The nominations also included the category Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-recorded). Director Spike Lee shot the film at Hudson Theatre of New York.

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'American Utopia' starring David Byrne to release in theatres in US for one night - Republic World

Its no secret that many Jews love science fiction and fantasy, and that many Jews have been prominent authors in those genres. But in her new scholarly book, Jewish Science Fiction and Fantasy Through 1945: Immigrants in the Golden Age, Valerie Estelle Frankel makes the connection ever more explicit and compelling.

Frankel (not to be confused with Berkeley author and spiritual teacher Estelle Frankel) teaches at Mission College in Santa Clara and at San Jose City College. To date she has written some 80 books, most of which analyze major pop culture franchises. Her titles include Star Wars and the Heros Journey, Scots, Sassenachs, and Spankings: Feminism and Gender Roles in Outlander and Women in Game of Thrones. The Sunnyvale resident also has written Chelm for the Holidays and other childrens books.

Her latest is an exhaustive accounting of the involvement of Jews in the fantastical genres. She will be selling and signing copies of her books at SiliCon with Adam Savage, a pop culture and tech convention in San Jose on Aug. 28 and 29.

J.: What draws you to this kind of material? And how do you manage to produce so much of it?

Frankel: Somebody once called my stuff what happens when an English major watches TV. It started as: I can see all this cool stuff, all this allegory and references, that maybe others dont see.

As for how I produce so many books, its Diet Coke and not having a life.

So why this book? Why does it need to exist?

Theres an enormous amount of Jewish science fiction and no one has written a definitive book on it. This is volume 1 of a book thats currently the length of five books. Its an enormous topic, more than I expected.

Beyond Jewish science fiction, Jews really invented science fiction as we know it in the 20s and 30s in New York. Before that, we had Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, but that wasnt really about plausible science. Stuff based on the technology that seemed right on the horizon, the novels that invented satellites and lasers before they were real technology, those were created by Jews.

The editor Hugo Gernsback, who [in 1926] created Amazing Stories, the first science fiction short story magazine, and the author Isaac Asimov are among the biggest names in science fiction from that time. At the same time, Jews were creating the first comic books. And they also created fandom as we know it, with fanzines and conventions.

Its a huge swath of material to cover. How did you come to the theme of Immigrants in the Golden Age?

It really presented itself as part of the material. The Jews of the 20s and 30s who were writing this science fiction were really writing about the immigrant metaphor, about blending in in a new culture you really see this in the story of Superman. He looks like an ordinary nerd and you can discount him, but if you look closer, theres so much more to him.

But the book actually starts with the first time travel and alt-history, which is from the Biblical era. Frankenstein is arguably the first science fiction novel, and if it was inspired by the golem, then Jewish folklore and fantasy is essential. We also see the role of robots, which are a kind of golem, being big in Jewish work like Asimovs.

Is volume 2 on the way?

Yes. And Im also editing the Jewish Science Fiction and Fantasy series for Rowman & Littlefield. Book 2 in the series, which is not written by me, will be Goliath as Gentle Giant: Sympathetic Portrayals in Popular Culture by Jonathan Friedmann. And book 3 is an anthology, Jews in Popular Science Fiction, edited by me, which will include essays about how Jews are depicted in the big franchises, such as Star Trek, Star Wars, Marvel, DC.

What will surprise people in this book? What surprised you as you researched it?

Heres one example: Lots of people know that Israel was founded based on Theodor Herzls dream of a utopia, and the utopian book he wrote about it [Altneuland]. And lots of people know that he was busy seeking out alternate locations, anywhere that he could create a Jewish state. But people dont know that others at the time were writing alternate histories and speculative works of What if we had a colony here? Or made our promised land there? And some of those were utopian, some were dystopian. I was surprised by this entire genre of other places that could have been Israel.

What are you reading right now?

