Category Archives: New Utopia

Now, a Mumbai-based artist is trying to break down what many women in Indian marriages go through in a country which places a high premium on the institution and unfairly so on its women.

An anonymous artist who identifies herself only as SmishDesigns online has opened her first solo exhibition in Mumbai. Befittingly titled Pati, Patni, Aur Woke to channel what it means to be husband and wife in a woke era, the title is a play on the 1978 Bollywood film Pati Patni Aur Woh (the Husband, the Wife, and the Other).

This is an exhibition that delves into the many layers of marriage as an institution, and how women are disadvantaged within it, Smish told VICE over email I try and capture the many disbenefits that women are subject to within wedlock, while also covering the subtleties of this patriarchal norm that suffocates women..

Millions of women in India are expected to leave their jobs or forego their education after getting married, while many families pride themselves in allowing their daughter-in-laws to work or study after marriage.

This exhibition, in a way, is an attack on the much abused term sanctity of marriage, a term often used by the judiciary of the country to silence married women and their struggles, added Smish. At the same time, it is a celebration of women who are now starting to realise their individuality and voice outside of this institution.

The exhibit brims with scathing, ironic references to the grim reality of Indian brides. In one image, a woman decked up in traditional Indian wedding attire also wears a black eye as she writes UTOPIA across a mirror with her red lipsticka colour thats important in most Hindu weddings, and which is often the colour of the brides wedding dress. This art piece references the fact that India recorded a 10-year high of domestic violence complaints by married women during the COVID pandemic, exemplifying how the deep-rooted issue has only gotten worse for women stuck at home with abusive husbands.

Another artwork shows a woman next to a TV, microwave, and pressure cooker with the title Bride with dowry! Exclusive Sale in India. This is also a cheekily devastating reference to the illegal and archaic, but commonly practised dowry system, where the family of the bride gives gifts or money to the groom and his family, often under deep pressure and in the face of poverty. The inspiration for amplifying this issue came after an incident in February, where a woman died by suicide in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, after her husband and in-laws physically assaulted her and demanded dowry. This, heartbreakingly, is just one of many such incidents, often lumped together as dowry deaths.

For this exhibition, Smish drew inspiration from anecdotes of friends and family, bearing witness to a culture where the onus and blame of marital mistakes tends to be shouldered by the wife. Ive grown up seeing excessively bad marriages around me in which women were expected to compromise and be flexible to adjust to their situations, no matter how bad their conditions were, she said.

Much of Smishs work is closely connected to her political opinions, with her art serving as a platform to express solidarity with some of Indias biggest protest movements, including the ones against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, and the ongoing farmers protests. But the backlash and trolling that artists opposing the powers that be often face has also created a fearful online environment. This also explains Smishs decision to remain anonymous, a question those admiring her art have repeatedly asked her about. The current climate makes every creator nervous, whether an artist, comedian, or filmmaker, she said. I do get anxious when I create art now, but somehow I keep doing it. When I did start it [her account on Instagram], I was a budding art student and I would often post my photography or work on it, but no personal pictures. After 2019, I started to post a lot of protest art on it, and realised that I was more comfortable with it being anonymous as it gave me a lot of freedom to express myself wholly and unwaveringly.

For Smish, the line between social, personal and political issues is really thinas yet again illustrated in her new series. All three of these things played a factor in my decision to address this topic. Women have no bodily autonomy when in wedlock because the judiciary of India doesn't recognise marital rape as a crime, so here personal becomes political. Even in cases of dowry and domestic abuse, Indian women rarely find solace in the laws that continually fail to protect them. I wouldnt say its the entire institution of marriage I have a problem with but how profusely the society, law and social structures mandate a womans agency within it.

For Smish, this series also serves to confront the very institution of marriage itself. I view the institution of marriage from a very cynical standpoint because it's a system designed to suppress a woman's agency and bodily autonomy, pan India. Unless there are laws working in favour of women and supporting them within wedlock, unless the society doesn't mandate a woman's choices to practise her agency, I see no point in subscribing to such an institution personally.

The rest is here:

This Artist Captures the Not-So-Happy Endings of Indian Marriages - VICE

When she was a child, Nadia Lim and her lizard caused a car crash.

I was the kid who was entertained for hours catching little frogs. That was my idea of fun, she recalls.

I had pet lizards that I would catch during school lunchtime. Then Id sneak them back in the car on the way home. Until one escaped and ran all over the car and caused an accident.

When Lim was six, the family moved to Kuala Lumpur for six years, where the chance to get out and into nature was limited (we had snakes in our garden, in the long grass. If you found one, you had to call the local snake control guy, and hed come and chop its head off. It was quite horrific). But from a young age, she was interested in how things grow.

READ MORE:* Nadia Lim's rooster is living it up at her idyllic farmhouse near Queenstown* Nadia Lim gives fans a peek into her semi-underground glasshouse * Nadia Lim launches lockdown cooking show* Nadia Lim and husband have gone 'back to the land' in rural South Island

She remembers helping her grandmother in her garden, back in New Zealand, weeding and learning in equal measure.

These days Lim, the woman with her name on more than 10 cookbooks, one picture book and a magazine, the co-founder of My Food Bag, the winner of MasterChef, the host of New Zealands favourite lockdown cooking show, and as of next week, Lifes newest columnist, is still happiest getting her hands dirty, chasing chickens and pruning pea shoots on her farm, just outside Arrowtown.

The family - Lim and husband Carlos Bagrie have two sons, Bodhi, 4, and River, 2 - upped sticks for the country just months before Covid-19 hit, finding their special slice of paradise after years of searching for the right property.

MATT QUEREE/Stuff

The joy of being forced to slow down was a treasured time for the 35-year-old as both a mum and a cook.

We feel so lucky and so grateful for the timing of our move, she says, a year on from the country being put into Level 4 for the first time. And we are so lucky to have all the space that we do.

The space - both physically and mentally - helped, at least in part, with Lim becoming New Zealands Queen of Lockdown Cooking last year. Her off-the-cuff TV show, Nadias Comfort Kitchen, filmed at home on the farm, with Bagrie behind the camera and her boys running around in the background, was watched by more than 1.2 million of us. We lapped up the idyllic country kitchen scenes, and her ideas for what we could cook when wed lost the ability to easily nip to the supermarket, deep in Level 4 drudgery.

Lim says during that lockdown, she went to the supermarket just twice - and (ironically) only to buy supplies needed for the TV show.

[During lockdown] we had all our own vegetables, and hunted meat, Carlos would go out and get rabbits, deer, goat. We had wild boar bacon and sausages already made, luckily. And we had our own honey and eggs, so we were pretty much self-sufficient.

Im inundated with the amount of produce we grow. We dont have to buy anything, except for flour, milk, oil, salt, pepper - and wine! she says.

Its clear Lim knows she is fortunate. But the joy of being forced to slow down was a treasured time for the 35-year-old as both a mum and a cook. And it allowed her to indulge one of her greatest passions in the kitchen - ingenuity.

I get an almost anxious feeling in my stomach if there is waste. And lockdown made me become even more resourceful. I would not waste a single scrap. I was going out and picking elderberries and making syrup. It was almost like this squirrelling activity, where you were stockpiling for a rainy day.

Its a feeling she thinks many of us shared, coupled with a chance to stop, and concentrate on the simple things, when what was going on in the world around us was far from straightforward.

