Month: June 2024

The art of quick change has captivated viewers since the 17th (or perhaps even 15th) century. Perhaps it’s one of the more enduring styles of illusion because it can adapt along with ever changing fashion trends. Or maybe the concept of taking mere seconds to do any mundane task will always baffle us. Either way, it’s an act audiences love time and time again.

And yet, even if you have seen quick change magic before, Solange Kardinaly’s “America’s Got Talent” audition offers a fresh take.

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The Portugal-born magician, who just so happens to hold the Guiness World Record for most costume changes in a single minute, stunned the crowd with a number that had 5 seamless outfit swaps, along with a color changing purse and money that appeared out of nowhere. Talk about living the dream.

Besides the quick changes, part of what makes the act so magical is Kardinaly’s charisma and stage presence. She’s clearly having so much fun strutting to Madonna’s “Material Girl” as her character goes on a shopping spree.

Watch:

After her performance, Kardinaly got nothing but praise from judges Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel and Simon Cowell, who agreed she was “the best quick-change artist [they] had ever seen” and voted for her to move on to the competition’s next round.

Of course, the judges weren’t the only ones who were impressed. Check out some of these lovely comments from online viewers:

“She’s not doing quick change only,but she’s a magician as well.this is mind blowing

Great concept and great storytelling. Awesome job!”

“If this isn’t magic, I don’t know what is! Absolutely enchanted by your performance!”

“Even when slowed down to 25% speed you cannot see how she does it, incredible.”

“Not many people know how much work n how much detail goes into a quick change act like this , she truly a wonderful craft lady.”

“Even though I understand how this sort of trick is performed, I was still very impressed. She pulls it off flawlessly. Her transitions are lightning fast with no pulling or bunching. It is obvious that she has spent A LOT of time perfecting her technique.”

“Freaking awesome…She is really good and knows how to present her craft to the audience.”

Now, if you please excuse me while I take at least 45 minutes to get into ONE outfit today…

Whether you’re a basketball fan or not, there is no escaping the names Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. The two powerhouse players catapulted into public consciousness when their friendly rivalry went viral in 2023. There’s no denying that each player is amazing at the sport. In fact, they were both drafted to the WNBA right after their last college season and almost immediately hit the court as professionals.

Their rivalry has brought more eyes on the WNBA breaking viewership and attendance records but some fans have noticed a discrepancy in how Clark is treated versus Reese. Mr. Ernest Crim III, a former classroom teacher took to social media to highlight what he believes is racial bias, and he brings some receipts to back up his claims.

Clark is a white player who transitioned from the University of Iowa to the WNBA’s Indiana team and Reese is a Black player with the Chicago Sky whose Louisiana State University team won the 2023 championship.

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The two have explained that they respect each other’s game and have no ill intentions toward each other, but this doesn’t seem to stop the inflammatory headlines or comments. Crim brings up how fouling is applied differently for similar instances depending on if the person being fouled is Reese or Clark. The former teacher tied in statistics on how what he sees as implicit bias leads to harsher punishments for Black girls and women.

Implicit bias isn’t something that people do on purpose. In fact, most people don’t even realize they may be acting with any sort of bias because it’s not intentional.

“This reminds me of how Black girls are disproportionately treated at school and as a former classroom teacher, I just gotta keep speaking on it. Because Caitlin Clark was intentionally bumped and it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 but when Angel Reese was intentionally bumped it was just a regular foul,” Crim says.

Reese came to the defense of her teammate who received a flagrant foul for bumping Clark, encouraging reporters to review the clip, “go check the clip, it’s the same.”

Crim presents multiple examples in the video below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mr. Ernest Crim III (@mrcrim3)

The man wasn’t the only one thinking there was something off with the treatment of the two basketball stars, commenters shared their thoughts as well.

“THIS. Thank you for your support. Appreciate you,” one person says.

“Angel Reese is also one of the main reasons the WNBA is getting a larger support base. Not just Caitlin Clark like so many are saying. I will say I am disappointed in the WNBA alumni in their treatment of Reese and Clark,” someone says.

“Not to mention the fact that she waved her hand at the ref which is whatever and Caitlin has done it several times and not been thrown out although she was assessed technical fouls. I love them both but the BS narrative continues but she will continue to fight against it and the difference now is she has a lot of support whereas in past years or decades she might have been run out of the league,” another commenter explains.