During the pandemic, Ive been reading two or three novels a day. I really enjoyed Israeli author Rena Rossners gorgeous epic fantasy, The Light of the Midnight Stars. The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker is perfectly nice; it takes a look at the immigrant experience with a golem and a genie. And I was really impressed by Burning Girls and Other Stories by Veronica Schanoes, which is Jewish immigrants meets fairy tales.

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Q&A: New book explains how Jews invented science fiction J. - The Jewish News of Northern California

WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined Fox Business to discuss her no votes on the Democrats multi-trillion dollar tax-and-spend plans.

Tennesseans Wanted True Infrastructure, Not Socialist Mandates

When they brought forward the infrastructure bill, it was about 25 percent infrastructure. The rest of it had to do with a socialist agenda. I called it the gateway to socialism a lot of Green New Deal in there, new mandates, $160 billion in new fees, a $256 billion deficit. You know, it is something too expensive to afford. What Tennesseans wanted to see was a bill that was all about infrastructure roads, and highways, and rivers, and runways, railways, broadband true infrastructure. They don't want the Green New Deal, and they do not want all of these new mandates. So for me, yes, it was a no vote.

Bernies Budget Is A Wishlist For His Socialist Utopia

This is Bernies wishlist. Bernie has talked for years about having this socialist utopia There's 109 billion taxpayer dollars in this bill to go through and to do amnesty for illegal immigrants. There is money to set up a slush fund or a government-run VC fund on clean energy projects for the Department of Energy. The list goes on and on and on. There are more ways to waste money in this budget than most people would ever believe.

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ICYMI: Blackburn On Fox Business: Tennesseans Don't Want The Green New Deal Or New Mandates - Marsha Blackburn

Hsu was forced to resign from his position as senior vice-president for research and innovation at Michigan State University in 2020 after hundreds of academics at the university signed petitions complaining about his comments about intelligence correlating with groups of humans. He is still employed there as a tenured academic, but many feel his work shares principles with the eugenics movement. Hsu is also an advisor to BGI (the worlds largest genetic research centre, based in Shenzen) and a member of its cognitive genomics lab.

Playing God is a term we hear a lot when we discuss these types of processes. When a couple pay Genomic Prediction to help them select the best of their embryos, they remove a significant part of the historical reproduction process: the rolling of the dice. The effects of this siphoning may be small-ish in a single generation, but consider the effects of this type of selection bias over four or five generations and an even more concerning picture emerges. What truly stopped me in my tracks more recently was a blog post of Hsus from 2012 when he wrote Imagine what a couple might pay to ensure that they get the best out of 10 or 50 possible offspring, optimising over their choice of heritable attributes, and then Compare this with the cost of a Harvard education or K-12 private school tuition. The cost of an IVF cycle is down to a few thousand dollars and could go even lower I hope that progressive governments will make this procedure free for everyone.

Huxleys dystopian vision was born of his fascination with, and fear of, eugenics. His brother, Julian, was an award-winning evolutionary biologist and prominent member of the British Eugenics Society. While Julian was correct in believing that what people referred to as race had no real biological basis, he did believe that eugenics could remove undesirable traits from the human gene pool. The lowest strata, he said in 1941, referring to the poor, allegedly less well-endowed genetically, are reproducing relatively too fast. By contrast, Orwells vision of the future came from his fear of totalitarianism and hatred of the ruling elite. Both authors knew what the extreme end of class stratification looked like; both had attended Eton. When their imaginations held the reins in fiction, their fear and loathing of humans worst impulses domination and subjugation were set free.

More than 20 per cent of Australian five-year-olds start school developmentally vulnerable. There are a complex set of reasons for this, but several solutions are obvious and remain unchanged. The Early Years Education Program (EYEP), for example, was developed by Associate Professor Brigid Jordan and Dr Anne Kennedy in partnership with the Childrens Protection Society, an independent not-for-profit child welfare organisation in Melbourne. Young children who were identified as experiencing extreme adversity (due to a range of factors such as lower birth weight and low family income levels) were offered three years of care and education in the program. The result was an estimated impact on IQ of five to seven points. The report on this program from 2019 is called Changing the Life Trajectories of Australias Most Vulnerable Children and it is compelling evidence for early intervention.