People really, really enjoyed getting back to basics. And thats what a lot of us are missing in our crazy, busy lives right now. Im a hypocrite - I fill my days up, and I cant say I have a simple life, because I fill it up from head to toe doing all sorts of things. But lockdown really honed in on the fact that, deep down inside, everyone craves simplicity.

And hopefully people have held onto some of that. I know I still think about it.

It wasnt perfect though. Balancing working from home with two young kids was never going to be. And Lim says like many children, her eldest son struggled after the initial excitement of having the family all in one place for such a long time.

To begin with, [the kids] thrived, she says. Hanging out with mum and dad, and the novelty of it all. But at the three-week mark, [Bodhi] started to go, what is going on? How long is this going to drag on for? And he started getting quite depressed. It was really sad to see that in a little three-and-a-half-year-old. Hed just lie around, and you could see his brain thinking, what is going on?

It was a situation even us grown-ups struggled to comprehend at times. In the same boat as parents around the world, Lim and her husband explained things to their children honestly.

Weve never hidden anything from them, and that goes for life and death on the farm, too. [Bodhi] knows exactly how that works; from when he was two, and he could understand words, wed show him things, and explain that this animal is dead. Poor animal. And it was the same explaining coronavirus, we just explained how it was, and he seemed to respond well to being told the truth.

For Lim, a self-confessed introvert, the time away from the hustle and bustle of normal life was a welcome retreat. While she wasnt exactly putting her feet up - remember that making-a-TV-show-from-scratch decision - there was a comfort in the wider world slowing down.

We are quite isolated here, but I don't mind that. Ive never minded that. I could quite easily become a bit of a recluse, she says, with a bit of a laugh. It felt like we had gone back in time...which I loved, because I should have been born 100 years ago, she says.

I was very busy. But I think I was mentally and physically okay almost by default. Because there were no cars, and because there were no planes, all you could hear were the birds - day and night. And thats got to be so good for your mental health.

And for someone consumed by food, this rural life is utopia.

Lim has just finished writing best before dates on egg cartons for her chickens finest, as she starts to wander around her garden. While we speak, she talks admiringly of the 7 hectare of sunflower fields, and the golden ripples of ripening barley. Soon, she and Bagrie will be planting a sea of blue lupin, and hopefully adding more to their collection of 12 bee hives.

Later, our conversation will be interrupted by Rocky the rooster, normally the farms alarm clock, cock-a-doodling the day awake at 5.40am. Today, he just wanted to (loudly) remind Lim he still needed feeding.

[The farm] is pretty much all we think about and talk about, and it forms part of the bigger picture with what weve always been involved in with food, Lim says, reflecting on a career that started 10 years ago when she swapped her job as a dietitian to take the MasterChef crown.

Ive always been involved with whats on your plate, and Ive felt a deep responsibility to be involved with how the food gets there.

Its all constant, constant learning. I knew this already, but the best farmers are observers of nature. You have to look, every day, at how things are changing. I keep a little diary, and so does Carlos. But you take notes, and it really does teach you; you start to pick up on natures rhythm and become almost quite in tune with it.

Todays entry is going to be about her cauliflower and the current battle with white butterflies. Yesterday, she wrote about a heritage corn experiment which proved exactly where in the garden gets just enough sun to ensure a bumper crop - or at least, where to avoid.

But its the same as my cooking; its mostly self-taught, and is helped by an innate interest in it.

View post:

Nadia Lim gets her hands dirty a year on from lockdown - Stuff.co.nz

The Indianapolis Colts are adamant about Carson Wentz's ability to take the franchise to new heights. But is the 28-year-old quarterback still capable of fulfilling such a tall order?

The answer is yes, according to JR.

"Carson Wentz should view this trade, this opportunity, this fresh start in Indianapolis, he should view this just as utopia," JR said on CBS Sports Radio's JR SportBrief show on Thursday. "He should take the bull, grab it by the horns, win the division, and set his career back up. Because for what we saw last year, Carson Wentz wasn't a Pro Bowl player. Carson Wentz wasn't an ascending star. Carson Wentz played a role in the Philadelphia Eagles becoming a joke. You can also thank Howie Roseman for that as well -- shoutout to the man who runs the show in Philly. Oh yeah, that's right, they did win a Super Bowl a few years ago and then they fell into the toilet...

"Carson Wentz can escape that. And I believe, in Indianapolis, this is the best place for Carson Wentz to turn it around. And I'm going to go ahead and I'm going to say that the Colts will go to the playoffs with Carson Wentz, and for right now, I would favor them to win the division. Let's see how they round out and try to bring back some members of that defense... But this Colts team, Carson Wentz, is he going to bounce back? I think the answer is yes. I don't think there's a better spot for him to bounce back with than his old coach, Frank Reich, in an offense that doesn't need to solely rely on him."

Wentz, the second overall pick in the 2016 draft, started and played only 11 games for the Philadelphia Eagles last season. He finished the campaign with career-low marks in touchdowns (16), completions (251), completion percentage (57.4), and passing yards (2,620). To make matters worse, Wentz also threw a career-high 15 interceptions, and was sacked 50 times.

The bar should be set somewhat high for Wentz in Indianapolis, as the Colts (11-5) finished the 2020 regular season as an AFC wild card team. And if Wentz is wondering what the franchise is looking for in terms of production, 39-year-old quarterback Phillip Rivers threw for 4,169 yards and 24 touchdowns in 16 games last year.

You can follow the JR SportBrief show on Twitter @JRSportBrief and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.

Originally posted here:

JR: Indy is 'the best place' for Wentz to turn career around - CBS Sports Radio - CBS Sports Radio

Her most recent work, The Negro Series, is her reaction to black trauma without depicting it. So far, it comes in three parts: 'Brunching Negros', 'Negros in Nature' and 'Negros at Home Minding Their Business'.

"I wanted to create a world where black people are safe. Specifically, 'Negros at Home' was a reaction to Breonna Taylor being killed in her home and how, unfortunately, it was a reminder that black people aren't safe in their places of residence. I didn't want to react to the trauma by depicting it. Instead of showing trauma, I wanted to show the opposite. A 'Utopia of Black people' that lets them be themselves and relax," says Justine.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Justine on her black utopias, the power of visual language and more.

I was always the class artist. I was the weird kid in school who didn't match, who was always walking around with a sketchbook in her hand. I was not a cool kid. My family is artsy, so I always had support, going into my career.

After graduation from college, I gained experience at both a screen printing and embroidery company and as an art director at an ad agency. That was fun. A video or production company would come in and give a presentation of their work; the nice thing about this that there would always be wine and cheese and crackers! I don't know many jobs where you can get kinda tipsy at, so that was cool cue Madmen jokes. All very bad for my waistline.

It was a rigorous job but also super rewarding. It gave me the experience of working with clients, creating art for everyday use and making art very quickly. It also gave me a sense of quality control, which helped me scrutinise my work. Overall it made me a better illustrator and designer.

When that was over, I took the time to figure out where I wanted to take my art and what I wanted to do with it. Once Covid-19 hit, I decided to take all this free time and draw like a madwoman.

Justine Allenette Ross, "The Negro Series"

Justine Allenette Ross, "The Negro Series"

I would describe my work as observational, figurative, playful, cartoony, chaotic, and human, with a touch of umami. I think it's obvious that I grew up watching Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.

I hope my work ages gracefully that people will always get lost in it. I want my illustrations to look like the viewer just stumbled upon a moment.

