(Submitted photo) HALIFAX: In just a few short years, Lucy – the only prognosticating lobster in the world – has garnered international attention, captured the imagination of thousands of people and become a drawing card for winter tourism in Nova Scotia. And now she’s the star in her own children’s book being launched on the…
On the Shelf ‘Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old’ By Brooke ShieldsFlatiron Books: 256 pages, $30If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent bookstores. “I was doing an Instagram Live and people were saying, ‘I really wish you looked like you used to,’” Brooke Shields tells The Times from her hotel room in Los Angeles. If Shields is getting criticized about her looks, what hope is there for the rest of us? That’s one of the quandaries at the center of Shields’ latest memoir about aging, “Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old.”“The past books that I’ve written, except for the children’s books, have all been based on one event that was truly traumatic for me, so that was the impetus,” says Shields, who previously wrote books about her postpartum depression and complicated relationship with her manager mother. “This one didn’t have that, so it was a little unnerving for me in the beginning.” But that “made it even more exciting to write — and much more enjoyable to read the audio book.”Shields wasn’t even sure she wanted to write this book, originally suggested to her by her agent as a continuation of the conversation she started with her podcast, “Now What? With Brooke Shields,” and in keeping with her hair care line, Commence, designed for mature tresses. The former child star had recently revisited her past in the Emmy-nominated documentary “Pretty Baby,” named for the controversial 1978 movie in which Shields played a young sex worker, and headlined a song-filled, one-woman show titled “Previously Owned by Brooke Shields.” (Flatiron) “Did we really need more of me out there? The documentary was a lot. ‘Do you really need it, Brooke?’ I always get really cringey about that stuff,” she says, channeling her internal debate about embarking on the project.“But as I was thinking about it, it’s indicative of age to feel this desire and need to look at where I am in my life and look back differently, but don’t stay looking back,” she adds, deciding whether she could “make it funny, irreverent, silly but truthful and have it be positive for women, instead of what we’re taught to fear about age, supported or negated by stats and studies, then that to me would be an interesting read.”As with Shields’ aforementioned other recent projects, she was primed to consider what this moment in her life meant in the wider context of societal willingness to talk about menopause.“Not only is this happening to me, but it’s happening to other women,” she points out.Shields is willing to poke fun at herself — and she doesn’t take herself too seriously, as past comic turns in shows such as “Suddenly Susan” and “Friends” attest. People address the former Calvin Klein model by name on the street, but that same name can also be a rallying cry for her when her confidence has been shaken.“You’re FBS: F—ing Brooke Shields,” her friends will bolster her at such moments. There’s a particularly entertaining anecdote in the book about her daughter borrowing her designer clothes. Shields felt they should be saved for a special occasion, to which her daughter replies with the above line — minus the expletive.Shields once would have objected to such talk about her celebrity or beauty. “I used to go, ‘Oh, God. Stop.’ Because to me it felt like arrogance,” she says, noting that her outsize reputation meant she was perhaps overlooked for more serious roles or that people she wanted to work with had preconceived notions of what she was able to do. But now she leans into the recognition: It’s allowed her to make a living and gotten her to a point in her career where she’s now the subject of retrospectives and reconsideration — whether by “Pretty Baby” director Lana Wilson or by turning the mirror back on herself.“I’m not comparing myself to Marilyn Monroe but — and I say it in the book — when someone in the public eye dies at their most youthful and famous, they become immortalized at that age,” she observes. “When you don’t do that,” people can be dissatisfied. “I can’t be this idol anymore because I don’t look like I did in ‘Blue Lagoon’ anymore, or whatever.”Though there’s much more in “Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old,” an apt takeaway is “WWFBSD — What Would F—ing Brooke Shields Do?” More to Read
There is something special about watching a movie filmed in your hometown — or even better, in your own neighborhood.Many Philadelphians have probably seen Rocky, Creed, 12 Monkeys, Trading Places, and, of course, Philadelphia … but chances are you haven’t seen Fighting Back, the 1982 movie filmed almost entirely in Kensington.The film was part of the era’s subgenre of movies — think Dirty Harry, Death Wish, Walking Tall, and Taxi Driver — that depicted urban decay and featured vigilantes as the protagonists: stoic, steely-eyed figures (who are almost always white men) who see themselves as a last resort when city government has become too weak or too complicit to address societal ills.The protagonist in the film, a grocer played by Tom Skerrit, weathers crisis after crisis — including the murder of his best friend and the discovery that his teenage son is using heroin — until he decides to organize neighbors into a civic association.With no real understanding of the causes of urban decay or causes of white flight, and confronting a corrupt and ineffective city government, members of the association turn to vigilantism (and racist actions) which eventually leads to conflict with a Black community leader, played by Yaphet Kotto, who has a firm grasp on the systemic