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Thrive By Five is an organisation campaigning to make our early learning childcare system high quality and universally accessible. They believe this is the most significant educational, social and economic reform of our era. A report they were involved in from 2019 titled How Australia can invest early and return more: A new look at the $15 billion cost and opportunity highlighted that poverty, crime, disengagement from education and substance abuse are all correlated for young people, as are family violence, homelessness and child protection issues.

In January 2020, former prime minister Tony Abbott said: That is a real problem in every Western country: middle-class women do not have enough kids. Women in the welfare system have lots of kids. A new report from Credit Suisse has found that in 2020, Australia recorded the third-highest national increase in the number of millionaires, with real estate and share values driving up mean and median wealth to the highest in the world. In the same year, weekly rents for the have-nots increased significantly in almost every major city. Despite this nations extraordinary wealth, we still do not provide young people with universal early childhood education. For children five and up, education is a right, but for those aged four and below, it is welfare for their mothers. The result of this absurd distinction has us trundling along the path to ever-worsening stratification.

Huxley wondered how wed class people pre-birth; Orwell asked how wed do it post-birth. In 2021, science is taking us towards a Brave New World while economic policy is taking us towards 1984. Plagues and epidemics feature in dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction too, often taking humanity to a shared brink of destruction. In real life, COVID-19 has not, in fact, affected us all equally. We are in the second half of the second year of this pandemic, and the data shows that the rich have become richer and the poor have become poorer. What a missed opportunity. The optimum population is modelled on the iceberg eight-ninths below the water line, one-ninth above, Huxley wrote. The one-ninth in Australia have no interest in sharing utopia, thats for sure.

Bri Lees latest book isWho Gets to be Smart: Privilege, Power and Knowledge. She takes part in Lets Talk About Sex on September 11, 2pm, and Oh, The Humanities on September 12, noon, both at the Wheeler Centre, as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival, September 3-12. The Age is a festival partner. mwf.com.au

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Literatures dystopian future is closer than you think - The Age

Its a big day forTravis Scottreleases.

Shortly after unleashing his Nike x Fragment Design Air Jordan 1 Lows, the Houston rapper surprised fans with another collaborative collection. This time around, Scott joined forceswithmastermind JAPANon a relatively small selection of co-branded gear.

Theres a graphic skull T-shirt with a screen print and rhinestone appliqu, a pair of intarsia graphic socks,a cotton twill embroidered cap, as well as a mauve-colored full-zip hoodie and a matching pair of nylon shorts. Each piece features Cactus Jack and Mastermind co-branding, most notably the latters signatureskull motif.

You can check out the Travis Scott x Mastermind pieces, which range between $24 to $180, in the product shotsbelow. The collection is available now at Scotts online store.

La Flame has kept pretty busy throughout 2021, havingdelivered collaborations with the likes of Dior, Uber Eats, and Fragment Design, as well as launching his own cannabis line, inking a deal with A24 Films, and debuting music at Rolling Loud Miami. He is also preparing to release Utopia, the long-awaited follow-up to 2018s Astroworld.

Scott spoke about the forthcoming project in a Juneinterview with WWD, providing a little insight into what fans can expect.

Im in this new album mode where its like psychedelic rock, he said after the debut of his Dior collaboration. So even just like the field of cactuses and mushrooms, you might get tripped out.

