Mike’s Blog Round-up

For 75 years, the United Nations agency known as UNRWA has been the backbone of health and education for Palestinians with refugee status, a population that now totals 6 million people, including about 1.4 million in Gaza. In the past, whenever fighting broke out, the organization would also serve any civilian seeking shelter in the enclave’s 300 primary schools—protected by the blue flag of the United Nations. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] That status remained the norm for the first months of the cataclysmic current war.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Gladiator II. You don’t notice one of the most important characters in Gladiator II until late in the runtime of Ridley Scott’s latest feature, out Nov. 22. That is partly because he is not played by one of the movie’s big stars: Pedro Pascal, Paul Mescal, or Denzel Washington.

When L. Frank Baum published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, it seems unlikely that he could have had any idea just how significant a role the story would come to play in pop culture. In the nearly 125 years since the novel’s debut, it has evolved from a beloved book series to an enduring film classic to a reimagined villain origin story to a mega-hit Broadway musical to a highly-anticipated two-part movie adaptation. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] With the first installment of director Jon M.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Wicked. Anyone who knows anything about Wicked is likely aware of how big a role the awe-inspiring voices of, and natural chemistry between, original Broadway stars Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth played in turning the musical into an instant mega-hit. So when the pair shows up for a cameo in part one of director Jon M.

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Wicked. In order to defy gravity, you’re first going to need to learn how to read the Grimmerie. By the time Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande) arrive in the Emerald City for Elphaba’s meeting with the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) in the Wicked movie, now in theaters, we’ve seen both of the young Shiz students try their hand at sorcery.

I have a friend in his late 30s who is a recovering alcoholic. He spent a large portion of his 20s overcoming his addiction. ​While he never doubted his ability to be a great partner, he did worry what his dates would think when he mentioned why he no longer drinks. After a few tough rejections, he began to worry that his past made him “undatable.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] ​Over time, however, he found a way to tell his story.