You should be angry over our leader's lack of urgency — On May 20, 2023, the G7 concluded its regular summit. This loose pact of countries, a competitor to BRICS and other such geopolitical alignments, put out a statement, the "Hiroshima' Communiqué. Alongside supporting the War in Ukraine and other such goals, the statement claimed these countries were committed to "phasing…

The tale of how the Zazzle cloned channeled the power of memes for fun and profit — Sticker Mule was founded in 2010. It is a private company specializing in selling custom stickers and other products. It is comparable to other print-on-demand services such as Red Bubble or Zazzle, albeit with an admittedly smaller inventory of potential products to print onto. If you have heard anything about…

Analyzing the superhero movie about how nothing changes — Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is about Miles Morales, from Earth-42, as he attempts to balance his responsibilities as a superhero with his obligations to his school and family. Should he reach for the potential his parents have fought and sacrificed for, take on the mantle of hero, or struggle to…

You can criticize this movie while still pushing against the racist backlash against it — The moment it was announced that Disney cast the talented singer Halle Bailey in the role of Ariel, the hate from the conservative commentator circuit was disproportionate and unending. The mere fact that she was a Black woman, never mind her years of singing experience, was enough for many to…

If something kills you more slowly, it's better! — Why hello there, traveler, and welcome to the "Apocalypse Tour." This is the tour for all those with a morbid fascination with collapse, where we note the locations that significantly impacted species 947's destruction (947 were also known as humanity [hyoo·ma·nuh·tee]). …

An article preview about the history of inequality and hierarchy — I have been thinking a lot about power recently: how it’s exercised, how to wield it, and most importantly, what happens when it’s misused. My partner and I have a thought experiment where we imagine a society without a formal government. The specifics don’t matter that much. Maybe it’s in…

The tech bros & billionaires behind this fringe voting system — This article was originally posted on The Washington Socialist. The American voting system has traditionally been first-past-the-post (i.e., the first candidate that meets a certain threshold wins). This system has disincentivized political alternatives. Votes for less-popular candidates tend to be viewed as wasted (see the “spoiler effect”), and so many…

Our reverence for the wealthy is misplaced — As a society, we are constantly pushing many politicians to treat the government as a business. "The government should be run like a great American company," politician Fiorello La Guardia remarked as mayor in 1938. …

A review of The Witcher Season 3 — The Witcher series is about the eponymous Witcher Geralt of Rivia, a half-human mutant with supernatural powers he uses to hunt and kill monsters. Geralt lives in a medieval-seeming land called the Continent (another name is never given). …