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anotherkindofmindpod · 4 years

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this isn’t related to a specific episode but I’m confused about the beginning of John & Yoko’s relationship. I’ve heard so many different things about when/how it started- from she was stalking him to meeting at a gallery to Paul’s manuscripts (or pictures of Paul’s butt?!) to they were sleeping together two weeks after meeting- also varying dates on the 2 Virgins night (before or after NYC?) And was he really pining after her in India? Did he try to bring her? I trust you guys- what’s the deal?

Hello listener, thanks for the ask!

Regarding John & Yoko’s origins: some stories are inconsistent, and some things are unknowable (i.e. internal emotions), but we’ll do our best to lay out what we do know.

Yoko approached Paul first, through a contact (probably Dunbar) related to Indica Bookshop and Gallery. Since Paul was a patron, supporter and friend of Indica and was somewhat known within the art community as a rich celebrity with a growing interest in the avant-garde (music, films and art) he was an obvious choice for an artist seeking funding/exposure. Yoko was an avant-garde artist (performance, gallery and film) whose biggest claim to fame at that point was working with John Cage. This was the credential/name drop with which she approached Paul at his house in Cavendish sometime in late 1965. Paul (being Paul) invited her inside to make her pitch: she was collecting manuscripts from various composers as a birthday gift to Cage. Paul declined. (For the record, Paul has never suggested or intimated that Yoko came onto him at that first meeting, so let’s assume she didn’t and this was strictly business) The following year, in November of 1966, Indica hosted an exhibition of Yoko’s work. This is where John Lennon first met Yoko, when he was introduced to her by Indica co-owner John Dunbar.

This was Yoko’s initiation into the Beatles’ world and it should ALWAYS be told like this, FULL STOP, END OF STORY. Anyone in 2020 who tells the story any other way is a bald-faced liar and a coward.

Does this sound like an overreaction? Is Paul’s part in this story really SUCH a big deal? Let’s reverse things and imagine….

In 1965, John Lennon develops a keen interest in photography. He immerses himself in the photography world, creates a dark room in his house and brings his photo influences into the Beatles’ artwork. John also finances and helps launch a photography gallery in Weybridge.

One day, photographer Linda Eastman shows up at Kenwood to show John her portfolio and ask for one of John’s original photographs. John declines. Paul later meets Linda at her exhibition at Weybridge Gallery. 18 months later, Paul starts dating her, calls her his new partner, declares her the greatest influence in his life, and brings her to every Beatles session. Paul and Linda have a joint photography exhibit at the Weybridge Gallery in 1968, hosted by one of John’s closest friends and mentors.

Paul then loudly and repeatedly proclaims that he was the only Beatle ever interested in photography, he’s responsible for all the visual art in the Beatles oeuvre and implies that John couldn’t stimulate him anymore because he was too square and conservative to understand or appreciate photography.

Be honest and try to imagine that. No one would EVER let Paul and Linda get away with that level of bullshit, but for some reason, Jean Jackets are slavishly obedient to whatever John and Yoko say, regardless of facts.

So anyway, back to those facts...

After the meeting in November 1966, Yoko began to pursue John Lennon at his home, the studio and even Brian’s office. She constantly asked for funding and money, but was probably seeking publicity as well. There are rumors that she was also pursuing John sexually, but to our best knowledge they are unsubstantiated. In 1967, Yoko was REALLY trying hard to get her career off the ground and/or get famous; there are numerous accounts from multiple people in the Beatles circle (Hunter Davies, Michael Lindsay Hogg, Robert Fraser, Barry Miles) that Yoko was hustling nonstop at that time. So while Lennon was her main target, our impression is that she was probably just trying to make inroads with anyone who could help her become famous. Accounts consistently suggest that John intermittently found her intriguing (when he didn’t find her scary or annoying), so I imagine she kept soliciting him because that’s where she made the most progress. Anyway, her stalking is a matter of fact, corroborated by EVERYONE. Also corroborated by everyone is the fact that John began to sometimes talk to her and occasionally let her inside (the same way the Beatles treated other Apple Scruffs), starting in/around late 1967.

Tony Bramwell tells a very bizarre story about John being panicked one day in late ‘67, regretful and paranoid after giving Yoko a hand-written letter and a lock of his hair (?). A frightened John asked Tony to retrieve the items from Yoko. Considering the fact that John believed (until his death) that Yoko had magical powers, it sounds as if John asked her to make some sort of voodoo/love potion. Perhaps their early friendship began as sorceress/client (but who knows? That’s just a guess).

We know that John continued to receive tons of mail from Yoko while he was on retreat in India. According to John, he eventually began to really look forward to receiving these items. Yoko would send bizarre, artsy stuff like a maxipad with a drop of red paint in the middle. Who wouldn’t enjoy weird mail like that? :) According to John (in both 1970 AND 1980), he still only thought of Yoko as a weird artist by that point. He insists he was NOT interested in her sexually or romantically, only intellectually, and there is nothing to suggest that he was lying about that. More importantly, John was having some kind of emotional breakdown in India; he wrote and talked about feeling suicidal in Maharishi's camp. John never specified the exact cause of his breakdown, although he did later pinpoint ongoing feelings of self-hatred and worthlessness.

After returning from India, John was highly emotional, erratic, depressed, and abusing drugs and alcohol at an alarming rate. Derek Taylor recounts John taking some acid trips at his house over two weekends. During one of these weekends, John’s now-friend Yoko (who he still insists he wasn’t sexually interested in) showed up and helped “rebuild John’s ego.” In other words, Yoko threw John a life raft and helped pull him out of the darkest, bleakest depression of his life.

Then in May, after months of erratic behavior, John declared he was Jesus in an Apple board meeting (!). The following night, with Cynthia away for the weekend, John invited Yoko over (or had Mal invite her) and the two of them dropped acid, made some tapes and had sex for the first time. As far as we can tell, this information is accurate as it is corroborated by Pete Shotten (who was making the tapes with John before Yoko came over and replaced him!). Pete said in the morning John came downstairs and shocked Pete by saying Yoko was the answer to all his problems and he was so certain he’d go off and live in a tent with her. That sounds shocking until you realize John was on acid at the time (in that light, not quite as shocking). :) In any event, after that point John and Yoko became basically inseparable for the next 5 years.

There are rumors/theories that John and Yoko were already having sex for months, but so as far as we can tell these are based on nothing but speculation. We believe John’s initial interest in Yoko was intellectual and personal rather than sexual, as he contends. We think John slowly warmed to Yoko over that 18 month period; while initially he might’ve found her annoying, frightening and disturbing, eventually he began to find her quirky, intriguing and charming. We believe their relationship was founded in friendship and that Yoko’s emotional support (and her professed admiration for him as an artist) during that acid trip at Derek’s was vitally important to their bond.

Now, here’s where things get murky.

John was also later quoted as saying that in retrospect he realized he was unconsciously falling in love with her from afar whilst in India - which may or may not have been the case. It is certainly common to look back with fondness on one’s own courtship and also possible to fall in love before you realize you are in love (John described experiencing something similar in 1964) so debating this is kinda pointless and we choose not to nitpick this particular point. However, people have since used this to extrapolate that John was, as you put it, “pining for Yoko in India” which is simply not what John described. John described gradually looking forward to her wacky mail and developing a strictly platonic curiosity about her. If you are highly invested in the John & Yoko love story, it’s easy to spin this into secret “pining,” but when you consider that John was, as he put it, suicidal and going insane, it doesn’t quite make sense. What makes even less sense is why John wouldn’t immediately ask Yoko out upon returning to London in early April, especially since she was aggressively pursuing him at that point. Yoko was present for at least one of the Derek Taylor acid trips in May. Why did John wait an entire month to initiate a private moment with her?

John also said (in Lennon Remembers, I believe) that he privately considered “bringing” Yoko to India (though not as a love interest, but rather in her contemporaneous role as amusing curiosity, i.e. Magic Alex 2.0). Once again, this may or may not be true, but we have no reason to doubt him. Nevertheless, this has also been spun fannishly into “John was pining for Yoko as a girlfriend” which (again) isn’t what he said. :)

To be perfectly candid, John & Yoko’s public persona is almost entirely artificially crafted. THIS is corroborated (and detailed) by nearly everyone close to them- May Pang, Ray Connolly, the Dakota staff, etc. That doesn’t mean their love was fake, just that their relationship was much different from how they portrayed/sold it (or how fanboys like Lewisohn portray it). At the end of the day, they are just celebrities who we don’t actually know. We want things to make sense, which is why I think the “John was secretly pining for Yoko for years and his mind was obliterated by love” appeals to some people. It’s a cleaner, more familiar boy-meets-girl story.

Rumors and conspiracy theories are plentiful and can lead you down all kinds of rabbit holes (fun or infuriating, depending on your POV). The “John & Yoko were secret lovers” one makes things a bit sleazier and sexier (I believe Albert Goldman really leaned into this one!). But if you really want to consider everything, you should also consider this: Yoko’s Tarot card reader John Green insists that Yoko claims Paul was the one she wanted all along.

She told him: Paul was her first choice (as boyfriend), which is why she approached him first. She moved on to John only to make Paul jealous (!), which ultimately backfired when Paul then refused to make advances on John’s new girlfriend. According to Yoko, Paul’s sense of propriety (?!) ironically prevented him from being with Yoko (even though Yoko KNEW Paul was always in love with her)! So Yoko inadvertently got stuck with John, who she didn’t really want. Also she was convinced, in the late 70s that Paul was still in love with her and only married Linda because he was devastated he couldn’t have Yoko!