Yes, I want all work to be consistent, but at the same time, I'm not so beholden to a particular style that I can't switch it up for each illustration; I always try to give the piece what it needs. I ask myself, "What does this piece need to communicate my point?"

My main goal artistically is for my work to have a universal quality to it. I'm a relatively jaded and pessimistic person, so I think that's why my art is sooptimistic? I want to create the opposite world that lives in my head.

Justine Allenette Ross, "The Negro Series"

Growing up, I was surrounded by black art. It's all over! It's at your auntie's house and hair salons. I discovered Annie Lee, and she became a huge influence on me. Her work is figurative, and the way she tells visual stories is like no other.

Emory Douglas and Corita Kent are also huge for me, along with Chris Ware. Emory Douglas did work for the Black Panther Party, Corita Kent was a mid-century designer, and Chris Ware is a cartoonist and graphic novelist. In general, American comics from the '90s to the early '00s inspires me greatly.

But my favourite artist is definitely Keith Haring. His work has the universal quality to it without being vague or broad, incredibly approachable and inviting. He managed to make art that had a mass appeal without composing his vision or toning down who he was. He even made t-shirts and pins for people who couldn't afford his paintings or go to his galleries. His art is unifying. He truly made art for the people, and I admire him greatly for that.

Other than that, I'm constantly inspired by music: my two favourite artists are Beyonce and Sufjan Stevens, creators of worlds. It's umami your ears. I want to make umami for your eyes.

Justine Allenette Ross, "The Negro Series"

Justine Allenette Ross, "The Negro Series"

The Negro Series came from the comedian Dulc Sloan referring to herself as a "Brunch Negro". The term was so funny and sticky that I couldn't get it out of my head, so I decided to make some art out of it.

When I got back home from Northern Michigan, I decided to continue the series with a new theme, 'Negros in Nature'. I wanted to show black people enjoying nature and being unapologetic about it.

Then, since we're all stuck at home due to Covid-19, I made a series focused on being home. I had Breonna Taylor on my mind, and her situation weighed heavy on me, so I wanted to create a series where black people were safe in their homes. I named it 'Negros at Home Minding Their Business'.

With the 'The Negro Series', I wanted to combat collective trauma by envisioning a utopia where black people can be safe and themselves. We see so many depictions of black trauma, and I never felt compelled to add to that, so with this series, I hope people see my work and feel relieved, seeing black people being normal and happy. The series is ongoing, so stay tuned!

Justine Allenette Ross, "The Negro Series"

Justine Allenette Ross, "The Negro Series"

The pandemic is a double-edged sword for me; there was a lot of death. But being at home gave me time to focus on my craft and decide what I want to say in my art and what I want to put into the universe. I've been drawing like a madwoman, and as a consequence, my artwork has gotten better. Covid-19 gave me focus, as morbid as that sounds. I'm also a huge introvert, so staying at home and drawing was not a huge adjustment for me.

What's keeping me motivated during this time is such a positive reception of my work. People have been so positive about my output and my illustrations that it gives me the confidence to keep going. Illustration is such a lonely job that when I have the opportunity to work with clients or to collaborate with someone, that also helps. It keeps me normal.

Justine Allenette Ross, "The Negro Series"

Justine Allenette Ross, "The Negro Series"

Tactically, the best way for an artist to make a better world is to lend their creativity and vision to causes they believe in. Make signs for a protest, hit up your local non-profit to see if they need any creative services.

Holistically, however, the best way for an artist to create a better future is to do work that is true to themselves and their passions. If you're passionate about climate change, do work about that. If you're a feminist, do work about that. If you love house plants, draw house plants! Create honest work that's important to you, and by doing that, you'll show why what you're passionate about should be important to other people. If you're true to yourself, it's better for the planet.

Read more:

Justine Allenette Ross on black utopias, black trauma, and the power of visual language - Creative Boom

Hollywood, and the media that revolve around it, is having a moment.

In Hollywood, during the Red Scare, the fear that crippled the industry, turned everyone against each other. The paranoid frenzy that led many to suspect that movies were somehow carrying dangerous anarchist messages was not only about exposing communists in their midst, but also about implicating anyone who might be associated with anyone who might be a communist. Communism was the thing, coming out of World War II, that scared Americans so much they were willing to turn in their friends, people they knew, because they had to turn on someone. They felt threatened by something they could not see or prove it could be anywhere, in anyone.

The era of paranoia would eventually produce some great art. But to get to the art they had to be able to face the truth, the dark truth, the hard truth about what was actually happening versus how people were behaving inside the bubble of hysteria.

Humans are built for this kind of dynamic: build a utopia, protect that utopia, purge undesirables. Were living through one right now not just in Hollywood, not just in the awards race, but on the Left overall. While most industry members and most Americans are not on board with what has come to be known as cancel culture, they will not speak out against it and, if given the chance, they will join in; if you are the person doing the accusing, then its likely you wont be one of the accused. But really, anyone is vulnerable. Every day there is a new sacrifice, with no apparent end in sight.

I bring all of this up because were heading right into the center of the storm as we barrel towards the Oscars. Can the awards race even survive this level of intense scrutiny, where guilt and crimes are decided in the moment and punishment is enacted immediately, without any sort of rational perspective or due process. One after the other they fall an old tweet, something said once, something worn once, even if you just defend people who have been cancelled you too will be targeted, as I have personally found out too many times on Twitter. They rationalize it and justify it as holding people accountable for the bad things they do, as though there are people who are walking around who have never said or done or thought a bad thing.

The Golden Globes and the BAFTA and the Oscars have all been exposed, dismantled, transformed. But have they been forgiven? Are they still seen as part of the systemic racism that the Left believes is everywhere in this country, in everything and in every person? As someone, a white person, said to me on Twitter yesterday, Whiteness is evil. Well, okay, so how do you come back from that? The answer from Twitter is always do better. That is supposed to be mean choose better, think better, watch better, read better, speak better uphold the high ideals that will offer up redemption instead of persecution.

Varietys Clayton Davis has written a scathing indictment of the Golden Globes that essentially says even making the hires they plan to make isnt going to fix their problem of systemic racism. He doesnt use that term but it is very much his point.

The organization has reportedly turned down press conferences for Black-led projects like Bridgerton, Girls Trip and Queen & Slim, giving various excuses that left some filmmakers with no real chance at attention from the Golden Globes, which are a strong precursor to the Academy Awards and the Emmys. Black artists and Times Up have called for radical change within the organization, calling for accountability from NBC Universal which hosts its annual show. Over 100 publicists have sent a letter to the HFPA stating they were instructing their clients to not work with the HFPA until lasting change to eradicate the longstanding exclusionary ethos is addressed.

Its infuriating how easily the HFPA could fix the problems, but transparency is something the HFPA does not seem interested in. They seem to be only concerned with what director DuVernay recalled during her press conference for Netflixs When They See Us more came in the room when the pix were to be taken, at which time two peddled their scripts. In fact, the grip n grin ritual of having the members take pictures with stars at the end of press conferences is another antiquated ritual that should be retired.

Message for the HFPA: If you want better press, then be better press. Simple as that.

