Category Archives: New Utopia

Express News Service

Imagine living in a perfect world where people treat each other with kindness and every single space remains accessible to everyone? One can get a glimpse of this utopia through Nainas Inclusive Duniya, an Instagram-based comic that is created by Gurugram-based non-profit organisation The Sarvodya Collectivethey aim to raise awareness about persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities in India. Scroll through their page (@inclusiveduniya) and you will come across several posts featuring a five-year-old Naina who goes to an inclusive school, and talks about various developmental disabilitiessuch as cerebral palsy, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and the importance of acceptance in an effortless manner.

Founded by Gurugram-resident Pooja Sharma in January last year, Nainas Inclusive Duniya tries to bring issues around learning disabilities to the mainstream. All my life, I have seen how under-served this area [community of those with developmental disabilities]was. Amid the lockdown, with the learning lapses, I realised the impact on the community, shares Sharma who grew up with her brother who had an intellectual disability.

Vision for a better world

The stigma associated with disability is gradually being addressed and shattered. However, we still have a long way to go, with several lapses to be filled. In fact, when Sharma decided to direct attention towards development disability during the pandemic, she realised that several middle-aged professionals had little or no knowledge about the same. I realised there is a need to have an ongoing campaign to raise awareness about this community, shares the 42-year-old.

Through Nainas Inclusive Duniya, Sharma and her teaman illustrator and a writertry to endeavour to offer answers to the questions about developmental disabilities that they receive from people. The team picks one aspect of the disability and helps the audience understand how they can become an ally. Be it something as basic as what is autism, questions about sensory overload, or how to create a safe spacewe just want to show how, in little ways and without really spending much money, one can be a friend and an ally, explains Sharma.

By means of comics, the team is able to reach out to numerous people and, in the process, also talk about other concepts such as menstrual health, gender fluidity, etc. Our target audience is the entire world because we need to get these stories out there. Even though these topics are very difficult to deal with, we try to make them light and easy to communicate, says Arundhati Deshmukh (29), a Bhopal-based illustrator of the comic.

Taking conversations ahead

Along with the ongoing comic series, the team has also been organising sessions with students, teachers as well as parents to strike conversations about disability acceptance. We got great responses from students and parents alike. In order to scale the programme, I thought we could facilitate such conversations in groups to take the idea forward, shares Sharma. The organisation has conducted several such sessions across various states including Bhopal, Chennai, Bengaluru, etc.

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Reimagining an inclusive universe - The New Indian Express

The anti-Israel industry and anti-Zionists the world over are obsessed with nothing so much as South Africa. Their relentless invocation of that countrys now defunct system of racial segregationapartheidin their attacks on Israel has reached the point at which one often feels compelled to ask whether it might be more sensible to simply leave Israel aside and discuss South Africa. It is, after all, the only thing they seem to want to talk about.

I will leave aside the issue of the obvious inaccuracy of the apartheid libel, as many others have dealt with and discredited it at length. It is worth asking, however, why South Africa has become the object of such an obsession.

There are several reasons why, but the first and most obvious is that it is easy. For good reason, there now exists a global consensus that apartheid was a monstrous system that violated the most elementary human rights of black South Africans, and that it died a well-deserved death. In short, more or less everyone agrees that apartheid South Africa was an evil regime.

As such, the invocation of apartheid serves more or less the same purpose as the invocation of Nazism. It is simply another name for the devil, and it is the moral obligation of any decent person to strike down the devil. This relieves the anti-Israel industry of the need to delve into the moral ambiguities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It can simply invoke South Africa and be done with it. This is a lazy tactic but often a rhetorically effective one.

There is a darker motivation behind the exploitation of apartheid as a totem of evil, however. Put simply, apartheid South Africalike French Algeria or the Confederate States of Americais one of the few historical examples of a regime that was utterly destroyed with the general approval of the world. For those who want to see Israel destroyed, that global consensus is invaluable. In most cases, the desire to see a nation destroyed is considered monstrous, but if the equation to apartheid can be successfully made, this is turned on its head, and the desire to see a nation survive becomes monstrous.

The moral implications of this are enormous because it means that the apartheid libel has become, in effect, a warrant for genocide. It holds that the destruction of the Jewish nation would not be a horrific crime, but an actual positive good. As a result, genocidists can wrap themselves in the halo of moral rectitude. All sinsincluding terrorism and ethnic cleansingare absolved, and murder becomes Gods work.

There are also historical reasons behind the South Africa obsession, particularly in regard to anti-Israel leftists, because the end of apartheid was essentially the lefts last real political victory. For most of the past few decades, the left has won its confrontations with the right almost entirely in the realm of culture. In the world of practical politics, they have been consistently defeated.

Among other things, Soviet communism collapsed; former President Ronald Reagan and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher forged a neoliberal consensus across the West that still survives today; China abandoned Maoism in favor of authoritarian capitalism; Cuba remains a basket case; attempts at leftist revivals in countries like Venezuela proved disastrous; and even the 2008 financial crisis failed to bring the socialist left back to power. If the near-collapse of the global financial system could not bring about a left-wing revival and revolution, it is safe to say that nothing will. The left is not stupid, and they are well aware of this.