Green swears this is what Yoko told him (for the record, she also thought Mick Jagger was in love with her). Do we believe Yoko said it, that she believed it? Who knows, maybe?!? Green’s credibility is certainly questionable. But it’s no crazier than much of the nonsense in Goldman’s book (or Francie Schwartz’s), and Green is alleging to quote Yoko directly. Parts of this account do ring oddly true; Yoko does seems interested in Paul in the contemporaneous audio/footage from the late 60s. John did ask Paul not to sleep with Yoko (which Paul seemed a bit nonplussed by). John and Yoko are bizarrely convinced in the early 70s that Paul and Linda’s marriage is doomed (is it because Yoko convinced John that Paul is actually in love with her???). Many believe Yoko was jealous of John’s affection for Paul; could Yoko also be jealous of Paul’s affection and respect for John? Maybe. But this story blatantly contradicts the entire John & Yoko Myth and is so over the top weird... there’s just no room in our understanding for this alternate reality where Paul and Yoko are the true star-crossed lovers :)

The point is that you can’t believe ALL the theories and rumors because they often directly contradict each other. Sometimes you just have to use your own best judgment. We hope this was helpful and that we didn’t just confuse you further. Thanks again for writing in! -Phoebe and the crew

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hiddenwashington · 4 years

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As time goes on, more and more people find themselves stranded in Washington DC, away from their homes and families. But as the seasons change and the weather grows warmer, it becomes easier to see the bright side of things. The sun is shining, the days are longer, and the sounds of birds singing and children playing fill the air. Coats and boots are shed in favor of sandals and t-shirts, students are finishing up the school year, and the relief is clear in all their faces. Young couples and families with children wander the streets, enjoying the sun on their faces, and groups of teenagers lounge on blankets in the parks or by pools.

In an attempt to lift everyone’s spirits further, a letter goes out to every citizen of the city, creamy white envelopes addressed in perfect cursive. Once opened, you’ll find a beautiful invitation, gold writing decorating pure white stationary. A gold bow wraps around the center of the paper, with pressed flowers tucked into the ribbon. And though there are no postal markings, stamps, or even an address beyond the name of the recipient, it is clear upon reading where the invitation came from.

You are cordially invited to Washington DC’s summer masquerade gala, beginning May 16th. Hosted by our own President Leia Organa, the masquerade will take place in the White House. Food and drink will be available to all who attend, and of course there will be live music to dance to. This is a gala, after all, and what’s a gala without dancing? There will be photographers roaming the ballroom throughout the night, along with aerial and acrobatic artists performing in various parts of the White House for your entertainment.

In addition, later in the night, there will be an auction held for anyone interested. There will be plenty of exciting items to bid on, and it’s for a great cause! All the proceeds will go towards improving the city funded housing for those who arrive in Washington with no place to go. In addition, there will be one very special item available that will be revealed as the grand finale! All we’ll say for now is that it’s something that can grant what many of our citizens deeply desire. We promise that it will be worth the suspense!

This will be a formal event, so be sure to look your absolute best, and don’t forget your mask!

This invitation will grant you access to the White House, so keep it on you at all times!

As the invitations are received and the citizens get excited, rumors begin to swirl. What could this mystery item being auctioned off be? Many speculate it’s some sort of magical artifact. Some say it can return someone to the world they came from, some say that it can restore the lost memories of a loved one, and others still claim it will give you protection against some of the city’s more… dangerous tricks. But no one knows for certain except those involved in the planning, and they aren’t talking. Soon, the whole city is abuzz with gossip, and it only increases as the gala draws closer. Even those who have no desire to participate are curious as to what it could be, and excited for a night partying in the White House!

The White House will be closely guarded by secret service agents the night of the event, and they plan to make sure everyone is on their best behavior. They will explain to you upon entering the gala where you’re permitted to go and what is permitted. The White House itself is decorated in black and gold, with lanterns keeping the room dimly lit, adding to the mystery of who is behind each mask.

The event will take place mainly in the East Room, with bar tables set up in corners for anyone in need of refreshments, and smaller tables spread around both the edges of the room and out in the gardens, and a huge dance floor in the center of the room. There are floral centerpieces and candles in glass jars at each table, and there are silk curtains along the walls. In the State Dining Room, there will be long serving tables full of all the food you could want, extravagantly displayed on silver platters. Feel free to linger there, but know that all the fun will be taking place in the East Room.

The auction will take place in the blue room for anyone interested, with a small auctioneers platform set up on one end of the room, and rows of chairs for the guests who choose to participate. Upon entering the room, you will be given a paddle with your number for the auction. Feel free to exit and reenter at any time, just be sure to keep track of your paddle so you can claim your winnings from the Green Room the end of the night!

Also open are the gardens and the South Portico, for anyone in need of some fresh air. The garden paths and the balcony of the portico are lined with fairy lights, creating a beautiful atmosphere for an evening stroll if you’d like a moment away.

All other areas of the White House will be locked off, and guests are not permitted to access them.

tldr ; a summer masquerade and a mysterious auction are being held at the white house here in dc, a party for everyone to forget their woes, and a shot at gaining something many citizens desire. president organa has arranged a gala for one night, to allow all the citizens a night of enchantments and intrigue! you are invited, along with the rest of the people of washington, to the white house for a night of drinks, dancing and enjoyment! find a date, come with a group of friends, or even go on your own, just make sure you look your best and remember your invitation, or secret service won’t allow you inside!

OOC INFORMATION

hey there angels! welcome to hiddenwashington’s ninth event! we thought it would be nice to do something a little shorter and a little more lowkey after our big event at the beginning of the year! we are so unbelievably excited to get to release this one for you all, and we can’t wait to see what your characters make of it! continue reading below for more information on what’s going to be happening, and please drop a like on this post so we can know you’ve read it all!

DATES :

may 16th - may 20th may 22nd

in character the event will last for only one night, but we guarantee it will be a night packed with fun, excitement and just the right amount of drama!

please feel free to have your characters begin planning their outfits and dates/groups now and get excited!

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE GALA :

below is a short list of things your characters will be able to see and experience once they enter the white house! everyone will have plenty to do and explore, whether their intentions are innocent or a little more mischievous :

a basic layout of the white house : first floor (where the gala will take place) , feel free to explore more following this link , while most rooms will be locked off, that doesn’t mean that guests can’t get “lost”, or sneak off in search of “the bathroom”. just be sure to watch for secret service agents.

food and drink : free food, desserts and beverages will be available to everyone, so please help yourself and enjoy!

dancing : of course this is a gala, so go wild during a faster number, or finally extend an invitation to someone special to dance to one of the slower songs. request songs from the band and enjoy in every way you can!

the gardens : the gardens will be open to the public for those looking for a moment to enjoy the warm weather, so feel free to take a stroll!

outfits : dress to impress, whether in a gown or a tux, whatever fits your style best. and feel free to post outfits and looks now if you so please!

get creative : there are more guests than agents, and they can’t watch everyone, so feel free to explore and slip away if you wish!

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE AUCTION :

if you choose to take part in the auction, there is a list of terms that may be helpful right here!

there will be multiple things up for auction, starting from little trinkets and paintings, to experiences and electronics, and finally the most valuable item will be available at the end of the night.

the final item to be auctioned off has been rumored to bring to life what one desires most. be that a loved’s memories to return, a way to return home, a large fortune, revenge on someone who has wronged them, or even peace among everyone. whatever you’ve desired, it can grant just that.

please keep in mind that money is still being used for this auction. make it reasonable for each character. if your muse is struggling for money, they wouldn’t be able to bet over thousands of dollars. if they are swimming in cash, would they help out those around them? will they scheme to steal the final artifact for their own gain? remember, anything is possible, but don’t make it feel implausible.

TAGGING AND PLOTTING

once the event begins, please hold any and all non event threads. you may pick them up once it’s over, or start fresh with your characters cheerful and relaxed after a magical night.

please tag all interactions/starters/outfits with hwevent09 !!

feel free to have your characters start talking about the gala and auction and discussing it with their friends or potential dates! think of this post as the invitation arriving to your character! all of dc is now aware of the gala being planned and the city is filled with excitement and of course, gossip!

keep an eye on the main for any more information regarding the event, including after it’s begun!

you are free to decide how your muses feel about the event and what they plan on doing at the gala! but just know that we do ask that every character shows up at the white house that night, even if it isn’t something they’re really excited about. come for the food and drinks, the dancing, your friends or of course, the auction! whatever gets your characters there is fine by us, but the event is mandatory!!

and as always, have fun, get creative, think outside the box and enjoy this fun new event!!! we cannot wait to see where you all take this exciting opportunity! and please, again, like this when you have read it all! ��

#hw: event #hw: ooc #hw: admin #hwevent09 #surprise !!!

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247krp · 6 years

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— Rejoice, little lambs! We have recovered our own Park Chanyeol, spotted prancing about in the Southwest Side. I don’t remember seeing him with any clique back in high school, but I’m not here to spill yesterday’s tea. So straight to the rundown: can you say selfish and driven? Apparently now he spends time as CEO of family company, and keeps skeletons buried at Prague Tower, 001. But those won’t stay hidden for long, if you and I have any say on it. Welcome back, The Hound; we missed you so.

In case you don’t remember the devil’s name, here’s to refresh your memory:

in high school he went from a heartthrob to the guy you don’t want to bring home to mom and dad within the span of a semester. he started out kind and caring, but all the scandals, secrets, and lies taught him quickly that if he wanted to survive this school, he had to play the game and play it well. he transformed from sweet and loving to cold and ruthless; getting what he wanted when he wanted it, indulging himself constantly, and breaking any and every rule without getting caught. he was in it for himself and no one else. his time in cheongnam was a bit of a dream, however. compared to the life he has now, that high school was bliss and ease; an escape from the family drama since he wasn’t even living with his parents anymore. he fended for himself in a way, which wasn’t the easiest and he had found himself in a somewhat dramatic crowd that had a flare for covering it’s tracks. chanyeol was content with that life, doing what he wanted and getting away with it. real life isn’t as easy.the one redeeming quality he had was that he didn’t hide his personality, so when he started out sweet, everyone thought he was sweet, and when he changed into an ass hat, well, everyone thought he was an ass hat. a rich, handsome ass hat though, that threw great parties (no parental supervision had it’s perks) and that despite being the ass hat of the school, everyone wanted to know him. how else would they get on the invite list to his yearly masquerades and raves?