issues facing their community.Do the questions of what happens to a community when it is disinvested and when white flight occurs sound familiar? What do residents do when they rightfully are frustrated by not only the untenable conditions they live in but by not being able to rely on city government or other forces to support them? What are the options when you do organize your neighbors and your efforts but your voices are still ignored by the powers that be?The movie asserts three possible community responses to the challenges of such a neighborhood: join the chaos, organize and work within the system, or turn vigilante.But unlike movies, in real life, there is a fourth path forward, one centered on self-determination through community-driven, trauma-informed development and a comprehensive approach to problem-solving.There is an even deeper connection to the movie for me. When I purchased my house 23 years ago, the previous owners told me the movie (which I had never heard of) had been filmed in the house. My home is, in fact, the home you see on the cover of the DVD and promotional posters; my home is where the party scene that opens the movie was filmed.The park that serves as the symbol of chaos and the point of greatest conflict in the movie is McPherson Square, the park my front door opens out to. In real life, the park received much more national and international attention than the movie ever did.And finally, after many years of being vacant, the family grocery store and site of community meetings in the movie — located across from the southeast corner of McPherson Park at 3000 Kensington Ave. — was purchased by the nonprofit organization I lead, New Kensington Community Development Corp., and renovated. It will be reopening on Wednesday as the Kensington Engagement Center.The building will serve as a space for community engagement — allowing residents to share ideas and strategies for the co-creation of Kensington as we move forward.It will also serve as an exhibit space, with the first exhibit focusing on the history of Kensington Avenue, the current experience of business owners on the avenue, and a number of interactive tools for residents to think about the past, the present, and to apply those thoughts to what they want the avenue to be in the future.On Wednesday we will be hosting a ribbon cutting and launching a program to help small businesses and unveil a new multimillion-dollar collaborative partnership to address housing stability and mental health in Kensington.As I thought about the rebirth happening at 3000 Kensington, I started thinking about what a sequel to Fighting Back might look like 40-some years later.As I picture it, the Skerrit character now bears the weight of having been through cycles of failed strategies that were designed on flawed theories of change, one of the most flawed being vigilantism — which was never a solution, just a trauma response.He now realizes that to truly address valid concerns, they needed to also grapple with the underlying issues, such as poverty, education, and racism, in order to eliminate the downstream crime he and the civic association turned vigilante group had focused on instead.Perhaps the grocer learns of a new generation of neighborhood organizers, who convene community-wide conversations that are not dominated by very few people and focused on rehashing old grievances and old strategies but are built around incorporating many voices. These dialogues also focus on strengths, and complex comprehensive approaches to address the issues underlying the very real challenges they face.Residents begin to see real change.The conversations spur changes in the neighborhood that begin by laying a new foundation based on acknowledging the trauma the community has experienced, then focusing on community-led and comprehensive processes and strategies.Residents begin to see real change. Investment flows into the community from the city, state, philanthropic, and private sectors, as people see a path and something to invest in. Politicians stop acting as if they are the only decision-makers and instead partner with many others in service to the community. Even the police are relieved — as they are no longer put in a position of solving problems beyond their ability to solve — and find they are in the right spot to serve.Together, with everyone in the right spots, people are finally able to address the core issues of poverty, employment, housing, education, health, and more. Businesses that have been shuttered return, new businesses that meet the needs of longtime residents arrive, and residents have a way to stay in their homes and benefit from the positive changes taking place in the community.Things are not perfect, but they begin to get better.The new movie draws to a close with scenes of people throughout the city in their community meetings discussing how to replicate Kensington’s success and resilience rather than how to avoid becoming Kensington. The old leaders, like the grocer and the activist, are in those meetings, along with the children and grandchildren who have grown into their roles as new leaders, ready to take the next steps in their journey together.Bill McKinney is a Kensington resident and the executive director of New Kensington Community Development Corp.
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Former President Donald Trump motions to the crowd during the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis on Friday, April 14, 2023. (IBJ photo/Mickey Shuey)
On Jan. 7, 2021, when Meta suspended Donald Trump’s Facebook account after the U.S. Capitol riot, company chief Mark Zuckerberg said the risks of allowing the then-president to keep using the service after inciting a “violent insurrection” were “simply too great.” Trump would go on to blame Zuckerberg for his 2020 election loss, threatening him with life in prison.
