Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves are one of Hollywood's sweetest couples, and they've been married for 8 years and together for a stunning 14 years.

However, you might be surprised to know it wasn't exactly love at first sight on Alves' part, because as People reports, Alves didn't know who the actor was when they first met. "We had two interactions at the bar. The first interaction, I did not know who he was," Alves hilariously revealed. "At the time he had a really long beard, and he had this rasta hat. He was all covered up, and I didnt really realize who he was."

Fortunately, the couple was able to click, and they've been together ever since. Here's what else you need to know about Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves.

The couple met at a bar in West Hollywood, with McConaughey telling People that he first saw Alves as an "aqua green figure floating across the frame, and my eye went up, and I said, 'Who is that? What is that?'" McConaughey then struck up a conversation with the Brazilian-born Alves in Spanish, since he didn't know any Portuguese.

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Alves also revealed that it was McConaughey's close friend Lance Armstrong who tipped her off to who the actor was. "Lance came to talk to me," she explained. "You knew they were always together, so Im like, OK, Im outta here. Im going to the other side of the room!

And while McConaughey said that he had been happily single for a while before meeting Alves, he believed that she was the right person for him at the right time. "We went out on our first date three nights later, and the next night I wanted to go on another date. And I've been wanting to go on a date with her for the last nine years. And not with anybody else."

McConaughey proposed to Alves on Christmas Day 2011, and they got married on June 9, 2012 in Austin. Guests at the wedding included Woody Harrelson, Reese Witherspoon, and filmmaker Richard Linklater, and one source told Us Magazine that the luxury campout-themed nuptials were "very emotional. There was a moment when [Matthew] leaned down and whispered something in [Camila's] ear and you could see a tear coming down her face. Everyone let out a collective sigh."

And while Alves revealed she was happy to marry McConaughey, she also saw the wedding as an extension of the life they already had together.

"We've been living a married life for over six years now. We have homes together, we have family together, we have kids, we've built a life together. So we've been living a married life this whole time," she explained.

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McConaughey and Alves welcomed son Levi in 2008, daughter Vida in 2010, and son Livingston in 2012.

In 2014, McConaughey talked to GQ about being a father, saying that it was "the one thing Ive always wanted to be. I knew when I was 8 years old. I mean, I wanted to be things like the Washington Skins running back and all that stuff, but the one thing I knew I wanted to be was a father."

And while Alves told Us Weekly that wrangling three kids can be tough, she also makes sure that she and McConaughey get some alone time. "It's important to remember that you and your husband came first, and that relationship needs to be nourished...[we enjoy] a lot of staycations, cooking together and staying at home, or getting a hotel room that's 10 minutes away from the house."

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As E! reports, McConaughey and Alves are also pretty accepting when it comes to their kids. "The main thing is that my wife and I, Camila, we have a similar moral bottom line," McConaughey said on Today in 2018. "And as you learn, if you have kids, every day they get older, you realize how much more it's really DNA. We can nudge 'em and shepherd 'em, et cetera et cetera, but they are who they are. And right now, I'm just happy to say we have three healthy ones and they're very much individuals."

Most recently, the couple talked to Town & Country about their Just Keep Livin' Foundation, a non-profit that works to help high school students by providing them with the tools to make healthy and safe choices for a better future, both physically and mentally.

"Ive always been a hedonist, and part of having a foundation is putting a capital H on hedonism. Being able to give back in ways is a selfish endeavor. It feels good to me to see a smile or hear a young person say thank you," McConaughey revealed.

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Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves Met in the Most Relatable Way Possible - Men's Health

Posing on a podium of volcanic rock, a cormorant opens its wings to the mornings first rays. Flamboyant feather displays arent uncommon in Ibiza at this time of year, but today the sun is rising above a very different White Isle. Less footprints disturb the sandy coves and thumping beats have been replaced by the idle fizz of rolling waves.

July is typically high season for tourism. Playa den Bossa, the islands longest and most commercial beach, should be densely packed with sun loungers and cocktail-sipping revellers, sound tracked by turntables spinning from dawn till dusk.

Like everywhere in the world, 2020 is an exception.

Covid-19 has pulled the plug on Ibizas clubbing scene, and government restrictions on mass gatherings mean mega-venues like Ushuaa and H Ibiza wont reopen until 2021. Instead, the sleepy coastline has been reclaimed by birds and locals, who are making the most of fine weather and few crowds.

When I land at the airport, carousels creak with lonely pieces of luggage and DJs glare from billboards advertising parties that ended 10 months ago.

But slowly, following the lifting of quarantine restrictions for Spanish arrivals into the UK, tourists are trickling in. On July 11, TUI kickstarted its summer schedule with flights to the island from London Gatwick and Manchester, heralding the return of the package holiday to Europe. Those who choose to travel soon could be rewarded with scenes of Ibiza as it was 30 years ago.

Newly refurbished during lockdown, seafront hotel The Ibiza Twiins is eager to receive guests in its two towers, stacked with a honeycomb of 495 rooms. At check in, Im greeted by staff behind Plexiglass and encouraged to use automatic hand sanitisers dotted throughout the resort. In my bedroom, bathrobes and slippers come smothered in Cellophane and beach towels are neatly topped with a complimentary disposable face mask.

From today, wearing face coverings becomes mandatory in public spaces throughout the Balearics. Swimming pools, beaches and sun loungers are exemptions, so theres no risk of coming home with ridiculous tan lines; masks can also be removed while eating and drinking in bars and restaurants, although youll need to pop them back on for trips to the loo. Penalties range from 100 for individuals up to 6,000 for venues.

It has been suggested new regulations are partly a precautionary response to the return of tourism. According to figures published by the Spanish government, 2,249 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 across the Balearic Islands; from July 2-7, that number had dwindled to just 17.

The only other major difference to my resort stay is breakfast. Before entering the restaurant, a member of staff takes my temperature using an electronic gun. Anything over 37.5C, and Ill be quarantined for two weeks.

Controversially, the buffet has survived; although fried eggs, sausages and platters of cheese displayed on a one-way circuit of counters can only be plated by staff. Self-service is a thing of the past.

Were a hotel, not a hospital, exclaims Ricardo Munoz, Commercial and Marketing Director from the Sirenis hotel group who manage Twiins. People are on holiday and we want them to have a good time.

At night, the package holiday property is quiet. There are only 90 guests. We know this is not a summer to make money, concedes Ricardo.

Opulent light shows and Vegas-style fountains struggle to fill the empty space, and projected scenes of folkloric dancers are a far cry from the glowstick wavers and girls in hotpants who typically fill dancefloors.

But history and culture could be themes that shape a summer holiday in Ibiza this year. With a spotlight shifted from the club scene, local tour guide Pepe Costa sees this as an opportunity for tourists to focus on the islands colourful past.

We explore the ramparts of fortified old town and World Heritage Site Dalt Villa in Ibiza Town. From its 16th-century walls, the turquoise sea dazzles more than ever as prairies of protected Posidonia seagrass reflect the sunlight. Only a few boats glide to smaller neighbouring island Formentera, usually a busy thoroughfare.

In my 38 years as a guide, this is the slowest its been in July, says Pepe from behind a Perspex visor, a choice of face covering which makes it much easier for him to conduct tours. Locals have been enjoying their home during the last few weeks, he admits. But now were ready for tourists to return.

Numbers are steadily increasing.

At family hotel TUI BLUE Aura, in Port des Torrent on the opposite side of the island, the first influx of British guests is relaxing by pools and zooming down waterslides; next week occupancy will be at 55 per cent.

But further along the coast, San Antonios bay-side promenade is unrecognisable. Ibizas heaving heart of entertainment is missing more than a few beats.

O Beach, co-owned by Duane Lineker (nephew of famous former footballer Gary), is one of the few bars to take the plunge and reopen its pool parties.

By 5pm, groups of revellers are gathered in pre-booked areas, lazing on daybeds or dangling bronzed legs in the water. Masked waiters deliver cocktails in shiny pineapple caskets to tables, ordered from menus accessed by using mobile phones to zap a QR code.

The only noticeable difference is the absence of any dancing; thats not allowed anywhere on the island for now. This will be the year of the shoulder jig, jokes Gemma Charters, Director of Brand and Events, who says guests are briefed on arrival and given an info card outlining the new rules.

In true Ibizan spirit, fun seekers have found ways to adapt and ensure a new germ-free environment feels far from sterile. Plans to install a machine to spray guests with a disinfectant mist are both playful and practical, and DJs have crafted laidback sets to match the new low-key mood, with an earlier finish at 10pm.

O Beach also hopes to revive its acrobatic, cabaret-style shows; fitting with the current climate, new creations include a Freddie Mercury lookalike in a moustache mask singing I Want To Break Free.

Gradually, more venues and bars are coming out of hibernation, including the companys new venture Bam-Bu-Ku, a boutique family day club with sandpits and a surf machine.

People have a special bond with this island, says Gemma, who is confident tourists will come back. This is a chance to discover the gastronomy, the hidden beaches; youll never have an opportunity to experience Ibiza in this light again.

Its a view shared by Sarah Broadbent, Events Manager at iconic hotel, bar and restaurant Pikes, an institution revelling in its own bubble of hedonism up in San Antonios rural hills. During lockdown, she says the sky appeared bluer, the sea was clearer, and trails of bougainvillea were a spectacular vibrant pink.

Up here in this fantasy land of inflatable flamingos and welly-wearing dog statues, everything swings at a different pace. The pandemic has inevitably reshaped play: shows have been cancelled, theres no hanging by the bar, and lights are out by 2am. But have new regulations ruled out fun?

Never, smirks Yorkshire-born, veteran clubber Sarah, who wears a string of beads and a razor blade pendant around her neck.

One positive change, she says, has been a return to Ibizas roots. It feels like when I first came here in the 1990s. Back then, there were no VIPs. A shelf stacker from Tesco could rub shoulders with a Saudi princess on the dancefloor; everyone was treated the same.

One of the strictest lockdowns in Europe has been a great leveller, it seems.

Although the White Isle will look and sound different this year, its not unfamiliar. In the absence of big beats theres been a shift to a more reflective, relaxed tempo, and that could be music to so many peoples ears.

TUI Blue For Families is offering seven nights at the 4T TUI Blue Aura in Port des Torrents, from 758 per person all-inclusive, based on two adults and two children sharing and including one free child place.

TUI Platinum is offering seven nights at the 4T Ibiza Twiins in Playa den Bossa, from 770 per person B&B, based on two adults sharing. Half-board and all-inclusive options are available.

To book, go to tui.co.uk, visit your local TUI holiday store or download the TUI app. Prices are based on holidays departing in August 2020 from Gatwick and include transfers plus 20kg luggage allowance, subject to availability and change. Other UK airports and room upgrades are available.

Link:

A postcard from Ibiza, where dancing is banned and masks are mandatory but nature is thriving - Telegraph.co.uk

PUBLISHED: 14:00 07 July 2020 | UPDATED: 14:13 07 July 2020

Debbie Heath

OVO's production of Twelfth Night. Picture: Supplied.

Supplied by Debbie Heath

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Theatre makers have had to work even more creatively than usual to deliver the goods during lockdown.

Ever innovative, OVO took their immersive theatre making one step further by using Zoom to create a live and interactive performance of Twelfth Night.

There is one opportunity left on Friday, July 10, when you can attend this amazing virtual live theatre performance and I strongly encourage you to do so.

This production is based on their open-air version of 2019 and as director Adam Nichols explained, performing live on Zoom presented some similar challenges to the cast and crew.

