#katie mcvay

[historyhermann]

Spicing It Up: "High Guardian Spice" is A Cute and Magical Coming-of-Age Story [Part 1]

Sage and Rosemary in the first episode

On October 26, the first twelve episodes of High Guardian Spice aired on Crunchyroll and VRV. The show tells the story of four girls, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme who meet at a magical academy, try to become heroes, and explore their identities while preparing to protect the world from a looming threat.

Reprinted from The Geekiary, Wayback Machine, and my History Hermann WordPress blog. This was the eleventh article I wrote for The Geekiary. This post was originally published on October 30, 2021.

High Guardian Spice, a comedic and magical coming-of-age animated series, is by Raye Rodriguez, a Cuban-American trans man. Rodriguez was an animator for animated shorts aired on Animation Domination High-Def programming block and a character designer for the LGBTQ-friendly 13-episode series, Danger & Eggs. The latter series was created by Mike Owens and a trans woman named Shadi Petosky, who later was an executive producer on the short-lived 24-episode series titled Twelve Forever.

High Guardian Spice is an anime-inspired animation that centers around four girls who attend a magical school named High Guardian Academy: a pink-haired sword-wielder named Rosemary (voiced by Briana Leon), a blue-haired witch and magical girl named Sage (voiced by Lauren White), a yellow-haired dwarf and blacksmith named Parsley (voiced by Amber Romero), and a sarcastic red-haired elf and archer named Thyme (voiced by Michelle Deco).

Other important secondary characters include Aloe (voiced by Joy Lerner), Anise (voiced by Haviland Stillwell), Snapdragon (voiced by Julia Kaye), Amaryllis (voiced by Katie McVay), Slime Boy (voiced by Julian Koster), and Parnell (voiced by Barbara Goodson). There are also villains like Mandrake (voiced by A.J. Beckles), Olive (voiced by Stephanie Sheh), and Smoke Face (voiced by Audo Paden). Deco also voices Sage's Mom, while Liisa Lee voices Lavender, Salli Saffioti voices The Triad, and Cam Clarke voices Neppy Cat.

Of these cast members, Kaye is a trans woman, Beckles is a Black man, Haviland is a lesbian, Clarke is openly gay, Deco is a Black woman who makes bad puns, and Koster is ambiguously queer, to name a few. These cast members are close enough that McVay, Deco, and Kaye can all congratulate each other on wonderful voice performances, making playful jabs at each other.

The 12 episodes released so far introduce viewers to the four protagonists, as they converge at High Guardian Academy. In the first episode, Rosemary and Sage, two childhood friends very comfortable around one another, travel from their hamlet of Pebble to the academy. On the way, they stay with Sage's cousin, Anise and her wife, Aloe, a married lesbian couple. While staying in the town of Lyngarth, Sage and Rose bump into Thyme, and they chase a creature that destroys Rose's treasured locket. They later meet Parsley, who has twelve overactive kids as siblings, four of which are shown (Neddle, Thistle, Clover, and Spurge), all of whom are voiced by Katie McVay.

In the second episode, the protagonists begin as students at the academy. In the next episode, the audience gets a look at the academy, led by three women known as the Triad, and its students, as the protagonists go to their assigned classes, and the guardian vow is revealed. Later episodes show the protagonists honing their skills, going on magical adventures, family tensions, attending magic classes, the conflict between "old" and "new" magic, teenage crushes, weapons training, and a dangerous cave adventure. The final five episodes involve cute costumes, an evil catgirl Olive trying to stir up trouble at the autumn festival and turn the protagonists into stone, tensions between Rose and Sage, summoning a demon, mending friendships, merpeople, and an attack on the academy by villains.

The third episode stands out. In the episode, Professor Caraway (voiced by Rodriguez) tells Rose "I'm transgender," making him possibly one of the first in animation to say those words. After he says that, Caraway explains that he takes a "potion once a month" so he can keep the body which fits his identity, a metaphor for hormone replacement therapy. Other characters, like May Marigold in RWBY, voiced by a trans woman, Kdin Jenzen, noted their transness on screen but never used the word transgender. The scene with Calaway delighted fans of the show, especially those who are trans, genderqueer, and the like.

It was also nice that Caraway is friends with Aloe, one of the show's recurring lesbian characters. When Caraway said he is transgender, it was just as powerful as Benson, in Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, telling the show's protagonist he is gay, Adam in The Hollow's second season letting his friends know that he is gay, or one of the protagonists of Nico Colaleo's web series, Too Loud, a closeted trans woman, coming dressed to a sleepover crossdressing as a girl named Desiree.

While Snapdragon "Snap" is, originally, a bit dismissive and rough around the edges with a "tough guy" act, Snap is able to figure out more about themself. In the show's third episode, Snap starts to have a crush on Sage. Both are shown together, looking at each other happily, in the show's eighth episode. Snap talks to Sage about the "heavy stuff", even helping Sage realize her feelings for Rose.

Even Amaryllis, who begins the series as a bully axe wielder, described as a garbage girl and "Kokichi Danganronpa" by Lauren Orsini, comes to Snap's defense after Cal (voiced by SungWon Cho) insults Snap for wearing a girl's costume, since Cal sees Snap as a boy. This leads to what Snap does in another episode, after Cal insults Snap for wearing a mermaid costume they wore during the autumn celebration, dressing like Ariel. In response, Snap beats up Cal, which we all probably wanted to do, until Caraway stops it.

While some may not like that characters like Cal are uttering these transphobic insults, they are missing that the show has a trans man who has transitioned talking to a closeted trans woman about transitioning, making it one of the only shows to do this (that I know of).

Specifically, in one episode, the same one where Snap beats up Cal, Snap explains to Caraway why they punched Cal, saying that changing themselves wouldn't be easy, that they hate being big, and their desire to be a warrior like the girls. These are more indications that Snap is experiencing gender dysphoria.

Snap's eyes sparkle when Caraway talks about transition magic, referring to gender transition, is excited, and thanks Caraway for listening to them. Clearly, Snap is trans, supported by the fact that Snap's voice actor, Kaye, is trans. She does a wonderful job in her first voice acting role! Rodriguez recently clarified that Snap would use they/them pronouns, even though Snap is on the road to transitioning toward being a trans woman by the end of the series.

Sage, Snap, Caraway, Aloe, and Anise at the autumn celebration

With the presence of Snapdragon and Caraway in High Guardian Spice, and how both of them are generally treated respectfully by those in the show, this series has some of the best representation of trans people in animation. It is not alone in this, however. There are other examples of wholesome, positive representation out there. This includes Zadie in Danger & Eggs, anime like Wandering Son, or Isabella Yamamoto in Paradise Kiss. High Guardian Spice is a bit different, however, as it presents trans topics in a way that is suited for young teens, which is reinforced by the fact the show tackles internalized transphobia and toxic masculinity.

Fans on social media have said they enjoyed other parts of the show, such as seeing Anise and Aloe in the first episode or the gay vibes between characters like Sage and Rose. The latter is very evident even from the first episode, vibes among other characters, and possible bisexual characters. The fact that the series begins with a lesbian couple in the debut episode means that it begins with far more outward representation from the get-go than She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which did not explicitly show any LGBTQ characters in the first episode, with only implied vibes between Catra and Adora, although that later changed. There has also been some wonderful fan art, although none of Anise of Aloe I've seen, only of Snap, Rose, Sage, Olive, and others.

Anise and Aloe remind me a bit of Theoda and Pothina in Cleopatra in Space, or Scorpia's two unnamed mothers in an episode of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. If High Guardian Spice had been on a platform like Cartoon Network or somewhere else rather than Crunchyroll, there is a high likelihood that the LGBTQ+ content would have been cut or toned down. As for the show itself, Anise and Aloe are probably portrayed as "cousins" in a jab at how Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus were shown in some dubs of Sailor Moon in the 1990s and 2000s. Both characters are an important part of the story, especially helping Sage deal with her insecurities, and kiss each other in one episode. Apart from Anise and Aloe, one could say that Professor Dretch and Coral, voiced by Haviland Stillwell are lesbian, as Stillwell is a lesbian. Thyme has a crush on the latter character, a mermaid, in another episode. This fits perfectly with the show's focus on friendships and amazing adventures in a world "filled with sadness."