In 1933, Adolf Hitler handed the power of Jewish cultural life in Nazi Germany to his chief propagandist, Joseph Goebbels. Goebbels established a team of of regulators that would oversee the works of Jewish artists in film, theater, music, fine arts, literature, broadcasting, and the press.

Goebbels’ new regulations essentially eliminated Jewish people from participating in mainstream German cultural activities by requiring them to have a license to do so.

This attempt by the Nazis to purge Germany of any culture that wasn’t Aryan in origin led to the questioning of artists from outside the country.

Nazi book burning via Wikimedia Commons

In 1938, English author J. R. R. Tolkien and his British publisher, Stanley Unwin, opened talks with Rütten & Loening, a Berlin-based publishing house, about a German translation of his recently-published hit novel, “The Hobbit.”

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Privately, according to “1937 The Hobbit or There and Back Again,” Tolkien told Unwin he hated Nazi “race-doctrine” as “wholly pernicious and unscientific.” He added he had many Jewish friends and was considering abandoning the idea of a German translation altogether.

The Berlin-based publishing house sent Tolkien a letter asking for proof of his Aryan descent. Tolkien was incensed by the request and gave his publisher two responses, one in which he sidestepped the question, another in which he clapped back ’30s-style with pure class.

His publisher sent the classy clap-back.

In the letter sent to Rütten & Loening, Tolkien notes that Aryans are of Indo-Iranian “extraction,” correcting the incorrect Nazi aumption that Aryans come from northern Europe. He cuts to the chase by saying that he is not Jewish but holds them in high regard. “I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people,” Tolkien wrote.

Tolkien also takes a shot at the race policies of Nazi Germany by saying he’s beginning to regret his German surname. “The time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride,” he writes.

Here’s the letter sent to Rütten & Loening:

25 July 1938 20 Northmoor Road, Oxford
Dear Sirs,

Thank you for your letter. I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people.

My great-great-grandfather came to England in the eighteenth century from Germany: the main part of my descent is therefore purely English, and I am an English subject — which should be sufficient. I have been accustomed, nonetheless, to regard my German name with pride, and continued to do so throughout the period of the late regrettable war, in which I served in the English army. I cannot, however, forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride.

Your enquiry is doubtless made in order to comply with the laws of your own country, but that this should be held to apply to the subjects of another state would be improper, even if it had (as it has not) any bearing whatsoever on the merits of my work or its sustainability for publication, of which you appear to have satisfied yourselves without reference to my Abstammung.
I trust you will find this reply satisfactory, and
remain yours faithfully,

J. R. R. Tolkien

This article originally appeared on 2.15.22

92-year-old Norma had a strange and heartbreaking routine.

Every night around 5:30 p.m., she stood up and told the staff at her Ohio nursing home that she needed to leave. When they asked why, she said she needed to go home to take care of her mother. Her mom, of course, had long since passed away.

Behavior like Norma’s is quite common for older folks suffering from Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. Walter, another man in the same assisted living facility, demanded breakfast from the staff every night around 7:30.

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Jean Makesh, CEO of Lantern assisted living facilities, says he meets folks with stories like these every day. It’s their stories that inspired him to make some changes at Lantern.

“I thought I knew a lot about elderly care. The more and more time I was spending with my clients, that’s when I realized, ‘Oh my god, I have no clue.'”

Confusion is common in Alzheimer’s patients, but Makesh knew there had to be some way to minimize these conflicts.

A big believer in the idea that our environment has an enormous effect on us, he started thinking big — and way outside the box.

“What if we design an environment that looks like outside?” he said. “What if I can have a sunrise and sunset inside the building? What if I’m able to have the moon and stars come out? What if I build a unit that takes residents back to the ’30s and ’40s?”

And that was just the beginning. He also researched sound therapy. And aromatherapy. And carpet that looked like grass. No idea was off-limits.

What he came up with was a truly unique memory-care facility. And after testing the concept in Lantern’s Madison, Ohio, facility, Makesh is opening two new locations this year.

Instead of rooms or units, each resident gets a “home” on a quiet little indoor street reminiscent of the neighborhoods many of them grew up in.

Instead of a boring panel ceiling, residents look up and see a digital sky, which grows dimmer late in the day to help keep their biological clocks in tune.

Throughout the day, nature sounds and fresh aromas like peppermint or citrus are piped in.

Some studies have shown that this kind of aromatherapy may indeed have some merits for improving cognitive functioning in Alzheimer’s patients.