Outside they are at the mercy of the weather and other unpredictables. Via Zoom, it is their own internet connections that present the challenges.

Flora Squires, who played Viola with aplomb in her first OVO production, told the post-show discussion group that at one point her internet went down completely and she actually got kicked out of the call.

Simon Nicholas, the film director, had to train the cast to be self-sufficient techies not only staying in character throughout but changing their own scenery and sound.

The play was appropriately re-set in a 1920s cruise ship, which emphasised the themes of hedonism, and transgenderism.

The audience, made up of about 50 home screens, were asked to dress in the 1920s style and join in the action of the play at points by wearing scary masks and making a lot of noise it was very rewarding.

We arranged to go with five other households. Seeing our friends pop up on screen throughout made us realise how we had missed having a shared live theatrical experience.

The audience were guided through not only the plot but also their own technical responsibilities by Will Pattle as Fabian, reimagined as the ships croupier.

He was not only a very effective MC but thoroughly believable in his role.

A highlight of the play was his well choreographed fight scene with David Widdowson as Antonio in the neighbouring window.

The entire cast deserves praise for their strong, playful performances, technical abilities and superb teamwork.

However, a particular mention must go to Faith Turner who played Malvolia with a comic sensitivity that worked well.

Malvolio, traditionally male and played as a puffed up popinjay, is thoroughly deserving of his downfall but this time we felt sad at the outcome. It was an interesting change of interpretation.

The fantastic performances, technical and set design were further enhanced by OVOs use of music.

Modern classics such as Britney Spears Oops!... I Did It Again were performed in the jazz style.

There were some outstanding singers in the cast, including Hannah Francis-Baker. These songs, although pre-recorded to prevent buffering time lapses, were still authentic as created via Zoom.

Once again I have left an OVO production feeling superbly grateful to the whole creative team for giving me such an enjoyable evening.

However, the buzz and glow I got from this musical was the biggest yet.

To share the experience with friends and audience members from all over the world emphasised how culturally starved COVID has left us until now.

We really felt on board that cruise ship. OVO proved that a bit of imagination can take you anywhere.

I urge you to make the journey yourself this Friday.

Visit maltingstheatre.co.uk/twelfthnight and http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ovo to book your tickets.

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Review of OVO's Zoom production of Twelfth Night - Herts Advertiser

As long as the term has existed, culture has always been obsessed with the idea of the It Girl; the trope that describes a fashionable and effortlessly cool young woman, whos seemingly chill from dawn (or whenever it suits her to get up) til dusk, an assumed personality who the boys generally lust after and all the other girls want to be. In the past, It Girls have included celebrities like Alexa Chung or Chlo Sevigny, but more often than not these untouchable figures with projected near-fictional narratives are, rather than real women, actual fictional characters. Back in the late noughties, these wouldve included boy-eater Jennifer Check of Jennifers Body, and Gossip Girls Serena Van De Woodsen. Noticeably, one particular it-girl has made a questionable comeback for Gen Z: the Bristol party girl with the stone-cold stare that began as a supporting role before becoming one of the main characters in the following seasons -- Kaya Scodelarios debut role as Effy Stonem from Skins.

Effy first stumbled her way onto our screens in January 2007 on Channel 4 to an audience of over one and a half million. Despite being completely silent, and initially presented as a secondary character to protagonist Tony, Effy became a force of nature, a mysterious fan favourite for teenage girls across the country. Her uber-curated grunge aesthetic, smeared make-up and appetite for hedonism were quickly replicated by fans who smudged their eyeliner and tried to perfect vacant, judgemental stares in honour of their new queen.

Fast forward thirteen years and its evident from TikTok that Effy is still the it-girl for alt youth, perhaps never stepping down from her throne in the first place. Girls on the app are digging out their Doc Martens, penciling black kohl across their waterlines and cosplaying as Effy, paying homage to their idol whilst synced with the original Skins theme tune. Seven years after the show finally ended, Effy lives on in memes attempting to bait depressed edgy girls and claims that she walked so that the e-girl could run. But without new content -- aired every Thursday night on Channel 4 -- to stoke the cool fire of teenage apathy, what's it like being a Skins stan in 2020?

Whilst one viral caption reads every girl in the UK wanted to be Effy at some point, Americans can sit this one out, there are many US fans of Skins on TikTok. Having first heard of the show through GIFs and fan edits on Tumblr, sixteen-year-old LA-based creator Gaby was instantly intrigued and started watching it online. I loved how unique the characters were, she says, not only their looks but their personalities as well. Each character had their own little story that coincided with each other, allowing me to understand who's being portrayed whilst relating their experiences to my own.

At the time I made that video I would get a lot of comparisons to Effy in my comment section, especially when it came to my fashion and makeup, adds Gaby, who uses TikTok occasionally to create montage or homage videos to the character. I used to be mesmerised by Effy and her character definitely influenced me when it came to my look... everything from the fishnets to the heavy eyeliner. I was absolutely in love.

Though she also realises that Skins is shot in a way where 'reckless living' is glorified, Gaby recognises a lot of the behaviour in her friend group but admits this could be down to living in a city. I live in LA where the nightlife is crazy and the people I surround myself with are even crazier, so a lot of aspects of Skins are relatable to my own experiences. But for a kid who lives in a small town and has a generally tame friend group, Id assume the show is seen as pure fiction.

Coco Vieno is an 18-year-old singer based in London who came across the show after an ex introduced her to it, her Skins inspired look TikTok video has amassed over 200k views. the look was inspired by her makeup because she seems so effortless and careless in everything that she does and when Im going through a tough time I like to distance myself from it and imagine what she would do to act like she isnt bothered. I wanted to make that video so I could live the fantasy of being like her for a few minutes.

Asides from directly influencing her fashion sense, which she admits changed to appeal more to the dirty 2000s aesthetic of the show, Coco feels Skins has affected her life in other ways too. It made me feel like my life was boring compared to theirs, she reveals, and it compelled me to get into bad situations with people that reminded me of the characters, and to party and drink more to escape from the boringness of everyday life.

Arguably though, there is something a bit sinister, or questionable at the least, around incorporating aspects from a fictional character into your own life, especially when the way they act results in little consequence and obviously glorified. Since the show first aired, both Effy and Cassie have often been linked to #thinspo or #problematicfave posts, triggering eating disorders in young watchers trying to achieve that look. But whilst they can be written out of a bad situation, thats not how reality works and so it can be dangerous.

TikTok user Juulspodsleftthechat, known IRL as Savanna, created a fake How To Be Effy From Skins tutorial to bait all the d3pr3ssed edgy girls" into watching. As someone who suffers from mental illnesses herself, she understands why Effys character appeals to that specific demographic so strongly. She has obviously toxic traits but still seems to be portrayed as popular and desirable to the characters around her. I believe this speaks to a lot of people because its about being accepted despite your mental illness.

Personally, I think that Skins is actually an awful show for those suffering with mental health problems, she tells me. It seems to romanticise addiction and unhealthy relationships with those around you. I think it is especially damaging to those with eating disorders as Cassie in Gen 1 seems to outline specific eating disorder tips and tricks. Eating disorders are incredibly competitive and seeing someone else who is ill can urge other people to try harder to be recognisably ill. I think there is danger in emulating fictional scenarios as people are more likely to take the fun aspects of Skins and forget about the problems the characters had due to their self destructive behaviours.

With so much pressure on teenagers nowadays -- from academic achievement to growing up with social media -- its easy to see why Effys indifferent attitude and edgy aesthetic are still exciting, becoming the ultimate dream life for teenage girls over the past decade despite being an exaggerated work of fiction. Even if Skins had never existed, teen characters and their problems would undoubtedly still have have been romanticised across fiction. But there's something specifically about Effy's character in particular which remains captivating, even for a generation of teens who were too young to notice or care about the show when it originally aired. Coco perhaps sums it up best: Our generation has either grown-up with or recently come across Skins, and every time Im in a weird situation that seems like it would fit the Skins aesthetic, theres always someone that acknowledges that," she says.

"I think this show has really influenced my generation on what our teenage years should be like.

Read more:

How TikTok resurrected the cult of Effy Stonem - i-D

If you can be anything, be kind.

We've all seen or heard that simple sentence: It's a meme, it's a shirt, it's everywhere. But too often it's absent from our hearts and our actions. We hear it, maybe smile, file it away, move on down the road and glower at the guy moving slowly in the crosswalk and coughing with no mask on.

But what if he has no mask and wants one? What if his legs are too weak to carry him all the way to the health department? We've got an extra, unused one in the glove box. Should we offer it to him?

You bet. And here's the kicker. He won't be the only beneficiary. Science says being kind pays off.

"Research shows that acts of kindness make us feel better and healthier. Kindness is also key to how we have evolved and survived as a species, scientists say," according to the recent reporting of Seth Borenstein of The Associated Press. "We are hard-wired to be kind."

Of course, we're also hard-wired to be jealous and aggressive with each other. After all, we read about murder in just the fourth chapter of Genesis. But there's good news there, too. In December, Science Focus cited the work of several researchers to posit that humans may have evolved aggression if for no other reason than a communal defense response "but that doesn't mean we were hard-wired for war."

So there's hope, And to keep it that way in today's chaos (pick just any three things and add the COVID-19 pandemic), let's highlight the newer research on kindness.

"Kindness 'is as bred in our bones as our anger or our lust or our grief or as our desire for revenge,' University of California San Diego psychologist Michael McCullough, author of the forthcoming book "Kindness of Strangers," told The AP. "It's also, he said, "the main feature we take for granted."

When psychologists lumped values into 10 categories and asked people what was more important, benevolence or kindness, kindness came out on top. It beat hedonism, having an exciting life, creativity, ambition, tradition, security, obedience, seeking social justice and seeking power, said University of London psychologist Anat Bardi, who studies value systems.

Kindness and cooperation work for many species, whether it's bacteria, flowers or our fellow primate bonobos, according to Duke University evolutionary anthropologist Brian Hare.

Hare studies bonobos and compares the peaceable and decidedly kind and small monkeys historically known as pygmy chimpanzees to larger aggressive chimpanzees that attack outsiders.

Bonobos don't kill but help out strangers as well as each other. Their reward? The more friends you have, the more individuals you help, the more successful you are. Male bonobos are far more successful at mating than their male chimp counterparts, says Hare, author of the new book "Survival of the Friendliest."

McCullough says the human ability to reason "is the secret ingredient, which is why we donate blood when there are disasters" and why most industrialized nations spend at least 20% of their money on social programs, such as housing and education.

But both kindness and aggressiveness, like other traits, can be activated or dampened by emotional activity and outside stimuli. Duke's Hare used a mother bear as an example. She is loving and generous to her cubs, but aggressive and dangerous when an outsider comes near.

Sound familiar? Like the polarization of the world? When we are feeling isolated or threatened by virus, unemployment, climate change, statue change, a protester, a mask, even an unmasked cougher, we become more likely to morally exclude those "others" and dehumanize them. The cruelty begins.

Still more research, however, shows that our bodies reward us when we choose kindness.

University of California Riverside psychology professor Sonja Lyubomirsky has tested the concept in numerous experiments over 20 years, finding again and again that people feel better when they are kind to others.

"Acts of kindness are very powerful," she told The AP. The people who were kind to others became happier and felt more connected to the world.

And it's not just emotional. It's physical. In people doing more acts of kindness, the genes that trigger inflammation were turned down. And in new ongoing studies, she's finding more antiviral genes in people who perform acts of kindness.

So, yeah, stop and offer that slow guy in the crosswalk your extra mask.