I dont disagree with Davis on his premise, that the hirings alone will not solve the problem they want solved because I dont think any film awards can meet the new standards. The reason being, you are dealing with power as the desired goal but the road getting there is about something ephemeral and subjective as our relationship to film and art. But what is the problem they want solved? What is the end goal? What is the point of any of film awards? The problem is with the members and the membership, it has been said, but what happens if they make all of those changes, add new members, do whatever is required of them to justify their annual showcase of contenders en route to Oscar and they still dont pick the right nominees? Ill never forget when I was part of the Womens Journalist Film Critics groups and they chose Argo over Zero Dark Thirty. It is not always the case that voters will comply with a political desire for change. Why, because art is, well, art. It doesnt always or necessarily follow that black members will always choose black films or black-themed films. Will that be the requirement for new members?

Missing in this conversation, and in Davis piece, is what the end result would look like. What would be an idea Golden Globes? Or BAFTA? Or Oscars?

Its a reality that for decades Hollywood sold stories that ignored oppressed and neglected groups or even mocked them. But that isnt true anymore. Our art now has been cleansed of any kind of potentially offensive content, probably to the point of making it less like art and more like a corrective guidebook for how were all supposed to be. Art is a way to expose truths in ways people cant or dont expect, but it cant really do its job if it is being monitored and disciplined for correctness at the same time.

Ralph Fiennes talks about the aspect of monitoring or policing art in a recent interview with the Telegraph:

I get worried if its decided that certain classical plays are irrelevant. I think often theres a superficial reading Restoration drama is colonialist, hierarchical, quasi racist. But theyre just plays. You can turn them on their head. The danger is of labelling stuff. These texts are there so pull the humanity out of them, pull out the stuff thats relevant. If youre going it doesnt tick these boxes, youre lowering the portcullis of judgement before youve even got into the room with it. I think thats troubling.

He praises artistic free-spirits from other disciplines citing Picasso and Henry Miller. We need to have those voices that risk being offensive. How sad if we sat on any expressive voice that could shake the scenery, that could get inside us and make us angry and turn us on. I would hate a world where the freedom of that kind of voice is stifled.

There is a very high likelihood that Fiennes will be made to apologize for having said what he actually thought instead of speaking in a way that wont offend, which is how 99% of people in the public eye speak. Or maybe no one will care. Either way, he seems to be saying what a lot of artists probably are thinking but cant say. If we cant have a conversation how can we ever reach agreement or anything?

Another piece from Persuasion talks about how the book world is changing too, called Beware of Books! A new moralism is gripping the literary world, treating grownups like children.

It starts this way:

Literature used to be a place for transgressive ideas, a place to question taboos, and seek naked insights into humanity. It no longer is.

Critics, writers and publishers are today enforcing a new vision that treats books less as a vehicle for artistic expression than as a product to be inspected for safety and wholesomeness. In the past few years, this has only gained momentum, with much of what is written about literature, old and new, becoming a series of moral pronouncements.

And it ends this way:

None of this is to say that the inequities of our time cant be addressed by other meansthrough economics and elections, through debate and compromise. But we must ask ourselves: Is this frenzy for censure, moralizing, and a seemingly endless expansion of the definition of harm, how well correct current disparities and historical wrongs? Is this how we intend to talk about art from now on? Which is to say, wed just talk politics, and hardly mention art at all.

The Oscars, the Globes, all of film awards are, for the foreseeable future, in the grips of a new moralism. There is no doubt about that. It springs from the need to be good. Goodness is the currency. But no human can be good all of the time. Sooner or later, their badness has to come out one way or another. Right now, that way is in chasing down anyone who commits a thoughtcrime, or says something offensive, or disagrees with the status quo. This is everywhere on the American Left right now, from politics to art and yes, to the Oscars.

Art has survived through phases of persecution, paranoia and great social upheaval. It survives because it has to. Humans will always need it as a way to relieve pressure, to expose hidden truths and to point out hypocrisy. I worry that so many young ones are growing up now believing they can and should police art the way they police their favorite influencers: watching everything they do to make sure it is 100% correct.

The broad prediction is that it is probably going to be a painful next two months. It will be painful in a lot of ways for a lot of different reasons, not the least of which is that so many of us are still trapped inside with only social media algorithms to bounce ideas off of.

And now, onto the reason you clicked on this link. Oscar predictions.

Predicting the Oscars is probably not going to be hard this year. The choices are limited as it is. There is a frontrunner and likely that frontrunner will carry through to the end of the season, April 25. I expect, when the Oscars are finally done, there will be a heavy sigh of relief that they (the awards community writ large) will be off the hot seat. Hopefully by this time next year we will have more than Twitter to shape our world view, our conversation, and our community.

Best Picture1. Nomadland (Globe/Critics Choice winner Picture and Director, Scripter winner, PGA/DGA nominee)2. Minari3. Promising Young Woman4. The Trial of the Chicago 75. Judas and the Black Messiah6. Mank7. Sound of Metal8. The Father

Best Director1. Chloe Zhao, Nomadland (DGA)2. David Fincher, Mank (DGA)3. Lee Isaac Chung, Minari (DGA)4. Emerald Fennell, Promising Young Woman (DGA)5. Thomas Vinterberg, Another Round

Best Actor1. Chadwick Boseman2. Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal3. Anthony Hopkins, The Father4. Steven Yeun, Minari5. Gary Oldman, Mank

Best Actress1. Andra Day, The United States v. Billie Holiday1. Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman3. Viola Davis, Ma Raineys Black Bottom4. Frances McDormand, Nomadland5. Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman

Mulligan is coming in with more nominations, Andra Day only has the one for Best Actress. But Days work is powerful enough that it could pull an upset, potentially. She won the Globe already but is not nominated for the SAG or the BAFTA. Mulligan is nominated for the SAG but not the BAFTA. So its a mess. And if it aint, itll do til the mess gets here.

Best Supporting Actor1. Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah2. Lakeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah3. Leslie Odom Jr., One Night in Miami4. Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 75. Paul Raci, Sound of Metal

Best Supporting Actress1. Youn Yuh-jung, Minari2. Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm3. Amanda Seyfried, Mank4. Olivia Colman, The Father5. Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy

Best Adapted Screenplay1. Nomadland2. One Night in Miami3. The White Tiger4. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm5. The Father

Best Original Screenplay1. Promising Young Woman2. The Trial of the Chicago 73. Minari4. Judas and the Black Messiah5. Sound of Metal

Best Costume Design1. Ma Raineys Black Bottom, Ann Roth2. Mank, Trish Summerville3. Emma, Alexandra Byrne4. Mulan, Bina Daigeler5. Pinocchio

Best Original Score1. Soul, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste2. Mank, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross3. Minari, Emile Mosseri4. Da 5 Bloods, Terence Blanchard5. News of the World, James Newton Howard

Best Sound1. Sound of Metal2. Soul3. Greyhound4. Mank5. News of the World

Best Film Editing1. Sound of Metal2. Nomadland3. The Trial of the Chicago 74. Promising Young Woman5. The Father

Best Cinematography1. Mank2. Nomadland3. Judas and the Black Messiah4. News of the World5. The Trial of the Chicago 7

Best Makeup and Hairstyling1. Ma Raineys Black Bottom2. Mank3. Hillbilly Elegy4. Emma5. Pinocchio

Best Production Design1. Mank2. Tenet3. Ma Raineys Black Bottom4. News of the World5. The Father

Best Visual Effects*1. Tenet2. Love and Monsters3. The Midnight Sky4. Mulan, Sean Faden,5. The One and Only Ivan

*No clue. No Best Picture nominees. But Tenet is the only one with both Prod and VFX.