Nevermind the memory lane though, the present is always the ripest fruit:

suddenly landing with the family company in his lap has made chanyeol grow up very fast. some might not even recognize him now with the business suit and that authoritative aura he now possesses – a stark contrast from the free-for-all party boy he once was. losing his parents took a toll on him too, he’s a lot colder than he was in high school. his heart is made of black ice, the only time it melts is when he’s with his dogs or volunteering at an animal shelter. he’s even worse than what he used to be in the emotions department, but the only partying he does nowadays is banquets and galas for the company.to everyone else he cleaned up his act and got himself together for the real world, though some think he has a ‘christian grey’ feel to him which he definitely denies, but rumors are rumors. some say he screws every assistant he hires and seals a lot of business deals with a little more than a handshake, because old habits die hard, right? he doesn’t say anything about those rumors because they’re just so childish that he doesn’t feel the need to bother with it. he’s sharp now though, and despite being icy cold straight to the bone there are many debutantes that think they can warm him up; that pocket book is way too big for one, isn’t it?

But we are nothing if not open books – my job is to ensure you get to the best pages:

park chanyeol is the offspring of the late mister park and missus kim. his father had been one of the descendants of a business tycoon who had become successful, the second born son, earning him a shot at inheriting the company. he had worked in the company up until his untimely death, having tried to pull some strings and get what he wanted - position of ceo - however the struggle had been a bloodbath, ending in both his parents and his uncle dying, leaving the company to chanyeol himself. chanyeol isn’t happy about his new title, he would much rather still be the potential heir and have his father around teaching him how to run a company. he feels incredibly lost without his parents, and being fueled with vengeance isn’t exactly helping him focus on his new tasks.there had been rumors that chanyeol’s parents were scheming to take the company from under his uncle’s nose. more rumors speculated chanyeol’s father wanted the ceo position for chanyeol. these rumors were ridiculous of course - or were they? - but some die-hard supporters of his uncle camped outside their home and waited for his parents to leave the house in order to ambush them. despite their security guards escorting them, the group was much too large and the violence that ensued ended in his parents’ lives being forfeit. chanyeol couldn’t do anything except stand by and watch while sobbing into the phone as he called the police for help. despite the reputation his parents went down with, the whole family attended the funeral and made a public statement that they didn’t believe any of the rumors that had been floating around about them. the company was then handed over to chanyeol without hesitation. on the surface chanyeol was nothing but grateful. deep down, however, he was completely shattered and had come to internally resent his family. it has been two years now since the death of his parents, and every moment of his life has been dedicated to living the life his father had dreamed of.

#247: accepted

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truemedian · 4 years

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Meghan Markle Feels Responsible for Prince Harry's Rift With Prince William But Her 'Conscience Is Clear,' Says Source

The impacts of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry’s abrupt and shocking departure from their royal duties have continued to ripple out. While many people have focused on the way the public perceives the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the midst of this upheaval, the rift it has made between Prince Harry and his older brother Prince William is also a matter of concern.

Meghan Markle| Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images A source close to the family says Meghan regrets the way things currently stand between these two brothers who have gone through so much together. She feels somewhat responsible for their current iciness and looks to a future when they’ll be on better terms.

Prince Harry and Prince William are at odds

Prince William and Prince Harry share a unique and complicated history that helps make them closer than most brothers. Not only did they both grow up in the public eye with a lot of attention on their role in the royal family, but they also leaned on one another in the aftermath of their mother’s tragic and untimely death. Throughout their lives, the two princes have acted much more like best friends than just siblings. Growing up, they had friends in common and even broke with royal tradition to invite each other to serve as the best man in their respective wedding parties. Since their marriages, however, the public has speculated that there is a growing distance between them. For one thing, they each have their own lives to live now with children of their own and adult responsibilities. For another, Prince William’s role as second in line for the throne places him in a much different position than his younger brother who is, at this point, quite far removed from the duty. Early speculation pointed to a feud between Meghan and Kate, Duchess of Cambridge. But more recent reports focus on the brothers themselves and the tension between them. The Sussexes’ unprecedented announcement that they would be stepping away from royal life only intensified the rumors.

Prince Harry confirmed the rumors

View this post on Instagram This evening, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the annual #WellChildAwards in London. WellChild aims to ensure every child and young person living with serious health needs has the best chance to thrive with the support and medical care needed in the comfort of their own home. The Duke of Sussex became Patron of WellChild in 2007, and last year both The Duke and Duchess attended the awards to honour the children and families that WellChild supports. The Duke, who first came to these awards over a decade ago, shared in his remarks tonight: “Last year when my wife and I attended we knew we were expecting our first child – no one else did at the time, but we did – and I remember squeezing Meghan’s hand so tightly during the awards, both of us thinking what it would be like to be parents one day, and more so, what it would be like to do everything we could to protect and help our child should they be born with immediate challenges or become unwell over time. And now, as parents, being here and speaking to all of you pulls at my heart strings in a way I could have never understood until I had a child of my own.” • To find out more about tonight’s event and how you can support this very special organisation, please visit @WellChild Photos ©️ PA images A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Oct 15, 2019 at 2:18pm PDT Before Prince Harry and Meghan announced their departure, they appeared in a documentary cataloging their trip to Africa. In it, Prince Harry seems to confirm that there is truth to the rumors about his relationship with his brother. “We’re brothers and we’ll always be brothers,” he said. “We’re certainly on different paths at the moment, but I will always be there for him, as I know he will always be there for me. . . The majority of this stuff is created out of nothing, but you know, as brothers, you know, you have good days, you have bad days.” A source close to Meghan reveals she does carry some sense of responsibility for the current state of things between the brothers. However, that does not mean that she feels regret or guilt about making the decision that best serves her family’s sense of security and safety. She has, the source explains, a “clear” conscience.

Duchess Meghan believes the brothers will patch things up

Prince Harry’s comments in the documentary alluded to good days and bad days, but that line of thinking could be extended. This might be a bad period for the brothers, but they have a strong bond based on family and friendship. The source close to Meghan says the duchess believes the pair will eventually “patch things up.” The most likely scenario is that both brothers are busy finding their own footing at the moment. Prince Harry is veering off the beaten path to carve out his own way forward. Prince William is facing more and more responsibility as his own moment to shine grows nearer with each passing day. Right now, those two paths have veered away from one another, but they’ll likely come back together, allowing these brothers the chance to be as close as ever. Read More Read the full article

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micaramel · 5 years

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Artists: Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Tomás Saraceno

Venue: Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Exhibition Title: More-Than-Humans

Curated By: Stefanie Hessler

Date: September 25 – December 1, 2019

Click here to view slideshow

Full gallery of images, press release, and link available after the jump.

Images:

Images courtesy of Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Press Release:

Spiders do not have an auditory apparatus, and yet sound makes up an important part of their lifeworld. Through vibrations in their webs—whether from noise, wind, or prey caught in their sticky patterns—spiders can tell the size and distance of an object of interest. Jumping spiders (Phidippus audax), researchers found in 2016, can detect human speech in the vibration of the hairs on their legs.

Music, conversely, is considered one of the highest human achievements, with opera being perhaps the most elaborate form of (Western) culture. The vibrations of vocal cords, the resonance in the singer’s body, and long training bring forth extraordinarily moving experiences.

We do not usually think of spiders and opera together. And yet the patterns of the spider’s web bear a resemblance to the mathematical figures of music. Both are full of sensuality—the silky elasticity of the web, which responds to its surroundings through vibrations, and the singer’s vocal eruptions, which quiver in the listener’s body. We may think of a spider’s web as a stringed instrument, and a voice may carry vibrations through the air to take hold of the web’s tissue and temporarily move it to its frequency. Both invite us to become attuned to our surroundings and to sense that which goes beyond the retinal, beyond that which can be seen.

More-than-humans brings together two exceptional artists whose work is inspired by research yet transcends modes of knowing intellectually, considering that which cannot be explained by the rational anthropoid mind. In bringing together outstanding works by Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster and Tomás Saraceno from the Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary (TBA21) collection, the exhibition invites visitors to explore questions of human and nonhuman technologies, culture in the Anthropocene, our own intelligence and that of other species, haunted presences at the edge of disappearance, and the power and attraction of the unknown.

Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster searches for what exists behind images and visual experiences. Her work is inspired by modernism, architecture, literature, and cinema, and yet she is less interested in narrative than in the pleasure of the image’s atmosphere. Nineteenth-century photography is a recurring source of inspiration, as artists often used it in search of the uncanny or supernatural. Opera (QM.15) (2016) draws on early holographic techniques—speculative simulacra conflating different temporal and spatial dimensions. In the work Gonzalez-Foerster appears as the soprano Maria Callas (1923–1977), dressed in the iconic red garments of her last performances while lip-syncing to some of her most famous early recordings. Callas is one of a series of personalities, including the actresses Marilyn Monroe and Sarah Bernhardt, who appear in installations that Gonzalez-Foerster refers to as “apparitions,” as if they were, in the words of the artist, “a kind of séance.”

The letters QM in the title are inspired by Bernhardt’s maxim “quand même,” which translates as “even so” or “nevertheless.” To Gonzalez-Foerster, the expression resonates with the lives of the personas she appears as: “They can’t stop, and art is their vehicle; their very lives must become works of art, no matter the cost. The supreme excitement is the artistic experience.” Throughout their lives, Bernhardt, Callas, and Monroe had to shield their private lives against public interest. Living for their passion—their art—their lives were prone to drama. Numerous rumored love affairs contributed to the enigma surrounding them. As women they had to negotiate expectations placed on them, which in the case of Monroe famously led to her death by suicide at age thirty-six. Callas similarly passed under mysterious circumstances, and Bernhardt was fascinated by death throughout her life. When she played death scenes on the stage, audiences were often in tears, contributing to her prominence but also to the mystery of her persona and her legacy.