And give a cheer for science while you're at it. Again and again science not only finds and seeks new treatments for our ills and foibles, but also proves age-old wisdom.

After all, it was the Ancient Greek fabulist and storyteller Aesop who, sometime around 600 B.C., taught:

"No act of kindness however small is ever wasted."

Read more here:

Sohn: Be kind. It pays off in ways you may not expect - Chattanooga Times Free Press

The tabloids are suffering a liquidity problem, in more ways than one.

As circulations fall and newsstand sales hit pandemic lows, tabloid headlines are writing checks their stories cant cash.

"Epsteins Chilling Prison Confessions! screams the cover of this weeks National Enquirer. "Cellmate breaks silence! Prince Andrew and Bill Clintons worst nightmare.

But neither Prince nor former President will lose any sleep over this revelation.

Billionaire pedophile and suicide Jeffrey Epsteins alleged former New York jail cellmate - an ex-cop awaiting trial for four murders, which hardly makes his testimony unimpeachable - reportedly claims that Epstein revealed . . . shock, horror . . . that Bill Clinton never touched any of Epsteins harem of girls.

Epstein claimed Clinton never went with any of the girls he knew, the cell-mate wrote in a letter to a friend.

As if that ground-shaking confession wasnt enough, the supposed cell-mate also has this to say about Prince Andrew, also implicated in the under-age sex scandal: absolutely nothing.

Though the headline promises that Cellmate says perv spilled his guts about Andrew, its clear from the story that this confession includes not one word on the Royal rogue.

The cell-mate cop also claims that Epstein feared that powerful forces wanted him dead, and then paradoxically offered the ex-cop $3m to kill him. It only makes sense in the twisted logic of the tabloids.

Fears For Sick Shut-In Cher! reports the Enquirer. The singer has been staying at home and keeping away from friends - just like millions of other Americans self-isolating during the pandemic. But to the 'Enquirer that makes her an ailing diva living like an invalid. Arent we all?

Singer Justin Biebers wife Hailey Takes Break From Needy Bieber! claims the Enquirer,' oblivious of the fact that the married couple are currently happily enjoying a tropical vacation together, having recently returned from a retreat at the five star Amangiri resort in Utah.

Bruce Ditches Hollywood For Idaho Paradise! reports the Enquirer, oblivious of the fact that Bruce Willis has owned a large estate in Idaho for decades and spends months there each year even without a pandemic.

And of course the Enquirer cant ignore the British Royals, this week bringing us the highly dubious claim: Meghan Buying Mom A Royal Title!

La-di-da Meghan is allegedly upset that Prince Williams in-laws may be getting Royal titles while her own mother, Doria Ragland, does not. Stretching credulity beyond its limits, the Enquirer claims that Meghan will buy Doria a title for her birthday in September, when a Ladyship of the Manor title could be sold by the Manorial Society in the UK, or alternately she will make Doria a countess or a lady" of some small European principality, which allegedly sell titles over the internet for around $100! You can almost hear them making this up as they go along.

The Globe continues its hard-hitting geopolitical coverage by devoting its cover to The Worlds Most Dangerous Woman! - Kim Yo-Jong, who the rag insists has taken control of North Korea after the death of her brother Kim Jong-Un. They are of course oblivious to the fact that Kim Jong-Un showed up in public this week for a ceremony to mark the 26th anniversary of his dynasty-founding grandfathers death - an appearance that the Globe will next week doubtless attribute to the body double who they claim is making appearances while Kim Yo-Jong is threatening to nuke America and its allies, ordered a computer war on the global economy, and runs a counterfeit ring and organized crime gang. Thats one busy woman.

The Globe has finally figured out who is to blame for Prince Andrews entanglement in the Jeffrey Epstein sex scandal, reporting: Queen Made Andrew A Monster!

The Princes alleged hedonism and bad judgment are supposedly the result of pampering by the Queen, who made sure Andrew was spoiled rotten! As if life in Palaces, 24-hour bodyguards and international travel on the taxpayers dime isnt pampering enough.

Duchess Kate and Duchess Meghan are once again facing off like hair-clawing cat-fighting soap divas in the Globe story Kate & Meghans $10m Showdown!

Duchess Kate has reportedly "issued an ultimatum to Meghan: Shut your mouth or you and Harry will lose your $10 million royal allowance.

Since William and Kate dont control the royal purse-strings this reeks of wishful thinking. Kate allegedly phoned Meghan to discuss a rapprochement between Princes William and Harry, but Meghan was so arrogant, Kate finally exploded. Right. That happened.

Why is it that the biggest news stories are always buried deep inside the tabloids? You have to get to page ten of the Globe for the literally Earth-shattering story: The End of the Earth Is Near!

Noting a catalogue of recent disasters: deadly diseases . . . giant dust storms . . . devastating quakes . . . insect swarms . . . economic ruin . . . the Globe concludes that the biblical End of Time prophecies have come true this year, citing the Book of Revelation and Nostradamus. Fair enough - you cant argue with science.

Talking about headlines making empty promises, youll be hard-pressed to find more of a fact-free vacuum that this weeks cover of Us magazine, with the headline: "Jennifer Aniston, Finally, In Her Own Words.

Except not a single one of those words has been shared with Us' magazine. Aniston is allegedly writing a memoir, which gives Us' free rein to speculate on what she might discuss in her book - Brad Pitt, TV series Friends,' Brad Pitt, her lack of children, Brad Pitt - but gives us no idea what she actually might say about any of it. Its a one-sentence story about Aniston writing a memoir stretched across four pages and the cover. Bravo.

People magazine devotes its cover to the tragic loss of Broadway star Nick Cordero to COVID-19, and in a separate story reveals that Duchess Meghan Speaks Out - though of course, she hasnt. Her attorneys have simply stated in court papers that she felt unprotected by the Palace when the British media were piling on in their criticism of her every move. Both Buckingham Palace and Kensington, as Meghan is doubtless aware, have a well-established policy of not commenting on media reports (except on very rare occasions) because doing so tends to inflame the story and keep it going.

Us mag interpreted this same story in even more partisan terms: Palace Tells Meghan: We Wont Help You!"

Thankfully we have the crack investigative team at Us mag to tell us that Emily Ratajkowski wore it best (its worth noting that Emily seems to wear an awful lot of clothes that can be found on the backs of others, and I wonder if she does it deliberately knowing that she hasnt lost a Who Wore It Best? match-up yet?), that actor Peter Gallagher can speak gibberish in any number of languages, and that the stars are just like us: they walk their dogs, cook, garden, drink coffee and eat sweets. The fact that they smile while doing it suggests that they are not entirely oblivious to the paparazzi lenses.

Its never too early to buy a Great Pumpkin Illuminated Halloween Tree (only four payments of $33.75 plus shipping and handling) or a Nightmare Before Christmas Welcome Sign Collection ($36.99 each plus shipping and handling) as advertised in this weeks tabloids.

But who could resist the special figurine offered in the Globe of Melania Trump, a Vision of Bridal Elegance!"

This Melania Trump Wedding Day Keepsake figurine is an impressive 9 1/2 high and made of some undisclosed material with the look of fine porcelain, a wedding dress that sparkles with 40 Swarovski crystals, and a genuine fabric tulle veil.

All for just three payments of $33.33 plus shipping and handling.

And its incredibly life-like: the small smile on the figurine's face is as frozen as the real ones.

Onwards and downwards . . .

Link:

Jeffrey Epsteins prison confession, the worlds most dangerous woman, and the end of the world, in this weeks dubious tabloids - Boing Boing

Zocalo commentator Joe Mathews wants to turn mask-wearing into a statewide masquerade. He finds much to recommend in the anonymity that comes with covering ones face: social equity, for one, but also the opportunity to take a break from our normal identities. Why not slip on a mask and let loose a little, perhaps even behave badly? Mathews says its a reasonable price to pay to keep everyone compliant with a justified health order.

Read Mathews essay below:

A California Masquerade

Agoston Haraszthy didnt hesitate to wear masks. A Hungarian immigrant, he became San Diegos first sheriff by portraying himself as a military colonel. Then, he sold himself as a metallurgist to win a top job at the San Franciscos first U.S. Mint office. He billed himself as royaltyCount Haraszthywhen he established the Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma.

By 1864, The Count was in trouble. The Civil War and mounting debts strained his wine business. Hed planted the vines too close together, and his attempt to create a sparkling California champagne literally fizzled. To stay afloat, he sold off pieces of the estate.

Despite all these troubles, County Haraszthy hosted a lavish Masquerade Ball, touted as the first in California history. The costumes and wine technologies drew enough of a crowd for the event to endure. It was held most recently in 2019.

Todays Californians, so wary of face coverings, might consider what The Count knew: Masks are about fun and finding light in darkness. What better time to don a mask than when your whole world is falling down around you?

Californias scolds, who use shame to force mask compliance, miss this point. They tell us, with considerable scientific justification, that we must wear masks to be good. But the true virtue of masks is that they allow us to be bad.

Behind masks, we cant be easily shamed. We can try on new identities and deviate from social norms. In this cultural moment, when we are surrounded by so much coerced and performative goodness, might more people want to wear masks if we emphasized their darker and more subversive appeal? Instead of framing face-coverings as solemn obligation, might the public health be better protected if we reimagined this moment as a lavish, statewide masquerade?

The current, highly polarized debate over masks is much too dull when you consider the history of masks. Our modern conception of masking owes a debt to the Republic of Venice, with a mask-wearing cultured rooted in desirefor hedonism and equality. With identities shielded, people could do as they wished. Without faces, all had voices.

In the 18th century, the Venetian passion reached America. Of course, in this Puritan country, mask-wearing produced backlashes, with moralists claiming that masquerades were a foreign and immoral influence. By the second half of the 19th century and through the 1960s, major California municipalities from Los Angeles to San Francisco had laws barring public disguise and cross-dressing. Scholars describe those discriminatory ordinances as forerunners of todays so-called bathroom bills targeting the transgendered.

Fortunately, the transgressive act of masking has won the cultural warFreddy Krueger has the box office receipts to prove it. Masquerade in California, from costume superstores to Comic-Con, is now big business. In L.A., the Labyrinth Masquerade Ball, first held in 1997, has thousands of attendees and an ongoing story line with newly invented characters and mythologies. Shawn Strider, its host, told me the masquerades are great levelers in status-conscious L.A., because regular Angelenos and A-list stars attend together, without learning each others true identities.

The appeal of masks in an age such as ours isnt hard to see. When everyone wants you to pick a side, the masquerade offers glorious ambiguity. When people are reduced to their political or racial identities, and digital surveillance seems all, masks provide anonymity, and the possibility of being our full selves.

For all these reasons, we should be making masks a symbol of celebration, not compliance. Let government strike teams award cash prizes for the most beautiful or creative masks that they see. Public kiosks outside grocery stores and food banks could help Californians make their own masks. And if people must gather, lets hold small, outdoor, socially distanced masquerades.

In other words, lets savor a difficult time as best we canlike Count Haraszthy did. Two years after his 1864 masquerade, he was fired from his own winery for extravagance and unfaithfulness, declared bankruptcy and moved to Nicaragua.

In 1869, he disappeared, forever, into a river full of reptiles, leaving behind a lasting lesson. Wear all the masks you canbecause you never know when the alligators will swallow you whole.

Joe Mathews writes the Connecting California column forZcalo Public Square.

Read more here:

Joe Mathews: Mask mandates are controversial, we should make them fun - KCRW

Queeries is a weekly column by CBC Arts producer Peter Knegt that queries LGBTQ art, culture and/or identity through a personal lens.

