Category Archives: Society

Culture, Magazines, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Politics: The Guardian Weekly – March 17, 2023

March 15, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The Guardian Weekly (March 17, 2023) –

In his closing speech at China’s annual parliamentary meeting on Monday, Xi Jinping, the country’s most powerful leader in generations, had an ominous message for his people and for those listening beyond its borders. “After a century of struggle, our national humiliation has been erased … the Chinese nation’s great revival is on an irreversible path,” he warned.

The UK was gripped this week by a saga that started off about controversial government plans to deter migrants crossing the Channel in small boats, and ended with Gary Lineker, host of the BBC TV football highlights show Match of the Day, being taken off the air. We reflect on a furore that revealed much about the contradictions of modern Britain.

From the buzzer to the finish line, the finest sports photography reveals human achievement and emotion at the extremes. In a feature special this week, Simon Hattenstone talks to award-winning Guardian sports photographer Tom Jenkins about capturing the perfect picture – followed by 20 of the most iconic sports pictures ever taken and the stories behind them.

Aging, Retirement, Reviews, Society, Studies

Aging: 34% Of The Elderly Feel ‘Socially Isolated’

March 13, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Changes in feelings of social isolation, 2018-2023

In 2023, one in three adults age 50–80 (34%) reported feeling isolated from others (29% some of the time, 5% often) in the past year. This represents a marked decline compared with the 56% (43% some of the time, 13% often) who felt isolated in 2020, but a greater proportion than the 27% (22% some of the time, 5% often) who reported feeling isolated in 2018.

National Poll On Healthy Aging (March 2023) – More than one in three older adults (37%) reported feeling a lack of companionship (29% some of the time, 8% often) in the past year, compared with 41% (32% some of the time, 9% often) in 2020, and 34% (26% some of the time, 8% often) in 2018.

One in three older adults (33%) reported infrequent contact (once a week or less) with people from outside their home in 2023 (14% once a week, 10% every 2–3 weeks, 9% once a month or less). This rate of infrequent contact was significantly less than the 46% reported in 2020 (19% once a week, 11% every 2–3 weeks, 16% once a month or less), but higher than the 28% reported in 2018 (15% once a week, 7% every 2–3 weeks, 6% once a month or less).

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Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Culture: New York Times Magazine – March 12, 2023

March 10, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

The New York Times Magazine – March 12, 2023:

The Daring Ruse That Exposed China’s Campaign to Steal American Secrets

How the downfall of one intelligence agent revealed the astonishing depth of Chinese industrial espionage.

Inside the ‘Blood Sport’ of Oscars Campaigns

Oscar campaigns are often run by professional strategists, essentially a specialized breed of publicist. Their job begins as early as a year before the awards, sometimes before a film is even shot. They advise on which festival a film should premiere at, shape a campaign platform and hope that the film gains enough momentum to propel it into awards season.

The Quest to Restore Notre Dame’s Glorious Sound

Much of the cathedral’s restoration, projected to be completed in 2024, will address these large holes. They affect not just the structure of the building, but also something that cannot be seen: the acoustics. “Notre Dame has lost about 20 percent of its acoustics,” says Mylène Pardoen, who is the co-director of the acoustics team working on Notre Dame — under the aegis of the French Ministry of Culture and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (C.N.R.S.), a research organization from whose ranks specialists have been drawn for the restoration. The holes caused a measurable decline in the glorious resonances that gave the building its unique sound.

Culture, Magazines, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Previews: The Guardian Weekly – March 10, 2023

March 8, 2023 She Seeks Serene Leave a comment

Methane leaks: inside the 10 March Guardian Weekly | Climate crisis | The Guardian

The Guardian Weekly (March 10, 2023) –

It’s no secret that methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases, with scientists attributing 25% of global heating to its atmospheric release. A new Guardian analysis by environment editor Damian Carrington lays bare the extent of the problem, identifying more than 1,000 of the world’s worst emitters.

But methane is also a double-edged sword: while it traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide, it fades from the atmosphere in about a decade, far faster than the century or more taken by CO₂, which is why urgent action to tackle leaks would be so effective in the push to limit global heating. Find out more in Damian’s Big Story report for us this week.

Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Previews: The Atlantic Magazine – April 2023

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The Atlantic Magazine – April 2023 issue – In “The New Anarchy,” a sweeping new cover story for the April issue of The Atlantic, executive editor Adrienne LaFrance draws upon years of reporting to argue that America is experiencing an era of increased acts of violence intended to achieve political goals, whether driven by ideological vision or by delusions and hatred.

The New Anarchy

photo illustration with alternating red and blue images of 10 violent protesters in various poses, some armed, one wearing Trump flag — ILLUSTRATION BY PAUL SPELLA*

America faces a type of extremist violence it does not know how to stop.

The Book That Teaches Us to Live With Our Fears

Wolfish explores the question of what, exactly, we perceive as threats.

Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Culture: New York Times Magazine – March 5, 2023

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The New York Times Magazine – March 5, 2023:

‘Nobody Wants to Be the World’s Villain’

Inside the Louisville Police Department, where officers are reckoning with what it means to be a cop in a city that doesn’t trust them.

This Revolutionary Stroke Treatment Will Save Millions of Lives. Eventually.

An endovascular thrombectomy, or EVT, being performed at Foothills Medical Center in Calgary, Alberta.

A procedure called EVT is creating radically better outcomes for patients, but only when it’s performed quickly enough — and that requires the transformation of an entire system of care.

CreditNatalia Neuhaus for The New York Times

Culture, Magazines, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Previews: The Guardian Weekly – March 3, 2023

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The ruin of Mariupol: inside the 3 March Guardian Weekly | Ukraine | The Guardian

The Guardian Weekly (March 3, 2023) – A year on from the invasion of Ukraine and there seems little end in sight to a conflict that has, unquestionably, changed the world. The Guardian Weekly’s big story this week outlines five possible routes to peace (some more hopeful than others), but the main focus is a stunning collaboration from Guardian reporters detailing the fate of the port of Mariupol, the battle for which has perhaps been the bloodiest and most shocking chapter of the war to date.

It’s an extraordinary account of the devastation, partial reconstruction, and Russification of a thriving city. “You learn to only voice your opinions with those you know you can trust,” says Darya, a student opposed to the occupation. “Otherwise, you keep your thoughts to yourself.”

On Monday the UK government finally agreed a deal with the EU to end a long-running Brexit dispute over customs arrangements and legal oversight in Northern Ireland. Our Brexit correspondent Lisa O’Carroll unpicks the key points of the new agreement and what it means for the region.

In 2003, when the US army occupied Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein, the Guardian writer Ghaith Abdul-Ahad was aged 28 and living in Baghdad. He recounts his front-row view of the fall of the regime, the arrival of the so-called liberators and the unfolding of a sectarian war.

Culture, Magazines, Opinion, Politics, Previews, Reviews, Society

Culture: New York Times Magazine – Feb 26, 2023

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The New York Times Magazine – February 26, 2023:

Three Years Into Covid, We Still Don’t Know How to Talk About It

Most Americans think they know the story of the pandemic. But when a writer immersed himself in a Covid oral-history project, he realized how much we’re still missing.

‘The Democratic Party in New York Is a Disaster’

After losing crucial seats in the congressional midterms, a bitter civil war over the moribund state organization has spilled into the open.

Culture, Magazines, Previews, Reviews, Society, Tourism, Travel

CULTURE: FRANCE-AMÉRIQUE MAGAZINE – MARCH 2023

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France-Amérique Magazine – March 2023

Paris, the City of Lights, Camera, Action!

From Emily in Paris to Lupin, American productions continue to present a glowing vision of France. Tourism, real estate, and artisanal know-how are just a few of the French sectors that have benefited from the global reach of these shows. What’s more, their promotion of a certain way of life is rejuvenating the nation’s soft power.

HOLLYWOOD Puts France in the Spotlight

From Emily in Paris to Lupin, American blockbusters continue to present a well-groomed and rose-tinted vision of France. Tourism, real estate, and artisanal know-how are just a few of the French sectors that have benefited from the global reach of these shows. What’s more, their promotion of a certain way of life is rejuvenating the nation’s soft power.