As such, to turn back to the last great victory in hopes of repeating it is probably inevitable. Hatred of Israel carries with it the possibility (among some, the surety) of returning to the glory days in which the global left could count itself a powerful and potent force. In other words, it gives the left hope, and at the moment, hope is desperately needed.

This is ironic, however, given that the lefts view of the end of apartheid is something of a fantasy. Yes, apartheid was a terrible and immoral system. Its a good thing that it died. But the lefts dream of what would replace it has proven to be precisely thata dream. South Africa has not become the multiracial and multicultural paradise the left envisioned. It has become just another country, with all the attendant problems and moral compromises inherent in practical, quotidian politics. For the left, to see its dreams of a paradisiacal post-apartheid South Africa smash against the wall of the real world must be a source of constant anguish.

Some other messianic fantasy, then, must be sought in its place, and for the true believers, this is the great hope of destroying Israel. Out of the ashes of the evil Zionist entity, they believe, a new utopia will emerge in the form of a liberated Palestine, in which all conflicts will be resolved and peace will spread inexorably across a violent and unstable region. The root cause of war and terror will be uprooted, historical justice will be done at last and the Palestinians, along with the rest of us, will finally be happy.

But not all of us would be happy. What the apartheid libel conceals with malice aforethought is that the Jews would not be happyand for very good reason. Apartheid fell because it was a terrible injustice to black South Africans. But the end of Israel would be a terrible injustice to the Jews. And this is the dark shadow of the apartheid libel: It seeks not to liberate, but to enslave; not to bring life, but to bring death.

We should remember, however, that fantasies of slavery and death are powerful, and we must not underestimate the enormous energies they can release. Our enemies may be driven by the most demonic of forces, but the devil has not inconsiderable power. Thus, to defeat the apartheid libel, it is not enough to simply refute or debunk it. We must also point out that it is an indefensible evil, the work of the devil, and ought to be treated accordingly.

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The Anti-Israel Industry's Obsession with South Africa - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com

The movement to encourage more companies to make a long-term commitment to environmental and social goals stands at a crossroads. The direction taken could determine how companies and wider society evolve over the next 10 years.

As I laid out for a recent panel organised by the charity A Blueprint for Better Business, in one direction lies a path to an increasingly dystopian decade, as the idea persists that purpose is somehow a soft alternative to profitmaking.

In this vision, woke-washing by companies superficially committed to purpose-driven strategies launders the colour out of the idea. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment strategies become so blurred as to lose meaning. Big consultancies chase the purpose-branding opportunity and crush smaller non-profits, whose voices drown each other out or simply go unheard.

In the utopian outcome, positive change encourages fence-sitters to follow suit

As the good is sacrificed to the expedient, cynicism overwhelms the impulse to make change. Pandemic, global warming and war come to be seen as intractable problems, against which corporate purpose and company values are ineffective, or an outright distraction. Business leaders, under economic pressure, grab again at the pursuit of short-term profit, using staff as disposable mercenaries or pawns.

Then there is a utopian outcome, which becomes more likely as evidence of positive change at companies that have fully committed to a purpose-led approach encourages fence-sitters to follow suit. In this future, leaders recognise purpose as a virtue, not virtue-signalling. They see it as a prerequisite for attracting young talent. Companies reassert their original human centre, from the Latin cum panis, as places where companions break bread. Society and business prosper. The efficacy of purpose-led strategies is recognised in academic research and financial results, leading to eudaemonia the Aristotelian ideal, beloved of management thinker Charles Handy among others, of human flourishing and greater sustainability in its widest sense.

You may believe that we are further down one road or the other. If you are sceptical about corporate purpose, you may even think I have the utopian and dystopian labels the wrong way round. Either way, neither path will be straight. Companies, like societies, do not move in a predictable, linear way. They sometimes stumble, or reverse course.

Isaac Getz of ESCP Business School understands this. The French academics latest book, LEntreprise Altruiste, goes beyond purpose-led, conscious or inclusive capitalism, where companies balance purpose and profit. He and co-author Laurent Marbacher sought out altruistic enterprises that take unconditional care of staff, suppliers, customers and communities, and assume that financial success will follow.

Such companies were well placed when coronavirus hit in 2020, Getz and Marbacher wrote in an article for Strategy+Business journal: Sterimed, a French maker of sterile packaging, imported masks from China, selling them on at cost plus transport fees; MAIF, an insurance mutual refunded to customers the surplus accumulated during the first lockdown because of a drop in car accident claims.

Some traditional companies also found ways to help suppliers and customers. For Getz, though, the decisions by Sterimed, MAIF and others were not one-off acts of altruism but products of unconditionally caring cultures.

He is clear-eyed, though, about the likelihood of such radicalism quickly becoming mainstream. An earlier movement for liberated companies, which empower front-line staff to take decisions, took off in France 11 years ago, after Getz and others rallied like-minded leaders to spread the word. Companies such as tyremaker Michelin have tried rolling the management style out worldwide.