On Tuesday, exactly four years later, Zuckerberg sang a different tune. As part of an announcement shared first with Fox News, Zuckerberg said that Trump’s win in the November election marked “a cultural tipping point” on speech and that he was terminating Facebook’s “politically biased” fact-checkers, who he said had destroyed public trust. Asked at a news conference that day whether Zuckerberg’s move was a response to Trump’s threats against him, Trump said, “Yeah, probably.”
Meta’s about-face on Trump reflects a broader pattern in Silicon Valley, where tech executives for years had adopted a defensive stance toward the man who had once declared them enemies of the American way of life.
Fearing retribution and craving a role in Trump’s decision-making, the tech giants have seemingly shelved old disagreements and are proclaiming their excitement for working with the incoming administration. And Trump, who has promised some donors favorable policies, has made clear that he expects nothing less.
After giving sparsely to the presidential inaugurations of Trump in 2017 and Joe Biden in 2021, the country’s biggest tech firms—Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Uber—have showered the president-elect with gifts or pledges of $1 million each. So, too, have OpenAI chief Sam Altman and Apple chief Tim Cook, the latter of whom had said that the Jan. 6, 2021, attack was “a sad and shameful chapter in our nation’s history” and that “those responsible for this insurrection should be held to account.”
The attempts at warming ties have moved beyond money. Executives have spoken fawningly of Trump’s ideas and flown to his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, for dinner. During Zuckerberg’s visit, he brought Trump a pair of Meta’s artificial-intelligence camera glasses.
American businesses have a long history of making nice with the new party in power through ostensibly nonpartisan gifts to the inaugural celebrations, and several of the companies have said they welcome the opportunity to mend bridges with a future president.
But the flood of company cash to Trump has broken even the $107 million record set for Trump’s 2017 inauguration. Trump’s fund has reportedly surpassed $150 million, with over a week left before the Jan. 20 inauguration—more than double Biden’s $61.8 million haul. Trump transition officials directed requests for comment to the inaugural committee, which did not respond.
Though the money is earmarked for the revelry that accompanies Washington’s official transfer of power, Trump’s allies can use the funds for other political pursuits. The full slate of contributions is disclosed in federal filings only after the inauguration.
The companies’ charm offensive has drawn criticism, including from conservatives, who have blasted it as kowtowing for corporate self-interest. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, said on X that Meta’s change was “a ploy to avoid being regulated.” The conservative commentator Candace Owens said in her podcast, “Now he believes in free speech because of the election results?”
But Trump has appeared to relish the friendliness. In a news conference last month after meeting with tech executives, the president-elect said, “In the first term, everybody was fighting me. In this term, everybody wants to be my friend.”
Brendan Nyhan, a Dartmouth College political scientist, said the companies were adopting a stance of “preemptive compliance” in hopes of protecting themselves from the potential attacks and challenges of a new Trump term.
“Technology companies are performing their support for an incoming administration to decrease the likelihood they’ll be targeted or persecuted,” he said. “It’s demobilizing to people who might otherwise stand up to the administration in business … and for Trump, these tactics work in a costless way. He hasn’t had to do anything. The companies will just pretend all the threats and bluster are forgotten and everyone is getting along.”
Company executives have argued that their support for Trump is fueled by love of their country—and the potential that it could gain them a competitive advantage. Altman, who personally donated $1 million, said in a Bloomberg interview that the gift was a “relatively small thing” and that “we all should wish for the president’s success.”
In 2016, Altman said he was voting against the abusive, “erratic” Trump because he represented “an unacceptable threat to America.” But in the interview, Altman noted that a dream of his industry—software with superhuman reasoning abilities, known as artificial general intelligence—could “get developed during this president’s term, and getting that right seems really important.”
Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist and senior partner at the corporate consulting firm Penta Group, said companies would rather spend money than be sidelined as “spectators” by an administration whose decisions could reshape tech policy for years to come.
“They’ve all been through a decade-long learning process about Trump and the changing Republican Party,” he said. “If you have that opportunity to be at the table, you have to take it.”
The titans of other industries also have pledged support to Trump’s inauguration, including companies that criticized him in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack.
Toyota, which said in July 2021 that it would stop donating to members of Congress who contested the 2020 election, said it would give $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. The Japanese automaker, which did not donate to the last two inaugurations, has warned about the risks to its business from Trump’s pledges of steep tariffs.
In 2022, the company said it had resumed donating to election deniers but would “not support those who, by their words and actions, create an atmosphere that incites violence.” A Toyota spokesman said in a statement to The Washington Post that “the inauguration of a new president is a time-honored tradition” and that, “like many other companies, Toyota Motor North America is pleased to support” it.