Best Documentary Feature1. Crip Camp2. Collective3. My Octopus Teacher4. Time5. The Mole Agent

Best Animated Feature Film1. Soul2. Wolfwalkers3. Onward4. Over the Moon5. Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon

Best International Feature Film1. Another Round, Denmark2. Better Days, Hong Kong3. Collective, Romania4. The Man Who Sold His Skin, Tunisia5. Quo Vadis, Aida?(Bosnia and Herzegovina

Best Documentary Short Subject1. A Love Song for Latasha2. Colette3. A Concerto Is a Conversation4. Do Not Split5. Hunger Ward

Best Animated Short Film1. If Anything Happens I Love You2. Burrow3. Opera4. Genius Loci5. Yes-People

Best Live Action Short Film1. Feeling Through2. The Letter Room3. The Present4. Two Distant Strangers5. White Eye

Best Original Song1. Speak Now, One Night in Miami2. Fight for You, Judas and the Black Messiah3. Hear My Voice, The Trial of the Chicago 74. Hsavk, Eurovision Song Contest5. Io Si, Seen, The Life Ahead

See the rest here:

Predictions Friday: The Show Must Go On - Awards Daily

Back in the nineties, my favorite TV show was called Tomorrows World, a UK-based show which ran for a whopping 38 years on the BBC. It discussed the latest developments in science and technology (just look at this snippet of what the home in 2020 would look like).

Back then, the future was extra exciting. Technology would make our lives infinitely easier wed be commuting to work in electric, automated cars, and life at home would just be one smooth series of button pushing.

The height of this slightly skewed future gazing was my favorite Saturday morning space-age animated sitcom, The Jetsons, which first aired in the 1960s. The Jetsons are a middle-class family of four Jane, George, and their two kids, Elroy and Judy who live in a space town called Orbit City in the year 2062. Buildings in Orbit City are built on adjustable columns, an architectural style that isnt too far a leap from Seattles Space Needle. The familys apartment is huge, colorful and minimalist, and they travel by flying car, space board or a pneumatic tube.

In one sense, its a space utopia. But the Jetsons are human after all, and they often get themselves into the usual family arguments or awkward situations that many Earthbound families do today.

Having not seen the Jetsons for many years, I wondered if any of the technology in the show had actually became a reality. The Simpsons famously has an uncanny ability to predict the future including Trump as President and a virus sweeping the globe. So how well did the Jetsons creators do in predicting how wed live in the future?

Probably the most familiar concept of them all. Video calling is the norm in the Jetsons, although they call it a televiewer and it comes in the form of a large fixed screen, rather than a mobile device. Wherever theyre located, connectivity is always crystal clear low latency and high throughput has clearly been a major success in Orbit City. Could it be an evolved version of 5G? High speed connections, billions of connected devices, and transforming communication from your handheld device to whole industries the evidence certainly points in that direction, especially if we consider George Jetsons job

Caption: Is connectivity in a Jetsons world a distant cousin of 5G?

When it comes to work, the familys father figure, George Jetson, is a Digital Index Operator at Spacely Space Sprockets, although its hard to distinguish what he actually does during the day apart from button pushing. Hes also often late to his desk, even though he doesnt have to work until 11am, and he finishes just three hours later.

Interestingly, during a confrontation with his boss about how much hes been thinking about a certain issue, his boss responds, You THINK?! Your machine is meant to do the thinking, Jetson! It seems that in Orbit City, Industry 4.0 has reached its zenith. Work life isnt much more than checking a few monitors and doing as little hands-on work as possible, as exemplified by Georges outburst after a hard day on the job: I pushed the button on and off five times!

Orbit City reflects many of the future predictions for industries like manufacturing. The expansion of 5G and cellular technology will reshape many sectors of society and transform industries, increasing efficiency and productivity in the process. With that, comes a widely recognized fear that automation will make people jobless. But many also see the benefit of expanding automated jobs to free up workers for other, more meaningful work. In Ericssons Creative Machines report for example, half of workers claimed that having an AI to help them improve their workcapacity or do simpler work tasks would bea good idea.

We could also see the expansion of remote robotics controlling one or a series of machines from a distance. While we may not be carrying out tasks with our feet up quite like George Jetson, but he certainly knows a thing a or two about using technology to his advantage.

Hear about the future with remote robotics from Azimeh Sefidcon, Research Director for Cloud Systems and Cloud Platforms at Ericsson

Home cooking at the Jetsons is my kind of cooking. Kitchen aesthetics may not have changed that much in Orbit City, but when you can order a meal from a wall-mounted menu (otherwise known as a food-o-mat), Im all in. But even the machines in 2062 have their glitches overdoing the eggs and burning the toast are common occurrences.

I doubt the Jetsons do their own food shopping I cant see George or Jane running out of milk on a Saturday morning. Again, it seems that automated decision making and zero-touch consumption is a concept that isnt too far away. Imagine refrigerators that reorder the groceries, or virtual assistants that take care of all the boring aspects of home life paying bills, setting up bank transfers, staying on top of insurance policies. Its all highly likely.

Chores are obviously a thing of the past in the world of the Jetsons. Robotic vacuum cleaners are widely available, as they are today. Theres also Rosie the sprightly rent-a-maid, who despite being a slightly outdated model, ends up as a well-loved member of the family. Importantly, shes not just a robotic cleaner shes a confidant, and has her own firm opinions about things. In this sense, Rosie may just reflect whats to come for virtual home assistants. According to our 10 hot consumer trends report, half of survey respondents with virtual assistants believe that their devices will soon understand our emotions, and will likely act on situations rather than commands. Further, 42 of respondents claim that they think their virtual assistants will soon know them better than their friends do reassuring, or unnerving?

Robots also help the family get dressed in the morning via long, extendable arms that emerge from the wardrobe. This might be a step too far for me, but we should perhaps consider the kinds of clothes we might wear in a Jetsons world. According to a recent ConsumerLab study Connected Intelligent Machines, 76 percent of consumers say that by 2030, therell be intelligent posture-supporting suits that help people maintain the correct position during daily activities. Further, 71 percent predict that by 2030, well have AI assistants that translate everything we say to code, giving us humans the power to program any device to do what we ask. The world will truly be your programmable oyster.

It may not come as a surprise that the main form of transport in 2062 is a nimble little flying saucer or flying car. Despite the Jetsons having zero gravity on their side, flying cars may not be as far off as you might think. In September 2020, a Japanese company test piloted a manned flying car using drone technology. The flight only last four minutes, but the company is planning on launching the vehicle in 2023 with the possibility of air taxis coming on to the market in the next few years.

And who wouldnt love a skateboard turned hovering spaceboard for a future Christmas? The Jetson children use this as their main mode of transport a kids dream, surely? Unfortunately, it seems that, alongside Back to the Future fans, its here were the furthest away from a Jetsons lifestyle. Nevertheless, what we are seeing today is digital technology increasingly influencing and innovating within the automotive industry. Think connected vehicles, in-car AR services, and automated public transport perhaps not quite as space age, but out there, nonetheless.

Many of the concepts in the show are certainly plausible. Heightened communication, automation, and using technology for an efficient lifestyle are all points to consider. We should remember however, that we can never fully predict the challenges that might affect how technology develops in the future, as Nigel Willson, speaker, influencer, and advisor on AI, innovation, and technology, points out:

Programs like The Jetsons piqued our imagination, showing us exciting ways our future could unfold, from gadgets in the home to the way we might be working. Now with the rapid acceleration of new technologies, the future seems much closer, and new programs like Black Mirror can make it seem less exciting and more foreboding.