Although High Guardian Spice appears to be family-friendly at first, there are warnings at the beginning of each episode about how the show contains strong language, violence, and sexual content and how the show is for "mature audiences only." Rodriguez explained this is the case because there is some blood, curse words, and violence later on like Naruto rather than Madoka. It seems that the warning was written by Crunchyroll, similar to the one ahead of Onyx Equinox episodes. However, the warning is a bit of overkill, as it's wrong to say the show is only for "mature audiences only" or that there is any "sexual content," despite some mild cursing. Even so, there are some bloody scenes. For instance, Lavender is covered in some blood, as is her sword, when she stabs a creature when fighting alongside Caraway. In another episode, when the protagonists are fighting travers, Rose gets mortally injured. She also gets hurt during the fight with Olive, who she cuts in the arm. You get the idea.

Despite this, the series is not as mature as animations like Inside Job, Disenchantment, Star Trek: Lower Decks, Onyx Equinox, or Final Space, to name a few. While High Guardian Spice includes various LGBTQ+ characters, like the aforementioned series, there is also something to laugh about in every episode, whether from Rose, the cute tongue biter, or other moments. While Amyrillis occasionally bullies the protagonists, like Sage, the series moves from being happy and good-lucky to an ominous threat episode by episode. This makes it similar to how many anime series are constructed, leading to an inevitable battle in the final episode, or even Cleopatra in Space where the school which the protagonist and her friends attend is attacked by the villain and his robotic army in the final episode of the series. The warnings on the High Guardian Spice episodes may be to discourage children from watching more extreme parts. However, the series shares animation styles with all-ages animations. In sum, you could say that the series is a young adult animation, something which creators like Rad Sechrist, Matt Braly, and others have discussed, saying there should be animated series that fall between mature animation and all-ages animation.

The music of High Guardian Spice is composed by Steven Argila. At times the music is upbeat and sets the mood. The songs include Amanda Levari's "Become the Light," sung by Wendy Wagner, Audu Paden's "Friends for a Lifetime," sung by Briana Leon and Lauren White, and Rodriguez's "The Guardian's Path," sung by Julian Koster. The first song is the show's opening, while the second is the show's closing song, and the third plays only in the episode "Festival of Fall Part Two." In an interview after the series premiere, Rodriguez said that the opening and ending of each episode has been inspired by his favorite anime endings and openings. He also said that writers collaborated on the lyrics of the opening song, and he worked on the closing credits.

In the first episode, "Scarborough Fair," a well-known traditional English ballad, famously covered by the folk-rock duo, Simon & Garfunkel, plays, something which makes the show that much more wonderful. Some people have argued that the sound mixing of the series is "bad," but personally I haven't seen much of an issue with it. In addition, the show's pacing fits with the animation and the character designs are lovely.

Rodriguez noted that William Ruzicka storyboarded the opening and endings. Although he said that the ending sequence has a slice-of-life, storybook feel like the endings of Petite Princess Yucie and Sailor Moon episodes, it reminded me more of the endings of Cardcaptor Sakura, where Sakura and Tomoyo make a cake together in cute outfits, than anything else. These influences are no accident. The show is clearly influenced by the magical girl genre as Rodiguez noted and is evident from the show itself. Some have even pointed to scene similarities with Madoka Magica. The opening of the first episode of High Guardian Space made me think of the wonderful opening crawl to the first episode of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which brings the viewer across Etheria and into the depths of the Fright Zone, where the viewer is drawn into the story of the protagonist, Adora, and her childhood friend, Catra.

The show's four protagonists shown in the opening sequence

The voice acting of High Guardian Spice is smooth, with the voice actors getting into their roles and using natural speech patterns, coupled with wonderful animation and background art. The voice acting actually reminds me somewhat of the voice acting by Zach Callison for the titular character of Steven Universe, with his voice acting changing as Steven got older. As for High Guardian Spice, it is evident that the voices were chosen specifically to suit the characters at their current ages, even if people think they are "awkward" or "bad."

Unfortunately, just like Onyx Equinox, Crunchyroll sadly decided that because the show has characters speaking in English that subtitles aren't needed, even though that would definitely be helpful. This makes the show inaccessible to fans who are hard of hearing or use subtitles to make sure they don't miss anything characters are saying. It makes me think of Ken Loach's 1969 film, Kes, where, if I remember right, Loach purposely did not make subtitles available to those watching it on DVD, so people could "understand" thick accent. It seemed to say that people who are hard of hearing should suck it up and watch the film.

It appears that Crunchyroll is going down the same route. I hope subtitles are added in the future, as it would help disabled people a whole lot, as the current situation means the show is not fully accessible. One fan even suggested filing a complaint against Crunchyroll, with the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, for violating the Americans With Disabilities Act.

One of my favorite parts of High Guardian Spice is the mix of the modern and the medieval. The first episode has a steam-powered train, crank-driven railways, and horse-drawn buses. It reminds me of the steam-powered city of Steamland in Disenchantment, a show which also blends modern and medieval technology together as part of the storyline. It makes me think of the water-powered gondola lifts in Elena of Avalor made by Isabel Flores, the sister of the show's protagonist, Elena Castillo Flores, or the train in the children's animation, Mira, Royal Detective.

High Guardian Spice also has diversity in the characters, like The Owl House, Amphibia, and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, with some fans praising the show for portraying Black characters properly.

Togetherness, acceptance, and discovering your identity are major themes in High Guardian Spice, meant to appeal to a younger audience. A related theme is trauma. Rose has a recurring nightmare about the disappearance of her mom, a guardian, who left behind her magical sword. She gets nervous when she loses her locket to a Tricksie, a creature which is like a magpie, and when her sword, Flowering Thorn, gets broken.

She calls Flowering Thorn the "one thing" that matters to her. Her locket includes an important family memory and a photograph of her, her dad, and her brother. Sage, on the other hand, gets nervous when she doesn't have everything planned out and orderly, even questioning if she should be at the academy at all at one point, and trying to say the right things to people.

Rose reminds me a little of Ash Graven from Final Space or Cassandra in Tangled: The Series, complex characters with troubled pasts who also experience trauma. Cass, a lesbian-coded character, sings about her trauma, saying she is going down a "path paved in black" and that she has "nothing left to lose," becoming a villain of sorts, although she doesn't like to admit it. What Rose experiences in the show makes me think of Steven Universe struggling with his trauma in the animated limited series Steven Universe Future, the most prominent series to show trauma in a realistic and non-stereotypical manner. Sage reminds me of Adora in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, who tries to be orderly, or even Pearl in Steven Universe, although neither of these is an exact comparison.

These themes make High Guardian Spice similar to shows such as Steven Universe, The Owl House, and Amphibia. It also shares some themes with shows such as She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Lego Elves: Secrets of Elvendale, and The Dragon Prince, because of the dragons, demon cats, centaurs, and magic, like a floating chest with wings named Chompy. Some have argued that the series has similarities to The Winx Club as well.

The show's main setting in a school made me think of Little Witch Academia, an anime that some say has queer vibes and is set at a magical school, first and foremost. Although in that series the school is not within a city, like it is in High Guardian Spice. There are fundamental differences between the two shows. Anime series are often set in schools, including anime with LGBTQ+ protagonists, like Bloom Into You, Blue Drop, Whispered Words, and Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl, to name a few.

Apart from Rodriguez, those working on High Guardian Spice are a talented and diverse group of people. The show is said to have a writers room composed completely of women, a crew of which 50% are women, and being "very ethnically and LBGTQ+ diverse" according to Margaret Dean, who executive produced the series along with Rodriguez. Claire Stenger, who developed the series and is a writer for the show, has helped design various video games based on series like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. Amalia Levari, another show writer, has written for Bravest Warriors, Summer Camp Island, Star Vs. The Forces of Evil, and Danger & Eggs, all of which have LGBTQ+ characters.

The same is the case for Kate Leth, a queer and genderfluid comic artist who is a show writer. Many of the series she has written for, like Bravest Warriors, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Craig of the Creek, Adventure Time (comics) and Mysticons (comics) often have such characters as well. Other writers include Katie McVay, a comedian who has worked on live-action series up to this point, and Kristle Peluso, who previously worked as a writer on episodes of Onyx Equinox and gen:LOCK.