Silicon Valley’s donations are especially notable given Trump’s long-standing attacks on Big Tech. He has accused top tech companies of mass censorship and of secretly participating in his 2020 election loss, calling it “the crime of the century.”
After Trump’s loss, Zuckerberg was repeatedly slammed by Republican lawmakers and influencers, who claimed that he had silenced conservatives and conspired to rig the vote by donating to local election efforts during the pandemic. Facebook, Trump said last year, is “a true Enemy of the People.”
Since then, Zuckerberg has called Trump a “bada–” for his response to an assassination attempt in July and said in an August letter to Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, that the Biden administration was “wrong” in 2021 when it “repeatedly pressured” his company to take down some covid-related misinformation.
In the weeks since Zuckerberg congratulated Trump on his “decisive victory,” Meta has donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, named the Trump-allied Ultimate Fighting Championship chief Dana White to its board of directors, and tapped longtime Republican lobbyist Joel Kaplan to lead its global affairs. On Meta’s Threads last month, Kaplan posted a selfie with Vice President-elect JD Vance during a Trump event at the New York Stock Exchange. Meta’s antitrust trial begins in April.
Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon and owns The Washington Post, also has pledged to give $1 million through Amazon to Trump’s inaugural fund. Amazon gave about $58,000 to the first Trump inauguration and roughly $276,000 worth of “technology services” to the Biden inauguration, which its Prime Video service streamed online.
Bezos, who has clashed with Trump and criticized the then-candidate’s behavior as inappropriate in 2016, has since said that Trump is “calmer” and has “grown in the past eight years.”
He directed The Post’s editorial board to pull a planned endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris before the election, saying such endorsements undermined news organizations’ credibility, and chatted in December with Trump at a Mar-a-Lago dinner joined by the only man richer than Bezos, X owner Elon Musk.
Bezos’ business interests, including the cloud-computing giant Amazon Web Services and rocket firm Blue Origin, benefit from billions of dollars in federal contracts. But he has argued that his support of Trump is rooted in optimism that the incoming administration will successfully tackle its “regulatory agenda.”
“Why be cynical?” he said in an interview last month. “I think it’s going to be great.”
Some tech companies halted their political spending after the short-lived insurrection. On Jan. 6, 2021, Microsoft President Brad Smith retweeted a statement slamming the “unlawful efforts” to overturn the election and called it a “day to speak up for our Constitution and its values.” The tech giant paused its political action committee donations and in 2022 pledged to withhold funding that election cycle from any congressional Republican who had objected to the election results.
This week, Microsoft said it would donate $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, on par with what it had given to Barack Obama’s second inauguration but more than the $500,000 it had given Trump in 2017 and Biden in 2021. The Federal Trade Commission launched an antitrust investigation into Microsoft in November that could take shape during Trump’s term.
Beyond money, the companies are offering to help spotlight Trump’s resurgence to power. Google, which gave $285,000 in cash to the Biden and Trump inaugurations, upped its donation this year to $1 million, and Google’s YouTube – the second-most popular website in the world – will live-stream Trump’s swearing-in with a featured spot on its homepage.
Trump’s Justice Department sued Google over antitrust concerns in 2020, and Trump himself sued the company in 2021, claiming his suspensions on YouTube and other platforms amounted to “blacklisting, banishing and canceling.” Last year, on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that as president he would call to “criminally prosecute” the company “at the maximum levels” for “only revealing and displaying bad stories” about him.
Biden’s Justice Department has pushed to force Google to sell off its Chrome browser to resolve what a federal court said was an illegal online monopoly, and the Trump administration will decide the next steps in the case. Trump, who has recently expressed skepticism about the idea of breaking up the company over fears of Chinese tech gains, dined last month at Mar-a-Lago with Google chief Sundar Pichai and Google founder Sergey Brin, who once said he was “deeply offended” by Trump’s first election win.
By giving $1 million, the companies guarantee their executives access to an assortment of exclusive inaugural festivities: a “candlelight dinner” with Trump and his wife, Melania; an “intimate dinner” with Vance and his wife, Usha; and tickets to such prized gatherings as the “Cabinet Reception” and “Starlight Ball.”
But signing a check could also bring future rewards. Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, a Biden appointee whose agency has brought antitrust lawsuits against Amazon and Meta, said Tuesday that the attempts to court favor with the incoming administration suggested the companies were angling for “some type of sweetheart deal.”
The moves have drawn ridicule from left-leaning advocacy groups, who said the “capitulation” to Trump even before he took the White House would only deepen in the years ahead.
“These companies have flourished because of a lack of regulation, and these leaders are now making choices that can insulate them down the road,” said Nicole Gill, director of Accountable Tech. She compared Zuckerberg to a school kid who befriends the class bully: “He is willing to do whatever he thinks it will take to stay afloat.”