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Travis Scott Drops Collaborative Collection With Mastermind JAPAN - Complex

BARCELONA Casagrand luxury apartments offer guests an unforgettable immersive experience in Catalan culture with the intimacy and bespoke touches of a home away from home. Casagrand reflects the citys rich Spanish art and history throughout its 13 individual apartments, sophisticated design, personalized service and array of contemporary amenities. Perfect for groups and catering to the needs of families and multigenerational travel, guests will enjoy a seamless sojourn to explore this European cultural capital, centrally located on Avenida Diagonal, in the heart of this much sought after destination.

The DesignLocated in one of the most exclusive neighborhoods of Barcelona amidst Gaudi's phantasmagoric and flamboyant creations is Casagrands iconic building designed in 1929 by the esteemed and prolific architect Enric Sagnier. His eclectic style from neoclassical and modernist to neo-gothic, can be seen in many of citys landmarks that he designed including the Palau de Justcia, the Caixa de Pensions, the Duana (New Customs House) and the Tibidabo Cathedral del Sagrat Cor, to name a few.

Casagrand welcomes aesthetes and special works from the city's artistic avant-garde showcased in both the public areas and private apartments, transmitting the essence of Spains contemporary art scene. Exhibiting pieces by acclaimed local artists include Alicia Kopf, Regina Gimenz and Joan Fontcuberta. This is a utopia for those who dream of spending a night, or preferably more, in museum-worthy surrounds.

The spacious and light filled apartment interiors are done with sleek, contemporary design complementing the buildings original structures, wainscoting and textural ceiling details. The furnishings run the gamut of acclaimed local and international designers including Belgiums Dome Deco and Serax, B&B Italia and Gervasoni, to local producers Santa & Cole and Mobenia Luxury. Modernist art, cozy yet design-forward furnishings and elegant dcor come together to create a space that is both compelling and ready to be lived in.

The ApartmentsAll rooms in the spacious 226 square meter Summum Apartments face out towards to the city, offering some of the most spectacular views in Barcelona. These well-appointed apartments accommodate up to nine guests, and feature five bedrooms and four bathrooms three of them en suite, perfect for families with a nanny or extra guest.

Enjoy bustling city views from the living rooms of the 200 square meter Premium Apartments and then retire into total solace and privacy in one of four bedrooms for a restful nights sleep. These apartments boast two inside-facing double bedrooms, two inside-facing twin bedrooms and three bathrooms two of them en suite.

For couples or individuals looking for privacy in an entrancing, light-filled space, the 60 square meter Top Floor Penthouse is the ideal accommodation complete with expansive private terrace. It features one double bedroom, one sofa bed in the living room, one en suite bathroom and one washroom.

All apartments feature sound proofed rooms, 400 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, Molton Brown guest essentials, handcrafted mattresses made with natural materials and a pillow menu. Family amenities include high chairs, cribs, bath, changing table/diaper container and toys for both the youngest and older kids including video game consoles.

Restaurant Partnerships/ In-Room DiningCasagrand is proud to support the local community with exclusive restaurant partnerships highlighting different fine dining establishments to share the citys celebrated gastronomy.

This summer, Casagrand partners with Els Pescadors, that embodies the heritage of Barcelona. Casagrand will book the reservation, arrange complimentary round trip transportation and offer a complimentary drink for each guest in the party. The restaurant is located near the citys coastline surrounded by old fishermen houses with a huge, beautiful omb tree overlooking the al fresco dining. Els Pescadors is a local family business that was founded almost 40 years ago, and with a dynamic and friendly staff, the Maulini family offers classic seafood dishes cooked with time honored tradition, complimented by an extensive list of Spanish and international fine wines.

Through an on-going partnership with the Michelin-starred Hofmann Restaurant and the Hofmann Catering School, guests are invited to dine at the restaurant located minutes from Casagrand, enjoy a private chef experience or haute cuisine cooking masterclass in the comfort of the apartment, or visit the institution to participate in classes or a variety of other courses.

Casagrand offers room service for guests to enjoy a sumptuous breakfast of local specialties and international favorites and the concierge can also facilitate ordering from any number of the citys restaurants day or night. Theres a superbly curated wine cellar, featuring champagne and a variety of handcrafted cocktails. The property also serves glass bottled purified water to avoid single use plastic in an effort to be more eco-conscious.