Businesses designed to create value for society are also good businesses that manage to sustain themselves during crises

Whether management change sticks, though, depends on whether the company has the right kind of leadership. And individual leaders change. When new chief executives are appointed, they often take the opportunity to roll back the radical changes their predecessors championed.

In a forthcoming study, Getz looked at 60 liberated companies, seven of which reverted to a more traditional hierarchy. Some saw performance suffer, although data are scarce. In other cases, liberated staff persuaded initially sceptical new bosses to continue the programme.

Sarah Gillard, chief executive of A Blueprint for Better Business, says that for purpose to become embedded, the assumption that people are only motivated by money, status and power must change. Leaders must recognise that businesses designed to create value for society are also good businesses that manage to sustain themselves during crises. In other words, it may be necessary for leaders to reframe purpose as an indispensable way of improving resilience, as altruistic enterprises did during the pandemic.

Utopia, though, is still a way off. Drawing a historical parallel, Getz says that in terms of adopting more radical management models, businesses are only at the beginning of the 19th century. Democracies are very fragile and the pressure is to get back not to a constitutional monarchy [but] to monarchy, period.

Andrew Hill is the FTs senior business writer

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Why the future of ESG is at a crossroads - Financial Times

As we head back to work after celebrating Labor Day, lets put in proper perspective the current predicament of Colorados workers. Americans have continued to set the international standard for work ethic and ingenuity rising from bed, kissing loved ones goodbye and punching the clock like we always have all while government actions and market reactions out of workers control have disrupted the very foundation upon which we all pursue the American Dream.

What a year its been for the family farmer on the Eastern Plains, the trucker in Walsenburg and the single parent who drives delivery at dinnertime for extra cash in Northglenn.

A year ago at this time, many everyday Coloradans of myriad demographic groups got their first taste of generational inflation once a fleeting far-away idea lost to Econ 101 textbooks until it smacked our wallets silly starting last autumn.

Due to unprecedented government spending and market intervention undertaken in an attempt to ease financial burdens and halt viral spread through the COVID-19 era, the cost of daily living skyrocketed.

It uprooted commonly-held notions of what it takes to financially make it in America.

As inflation has eaten into every household budget further and further, month after month, workers have felt firsthand what shortsighted monetary policy means for the creators of our country. Those, especially with lower incomes, have seen the curtain pulled back on the promise of the $15-an-hour minimum wage touted just a few years ago.

Rather than solving everyones problems and ushering in a utopia of decreased personal debt, homeownership and overall quality of life, market realities mangled by demand-side principles have manifested just the opposite as minimum wage soars beyond $17 per hour.

American workers have also had to wrestle with other workplace variables. How many average Joes and Jills ever uttered the term supply chain just three years ago?

But with a government keen on capitalizing on a new normal, workers in certain make-the-world-go-round trades such as janitorial work, bus driving and even lifeguarding have been stretched thin by the supply-chain woes all while many other able-bodied adults are jaded from joining the workforce.

Its created, on top of supply-chain choke points, a labor shortage not only for such service gigs as firefighters, police officers and teachers, but such jobs as delivery drivers in an increasingly online consumption world.

Many of these same blue-collar workers, particularly in Colorados cities, also have to be cautious of lawless elements out to harm them and their customers ask your local police department how many car thefts are of delivery drivers.

All thats to say, hats off to the workers out there who, like Americans always have, ground through one hurdle after another to continue to produce in our marketplace.

These are the people who, in spite of disheartening economic trends, subscribe to Elon Musks simple COVID-era notion, If you dont make stuff, there is no stuff.

Its these people, these workers these creators who with their ethic and ethos will help Colorado persevere through a recession and beyond.

The Gazette Editorial Board, Sept. 5

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(Opinion) Other Voices: Working Coloradans carry the weight - Greeley Tribune

These may be actors on the political fringe, and the tech-driven aspects of this terror campaign have sometimes been interpreted to minimize its real-world impact. But the narrative of LGBTQ rights being cover for child abuse is not just fodder for the far-right clout-chasers of social media like Raichik and Posobiec; it has been weaponized by the right against their opponents in elections from school boards to state legislatures. It has been amplified and legitimized by lawmakers like Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who in August introduced a sweeping bill that would ban gender-affirming care, and by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, whose threats to ban gender-affirming care have prompted some hospitals in the state to end treatment for minors. And it has resulted in threats and acts of violence, scapegoating LGBTQ communities as corrupt and demonic foes.

Its possible, though, that months of these tactics have sharpened the response from LGBTQ communities and allies. After the board of the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District in Texas voted in August to prohibit discussion of what it defined as gender fluidity, essentially a Dont Say Trans ban, over 100 students walked out in one district school in protest. When an anti-LGBTQ rally was organized to protest a Planned Parenthood in Modesto, California, the handful of people who showed up were outnumbered by counterprotesters, including anti-fascists and abortion and LGBTQ rights defenders. And in the Dallas suburbs, at an end-of-summer, family-friendly drag brunch, when members of the Proud Boys and militia groups tried to intimidate people from attending, they were met by members of the Elm Fork John Brown Club, who showed up to provide armed security for the business and those attending the event, as Steven Monacelli reported, with performer Trisha Delisha thanking them for keeping us safe.