This is the first time I've written this column since May. When the protests spurred by George Floyd's murder began, it was extremely clear to me that, as a white person, my voice was not one that needed to take up space amongst thevery necessary conversations happening conversations which were already fighting for attentionin a world inundated with news about incompetent white people fucking up a worldwide pandemic. It was my time to just listen. But even though the conversations that muted this column for six weeks are nowhere close to being over, I do feel like some things that came up during that time of contemplation are worth saying now particularly to my fellow white gay cis men.

When I decidedto put this column on a brief hiatus, I was working on a reflection on the life of legendary gay activist, writer and shit disturber Larry Kramer, who passed away of pneumonia on May 27th. (If you don't know much about Kramer, please change that immediately by watching the documentary Larry Kramer in Love and Anger currently available on Crave and HBO Max.)Kramer's legacy was forged during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, during which he played a pivotal role in combating governments and institutions who could not give less of a fuck about the lives of the marginalized people that disease was killing. I thought the fearlessness Kramer showed in the face of HIV/AIDS might teach us all a little about surviving in these times. But "these times" looked very different on May 27th than they did on May 29th, orJune 2nd, or pretty much any day since.

However, the ghost of Larry Kramer very much remained in my own head as I made my way through a Pride month unlike any other. I spent a few quiet afternoons reading his 1978 debut novel Faggots, a satirical (yet clearly autobiographical) look at the lives of gay men in 1970s New York City that he wrote just before AIDS made him a figurehead of American activism. Following a man in his late 30s (based on Kramer himself) who is seeking out a loving, long-term relationship in a sea of hedonism, the novel has a clear message: gay men need to start loving each other instead of being so obsessed with getting fucked up and (literally and figuratively) fucking each other.

Upon publication, Faggots was dismissed by many as puritanical and self-loathing for its criticism of gay men's obsession with vanity, promiscuity and recreational drug use. Yet, when AIDS hit a few years later, the same words of warning sounded almost prophetic. And while, on one level, the book is a wild (if at times problematic) window into an era of gay culture 40 years in the past, it also felt like it had a lot to say about gay culture today.

What even does it mean to say "gay culture"?In mainstream gay media, the phrase almost always refers to a fairly specific subset of the LGBTQ "community" largely made up of white gay cis men even though many of the battles won around queer rights were fought by people of colour, trans and gender-nonconforming folks, and queer women, and in fact the modern Pride movement itself was in large partinitiated by Black trans women. If an impression of a monolithic "gay culture" defined by such a homogeneous demographic exists, it is because white gay cis men have until very recently dominated mainstream representation under the LGBTQ umbrella and have, in general, been handed a level of privilege in the last decade that is wildly disproportionate to any other demographic under said umbrella. The most extreme and problematic representatives of this "culture" are the men, one of whom knowingly had COVID-19,who partied on packed beaches on Fire Island last week. (Prophetically enough, Fire Island is where the climax of Faggots Kramer's excoriation of "gay culture" takes place.)

Reading Faggots this past month made me consider my own inheritance of its themes. I thought about my relationship to Pride, which was not physically happening pretty much anywhere for the first time in my 36 years of existence. I first went to Pride in 2003, expecting a gloriously fabulous weekend of finally feeling connected to a community and maybe finding the love of my life. But instead, my experience was very much summed up by this paragraph from the book:

"Their glances his way seemed like disposable bottles, no deposit, no return. He felt like Mr. Not Wanted On The Voyage, even though it was, so be it, his birthday. Many years would pass before he would discover that everybody else felt exactly the same, but came out every weekend so to feel, thus over the years developing more flexible feelings in so feeling."

I too would, over the years, develop more flexible feelings in so feeling, which is why I continued to participate in a culture I never quite felt welcome in yet desperately sought validation from. This is something I'd already been thinking a lot about since quarantine began four months ago. The pandemic essentially shut down all of social gay culture, relieving me of pressures to participate in it. Gay bars were shuttered and, unless you were being a horribly irresponsible person, Grindr was no more. I started wondering: did I even enjoy Grindr and the hours I would regularly put into it seeking out casual sex I usually also did not enjoy? When was the last time I actually had a good time at gay bar full of people I have definitely spoken to on social media or apps but who act like I'm completely insane when I smile or say hello in person? It suddenly all felt like such a grand waste of a whole lot of time.

One of the most cathartic moments of my quarantinewas the week or so I spent listening to Fiona Apple's legitimate masterpiece of an album Fetch the Bolt Cutters on endless repeat after its April 17th release an experience surely shared by many. I would walk up and down the streets of my neighbourhood contemplating its lyrics with respect to how my own identity has been built over the years: Fetch the bolt cutters / I've been in here too long.

"It's about breaking out of whatever prison you've allowed yourself to live in, whether you built that prison for yourself or whether it was built around you and you just accepted it," Apple says of the lyrics to the title track in this Vulture interview. "The message in the whole record is just: Fetch the fucking bolt cutters and get yourself out of the situation that you're in whatever it is that you don't like."

Fetch the Bolt Cutters made me recall an article in The New Yorker from 2015 about the HBO series Looking. In analyzing the show's depiction of young gay men living in San Francisco, writerDaniel Wenger diagnoses what he terms the "new gay sadness": an entire generation of urban, privileged gay men who seem to have no clue what they're looking for or who they are. Largely born in the 1980s, they are the earliest wave of a "post-Stonewall, post-plague, post-activist" generation of gays "too old to have brought a boy to the prom and too young to have nursed a fantasy of running away to an urban gay utopia," Wenger explains.

For this demographic of which I very much belong it's likely true that for many of us, the only real battles we've had to fight were the ones taking place in our own minds. We were born into complicated and traumatic closets but now live extraordinarily advantaged lives with seemingly endless options. But with fulfilled dreams comes emotional responsibility, and none of us seem to be owning up to our own damage. Instead, we've become obsessed with what people think of our appearance and status (Instagram sure hasn't helped with that) at the expense of really looking at ourselves and a culture we have helped create that is rife with racism, transphobia, classism, ageism, ableism, fat-shaming and just plainmeanness.

I spent Pride Day 2020 at a rally organized by the No Pride in Policing Coalition in Toronto's Nathan Phillips Square with thousands of other people, all socially distanced from one another and wearing masks. I listened to speakers explain the seemingly infinite battles we as a collective society are currently facing: anti-Black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, transphobia, the need to abolish the police and the prison industrial complex, homelessness, the opioid crisis. And it was perhaps the most satisfying Pride Day I'd ever experienced, if just because, in listening to their words, I was learning how to be a more active part of the solution instead of an unknowing part of the problem. Protests around the world have made us more aware than ever that what we need is not a "return to normal" when that "normal" was predicated on the disenfranchisement and victimization of so many. "Gay culture" should learn the same lesson: "back to normal" is not enough.

I've seen many of my fellow white gay cis men seemingly rise to the occasion by retweeting Black and Indigenous voices, going to rallies and vowing to educate themselves on how to truly be anti-racist (though how performative that is in some cases is unclear). I've also seen quite a few of them post shirtless photo from last year's Pride with a caption along the lines of "Pride is weird this year" followed by vague rambling about solidarity with Black trans people. Which of these gays do you want to be?

If it's the former, know that this is only the beginning of your commitment.There is a revolution happening right now one of the most powerful global mobilizations on systemic racism in history. There is also a global pandemic that is wreaking havoc on the physical, mental and financial well-being of so many people around us. We are in the middle of modern society's most monumental reset, and we need to do whatever we can to help it end well for those much more marginalized than us. And that includes doing our best to reset ourselves and the culture we've helped create.

Resetting "gay culture" will require fighting back against entrenched social pressures and expectations ofgay cis men and calling them out when they perpetuate,even passively, any form of discriminatory dialogue. The fight will require fearlessness. Larry Kramer didn't give a shit what people thought of him, particularly other gay men. And it was in large part because of that attitude that he could lead AIDS activists through a corrupt and homophobic system to gain access to the drugs that made it possible for our generation to have the lives that we do. So let's think long and hard about how we've been choosing to live them.

Fetch the fucking bolt cutters, gays. We've been in here too long.

See original here:

Gay culture has grown toxic with unchecked privilege. It's time for us to reset - CBC.ca

About two months ago, The Maroon published a list of films for when anyone misses the great city of New Orleans, and most particularly the Loyola campus. Turns out, theres a lot more that the Big Easy can offer, as it has asserted its reputation as an understated yet iconic setting for several great films in the past.

Here are a few more films for when you feel like taking a trip down memory lane.

King Creole

Elvis Presley stars in the 1958 musical drama from director Michael Curtiz about a nightclub singer who gets mixed up with the local mob. Mostly shot on location in French Quarter, production was constantly delayed due to crowds of fans. Presley, who had been drafted into military service, was granted a 60-day deferment to participate in the making of the film.

King Creole became a critical and commercial success, with Presleys performance frequently cited for praise. The theme song Hard Headed Woman, sung by Presley, was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

To watch King Creole, click here.

Cat People

Paul Schrader creates a spellbinding erotic thriller based on the influential 1942 film of the same name. It stars Nastassja Kinski as a young woman who finds out that her sexual urges turn her into a black leopard. The film has become a cult classic over the years, primarily due to its soundtrack from electronic music producer Giorgio Moroder, with the iconic theme song sung by David Bowie.

The film prominently featured Audubon Zoo before its eventual renovation, even if Schrader also built extensive zoo sets to have total production control. Still, Cat People is essential viewing if anyone wants to know what New Orleans looked like in the 1980s.

To watch Cat People, click here.

The Big Easy

The 1986 neo-noir romantic thriller stars Dennis Quaid as a corrupt police officer investigating a series of murders in, you guessed it, the Big Easy. He becomes entangled in a forbidden relationship with the local District Attorney, played by Ellen Barkin.

The city serves as an important element in the film, extensively showcasing its sights. However, the main drawback is Quaid sporting a quite embarrassing Cajun accent, which he later attributed to cocaine on set. The film at least tries to show the city as an underrated place for hedonism in the same way as Cat People, making it a campy delight for anyone who loves the city of New Orleans.

To watch The Big Easy, click here.

Interview with the Vampire

Tom Cruise stars in the 1994 gothic horror film based on the novel by Anne Rice. It features the actor as vampire Lestat as he recounts his experiences, as well as an early turn from Brad Pitt as his protege Louis.

The film was shot in New Orleans, with Louiss plantation being a combination of Destrehan Plantation west of the city and Oak Valley Plantation in Vacherie. A period feel was achieved by filming in the French Quarter as well as in a purposely built boardwalk overlooking the Mississippi River.

To watch Interview with the Vampire, click here.

Deja Vu

Denzel Washington stars in the 2006 action sci-fi film from director Tony Scott. He plays an ATF agent who travels back in time to prevent a domestic terrorist attack in New Orleans and save one of the victims that he falls in love with, played by Paula Patton.

Principal photography was set in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In fact, the resulting destruction was prominently featured, especially with scenes in the Lower 9th Ward.

To watch Deja Vu, click here.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The 2008 fantasy romantic drama film from David Fincher is loosely based on the 1922 F. Scott Fitzgerald short story of the same name. Brad Pitt stars as the titular character, who ages in reverse, while Cate Blanchett plays his love interest. The film was later nominated for Academy Awards, winning three primarily for its innovative use of special effects and makeup.

The film was primarily shot in uptown New Orleans, mainly to take advantage of Louisianas production incentives. Pitt described the film as a love letter to the city, and later bought a home in the French Quarter.

To watch The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, click here.