WellnessCasagrand caters to the needs of the modern traveler with a dedicated rooftop wellness area featuring a pool for a refreshing dip; lounge area for relaxation; a sauna (upon request) delightfully located in the buildings dome; private yoga classes (upon request) and a gym outfitted with the latest fitness equipment. Rounding out the wellness services, guests can choose from a variety of relaxing therapies to book in the privacy of their apartment from massages, facials and body treatments.ConciergeConcierge services are on hand to recommend and book all tour and transportation reservations, recommendations to the citys best restaurants and nightlife, make arrangements for special celebrations like birthdays, or facilitate tickets to popular concerts and shows.

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Casagrand luxury apartments in Barcelona offers artful living at its finest - Travel Daily News International

Brooklyn-based Utopia has picked up worldwide sales rights to Hayley Garrigus You Cant Kill Meme, a documentary feature which drills down on the political meme warfare enshrined by Donald Trumps presidential victory in 2016.

The acquisition comes just ahead of the films world premiere at Montreals Fantasia Film Festival this month. An on demand release in North America is planned for this fall, Utopia announced Monday.

You Cant Kill Meme explores the rise of political meme instrumentation, anticipated by a 2004 visionary non-fiction book by R. Kirk Packwood called Memetic Magic: Manipulation of the Root Social Matrix and the Fabric of Reality.

The film sees Garrigus interview Packwood and other figures in the meme magic world to trace the emergence of figures such as Pepe the Frog, originally a comic book slacker, and Kek, an Egyptian deity of darkness before dawn, in order to understand their centrality for alt-right advocacy. You Cant Kill Meme argues that these memes delivers an inside joke, triggers an emotional reaction and creates a sense of belonging.

What was learned in 2016 has now become standard practice, director-cinematographer Garrigus says in voiceover.

Alternating interviews with personal details about Garrigus research, the doc also studies a moment of meme magic when alt-right assertions about Hilary Clintons health condition transformed into a dominant political narrative. The assertion helped move the dial on voters intentions and meme Trump into power, according to the doc.

Packwood explains the emotional origins of meme culture in a sense of social inadequacy. You want to introduce some form of chaos to break down social hierarchy, he argues. Other interviewers are Billy el Brujo, a white-paint faced internet meme magic worker, and Las Vegas lightworker Carole Michaella.

Through conspiracy and confrontation, You Cant Kill Meme offers nuance in our cultural assumptions about meme culture, said Danielle DiGiacomo, head of content at Utopia. Utopia is ecstatic to transfix viewers with the films unraveling of modern-day internet communication, whose real-world implications are often oversimplified.

You Cant Kill Meme is produced by Samuel Gursky, Kerry Mack and Michael Beuttler, and edited by Beuttler and Garrigus, who spent three years working on the film. Its original music is composed by Tom Moore and Michael Beuttler.

Co-founded byRobert Schwartzman, Utopia is a sales and distribution company known for feature films includingEmma SeligmansToronto 2020 standout Shiva Baby, and Annabelle Attanasios 2019 SXSW hit Mickey and the Bear.

Upcoming Utopia releases include Sundance and New Directors/New Films 2021 selections El Planeta and Were All Going To The Worlds Fair; Dasha Nekrasovas Berlinale premiere The Scary of Sixty-First, in partnership with Shudder; and the Dash Snow documentary Moments Like This Never Last from Cheryl Dunn and Vice Studios.

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Alt-Right Meme Culture Documentary You Cant Kill Meme Swooped on by Utopia (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety

Country

United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, RevolutionaryPeople's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

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Cindy Rosenwald: The Republican utopia - hypocrisy wrapped in a contradiction - The Union Leader

Oh, how Ive dreamed of this day. Just as in John Lennons Imagine, its finally happened. No more borders! Now anyone from anywhere can travel wherever they like. No visas, no passports, no discrimination based on a persons race or wealth. The world is a grand utopia.