As much as this looks like a backlash, thats not all it is. The anti-LGBTQ right doesnt want to go back to some other time of idealized hetero-utopia. They are more simply satisfying their own desire to punish people, a desire that never changed even as the times did. They seek retribution against defenders of LGBTQ communities too. The need to interrupt this escalation by the right is urgent, more than it was in the Trump years when people may have been more attuned to such threats. It is clearer than ever that such threats cannot be met by appealing to courts to protect us. So while its true they are out there looking for a fight, fighting is what is still left.

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Libs of TikTok and the Rights Embrace of Anti-LGBTQ Violence - The New Republic

Services the local authority are responsible for include everything from roads and planning through to community development. A key focus of all the authorities is to ensure they capitalise on technological and economic opportunities to both improve the quality of life and avoid digital and social exclusion.

Increasingly, as a society, we are becoming more reliant on technology. Some research by Royal Docks revealed that 82% of jobs require digital skills and jobs with digital skills attracted a 29% increase in salary, on top of this the cost savings and efficiencies being offered by IoT and connected anywhere technologies, have the ability to transform a community. This means quality connectivity, both fixed line and mobile, is becoming of paramount importance.

These technologies will combine to underpin a digital infrastructure layer that will support new devices, applications, data, and skills, so that councils can in turn support the public through enhanced services. Authorities will be able to capitalise on the technological advancements and introduce new schemes that add value to entire communities, fuelling economic growth and closing existing social and economic gaps.

The government took a large step forward by helping authorities in making this digital vision a reality with the launch of the Digital Connectivity Infrastructure Accelerator (DCIA). The pilot scheme provides local authorities and technology providers with access to up to 4 million of funding to develop tomorrows wireless communication networks, with a specific focus on exploring how public assets (publicly owned buildings and street furniture) can be used to support the development and deployment of mobile communications and small cells. This not only simplifies deployment and lowers cost, but it also helps reduce street furniture and protect the aesthetics of the environment.

This is a huge step forward in enabling the rollout of small cells, alongside fixed and macro deployments, and a connected Britain, argues Ian Newbury, MNO Business Development Director at BT Wholesale.

The 5G promise has the potential to change how we interact with our local environment.

It is more than faster broadband on your handset. Its high reliability, low latency and the ability to connect millions of devices in a small area. This means it can open up access to new technologies, whether thats exciting technologies such as augmented reality, or the simple but practical smart sensors for bin capacity. This is why 29 of the 30 global cities surveyed for the Digital Cities Index 2022 have a strategy in place for the deployment of 5G technology, they understand its future importance in enabling connected communities, and the dangers of being left behind.

The report also nods to some of the hurdles that exist to achieving this, particularly in deployment. To be truly transformational in areas like autonomous transport, 5G needs to be ubiquitous and comprehensive, which will require greater private sector investment, new partnership models between telecommunications companies and an enabling regulatory environment. Simply put, success in deploying 5G will require collaboration between all stakeholders.

But this isnt just required for 5G, local authorities and MNO partners are faced with meeting the demands of communities seeking greater connectivity now. Whether catering for 4G or 5G, theres an increase in demand for speed, reliability, and quality. Therefore, MNOs need to boost network performance in areas of high-capacity usage, as well as in areas of low coverage, so that low-latency connectivity is ubiquitous.

Traditionally MNOs have focused on Macro Cell deployments, which enable greater coverage per cell. This has served the market well for voice and for 3G and 4G where coverage was a key driver. However, with 5Gs focus on reliability, speed and IoT, the network needs both resilience and densification.

Small cells can achieve this, not only by providing inherent backup to the macro cell network and greater bandwidth in smaller, more focused areas but also with some of the technologies in 5G such as coordinated multipoint (CoMP) and enhanced interference coordination (eICIC) which can increase spectrum efficiency by over 60%, massively increasing the bandwidth without having to buy more spectrum.

Small cells arent a new technology, they were a strong part of the 3G and 4G story, however, mass deployment has never happened due to the cost and complexity of deploying, overly complex planning hurdles, expensive concession models and inconsistent practices between providers has meant the MNOs found alternatives to solving the problem, but these practices now have diminishing returns and will not solve the 5G challenge.

The good news is local authorities and MNOs have increased and, whilst we arent in a utopia there is a mutual aim to work together. For example, EE, in collaboration with other telecom providers and local authorities, has recently deployed over 500 small cells in a number of cities across the UK, including Leeds, London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Manchester.

With the majority of the small cells sited on council-owned street furniture, the deployments already allow users to enjoy download speeds of up to 300 Mbps in what were previously areas of poor or no coverage.

Cammy Day, Deputy Leader of Edinburgh Council and its Smart Cities lead, described this as an innovative use of space using the Councils existing CCTV cameras to accelerate the rollout of high-density mobile coverage and close the digital divide in some of our most disadvantaged communities.