Special Mention: ZeroZeroZero

Last but not the least is the 2020 crime drama miniseries from Amazon Prime Video. ZeroZeroZero explores the international drug trade, in particular tracing the transport of a cocaine shipment from Italy to the United States.

New Orleans, particularly St. Charles Avenue, serves as the home of the Lynwood family, who serves as the brokers of the inevitably fraught drug deal. A brief yet noteworthy scene is set at the Holy Name of Jesus Church along the Loyola campus.

Click here to read The Maroons full review of ZeroZeroZero.

To watch ZeroZeroZero, click here.

See the article here:

Films For When You Miss Loyola and New Orleans, Part 2 - Maroon

Bostonians of a certain age fondly recall the heyday of WBCN and its anything-goes hedonism. But the station, which launched in 1968 and went off the traditional airwaves in 2009, was also groundbreaking for its commitment to social justice through independent reporting and commentary.

Thats the focus of WBCN and the American Revolution, the feature-length documentary directed by Bill Lichtenstein. He got his start in journalism as a 14-year-old correspondent for the station in 1970 and went on to become an Emmy-nominated producer for ABC News.

For the past year Lichtenstein has been screening his film to enthusiastic audiences at festivals and in theaters around the country. When the pandemic interrupted the rollout, he began offering the film to listener-supported community radio stations as a digital rental. The partnership has been mutually beneficial: nonprofit stations from Maine to Oregon have shared proceeds, while Lichtenstein has enjoyed a golden opportunity to demonstrate how WBCNs activism in the late 1960s and early 1970s remains relevant today.

We wanted to generate a discussion about the importance of community radio, says Lichtenstein. If you go back to the earliest vision of licensed federal broadcast as an industry, it was always about serving the community, the public interest.

Lichtenstein has partnered with the National Federation of Community Broadcasters to offer the film to its 200 member stations. So far more than a dozen stations, including the legendary WFMU in New Jersey, have screened the film.

We wanted to be involved because we felt like so many stations are trying to figure out how to tap into peoples hearts and minds about the issues theyre seeing right now, says Ernesto Aguilar, NFCBs membership program director. Seeing this film in this moment is really refreshing.

Last week, on the day George Floyd was buried, Aguilar helped coordinate a coast-to-coast simulcast of Sam Cookes A Change Is Gonna Come. Thats the kind of gesture that inspires Matt Murphy, station manager of WERU in central Maine. His station recently presented WBCN and the American Revolution in a Belfast movie theater, then moved the film online once the lockdown began.

Murphy grew up in the Boston area listening to WBCN, and hes not alone.

We had a couple people come to the movie with their BCN T-shirts on, he says.

Link:

WBCN doc reaches a new audience while boosting community radio stations - The Boston Globe

Some of Jamaicas most prominent resorts reopened today as the country reopened its borders for international travel, and more hotel reopenings are on the near horizon along with steady increases in flights from the U.S. to Jamaica.

Crucially, Jamaica will be testing all visitors with COVID-19 nasal swab tests at the airport.

And all travelers to Jamaica must complete a Travel Authorization Form in advance of their trip.

So whats open right now in Jamaica?

The Moon Palace resort in Ocho Rios, Sandals Montego Bay, Riu Ocho Rios, Holiday Inn Resort Montego Bay and Beaches Negril all are welcoming guests back as of June 15.

The Iberostar Grand Rose Hall, Montego Bay also reopened on 15, and several other resorts have targeted July 1 as their reopening date, including:

Sunset at the Palms Negril has announced July 9 as its reopen date. Sunset at the Palms appreciates the thought and planning from the government entities in Jamaica when deciding to re-open our airports to international travelers, said Carol Slee, senior VP sales and marketing for Sunset Resorts. From the beginning of COVID-19, our first concern has been for the health and safetyof our staff and guests. We are now prepared to open our resort with a complete array of enhanced protocols, which will help alleviate concerns and enable our guests to fully enjoy their stay with us.

For example, Sunset at the Palms will now offer in-room check-in, dining by reservation only, and will offer guests the option to forego daily housekeeping if they are reluctant to have staff enter their rooms.

The Royalton Negril Resort & Spa, Hideaway at Royalton Negril, and Grand Lido Negril will reopen on July 15. The Island Outpost group of resorts, which includes Goldeneye, The Caves, Strawberry Hill, and Fleming Villa, will open to guests on Aug. 1, while the luxury boutique Round Hill resort has atentative reopeningdate of Sept. 1.

In line with Jamaicas mandatory COVID-19 protocols, resorts have been quick to adopt cleanliness and safety as part of their branding. Couples Resorts, for example, is touting their Good Clean Fun program, while Royalton Resorts is touting Safety Assured Vacations.

The Couples program will include social distancing protocols in airport shuttles as well as in restaurants and in pool areas, for example; the resort also is including masks among its room amenities and has pledged only to work with excursion vendors who comply with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 safety protocols.

The clothing-optional Hedonism IIs Party Safely plan includes temperature checks, luggage disinfection, PPE and sanitizing stations, and frequent disinfecting of air conditioners and in room surfaces.

In anticipation of Hedonism IIs July 1re-opening, we have spent the last month undertaking preparations and consulting with local and international organizations to make sure our enhanced safety measures are up to the highest standards, said Kevin Levee, general manager of Hedonism II. We look forward to welcoming home our guests and are confident that the iconic Hedonism II experience will shine through, even if its with some adjustments.

Travelers heading to Jamaica from June 15 on can choose from American Airlines and Delta Air Lines flights from several major U.S. gateways. American is flying daily between Miami and Montego Bay, Miami and Kingston, Charlotte and Montego Bay, and Dallas Fort Worth and Montego Bay. Delta has daily flights between Atlanta and Montego Bay and Monday and Tuesday flights between Atlanta and Kingston.

JetBlue is resuming Montego Bay and Kingston flights from New York/JFK and Fort Lauderdale in June, with two or three flights weekly but a plan to ramp up to daily service in July and August.

Saturday-only flights from Boston to MoBay will resume in July as well, as will flights between Orlando and Montego Bay. JetBlues Fort Lauderdale-Kingston service will restart with three weekly flights in July and August.

Southwest Airlines intends to resume service to Montego Bay from Baltimore Washington International Airport and Orlando on July 1, and Spirit has plans to start flying again to Montego Bay and Kingston from Fort Lauderdale the same day. United Airlines daily service from Newark and Houston to MoBay will recommence on July 6.

Travelers returning to Jamaica will enjoy new features at several new properties, including the 57-room Eclipse at Half Moon resort enclave, a dozen new rooms (called the Marumba Studios) at the Geejam Hotel in Port Antonio, an organic restaurant at the Round Hill resort that serves uncooked vegetables and fruit, and a new beach club at the Tryall Club in Montego Bay.

More:

Jamaica Is Now Open for Tourism Here's What to Expect - Caribbean Journal

Bringing our city to your living room

Plays about art have the potential to be masterpieces or just painfully pretentious. Its a fine line, but the ones that do it well can create a thing of beauty.

There are plenty of discussions to be had about the nature of responsibility and truth when it comes to art, and artists lives have depths of drama, hedonism and anguish to be plumbed for the stage.

From biographies to surreal musings on obsession, here are some the plays about art to seek out:

(Getty Images)

John Logans Red was inspired by a trip to Tate Modern, where he saw Mark Rothkos Seagram Murals. He said that as soon as he read the label recounting how they were created, the entire play came to him. Set in fifties New York, Rothko (originally played by Alfred Molina) is under commission to paint a series of murals for an upscale new restaurant. His assistant (a fictional character named Ken initially played by Eddie Redmayne and, later, Alfred Enoch) challenges him on accepting a commercial endeavour. In reality, Rothko told Harpers Bazaar his reasoning, saying: I hope to ruin the appetite of every son of a bitch who ever eats in that room.

Yasmina Rezas French three-hander stood the test of time. It ran for eight years in the West End (with everyone from Albert Finney to Richard Griffiths to the League of Gentleman in the casts), and returned for its 20 year anniversary to the Old Vic in 2016 with Rufus Sewell, Tim Key and Paul Ritter. A play about art and friendship, it sees a 15-year-long bond between three men tested when one buys an incredibly expensive, completely white painting or a piece of white shit. The play has been translated into 20 languages, with the English version adapted by Christopher Hampton.

(Getty Images)

French pointillist artist George Seurats painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte was the inspiration for Stephen Sondheim and James Lapines musical. The story focuses on the painter and his great-grandson, also called George and also an artist, who grapples with the same ideas of artistic inspiration a century later. As the song goes: There are worse things than staring at the water as you're posing for a picture being painted by your lover, in the middle of the summer.

Artemisia Gentileschi's significance in Western art history has only recently been appreciated. In her lifetime, her talents were overshadowed by a sexual assault. In 1612, Agostino Tassi was tried for the rape of the painter when she was just 15, in a case that lasted seven months and gripped Renaissance Rome. Breach Theatre turned the real court transcripts from the trial into a new show. Bringing together myth, history and contemporary commentary, the play asks how much has changed in the intervening centuries and tells the story of a woman who took revenge through her art. The play was supposed to have a Barbican run, but instead streamed online over lockdown.

Nick Dears play, set in 18th century London, compresses the events of ten years of William Hogarths life into one single night. Michael Kitchen, Niamh Cusack and Simon Russell Beale were part of the opening RSC cast in 1986. According to Dear, what started as a play about the political manipulation of art turned into a lurid comedy of sexual manners, telling of the escapades of artists, politicians and royalty, and debating the nature of ambition, gender and the artists responsibility.

Another play that was supposed to open in London only to be scuppered by the pandemic is Jeremy O. Harriss melodrama Daddy. Franklin, a young Black artist about to embark on his first show, meets Andre, an older, wealthy, white art collector. He moves into Andres Bel Air home, where the action takes place in and around a real swimming pool, sunken into the stage. A surreal exploration of art, intimacy, identity and commodification follows, with George Michaels Father Figure playing in the background.

Janet Adler and Margaret Gibb, a pair of conceptual artists described as the most ferociously uncompromising voice of their generation, are the subject of Tim Crouchs experimental 2014 play. Adler has died, leaving her partner behind. Lou, formerly an art student and now an actress making a film about the object of her life-long obsession, Adler, breaks into the artists home unaware that Gibb is still living in it. Adler & Gibb looks at the pretensions of the art world and the way in which people leech off those they admire. Crouch said: The story developed over five years and still, even in rehearsal, I didnt know quite what it was.

(Getty Images)

Originally titled Little Dancer after the statue that inspired it, Tony Award-winner Lynn Ahrens new musical imagines the life of Marie, the 14-year-old ballet dancer who disappeared from records after she posed for Edgar Degas. As a young woman, she is pulled between her love and her talent as a dancer, with the musical showing the well-trodden conflict between life and art. Its early days for this play, but we hope there will be more theres always room for a ballet/musical crossover.

Read more:

The best theatre plays about art, from Sunday in the Park with George to Red - Evening Standard

Mythic Odysseys of Theros is a new campaign sourcebook set in the Greek-inspired land of Theros. MOoT is a collaboration of material found in the D&D and Magic: The Gathering universes. Other such crossovers exist, such as the Guildmasters Guide to Ravnica, which came out in 2018.

With MOoT came a couple of new subclasses and races, one of which is the Satyr. In classical Greek mythology, Satyrs were nature spirits with the legs and ears of a horse that loved dancing, wine, and all sorts of carnal pleasures. Today, theyre pretty much the same but they look more like goats.

Satyrs live in the Skola Vale, a lush land in Theros blessed by Nylea. These fey are known for enjoying life to its fullest. They follow unpredictable paths and tend to go with the flow more often than not.

