Given a choice, many teens would pick their phone and videos over much of the real world’s munificence. (Photo: Julia M Cameron via Pexels) Note to readers: My Family and Other Globalizers is a weekly parenting column on bringing up global citizens. To be the mother of a teenage boy in this era of encouraging our offspring to express their emotions and preferences is a thankless job. To begin with, my 14-year-old’s emotional range is rather limited, existing solely between sarcasm and cynicism. As for his preferences: everything is “lame”, and eye-roll worthy. In one respect, it’s almost back to the bad old days of toddlerhood, in how much of a role the word “No” plays in his vocabulary. “Would you like to watch the Nutcracker at the Royal Opera House?” I asked him enthusiastically a few weeks ago, unable to imagine a better way to ring in the New Year. “No,” he replied. How about a nice walk in the countryside? No. Trip to the museum? No. Even dangling the prospect … [Read more...] about My Family and Other Globalizers | Battle cry of the global Indian mom: when in doubt, take them out
Beautiful photos
Where is everyone getting those AI avatars? How Lensa took over the internet
Since launching in 2018, the app Lensa has been buried in a heap of photo-editing programs available in the iOS App store. It was one of those apps that spams you with promises of the kinds of perfectly beautified mug shots that are 100% guaranteed to disappoint Tinder dates later on. Now, at least judging by the infinite stream of images tagged #lensa , it feels like it’s the most popular app in the galaxy. The reason, I believe, is that it serves as an extraordinary vehicle for self-expression. People are curating and posting idealized versions of themselves, showcasing their inner desires to others like never before. View this post on Instagram A post shared by David Huang ???????? (@h.xcvii) Like many of the truly wonderful (and terrible) things on the internet today, Lensa’s rise through the app ranks happened, thanks to generative artificial intelligence, the neural network magic that conjures … [Read more...] about Where is everyone getting those AI avatars? How Lensa took over the internet
Cold Reality Sets In On China-U.S. Relations
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin NYC protest: Even blue states see red over China. Seth Wenig/AP Photo Five months ago, in a round of Asian talks, I said the U.S. and China were in for a long, bumpy stretch but not a full trade war. Half right, I guess! Clearly, relations have grown stiff on multiple fronts. First off, the layers of tariffs are sticking rather than being feints for negotiating advantage. This will gum up global commerce even without accompanying acrimony, and be a net loss for the U.S. and China, and economies in between. But trade parity is far from the only contested ground now. Each news cycle brings word of tiffs and slights. A variety of military, development and diplomatic rubs have developed, with China's repressive domestic policies always adding background noise to the clamorous "dialogue." President Trump has even taken to the notion that Chinese propaganda is figuring in the election shellacking he is due in … [Read more...] about Cold Reality Sets In On China-U.S. Relations
Captain Shafali Verma’s India squad make history, lift women’s cricket and maiden Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup trophy
India women's captain Shafali Verma holding the maiden world cup trophy and her Indian women's cricket team after the finals India won against England on Sunday. (Photo: Twitter) Shafali Verma’s acceptance speech as the winning captain at the inaugural women’s Under World Cup final was more waterworks than words. The camera was on her. She was at the centre of the proceedings. Her effort to temper her reaction was earnest. But the tears refused to stop. Indian Women's Team Won the World CupCricket Match Bravo pic.twitter.com/DGi9R5xe5w — Jagruti Bhat (@JagrutiBhat11) January 30, 2023 The occasion warranted the emotions on the part of Verma, in all their rawness and abundance. Not everyone, after all, achieves the distinction of being the captain of the title-winning team at the inaugural women’s Under-19 World Cup. Not every day does a 19-year-old become the first woman in history to lead her country to a World Cup triumph. In helming India’s title-winning … [Read more...] about Captain Shafali Verma’s India squad make history, lift women’s cricket and maiden Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup trophy