For Makesh, this isn’t just about making patients comfortable, though. He wants to change how we think about the endgame of severe dementia.

Makesh said one of the frustrating shortcomings of most nursing facilities is that they create conflicts with unnatural environments and schedules, and they try to solve them by throwing antipsychotic and anti-anxiety medications at patients. In other words, when someone has severe dementia, we often give up on them. From there, they stop getting the engagement their brain needs to thrive.

Of course, we’re a long way from a cure for Alzheimer’s.

But Makesh’s project shows that when we think strategically about altering the environment and focus on helping people relearn essential self-care and hygiene skills, the near-impossible becomes possible.

“In five years, we’re going to [be able to] rehabilitate our clients where they can live independently in our environment,” he said. “In 10 years, we’re going to be able to send them back home.”

He knows it’s a lofty goal. And whether he’ll meet it remains to be seen. But in the meantime, he’s proud to own one of the few places that offers something pretty rare in cases of severe dementia: hope.

This article originally appeared on 09.08.16

For someone who stars in a lot of movies, Bill Skarsgard doesn’t talk much. Literally. He barely has lines in Boy Kills World, It , or even his stint in Deadpool 2, and yet he is still a celebrated actor for his ability to be creepy by just using his eyes. So a movie like The Crow is perfect for him! Minimal dialogue, maximum gore, all tied together with his haunting gaze.

The Crow remake hits theaters this summer, and if you aren’t familiar, it’s a controversial topic. The original movie was released in 1994 after the death of lead actor Brandon Lee. The film follows Eric Draven as The Crow, who is resurrected to avenge the murder of his love, played in the 2024 version by FKA Twigs.

We’ve gotten a few glimpses at Skarsgard’s version of The Crow, and the latest look features him throwing a couple of…heads? But before you get too scared, he probably had a good reason for the decapitation. Even if he is covered in blood.

While some fans are excited about the remake, director Alex Proyas, who made the first film, thinks that the sequel is not necessary. In March, he said “THE CROW is not just a movie. Brandon Lee died making it, and it was finished as a testament to his lost brilliance and tragic loss. It is his legacy. That’s how it should remain.” Unfortunately, it will only remain that way for a little while longer, as The Crow hits theaters on August 23rd.

(House of the Dragon spoilers will be found below.)

House of the Dragon‘s Queen Alicent, Olivia Cooke, is absolutely “stunnin’” in an Elle photo shoot timed to the House of the Dragon second-season premiere.

As viewers quickly witnessed, Alicent has been keeping herself busy in the wake of King Viserys’ death by engaging in an illicit relationship (that is brand new) with Ser Criston Cole. This has led him to fall down on his duties as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, and Cooke revealed to Elle that there’s actually more frenzied activity between the two that we haven’t seen:

“It was messy as f*ck. It wasn’t beautiful, and that was really fun to do.” It was “carnal” and even “animalistic,” she says. “I think Ryan [Condal, the showrunner] said we weren’t learning any more about the characters, which I disagree with slightly, but it’s okay. It’s his show,” she adds, with no hard feelings. Maybe we’ll see it in the bloopers, she says, laughing.

Additionally, Cooke admitted that she was actually preparing herself for “way more” of that sort of thing with this role, but what Alicent has done in that realm receives her seal of approval. “I’m relieved that when it has been used for me, it’s showing Alicent being pleasured, which is amazing and doesn’t feel gratuitous,” she detailed. “It feels like we’re telling a story.” To that point, Alicent certainly didn’t seem to enjoy those encounters with Viserys back in the first season, so it’s hard to argue with how Cooke points out that the Hightower queen has had some enjoyment coming.

Still, Criston Cole….? (The options really are limited in the Red Keep.)

HBO’s House of the Dragon airs on Sundays at 9:00pm EST.

(Via Elle)

Skateboarding is one of a few sports where very young competitors can compete with adults (gymnastics might be the ultimate example) and we’ve seen some young stars make names for themselves at a young age — Ryan Sheckler and Nyjah Huston both broke onto the skate scene before they even hit high school.

The newest sensation in the world of skateboarding is 9-year-old Ema Kawakami from Japan, who competed over the weekend at Tony Hawk’s Vert Alert in Salt Lake City, Utah. Kawakami had the crowd going wild as well as Hawk himself and the legend Sal Masekela on commentary, when he hit not one, not two, but three 900s in succession in the men’s vert final.