They engage in revels that, while seemingly only about debauchery and hedonism, are actually more complicated. Satyrs celebrate the good and small things in a world that is often plagued with strife.

NAMES:Satyrs are given a name when their personality begins to shine through. This name is meant to match the energy of the Satyr. Many Satyrs also give each other nicknames, most often designated by physical or mental aspects.

Female Names: Aliki, Avra, Chara, Dafni, Eirini, Elpida, Irini, Kaiti, Lia, Niki, Tasia, Xeni, Yanna, ZoiMale Names: Alekos, Dimi, Filippos, Ilias, Kyriakos, Neofytos, Omiros, Pantelis, Spyro, Takis, ZenonNicknames: Bounder, Bristlechin, Clip-Clop, Dappleback, Hopper, Nobblehorn, Orangebeard, Quickfoot, Scrufflebutt, Sunbeam, Skiphoof, Twinkle-Eyes

TRAITS: Ability Score Increase: +2 Charisma, +1 DexterityAge: Same as humans.Alignment: Trend towards good, and a life free of law lends itself to Chaotic Good alignment.Size: Just under 5 feet to 6 feet tall, slender builds, size is MediumSpeed: Your walking speed is 35 feet.Fey: Your creature type is Fey.Ram: Unarmed strikes, 1d4 + Strength bludgeoning damageMagic Resistance: Advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects.Mirthful Leaps: +1d8 feet when making long or high jumps. Extra distance costs movement as normal.Reveler: Proficiency in Performance and Persuasion, as well as one musical instrument of your choice.Languages: Common and Sylvan

SUGGESTED CLASSES:This races ASIs are best suited for any Charisma-based class, but the Magic Resistance feature makes this race a viable option for any class, not just the most optimal ones.

Bard: This was a given, and arguably the class that benefits the most from the Satyrs combination of racial abilities, beyond the bonuses to Charisma and Dexterity. Magic Resistance suddenly increases the survivability of a bard ten-fold, and the Fey racial typing means the Satyr is given straight immunity to many magical effects and spells. Reveler also gives you three proficiencies that are staples for bards, allowing you more creative control over skill choices, making the bard even more of a jack-of-all-trades. The addition of the College of Eloquence would be mechanically and thematically appropriate.

Sorcerer: The Sorcerer benefits from the Satyr in much the same way as Bard does. ASIs contribute to the Sorcerers casting stat and AC, but the big bonus for this class is still definitely Magic Resistance.

Warlock: Warlocks are right up there with bards as the classes that get themost out of the Satyr. A bonus to Charisma boosts the warlocks casting stat and Magic Resistance is what it is. The Fey typing helps the Warlock to avoid an array of spells, while Warlock Invocations can also help to shore up the Satyrs main weakness, (if this really matters) which is a lack of darkvision. Hexblades probably benefit the most out of the warlock subclasses, with the increased survivability and walking speed making them less glass-cannony.

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A Guide To Satyrs, A Playable Race Added With The Mythic Odysseys Of Theros Campaign Sourcebook - Happy Gamer

COVID-19 has not ravaged all industries with equal ferocity.

Some, such as the health care industry, movie streaming services, and oddly enough the sex industry, have weathered the storm and even prospered. Others have been dealt such vicious blows that it will be a miracle if they survive at all. The cruise industry is one example.

Around the world, ports are choked with massive cruise ships lying at anchor in bloated rows. In many cases, their crew are not allowed onshore for fear of spreading the virus. These vessels cost tens of thousands of dollars per day just to exist, even if they dont go anywhere. Power, insurance premiums, salaries and other costs rack up even when the ship is idle. Obviously, as is the case with most large assets, the ships need to be full and engaged in their primary function, the more often the better.

As the navies of the world are painfully learning, ships are petri dishes for the nurturing and spreading of diseases. Many people crammed into a restricted space guarantees that what one has, all catch.

The cruise industry has shut down for its own good for the last several months. The question is, where does it go from here? Will there even be a cruise industry when the Covid crisis has passed? There are two competing opinions, but they share one common idea: the cruise industry as we know it is a thing of the past.

One group believes that public mistrust of crowded spaces will keep people away to the point that the industry will collapse. Ships have the added liability in that, once an outbreak does occur, a person cannot easily escape it as can be done on land. The public remembers that in the early days of the Covid crisis, the entire compliment of passengers and crew of a cruise ship was forced to stay aboard in a port in Japan. For the first month of the quarantine, people who were not infected could not escape from those who were. They were doomed to breathe the same air and eat the same food, virtually guaranteeing they would also fall victim, which many of them did.

Another group believes the industry will make needed changes and ultimately survive, although in radically altered form. The cruise ship of the future will likely be smaller and yet more spacious, giving passengers the added peace of mind that they are not breathing each others air. Cruise companies will likely reduce fares in an effort win back passengers, no small feat considering the reduction in passengers. What both sides agree on is that the gigantic, bloated, 5,000-person, floating fraternity parties are a thing of the past. I, for one, say good riddance.

To me, the massive cruise ship was the very definition of hedonism. I could not, in good conscience, partake of an orgy of gluttony while others go hungry or sleep in dirt. Im not being sanctimonious, Im being relevant. My wife and I always thought that if we did go on a cruise someday, it would be a smaller vessel that travelled to somewhere interesting, the Alaskan coast or Great Barrier Reef perhaps, not the kind of ship that features 24-hour buffets and stops at a different island ports so passengers can buy the t-shirt of the day.

The cruise industry will either disappear or transform into a leaner, more responsible version of itself. Either one will be better than what we have now.

BC Cook, PhD lived on Saipan and has taught history for 20 years. He currently resides on the mainland U.S.

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BC's Tales of the Pacific | Is this the end of the cruise industry? - Marianas Variety

The music industry oracles on Black Lives Matter, surviving cancer, and crafting their new album Translation in lockdown.

Taken from the Autumn/Winter 2020 issue of Rollacoaster. Order your copy now.

In the distant future, when the world has been reduced to smouldering dystopian plains, and curious extra-terrestrial life finds itself methodically dredging the decimated earth for past relics, you can count on any Black Eyed Peas record like a cultural time capsule to reflect exactly where humanity was at, at that exact time. Or just before.

You see, throughout the last three decades, the salient pioneers have managed to maintain their status as one of the biggest boundary-pushing groups in the world restlessly warping, reinventing and redefining their addictive olio of pop, hip-hop, dance and conscious rap. The three founding members will.i.am, Taboo and Apl.de.ap harbour a preternatural foresight that has consistently positioned them teetering all-knowingly at the precipice of the next zeitgeist, right before it topples over us. Music industry oracles, if you will.

And their celestial music has soundtracked just about everything in our teen-to-adult lives. Their breakthrough album Elephunk in 2003 with longtime BEP singer Fergie saw their commercial success hit household name status with its breezy, thumping exuberance, tied off with politically-charged track Where Is The Love? (originally written in response to 9/11, but showcasing its heartbreakingly timeless relevance when rebooted in 2016 aimed at Americas gun violence crisis, and then again in an emotional live performance with Ariana Grande following the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing). Monkey Business in 2005 spurred on a hedonistic R&B era with the revved-up energy of Pump It and accessible house party fodder of My Humps. But world domination became irrefutable with 2009s party behemoth The E.N.D., which saw the group focus on our call for dance floor hedonism, with global hits I Gotta Feeling, Boom Boom Pow and Meet Me Halfway. After a years-long hiatus, their ambitious next project, 2018s Masters of the Sun, pivoted to a new era with tech-driven ideas; an intersection of an album meets a socially-conscious, augmented-reality comic book, and saw BEP trade their club prowess for a return to gritty politically-charged jazz flows in hit track Street Livin. Its a song, that no doubt akin to Where Is the Love? with its incensed lyricism and poignant indictment of the criminal justice system and police brutality, has bearing with the current Black Lives Matter protests and riots.

The forward-thinking vanguards have become an irrepressible industry institution propelling, shaping and spearheading whatever comes next. This summer sees the group drop their highly-anticipated eighth studio album Translation their first pop album in 10 years this time turning their focus to a Latin-infused sound with global rhythms and internet-breaking features of Shakira, J Balvin, Nicky Jam, Latin-trap star Ozuna and more.

But 2020 has been a year of uncertainty. No one could have foreseen a global pandemic, or its economic repercussions, or the unjust death of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis triggering global uprising and instilling a collective conscience in people all over the world. In the palm of my hand, my phone and social media feeds are dosing out overwhelming measures of panic, brutality, and polarity. And when I catch up with the trio over the phone from LA, they are impassioned, and hope releasing such triumphant sounds at such a time will help their fans explaining in a Twitter statement: with all the negativity, panic, pain, stress and confusion[we] think some sunshine and joy can lift peoples spirits

Their blueprint for success, like the thundering course of natural waters, are impossible to replicate. But one thing is clear, Black Eyed Peas are going nowhere. I caught up with will.i.am, Taboo and Apl.de.ap and talked about Black Lives Matter, surviving cancer, and crafting their album in lockdown

Rollacoaster: Hello guys, hows it going at this crazy time?

will.i.am: [doing an impression of a posh British accent] Hello, this is Will. Im doing a very rubbish UK accent.

[Laughter] Rollacoaster: Not rubbish at all! Im very impressed. How has lockdown been for you guys?

Taboo: Im in Los Angeles. I live in Pasadena so Ive just been locked down at my home, with my family, and periodically Ive been able to social distance at the studio with Apl and Will.

will.i.am: Yeah, it feels like COVID-19 was a year ago with the rise of this new thing that were dealing with right now. There are soldiers on the street, our city is on fire, businesses are destroyed.

Apl.de.ap: Theres people fighting, you know? The actual looters and then people who have to protest and protect buildings at the same time. Its really confusing.

Rollacoaster: You guys started out with conscious hip-hop, pouring socially astute messages into your music. I mean, Where Is The Love? came out 17 years ago, covering police brutality and systemic racism. With everything thats going on right now, is it kind of devastating to feel like nothing has changed in 17 years?

will.i.am: Nothing has changed for the black person in America. Nothing has changed in 100 years. I mean, theres been extreme progress with Jim Crow being undone, but the systematic racism that still exists in our justice system, nothing has changed.And you have this crippling and manipulating of lives, wickedness being implemented, lives being taken, broadcasted on our phones for us to see it happen. And at the same time, people havent been working. And if you aint working, you havent been making money; if youre not making money youre struggling, not eating. Its tough, so its compound on compound. Its the system giving people a triple middle finger.

Rollacoaster: And because of social media, fans are noticing the artists that are staying silent now. Do you think that musicians have a moral responsibility to use their platform to be vocal?

Apl.de.ap: You have to be mindful of how you react, it cant come from a angry place. You have to really take your time and get the right messaging.

Taboo: And then you have folks like Colin Kaepernick, where unfortunately it didnt go well for him. He got banned from the NFL for making a statement saying that its not right whats happening in our community.

will.i.am: Its not to say that every single musician has to have a moral responsibility, thats not fair. But we do need to celebrate those musicians who do do that. Bob Marley was a godsend. The Clash. Marvin Gaye. I think fans are intelligent enough to know that entertainment is entertainment. You know, not every artist has to be Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, but the ones that do step out we need to do a better job celebrating those people.

