Gilbert & George, a British artist duo, have worn identical tweed suits daily since the late 1960s as a ‘living sculpture,’ creating a stark contrast with their vibrant, kaleidoscopic artwork. Despite claiming no interest in fashion, their unchanging uniform has made them style icons, inspiring collections from Moschino, Jonathan Anderson, and Supreme. Their suits, made…
Elon Musk criticized Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey adaptation for casting choices he deemed ‘woke,’ claiming his AI tool Grok will create a ‘historically accurate’ version before year’s end. Despite Musk’s online campaign against the film, Nolan’s version opened to $264 million globally with strong reviews, while Musk’s complaints illustrate how cultural grievances override aesthetic judgment. Teaching:…
This piece uses Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of the rhizome to critique modern software development frameworks, arguing that methodologies like Agile, Scrum, and DevOps form a non-hierarchical, contradictory network rather than a clean hierarchy. It frames tech culture’s obsession with disruption, continuous improvement, and metrics as simulacra—performances of progress that obscure real work and human…
A World Cup halftime show featuring Madonna, Muppets, and global pop stars positioned music and celebrity as a universal solution to cultural division. The spectacle relied on the premise that entertainment can transcend boundaries and unite disparate audiences through shared emotional experience. The event exemplified how mass media events deploy sentimentality and star power as…
New research shows Gen Z alcohol consumption jumped from 66% to 74% in three years, reversing earlier trends of abstinence. The shift is attributed partly to pandemic timing—many Gen Zers hit legal drinking age during lockdowns—and their drinking patterns (more cocktails, more social occasions) differ slightly from older generations while overall rates now match societal…
Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle company, is testing self-driving cars in Washington D.C. with human safety drivers as it prepares to launch driverless ride-hailing services. The District presents unique challenges including unpredictable traffic, protests, motorcades, and complex intersections, and current law requires human drivers in autonomous vehicles until new regulations are passed. Teaching: • Use D.C….
The Hague Conference suspended a 15-year effort to create a global surrogacy convention due to irreconcilable ethical divisions among member states. The lack of international coordination leaves babies born via cross-border surrogacy at risk of ‘limping parentage’ (different legal parents in different countries) or statelessness when neither birth country nor destination country grants nationality or…
A Data for Progress poll finds 61% of likely US voters believe extreme weather has increased over the past five years, including 46% of Republicans. Heatwaves show the strongest climate-change link (67% overall, 48% of Republicans), and 88% support employer heat protections for outdoor and indoor workers, suggesting bipartisan openings for climate conversation. Teaching: •…
GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy are increasingly prescribed to older adults for weight loss, but clinical trials underrepresent people over 65, leaving major gaps in safety and efficacy data. Side effects such as muscle loss, dehydration, and drug interactions pose heightened risks for seniors, and functional ability—not just weight—should guide prescription decisions. The drugs require indefinite…
The four immeasurables (loving-kindness, compassion, rejoicing, equanimity) are foundational Buddhist practices that counter the five poisons (pride, jealousy, desire-attachment, ignorance, aversion). Longchenpa recommends starting with equanimity to develop impartiality, noting that friend/foe distinctions are fictions and that all beings—including ourselves—have been both allies and enemies across lifetimes. Western practitioners often struggle with guilt and ego-driven…