Akio's Corner

Embracing the Legacy of 107 Billion Souls: A Call to Action In the vast expanse of time, over 107 billion individuals have traversed this earth, each leaving behind a legacy of experiences, failures, and triumphs. As we stand amidst the roughly 7.7 billion souls alive today, we are the custodians of an incomparable gift—the collective wisdom amassed over millennia. I. Throughout history, humanity has been engaged in a ceaseless dance of experimentation and adaptation. From the invention of the wheel to the exploration of outer space, each generation has added its chapter to the grand narrative of human progress. The lessons learned from their endeavors, their trials and errors, have been passed down through the ages, shaping the world we inhabit today. Indeed, our intelligence does not solely stem from individual brilliance but rather from the reservoir of knowledge bequeathed to us by those who came before. The late historian Niall Ferguson aptly observed, “The dead outnumber the livi

  Movie: Red Sparrow In contemporary Russia, the renowned ballerina Dominika Egorova faces a pivotal turning point when a career-ending injury befalls her. Struggling to support her ailing mother, she is approached by her uncle Ivan, a high-ranking official in the SVR. In a desperate bid to secure ongoing medical care for her mother, Dominika is tasked with seducing the Russian gangster Dimitry Ustinov. However, a horrific incident unfolds during their encounter when Ustinov is killed by Sergei Matorin, an SVR operative acting on Ivan's orders. Faced with a life-altering choice, Dominika must either become an SVR operative or face execution for witnessing the assassination. On the other side of the covert spectrum, CIA operative Nate Nash operates in Moscow, navigating a dangerous espionage game. When confronted by the police during a meeting with a Russian mole named Marble, Nash engineers a diversion to safeguard his contact's identity. Reassigned to Budapest, Nash insists on

  Movie: Lockout In the year 2079, CIA agent Snow faces charges for the murder of Colonel Frank Armstrong, who had uncovered a mole selling classified information about the United States space program. Acting on the President's advice, Secret Service director Scott Langral has Snow convicted of both murder and espionage, sentencing him to thirty years in the high-security space penitentiary MS One, where inmates are held in stasis throughout their sentences. Snow's colleague, Harry Shaw, endeavors to locate Mace, Snow's contact, who knows the whereabouts of Frank's briefcase containing the stolen secrets. Simultaneously, Emilie, the President's daughter, arrives at MS One to investigate claims of mental instability developing in prisoners kept in stasis. Amid her inquiries, a violent uprising ensues led by deranged inmate Hydell, resulting in Emilie's capture. Shaw persuades Langral and the President to send Snow to rescue Emilie, emphasizing the potential assis

  Movie: Children of Men In the year 2027, Earth faces an ecocide due to human activities, causing widespread environmental devastation. Eighteen years of human infertility, war, and global depression push the world to the brink of collapse. The United Kingdom stands as one of the last nations with a functioning government, albeit transformed into a police state where immigrants face arrest, imprisonment, or execution. Theo Faron, once an activist turned cynical bureaucrat, is abducted by the Fishes, a militant immigrant rights group led by his estranged wife, Julian Taylor. The couple separated following the death of their son during a 2008 flu pandemic. Julian offers Theo money to secure transit papers for a young refugee woman named Kee. Theo, obtaining the documents from his government minister cousin, agrees to escort Kee in exchange for a larger sum. As they head towards Canterbury with Fishes leader Luke and former midwife Miriam, an armed gang ambushes them, resulting in Julian

  Movie: Cold Skin In 1914, a young Englishman embarks on a journey to a secluded island in the South Atlantic to assume the role of a weather observer for a year. Upon arrival, it becomes apparent that the man he is replacing has gone missing. The island's sole inhabitant, Gruner, the caretaker of a rudimentary lighthouse, explains that the previous observer succumbed to typhus, potentially while swimming in the sea, with no trace of the body. As the man explores the island, he stumbles upon peculiar rock circles on the beach and discovers the diary of the former meteorologist, filled with drawings of local wildlife, including enigmatic sea creatures. Disturbingly, he experiences nightly encounters with these creatures attempting to breach his cabin. In a misguided attempt to thwart them, he inadvertently sets his cabin ablaze. While exploring further, the man encounters a female sea creature, and Gruner intervenes to prevent him from harming her, revealing that she is "tame&

  Movie: The Boy Greta Evans, an American hailing from Montana, embarks on a journey to the United Kingdom upon securing a position as a nanny for the elderly Heelshires. Upon her arrival, the couple acquaints Greta with her unusual charge: a life-sized porcelain doll named Brahms, treated as their son. The Heelshires provide Greta with explicit instructions, including reading to Brahms and playing loud music for him, as they head off on holiday. Initially disregarding the rules, Greta maintains regular contact with her sister, who reveals that Greta's abusive ex-boyfriend, Cole, is attempting to locate her. The local deliveryman, Malcolm, becomes a frequent visitor, and Greta discovers that the real Brahms perished in a fire two decades earlier on his eighth birthday. As Greta prepares for a date with Malcolm, strange occurrences unfold, including the disappearance of her dress and jewelry, leading her to the attic where she finds unsettling photographs of young Brahms. Intrigued

  Movie: After Life Released in 2009, 'After Life' is a psychological horror-thriller directed by Agnieszka Wójtowicz-Vosloo, based on her original screenplay. The film features a cast including Liam Neeson, Christina Ricci, and Justin Long. Eliot Deacon, proprietor of a funeral home, maintains a gentle demeanor as he attends to the deceased under his care. Anna Taylor, a middle school teacher, crosses paths with Eliot while attending her piano teacher's funeral at his establishment. That evening, a heated argument with her boyfriend Paul drives Anna to distress, leading to a traffic accident. To her shock, she awakens on an embalming table in Eliot's funeral home, discovering him cutting her clothes and claiming she is deceased. Eliot asserts he possesses a unique gift—he can hear the voices of the dead. Showing Anna a collection of photographs documenting his assistance in the transition of the departed, he administers a fictional drug, hydronium bromide, to prevent r