© 2021-2023 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[cognispark]

The future of education: How AI-powered speech-to-text conversion is changing the way we learn 

Introduction 

Imagine having a disability that makes it difficult or impossible to communicate through speech. For many individuals with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, dysarthria, or ALS, this is a daily reality. However, thanks to advances in artificial intelligence and natural language processing, individuals with disabilities now have the option to use AI-powered speech-to-text conversion tools to communicate their thoughts and ideas more easily and effectively. 

What is AI-powered speech-to-text conversion? 

   Speech-to-text 

 conversion, also referred to as speech recognition, is a technology that enables computers to understand and transcribe spoken words into written text. This is made possible using machine learning algorithms that can analyze and interpret spoken language. This allows individuals who may have difficulty speaking to communicate by using their voice. 

How does it work? 

There are two main types of speech-to-text conversion tools: rule-based and machine learning-based. Rule-based tools rely on a set of pre-defined rules and patterns to transcribe speech, while machine learning-based tools use algorithms to learn and adapt to the unique patterns and characteristics of an individual’s speech over time.  

To use an AI-powered speech-to-text conversion tool, the user simply speaks into a microphone or other recording device. The tool then analyses the spoken words and converts them into written text, which can be displayed on a screen or other device.  

The benefits of AI-powered speech-to-text conversion  

There are numerous benefits for individuals with disabilities. Some of the most significant benefits include:  

Increased independence and autonomy  

One of the most significant benefits is that it gives individuals with disabilities the ability to communicate more independently and autonomously. With these tools, individuals are no longer reliant on others to interpret or transcribe their spoken words, which can be a time-consuming and frustrating process.  

Improved communication and social interaction  

Another benefit of AI-powered speech-to-text conversion is that it can improve communication and social interaction for individuals with disabilities. These tools can make it easier for individuals to participate in conversations and discussions, both online and in person, which can help to reduce feelings of isolation and improve overall quality of life.  

Increased access to education and employment opportunities  

It helps to increase access to education and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. With these tools, individuals can communicate more effectively and efficiently, which can help level the playing field and give them a better chance of achieving their goals.  

Real-life examples of the impact of    AI-powered speech-to-text conversion 

There are numerous real-life examples of the impact that AI-powered speech-to-text conversion can have on the lives of individuals with disabilities. For example:  

Amy Bosworth  

Amy Bosworth is a software engineer and disability rights activist diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) at 27. After losing the ability to speak, Bosworth began using an AI-powered speech-to-text conversion tool called “Dictation Bridge” to communicate with her colleagues and friends.  

With this tool's help, Bosworth continued working as a software engineer and gave a TEDx talk about the importance of accessibility and assistive technology.  

Ian Justiniano  

Ian Justiniano is a high school student with cerebral palsy who uses an AI-powered speech-to-text conversion tool called “Braina” to communicate in class and complete his schoolwork. Justiniano says that the tool has greatly improved his ability to communicate with his teachers and classmates, and has even helped him to make new friends.  

Katie McVay  

Katie McVay is a college student with dysarthria, a condition that affects her ability to speak clearly. McVay uses an AI-powered speech-to-text conversion tool called “Dragon NaturallySpeaking” to communicate in class and complete her coursework.  

According to McVay, the tool has made a huge difference in her ability to participate in class and has even helped her to improve her grades.  

Conclusion: 

In conclusion, AI-powered speech-to-text conversion tools can have a significant and positive impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities. These tools can increase independence and autonomy, improve communication and social interaction, and increase access to education and employment opportunities.  

While there is still room for improvement in the accuracy and reliability of these tools, the benefits of AI-powered speech-to-text conversion for individuals with disabilities cannot be denied. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that these tools will become even more widespread and accessible, helping even more individuals with disabilities to communicate and participate in society. 

[unitedstatesmailboxvirtual]

Nevada Mailbox: Hernández: Sean McVay's once-formidable offense has transformed into a predictable mess

Nevada Mailbox: Hernández: Sean McVay's once-formidable offense has transformed into a predictable mess Nevada Mailbox Hernández: Sean McVay's once-formidable offense has transformed into a predictable mess by Nevada Mailbox on Tuesday 04 October 2022 12:54 AM UTC-05 | Tags: #nevadamailbox nevada-mailbox Sean McVay's reputation as an offensive genius has been on the ropes this season with Matthew Stafford and the Rams struggling. Can McVay turn it around? Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York City NY New York New York NY North Carolina North Dakota Wisconsin Katie Oklahoma Goodfield Illinois October 04, 2022 at 12:08AM Tags: #nevadamailbox nevada-mailbox You received this email because you set up a subscription at Feedrabbit. This email was sent to you at mpcmvnj2@jenniferhenao.anonaddy.com. Unsubscribe or change your subscription. Dousman Wisconsin Castroville Texas Katie Oklahoma Goodfield Illinois Virtual Mailbox October 04, 2022 at 02:56AM

[thebusinesslashow]

oo baby these photos are worthy of a RARE #tbt cause honestly you don't deserve photos of the high quality #free comedy we bring you every Monday at Little Joy you should just get your butt down to the bar and be with humanity. BUT in honor of our host Megan Koester's birthday she amassed an epic enough lineup to garner photographer Noah Eberhart to want to come photograph it! So another happy birthday Megan from your biz fam, Bobcat Goldthwait, John Early, Sandy Honig, Jamel Johnson, James Fritz, Allen Strickland Williams & more!!

Megan and the gang are back YET AGAIN this Monday 10/21 with another stellar lineup that WON'T be photographed so you gotta come in person to see Simon Gibson, Chris Charpentier, Caitlin Weierhauser, Heather Marulli & Katie McVay!! We better see u there!!

The Business Los Angeles continues the legacy of the favorite pre-tech bubble #SF comedy scene into its TENTH YEAR right here in Echo Park! Next show: Monday 10/21 Featuring*: Simon Gibson, Chris Charpentier, Caitlin Weierhauser, Heather Marulli & Katie McVay! and The Biz Gang: Chris Garcia, Sean Keane & Anna Seregina, hosted by Megan Koester! Doors at 8:30p, Show at 9p (Happy Hour Until 9p) #FREE at Little Joy (1477 W Sunset Blvd, LA, CA 90026) *lineup subject to change **assisted listening devices available

[recentanimenews]

High Guardian Spice Soars to Crunchyroll with New Trailer and Premiere Date

  The magical girls of Crunchyroll Original animated series High Guardian Spice are out in full force at New York Comic Con, and Crunchyroll's panel revealed a new trailer, premiere timing, and the voices bringing the show to life. All 12 episodes are set to drop together on Tuesday, October 26, so check out the preview below while we wait and read on for more about the cast.

    Here's who you can look forward to hearing when High Guardian Spice arrives:

  Rosemary, the enthusiastic adventurer intent on becoming a Guardian, will be played by Briana Leon. 

Sage, Rosemary’s best friend and witch who specializes in Old Magic, will be played by Lauren White. 

Parsley, an optimistic dwarf and expert blacksmith, will be played by Amber Romero. 

Thyme, an independent elf and gifted archer, will be played by Michelle Deco. 

Mandrake, a powerful witch and shapeshifter, will be played by AJ Beckles.

Professor Hakone, a Guardian and professor of battle tactics,will be played by Anthony Brandon Walker.

Parnelle, the youngest student at High Guardian Academy, will be played by Barbara Goodson.

Neppy Cat, a cat that hands out near High Guardian Academy with a secret ability, will be played by Cam Clarke.

Snapdragon, snarky best friend of Amaryllis who doesn’t feel like he truly fits in, is played by Julia Kaye.

Slime Boy, a second year witch who is a musician and lover of monsters, is played by Julian Koster.

Amaryllis, an entitled witch and school bully, will be played by Katie McVay.

Lavender, Rosemary’s mother and renowned and powerful Guardian who went missing four years ago, will be played by Liisa Lee.

Professor Caraway, a powerful Guardian and professor of sacred alphabets at High Guardian Academy, will be played by show creator Raye Rodriguez.

