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 Many people were expecting the Oscars to take a stand about current political issues in Ukraine. One of those people was the actor Sean Penn (previous academy winner). He said publicly that he expects The Academy to give some air time for President Zelensky. If that doesn’t happen, he will melt his Oscars, as a sign of protest directed at the Academy.  We now know that the Academy did a bare minimum in the matter of the Ukraine- Russia war. The gala lasted three hours, in which only at the end there was a moment of silence. On the screen appeared tile cards about Ukraine and that was it. The hosts didn’t pay enough attention to the war, let alone the winners in their speeches. It was like nothing was happening in the world besides American issues. Letting this pivotal opportunity to slip by and losing the chance to educate and share awareness about the most important topic right now was a huge mistake on the Academy's part, which I hope will not be forgotten. source:  ht...

A new showcase study has been conducted about the presence of the plastic in the human blood. The results showed  (for the first time) that in the human bloodstream we can find a staggering number of 5 different types of microplastic. And the doctors are saying that plastic can enter our bodies not only in our food, and drinks but also in the air.  I don’t think we realise when something so innovative for the 20th century-plastic- could become one of the main reasons for the bad state of the environment. And now for our health. Everything that plastic has to offer is widely spread across the world, so it would be impossible to cut down it completely. So, it was inevitable for it to be in our bodies. What I’m most concerned about is that doctors don’t know how much plastic is too much. And what the future will hold for us if we don’t find the answer. source: https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/human-blood-microplastics-pollution-environment-b2043751.html

The Oscars season is now on the rise. The Academy is well known for biases towards the movies which are the winners. And the article tackles the issues of the last winning screenings which haven’t aged well. Due to their problematic and questionable plot. I’m a huge movie fan therefore I stopped supporting the Oscars a long time ago. It’s no longer a secret that they are corrupted. Most of the voting judges are white, old ,biased males. They are choosing the winner not because of the movie but what they can get from it. Movies which are creative and different don’t get the same recognition. I get the feeling that now it’s not about the craft and the message of the movie. I believe that nominated films should be thought provoking, original and have every quality that the Academy is ignoring source: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/oscars-2022-winners-problematic-movies-b2033549.html

The first MacDonald’s opened in Russia 32 years ago. It was a sign of a new beginning for the Soviet country - the end of the cold war and the start of a better life. But now, the MacDonald’s is leaving (temporarily) to show their support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.  I believe that the article tackles a crucial matter which we are seeing right now, but it also adds some backstory for the whole picture. As probably the entire world knows by now, Putin is not the biggest fan of the West. He wants Russia to be powerful, more self-proclaimed, independent etc. But in my understanding, you can’t be all of these things in a modern society by doing things on your own. Russia is not that different from other countries. Russians have also tasted “the West” and now it’s unimaginable to get rid of all of this stuff. It is like going back 32 years back and living in an entirely different world - without changes, growth and truly becoming an outcast. source: https://www.theguardian....

In the Ukraine-Russian war a new threat came into play - radioactive Chernobyl. This highly contaminated exclusion zone is a new target for the Russian military as their base and connection to Kyiv. The environmentalists are petrified of the consequences of this occurring. As for now, the radiation readings are rising because of the stirred up dust caused by tanks.   I thought it could not be any worse than it has already been, but it is. It’s now becoming more and more apparent that the Russian President doesn’t care about anything. In 1986 when the Chernobyl disaster happened some many lives were sacrificed for our survival and better future. And for what? The zone is still dangerous, and it’s the threat for the entire continent and the future of our planet within the still visible issue of climate change. Nobody in the world should think that they have a right to do such a thing and to put humanity in jeopardy only to win a useless war. source: https://theconversation.com/m...

 Facebook has limited access to the platform for many Russian’s news outlets. Their reasoning is to prevent the spreading of false information and propaganda which harms human rights. The decision was made a day after Russia’s attack on Ukraine. And since then, and I quote: Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor accused the network of "censorship" and violating "the rights and freedoms of Russian citizens".  It’s the first time in our history when we have access to such an inclusive communication platform as social media, while a huge conflict is taking place. And with that comes a lot of responsibility to everybody and especially news outlets and journalists. So, I believe Facebook is doing a huge favor to Russia and stopping them from adding more insult to the injury. If Russian politicians blame Facebook for blocking their “truth” they are simply admitting that what they are doing is wrong and unethical. source: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-605...

 I had a discussion with my friends about clothes and the culture that surrounds it. And during the conversation one topic in particular was quite controversial. It referred to men’s clothing as not fashionable (in general).  This is without the doubt a true statement. In my opinion, the popular clothes, the most common ones that men wear are praised for being fashionable. And the truth is, they are simply basic. Men just have lower standards put on them by society. Example: formal wear – man can have one black suit and wear it for every event and he’s considered put together, but woman has to buy new dress for many events just to fit the standards and to prove her appeal. And I’m not saying that all men dress basic, there are many male fashion icons but as a society I guess we should consider more room for equality in fashion the department between all genders.