It’s an incredibly cool moment, and for Tony Hawk — the man who made history by landing the first 900 in competition at the X Games 15 years before Kawakami was even born — and the rest of the commentary crew to be having that much fun watching a 9-year-old make history is great. The Japanese youngster wasn’t done, though, as he went into the best trick competition later in the evening and hit and alley-oop 900 (spinning the opposite way he’s going) to send the crowd into a frenzy.

Have you noticed in uptick in basketball imagery lately? You’re not alone! As the NBA finals continue and the USA Olympic basketball team finally takes shape, everyone is chatting up the sport, especially the women who excel at it.

But on the scripted side of things, Hulu is also entering the basketball zone conversation with Clipped, a new miniseries that premiered this month. It has nothing to do with that barber shop sitcom starring Ashley Tisdale from 2015, just in case you were confused.

Clipped is based on ESPN’s podcast The Sterling Affairs, which told the tumultuous downfall of former Clippers owner Donald Sterling. You may or may not remember his racist rant which was exposed by his mistress back in 2014. Now, the ordeal is chronicled in a new six episode drama starring Laurence Fishburne, Ed O’Neill, Jacki Weaver and Cleopatra Coleman. Here is the official synopsis:

Based on the hit ESPN 30 for 30 podcast The Sterling Affairs, this limited series charts the collision between a dysfunctional basketball organization and even less functional marriage, and the precipitating tape’s impact on an ensemble of characters striving to win against the backdrop of the most cursed team in the league.

Episode four of Clipped, called “Winning Ugly,” will hit Hulu at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, June 18th. The synopsis for episode four reads, “Behind every great fortune is the opportunity to sell the f out.” This is also true for real life!

You can stream the first three episodes of Clipped now on Hulu.

Alex Caruso is entering the final year of his contract with the Chicago Bulls, and teams are hoping the Bulls finally make him available this summer if they aren’t able to sign him to an extension.

Caruso is highly coveted because he is one of the NBA’s best and most versatile perimeter defenders, earning second team All-Defense honors this season, and his current contract, paying him just shy of $10 million next year, is an incredible value. Ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline, teams made a strong push for Caruso, but the Bulls rebuffed every offer. Among those was an offer that included a top-10 pick in this year’s Draft, as well as a strong effort from the Warriors to bring Caruso to the Bay, per Will Gottlieb of CHGO.

The Bulls took calls on Caruso, but never made them. According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Bulls have received offers from multiple teams, consisting of multiple protected first-round picks. One of those deals included a pick in the top-10 of the 2024 Draft, the source said. The Golden State Warriors were among teams who made a strong offer for Caruso, multiple sources confirmed.

Even considering the relative weakness of the 2024 Draft, you don’t often get teams putting those kinds of picks on the table. As for why they turned it down, Gottlieb noted there was a mandate from ownership to make a playoff push (the Bulls finished 9th, ultimately losing in the Play-In to Miami), which put the brakes on any pivot to the future by the front office.

This summer, Caruso can sign an extension worth just under $80 million, but it’s not clear if the Bulls will offer that or if he’d accept it, given how highly teams value his abilities around the league. If Chicago does not get Caruso signed long-term, they may have to put him back on the trade market, and it’s possible they’ll have passed on the highest pick they could’ve gotten for him, as he’d now be just a one-year rental (with the ability to sign him next summer using Bird rights).

BTS member Jimin had a humongous 2023: He released Face, his debut solo album, which managed a peak at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album also spawned the hit single “Like Crazy,” which hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 to become the first chart-topper by a South Korean solo artist.

So, he’s on a roll, and he’s going to keep that going in 2024 with another new solo album: Today (June 17), he announced Muse, which is set for release on July 19. Here’s the announcement video:

A press release notes that the new project “documents his journey to find the source of his inspiration” and that it “will showcase his expanded musical spectrum across seven tracks.” Among those songs is “Closer Than This,” which Jimin released in December 2023.

BTS has officially been on hiatus since 2023 due to South Korean military obligations, but times have still been good for fans of the group. RM dropped a solo album last month, J-Hope has a new album and documentary series, V dropped a single in March, Jin was discharged from the military a few days ago, and this list goes on. BTS as a group may be on hiatus, but that hasn’t stopped the new music from BTS members from flowing.

Muse is out 7/19 via Big Hit. Find more information here.