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For far too long, the streets of Gotham have been plagued by chaos. Crime never sleeps. Thugs hide in the shadows, waiting to strike like snakes. Never mind the capitalist structures that produce deep and devastating forms of poverty, forcing the desperate lower class to resort to crime in order to survive. Gotham is in danger, and it is my duty to beat the living shit out of a man robbing a convenience store to feed his starving family of five.

When I think about the corrupt police force, the unfair distribution of resources, and the broken healthcare system, I start to wonder if this city can be saved. But then I remember it’s not the system’s fault, the real problem is one single crime boss. And sure, it’s easy to blame the problems of the city on an individual rather than the structures that created them, but this is no time to point fingers. Gotham is in trouble, and I have to perform a WWE-style flying tombstone piledriver on a shoplifter trapped in the self-perpetuating cycle of poverty.

A comic about an eclipse.

Back in February, deepfake technology was used to steal $25 million dollars:

A finance worker at a multinational firm was tricked into paying out $25 million to fraudsters using deepfake technology to pose as the company’s chief financial officer in a video conference call, according to Hong Kong police.

The elaborate scam saw the worker duped into attending a video call with what he thought were several other members of staff, but all of whom w

It had been so long since I’d had my work hanging in a gallery, and having a selection of my ‘Women of Discord’ on display in not just any gallery but a proper one in central Manchester did give me the feeling of being back on track after so many years of artistically floundering. Amongst […]

Been There, Smelled That explores the aromas of places around the world. Travel writer Maggie Downs investigates some of the world’s most potent smells, looks at how odor cultivates a connection to place, and presents how humans engage with smells, from scents that have endured generations to the latest innovations in aroma-making.

My dad always said he could smell a storm coming.

When I was little, I thought this was just some folksy midwestern thing, similar to how my uncle would split a persimmon seed with a pocketknife to forecast the upcoming winter.

Now I know my dad’s saying to be true—in part because I do it too, flinging open the front door and sniffing the air to see what kind of weather is coming. But also because that’s how aromas work. Shifts in temperature, air currents, humidity, and barometric pressure all encourage odor molecules to circulate.

On a larger scale, those shifts mean that climate change alters what we smell. Like snow, for instance.

1. If you give love, you will get love. But no pressure—only if you want to!

2. Peace starts inside you. And if you can’t get it to start, I can give you mine instead. Would be happy to!

3. Love is the greatest gift, though I’m sure any gift from you would be amazing. And if you didn’t get me a gift, that’s totally okay too. I probably made it really unclear that gifts are welcome. My bad.

4. The universe is made of pure joy, so don’t waste it. Hope that doesn’t sound too intense. I just mean that if you want joy, it’s definitely there for you to take—but only if you feel like it.

5. You only get one life, so live it the way you want to, but also don’t feel you have to listen to me. No stress if you want to do your thing.

6. Your joy can change the world, but I also know you’ve been super busy, so if this isn’t a good time to change the world, you can do it whenever is good for you. And if there isn’t a good time, it’s truly very okay.

7. Laughter is the soul cleansing itself—not that I think your soul needs cleansing. I’m just sharing this in case you want to cleanse it. And, anyway, I’m probably wrong, so never mind.

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- by Michael Bacon

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- by Paul Ham

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