The reality is our world is a rapidly and ever-changing place, in which predictions of our future become much harder. For example, our lives have been immeasurably altered by a pandemic, the impact of which no one could have predicted as we started 2020.

In my future, I would love to see robot helpers, flying cars and a much reduced working day! But my greater hope is that we see a fairer and more equitable future for everyone as our world becomes an ever-shrinking sphere, and our lives become interconnected and interdependent, with technology and connectivity used as the enabler to make that happen. We all need to take the opportunity to dream big!

For Michael Bjrn, Head of Research Agenda and Quality at Consumer & IndustryLab, theres also one major factor that the Jetsons missed:

One thing that is completely missing from the world of the Jetsons is how digital and physical experiences will complement each other and form a merged reality perspective. We may still be a few years away from what the Jetsons could do, but once we get there, we will speed quickly past them into a future where an internet of senses makes any experience possible. The Jetsons need jets to fly, for example, but we might be flying just by waving our arms!

Caption: Get a taste for the Internet of Senses.

The Internet of Senses is the concept that in the future well be able to experience the internet with all our senses. We could taste food made locally in Japan, we could travel to Peru through our connected thoughts, and we could experience the touch of a new garment on a virtual trip to a department store.

Im sure even the Jetsons would have been taken aback at those kinds of digital possibilities. However technology develops, it will clearly help us experience the world in a completely new way by 2062. Even so, Ill still be holding out hope for that spaceboard

Will we see brain-controlled technology in just ten years?

Learn more about 5G and a world without traffic jams.

Explore our10 Hot Consumer Trends 2030report to find out how the internet of senses is shaping consumer expectations.

More here:

How close are we to becoming the Jetsons? - Ericsson

At the end of January, almost half a million Irish workers were on the pandemic unemployment payment. The rollout of vaccination programmes has shifted mindsets to asking if people when, if ever, will return to offices and workplaces?

And while the pandemic has brought some (long overdue) appreciation for frontline and essential workers, it is uncertain how much will really change post-Covid.

Nonetheless, there are forces afoot that may encourage progressive change. The European Commission is proposing a new minimum wage floor and ways to tackle in-work poverty. The Irish Government (with others across Europe) have objected to it. They argue that a recommendation would be preferable to a legally binding directive.

The opposition is an important signal. It appears to look for something more palatable while inferring support for the general overall idea. Yet this is where political rhetoric comes into play. The questions or alternatives never seem to translate to anything specific or actionable.

The general thrust from Ireland stands in stark contrast to developments elsewhere; for example, policies to embed fair-work principles by the Scottish and Welsh governments. Indeed, while the UK supreme court issued a new and potentially landmark decision to end sham and bogus self-employment in the gig economy ruling that Uber driver should be entitled to minimum rights worries about the safety of gig workers in Ireland have reached public concern.

Ireland seems to lag behind in other trends advocating sustainable decent work from groups such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and United Nations.

Fairer work arrangements can contribute to improved long-term inclusive growth and to tackling persistently low productivity. The EUs proposed directive aims to boost workers rights by embedding standards such as minimum wages and the right to bargain, if so desired.

We suggest four policy goals to open up dialogue about a fairer work agenda, especially as government, corporations, managers and families consider long-term pathways beyond lockdown: the future of digitalisation work; minimum floor of standards; voice opportunity; and pay.

Covid-19 has accelerated the growth of remote working at an unprecedented pace. But while many of us enjoy the lack of commute or working from home comforts that digitalisation brings, for others digitalisation has been starkly different.

Work in the gig economy, at the behest of digital labour platforms, is not a new utopia. Take as an example Deliveroo, which has made significant gains since Covid, increasing its number of restaurant partners in Ireland by 50 per cent. These workers face many risks, including health safety hazards along with unstable earnings.

In Dublin workers have been protesting to highlight insecurity and violence encountered in the course of their work. They also argue that reductions in rates of pay mean they now have to pedal more, to earn less. Deliveroo has steadfastly rejected the view that its riders are employees, which means they are denied access to the same rights as other citizens.

The gig economy model that is often believed to be the new utopia of opportunity is not so enlightening. The system requires workers to invest in the capital necessary to gain a job, such as transportation and a smart phone. It is thus the individual who encounters new financial risks, without the floor of minimum standards that other citizens take for granted, such as a minimum wage, maternity leave, or protection against excessive hours.

In emerging sectors of the economy, a consequence is the normalisation of zero-hours type work. Gig workers, labelled as independent contractors for instance, may spend hours of unpaid time waiting around for the next job.

The business model is riddled with loopholes that deny basic standards of treatment in such jobs, many of them young and migrants.

To contribute to a fairer future people need a voice. Many corporations now brand their own form of communication as dialogue but, as union membership has declined, many people lack the opportunity to have a real say about their own future.

Technology has changed the agenda considerably. Take, for example, Amazon, which used its monitoring capabilities to identify workers who were union supporters and exclude them from work. Amazon recently withdrew a recruitment advert for an analyst to research labour organising threats against the company only because of public scrutiny.

It is perhaps no coincidence that a lack of voice and low pay link to working conditions associated with Covid outbreaks; for example in garment manufacturing and meat processing sectors.

The introduction of mandatory publishing of gender pay gaps is itself a reporting exercise, rather than a policy goal to correct known pay inequalities. There also remains a lack of transparency between average worker pay and executive remuneration in most organisations.

According to the Economic Policy Institute in the US, chief executive compensation has grown 940 per cent since 1978, while average worker compensation has risen only 12 per cent during that time.

In Ireland, the Low Pay Commission recently recommended a 1 per cent increase in the minimum wage. Union representatives withdrew from the commission and criticised the decision not to recommend a 2 per cent pay increase for those on the minimum wage.

Is it now time for a new fair-work agenda in Ireland? Covid-19 has amplified the differences between good jobs and bad jobs. Government regulation in Ireland to limit this expanding divide remains painfully slow. It certainly lags other progressive initiatives witnessed elsewhere in competitive open markets.

If we use Covid as a dividing line, will be able to see differences in the before and after when it comes to decent work standards for future generations in Ireland?

Read more from the original source:

Now is the time for Ireland to consider a fair-work agenda - The Irish Times

The 130th anniversary of the shipwreck of the SS Utopia in the Bay of Gibraltar will be marked today with an online seminar that seeks to ensure the memory of this tragic incident is kept alive.

The seminar will bring together public authorities, academics, journalists, researchers and students in Italy and Gibraltar to mark the anniversary and remember those who were lost in the disaster.

It will also reflect on the efforts of rescuers who plucked survivors from the sea, and of a community that offered them shelter and warmth during the aftermath.

The SS Utopia, a 2,371-tonne transatlantic steamship, sank in the Bay of Gibraltar after colliding with the Royal Navy warship HMS Anson during a south westerly gale at around 7pm on March 17, 1891.

The steamship was sailing from Naples to New York carrying 880 people, most of them Italians who were emigrating to the US.

Out of those passengers, there were just 318 survivors. The remaining 562 passengers and crew of the Utopia were dead or missing.

The tragic story of the sinking of the Utopia will forever be tied to our own story, said Patrick Canessa, the Honorary Consul of Italy in Gibraltar.

Not just because it sank in our waters but also because it was our people, our fathers and our grandfathers, who went out into the bay that treacherous evening, putting their own lives at risk, to help save lives.

On that tragic night 130 years ago, the Utopia sailed into the bay in rough weather and was unable to avoid a collision with the Royal Navy warship, which was anchored off the port.