    Synopsis:

The lives of four fierce girls converge at High Guardian Academy, the one place where they can stumble comically toward adulthood while becoming the heroes they’ve always admired. As they master the ways of battle and sorcery, the foursome form allegiances, uncover legacies, face betrayals and discover their true identities while preparing to protect the world from an ominous unknown threat.

    -------

Joseph Luster is the Games and Web editor at Otaku USA Magazine. You can read his comics at subhumanzoids. Follow him on Twitter @Moldilox.

By: Joseph Luster

[doubleattitude]

24 Seven Dance Convention, Birmingham, AL: RESULTS

Sidekick Solo

1st: Penelope LeMieux-’These Boots’

2nd: Calla Massey-’Helium’

3rd: Lainey Hess-’Amazing Mayzie’

3rd: Mila Simunic-’Never Enough’

4th: Macey Strickland-’Wind It Up’

5th: Brenna Himber-’To The Moon’

6th: Maddie El-Amin-’I Will Survive’

6th: Lily-Kate Nance-’Lost Boy’

6th: Annie Cardwell-’Yes I Can’

7th: Reese Braga-’Rule the World’

8th: Paisley Black-’Finding Wonderland’

9th: Addison Daniel-’Somewhere Over the Rainbow’

10th: London Roundtree-’Respect’

10th: Scarlett Shirley-’Riverside’

10th: Myla Boler-’Single Ladies’

10th: Cece Hanley-’Spanish Rose’

Mini Solo

1st: Kya Massimino-’System Activated’

2nd: Emma Caudill-’Big & Loud’

2nd: Georgia Beth Peters-’Come Together’

2nd: Allie Plott-’The Path’

3rd: Ella Dobler-’Shrine East’

3rd: Keelyn Jones-’The Call’

4th: Clare Gibbons OR Chloe McVay-’Baby I’m A Star’

4th: Lily Hackney-’Static’

5th: Emily Core-’Without Limits’

6th: Alyessia Isabella Chiavatti-’Dreaming in Red’

7th: Raegan Hess-’Black Hole Sun’

7th: black hole sun

8th: McKenna Dorr-’Silhouette’

8th: Reed Knight-’Skeletons’

8th: Ella Birdsong-’The Garden’

9th: Dakota Casteel-’Heart of Glass’

9th: Charlie Stone-’Never Enough’

9th: AnaKate Danner-’Unleashed’

10th: Emersyn Malone-’All Aboard’

10th: Sariah Benitez-’Blank Page’

10th: Avery LaSaicherre-’Hide and Seek’

Junior Solo

1st: Mary Jordan Clodfelter-’Mind’

2nd: Audrey Mayernik-’Anchor’

2nd: Taylor Harrison-’Dawn Chrus’

2nd: Londyn LeMieux-’Tar’

3rd: Riley Fiorello-’Crippled Bird’

3rd: Leila Winker-’Takt’

4th: Gisella Gandarilla-’Expressions’

5th: Caroline Powell-’How Rare’

5th: Gracie Elder-’No More Tears’

6th: Addison Murphy-’How Does A Moment Last Forever’

6th: Lydia Smith-’My Heart With You’

7th: Collier McLain-’Love Has No Limits’

7th: Lucy Claire Reilly-’Whisper’

8th: Piper Lucassen-’Billy Jean’

8th: Chloe Wiest-’Hold Your Breath’

9th: Abigail Hirota-’Me Oh My’

10th: Kaitlin Cho-’Synthesize’

Teen Solo

1st: Georgia Greene-’Alpha and Omega’

1st: Sarah Moore-’Tombs’

2nd: Finley Williams-’Curious Yellow’

3rd: Kaylin Motton-’Are You That Somebody’

4th: Jordan Lassiter-’Joyful Girl’

4th: Janai Burton-’Justice’

4th: Jesse Detroy-’Once Upon A December’

4th: Quincy Wilson-’There Will Be Sunshine’

5th: Annamarie Messina-’Bitterly’

5th: Kylie Nequette-’Dream State’

5th: Wells McEntyre-’Like Water’

5th: Maria Laughlin-’Little Voice’

5th: Carrington Hodge-’Mercy’

5th: Natalie Bumgarner-’Omnia’

5th: Maddie Laine Callaway-’Piece By Piece’

6th: Madison McLain-’Madness’

6th: Courtney O’Bryant-’When You Loved Me’

7th: Daelyn Kreis-’Know My Rights’

8th: Payton Gray-’Only The Bravest’

8th: Faith Stoner-’Solids’

9th: Julianna Mazzucco-’Exile’

9th: Katie Ambrose-’Tiny Victories’

10th: Chloe Ollard-’252′

10th: Cate Greer-’Keep You Safe’

10th: Liza Grace Cole-’Time’

Senior Solo

1st: Chloe Jeffcoat-’As For the Fall’

2nd: Julianna Abenoja-’Elephants’

3rd: Alexandra Jinglov-’Action Reaction’

3rd: Payton McCormick-’On My Bones’

3rd: Sophie Grabau-’Unravel’

4th: Brianna Butler-’Ain’t No Sunshine’

4th: Meredith Link-’Chapters End’

5th: Caroline Lybarger-’Clown’

5th: Madeline Underwood-’Say Goodbye’

6th: Cameron Claire Rhodes-’The Last Event’

7th: Lexie Little-’Free Me’

8th: Reyna Foslien-’Human’

8th: Raya Briley-’Turn To Stone’

9th: Leslie Blakney-’Where Does the Good Go’

10th: Ariana Gilles-’Honeymoon’

Sidekick Duo/Trio

1st: Dance Force Clarksville-’Donkey Pot Pie’

2nd: New Level Dance Company-’I’ll Be There’

3rd: Glamour and Grace Studio of Dance-’Wherever You Will Go’

Mini Duo/Trio

1st: Centre for Performing Arts Studio-’I Look To You’

2nd: Glamour and Grace Studio of Dance-’Geometric’

3rd: The DANCE CENTER on Main-’Looking for the Rainbow’

Junior Duo/Trio

1st: Center Stage Performing Arts Studio-’C’mon Talk’

2nd: The Dance Centre-’Us’

3rd: The Dance Centre-’You Will Be Found’f

Teen Duo/Trio

1st: The Difference Dance Company-’Come Let Us’

2nd: The Dance Centre-’Factory’

2nd: The Factory Dance Productions-’That’s Life’

3rd: The Dance Centre-’Dreamland’

Senior Duo/Trio

1st: Miss Amy’s Competitive Edge-’Forever Young’

Sidekick Group

1st: New Level Dance Company-’I Need A Hero’

2nd: The Dance Centre-’Fruit Machine’

3rd: Encore Dance Company-’Mr. Postman’

Mini Group

1st: The Dance Centre-’You’ll Be Back’

2nd: Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Another One Bites the Dust’

3rd: The Dance Centre-’Life’

Junior Group

1st: Jill’s Studio of Dance-’All I Want’

2nd: Jill’s Studio of Dance-’State of Shock’

2nd: The Dance Centre-’Storm Coming’

3rd: Birmingham Dance Theatre-’Control’

Teen Group

1st: Heidi Knight School of Dance-’California Love’

1st: Jill’s Studio of Dance-’The Chain’

2nd: Dance Force Clarksville-’O.C.D’

3rd: Impulse Performing Arts Studio-’The Great Escape’

Senior Group

1st: Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Fix You’

2nd: Dance Force Clarksville-’See Me’

3rd: Dance Force Clarksville-’Heaven I Know’

3rd: Dance Force Clarksville-’Rescue’

Sidekick Line

1st: Dance Force Clarksville-’Dinosaurs’

2nd: Studio H Dance Company-’ABC’

3rd: McCalla Academy of Dance-’Birth of the Boogie’

Mini Line

1st: Jill’s Studio of Dance-’Jailhouse Rock’

2nd: The Dance Centre-’Jindigo’

3rd: Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Be Our Guest’

Junior Line

1st: The Dance Centre-’Heroes’

1st: Birmingham Dance Theatre-’Surrender’

2nd: Jill’s Studio of Dance-’It’s About That Walk’

3rd: The Dance Centre-’Woodland Fairies’

