Culture

"We along with the IOA and SAI will provide the best support to the athletes. The philosophy of India has taken a full shape in Japan. And we want to transcend our deep spiritual connection to the arena of sports as well." … [Read more...] about India’s Olympics-bound athletes learn Japanese culture

The end of February marks the close of a small chapter in the story of American transportation: the shutdown of the North American operations of Share Now, the most prominent car-sharing business in the U.S. The service existed in various forms for about a decade, leaving its cars—many of them go-kart-esque vehicles covered in loud advertising for its Car2Go brand—parked in the streets of 14 U.S. cities. Customers used smartphone applications to find and unlock them, renting them for the afternoon or just to drive across town. Share Now purported to offer an alternative to personal car ownership—a striking proposition given that its owners, the European automakers Daimler AG and BMW AG, sell luxury automobiles.Share Now isn’t the only one struggling. A handful of deep-pocketed investors made big bets that the end was near for the deep-seated affection Americans have for their cars. Lyft Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc., which have pushed the taxi alternative … [Read more...] about Even a mobility revolution can’t crack American car culture

And while we’re on the topic, I should point out that Taj Mahal 1989 is merely the latest symptom of an industry-wide malaise: Indian pop culture has a 90s nostalgia problem and it’s fast getting out of hand. Our engagement with this period is myopic at best and potentially dangerous at worst. Films like Chhichhore (2019) and shows like Yeh Meri Family (2018) are content peddling a cotton candy version of the 90s — an endless parade of iconic advertisements (Taj Mahal’s title credits include an appearance by the ‘Rasna girl’), close-up shots of legacy tech like Walkmans, and wide-eyed references to the wonders of a newly-globalised economy. The 2017 Prateek Kuhad music video ‘Tum Jab Paas’ could very well have been an alternative opening credits sequence for Taj Mahal 1989 (and I’m convinced it’s a source of ‘inspiration’). The same lingering shots of pencil boxes and era-appropriate candy dominate; the same … [Read more...] about Indian pop culture has a nostalgia problem and it’s getting out of hand

Skye O'Meara, the general manager APY Art Centre Collective, a community owned and run Aboriginal art operation which brings together 10 art centres from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands in remote Central and South Australia, said the importance of income from art sales to communities can't be underestimated. … [Read more...] about Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair draws thousands as artists fight unethical dealers

“I always encourage players to not make decisions based on money because you’ll only make it for the wrong reasons,” Burgess said. “Money comes into it at some point … but for this deal right now, he’s 25 and only played 33 games, and if he takes a big-money deal somewhere else, the pressure will be on him as one of the main players at a club. … [Read more...] about The Wayne Bennett chat that convinced Bunnies’ breakout star to reject $500K Titans offer