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We’ve got an eclectic mix today, from a twisty tale of corruption to two novels inspired by the authors’ Minnesota childhoods, one about a strange-looking cat, and a lively new way to stretch kids’ imaginations.(Courtesy of the author)“Trafficking U”: by D. Greg Scott (Winged Publications, $24.99 hardcover; $14.99 paperback)“Jesse chuckled. Inventing Brooke’s backstory was almost as fun as playing Teena Fay from Green Bay. Almost. But the creeps she was after this time were nastier, closer to home, and more dangerous than the worst credit-card hustlers on the planet.” — from “Traffic U”Jesse is a bank fraud investigator sipping coffee at her friend’s coffee shop when a terrified young woman rushes to her table pretending she knows Jesse. She is Leilani and this encounter sets off a chain of events in Jesse’s life that lead her to uncover a vast network of sex traffickers, beginning with her discovery of a strange partnership between her bank and a private college that offers young women a work-study program at a remote resort in northern Minnesota. Jesse is fired when she brings this to the attention of top management at her bank, but she keeps digging, learning of women who have been groomed to work at the resort as prostitutes. This is a story in which nobody can be trusted. Interspersed with the contemporary story are Jesse’s memories of being a teenage thief and seller of fake IDs. There’s a lot going on here: a computer nerd who’s Jesse’s ally, murders, attacks on Jesse and her friends, and a scummy couple who pick out which young woman they will groom, especially those having trouble at home. There’s also a fair amount of computer lingo that will interest IT folks. Although the book is described as a Christian novel, the religious theme is subtle. Kirkus Reviews described the novel as “a diverting thriller with thoughtful commentary on a timely issue.”The author wrote for an IT industry publication and was a pioneer in finding online groomers. He earned an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.(Courtesy of the author)“This Sheep Needs Your Help!” and “This Pirate Needs Your Help!”: by David LaRochelle (Candlewick Press, each $10.99)Trust David LaRochelle to come up with new ways to stretch young imaginations. This time the Geisel Award-winning author/illustrator invites youngsters to help a sassy sheep and a pirate out of difficulties by creating dry-erase illustrations using the marker that comes with every book. The lost sheep needs an umbrella, skis and ski poles, among other things. The swashbuckling pirate battles hungry sharks and a monster. Once the young artist has completed the book, the pages can be wiped off to create different illustrations.“Finding ways for the reader to connect with the story is one of the most important elements I consider when making a book,” LaRochelle writes in an author’s note. “… this is the first time I’ve tried connecting the reader to the book by having them draw pictures that complete the storyline. My dream is that these books will reach a wide range of readers, from preschoolers just learning to hold a marker to older kids honing their drawing skills. I hope these books will inspire kids to stretch their imaginations and think outside the box, then erase the pages and try new possibilities.”LaRochelle has been busy with recent publication of such popular books as “See the Cat,” “Go and Get with Rex,” and “Mr. Fox’s Game of ‘No!’”(Courtesy of Nodin Press)“Fumious Rex: The Outcast Cat”: by Freya Manfred, illustrated by Bly and Rowan Pope (Nodin Press, $14.99)“My mother says I’m the first Minnesota Rex Cat.”“You don’t sound very happy about it.”“I’m not. I think she sent me away because I am so different.” — from “Fumious Rex”Fumious Rex’s mother had given birth to a dozen litters but none has looked like Fumious, with his too-big ears, a tail too long and curly hair so short he looks almost hairless. So begins this children’s story of Fumious, born in the country home of good-natured Bly Barnacle at Rowan Tree Place. After a spat with his three sisters, his mother feels it’s time for the youngster to go into the world. He meets all kinds of cats of many breeds, including big, black mentor Edward S. Heath, as well as a goofy Siamese who keeps changing her name while she leaps and twirls as she talks. Fumious learns there are dangers in the world when he’s almost eaten by the hungry fox who lives in Foxtooth Forest. This story is filled with just enough excitement to keep little ones interested but nothing too scary. The cats’ names are lots of fun and humans are kind.“Fumious Rex” is a collaboration between poet Freya Manfred and twin sons Bly Pope and Rowan Pope. (Husband/dad is screenwriter Tom Pope.) Both men graduated from Stanford University, earned MFAs from the University of Minnesota and teach at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Their work is in public and private collections, which isn’t surprising when you see the cats’ expressions and movements in their “Fumious Res” drawings.Freya is the author of 10 poetry collections, the latest of which is “When I Was Young and Old.” She also wrote the memoirs “Raising Twins: True Life Adventure” and “Frederick Manfred: A Daughter Remembers.” They will introduce the book Feb. 1 at Red Balloon Bookshop, 891 Grand Ave., St. Paul.