Teen Line

1st: Jill’s Studio of Dance-’Salvation’

2nd: Birminghman Dance Theatre-’Perception’

3rd: Jill’s Studio of Dance-’One More Time’

Senior Line

1st: Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Spring Fling’

2nd: Dance Force Clarksville-’Escape’

Sidekick Extended Line

1st: The Dance Centre-’Candyman’

Mini Extended Line

1st: Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Pirates’

2nd: Birmingham Dance Theatre-’The Birthday Card’

3rd: Jill’s Studio of Dance-’I’m Alive’

Junior Extended Line

1st: The Dance Centre-’Jagged Roots’

2nd: Jill’s Studio of Dance-’Footloose’

3rd: Heidi Knight School of Dance-’I Look To You’

Teen Extended Line

1st: The Dance Centre-’Scorned’

2nd: Birmingham Dance Theatre-’The Skaters Waltz’

3rd: The Dance Centre-’Tabula Rasa’

Senior Extended Line

1st: Heidi Knight School of Dance-’The Stars’

Junior Production

1st: The Dance Centre-’The Tina Turner Review’

2nd: Dance Force Clarksville-’Walk the Plank’

Teen Production

1st: Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Somebody to Hold’

1st: The Dance Centre-’Welcome to the Moulin Rouge!’

High Score by Performance Division:

Sidekick Jazz

The Dance Centre-’Candyman’

Sidekick Tap

Encore Dance Company-’Grease Lightning’

Sidekick Contemporary

Glamour and Grace Studio of Dance-’Flickers’

Sidekick Lyrical

New Level Dance Company-’I Need A Hero’

Sidekick Specialty

Dance Force Clarksville-’Dinosaurs’

Mini Tap

Encore Dance Company-'Boogie Woogie’

Mini Lyrical

The Dance Centre-’Perfect Way’

Mini Jazz

Jill’s Studio of Dance-’Jailhouse Rock’

Mini Musical Theatre

The Dance Centre-’You’ll Be Back’

Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Be Our Guest’

Mini Hip-Hop

Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Pirates’

Mini Specialty

Jill’s Studio of Dance-’I’m Alive’

Mini Ballet

The Dance Centre-’Rodeo’

Junior Hip-Hop

Birmingham Dance Theatre-’Emergency’

Junior Musical Theatre

The Dance Centre-’The Tina Turner Review’

Junior Specialty

Jill’s Studio of Dance-’Footloose’

Junior Jazz

The Dance Centre-’Jagged Roots’

Junior Tap

Dance Force Clarksville-’Sorry’

Junior Lyrical

Jill’s Studio of Dance-’All I Want’

Junior Contemporary

Birmingham Dance Theatre-’Control’

Junior Ballet

The Dance Centre-’Woodland Fairies’

Teen Hip-Hop

The Dance Centre-’Meet the Plastics’

Teen Tap

The Dance Centre-’Blinded By the Lights’

Teen Specialty

Heidi Knight School of Dance-’California Love’

Teen Jazz

Jill’s Studio of Dance-’One More Time’

Teen Contemporary

The Dance Centre-’Scorned’

Teen Lyrical

The Dance Centre-’I Do’

Teen Musical Theatre

The Dance Centre-’Welcome to the Moulin Rouge!’

Teen Ballet

Birmingham Dance Theatre-’The Skaters Waltz’

Senior Contemporary

Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Spring Fling’

Senior Lyrical

Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Fix You’

Senior Jazz

Heidi Knight School of Dance-’The Stars’

Senior Hip-Hop

Dance Force Clarksville-’Roman Holiday’

11 O’Clock:

Sidekick

Dance Force Clarksville-’Dinosaurs’

New Level Dance Company-’I Need A Hero’

The Dance Centre-’Candyman’

Mini

Birmingham Dance Theatre-’Hocus Pocus’

Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Pirates’

The Dance Centre-’Jindigo’

Jill’s Studio of Dance-’Jailhouse Rock’

Junior

The Dance Centre-’Jagged Roots’

Dance Force Clarksville-’Welcome to the Party’

Heidi Knight School of Dance-’I Look To You’

Birmingham Dance Theatre-’Surrender’

Jill’s Studio of Dance-’All I Want’

Teen

Jill’s Studio of Dance-’Salvation’

Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Somebody to Hold’

Birmingham Dance Theatre-’The Skaters Waltz’

The Dance Centre-’Scorned’

Senior

Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Spring Fling’

Dance Force Clarksville-’Escape’

Studio Showcase:

Jill’s Studio of Dance-’Salvation’

Heidi Knight School of Dance-’Spring Fling’

Encore Dance Company-’When Tomorrow’

Birmingham Dance Theatre-’The Skaters Waltz’

The Dance Centre-’Scorned’

McCalla Academy of Dance-’Step In Time’

Dance Force Clarksville-’Escape’

[emerging-artists-zine]

Gather ‘round our cauldron all and see what we’re about to do: A sprinkle of toadstool, a dash of time, just a pinch of salt will do.

Hold on tight, prepare your spellbooks, ready your chants, for this is where the magic begins... Witching Hour, a zine for emerging artists, is proud to present:

Kala Sketch || Instagram | Twitter | Twitch | ArtStation Aortic Inkwell || Instagram | Twitter | Website Pantykitty || Instagram | Patreon | DeviantArt | Website Glitteratigalaxy || Instagram | Twitter | Website magebomb || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Website John Alberse || Instagram | Twitter | Website Kimberly Leong || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Patreon | Website Yule2b || Instagram | Twitter | Website Rumminov || Twitter | Tumblr  Voltie || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr 1 , 2 | YouTube Naoyin || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | DeviantArt Echo || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr Awato || Twitter | DeviantArt | Website Amy Gerardy || Twitter | Tumblr | ArtStation Poppy May || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Website Butchinelle || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr Frogtax || Twitter | Tumblr | DeviantArt Dreachie || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr

Lahtirus || Twitter | Tumblr | Website  Starfaesart || Instagram | Tumblr Ruby Huntress || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr Lynncholy || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | DeviantArt Ciaran Bee || Instagram | Tumblr 1 , 2 Bub’s Doodles || Instagram | Tumblr Snerflerks || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr Vellia Zhou || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | DeviantArt Jodi Gregg || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | DeviantArt | Website  Anna Rosenkrans Birkedal || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr  Caitlin Fryer || Instagram | Twitter | Website  Dominic Cellini || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Website Maeve || Twitter | ArtStation Sucr0se || Twitter | DeviantArt | Website Eyeball || Instagram | Twitter Warimari || Instagram | Tumblr Soya || Twitter | DeviantArt Sochika || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | DeviantArt Kuzz || Instagram | Tumblr Pen McVay || Instagram | Twitter | Website Megan Delany ||  Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Website Katie Hicks || Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Website Mango || Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

[ABOUT] [SCHEDULE] [TWITTER]

[funface2]

Fun Pics of Jonathan Van Ness, Tig Notaro, and More From Bentzen Ball – Washingtonian

Bentzen Ball will take over venues around DC this weekend, and the local comedy festival is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary. Curated and hosted by Tig Notaro and co-produced by Brightest Young Things, it has become a crucial annual gathering for humor-loving Washingtonians. This year’s fest—which benefits José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen—includes Maria Bamford, Roxane Gay, Jaboukie Young-White, and lots more. One highlight will be a homecoming for comedians born, raised, or educated in the Washington area, including Saturday Night Live alum Jay Pharaoh.

Before the festivities kick off, here’s a look back at some fun moments with people who’ve participated in past years, captured by Brightest Young Things’s photo team as the comedians wandered around DC in the days around their performances.

Tig Notaro, host and co-founder of the festival, mimics President Obama at the White House’s bowling lane in 2014. Notaro holds day-camp-like bonding events for performers, and the Obama White House was a frequent stop. The last bowling trip was just before the 2016 election.

Dripping in fake blood, Annapolis native Brandie Posey, er, poses outside a 2016 Bentzen Ball afterparty hosted at the 9:30 Club. The red splatter came courtesy of Richmond metal greats GWAR, who performed—what a lineup!—after Weird Al Yankovich rocked out on the same stage.

