PicoBlog

In today's installment of Badasses Of History 😀it gives me great pleasure to introduce you to Mr Isambard Kingdom Brunel, one of Britain's greatest engineers, and stovepipe hat aficionado (Brunel was short of stature and suffered very much from insecurity about his height, which sadly dogged him all his life. You wonder how he would have felt about being chosen as the second greatest Briton of all time, in a BBC reader’s poll).

It’s been almost a year since the launch of Hello Kitty: Island Adventure, a charming Animal Crossing-like set in the surprisingly robust and still popular world of Hello Kitty, with more than a dash of influence from, of all things, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The game was a big hit on Apple Arcade, and like many Apple Arcade games, it’s heading to other platforms in 2025, starting with Switch and PC.

Sometimes in the NHL, teams reach a point where they can no longer move forward, and everything is stale. That’s where the New York Islanders find themselves and changes need to happen - beginning with the front office. For the second time in three years, the team is on track to miss the playoffs. The Islanders have not made a first-round draft selection since 2019, as the organization has prioritized going after the Stanley Cup.

Correct in every word! Israel is a catastrophe for Palestinians and humankind! Playing along with them, shipping express weapons deliveries like US and Germany ( ten fold after Oct. 7 !), sticking to complicit language, even making it illegal to protest as a single person in the streets- Germany again- are the western powers, the 'good people', the only ones who could stop the massacre! Three days ago in Berlin, an older lady, jewish, German/Israeli, was arrested by police as she stood alone in the street, holding her sign: "

Israel from the Inside is for people who want to understand Israel with nuance, who believe that Israel is neither hopelessly flawed and illegitimate, nor beyond critique. If thoughtful analysis of Israel and its people interests you, welcome! Over 38,000 subscribers No thanksncG1vNJzZmickaO2prjGqKmdoaNjwLau0q2YnKNemLyuew%3D%3D

More than a decade ago, my office at work was situated next door to the office of a former IDF Chief of Staff, who was then working with us. The way my desk was situated, I could see down the hall while sitting at my desk, and thus saw the comings and goings of many of the people on that part of the floor. It turns out, not surprisingly, that former Chiefs of Staff have many contacts in the army.

It was quite something to be in the court to witness Israel’s nonsensical claim that this is an “armed conflict” at the same time as denying the legitimacy of any armed resistance to it. I was the only journalist inside the courtroom at the International Court of Justice for South Africa’s genocide case against Israel. Thirty accredited journalists were in a press room in another wing of the building, watching what the director showed them on a screen.

Happy New Year! Symbolic of a long, happy life, noodles are traditionally eaten at Chinese New Year—which begins late this year on February 10. But why wait? As you know, I love noodles. I eat them all the time. And this weekend, just before the Gregorian New Year, I made a version of cold Chinese sesame noodles for lunch that were so delicious I’m sure they augur a very good 2024.

Welcome to Shamira Explains It All/Shamira Explique Tout, a culture newsletter discussing the origins and impact of Black production and exchange, identity, and intellectual property via our digital, social, and archival discussions - and whatever else may be timely and interesting. Part English, Part Francophone. Reach out with feedback, suggestions, tips, and ideas at contact@shamirathefirst.com.Share Shamira Explains it All This review of The Woman King was originally intended to be published at a publication (Mic at BDG) that recently laid off most of its editorial team, and so I am posting my critique here instead of going through the tedious labor of trying to place it at another publication.