“Stories from the Great River”: by Michael N. Felix (The Black Mountain Press, $16.50)… I didn’t think it right then, but I’ve often wondered about whether you can live on this earth and over the time be worn so fine by the things that have happened, worn so fine that you’re almost translucent, worn so fine that you live in this world and at the same time are not really part of it. — from “Stories from the Great River“From an old Native American hunter honored by his tribe to boys digging a duck pond for a rich guy and trying to eliminate rats in a barn, to a truck driver who has an encounter with a silent woman, these short stories capture Minnesota and her people . Some of the stories about children free to roam the outdoors were inspired by the author’s childhood in a shack with no plumbing in Prior Lake. In other stories men and women try to deal with their lives.“We live two lives. The life we imagine and the one we really live,” the author writes in a forward. “These stories derive from the people and places around the upper reaches of that Great River. They are about people who imagine their lives and struggle to live up to that imagination.”Felix, who lives in Grand Rapids, has given us a book well worth reading, especially if you shared his carefree childhood. He has written seven novels and a science fiction novella. He attended the University of Minnesota and has a master’s degree from Mankato State College.“Sound of a Distant Train”: by Dan Goodier (Independently published, $20)… we couldn’t possibly have predicted the changes coming to my family and to our town, or the amazing occurrences that caused them. Nor could we have predicted how the crushing importance of those events would cause such a massive slipstream effect in our lives, just as the period between 1967 and 1968 shaped the history of our country and the world for all time. — from “Sound of a Distant Train”In his debut novel Dan Goodier looks back to the turbulent years 1957-68, when assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy rocked the nation. The small town of Bay City, Wis., is rocked too, when three of their own are killed. Protagonist Emmett North tells the story as a teenager living a carefree summer of swimming and talking to pretty girls. After the murders, the town has to pull together to counter the bad publicity and refurbishing their image.Part fictional memoir, part coming-of-age, part mystery, this novel is for everyone who recalls being young during those hard years in our nation and anyone who hears the sound of a distant train from their past.The author grew up along the shores of Lake Pepin. He and his wife, Susie, divide their time between Hudson, Wis., and Long Lake in northern Wisconsin.
Starlink is not as invulnerable as previously thought, according to a team of award-winning scientists in China who recently simulated a space operation targeting the giant constellation.AdvertisementResults from the computer simulation showed that China could effectively approach nearly 1,400 Starlink satellites within 12 hours using just 99 Chinese satellites. These could be equipped with lasers, microwaves and other devices to conduct reconnaissance, tracking or other operations.“The potential military application value of the Starlink mega constellation has been highlighted in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In recent years, the militarisation of space has intensified, posing a significant threat to China’s space security. It is particularly important to track and monitor its operational status,” wrote the project team led by Wu Yunhua, director of the aerospace control department at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Their peer-reviewed paper was published on January 3 in the Chinese academic journal Systems Engineering and Electronics.SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, has launched more than 6,700 Starlink satellites and is expected to increase that number into the tens of thousands in the coming years.Tracking such a vast constellation with a small number of satellites was once deemed impossible, involving extremely complex orbital calculations that, even if solved, would be difficult to execute within a short time frame.AdvertisementWu and his colleagues also faced more practical military challenges. For example, Chinese satellites needed to fly close enough to keep Starlink satellites within the effective range of detection equipment for at least 10 seconds, but not too close as to cause accidents.Lasers and other equipment consume a lot of energy, so scientists also needed to arrange sufficient sun-facing charging time for each Chinese satellite. Manoeuvring the satellites also takes varying amounts of time, which further increases the difficulty of orbital calculations.