The three women’s passion for art and their uncompromising ways of living their lives, as well as a fascination with the otherworldly, the haunted, and the thin line between this and other worlds, crystallize in Gonzalez- Foerster’s QM series, including Opera (QM.15), on view in this exhibition. The performances function as what the psychoanalyst Donald Woods Winnicott calls transitional objects, a bridge between the real world and the world of the imagination. Psycho-sensitive as they are, they may activate unconscious feelings and memories.

Since she participated in the visual arts opera Il Tempo del Postino, curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist and Philippe Parreno in Manchester in 2007, Gonzalez-Foerster has been searching for an impossible opera. The work on view is such a science-fictional attempt to communicate with specific spirits and inhabit their afterimages. It may be a reaction to the grid and rules of rational, efficient, digital life, in search of the uncontrollable, the ghostly, the more-than-human. According to Gonzalez-Foerster, “artists, like scientists, generate a kind of ‘artificial life’; artworks can become types of monster.”

Tomás Saraceno is known for his speculative research projects, such as Aerocene, an interdisciplinary artistic inquiry into alternative modes of transportation that do not require fossil fuels, and for his collaborations with spiders. The Arachnophilia Team at his studio homes in on lively multispecies ecologies, cultivating different “arts of noticing,” a phrase coined by the anthropologist Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing. Collaborators from various disciplines, from arachnologists to entomologists to ethologists to geographers, come together to explore complex forms of spider architecture or culture, together with the spiders and through different socialities. In workshops and discussions organized on the occasion of his exhibitions, Saraceno has invited collaborators to explore areas such as biotremology— the vibrations produced, dispersed, and perceived by spiders—and develops playful ways of encountering webs by readings conducted with his Arachnomancy divination cards. This take on tarot cards formed part of his Spider/Web Pavilion 7 at the 2019 Venice Biennale. These readings propose a non-anthropocentric way of storytelling involving practitioners from different fields, who interpret the structure and vibrations of a spider/ web.* Drawing on age-old forms of storytelling that resonate with cultural, spiritual, and scientific realms, these readings highlight the interwoven histories, presents, and futures of humans, spiders, and other species. The Western trope of human exceptionalism and agency set apart from our interactions with other beings is here undone for speculative interpretation of how our shared ecologies might play out in the Chthulucene. The feminist theorist Donna Haraway has proposed this term as an alternative way of conceptualizing our current epoch, describing it as a time when the (Western) Anthropos ceases to be a destructive force on the planet and acknowledges and enjoys its kinship with many other forms of life and nonlife.

The works on paper Solitary semi-social mapping of HS 1700+6416 by a solo Nephila senegalensis—one week and a solo Cyrtophora citricola—three weeks (2016) and Solitary semi-social mapping of Ceginus by a duet of Nephila senegalensis—four weeks, a triplet of Cyrtophora citricola—three weeks (2018) were each made in collaboration with two different spider species. In bringing together genera that would not normally collaborate, Saraceno, his studio, and their spider collaborators bring forth hybrid spider/ webs created in multispecies gatherings. The series of Spider/Web prints offer a different way to read and interpret the architecture of the spider/ web: as a topological map of movements and temporalities that trace the intricate complexities of these silken sculptures.

The installations Hybrid semi-social solitary Instrument HD74874 built by a triplet of Cyrtophora citricola—four weeks—and a solo Angelena labyrinthyca—one week (2019) and How to entangle the universe in a spider web? (2018) form part of Saraceno’s celebrated studies of spider/ webs, whose complex structures resemble tiny universes, surpassing many of the architectural and other constructions made by humans, resonating across scales with the cosmic web. Some scientists have observed that complex, three-dimensional spider/webs resemble computer simulations of the cosmic web. In the second installation, a laser sheet bidimensionally intersects the spider/web. The visual vibratory signals of the laser reveal the hidden architectural entanglements woven by the spiders. In other works Saraceno amplifies the vibrations of spider/webs as if they were musical instruments, making them audible for human participants. These entangled floating landscapes create sensorial and living connections across ecosystems, resonating among participants to create a fuller awareness of the unheard and unnoticed voices that surround us.

Webs and networks are a ubiquitous reference in culture today, and yet the spiders’ complex webs and lifeworld still seem alien to us. The video Living at the bottom of the ocean of air (Underwater spider) (2018) focuses on a particularly curious arachnid, the diving bell spider (Argyroneta aquatica), a species that lives almost entirely underwater in lakes, ponds, and marshes. Surrounding its abdomen is an air bubble captured with its hairs and giving it a silvery appearance. The spider surfaces only briefly to replenish its air supplies. Underwater it resides in its air bell, dashing at prey that touch the silk threads attaching it to plants. This unique behavior highlights the capacity of certain species to transform their way of life to adapt to new environments. In this way the underwater spider sounds an invitation for biospeculation, calling us to question the unexplored possibilities of our future environment.

Saraceno’s works show the spiders from their perspective and within their Umwelt, since, in the slightly amended words of the sociologist Bruno Latour (who wrote about humans in this passage), “no visual representation of [spiders] as such, separated from the rest of their support systems, makes any sense today.” In doing so, the works invite us to veer from arachnophobia to arachnophilia, acknowledging our sympoietic entanglements and, in tune with the philosopher Isabelle Stengers, working toward cosmopolitics, a new attention to our shared ecologies with nonhumans.

Stefanie Hessler

Link: Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Tomás Saraceno at Thyssen-Bornemisza

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star-nova · 5 years

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The Lives of the RiffRaff: Florence Frost-Good Company

Previous chapters here.

Pietro and I once lived up in Baltimore, where something or other was always going on. When we came to Tanager to settle into a more quiet life, we learned to create excitement for ourselves. If we're lucky, others will join in, and if they don't, we're blessed with a private reverie that's all our own.

On the 4th of July, there's a picnic and fireworks out on the green. We only go on the years when Pietro doesn't feel like cleaning off the grill. He'll take a look over our old stone barbecue and scratch thoughtfully at the stubble under his chin. Then he'll say one of two things:

“Come, my dear, let's get to work. We've got another 4th coming our way!” or, “I think I'm in the mood for someone else's burgers this year, how about you?”

If it's the second, we go out to the picnic and our fellow RiffRaff, having nowhere else to go for their July 4th fix, meet us there. We settle ourselves in among a collaboration of our bretheren and do our best to ignore the Others as they look at us. They look at us because they never expect people like Pietro and I to show up to a little neighborhood picnic. They expect us to spend the day at some exclusive country club in some fabulous suburb, to behold a private fireworks display imported from China, to travel out to Key West and sip sangria wine. Barring that, they expect us to be lofty and important in what they call a “McMansion” and what the young Hecklers call a “castle.” We just call it our house.

The picnic is very nice, but the moment we get there we know it's designed with Others in mind. I much prefer the 4ths we spend around our old stone barbecue, with no one but our fellow RiffRaff for company. So this year, when Pietro takes a long look at our barbecue and says, “Go find the grill brushes, dear, it's time to get to work,” I breathe a long sigh of relief. The 4th of July will be ours.

We RiffRaff treat eachother's secrets as the most precious of treasure. You'd have an easier time swiping gold from a dragon's hoard than prying a precious secret out of one of us. However, that didn't stop the Others from pretending that they knew everything—in fact, it only encouraged them—and in this town, pretending to know may as well be knowing for real.

Sophia Bolshevik was not herself anymore. She'd gone out to Kentucky with her sister, Charmain, Ellia, and Talia and she'd come back a very different girl. The first I'd heard was that she'd stopped working at the library.

A lady like me could never have enough books, even with the impressively-sized private collection I've amassed, so I knew Sophia from my frequent trips to the Tanager Public Library. She had to be the shyest young lady I had ever known, but she was very good at what she did. She knew the shelves like the back of her hand, and knew the exact location of just about every single book that graced them. She helped out with special events and the children's summer reading program. This time of year meant that she would be looking over the kids' reported book lists, giving them a stamp of approval, and allowing them to pick from a box of prizes based on the amount of books they'd read. She did all this with hardly a word; Sophia never spoke unless she was asked something or addressed personally, but when she did speak, she was sweet and friendly and always very helpful.

When word reached me that Sophia had left the library, I knew immediately that something must be wrong. Sophia had worked that job for the entire year she lived in Tanager, and she'd never had a single complaint about it. On top of that, whispers passed around that Sophia had become another James Weaver; she had stopped talking entirely since her return. The most logical explanation to the public mind was that some terrible event had taken place during her time over in Frankfort. Sophia herself refused to divulge on the subject, and the audacious Others' attempts to pry anything out of her sister Elsie resulted in, “Piss off, it's not your business” for an answer.

It was known, and the subject of incredible disquiet, that she had gone with Talia Santiago. In fact, it was Talia who had taken them all to Frankfort in the first place. Talia's status as the local enigma escalated. What had Talia done over in Frankfort? What was that woman, really, when she was out of the neighbors' watchful eyes? As the rumors grew and grew, I felt a strange kind of sorry for Talia. She was a nightmare of a woman, but nobody ought to be the subject of unfounded speculation.

Of course I wanted to know what had happened, but at the same time I respected Sophia and Elsie's desire to keep it under lock and key. Whatever it was, if they decided it was not for me to know, then it wasn't. Still, I wanted to reach out, to do something—anything—that might show her that she was cared for and valued, that she was among friends who wanted her to be all right. How awful it must be for her to endure an incident so far from home, only to return home to be whispered and rumored about. I spent a night awake long after Pietro had fallen asleep, thinking over what I could possibly do without imposing on her. It's possible the poor girl wouldn't even want the company right now, even if good company was the number one thing she needed at a time like this.