Michelle Buteau and Jordan Carlos may be known as the comedians trying to figure out how exactly to “adult” on NPR’s Adulting podcast, but BYT named them the Nicest People at 2018’s Bentzen Ball. The festival typically gives out a Miss Congeniality-type award each year in the form of a t-shirt.

Ben’s Chili Bowl is next to the Bentzen Ball’s usual venue, Lincoln Theatre. On the festival’s first year, the restaurant hosted an open mic night in a back room with surprise acts like Nick Offerman. This photo is from 2013, when two comedic duos, Garfunkel and Oates’s Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci, and the Lampshades’s Kate Flannery and Scott Robinson, were clearly very excited to try a half-smoke.

John Hodgman semi-adopted this dog at a 2014 pizza party in Brightest Young Thing’s WeWork space at the Wonder Bread Factory. No one seemed to know where the dog came from, but everyone remembers that Hodgman doted on it for the whole night. Hodgman has performed at Bentzen Ball twice–once dressed as Ayn Rand.

Segway tours of the Mall were often popular with visiting comedians. Organizers hosted the tour at the first festival in 2009, and through the grapevine, performers in other years demanded their own turn. Notaro, Kate Berlant, and improv group Wild Horses are among the Segway-ers seen here.

DC was buzzing when the Queer Eye stars visited Nancy Pelosi on the Hill in April. Jonathan Van Ness and Pelosi go back: In 2018, Van Ness hosted Pelosi for a live taping of his podcast, Getting Curious. Here, Antoni Porowski joined them for a group photo.

Pelosi treated her event with Van Ness in 2018 as a fun afternoon, asking if she could bring her grandkids along. Van Ness used his famed grooming skills to fix Pelosi’s bangs during a photo shoot.

Improv group Wild Horses is made of four best friends: Stephanie Allynne, Mary Holland, Lauren Lapkus, and Erin Whitehead. In 2014, before they performed at the Kennedy Center, they bowled at the White House (and couldn’t help doing their own Obama-with-a-ball pose).

Seaton Smith—who is returning to DC this year as part of the Homecoming lineup—learned how to craft (and drink) the perfect cocktail at Columbia Room last year. The comedian has performed in the festival many times over the years.

The Library of Congress opened its doors in 2014 for a tour of its comedy archives for the festival performers. The archive contains recordings of classic acts, like Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s On First.” Notaro arranged the tour as part of her vision of the festival: comedians bonding and celebrating comedy.

In 2014, organizers took participants out for a boat trip on the Potomac. The Puterbaugh Sisters, Liza Treyger, Katie McVay, and Stephanie Hass rushed to get a photo with the Washington monument at just the right moment.

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[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/technology/entertainment/what-to-know-about-super-bowl-liii-start-time-commercials-halftime-show-and-more/

What to know about Super Bowl LIII: Start time, commercials, halftime show and more

Super Bowl LIII is this Sunday and you know what party you’re planning to attend, how to get there and which of your friends and family will be there.

Interested in Super Bowl?

Add Super Bowl as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Super Bowl news, video, and analysis from ABC News.

Now you just need to know everything else.

We’re here to help — whether you’re a rookie or a perennial Pro Bowler when it comes to the annual NFL championship game.

The basics

Super Bowl LIII (that’s 53, for those who struggle with Roman numerals) is Sunday, Feb. 3, and the official kickoff time is 6:30 p.m. on CBS.

The NFC champion Los Angeles Rams (13-3) will face off against the AFC champion New England Patriots (11-5). If you’re feeling a sense of deja vu, yes, the Patriots have been in the Super Bowl three years in a row and four of the last five.

AP

In this Dec. 4, 2016, file photo, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady right, speak at midfield to Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff after the Patriots won 26-10 in an NFL football game in Foxborough, Mass.

The Patriots are the betting line favorites at -2.5. The over/under is 56.5.

If you don’t have a team, know that the Patriots are fairly reviled outside of a certain six states.

Veteran play-by-play man Jim Nantz and Tony Romo, the former Dallas quarterback in his second year as an analyst, will be calling the game.

Former referee Gene Steratore will also be in the booth to talk officiating and Tracy Wolfson will be reporting from the sidelines.

The menu

First rule: Never show up to a Super Bowl party empty-handed. Don’t be the person who brings a 2-liter of soda and eats everybody else’s finely cooked foods, either.

We’ve had you covered for weeks, but we know you’re going to be pulling something together Sunday morning anyway.

Here are some ideas for the procrastinators:

Sweet and sour chicken wings or pretzel-coated chicken wings

‘Touchdown’ nachos with chorizo or Asian-inspired wonton nachos

Skillet pepperoni pizza dip or cheddar cheese fondue

And we’ve even got you covered if you’re trying to stay on a Whole30 or keto diet, with cheese chips and guacamole, cauliflower grilled cheese, sausage-stuffed mushrooms, Bloody Mary wings, Keto rolls and sliders, Golden sweet potato chips and many more.

On the other hand, if you’ve decided to buck your New Year’s diet, there’s always a 12-pound taco.

Play

We tried a 12-pound taco you’ll want on the menu at your Super Bowl party

The commercials

The only thing more scrutinized than the play on the field is often the commercials that air in-between the action.

With each spot costing more than $5 million, according to The Associated Press, you can bet companies will pull out every stop to make them memorable. That certainly means a lot of star power — everyone from Steve Carrell to Harrison Ford to Jeff Bridges and Sarah Jessica Parker will make appearances.

AP

This screen grab from video provided by PepsiCo shows an image from the company’s 2019 Super Bowl NFL football spot featuring Steve Carell. Star power abounds in this year’s Super Bowl ads.

Bumble, a dating app where women must first message men, has turned to tennis legend Serena Williams in its advertising spot. The ad in women-centric, of course, and even directed by an all-female team.

Cardi B will appear in Pepsi’s ad, alongside Carrell, as they answer the question, “Is Pepsi OK?” and Christina Applegate will get locked out of her car in an ad for M&Ms.

Classics like the Budweiser Clydesdales will also be returning to the roster of ads.

Play

First look at Steve Carrell and Cardi B in Pepsi’s 2019 Super Bowl ad

The halftime show

The only thing more controversial than a questionable pass interference call is this year’s halftime show.

The annual extravaganza is usually a career highlight for one A-list musician. Prince, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen and Katy Perry are among the boldface names to have done the honors.

Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images

Singer-songwriter Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performs during Philly Fights Cancer: Round 4 at The Philadelphia Navy Yard, Nov. 10, 2018 in Philadelphia.

Maroon 5 will be performing at this year’s halftime — but not without controversy. Travis Scott and Big Boi will be joining him onstage.

Many performers turned down the opportunity — reportedly Rihanna and Pink among them — as a protest against the league’s alleged treatment of former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

The halftime show will go on Sunday, but Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine has been mum about the gig. The NFL skipped its usual press conference before Levine eventually telling Entertainment Tonight, “I’m not in the right profession if I can’t handle a little bit of controversy. It’s what it is.”

As a means of heading off some criticism, Maroon 5 and Scott will be donating half a million dollars each to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Dream Corps, respectively.

The players and coaches

This year’s Super Bowl is a matchup between possibly the best coach (Bill Belichick) and best quarterback (Tom Brady) of all-time versus the current best young coach (Sean McVay) and best young quarterback (Jared Goff).

Belichick and Brady are competing in their ninth Super Bowl. They are 5-3 in their first eight appearances.

You probably know Brady: tall, handsome, future Hall of Famer, married to a supermodel. The 41-year-old already has more Super Bowl rings than any other starting quarterback, but he’d like to add a sixth this year (one for the other thumb?).

AP

In this Monday, Jan. 28, 2019, file photo, Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff talks to New England Patriots’ Tom Brady during Opening Night for the NFL Super Bowl 53 football game in Atlanta.

The other marquee players? You should know Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. From Tide ads to celebrity gossip sites, and even professional wrestling, he’s one of the most marketable names in the sport. There’s also a chance this is his last game as a pro.

On the other sideline, this is the first Super Bowl for both McVay and Goff. Goff is in just his third year in the NFL and McVay his second as a head coach.