Rollacoaster: Looking at your journey so far, your art goes through these massive changes. With your new record, it feels like were at a different iteration of party music now. How do you decide whats next?

will.i.am: Its future casting. Like when we did electro music that was like, this is where its going, lets get on this, lets start collaborating, lets research, lets network like we did for The E.N.D. We saw what was happening in the underground in 2007. So we collaborated with the Boys Noizes and the David Guettas. And with the conscious jazz-influenced hip-hop, we were just students and fans of music of A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. We travelled around the world and we were like, wait a second, Macy Gray has a whole bunch of demographics that come to our show and Elephunk was born. And then Where Is The Love? was written in response to 9/11. And Monkey Business was an extension of our global travels and selling out venues that got us to arena status. Then after The E.N.D., we took a little break. Taboo fought and beat cancer, and now were students again. Then we did Masters of The Sun which is about police brutality and injustice, and we returned to our origins and made jazzy, street-conscious, social activist music. I was just listening to Street Livin right now and I was like, we could put this out right now with everything thats happening.

Apl.de.ap: Where Is The Love? (Remix) too.

Rollacoaster: Theyre both super fitting with the current times. And its so interesting that you talk about your changing demographics whats been your response to this rise of TikTok and user-generated content, with people out there doing different dance challenges to one of your latest singles Mamacita?

Taboo: Our core audience are the Peabodies, who are the fanbase that weve had throughout the years because they rocked with us no matter what era. When were were doing the jazzy hip-hop, then it was more underground backpack-type audiences, and then when we transitioned to Elephunk there was a broader audience. And now with TikTok, you tap into a younger demographic, and its cool because we come from the dance world, so we see folks doing their own versions of the Mamacita challenge. Its cool to see where people can take it and how inspired they are by our music and our frequency.

will.i.am: TikTok is like hyper-activity, its really not about your video, its about the content you give them for them to make their own visuals, which is a whole new world to engage. You set off activities and you see people compete. Its like when youre at the concert and you point the mic at the audience and they say where is the love, or you sing I gotta feeling, mic to the crowd, they go woo hoo in unison. Thats TikTok. Its call and response. Everybodys engaged. Doing a different version of the same thing.

Rollacoaster: You guys keep talking about this future casting can you explain what you mean a little bit?

will.i.am: Theres a lack of different types of content makers and participants in culture. There are some people that are like, this is happening right now, lets hop on it. Thats the cookie cutter. They see a shape, and they duplicate the shape after the shape already happened. And then theres folks that are like, I wonder whats coming next? Do you think people are going to like this, or do you think theyre going to like the combination of this style and that? Were those type of folks.

And weve seen you implement this future casting every step of the way. The multi-faceted format of Masters Of The Sun was so unique, looking into augmented reality and incorporating music in that way. Do you think were at the end of putting out straight-forward music albums?

will.i.am: I think were at the end of a lot of things. We have this one good friend of ours, who is a conspiracist with a big heart, and he said something to us like two or three years ago. We were all at dinner, and he was like soak it all in fellas, and enjoy this moment because these are the good old days. And he was absolutely one trillion percent correct. Why? Because we cant gather and go to a restaurant together right now, who knows if that experience will ever be the way that it was before, where all twenty people were at a table, eating dinner, freely breathing, laughing out loud.

Rollacoaster: Its so true. The future is a bit of a question mark right now. And how do you think its all going to affect the future of music?

will.i.am: Music will be needed. Theres going to be new types of sounds, new types of social gatherings around music. A whole new underground is being born right now. Every genre from jazz to blues to swing to hip-hop, it all was underground, and somethings being invented right now. Somethings happening right now.

Taboo: And with ways of artists performing, we had the opportunity to perform with some technology, kind of like robots, with automatic cameras that were filming us. Its about respecting the times but also finding creative ways to perform. Its about being creative and pushing the envelope of performances and how we can still create content for the world to get a glimpse of us, and making an effort to give you something other than just a Zoom performance.

Apl.de.ap: I feel like were going to slowly immerse into performing again. Being creative with like drive-in shows. Its going to look funny and there will be separation, but its just about testing it out, you know?

Rollacoaster: How do you guys feel about releasing a new album in the midst of all of this?

will.i.am: Yeah, its kind of crazy. Its like a double-edged sword because you want to be celebratory about an album or a project but then youre realising whats happening in real time, and it just hurts. It hurts because people are bringing up Where Is The Love? every time something bad happens. Our song that we created on the hills of 9/11 is always brought up and we love that song and its a song to provide therapy for folks that need it.

Rollacoaster: Why is your new album called Translation? And how does it mark a new era of Black Eyed Peas?

will.i.am: Translation is empathy, understanding, collaboration. To translate from one culture, and one language into something somebody else can understand, it takes patience, it takes tolerance, it takes educating. Translation is the bridge. And Black Eyed Peas, we bridge the gap, from this culture to that culture. We were the bridge between electronic music and pop. We were the bridge between what was going on in America to the rest of the world with Where Is The Love? Now were bridging whats happening in the Latin community to the rest of the world.

Rollacoaster: Knowing your track record, following this album theres going to be an explosion of Latin music

will.i.am: The Latin explosion has already happened. Its just to the rest of the world with English-speaking countries, they dont yet know the power of the Latin world. Like, Olly Murs is big in the UK, but not around the world.

Rollacoaster: Thats so true

will.i.am: Theres such a disconnect between what happens in the Spanish-speaking countries versus what happens in the English world. The English world is super isolated, like you could be big in freaking Atlanta but nobody knows about you in Ottawa, Canada. Like J Balvin is big in Columbia and also big in all of the Spanish-speaking countries. Olly Murs is big in the UK, but not big in all English-speaking countries. You could be big in freaking Wales, but they dont know you in Hawaii. What do you mean you mean like a whale in the ocean? No Wales bro- I see whales all the time!

Rollacoaster: [Laughter] Yes, that disconnect needs to be bridged. And ultimately, what do you want the impact of the album to be?

will.i.am: We designed it as a playlist because when youre making a playlist you want to make sure every song is a gem. Everybodys like, Ive got my singles, heres a bunch of bullshit songs to surround them with. There are very few albums that have like jam-packed gems, like [Michael Jacksons] Off The Wall, Thriller, [Stevie Wonders] Songs In The Key of Life, Marvin Gayes Whats Going On.

Rollacoaster: That makes sense; every album should really be full of hits. And what were the biggest challenges of tweaking and honing this record in lockdown?

Taboo: During the pandemic when it all went down, fortunately Will was in the studio, making sure that everything sonically went together, and transitioned from one song to another. He stayed focused on the project while everybody had to be isolated, and the studio was his home. It was a labour of love and time and effort to put together this whole project.

will.i.am: One time we were frustrated with how the songs were going. Apl was like, Will, can I be honest with you? You keep saying were missing something and I gotta tell you, I know what were missing and I hope you dont get mad. Its you bro, youre not focused. Youre doing this tech stuff and all this stuff and that stuff, and when we did Elephunk you were 100% there, and when we did Monkey Business you were 100% there, when we did The E.N.D., even though you were doing your tech stuff you were at least 90% there. But right now, youre not even 60% there. And youre frustrated but its you that youre frustrated with, because youre not there. I was like shit. You broke me down.

Apl.de.ap: I kept it simple and I said, Will, we need your all. Thats it. And not being distracted with a million things. I think thats what made the album really tight. Its a playlist to be put on and get the party going. And thats what we really want to say right now.

Taboo: [Laughs] Will had that Michael Jordan moment where he wanted to go play baseball, and then he went back to basketball. And then started winning championships again.

Black Eyed Peas new album Translation is out now via RCA UK.

Photographed over Skype by

Bartek Szmigulski

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Black Eyed Peas On Crafting New Album Translation In Lockdown - Wonderland Magazine

This feature is a part of RETEUROSPECTIVE

While Marco van Basten lit up the final of Euro 88 with his stupendous volley to seal the Netherlands win over the Soviet Union, few realised how pronounced a zenith they were witnessing from the vanquished finalists. The Soviets hadnt even qualified for the finals since 1972, and following the breakup of the USSR in 1991 neither the CIS nor Russia managed a single Euros win until a dead rubber in 2004.

In fact, once the Russian Federation had been formed, the national side were knocked out at the earliest opportunity or failed to even qualify for every single major tournament until 2008.

Their passage to the finals in Austria and Switzerland had been less than convincing; 18 goals was their lowest tally in any qualification campaign other than for USA 94, which had contained four fewer fixtures. Their place was only confirmed on the last day with a scrappy 1-0 win away to whipping boys Andorra while England collapsed 3-2 in the Wembley rain made famous by Steve McLarens forlorn umbrella.

So when Guus Hiddink took a squad short on tournament experience to Austria and Switzerland, there was little expectation back home of success. A 4-1 thrashing by eventual champions Spain in the opening group match did little to assuage fears of another humiliation.

Andrey Arshavin, by far Russias most lethal attacking threat having just spearheaded Zenit St. Petersburgs charge to UEFA Cup glory in May, was suspended for the first two matches after his red card in Andorra. After a 1-0 win over reigning champions Greece was secured without his mercurial touch, he returned to score in the 2-0 winner-takes-all victory over Sweden to set up a quarter-final clash with the Dutch.

Hiddinks compatriots had blasted their way through a group of death with swashbuckling swagger. World champions Italy were hammered 3-0 before France were destroyed 4-1 to leave the Netherlands as not only the highest scorers in the group stage, but also with the most feared reputation.

An early Yuriy Zhirkov free-kick and Roman Pavlyuchenkos free header gave hope to the Russians before Arshavins guided shot was tipped wide at full-stretch by Edwin van der Sar. Even centre-back Denis Kolodin sent Van der Sar scrambling with a rasping 40-yard effort. When Pavlyuchenko tapped in a low cross shortly after half-time, it was nothing short of just deserts for a breathless opening.

Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Robin van Persie were reduced to long-range sighters as Arshavin danced his merry dance, skimming a cross agonisingly in front of Ivan Saenko. The relief on Ruud van Nistelrooys face after he stopped low with five minutes left to force extra-time told the story.

The Dutch defence had little answer to Arshavins incisive runs behind as he laid chances on for Ivan Saenko and Dmitriy Torbinskiy. He was far from the only dangerman: Pavlyuchenkos rocket smacked against the bar, Zhirkov waltzed around Johnny Heitinga in the box before being bundled over but inexplicably not being awarded a penalty and Kolodins right foot once again exploded through the ball giving Van der Sars post precious little breathing space.

This was not the look of a side used to failure and disappointment; there was a coursing confidence flowing through Russian veins.

Still the score remained level into the second period of extra time, though. Heitinga shepherded Arshavin wide but had no answer to the swerving hips that squeezed a couple of inches of space. With his weaker left foot, Arshavin lifted a deep cross to the back post for Torbiskiy to slide it in at the back past.

The playmaker sealed a famous win with a close-range finish through Van der Sars legs with five minutes left as Van Basten watched on from the bench, helpless to conjure up some magic like his from 20 years earlier.

Spain proved a class above in the semi-final as they punctured the dream, but nothing could detract from the euphoria. Other than the hedonism of a home World Cup in 2018, there had never been a moment of such untarnished joy and pride in the Russian national team; it wasnt just the win, but the manner in which it had come. Arshavin was the toast of Europe, and Hiddinks men had proven they could not only compete but dominate the best in Europe if only for a fleeting moment.

By Andrew Flint @AndrewMijFlint

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Russia 3-1 Netherlands at Euro 2008: the modern peak of Russia's national team - These Football Times

Today (20 June) marks the 20th anniversary of one of the most pivotal albums to emerge since the turn of the millennium.

