From Peep Show to Half Man, some of the best television can be the hardest to watch. Get ready to look through your fingers at these supremely squirm-inducing scenes

It’s not exactly how anyone imagines their first time. Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer follow-up, bruising BBC drama Half Man, is full of disturbing scenes but none more so than in the opening episode, when teen delinquent Ruben orchestrates his younger step-sibling Niall losing his virginity.

It makes for one of those TV moments where it’s physically impossible to sit comfortably on your sofa. But what are the all-time most unsettling? From bad rapping to DIY dentistry, here’s our selection of 15 scenes that made us wince, squirm and watch through our fingers …

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“Trump did not cause the attempts on his life. But it would be dishonest to deny that he is responsible for shaping the environment in which we live — for creating an atmosphere in which these kinds of events are more likely.”

In the richly detailed linocuts of Eduardo Robledo, festive ceremonies, spiritual motifs, and dream-like interactions unfurl. The Mexico City-based artist was born and raised in the southern borough of Xochimilco, which is famous for its canals—vestiges of a huge Aztec water transport system still used today for bringing goods into the city. This area and its time-honored customs provide a bounty of inspiration for Robledo.

Community and celebration are at the heart of his work, as creatures and figures converge in enigmatic, sometimes ritualistic choreographies. Traditional motifs like skulls and skeletons, which represent remembrance, joy, and an acceptance of the cycle of life and death, interact with denizens of the region like armadillos, birds, reptiles, and more.

Social activism has also played a strong role in Robledo’s practice, tapping into the power of printmaking to spread messages about causes he cares deeply about. “Printmaking is democratic; it’s more supportive,” he shares in a profile. “There is a very strong graphic arts tradition in social movements.”

Robledo’s compositions are playful yet mysterious, universal and also arcane. Winged hearts, known as Sagrado Corazón, or the Sacred Heart, symbolize love, healing, and spiritual devotion. Armadillos represent protection and abundance, and numerous other foods, plants, and nods to culture—such as Xochimilco’s colorful canal boats known as trajineras—are venerated in scenes of dancing or totem-like configurations.

RobledFrFo’s prints can be found at Hecho a Mano in Santa Fe, and the artist is also a co-founder of Lugar de Huida in Mexico City, a gallery highlighting Mexican printmakers. See more on the artist’s Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article Linocuts by Eduardo Robledo Celebrate Mexican Heritage and Community appeared first on Colossal.

There is no 6 Nimmt! champion, but a $12 domain registration and one Wikipedia edit convinced several bots there was

Unlike search engines that let you judge competing sources, search-backed AI chatbots can turn shaky web material into confident answers. Case in point: A security engineer convinced several bots that he was the reigning world champion of a popular German card game, even though no such championship exists.…

Kid Loco

Sneaker Pimps

8mm

Goldie

"The Supreme Court's six-to-three Republican-appointed majority issued a staggering ruling on Wednesday essentially killing the remaining protections of the Voting Rights Act, dealing a death blow to the country's most important civil rights law. The majority opinion by Justice Samuel Alito in Louisiana v. Callais strikes down the creation of a second majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana and in so doing narrows Section 2 of the VRA to the point of irrelevance, making it nearly impossible to prove that a gerrymandered map violates the right of voters of color."

ACLU: A History of the Voting Rights Act (through 2016) NYT: "Why Is There a Voting Rights Act?" NMAAHC (Blacksonian): 150 Years and Counting VRA previously

Update 4:30 PM EDT: On a popular listserv for academics, many of whom are attending RightsCon, a board member of Access Now wrote "I am told I can leak that RightsCon has been canceled. Message from [Access Now] following shortly" in a thread about what attendees were planning on doing. And in an email, AccessNow wrote: "It is with heavy hearts that we share: RightsCon will not proceed in Zambia or online. We understand this news is deeply upsetting for our community and while we know everyone has questions, our goal right now is to notify you of the event’s status because many of you have imminent travel plans. We do not recommend registered participants travel to Lusaka for RightsCon.

Over the last 48 hours we have experienced an overwhelming surge of support from civil society, government representatives, sponsors, and our community as a whole. For this, we wholeheartedly thank you. We’ll communicate more information soon." The original article continues below.

Days before thousands of researchers, academics, and human rights experts were set to convene in Lusaka, Zambia, the government of Zambia announced it was postponing RightsCon, one the largest and most important digital human rights conferences in the world. The announcement, which came as some participants and speakers were already en route to the conference, has sown confusion and chaos in the academic community. 

Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati first announced the postponement on April 28, saying that Zambia needed more time to ensure the conference “fully [aligns] with national procedures, diplomatic protocols, and the broader objective of fostering a balanced and consensus-driven platform for dialogue.” 

“In particular, certain invited speakers and participants remain subject to pending administrative and security clearances, which have not yet been concluded," he added, according to the Lusaka Times.