Theres just one thing. There are no borders because the polar ice caps have melted and now were living in the 1995 film Waterworld, starring Kevin Costner. Crazy, right?!

Sure, billions of people drowned and millions more were lost at sea. Not to mention that my fingers are always pruneylike, all the timeand I shudder at the thought of anyone else touching me with their disgusting pruney fingers, so I havent been intimate with someone in years. Also, my hair is permanently wet, even though Im one of those people who hates getting their hair wet when they swim. But these are just tiny trade-offs for living in a paradise where no one is turned away at a border for any reason. Damn it, Kevin, if you come near me with your waterlogged hands, I swear to God

Where was I? Oh, yes, a borderless aquatic utopia. Well, I use the term aquatic utopia loosely. Its more like an endless dirty swamp that spans the entire Earth. Also, there are a lot of decomposing animals floating around after the Great Melt, and, let me tell you, the smell is a lot. But thats O.K. We need to stay positive and focus on the whole no-borders thing. Imagine never needing a passport again! Boy, that better be the case, because mine is definitely expired and also at the bottom of the ocean.

The planet has transformed into a place where everyone is a citizen of the world, and were free to travel wherever we want to at any time! But, like, do we have to do it on Jet Skis? The chafing is so bad. Seriously, whose idea was this, Kevin?

But, hey, its cool. Im in Egypt right now, and you know what? Its beautiful. Sure, the pyramids are submerged and all you can see is water for infinite miles, but... Or, wait, am I in Canada? Hard to tell without landmarks or Google Maps, but thats the beauty of being able to travel anywhere at any timespontaneity!

Anyway, Id better go. Theres an armed Mad Max-looking crew coming my way on some steel-plated Jet Skis. They seem angry. Probably all the chafing they have to deal with. But you know what they dont have to deal with? Immigration officers. They should cheer up.

O.K., well, looks like Im being taken prisoner. Salam! Thats how you say goodbye in Egypt. Or am I in Japan? Who knows!

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Finally, a World Without Borders! Only Now Were Living in the 1995 Film Waterworld, Starring Kevin Costner - The New Yorker

Following an exhilarating sold-out show at Nublu in New York City earlier this month and performance at Newport Jazz Festival on Sunday, August 1, The Bogie Band, led by saxophonist Stuart Bogie has combined musical talents with the legendary Joe Russo, releasing their new single, The Witnesses.

Leaders and founders of the 10-piece ensemble are Bogie and drummer Joe Russo. Members of The Bogie Band hail from a litany of groups, including Antibalas, The Dap Kings, Red Barat, Arcade Fire, Joe Russos Almost Dead, David Byrnes American Utopia, St. Vincent, The Budos Band, and Superhuman Happiness. The Witnesses signifies a triumphant musical synergy. In a thrilling collaboration between old friends, Bogies horn arrangements meet Russos propulsive drumming to create an explosive combination of woodwind and brass instruments reimagining wind music in bold and dynamic new ways.

The Witnesses speaks to the urgency of the times in a musical language that laid the groundwork for the Bogie Band featuring Joe Russo. The brass knocks you right and left, the saxophones scream, and the drums keeping you running for your life.

This band is just getting starting and will surely bring more live music like their jam-packed Nublu debut as we head into the fall. Be sure to catch The Bogie Band featuring Stuart Bogie and Joe Russo as they hit the stage to perform live at the Newport Jazz Festival, it will be a performance fans will not want to miss. To stay updated on the bands upcoming events, projects, and exciting new releases check out their Instagram HERE.

Listen to The Witnesses via Spotify and YouTube Below:

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Joe Russo and The Bogie Band Collide To Bring Fans New Single, "The Witnesses" - NYSMusic