I totally expected Ellia's shock when I showed up at her door two days before the 4th. The rest of the RiffRaff don't see Pietro and I as ordinary people any more than the Others do, and the shame of it is that's really all we are. While the Others regard us as presumptuous yuppies that tower over them in the most pretentious of ways, our fellow RiffRaff see us as Beyonce and Jay-Z, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as the Tudors or House Targaryen. They are in equal parts fascinated with us and inclined to keep their distance, unsure of what to do or how to act in the face of presumed aristocracy. Sometimes I wonder if they even think we're real people. And then something happens that reminds them that not only are we real, but we're just the same as them. They see one of us in the produce aisle, or catch sight of Pietro's car making its way down the backroads, or one of us shows up at one of their doors.

“Hi, Ellia,” I say to that wide-eyed personage. “May I come in?”

It takes a few moments for Ellia to register it all—that Florence Frost has rung her doorbell, that Florence Frost is standing at her door, and that Florence Frost has asked to come into her home. But then she says, “Oh, sure, Florence. Sure, come on in.”

I've never been in Ellia and Sophia's house before. It's a small but very homey little cottage, with just one floor and rooms that are nestled in close to one-another like baby kittens. There's a couch with a fuzzy pink blanket thrown over it, and a round coffee table covered in magazines and Blu-Ray boxes and everything but actual coffee. The TV is turned to Freeform, but when I sit down on the couch Ellia switches it off. The coziness of the place settles over me immediately.

“What's going on?” Ellia asks. “Is this...uh...is this about the 4th?”

“Actually, no.” I shake my head. “I'd like to see Sophia, if I may. Is she in right now?” I know she is. Word on the street was that she didn't leave the house anymore, and nobody had seen her around.

For a moment, Ellia looks over my head. Then she looks at a wall, then at the shut-off TV. I wonder if I've already stepped over the line, and maybe I should leave. But finally Ellia says, “Oh yeah. Yeah, she's here. I'll...well, I'll go see if she's available.”

“Thank you,” I say. I want to put my feet up and stretch myself out on the comfy little couch, but I don't know if I'm allowed. So I just lean back on the arm a bit and let myself sink into the blanket. You could make teddy bears out of that blanket.

Ellia returns, leading Sophia by the hand, and when the girl sees me she freezes up. Sophia had always regarded me with the same wonder and reverence as the other RiffRaff, but now she looks at me as if I might be thinking about kidnapping her. Without getting up, I hold out a hand to beckon her over. “You can come here, sweetheart,” I say. “It's okay. I won't bite you.” She takes two baby steps forward and won't go any further.

“Sophia,” I say, “I was hoping you could come over to my place for dinner tonight—just us girls. Pietro's gone out to a rehearsal and won't be back until late. We'll have a real nice little girls' night in. Would you like that, Sophia?”

She couldn't have been more taken aback if I'd asked her to go to Mars. She takes a step back, and she looks to both the ceiling and the floor as if she'll find her answer there. Beside her, Ellia's mouth hangs halfway open. It's as if she's been invited to high tea by the Queen of England. I awkwardly mess with the edge of the blanket.

Finally, Ellia says, “I think you should go, Sophia.”

Sophia looks hard at her, making sure she heard her correctly. Ellia nods in the affirmative. “Go on ahead,” she says. “Have fun.”

I wait. Sophia looks at me for a long, silent time. I try to encourage her with a smile.

She finds her lost voice. “I'll...I'll...I'll go ch-change...” Her voice is as sweet as a bird's, and I'm so happy to hear it again.

Sophia comes out in a navy blue crushed velvet dress. Her hair, which had been pinned up in a bun, now falls in waves around her shoulders. Her eyes are painted blue and her lips painted red, and suddenly I feel incredibly underdressed. “You look so nice,” I tell her. “Well then, shall we go?”

She nods. “I'll see you around, Ellia,” I say, giving her a wave. “See you on the 4th!”

“Bye,” Ellia says, waving back. “Have fun.” She adds hopefully, “Tell me everything tonight, okay, Sophia?”

I lead Sophia out to my car, holding the door open for her so she can be sure it's all right to get in. It's only a 2017 Audi, but I wonder if she expected a limo or a carriage.

“If I knew this was a dressy occasion,” I say, remarking on Sophia's dress again, “then I would've shown up in something more presentable.”

Sophia doesn't say anything, but her eyes are fixed on me. She would rather watch and wait for everything; wait to see where we'll go, what I'll say, what I'll do, what it will be like. She's been in my house before only on holidays, and then she had her sister and the other RiffRaff with her. She was entering another world, and in that world she was going to feel hopelessly lost. I smile at her through the rear-view mirror. “I know you're nervous, Sophia,” I say to her, “but I hope that by the end of the day, you'll find that you had no reason to be.”

More silence. She messes with her skirt, pulling it down over her knees.

“Nobody's going to make you talk,” I assure her. “But even without talking, you still have a voice. Tell me, do you like books?”

She nods. Of course she likes books, she spent her days surrounded by them.

“In every book,” I tell her, “and every poem, is a voice. It's a silent voice, but it's still a voice—a very powerful voice that can carry over decades and centuries. It's a voice that can still be heard even long after the author's gone, and yet it's completely silent! Words, even unspoken, are the most powerful things in the world.”

She props her chin against her hand and looks out the window at the houses of the Others passing by, so full of unspoken words. Sophia's voice wasn't gone. It wasn't even silenced. It was hiding away to protect itself from something, whatever it was.

The familiar wildflower fields that separate my neck of the woods from the rest of Tanager come into view, blooming yellow and pink and buzzing with honeybees. When Pietro and I moved here, we called it “the enchanted meadow.” Every so often, early in the morning, we come out here to sing to an audience of flowers, bees, and dragonflies, until we're dancing and flitting and swaying right along with them and catching eachother up in our arms. Pietro calls it “the best way to wake up the day.”

Then comes our neighbor's house, situated on a huge plot of farmland. Then just a little curve around the hill and there's ours, its white, winged facade greeting us as if with open arms.

“Well,” I say, turning to Sophia, “we're home.”

Sophia ate up her dinner as if she'd never seen eggplant parmesean before in her life. I wondered if she ate anything at all at home anymore, and it ached my heart to think she might be starving herself. I reached across the table to give her a pat on the shoulder, assuring her that she could have as much as she liked. She ate a second serving enthusiastically.

“You like poetry, Sophia?” I asked her.

She nodded. I got up and went into the library to grab a few poetry books—Shel Silverstein, Robert Frost, and a thick collection of various classics. “Do you have a favorite?” I asked Sophia. “If you don't like these, I've got more.”

Thoughtfully, Sophia examined the three tomes. She flipped through Falling Up for a while before setting it down and picking up the classics. I set my empty plate down on the coffee table and made my way over to the pride of our living room, the eighteen-year-old grand piano that had been gifted to Pietro and I on our wedding day. Pietro and I had no children. The piano, instead, was our pride and joy and the emblem of our love and our life together. While Sophia searched the books for the right voice, I took a seat at the piano to let mine free. I chose Tori Amos' “Winter,” which I had spent over half a year teaching myself a few years back, with Pietro's help. When I reached the chorus, I glanced over at Sophia to find that she'd set the book down and was just listening, listening to my voice carry someone else's.

“When you gonna make up your mind?

When you gonna love you as much as I do?

When you gonna make up your mind,

'Cause things are gonna change so fast...”

She remained still and quiet, looking at the floor with her hands folded in her lap. By the time I reached the end of the song, I noticed that she was crying. The tears had stayed bottled up inside her until the song's power had brought them out.

“Oh, sweetheart.” I sat down beside her. I put my arms around her, and when she wanted to sob into my shoulder, I let her, and when she rested her head against my arm like a little girl looking for comfort, I patted and soothed her like she was my own child. Goodness, she was almost young enough to be. I didn't know what happened to the girl in that city, but what I did know was that in that moment, while she fell apart in my arms like she'd been looking all that time for the right place to fall apart, I loved her dearly and wanted nothing more than to take the scary things away. But I knew that I couldn't—they had already happened, whatever they were.

So I just took her face in my hands and patted her cheek. “Sweetie,” I said to her, “I don't know what happened. I'm not gonna ask you what happened. But what I am gonna tell you is that no matter what did happen, you're here and you're loved. Nothing can take that away from you, Sophia. You're loved just because you're Sophia. No matter what happened, you're still Sophia. You always will be.”

It was exactly what she needed to hear. She squeezed my hand and said, “Thank you, Florence.”

Sophia found her voice over coffee, cookies, and poetry. Now I was going to make sure she used it.

“I want to see you here on the 4th,” I told her, “and I want you to recite.”

She looked at me uneasily. “Recite?”

“Recite,” I said with a nod. “Recite something in your own voice. It can be a poem, a piece of a story, or even a song. It can even be something of your own creation. If you pick a song, Pietro or I will play the music for you.”

She stared thoughtfully into her coffee, swirling it around with her finger. I'm sure no one has ever asked her to recite a thing in her life. This was a new experience for her. “You don't have to recite it from memory,” I assured her. “You can read it if you want.”

“I can?” she asked, taking a bite of a French lace cookie.

“You can,” I told her. “And if you have any trouble at all, I'll help you out. There are no rules here, hon. I just want you to show everybody that you have a voice.”

Sophia uses three more bites of cookie as an excuse to have some time to think it all over. Finally, she says, “I'll try, but I don't think I'll be very good.”

“You will be you,” I told her, “and that's all that matters.”

She didn't say anything. The smile beginning to form said it all.

“I can't wait to hear your recitation, Sophia,” I told her.