An investigation later put the collision down to a grave error of judgement by the Utopias captain, John McKeague, exacerbated by the strong wind and rough seas.

The collision pierced the Utopias hull, tearing a five-metre hole below the waterline.

As the vessel sank in the bay, efforts were focused on rescuing those on board and boats were deployed from ships in the bay and from shore.

But weather conditions were bad and the stern of the Utopia rapidly filled with water.

Within 30 minutes, the ships bow was also beneath the waves, sweeping men, women and children into the sea.

A vivid account of the disaster was carried in the Gibraltar Chronicle the following day and filled almost an entire page of text.

During this half hour all those on board who had succeeded in reaching the deck crowded into the bows, where they could be plainly seen from the Rock clinging to the bulwarks, the sides of the ship, the rigging, anywhere and everywhere, until at last this portion of the vessel also sank, carrying with it many who had there taken a last refuge, the report in the Chronicle said.

The scene was truly appalling.

Even from the Line Wall, where the cries of distress from the panic stricken passengers could be distinctly heard, the horrors of the situation could in some measure be realised.

The electric lights of Her Majestys ships Anson and Rodney cast a vivid light on the sinking vessel and on the numerous launches and boats on her lee side which were plainly visible.

The passengers, &c., were huddled together in hundreds, and in many places entirely hid from view portions of the bows upon which they crowded; they were all in motion, striving every man to save himself or his family, and it was evident that the most intense excitement and awful struggle for life prevailed.

The report in the newspaper praised the efforts of rescuers both from the Royal Navy fleet, from other ships in the bay and from the Port of Gibraltar, whose personnel braved the stormy conditions to save life. Two of them lost their lives.

They seem one and all to have vied with each other in the work of rescue, and if today we deplore and mourn the fearful loss of life which last night occurred in our bay, we have at any rate the satisfaction of knowing that all that could be done by our fleet and by those on shore was done to minimise this fearful catastrophe, the report said.

The tragedy scarred Gibraltars community.

The proximity of the vessel to shore meant many people watched it unfold, an indelible image on this communitys collective memory.

In the days that followed, one eyewitness told this newspaper: The shrieks and cries were heartrending and the awful sight of eight or nine hundred panic stricken people struggling for their lives was one which can never be forgotten by those who had the misfortune to witness it.

The shipwreck also brought the community together in a spirit of charity that remains immediately recognisable today.The very next day after the Utopia sank, the Chronicle carried an appeal for clothing for the survivors.

It was the start of a community-wide response that would continue in the days and weeks following the collision, including a special fund that was set up to collect donations for the survivors.

There were charitable events too, the proceeds of which were also donated to the fund.

On March 24, the Chronicle carried a report on a well-attended performance in the Benatar Theatre by the Caracciolo Company held for the benefit of survivors of the Utopia.

The report notes that the disaster had cast a gloom over Gibraltar and that no one was in the mood for the opera. But the community rallied round in a collective show of support.

The reports in this newspaper almost daily through to August of that year reflected that shared grief at this terrible disaster and Gibraltars desire to help in whatever way possible.

Later, the Italian Government awarded decorations for bravery to servicemen and civilians who were involved in the rescue operations.

In Gibraltar this week, the 130th anniversary of the loss of the Utopia has been marked by buglers of the Gibraltar Band and Drums Association, who played Il Silenzio at the memorial in North Front cemetery.

Members of the association have also volunteered to refurbish the memorial in the months to come.

The online seminar today has been organised by Pina Mafodda, an Italian researcher and author of historical texts, who will present her research: March 17, 1891, the shipwreck of Utopia between news and stories. Giving voice and dignity to those who have left their roots, their land to seek a better life in search of a dream.

The research will be published by Volturnia Edizioni in the Molisani Studies Series, starting from summer 2021.

The seminar starts at 1.30pm and can be viewed on Zona Rossa WebTVs YouTube channel.

See the original post:

130 years on, the Utopia tragedy remembered - Gibraltar Chronicle

LUXEMBOURG (PRWEB) March 16, 2021

STOKR, the EUs pioneering digital marketplace for alternative assets, today announced the conclusion of its pre-series A funding round with strategic investments from Borderless Capital, Utopia Genesis Foundation, and G1 Ventures. With over 3.9 million (over US$4.6 million) raised in total, STOKR plans to scale up its investment platform to meet the surging demand for EU-compliant security token offerings (STOs).

Despite the pandemic, STOKR received massive interest from ventures throughout 2020 as a turn-key solution to efficient fundraising in Europe.

We bootstrapped STOKR in 2017, when we founders pooled together over 1 million of our own funds, STOKR co-founder Tobias Seidl shared, it has been great to see the company grow as we have been able to welcome more ventures and investors to our platform, and the support from our own early investors will help scale up our operations even further.

The successful pre-series A round follows a seed round In 2018, in which STOKR received a strategic investment from iFinex Inc. doing business as Bitfinex.

The strategic investments will add to STOKRs suite of tools for ventures looking to raise funds: by integrating with Borderless Capital, STOKR now offers Algorand as an issuance platform for security tokens, in addition to its already available issuance options on Ethereum and the Liquid Network. G1 Ventures, a venture capital firm with a primary focus on blockchain innovation on the European market, brings its valuable network from the blockchain space for STOKR to better service its venture partners.

The tokenization of securities enables a whole new wave of surrounding financial services such as fractional ownership of securities, integrated dividends payments with stablecoins such as Tether (USDt), lending, and capital markets, to name just a few, said David Garcia, CEO and Managing Partner of Borderless Capital. The innovation that STOKR platform has developed, combined with the power of the Algorand blockchain, will allow these new financial instruments to grow at an exponential level; we are very excited and proud to back the plans and vision of the STOKR team.

STOKR hosts investment opportunities from a diverse range of industries, including sci-fi strategy MMO title Infinite Fleet, Italian luxury car manufacturer Mazzanti, and an upcoming partnership with the Utopia Genesis Foundation to issue tokenized music rights.

In the first quarter of 2021, STOKR will facilitate the tokenization of over 100 million (US$ 120 million) worth of assets.

About STOKR

STOKR is the EUs pioneering digital investment marketplace for alternative assets, where smart investors connect with and fund innovative businesses.

STOKR is the all-in-one solution for young and growing ventures looking to raise capital in the EU. Operating out of Luxembourg, STOKR provides founders with the full suite of technical deployment, investment structuring, and compliance support for the issuance of EU-compliant security token offerings (STOs).

Through carefully selected high-profile offerings, STOKR fosters a risk-reduced environment, liberates investment opportunities from traditional venture capital, and directly connects visionary ventures to a network of professional and retail investors. STOKR allows investors to participate in the future success of a diverse range of ventures through profit- or revenue-sharing rights, without middlemen such as custodians or brokers.

About Borderless Capital

Borderless Capital is a modern financial institution investing capital and co-building financial products that accelerate access, bootstrap adoption, and create value globally through the Algorand Borderless Economy. We do not stop with just investment. We also provide guidance and mentorship to grow our portfolio companies into successful and category leading businesses. As a thought leader in blockchain with deep expertise in the Algorand ecosystem, we advise our portfolio companies on go-to-market strategies to effectively build their network effect. In short, we leverage the synergy of our portfolio, partners network, and domain expertise to create value for everyone.