There are clear benefits to small cell deployments on existing infrastructure such as CCTV columns, lamp posts, etc. Not only does it lower the cost and time to deploy, it prevents the need for further infrastructure protecting aesthetics and lowering the carbon footprint.

But their overall rollout has been hindered by previous commercial models where a party will buy the rights to the infrastructure for a set period. The commercials usually include a large upfront payment, followed by a revenue share on every asset that goes live. This approach has created land banking where a party needs to get an ROI on their investment which is usually uneconomical for the MNO, so sites are only taken where there is no alternative, this lowers the take up which in turn has led to some local authorities feeling that they dont generate the expected revenue share.

Some local authorities such as those in Leeds, Liverpool, and Glasgow have taken steps to address these issues. Theyve adopted an open access approach, whereby anybody can approach them to use the asset at a set price, this model ensures that the assets are not overly valued and therefore sterilised due to economics and that the local community can benefit equally regardless of what network they are on.

This simplifies the supply chain in which small cells can be deployed at speed with minimal disruption, driving benefits for everyday users, and improving digital inclusion and economic growth.

Simplifying the supply chain for small cells provides huge benefits to everybody involved the MNO, the local authority, and most importantly the local communities our end customers.

Local authorities are increasingly understanding the need for ubiquitous quality connectivity to close the digital divide. There are a wealth of new technologies and services maturing that can empower communities and level them up across work, education, public services, and more.

But to achieve this, we need to step closer to the utopia whereby not only are the four MNOs working together more closely, but local councils and partners across the supply chain are working together to unlock existing infrastructure and fuelling inclusive growth.

Weve made great strides with the open access model, but success will be driven through a nationwide embrace of it, increased collaboration and aligning on the common aim to create a truly connected society.

Editor's Recommended Articles

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True digital levelling up is within reach for local authorities - Open Access Government

With the end of this brutal summer finally (hopefully?!) in sight, it is time to start planning for fall. Call it second summer, as in still plenty warm for enjoying the outdoors but no longer hot enough to melt pavement. Here are six places perfect for a much-needed autumn getaway. Take one (or more) as your just reward for surviving another scorching Texas summer.

Lake Bastrop North Shore ParkThis LCRA park in Bastrop hugs the shore of a constant temperature lake for swimming, paddling (canoe, kayak, SUP, and Corcl rentals available), or fishing (with a boat ramp and pier). The park features almost 10 miles of hiking and biking trails, including one connecting to Lake Bastrop South Shore Park, and a sand volleyball court, too. Stay in one of 5 Airstream campers, 2 cabins, or 6 safari style tents. All have grills for cooking and decks for enjoying views of the lake and the stars while sipping a cold one. Other dining and entertainment options in nearbyBastrop, including a distillery and several breweries and taprooms.Neighbor's Kitchen & Yardand Iron Bridge Icehouse, both on the banks of the Colorado River, serve food, craft beer and cocktails, and live music.

Lake GeorgetownAt this Corps of Engineers reservoir, choose from four campgrounds with RV and tent camping options. Enjoy swimming, fishing, kayaking (rentals available at Russell Park), and hiking. The crown jewel is the Good Water Trail, a 26-mile loop around the entire lake through a variety of terrain, with multiple trailheads offering the opportunity for shorter hikes. Dining options, wine bars, breweries, and other lodging options are nearby inGeorgetown. Check out Barking Armadillo Brewing and, on the courthouse square, three wine tasting rooms and multiple dining options.

Matagorda Bay Nature ParkLocated where the Colorado River meets the Gulf of Mexico, Matagorda Bay offers miles of uncrowded beaches for combing and wetlands for paddling. Rent beach chairs, wagons, and kayaks (guided tours available), play miniature golf, fish on the beach or pier, or birdwatch. In addition to Airstream rentals and camping and RV sites, visitors now can rent one of 10 new bungalows that sleep from six to eight people, with fully equipped kitchens, outdoor decks, gas grills, and fantastic views.

Port AransasMiles of beach, without summer crowds: What else do you need? Well, perhaps a place to stay, and youll find every option from fancy condos to kitschy cottages in this seaside town. Plenty of dining and entertainment options, too. Try the local seafood at places like La Playa Mexican Grill, Fins Grill & Icehouse, and Seafood and Spaghetti Works. Have a cold one at Bernies Beach House, the Port A Beer Hut, or Moby Dicks. Rent bicycles, golf carts, surfboards, and kayaks atIsland Surf Rentals(check out the Lighthouse LakesPaddling Trail). Or just sit on the beach.

Painted Sky InnLocated on a tranquil inlet of Lake Buchanan, this waterfront property offers rooms for two to ten people with kitchens and lake views, as well as a tiny home and a vintage Airstream. Amenities include fire pits, BBQ grills, a fishing pier, and canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards. Find miles of hiking trails atCanyon of the EaglesandInks Lake State Park(day pass reservations recommended), or tour several nearby wineries (Torr Na LochsandFall Creek, to name two) and breweries (Save the World BrewingandDouble Horn Brewing), plus dining options in Burnet and Marble Falls.

