Exploring the meaning of Mexico’s Dia de Muertos
Let's explore the emotional context of the 'Day of the Dead' celebrations a few days before they begin. It is not surprising that The Day of the Dead is the holiday for which Mexico is most internationally recognised.Β For some people, this celebration is a contradictory concept because it surrounds death...
Current in Offbeat
What Pragueβs pub-crawl ban means for tourism
The new legislation is a blow for travellers looking for cheap, booze-filled nights out.Β For a certain type of tourist, Prague has long been synonymous with cheap beer, mediaeval charm, and a night out youβll definitely forget. In fact, for many British party-goers, Prague has become a rite of passage. An...
Opinion β Iβm sick of seeing people waste food on social media
Given the state of our world at present, why are content creators still going viral for making a show of mass-consumption and promoting throwaway culture when this is so blatantly in poor taste? Sometimes, I genuinely think that most of us donβt give a ratβs arse about whatβs going on...
Stop shoving online therapy down our throats
iβm trying to watch YouTube in the bath. Go away Iβm one BetterHelp ad away from bouncing my Pixel off the wall. Is it just me, or is anyone else being low key harassed by advertising for online therapy portals in 2024? Itβs either that or male grooming kits. Perhaps my YouTube...
Is the βaura pointsβ trend philosophical or misogynistic?
On social media, young people are using βaura pointsβ to calculate how cool they are. For philosophers, the trend falls in line with Gen Zβs love of astrology and other cosmic belief systems. For members of the manosphere, itβs a lifestyle, yet another opportunity to inject the world of...
When did British festivals get so messy?
Every time festival season rolls around in the UK, attendees make headlines for destroying the sites (and their livers alongside them). In other parts of Europe, this recklessness is less common β or at least less renowned. Should we be looking beyond British borders for an example of how...
Opinion β bring back the fat chefs
The online convergence of food and fitness influencers on social media means that people are focusing on the protein and βfuelβ quotient of their quick-to-make meals, rather than delighting in the flavour of their culinary creations and the process of cooking them. I vividly remember the first time I saw culinary skills depicted on-screen. It was the infamous cheese toastie scene in Jon Favreauβs 2014 film Chef,...
Will basketball ever make it rain in the UK?
Is British basketball slowly retreating, and will it ever have its time as an adequately funded sport? You pass the threshold into a large, echoey chamber. Four brick walls, sealing the aromas of effort, climb high into a ceiling of imperceptible detail. The hardwood courts lay steady under your foot. The nets, stripped of motion, rest soundly in the air. You fasten your trainers and grapple with your socks before...
Cognify wants AI-simulated memories to help rehabilitate prisoners
Hashem Al-Ghaili, a Berlin-based scientist and filmmaker, envisions a future where prisoners are rehabilitated using implanted synthetic memories created by AI. His MO is to instil a sense of empathy and cut lengthy sentences from years to a matter of minutes. Having cut his teeth in the realm of independent filmmaking, Hashem Al-Ghaili has certainly let his mind run wild with this controversial concept. Presumably after binging Black Mirror and the...
Why has the proposed smoking area ban sparked outrage in the UK?
To reduce the number of preventable deaths linked to tobacco use, Labour wants to take the indoor smoking ban outdoors. Opponents of the plan β including those who donβt light up β are lamenting the loss of valuable spaces where βall the best socialising happens.β Itβs no secret that life online lacks substance. These days, with the false promise of lasting connectedness through social media growing tired, many of...