She gave me a full, real smile. “I can't wait to hear it either.”

#Fiction by Me #The Lives of the RiffRaff #writing #work in progress

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guidetoenjoy-blog · 5 years

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12 Of The Most Shocking Entertainment Stories Of 2016

New Post has been published on https://entertainmentguideto.com/must-see/12-of-the-most-shocking-entertainment-stories-of-2016/

12 Of The Most Shocking Entertainment Stories Of 2016

Over the past 12 months, the world has thrown some pretty hard punches our way, often leaving us all in a state of shock or disbelief.

In January, we lost music legend David Bowie, and a few months later, Prince followed him to the stars. Then, Hollywood’s most famous union fell apart. Yep, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split, and it wasn’t pretty. Of course, no year would be complete without some Kardashian kontroversies, and 2016 was full of them.

Check out our list below for 12 of the year’s most shocking moments in entertainment.

1. (and 2.) David Bowie and Prince die

Getty/Canva

David Bowie’s January death was one of the most shocking of the year, and boy, did it set the tone. The legendary musician, who brought Aladdin Sane to life, died at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer many had no idea he wasfighting.

Then in April, Prince was found deadat the age of 57 at his Paisley Park compound. It was determined the music icon died of a Fentanyl overdose.

Bowie’s and Prince’s deaths shook the world, but the stars were just two of the many — including Leonard Cohen, Alan Rickman, Alexis Arquette and Muhammad Ali— we had to say goodbye to this year. To say it was rough is a major understatement.

3. Blac Chyna and Rob Kardashian become a couple

Leon Bennett via Getty Images

Just when we thought the Kardashians couldn’t do anything more to shock us, the sole brother in the family went ahead and started a relationship with Blac Chyna, anex-girlfriend of rapper Tyga, who’s dating Rob’s half sister Kylie Jenner. Oh, and don’t forget Chyna and Tyga have a son together. When these two got together, the relationshiphad drama (and ratings) written all over it.

4. Then they announce their pregnancy and engagement

A photo posted by Blac Chyna (@blacchyna) on May 6, 2016 at 11:14am PDT

After about two months of dating, Rob and Chyna decided to get engaged, a decision they reportedly kept secret from the rest of the Kardashian krew. And since that wasn’t enough,they couple then got pregnant andscoreda deal for their very own E! docuseries. In November, they welcomed their baby girl, Dream, into the world.

Rob and Chyna continue to fill our newsfeeds with plenty of drama — earlier this month it appeared they had split after what seemed like an extremely messy altercation, which just so happened to play out right before their E! baby special episode aired. Convenient coincidence or Kris Jenner master plan? You decide.

5. Michael Strahan leaves “Live with Kelly”

Mark Davis via Getty Images

In April, Michael Strahan announced his departure from “Live with Michael and Kelly,” much to the surprise of viewers and, it appeared, his co-host Kelly Ripa. After the news broke, Ripa didn’t show up toworkfor a week, with people speculating she had been blindsided by the whole thing. The events surrounding Strahan’s departure caused quite the controversy in the TV world, and brought up plenty of conversations about respect and fair treatment in the workplace.

6. Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift split

Raymond Hall via Getty Images

This summer, Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris had to go and crush our #swangoals and break up.

Things didn’t seem to end well. The couple clearlyhad some bad blood between them, as evidenced by their public dispute over Harris’ track “This Is What You Came For.” Swift co-wrote the song, initially under a pseudonym, but after she decided to take her credit where credit was due, Harris got shady on Twitter and called out his ex’s (rumored) mean girl tendencies.

7. #HIDDLESWIFT emerges

Newspix via Getty Images

Only a few weeks after Swift and Harris called it quits, the “Wildest Dreams” singer started a highly publicized relationship (and/or publicity stunt) with British actor Tom Hiddleston. Naturally, people on the internet lost it, especially when these totally natural, not-staged-at-all photos of the couple taking selfies on the beach emerged online. The relationship was short-lived, but at least we’ll always have this photo of Hiddleston wearing an “I heart TS” tank top at the beach.

8. Amber Heard accuses Johnny Depp of domestic abuse

John Shearer via Getty Images

In May, Amber Heard filed for divorce from Johnny Depp. The couple was only married for 15 months, and given the outcome of so many Hollywood relationships, the split wasn’t all that surprising.

Whatdidshock us, though, was when Heard came out and accused Depp of verbal and physical abuse. The actress shared photos of the injuriesshe suffered as a result of the alleged abuse and, in recent months, has spoken out about her experiences with domestic violence. Depp has denied the claims and the two are still in the middle of an extremely messy divorce settlement.

9. The #KimExposedTaylorParty takes over Twitter

Kevin Mazur via Getty Images

The long-standing feud between Swift and rapper Kanye West picked up steam this year after West released his song “Famous.” The track includes the lyrics, “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / I made that bitch famous,” which we all knew was a reference to the “Bad Blood” singer. Ye claimed he spoke to Swift about the song and lyrics, leading us to believe she was in on the joke. But TSwizzle said otherwise, claiming she had no idea she was going to be called a “bitch” in the song. That’s when Kim Kardashian stepped in.

The wife of Pablo posted a video on Snapchat that seemed to prove her husband’s claims. The rapper and pop star clearly did have a conversation about the song, though it still remains unclear if she knew about the “that bitch” line. Regardless, the tape’s release exposed Swift as a liar (in at least one regard) and people on theinternet had a field day, sharing memes and inviting everyone to the #KimExposedTaylorParty.

Swift responded to the drama with the help of the handy iPhone Notes app,saying “I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative, one that I have never asked to be a part of, since 2009.”

You can read all about the Greatest Celebrity Feud of Our Time righthere.

10. Kim Kardashian is robbed in Paris

NurPhoto via Getty Images

On Oct. 3, Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in her Paris apartment. Naturally, herfamily and followers were shocked. Kanye West even abruptly ended a concert as soon as he found out about the news. After the traumatic event, it was clear Kardashianwas shaken.Since the robbery — what was surely a terrifying experience — the reality star has been mostly absent on social media, leaving her followers missing her presence online. To top it all off, West was hospitalized in November and rumors that the couple may split continue to swirl (thoughwe don’t believe them).

11. Brangelina calls it quits

Jason LaVeris via Getty Images

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Hollywood’s former golden couple, called it quits this year, much to the surprise of literally everyone. We were convinced these two were going to stick it out for the long haul, but we were wrong. Jolie cited irreconcilable differences in her filing,but sources claimed the separation had to do with Pitt’s parenting methods and marijuana use. Before we knew it, Pitt was being investigated by theLos Angeles County Department of Children and Family Servicesfor an instance of alleged child abuseand Jolie and her kids were being interviewed by the FBI.

12. Beyonc drops “Lemonade”

Beyonc pulled a Beyonc and dropped another stunning visual album, “Lemonade.” Regular folk and celebrities alikelost it. The album,a powerful ode to black women everywhere,touched on topics likeinfidelity, grief, love, joy, relationships, womanhood and blackness.It also seemingly aired out Jay Z’s dirty laundry, but of course, we’ll never know who Becky with the good hair reallyis.

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15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 2

with Jamie Swimmer & Jesse Leeds Grant

It just got a lot harder to procure a Los Angeles Lakers ticket. In a reported $154 million 4-year deal – and the only sporting news that could supplant the World Cup at the top of the ticker – 4-time NBA MVP LeBron James used Instagram Stories to announce to the world that he is taking his talents to Los Angeles. James, 33, is leaving the Cavaliers for the second time. In contrast to his new Lakers deal, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has paid James $136.6 million in total for his 11 seasons in Cleveland. The Cavaliers, according to ESPN, required everyone with floor seats at the Q to sign deals last February that would lock them in for the next three seasons – a now “let the buyer beware” moment for fans whose team now has 500-1 odds of winning a title. The Lakers deal also makes sense for James, who already owns a home in Los Angeles, as he and longtime business partner Maverick Carter delve deeper into television and film production, not to mention music, fashion, and other cultural and commercial ventures that will now be clamoring for his touch.

As the World Cup enjoys strong ratings as the first knockout stage matches unfold, Russia has increased its government subsidies for the tournament by $13 million amid concerns over the legacy of the global event. According to the Los Angeles Times, two government orders combine to allocate an extra $7.6 million for temporary World Cup infrastructure and $5.3 million more to the state company responsible for stadium maintenance, bringing Russia’s total World Cup spending to around $10.7 billion. However, analysis by Russian business news outlet RBK has put the total spending closer to $14 billion (including some key spending on infrastructure). Based on “who’s doing the counting, that makes it either the most expensive or second-most expensive World Cup, with some estimates putting spending for the 2014 tournament in Brazil at more than $15 billion.” With two thrilling overtime matches and the host nation upsetting Spain, the first slate of the World Cup’s Round of 16 didn’t disappoint. Even the loss of revenue from thousands of Spanish fans now headed home couldn’t quell the excitement in Moscow.

On the ground in Russia, the World Cup continues on into the knockout stages without much of a hitch. Leading up to the month-long tournament in Russia, a majority of the media’s attention was being directed toward political feuds between countries and away from the action on the field. In reality, that picture could not be more different. Despite a lack of English that is spoken throughout the country, free game day transportation has been easy to use and has run smoothly, while public safety has been a key focus for the hosts. Local and foreign bands of hooligans – ones that were projected to have a looming negative impact on the tournament – have hardly been seen in between the constant mix of police officers that line the streets at all hours. In all, Russia and its people have acted as open and gracious hosts to all people alike, regardless of one’s background or ethnicity. By and large, extreme sportsmanship has been the rule at this World Cup – setting the bar high for Qatar in 2022 and North America in 2026.