Frio RiverThe aptly-named Frio River is famous for swimming and tubing in the summer. The most popular way to enjoy the river isGarner State Park, but getting weekend reservations can be tough. Another option isNeals Lodges, a sprawling family-owned complex that includes 81 cabins, 10 lodges, 17 condos, 45 RV hook-ups, and 16 tent sites, plus a country store and dining room. See a bat emergence at nearbyFrio Caveor a bit farther away inKickapoo Cavern State Park. Saturdays are for fine dining atThe Laurel Treeand diner fare atLost Maples Caf, both in Utopia, and Concan has several eateries as well(some close after the summer season, so check websites).

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6 perfect weekend getaways to plan in Texas this fall - CultureMap Austin

Many of the leading galleries take a no-nonsense approach, showing works by a range of artists. The list includes Martin Browne Contemporary, Roslyn Oxley9, Sullivan + Strumpf, Olsen Gallery, MARS, Nanda/Hobbs, Dominik Mersch, Niagara, ARC ONE, Bett Gallery, Arthouse and Yavuz Gallery. Others choose to highlight a single artist, which can be both rewarding and risky. Critical acclaim is good for the ego, but sales are crucial.

Michael Reid, for whom no rules ever seem to apply, has had an each-way bet, with his Sydney + Berlin stall hosting an elegant solo installation by photographer, Tamara Dean, and his Murrurundi stall (yes, Murrurundi), packed to the rafters with small saleable pictures and objects. Wagner Contemporary has also hedged its bets, taking three stalls to show the work of three artists, Eleanor Millard, Al Poulet and Nigel Sense. At THIS IS NO FANTASY, Vincent Namatjira makes a pretty good attempt at stealing the show with an epic series of portraits of Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family. Dont forget to peek around the corner for the amazing paintings of Jonathon World Peace Bush.

One legacy of the pandemic is that this years participating galleries are drawn exclusively from Australia and New Zealand, but the kiwis are distinctive enough to provide a point of difference. Look at the work shown by galleries such as STARKWHITE, PAULNACHE and Gow Langsford, along with Fox Jensen, which straddles the Tasman, and theres a more challenging style than most of their Australian counterparts.

Tamara Dean, Follow Me, 2022.

Of the specialised Aboriginal art dealers, DLan Davidson has a stunning show of works from Balgo, while Utopia Art has a masterpiece display of central and western desert painting. Sabbia Gallery is the place for top-of-the-line glass and ceramics, although one shouldnt overlook Sally Dan-Cuthbert. Vermilion Art is the only venue exclusively devoted to Chinese artists.

New galleries, interstate galleries, the National Art Schools showcase of student work; collaborations such as the one between Max Germanoss 3.33 Art Projects and Artist Profile magazine theres far too much to talk about. In addition to the galleries there are 16 separate artist installations, including a whimsical-but-insightful sculpture by Kenny Pittock of the world turned pear-shaped.

Vincent Namatjira, The Royal Tour (Diana, Vincent and Charles), 2020.

One of the hardest things to do in an art fair is to stand out from the crowd. Darren Knight has managed this feat by the novel expedient of taking a detail from a work by Louise Weaver and wrapping it around his booth as wallpaper. In a trompe-lil effect, a flat wall becomes creased and crumpled, making us look twice at this oddity. The central attraction is an even greater oddity, in the form of a mind-bending new painting by James Morrison, featuring not three graces but three frogs, one of them holding a ukulele. If hes playing April Sun in Cuba were probably not looking at a frog but a toad.

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The keen collectors get in as early as they can, but Saturday is the big day for the general public, so dont even think about parking. By day three of the fair one should be able to tell, by the calmness or desperation displayed by the dealers, whether sales are up or down. Whatever happens, expect that attendances will be sky-high. Sydney may not be a city of art fanatics, but it loves nothing more than a grand spectacle with the possibility of shopping.

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Sydney loves nothing more than a grand spectacle with the possibility of shopping - Sydney Morning Herald

Welcome, Earthlets, to Multiver-City One, our 2000 AD weekly review column! Every Wednesday we examine the latest offerings from Tharg and the droids over at Rebellion/2000 AD, the galaxys leading producers of Thrill-Power entertainment. Lets get right to it!

Cover by Cliff Robinson and Dylan Teague

THIS WEEK IN 2000AD

Judge Dredd: Sentientoids Big Idea Part 2 Credits: Rob Williams (script), Jake Lynch (art), Jim Boswell (colors), Annie Parkhouse (letters)

Greg Lincoln: Wow, Sentientoids Big Idea part two relies a lot of exposition. There is a lot of story to be told and it is a testament to the entire creative team that this chapter still feels more show than tell. The Sentientoid, we learn, dates back to the time of Apocalypse War. Its recent awakening and sentience has left it feeling alone, lost, and adrift in the unfamiliar world of capitalism. It grasps for for something to center itself and movies fit the bill apparently. Rob Williams pulls from the Godfather a movie so iconic that even if you have never seen it you know the big scenes and the overall thrust of the film and throws in some homages to the movie throughout. He also tantalizingly lets us in on the Sov war machines big idea. It has bought into one of the seedier aspects of capitalism, killing for money. The classic film has gotten under its skin as it has gotten keen on becoming a made man.