Goff is just 24 and a San Francisco Bay area native — just like Brady. His coach, McVay, is the youngest in the NFL and will be the youngest in Super Bowl history at just 33. Yes, eight years younger than Brady.

McVay is also known for his model partner: Veronika Khomyn. The Ukrainian model regularly posts snaps of the two on her Instagram page.

The pregame

The pregame programming for the Super Bowl is much longer than the game itself.

CBS begins its pregame at an inhuman 11:30 a.m. — a full seven hours before kickoff. The channel airs “That Other NFL Pregame Show” at 11:30 a.m., “Road to the Super Bowl” from noon to 1 p.m., “Tony Goes to the Super Bowl” — featuring analyst Tony Romo — from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., and “The Super Bowl Today” right up until the feature broadcast begins at 6 p.m.

And since you can never avoid politics, President Donald Trump will also be doing a pretaped interview with CBS around 3:30 p.m.

If you want to start even earlier, ESPN begins the preshow at 10 a.m. and goes for four hours until 2 p.m.

NFL Network, which is arguably always a preshow, begins its “NFL Gameday Morning” from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The game

If you like high-scoring passing attacks, you should be happy with the Rams. Goff threw for over 300 yards eight times this season and the Rams scored over 30 points in 13 games, including the playoffs. Brady is of course one of the best to ever throw a , and with receivers like Gronkowski and Julian Edelman, the game will likely see plenty of touchdowns scored.

The result may come down to the health of Rams running back Todd Gurley. There’s been plenty of mystery around his health, especially after the All Pro had just four carries in the NFC Championship.

AP

The Mercedes-Benz Stadium is seen ahead of the Super Bowl LIII, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019, in Atlanta.

You can be sure there will also be talk about the referees, and especially pass interference, after the Rams lucked into a bad call in the NFC Championship that would’ve all-but-ended the game in favor of the New Orleans Saints. Just nod along, it was a bad call, and even the NFL has apologized.

It should be a close game regardless of who wins.

Then again, if the Super Bowl is just not your thing, here’s five shows to watch instead.

[thebusinesslashow]

The Business Los Angeles continues the legacy of the favorite pre-tech bubble #SF comedy scene into its TENTH YEAR right here in Echo Park! Next show: Monday 5/27 Featuring: Yassir Lester, Sandy Honig, Felicia Folkes, Max Beasley & Katie McVay! Featuring The Biz Gang: Chris Garcia, Sean Keane, Bucky Sinister & Anna Seregina, hosted by Megan Koester! Doors at 8:30p, Show at 9p (Happy Hour Until 9p) #FREE at Little Joy (1477 W Sunset Blvd, LA, CA 90026) **assisted listening devices available

[isgrow]

Guillermo at Super Bowl Opening Night 2019

Every year at the Super Bowl they have an opening night where members of the media get to talk to players from both teams. They get it all done at once, and once again the MVP of this event was our own Guillermo who went and tackled the tough questions at Super Bowl Media Day 2019 where he talked to: Ndamukong Suh, Jared Goff, Bill Belichick, Sean McVay, Aaron Donald, Tom Brady, Julian Edelman, Todd Gurley, Trey Flowers, Rob Gronkowski, Brandin Cooks, and James White. #Patriots #LARams #SuperBowl

Christina Aguilera Pranks Unsuspecting Customers at Donut Shop https://youtu.be/O-PUHYb5WQ4

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Connect with Jimmy Kimmel Live Online:

Visit the Jimmy Kimmel Live WEBSITE: http://bit.ly/JKLWebsite Like Jimmy Kimmel on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/KimmelFB Like Jimmy Kimmel Live on FACEBOOK: http://bit.ly/JKLFacebook Follow @JimmyKimmel on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/KimmelTW Follow Jimmy Kimmel Live on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/JKLTwitter Follow Jimmy Kimmel Live on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/JKLInstagram

About Jimmy Kimmel Live:

Jimmy Kimmel serves as host and executive producer of Emmy-winning “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” ABC’s late-night talk show.

“Jimmy Kimmel Live” is well known for its huge viral video successes with 5.6 billion views on YouTube alone. Some of Kimmel’s most popular comedy bits include – Mean Tweets, Lie Witness News, Jimmy’s Twerk Fail Prank, Unnecessary Censorship, YouTube Challenge, The Baby Bachelor, Movie: The Movie, Handsome Men’s Club, Jimmy Kimmel Lie Detective and music videos like “I (Wanna) Channing All Over Your Tatum” and a Blurred Lines parody with Robin Thicke, Pharrell, Jimmy and his security guard Guillermo. Now in its seventeenth season, Kimmel’s guests have included: Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, Halle Berry, Harrison Ford, Jennifer Aniston, Will Ferrell, Katy Perry, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, George Clooney, Larry David, Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg, Kobe Bryant, Steve Carell, Hugh Jackman, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Bridges, Jennifer Garner, Ryan Gosling, Bryan Cranston, Jamie Foxx, Amy Poehler, Ben Affleck, Robert Downey Jr., Jake Gyllenhaal, Oprah, and unfortunately Matt Damon.

Guillermo at Super Bowl Opening Night 2019 https://youtu.be/PNuVSjIk_cI

being published on http://mybecause.com/guillermo-at-super-bowl-opening-night-2019/

[savetopnow]

2018-03-24 03 CELEBRITY now

CELEBRITY

E!

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People

In PEOPLE’s The Best of HGTV Special Edition Get Up Close with Your Favorite Renovation and Real Estate Stars

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Cardi B Wants To Know What The Government Is Doing With Her Tax Money & Honestly, Same

Khloé Kardashian Satisfies Her Popeyes Chicken Pregnancy Craving — With The Help Of Popeyes!

The Spice Girls Will Now Reunite For… An Animated Superhero Movie!?

Turning 40 Today And…

Popsugar

Queen Latifah's Emotional Tribute to Her Late Mom Will Break Your Heart in 2

Aww! Prince Harry Knew Meghan Markle Was "Very Special" the First Time He Met Her

Kate Reveals George and Charlotte's Favorite Family Activity — and It's Totally Relatable

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Have the Look of Love on Their Trip to Northern Ireland

POPSUGAR Is Putting on a Brand-New Festival, and You're Invited!

Reddit Entertainment

US sanctions Iranian 'Game of Thrones' hacker, Iranian company in massive hacking scheme

Tyler Perry reveals what it was like to nearly lose $20k bidding war with Blue Ivy

Cannes bans selfies on the red carpet

Karen McDougal's CNN interview: Former Playboy model says Trump tried to pay her

15 people who hated the movies made about their lives

TMZ

Nikolas Cruz's Brother: Body Cam Footage Shows Arrest at Stoneman Douglas

TMZ Live: Paris Jackson & Cara Delevingne The Big Kiss!

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[illingsworth]

Liked on YouTube: "Rae Sanni and Katie McVay: You Welcome with Marcella Arguello" https://youtu.be/2oY0T4I7G8c

[paulo0369]

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[kansascityhappenings]

Super Bowl LIII prop bets: A look at the bizarre novelty wagers for the big game

Some people will tell you that prop bets are for suckers. And those people suck.

Prop betting has become one of the most popular wagering options for both squares and sharps alike, according to sister site Covers.com.

When it comes to the professional bettors – those fabled Vegas wiseguys – they don’t care what the bet is. Their biggest concern is value: do they have a significant edge over the book to make money on that bet?

Whether that’s on the Super Bowl pointspread or time of the first score of the game, money won is money won. That said, there are “smarter” prop bets to make, like handicapping prop odds for things you can actually research and quantify.

You can crunch the numbers around the longest made field goal for Super Bowl LIII and have an educated prediction. You can’t, however, accurately forecast the fashion habits of Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine and know whether he’ll wear a hat during the halftime show. I mean you can try. And boy do we try.

For all of you Super Bowl bettors — the so-called suckers — who love those unpredictable and often absurd novelty prop options: we salute you. That’s true gambling. Let’s do the impossible.

*Note: Most novelty props that can’t be officially graded in a box score are not allowed to be offered in legal sports betting states like Nevada or New Jersey. These types of props are only available online or in Europe sportsbooks. If you can’t legally take part in those markets, these predictions should simply be treated as entertainment only.