With the Round of 16 set for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Germany, the defending champions, were sent home early. According to the New York Times, Germany were knocked out of this year’s tournament following a humiliating 2-0 defeat to South Korea in Kazan. After dropping their opening match to Mexico 1-0, it took a superb extra-time goal from Toni Kroos against Sweden to earn the Germans their first three points of the group stage. This now marks the “first time since 1938 that Germany has failed to advance from the first round of the World Cup,” and the fourth time in the last five World Cup’s that the defending champions have failed to even make it out of the group stage. No team has repeated as world champions since Brazil did so in 1962, showing how tough it is to sustain such a level of success on the global sporting stage.

Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball, and the United States Conference of Mayors announced that more than 300 Mayors from all 50 United States and Puerto Rico will host youth-focused, baseball, and softball events in their communities through the end of August. The events, part of the “Play Ball Summer” joint effort, mark the first time in the history of the initiative that mayors from all 50 states have pledged their support. Said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, “The partnership with the U.S. Conference of Mayors is a significant factor for the success of our Play Ball initiative. The central focus of our effort has always been to engage communities that love our game with opportunities for young people to participate in baseball and softball activities. By reaching all 50 states and Puerto Rico, Play Ball has truly become a national movement. We thank all the Mayors for their extraordinary commitment.” I’ve been involved with the U.S. Conference of Mayors Professional Sports Alliance for nearly a decade now, and achieving this level of involvement with the Play Ball initiative is one of our proudest accomplishments to date.

As Wimbledon opens, apparel brands prepare their athletes for tennis’ biggest catwalk. Serena Williams, coming in as a 25 seed thanks to a decision by the All-England Club to protect her ranking after childbirth, will wear Nike on court but will also show off her first proprietary fashion collection, called “Serena,” which debuted in May. According to Women’s Wear Daily, the line is being sold exclusively on Williams’ website, and the first collection ranges in price from $35-250. Nike will "continue to provide outfits for Roger Federer" at Wimbledon "despite ongoing speculation" that Federer is set for a sponsorship change to Japanese brand Uniqlo, according to the London Express. Rumors of the 20-time grand slam champ debuting a new 10-year deal with Uniqlo that has been valued at $30 million have been "dampened for now, with Federer's all-white Wimbledon outfit revealed to be made by Nike.” And London-based skate label Palace, finally, has partnered with Adidas to "create a court-ready collection" for Wimbledon. The collection "debuts globally" on Tuesday; Sascha Zverev, Garbiñe Muguruza, and Caroline Wozniacki will be among the "38 sponsored athletes who will wear the new label to compete at Wimbledon." In the latest edition of the Forbes highest paid athletes list, Federer is credited with $65 million per year in endorsements alone — padded, of course, by Nike.

The latest major sports and entertainment crossover premieres, as “Uncle Drew,” starring Kyrie Irving and Shaquille O’Neal, hits theaters nationwide. Uncle Drew got his fictional start as a Pepsi ad. Celtics guard Kyrie Irving "stars in the Pepsi commercial-turned-feature film about a down-on-his-luck basketball coach (Lil Rel Howery), who enlists basketball legend Uncle Drew (Irving) to recruit a group of septuagenarian former ballers to play in Harlem’s Rucker Classic street ball tournament." The comedy "features a mashup of athletes and comedians," including Shaquille O'Neal, Reggie Miller, Chris Webber, Nate Robinson, and Lisa Leslie. The Chicago Tribune notes that, as "corny and predictable as it is, and even with a tsunami of product placement," the movie "works." In Utah, the Deseret News writes that for a movie "inspired by a TV commercial, that's a pretty noble achievement.” In a weekend hijacked by NBA headlines, “Uncle Drew” performed better than expected, grossing $6.1 million on Friday from 2,742 locations. That led to a "projected" $16-17 million, including $1.1 million in previews. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the film was expected to open in the $10-13 million range.

Gaming streams outdraw most cable programs as nearly 9 million watch Friday Fortnite. According to JohnWallStreet, more than 8.8 million unique viewers live-streamed Week 4 of Friday Fortnite, an invite-only esports tournament for prize money hosted by well-known streamers and sponsored by UMG; making it the most-watched gaming competition to date. To put that figure in perspective, 5.3 million people tuned into coverage of the first round of 2018 NFL Draft, the 2017 MLB LCS averaged 6.3 million viewers, 7.9 million people watched the season finale of AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” and the second most watched NBA Conference Finals in 16 years drew just over 9 million fans. Moving forward, it’s expected that esports/gaming competitions will continue to regularly outdraw traditional television programming: Statista projects the number of gaming viewers worldwide to reach 743 million people by 2019, up +22% from 609 million in 2016. Dismiss esports at your peril – there’s a reason why sports leagues, teams, brands, athletes and communities alike are making multi-billion dollar investments in the growth market.

The PGA Tour could be facing a multi-million dollar problem thanks to new legislation brought to the U.S. Senate by Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Angus King (I-ME). The bill hopes to address the tax loophole that allows the Tour, along with other pro sports leagues, to enjoy tax-exempt status. The Properly Reducing Overexemptions for Sports Act (PRO Sports Act) hopes to strip the Tour and other leagues of their 501(c)(6) status, resulting in an estimated $100 million in federal tax revenue over the next 10 years. “Professional sports leagues – which are raking in millions of dollars from television rights and membership dues – shouldn’t also be scoring a hole-in-one with their taxes,” Senator Ernst is quoted on her website. This isn’t the first time the Tour and its fellow pro sports leagues have been targeted for their tax-exempt status. Most recently, the Senate Tax Bill included language that hoped to accomplish a similar goal, only to have the PGA Tour pull out all the stops to lobby against it – Jack Nicklaus and Davis Love III traveled to Washington D.C. to meet with legislators, and eventually had the damning language removed from the bill.

Rhode Island has become the fourth state in the U.S. to legalize sports gambling. According to JohnWallStreet, Governor Gina Raimondo legalized such activity after signing a bill that ensures 51% of all sports gambling profits go to the state. Sports gambling was only made legal at land-based casinos, meaning that mobile or internet wagering is still illegal for now. Twin River Worldwide Holdings, a privately held company, currently owns two casinos in Rhode Island, the smallest state in the country, with one set to open in September. Legal betting is expected to begin on October 1. While the state acted quickly on this issue, it will be missing out on a significant amount of potential revenue and profit by choosing to keep mobile and internet wagering illegal; “in fact, [the casino is] unlikely to even hit budget projections.” “Governor Raimondo’s budget projects $23.5 million in revenue over the first 12 months. To generate that amount, the state’s two sportsbooks would have to generate +/- $900 million in wagers; that won’t happen.” The Ocean Resort casino in Atlantic City was also quick to capitalize on the groundswell of legal sports wagering interest when its sports book officially opened on Thursday, creating instant PR when the actor Mark Wahlberg arrived to place bets on the Browns, the Eagles, and his beloved Patriots.

11.Former Pittsburgh Steelers investor and incoming Carolina Panthers Owner David Tepper has decided to buy out all of the Panthers’ remaining limited partners. According to SportsBusiness Journal, Tepper was first given the choice to only buy out Jerry Richardson’s 48% stake in the NFL franchise, though he will now pick up the option to purchase the remaining 52% from all of the existing team limited partners and own the entire club outright. The decision to do so comes with a hefty price, for Tepper’s purchase value for the Panthers sits at $2.275 billion. The businessman noted his development plans for the area as a primary reason for buying out all of the other partners. “I’m trying to determine the development I want to have in the community,” said Tepper. “So the more development there is in the community, it might make it more difficult to have minority partners.” Tepper’s deal is reportedly set to close in less than two weeks, a testament to both the new Panthers owner’s financial and reputational stability and the NFL’s eagerness to put the Richardson era behind them – the NFL just fined Richardson $2.75 million for workplace misconduct following a lengthy investigation.

12.The Las Vegas Golden Knights have filed a complaint against ticket resale site StubHub over a dispute about playoff ticket sales. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the complaint states that StubHub, the Golden Knights’ exclusive secondary-ticketing site during their inaugural NHL season, owes the team almost $1.5 million in Stanley Cup Playoff ticket sales profits. According to the lawsuit, StubHub "sent a message to customers March 13 – before the Golden Knights clinched a playoff spot – that said: ‘Sell your Golden Knights playoff tickets, cover your season ticket cost.’” The team said it “was not given any advance notice by StubHub” about this communication and “would have expressly objected to it.” After the Golden Knights clinched a playoff spot, season ticket holders were encouraged to stick with the “Knights Vow,” a promotion offered by the club in which fans agreed not to sell their tickets, keeping T-Mobile Arena packed with predominantly Golden Knights supporters. While disguised as a home team benefit, the Golden Knights’ policy was clearly aimed at keeping the bulk of ticket revenue in their pockets, hamstringing fans from profiting.

13.The NFL is known for its strict rules surrounding player behavior on and off the field, but the league could be missing out on some major positive publicity in disallowing Kansas City Chiefs guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif from having an “M.D.” added to his jersey. According to Bleacher Report, Duvernay-Tardif recently graduated from medical school at McGill University in Canada, earning him the title of Doctor. He is the first active NFL player to earn a medical degree, having completed his course work during multiple offseasons while keeping up his physical shape. The league lets players put “Sr.” or “Jr.” next to their names, but rejected Duvernay-Tardif’s request to have “M.D” alongside his. The decision to let him add the two letters would only go toward promoting education across the league and would likely pull attention away from the league’s ongoing anthem issues. Instead, the NFL is sticking to its core values as a league that will not deviate from its path, even for the benefit of its players.