The moment that does draw you into the story is that conspiratorial whisper we cant read, the deal struck between the Sentientoid and the mob guy he spares. And at that moment, you are kind of there with it as it kills the Judge that rolls up. The rest of the strip sees Dredd and his partner Chase arriving to investigate, and their revelations are secondary. We are just curious now where the idea is going to take us. Williams killed it with the pacing as you never notice just how much work he gave to Annie Parkhouse with the lettering.

Jim Boswell made some really great tone and pallet choices for this. There is a coldness for the flashbacks and scenes where we kind of see the world through the Sentientoid eyes. Jake Lynchs Godfather homages reinforce the noir, crime story tone set by cultural reference alone. The Sentientoid kills a good number of people on panel, but the way its drawn the only time Lynch makes you feel it is when it it takes out the Judge. Its powerful and bright and violent compared to the earlier kills it racked up in the cold shadows of the other scenes.

Thargs 3rillers: The Crawly ManCredits: David Barnett (script), Lee Milmore (art), Quinton Winter (colors), Simon Bowland (leters)

Brian Salvatore: The second piece of The Crawly Man does a really fine job, in just a few panels, of giving this strip an extra dose of heart. Not that seeing Caris kidnapped last week wasnt a shock to the system, but her genuine fear and emotion rendered stiffly but effectively by Lee Milmore seep through these pages and make the story sing in a different way. The twist at the end of the strip further digs the knife in, allowing the entire tone of the strip to change into an even darker place.

Both the pieces with Caris and Herne feel a little more fleshed out than last chapter, and David Barnetts script both gives the reader a little extra exposition and creates a world that feels full and rich, and would have without the added context. As mentioned last time, The Crawly Man does a fine job in keeping with the pastoral British horror genre, and that shorthand worked wonders in the first chapter, but now is simply the foundation upon which the rest of the story builds. This allows the story to feel like it is both more complex and deep than its two installments have shown thus far.

As this is a 3riller, it will wrap up next week, and unlike so many of these types of stories, this feels neither like a rush to the finish line nor a drawn-out one-shot. The arts rigidity is the only part of this strip that isnt quite living up to its potential, but the mood evoked by the lineart does help set the tone.

Skip Tracer: Valhalla Part ElevenCredits James Peaty (script), Paul Marshall (art), Dylan Teague (Colours), Simon Bowland(letters)

Michael Mazzacane: Now this was a surprising strip both in terms of content and how it moves the plot around. Prog strips dont have the luxury of turning into an extended action set piece like Naruto and so on, so extended action sequences generally dont happen. That functional knowledge doesnt make the dissolution of Djinndorah satisfying. The effectively two pages but more like two panel showdown between the nihilistic demon and Eden wasnt thrilling or exciting. As an example of what Edens power can be like it is perhaps the most functional and dramatic display, but even that didnt have time to breathe. It all just feels rushed, especially when you have a single panel take up a third of the page on page three.

There is something thematically engaging about this showdown between a demonic force professing a nihilistic attitude and the lack of salvation and his foe being the antithesis of that, a character named after a mythic utopia. But any engagement with this battle of symbols is wiped away with the flick of a wrist.

The creative team doesnt let anyone off the hook though, at least in this episode. Once Eden is returned Noland quickly ports back to the Cube and completes the mission. Paul Marshall shows his incineration as the ship goes into the Black Hole. Its an honestly touching and effective moment. Those final two pages show the kind of measured pace that I wouldve liked to see the first three have. Obviously this is all building up to what will either be the finale or the start to the final act. What is Valhalla after several teases and a trip through a celestial entity? Can Eden even find Nolan and meet him there?

The eleventh entry in Skip Tracer does a whole bunch of stuff, maybe a little too fast. But there is also a commitment to characters and their own unflinching standards that is admirable. This is very much a downer ending for now. I also just cant help but wonder what if this strip was in an issue of the Megazine and they had twice the space to really make the drama land.

Dexter Bulletopia Chapter Eleven: The End of the Pier Show Part 2Credits: Dan Abnett (script), Tazio Bettin (art), Matt Soffe (colors) Annie Parkhouse (letters)

Matthew Blair: With everything thats been going on with Dexter and his crew its easy to forget that theyve been fleeing for their lives against a massive, all consuming artificial intelligence that has been tracking and hunting them across Europe. Now things have come to a head, and the past has caught up to them in more ways than one.

Writer Dan Abnett does a good job of turning Dexter Bulletopia Chapter 11 Part 2 into the set up for a brutal and long awaited confrontation between Dexter and the murderous AI, and while Abnett has a great track record of turning out some great stories, new readers might feel a bit lost here. Its not that the comic itself is bad, its just that if you want to be able to fully appreciate whats going on you have to be heavily invested in this series from the beginning. Abnett does a solid job of giving Dexter some quiet character moments and setting up a nail biter of an action sequence, but it doesnt really feel special unless you really know whats going on.