It’s considered to be a cult classic – but alike many movies, it has mistakes that leave the audience scratching their heads. TikTok users Movie Messups has pointed out a mistake in a scene in Twilight, starring Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan, and Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen. In the 2008 movie, Bella is seen…
Yorgos Lanthimos, the acclaimed film director behind cinematic masterpieces like The Favourite and Poor Things, has produced his second photography book – I Shall Sing These Songs Beautifully.Published by Mack and released in late 2024, this linen-bound hardback coffee table photography book offers a haunting visual experience shaped by Lanthimos’ distinct, suspenseful aesthetic – one that has long captivated audiences in his films.The book comprises a series of photographs taken in New Orleans during the production of Lanthimos’ recent film, Kinds of Kindness, which features an impressive cast that includes Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Jesse Plemons and Hunter Schafer.Yet, the images in I Shall Sing These Songs Beautifully are not just behind-the-scenes glimpses of a film set. Instead, Lanthimos crafts a separate narrative through these photographs, one that exists in the liminal space between reality and fiction.Yorgos Lanthimos, from I Shall Sing These Songs Beautifully (Mack, 2024). Courtesy of the artist and Mack (Image credit: Yorgos Lanthimos)This isn’t Lanthimos’ first foray into photography books, as early in 2024 he released his debut monograph Dear God, the Parthenon is Still Broken – an exquisite collection of images made on the set of Poor Things.That book, created in collaboration with actress Emma Stone, marked the beginning of a new creative venture for Lanthimos, blending his filmmaking process with intimate, dreamlike photography. It’s a collaboration and approach he has continued with I Shall Sing These Songs Beautifully.All the images were shot in 2022, in and around New Orleans. There’s an undeniable noir influence running through the work, reminiscent of Raymond Chandler’s fiction and the photography of Henry Wessel.The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!The juxtaposition of New Orleans’ lively streets with a sense of eeriness creates a mood that’s both familiar and strange and creates a sense of foreboding not often associated with the area. This feeling has become a hallmark of his cinematic style which translates effortlessly from screen to print.Yorgos Lanthimos, from I Shall Sing These Songs Beautifully (Mack, 2024). Courtesy of the artist and Mack (Image credit: Yorgos Lanthimos)There’s something extremely suggestive about the way Lanthimos navigates the eerie and mundane in his imagery, as his photographs – much like his films – find themselves on the edge of absurdity and melancholy.In I Shall Sing These Songs Beautifully, this tension is as present as ever. The streets of New Orleans are enveloped in both light and shadow, transforming into a stage for a narrative that feels both timeless and contemporary.Although not specified in the press material, on his previous project Lanthimos revealed his preference for shooting with an 8×10 film camera. This choice adds to the stillness and tension present in each image.There’s a degree of intention to the compositions that carefully strikes a balance between location, character and observer. After all, that is how it feels to be shown the window into Lanthimos’ world – observing a reality that feels just out of reach.Yorgos Lanthimos, from I Shall Sing These Songs Beautifully (Mack, 2024). Courtesy of the artist and Mack (Image credit: Yorgos Lanthimos)Many of the characters in the book are often shot from behind or captured in fleeting glimpses, providing a level of intrigue and mystery. These images demand a second and often third look, and after each viewing new layers of meaning and emotion emerge.The title of the book is taken from a text by Sappho, whose fragmented poetry mirrors the book’s narrative structure, leaving space for interpretation and reflection.What makes I Shall Sing These Songs Beautifully so compelling, however, is its ability to stand on its own, independent of the film it was created alongside.While the photographs were initially part of Lanthimos’ process in shaping the world of Kinds of Kindness, the book transforms them into a unique visual narrative that exists beyond the frames of the film. It is not a companion piece but a story in its own right.Yorgos Lanthimos, from I Shall Sing These Songs Beautifully (Mack, 2024). Courtesy of the artist and Mack (Image credit: Yorgos Lanthimos)Lanthimos is a storyteller, first and foremost; his photographs, like his films, invite us to ponder and reflect. There’s a sense of liminality in how the images unfold and a narrative path that’s never fully revealed but lingers in the mind, demanding more attention. His ability to translate this style into still images is unlike anything I’ve seen recently in the photography space.Priced at £35 in the UK and $40 in the US, I Shall Sing These Songs Beautifully by Yorgos Lanthimos is published by Mack and is available now. It’s a book that demands to be experienced slowly, each image revealing layers of meaning and emotion leaving you with more questions than answers.Yorgos Lanthimos, from i shall sing these songs beautifully (MACK, 2024). Courtesy of the artist and MACK. (Image credit: Yorgos Lanthimos)You might also likeCheck out my article on Lanthimos’ previous book Dear God, the Parthenon is still Broken along with our guide to the best coffee table books.
The Sabarmati Report is a dangerous film, to say the least, and though I can talk in detail about why I feel that way, I believe that I will keep my thoughts and my opinions to myself (at least, unlike the film, they’re based on real facts). I say so because I believe that, in today’s time, it is extremely difficult to override a narrative that has been triggered by emotions using factual proof. The truth was, is, and will always be in front of us. There are many documentaries and reports that talk about the real reason behind the Godhra riots and why over 1000 people ended up losing their lives post the Sabarmati incident (which the film blatantly chooses to ignore). I understand that in such incidents, “facts” are always fabricated, and I don’t deny that lies would have been spread from both sides. But what the creators of The Sabarmati Report do is close their eyes, conveniently abstain from talking about anything that does not suit their narrative, and, at places, make sure to alter the truth in the name of creative liberty. All I can say here is that sometimes the world can do much better with one less opinion, and so in this article, we will just follow the events shown in The Sabarmati Report and find out if our protagonist was able to achieve what he set out to do.