COIN TOSS

The same folks that poo-poo prop betting are the same ones that crap all over wagering on the coin toss.

Yes, it’s an actual coin toss with no way to predict what will happen. Pure 50/50. But, it’s also a coin toss, so there’s no outside factors like weather or in-game injuries that will spoil a play you thought you handicapped perfectly. Just let her rip.

Another reason to love betting on the coin toss: it’s the miso soup of Super Bowl bets. It’s quick, and early on, and you don’t have to go nuts and bet a ton of money on it. The coin toss is just a little taste to warm up your gut for the all-you-can-eat feast that is Super Sunday.

As it stands, Tails holds a 27-25 edge over Heads in Super Bowl coin toss history. Tails had hit in four straight Big Games before Heads showed up last year at Super Bowl LII. Is Heads due to come up again in order to balance out the universe or is Tails still the hot pick? Reminder: it’s a coin toss, so don’t lose too much sleep.

A couple other coin toss trends to consider (but are actually pure fluff): the NFC has won 18 of the past 21 Super Bowl coin flips but lost last year when the AFC Champion Patriots took the toss. That was just the second time in New England’s eight Super Bowl showings under Bill Belichick that the Pats won the toss – and they lost both of those games (2012, 2018).

Again, it’s a coin toss. Have fun.

PREDICTION: Tails (-105)

NATIONAL ANTHEM LENGTH

Motown legend Gladys Knight has the honors of singing the National Anthem at Super Bowl LIII. The 74-year-old songstress from Atlanta has an Over/Under of 107 seconds (could vary per sportsbook), which is well below last year’s 120-second total for pop singer Pink, who clocked in at 112 seconds and cashed in for Under bettors.

Going back over the past 28 Super Bowls, the average length of the anthem is about 115 seconds but recent singers have really milked the spotlight with longer versions of the “Star-Spangled Banner”. Before Pink, three consecutive singers went over two minutes with their anthem performance and looking back at those past 28 Super Bowls, just seven versions of the anthem stayed below the current O/U of 107 seconds.

I did some YouTube sleuthing and found a recording of Knight singing the anthem back in 1991, with her finishing with a time around 105 seconds. That was 27 years ago. According to my fellow Covers Live Wire host and professional stage performer/singer Maddy Palmer, Knight’s age and breathing control have her leaning toward the Under. Maddy believes Knight won’t have the pipes to go all out like some younger anthem singers in the past. She’ll keep it quick and clean.

Good enough for me.

PREDICTION: Under 107 (-115)

HALFTIME SHOW

Is it just me or does Maroon 5 not have enough clout to play the Super Bowl halftime show? Beyoncé, Prince, Paul McCartney, The Rolling “F-ing” Stones, and… Maroon 5. One of these things is not like the others. I guess that’s what you get when every other major musical act passes on the chance due to their stand on the NFL vs. Colin Kaepernick. But I digress.

Props around the halftime show are abundant, with Maroon 5, Travis Scott and Big Boi (God, I’d love an all Outkasts halftime show!) scheduled to appear. As mentioned above, you can wager on whether Levine will sport a hat to start the show or not, but by now that’s standard Super Bowl prop betting fare. I think the real money is in the opening song markets.

Some books have “Moves Like Jagger” as the front runner to kick off the halftime show while other have songs like “One More Night”, “Sugar”, and “Makes Me Wonder” at the top of this prop. You can grab most of these between +300 and +600.

The one trend I’ve noticed in recent Super Bowl halftime shows is a “psych out song” to open. They start playing the tune from one song but then start singing another:

We saw Lady Gaga do this three years ago with “God Bless America” and then jumping into “Poker Face”, Bruno Mars did it in 2014 with a kids choir singing “Billionaire” then he went in with “Locked Out Of Heaven”, and Beyoncé crossed us up with a “Run The World (Girls)”/Vince Lombardi mashup then singing “Love On Top”. Beware of this trend because it causes grading issues with many online books. It’s their prop and their rules, so whatever they think is the first song sung – that’s what you get. Tough tees.

The other trend I’ve picked up on in recent Super Bowl halftime shows is that acts will either open with their latest song – in order to promote the new album – or they’ll swing big with what is considered their greatest hit:

Justin Timberlake went new with “Filthy” right out of the gate last year, Lady Gaga went classic with “Poker Face”, Coldplay went classic with “Yellow”, Katy Perry went new with “Roar”, Bruno Mars went new with “Locked Out of Heaven”, as did the Queen B with “Love On Top”, and Madonna took us back to the classics with “Vogue” in 2012.

Since most of these options pay a larger sum due to the unpredictable nature of this prop, we’re pulling the trigger on three songs to open. Going classic: “This Love”. Going new: “Girls Like You”. And, digging into setlists from their recent concerts: “What Lovers Do”.

PREDICTION: Opening song – This Love (+1,500), Girls Like You (+600), What Lovers Do (+400)

BETTING THE BROADCAST

The great thing about broadcast props is that the game can be an absolute wash and you still have a dog in the fight. And speaking of dogs, did you know there’s an Over/Under prop out there on the number of dogs featured in Super Bowl commercials (5.5)? Gotta go Over, right?

Other broadcast offerings include how many time Tony Romo will correctly calls a play before it happens and will a call Romo correctly predicts finds its way to the endzone? Then you have all of the Over/Under TV appearance props: Giselle 1.5 O/U, Roger Goodell 1.5 O/U, Robert Kraft 2.5, Kylie Jenner 0.5.

There are a ton of these out there but my favorite one – in terms of probability – is will CBS mention the age difference in the two head coaches, Bill Belichick (the evil entity that uses his body as a host is 391 years old but he doesn’t look a day over 66) and Sean McVay (33).

The “Yes” on this prop is priced at -200, which may be a little too rich for the casual fan but this prop is going to hit. You bet $20 to get $10. You’re going to return half of your investment right away. No mutual fund is going to promise that kind of return.

PREDICTION: “Yes” broadcast mentions age difference between Belichick and McVay (-200)

GATORADE BATH 

Just because the whistle blew and confetti is flying doesn’t mean the betting fun stops. The postgame is a dog and pony show of unpredictable markets just waiting to be wagered on. You’ve got a ton of President Trump related props (Will he congratulate the winning team on Twitter by midnight ET?) and of course, who will the winning quarterback thank first (God, family, coach, team, fans)?

At the top of that list though is the color of the Gatorade bath. Depending on where you play, the price on colors is all over the place. However, most shops do have water/clear and yellow leading the charge.

Looking back to 2000, this is your Super Bowl Gatorade bath count: Water x 7, Orange x 5, Yellow x 3, Blue x 1, and 4 bone-dry coaches. You had both Water and Orange when the Ravens won in 2013, in case you’re actually counting.

If you like the Patriots, there might be value in no bath – if available at your sportsbook. In Belichick’s five wins, he’s stayed dry in three of those games (thanks to walk-off wins) with Blue and Water as the color of the other two. McVay, on the other hand, got a Water bath in his first win as the Rams’ head coach in Week 1 of the 2017 season.

Seems like H2O is the way to go.

PREDICTION: Water/Clear +360

This article was written by Jason Logan (@CoversJLo) and originally published on Covers.com, a site also owned by Tribune. 

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/2019/02/01/super-bowl-liii-prop-bets-a-look-at-the-bizarre-big-game-novelty-wagers/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2019/02/01/super-bowl-liii-prop-bets-a-look-at-the-bizarre-novelty-wagers-for-the-big-game/

[joshreads]

Our final featured performer for tonight's show: Katie McVay! Katie is a writer and standup. She is writing for the upcoming Crunchyroll Originals series, High Guardian Spice. Prior to that, she worked on Netflix's Bill Nye Saves the World. She has written for MTV.com as well as NPR's Smashboombest and Brains On.  She is the star and co-creator of an advice web series, Yell You Better. She founded Chicago’s own DIY comedy festival, The Comedy Exposition, which ran for three years. As a standup, she has successfully managed to not cry at the majority of shows in which she performed. Come check out her, and the rest of us, TONIGHT AT 8 PM AT LOS FELIZ’S CLUBHOUSE!