Steve Yeowells artwork for Dexter Bulletopia Chapter 11 Part 1 shows that its functional and capable of telling an emotional story, but its also plain and runs a serious risk of coming across as boring. Yeowells simple art style does really shine when Dexter is having an emotional break down, but in a world of grime, poverty, high crime, and low morals he doesnt do a very good job of showing just how grimy and lived in this world can be.

Dexter Bulletopia Chapter 11 Part 2 is a great emotional journey and promises to have some great action in the future, but there are some world building problems that prevent the story from being as good as it could be.

Jaegir: Ferox Part SevenCredits: Gordon Rennie (Script), Simon Coleby (Art), Len OGrady (Colors), Jim Campbell (Letters)

Christopher Egan: Giving us a little bit of a change in format, Rennie opens this chapter by taking us in years past to give us a glimpse at how these events spun out to the current storyline. The change is welcome, but not enough to warrant an extreme amount of praise. Overall, the script doesnt do anything much different than any of the other chapters, but it does add a bit more character intrigue to a story thats been sorely lacking any.

The art team does get to switch things up adding various color schemes to the story that, for some time, has looked generally the same week to week. Its a good looking chapter and it does add enough changes to give readers something to look forward to and be a bit different. I do find myself wondering where this story is going, but I cant decide if thats out of actual interest or just waiting for the end to come.

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Multiver-City One: 2000 AD Prog 2298 The Nightmare Man! - Multiversity Comics

Ending a more than 14-year event called Utopiafest while camping under a total eclipse in semi-remote Texas is total cult behavior. Sign us up. The Utopiafest crew announced in July a two-year plan to close out the series in May of 2023, returning to the initial venue in Utopia, Texas, and opening a new permanent venue in Buda, for continued fun with a lower buy-in.

First comes Utopiafest 13 (stylized UTOPiAfest Thirteen), at Reveille Peak Ranch in Burnet County, much closer to Austin. The nearest scheduled festival is penultimate in the regular series, which ends with Utopiafest 14 in 2023.

After that, Eclipse Utopia: Annular moves the venue back to Four Sisters Ranch in Utopia, with views from the camping area that extend 30 miles over the stage as narrated by Utopiafest co-founder Wayne Dalchau. Finally, Eclipse Utopia: Total coincidentally describes the total end of the multiday festival.

Remaining Utopiafest dates are as follows:

The next event, Utopiafest 13 (if youre keeping up), will feature big names in Austin and the country on two stages. Among the 20 artists on the lineup, folk duo Shovels and Rope bring more than a decade of raw, high-energy folk songwriting. Victor Wooten, the legendary bassist known for his creative adventurousness, is touring with his Bass Extremes in support of the August 26 release of SLow Down. Austin solo artist Sir Woman, in the middle of rising to national prominence with just one LP released in 2022, is also on the bill.

Nestled into the 1,000-acre Reveille Peak Ranch, which is popular for mountain biking about 60 miles northwest of Austin near Buchanan Lake, Utopiafest is as much about the camping as the tunes. Bikers can take off as usual, or can try hiking, swimming, disc golf, and workshops with community artisans. The event is BYOB, local vendors are handling most food needs, and cooking at the campsite is encouraged. Kids are not just welcome, but taken care of at the Kids Camp with special programming.

We had initially agreed on five Utopiafests at Reveille, and then we were going to revisit and decide what we were going to do next, says Utopiafest co-founder Travis Sutherland. Factoring in pandemic cancellations, this four-part schedule allows Utopiafest to fulfill its plan with Reveille before pivoting to smaller parties multiple times per year to start, those are the Eclipse events, organized around actual astronomical events crossing over Utopia. Once those are over, the permanent music venue is more of a long-term sustainable, controlled environment, where we can capture the spirit of the festival and have it in a permanent home in Buda.

The new venue, called Meridian, soft-launched on August 20 with a performance by local band Madam Radar. Sutherland compares it to laid-back cafes Radio Coffee & Beer or Cosmic Coffee in the daytime, and good-natured, "classy" C-Boys at night. Inside Zoi Market, the homey, natural-toned Meridian has slowly been coming to life and rolling out bit by bit: the wood bar, some small jazz performances, live video recordings. The team is updating the venue's Instagram account as it works up to full capacity.

It's getting harder to convince [Travis] wife that we should be throwing parties and not making a whole lot of money, says Dalchau, cheekily referring to his partners growing family. If we are able somehow over the next four parties that we have scheduled to get a windfall or someone comes through and wants to support it in a way that we can sustain, I think we could certainly try to do another chapter in the future. But until that happens smaller parties might be the way we provide a weekend of sanity for people.

Utopiafest 13 will take place October 14 and 15, 2022, at Reveille Peak Ranch. Tickets are available at utopiafest.com. Check meridianbuda.com or Meridian'sInstagram account for more information about operations and programming as it becomes available.

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Utopiafest will end with a bang or an eclipse and a new Austin-area venue - CultureMap Austin