Bellator MMA and DAZN are teaming up on a joint venture to challenge UFC. According to JohnWallStreet, the new partnership will go toward promoting 22 fight cards annually, both live and on-demand, with seven of those exclusively being streamed to the standalone OTT provider. Financials for the multi-year deal have not yet been released, though DAZN is said to have committed more than $1 billion. UFC recently signed its own streaming rights deal with ESPN+, giving the new OTT provider 32 fights per year as part of a 5-year, $150 million per year contract. “The first Bellator fight night broadcast on DAZN will be September 29, with the main event featuring middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi against welterweight champion Rory MacDonald; former UFC fighters Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and Wanderlei Silva are also fighting on the card.” Former ESPN President John Skipper was hired last month to lead DAZN, which currently operates across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, and Canada, with the U.S. and Italy debuting later this year.

In the wake of the 2018 NBA Draft, the G-League, formerly the D-League, is becoming a more attractive option for NCAA underclassmen and high school prospects. According to JohnWallStreet, the G-League’s increased salary, up to $35,000 from just $19,000, combined with the extensive training and exposure that players are given, has resulted in more young athletes making the jump from high school and college. This past draft class featured 79 underclassmen and 12 international players, and with only 60 players drafted in total, that means hundreds will pursue free agency in hopes of landing an NBA or, more realistically, G-League roster spot. Back in April, highly-touted high school prospect and Syracuse University commit Darius Bazley elected to forgo college and international basketball to join the G-League. While salaries are low at the bottom, it remains possible to make quite a bit of money from being a two-way player in the G-League; last year the NBA added roster spots for two-way players, those designated to split time between the leagues, with salaries up to $385,000 per season.

Tech Top 5

CBS extends partnership with the NFL to include mobile streaming. The NFL and CBS announced an expansion of their streaming agreement. The deal includes game streaming access via mobile devices for CBS All Access and paid TV subscribers. Through 2017, mobile streaming rights had previously been exclusive to Verizon. “We are excited to extend our partnership with CBS as it aligns perfectly with our goal of providing NFL fans with greater opportunities to watch NFL games across digital devices,” said Hans Schroeder, Chief Operating Officer of NFL Media and Business, in a statement. “The 2018 season will mark a new era for NFL fans with unprecedented access to NFL games across digital platforms.” Every NFL on CBS game will be available to fans on mobile, including Super Bowl LIII next February. Subscribers with services like Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, and Android TV will also be able to stream the games.

DraftKings selects Kambi to provide sports betting technology. Daily fantasy sports operator DraftKings has identified European technology provider Kambi as the supplier of its new single-game sports betting product. Three weeks ago, DraftKings announced a sports betting partnership with Atlantic City’s Resorts Casino Hotel which followed last month’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down the federal betting ban. But neither party offered any insight into where DraftKings would be getting its new sports betting technology. Now, Kambi Group PLC has announced that it has entered into a “sportsbook agreement” to “provide technology and services” to DraftKings. While the partnership will start in New Jersey, the “multi-year” deal allows for the possibility of an expanded partnership “when commercially agreeable regulatory frameworks are implemented” in other U.S. states. Kambi believes the DraftKings partnership could be lucrative in the long run, but the impact on its 2018 revenue will be “difficult to predict” due to the notoriously glacial pace of U.S. regulatory change.

SpokeHub pursues social engagement with STATS Insights. STATS, a leader in sports data and intelligence, and SpokeHub announced a new partnership to bring STATS Insights to SpokeHub’s social engagement platform, connecting worldwide World Cup fans with more impactful content. STATS Insights leverages more than 37 years of research experience to deliver deep historical and comparative statistical insights, play-by-play descriptions, and in-game trends based on events as they happen in a match. Before, during, and after each match, SpokeHub will harness STATS Insights to amplify conversations among World Cup football communities. During the game, live Insights will deliver trends on players and teams based on in-game events, statistics, and milestones. “No sporting event gets global attention like the World Cup, and every fan is looking for deeper analysis around their favorite teams and players,” said Mike Rodriguez, Vice President of Account Management at STATS. “STATS Insights taps into our extensive historical database to uncover stories many fans may be missing.”

Pro golfer Charley Hoffman has announced a partnership with Halo Neuroscience. The company makes the Halo Sport wearable, which is designed to directly stimulate an athlete’s motor cortex with an electrical current and promises to aid in learning movements and strength. Halo Sport looks like a pair of noise canceling headphones, but has three sets of foam spikes beneath the headband. The spikes help transmit an electrical current from the device to the motor cortex of a user’s brain. Used during a workout, the transcranial direct current stimulation is intended to induce a hyperplastic state in the brain. The connections can improve muscle control and even boost the recruitment of muscle fibers, effectively increasing strength. “I heard about Halo Sport when it first came out, and started using the device on my own to improve my golf game,” said Hoffman. “I noticed an immediate improvement in my ball speed when practicing. I believe we can work together to ensure golfers know how their brain can help them learn skills faster and better.”

PARC mouthguard helps track athlete fatigue through saliva. Scientists at PARC, a research and development company owned by Xerox, are busy developing a mouthguard that could help athletes understand their physiology during exercise and better inform their training. A lot can be learned from blood. Lactate, for example, is normally measured in blood, and can indicate exercise intensity. And there is a high correlation between the amount of lactate in blood and in saliva. PARC’s idea was to create a mouthguard with the ability to measure saliva, resulting in an understanding of physiological conditions without the invasive nature of blood tests. To realize that, PARC sought help from NextFlex and the University of California, San Diego. NextFlex, which receives funding from the federal government, is a manufacturer focused on flexible hybrid electronics. Its role in the project was to enhance the manufacturability and usability of the device. “The idea was to add in a rechargeable battery, wireless charging, improve the wireless communication, improve the form factor, and make it so it can really be integrated into a mouthguard in a way that looks and acts like any standard mouthguard,” said Scott Miller, Director of Strategic Program for NextFlex.

Power of Sports 5

Sacramento Kings mine cryptocurrency, establish scholarship fund. The Sacramento Kings announced a new charitable program, MiningForGood, made possible by the advanced data center and tech infrastructure at Golden 1 Center, the world’s most technologically advanced and sustainable arena. Through a partnership with global cryptocurrency leader, MiningStore.com, the team will install cryptocurrency mining machines in the only Tier 4 data center in a professional sports arena. The Kings are the first team in the world to mine digital currency. With this initial mining program, they are laying the foundation for a multi-year scholarship program to support Sacramento based causes starting with the Build. Black. Coalition – a group of Sacramento community leaders organized to support transformational change for black communities. As cryptocurrency continues to grow in popularity, the MiningForGood program can serve as a blueprint for large organizations and businesses to embrace emerging platforms as an engine for social change.

Houston Astros player selling shirts for charity. Astros infielder/outfielder Tony Kemp has taken his "Hugs for Homers" campaign to new levels by helping get T-shirts made that depict him in the arms of slugger Evan Gattis. Kemp has started hugging Gattis after home runs, and considering there is a rather large size difference between the two men, Gattis essentially picks up Kemp. "Hugs for Homers" was born. "People are saying Gattis got hot because of the whole hugs thing," Kemp joked. "He's swinging the bat well. All the proceeds are going to the Astros Youth Academy, it's going to be good for the kids who maybe can't afford the baseball equipment." The shirts are $25, with proceeds going to the Houston Astros Youth Academy. "Ever since I was little, I wanted to have a shirt to go to a charity," Kemp said. "It feels good it's actually out there." More than 500 shirts have already been sold.

Ian Desmond donates $29,000 to charity. Colorado Rockies player Ian Desmond and his family pledged $1,000 for every RBI and run scored during the month of May. After scoring 14 times and driving in 15 runs that month, Desmond presented a $29,000 check to the Children's Tumor Foundation in a pregame ceremony at Coors Field. The month of May is Neurofibromatosis (NF) Awareness Month. NF is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form on nerve tissue in the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. About one in 3,000-4,000 people have the disorder. The Children's Tumor Foundation's mission is to drive research, expand knowledge of, and advance care for the NF community. Desmond first became informed about NF in 2012. Last year, he gave $16,000 to the foundation, and he plans to continue making future donations. "When I'm in stadiums around the country and people are like, 'Hey, I've got NF,' or, 'Thanks for what you do for NF,' you realize that one in 3,000 is much more common than you think," Desmond said.

NHL stars hit home runs for charity – Former Kelowna Rockets players Josh Gorges, Blake Comeau, and Luke Schenn will put their star power behind the HOMEBASE slow-pitch fundraiser charity tournament. Proceeds from the tournament support the KGH Foundation’s campaign to build JoeAnna’s House, a home away from home for families of patients traveling to Kelowna General Hospital for advanced medical care. “We are very competitive, and we do want to win for bragging rights,” Gorges said. “This is our home, this city and community has given us so much. We are very fortunate in what we do that we are able to give back in any way we can.” Every player who strikes out will donate $200 to JoeAnna’s House. “Hopefully we don’t have any strike outs but if we do it’s a good way to raise a little bit more money,” Comeau said. The mission of JoeAnna’s House is to provide much needed shelter, housing, and support services and to build partnerships across the community through faith groups, service organizations, government, and other youth service providers working to meet the needs of homeless and at-risk youth.

76ers foundation donates renovated basketball court. The Philadelphia 76ers and the Sixers Youth Foundation, along with Philadelphia City Council President Darrell L. Clarke, Village of Arts & Humanities, LISC Philadelphia, and Parks & Recreation hosts a ribbon-cutting block party for a revitalized basketball court in the Hartranft section of North Philadelphia. Philadelphia 76ers President Chris Heck, Executive Director of Community Engagement Amy Hever, and Clarke will speak at the ribbon-cutting before the event transitions to a block party and basketball tournament, featuring more than 40 local neighborhood youth aged 10-13. In conjunction with the announcement of plans to renovate the court last year, the Sixers Youth Foundation ensured classroom support was also provided by embedding two signature programs at John F. Hartranft School. Additionally, the 76ers hosted a day of service in August, 2017 that deployed more than 125 staff members to the school in an effort to beautify the grounds and pack classroom kits for students in preparation for the impending school year.

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