Spoiler Alert
Why was Samar fired from EBT News?
Samar was a Hindi reporter, and he was finding it very hard to make a name for himself. He always said that Hindi reporters didn’t get the respect that they deserved. But our protagonist did not lose hope, and one day, he got the opportunity he had been waiting for. The most popular prime-time anchor for EBT news, Manika Rajpurohit, asked for a Hindi journalist who could translate whatever she wrote. Manika was being sent to Godhra to cover the incident that had shaken the entire nation. Samar was a cameraman, and he was extremely proficient in the Hindi language. So, he was best suited for the job, and he went with Manika to report from the site of the accident. Now, the moment Samar and Manika reached Godhra, they realized that though people were calling it an accident, it was not. For some reason, the truth was being hidden, and the politicians were trying to use the situation to their advantage. However, only the politicians of the opposition were trying to do that, and as bizarre as it might sound, the sitting government had no role to play in the entire incident. Why? Because the makers of this film said so. So, Samar told Manika that there was a lot of evidence that pointed towards the possibility of the incident being a pre planned operation, and she agreed with him. But Manika’s bosses got a call from the politicians of the opposition, and they asked Manika to call it an accident and not tell the truth. After Manika left Gujarat, Samar stayed back for a few hours, and he recorded footage of the victims admitted to the hospital. Later, he went to his office in Delhi and showed his boss the recording. They were quite impressed by his work, and they told him that they would show whatever he had recorded on the news the next day. But obviously, that didn’t happen. Samar was quite hurt when he saw that his bosses were trying to hide the truth and present a false narrative. He went to his office and created a scene, and ultimately, he was fired from his job. After that, Samar couldn’t find work anywhere, as his bosses blacklisted him and made sure that no media house hired him.
What did Manika want from Amrita?
Almost 5 years have passed since the Sabarmati incident, and nobody has talked about those victims. Samar had never imagined that he would have to pay such a huge cost just to tell people the truth. He became an alcoholic, and he survived by doing some dubbing jobs. Around that time, Amrita, a freshly graduated and extremely enthusiastic media student, joined EBT news. Like every other girl, she idolized Manika Rajpurohit, and she dreamt of having a similar career graph to hers. Manika and her bosses got to know that an independent inquiry commission had been made to investigate the Sabarmati incident and bring the truth to light. The EBT news management knew what lies they had peddled back in the day, and they wanted to make sure that the situation didn’t get out of hand. So, the management, together with Manika, met the Gujarat CM. The CM sent his spokesperson, who made it very clear that he wouldn’t interfere in the investigation carried out by the commission, and that he would make sure that the truth came out. Manika realized that they would need to get ahead of the story, and in order to do that, she decided to put all the blame on the state government. But Manika didn’t want to be the face of the program, as she didn’t want to take any sort of risk. Hence, it was decided that Amrita would be made the scapegoat, and if anything went wrong, then the news channel could shrug off all the responsibility and pin all the blame on her.
Were Samar and Amrita able to bring out the truth?
Amrita got to know that a reporter named Samar knew about what had actually happened back in the day. After seeing what Samar had recorded, Amrita got even more intrigued to know what his perspective was. But the man was nowhere to be found, and moreover, he was not willing to go back to that story again. He had moved on, and he had stopped fighting for the truth. However, Amrita told him that she would pay him well if he came with her to Godhra. Samar agreed, and that’s how the investigation was kickstarted. At first, it came to be known that an incident of eve teasing happened at the railway station, because of which an angry mob arrived and burned the train. But Amrita and Samar both knew that things weren’t adding up and that the people were not speaking the truth. They even went and talked to the victim, and they realized that she was being forced to tell lies. It didn’t take long for Samar and Amrita to find out that a man named Habib Kadri was the mastermind of the entire incident. A local NGO worker named Mehrunnisa helped Amrita and Samar to find the truth.
In The Sabarmati Report’s ending, Amrita left EBT News, and she and Samar had both started working for a different news channel. That didn’t stop them from speaking the truth. Samar was made the news anchor, and that day, on prime time, he spoke about his entire investigation in detail. He told his viewers that the Sabarmati incident was not an accident, but a well-planned operation whose mastermind was Kadri. At the end of the show, he paid homage to those victims who lost their lives in the attack, and he spoke the names of all 59 of them to show his respect.
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