For more info: http://www.borderlesscapital.io

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STOKR Raises 3.9 Million in Total Investments from iFinex Inc., Borderless Capital, Utopia Genesis Foundation, and G1 Ventures to Meet Surging...

The Oscar race, like much of Hollywood and the entertainment industry and the political Left of this country are caught up in an existential crisis that is causing mass firings, abject fear, forced statements, institutional disruptions all designed to dismantle the greatest fear that has been named: systemic racism. Whatever your feelings are about that term, what you think it means there is no doubt that it has become not unlike a fundamentalist religion. You must be on board or youll be ejected.

The richer and whiter you are the more likely you are to see it as giving you a sense of purpose, like Born Again Christians felt back in the 1970s their faces awash in bliss now that theyve discovered lifes true meaning. And you dont get richer and whiter than the people in power in the film industry. Nothing matters quite as much as maintaining their image through this ongoing storm. That means theyll dump anyone to salvage their brand.

Most people in the press on the Left wont talk about what is plainly obvious to everyone who covers it. They cant, really. They have to write in support of all of it. They have to be good white allies because they cant risk their reputation on Twitter, or in some cases, their livelihood. The fear is real. Its so real that there isnt anything any kind of opinion, any kind of feeling that can override it.

We arent living through a time where voters are going to decide on the best. It isnt going to be about the best. The truth is that it never has been. It has always been about what resonates emotionally with the greatest number of people.

How do we usually measure that? Prior to COVID shutting down theaters, we had the free market that decided. When you look at films put out by movie studios that are clearly aimed at the international market to make those insane billions theyre making now you can see how the last thing they need to worry about is how woke the movies are. In general, audience, especially International ones, dont care. Theyll pretty much watch anything and they arent as caught up in this sense of purity that Americans perpetually are. There is a reason we had a witch hunt in Salem in 1692. And a reason we had another one in Hollywood in the 1940s. We are a new country trying to build mini utopias. Older countries kind of been there, done that like centuries ago.

The wave of the born again wokeness religion isnt limited to the US it has spilled over to France and England, much to their own horror. Yes, theyre trying to dismantle the memory of Charles Darwin and Winston Churchill for offensive things they believed back when, you know, everyone believed those offensive things? But the wokeness religion isnt really about forgiveness. Hey, at least Christianity is down with forgiveness, ideally. But America learned back in 1692 that an event like the Salem hysteria was easier at a time when the only education was the Bible and no one had any lawyers, or due process. Spectral evidence was good enough. If an 11-year-old girl thought the woman who delivered her milk every Sunday was a witch because she came to her in a dream? Who was anyone to say differently. She would have to hang. Oh, she could confess to being a witch and be allowed to live as a witch but you must swap your life, one way or the other. To George Orwell, in 1984, his greatest novel ever written, he makes the statement that if you take away free thought, love, art, books, music, history you might as well be dead.

Oscar voters, and industry voters overall, still want to be seen as good in our newest rendition of an American utopia (which is destined to collapse like a house of cards because they all do eventually). They will be voting that way. Maybe one or two wins will be based on what they REALLY think but overall they will want to be sending a message that they are aware and on board with upending systemic racism in the Academy and Hollywood.

Here is the statement put out by publicists to the HFPA to make sure they make necessary changes to their membership, etc.

In the last decade our industry has faced a seismic reckoning and begun to address its failure to reflect and honor the diversity of our community, yet we have witnessed no acceptance of responsibility, accountability or action from the HFPA, even as systemic inequity and egregious behavior are allowed to continue. We collectively and unequivocally agree that transformative change in your organization and its historical practices is essential and entirely achievable. We want to be part of the solution.

To reflect how urgent and necessary we feel this work is, we cannot advocate for our clients to participate in HFPA events or interviews as we await your explicit plans and timeline for transformational change.

I thought about how the HFPA nominated Ava DuVernay for Best Director for Selma and how they nominated Regina King for Best Director for One Night in Miami and how neither the DGA nor the Oscars has ever nominated a black female director and I find all of this a little ironic, but okay. In response, the HFPA has committed because everyone knows how badly the HFPA needs access to clients as opposed to, you know, the clients needing access to them and their votes to inviting enough members so that black voters comprise 13% of their membership. Theyre going to have find new members who can be down with the unorthodox practices of the group and that is going to be no easy task.

What they are hoping for, however, out of this is really just good press they, like the publicists, like the industry just want to be seen as good.

Without the free market box office doesnt talk. This has made almost everyone who covers film on Twitter giddy with delight, as Neil Minnow said, because, Were seeing a lot more diversity partly because the normative white male blockbusters had to step aside last year.

Box still drives power in Hollywood both in front of and behind the camera. Everyone knows that releasing a film that made $100 million is a pretty decent calling card, at least it always has been in the past. Before the Oscars became an extremely insular bubble, box office used to drive Best Picture contenders. But my readers know because I have been writing about the evolution for the last 20 years, two things have happened at once: film studios gave themselves over to franchises and tentpoles, and the Oscar race pinched itself off from that and evolved into its own species where films are made and catered to a mostly elite group of critics and bloggers and people who live in New York and LA. The public no longer mattered and so box office no longer mattered.

What Big Corporate has now realized is that what the Left cares about isnt the class differences. They know that if they virtue signal that they are woke they can sell anything. They can destroy any rain forest. They can torture any animal. They can put out any junk. They can put out junk food but as long as they put a woke message on it as it sails through American culture, they will be mostly left alone. This is true in all aspects of American life where money is involved. Big money. Fuck you money. Some might call this pandering but you can call it whatever you want. The bottom line is that this is what defines the Oscars now. They are still part of the massive money making of Hollywood but they are still dressed up to signify what Hollywood stands for. And what that will stand for this year, without exception, will be how on board they are with firsts.

First female of color to win Best Director and Best PictureFirst Asian male nominated for Best ActorFirst time since the 1970s two Black Actresses were nominated for Best Actress (and both times one of the two nominees played Billie Holiday.)First time two women are up for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay.

And on it will go. That is about as good of branding as Hollywood could hope for. They can still do whatever they want, make whatever movies they want to make and the market wont determine the success or failure of their movies. They do not care about the market where the Oscars are concerned. They used to, of course, but they dont.

That makes the Oscars, then, really not a process that is about a competition to find the best. First off, you have to define best and you cant. It is a matter of what people feel about what they are watching.

The surreal part of it, along with so much that has happened in the past year, the Oscars and the industries that feed into them are singularly aimed at the American Left. They simply do not even consider anyone else out there exists nor would they care if they did. Thus, they are inviting millions of Americans not to watch their show already, even before you get to the kinds of movies on offer or the virtual ceremony. We are going into this knowing there is a good chance they will see their worst ratings ever. But it does not appear that the Academy cares about ratings, just as they dont appear to care about movies that would appeal to a wider array of tastes.

Im not going to tell you its going to be a fun next few weeks. Or that whatever changes made this year arent going to be cosmetic and self-serving maybe they will be, maybe they wont be. If the job of the Oscars and the film awards community is going to be righting the wrongs of society or political activism I think they can say theyve succeeded there. This year will show what an Oscars without free market considerations looks like. Maybe that is what they ultimately want from these awards as they edge ever so closely to their centennial.

I can say that the films and contenders nominated are all really good and really deserving. There isnt a weak film in the bunch. Will there be mounting controversies? Maybe. Im preparing my shit storm raincoat just in case.

Originally posted here:

The State of the Race: How the Winners Will Be Decided - Awards Daily