Tag Archives: Phoenix

03May/26

A Fall from Innocence

May 3, 2026FilmsAmerican atheists, Castle Rock, Castle Rock Entertainment, Chris Chambers, Corey Feldman, Films, Gordie, Grief, Jack Nitzsche, Jerry O'Connell, Jesus, Kiefer Sutherland, Mike, Phoenix, Ray Brower, Rob Reiner, Stand by Me, Stephen King, The Body, Wil Wheaton, Will Byersadmin

Sun, May 3 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — The physical trek to find the missing boy, Ray Brower, serves as a profound metaphor for the transition from childhood to adulthood. What begins as a youthful adventure to become local heroes quickly transforms into a journey of internal healing and self-discovery. By separating the boys from the critical eyes of their hometown, the isolated setting acts as a pressure cooker that forces their hidden traumas—such as physical abuse, parental neglect, and societal prejudice—to the surface. Continue reading →

29Mar/26

Navigating the Friendship Recession and the Cost of Connection

March 29, 2026Lifestyledopamine, Emotions, Friendship, Friendship recession, Hikikomori, Interpersonal relationships, Japan, Joe Previte, John Cacioppo, Johnny, Kindness, Laura L. Carstensen, Loneliness, oxytocin, Phoenix, Social connection, Social isolation, Social issues, Social media, Social networks, the urban institute, United States, Vivek Murthyadmin

The Decline of the “Third Place” and the Rise of Global Isolation

March 30, 2026 /Mpelembe Media/ — The Core Issue: The “Friendship Recession” Modern society is experiencing a severe decline in social capital and interpersonal connections, a phenomenon widely referred to as the “friendship recession”. Data shows a quantifiable collapse in the size of our social networks: in 1990, 33% of Americans reported having 10 or more close friends, but by 2021, that number had plummeted to just 13%. Meanwhile, the percentage of individuals reporting zero close friends has quadrupled. This erosion of social capital—the “glue” that holds communities together through networks, trust, and reciprocity—is undermining both civic engagement and personal well-being.

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22Nov/25

Autonomous Economy: Agentic Economy as the Operating System of the Machine Economy

November 22, 2025EconomyAgentic AI, Artificial general intelligence, Artificial intelligence, Autonomous agent, Autonomous robot, Ethics of artificial intelligence, Intelligent agent, Machine ethics, Phoenix, Rio Tinto, Robot, San Francisco, Software agent, United States, Vehicular automation, waymoadmin

Nov. 22, 2025 /Mpelembe Media/ — We are currently in the foundational or emergence phase of the Autonomous Economy. It is no longer a futuristic concept; it is actively being built and deployed, though the full, ubiquitous vision of a global, self-regulating autonomous economy is still years away.

Many experts compare the current state of the Autonomous Economy to the Internet in the early 1990s—the core technologies and infrastructure are being established, and we are seeing the first truly disruptive commercial applications emerge. Continue reading →

13May/23

The ‘gay world cup’: why LGBTQ+ audiences love Eurovision

May 13, 2023MusicAustria, BBC 100 Women, Belarus, Belgium, Conchita Wurst, Creative Commons, Dana International, Eurovision Song Contest, Finland, France, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Jamie McLoughlin, Jason Manford, Krista Siegfrids, Lasha Tumbai, Lewis Thorp, LGBT people, Liverpool, Lugano, Luxembourg, Lys Assia, Matt Weaver, Musicians, Netherlands, Phoenix, Russia, Singers, Susan Sontag, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Verka Serduchka, Vladimir Zhiriovsky, West Germany, Zelenskyadmin

Matt Weaver, University of Portsmouth

In 1956, seven European countries – Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and West Germany – gathered in Lugano, Switzerland for the first ever Eurovision Song Contest. The competition was only broadcast in select countries, meaning only a small number of viewers watched Swiss entry Lys Assia win the grand prize with the song Refrain.

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