It's the year 2000. Korn and Limp Bizkit ruled the airwaves, Y2K is inducing hysteria - and Deftones are in the midst of an evolution. At the turn of the century, Sacramentos finest released the seminal, drug-induced, 11-track tour de force White Pony an album that saw them sever all ties with the bloated nu-metal scene they had been associated with since the release of their debut album Adrenaline.

Whilst the comparisons were largely unfounded, its fair to say that Adrenaline did feature some elements of rap-metal, with vocalist Chino Moreno spitting verses over a metallic backdrop courtesy of guitarist Stephen Carpenter, late bassist Chi Cheng and drummer Abe Cunningham. Yet, Deftones sound contained a level of depth and dynamism that was unrivalled, most notably on the soaring Birthmark and bittersweet closer Fireal.

The now-classic follow up Around the Fur pushed the envelope even further and thrust Deftones into the alternative spotlight thanks to huge singles My Own Summer (Shove it) and Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away). The album exemplified how the band had transformed its sound, with Chinos new wave influences coming to the fore on the anguished Mascara and Dai The Flu. However, the exposure to the mainstream that followed meant that they were unfairly stuck with the nu-metal tag more than ever before.

Deftones entered the studio in April 1999 with a point to prove.

Chino joined Steph on guitar duties for the first time in sessions following Around The Fur, resulting in an infamously fractious working relationship that yielded some of the most ambitious material on White Pony. Frank Delgado, who had featured sparingly on prior releases, was officially announced as a member and was given free rein to layer his now trademark atmospherics onto tracks. The end result was an album that reinvented and redefined, as the band fused elements of dream pop, post-rock and shoegaze to create their magnum opus.

Deftones held a virtual press conference to discuss the albums 20th anniversary, and we learned a lot. When we made the record we pretty much did whatever we wanted [] We took chances and wed try things and see if theyd stick - and a lot of it did Chino explains. This progression can be heard as soon as opener Feiticeira bursts into life, with Chino finding himself at the centre of a grizzly kidnapping. Bound and gagged, the frontman confesses that he is his abductors new cool meat amid clattering drums and rising guitars in what proves to be the perfect introduction to White Ponys seedy underbelly.

Regarding the ambiguous imagery present on the album, the singer says: [It was] a little liberating to be able to write stuff thats not necessarily attached to personal life. As Chino puts it, We wanted to get weird [] and just see how far we could take it. The ethereal Digital Bath then follows, complete with Abes unmistakable backbeat that cuts through Franks misty samples. The tracks sensual verses are offset by Chino lurching into one of his most iconic refrains - Tonight I feel like more. The vocalist said the song came together in a very special way - its dynamic, its sort of lush in a way, but the content of the song itself is a little eerie, referring to its underlying lyrical theme of electrocuting a girl in a bathtub.

Digital Baths seductive state is blown to bits by the poleaxing Elite, which grabs you by the throat and throws you to the floor. Arguably the most ferocious track on the album, Chino addresses narcissism and vanity as he screeches You like attention/It proves to you youre alive alongside Stephs bludgeoning riffs. The song also went on to win Deftones the GRAMMY for Best Metal Performance in 2001. Abe remembers the ceremony fondly: Everybody that was winning [was seated below], on the floor. So were like, Oh, you know, theres no way were going to win. Were just happy to be here. This is great And then they called our name and we were like, What the fuck?! [] it took so long to get up there that by the time we did, theyre like, Okay, cut it, youre done! It was pretty surreal.

Crunching guitars intertwine with glitchy percussive effects on RX Queen, as Chino reveals his reluctance to leave a particularly toxic relationship Cause youre my girl and thats alright/If you sting me I wont mind. He rebuffs the advances of a promiscuous woman on Street Carp before Teenagers trip-hop inspired beat brings proceedings to a hazy halt. Here, White Pony takes a sombre turn as the frontman recounts his first real taste of heartbreak. Pink Floyd collides with Helmet on the bloodlust of Knife Prty, with Chis mutating baseline guiding the track for its duration, delicately floating above Abes pummelling drums. During the songs climax, guest vocalist Rodleen Getsics frantic screams perfectly juxtapose Chinos sedate croon in a moment that captures White Pony at its most frenzied. In its din, the drug fuelled Korea blasts into view, complete with the singer embarking on a trip of pure hedonism to see white skin on red leather in one of his favourite night spots.

The comedown from the night before follows in the form of Passenger, with Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan joining Chino for a six-minute joyride. Passenger was one of the last songs we did. I still hadnt had any ideas for it yet [] and [Maynard] came by the studio. We sort of just sat there and listened to it and wrote it line by line says Chino. Themes of BDSM and exhibitionism are alluded to in the tracks verses, as Keenan whispers about the buttons, buckles and leather surfaces used in the presence of other lucky witnesses. I kind of felt like [Maynard] was involved early on in the record just by being around, adds Chino, For me as a singer to trade lines like that with somebody with his voice was super special.

Passenger slowly builds to a crushing crescendo before retreating to allow for Change (In the House of Flies) to take centre stage. [It was] the first time I [heard] the way I wanted us to sound says Abe, with its desolate opening verse paving the way for a towering chorus, demonstrating how Deftones had fully honed their loud/quiet dynamic. [Change has] a lot of elements of what Deftones have always tried to achieve says Chino, Its probably one of my favourite songs of ours, even though I know its probably the most popular song - I think theres a reason for it.

The slow burning Pink Maggit then White Pony to a brooding close - an emotional bookend to an album that stood as a defiant middle finger thrown in the face of a scene that was toppling under the weight of its own ebbing popularity. In 2000, Chino explained that the song was based on the idea of [Becoming] the leader of your surroundings - and thats exactly what Deftones did with this release.

Despite Maverick Records coaxing the band into recording a rap-rock infused version of Pink Maggit in the form of Back to School (Mini Maggit), White Ponys sonic statement of intent could not be undermined. Deftones had drawn from their eclectic pool of influences to form an album that transcended their contemporaries and placed them in a league of their own. It was five guys just taking chances and believing in themselves says Frank, blazing their own little trail.

The record remains an iconic snapshot of the band at the peak of its powers, resulting in a legacy that will stretch far beyond its 20th anniversary. I believe that the chances that we took making [White Pony] and just trusting ourselves [] is why were still able to do what we do today says Abe. The band continue to mature and develop their sound with each subsequent release, remaining one of the most original, innovate and vital acts in modern day music.

In their virtual conference, Chino adds a final note on the ever-present question - will there be a reissue? Were going to be releasing, later in the year, a reissue of the record and were going to do a sort of flip side to the record as well a remixed version of it entitled Black Stallion. A lot of people are on it, some that inspired the writing on the original record itself. We had that idea pretty much 20 years ago, even before we started writing White Pony [] Its something we always kinda joked about, and now its actually come to life. It has been confirmed that DJ Shadow will be one of the artists to appear on the project.

With this, as well as their ninth studio album on the horizon, Deftones fascinating ascent from Californian skaters to alternative godfathers shows no sign of slowing.

Well be riding the White Pony for years to come.

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Twenty years of Deftones' White Pony | Gigwise - Gigwise

The adults-only Hedonism II resort in Jamaica is reopening in July, Caribbean Journal has learned.

Jamaica is officially reopening its borders for tourism on June 15, and Hedonism II is targeting a July 1 relaunch date, according to a spokesperson for the property.

The Negril-area 280-room resort, famous for its adult parties and events, says it has implemented new sanitation and safety protocols to ensure guests can party safely.

That includes mandated social distancing in all common areas, temperature checks using infrared sensors; staff-served buffets; frequent sanitizing of high-contact areas, disinfection of luggage and continuous and effective disinfection of in-room surfaces and air conditioners.

Thats along with protocols like mandatory masks, regular temperature checks for staff and other measures.

In anticipation of Hedonism IIs July 1stre-opening, we have spent the last month undertaking preparations and consulting with local and international organizations to make sure our enhanced safety measures are up to the highest standards, said Kevin Levee, General Manager of Hedonism II. We look forward to welcoming home our guests and are confident that the iconic Hedonism II experience will shine through, even if its with some adjustments.

For more, visit Hedonism.

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Negril's Hedonism II Resort to Reopen Caribbean Journal - Caribbean Journal

It has almost been three months since the UK Government imposed a lockdown due to the outbreak of Covid-19 and yet normality in Britain at least still feels a long way off. This is true of fashion too, where, for the foreseeable future, runway shows are no longer possible. London Mens Fashion Week is still going ahead, though albeit in a different form: now gender neutral, the event will merge mens- and womenswear on londonfashionweek.com a new, digital-only platform hostingcontent from over 100 designers, in addition to creative individuals and cultural institutions.

Launching on Friday, this content will be available to access via a Netflix-style hub split into three streams: The LFW Schedule, which comprises timed moments, including conversations (betweenHussein Chalayan and Elise By Olsen, for example), collection launches and conversations; Explore, which aims to tell the story of Londons creativity and culture via BFC-created content (including a podcast featuring Edward Enninful and Sadiq Khan discussing the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement); and Designer Profiles, where the designers will introduce themselves and their work. Obviously theres a lot going on, so weve picked out a few of our highlights.

Accompanied by a trio of young South London musicians Rago Foot, Kwake Bass, andWu-Lu Nicholas Daleys Autumn/Winter 2020 collection took inspiration from Afrofuturism and the black abstract art movement of the 1970s, namely the work of Guyanese-born artistFrank Bowling whose first major retrospective opened at the Tate last year. At 12pm on Friday, the designer will be premiering The Abstract Truth, a behind-the-scenes filmby Amy Douglas that promises an insight into the making of this collection.

One of fashions rising stars, designer Priya Ahluwalia launched her eponymous brand in 2017, which draws both on her Indian-Nigerian heritage and her upbringing in London (herSpring/Summer 2020 collection took inspiration from old family photographs). At 1.15pm on Friday, Ahluwalia will be launching her second book, Jalebi, a limited-edition photography tome, shot by Laurence Ellis, which explores the designers work and what it means to be a young mixed-heritage person living in the UK. Jalebi will be showcased via an interactive and virtual gallery space.

Bianca Saunders, another rising star, launched her eponymous brand in 2017 too, and has since garnered attention for her thoughtful exploration of topics surrounding gender, race and her own Caribbean heritage, as well as the cut of her clothes, which imbuesthegarments with a sense of movement. At 11.30am on Saturday, Saunders will be launching a zine in addition to hosting a panel discussion with photographer Joshua Woods, stylistMatt Holmes and model Jess Cole.

Charles Jeffreys label is of course synonymous with his LOVERBOY club night at Vogue Fabrics in Dalston and all the hedonism that comes with. While club nights and hedonismmay feel like distant memory at this point in the pandemic, Jeffrey will be live-streaming a LOVERBOY party at 7pm on Saturday, to launch a new capsule collection and perhaps offer a foretaste of the freedoms we will be able to enjoy again once lockdown measures finally lift.

The alma mater of some of the greatest designers in fashion history, Central Saint Martins will present Class of 2021 Fieldwork material at11.20amon Sunday,produced by the colleges MA Fashion students engaged in the process of design; in its purest, almost abstract form. Precisely what this entails, youll have to wait and see.

The emerging Amsterdam-based designer Duran Lantink who was nominated for the LVMH Prize in 2019 for his innovate repurposing of deadstock has invited the multidisciplinary artist Angel-Ho to take over his platform on London Fashion Weeks digital hub. The music and performance artist continuously subverts and questions gender stereotypes with their work, and for London Fashion Week has chosen to spotlight a series of organisations which support Black Lives Matter and gender movements (SWEAT, Sistaaz Hood, The Marsha P Johnson Institute, Lovedale Press, and a petition for justice for Khosa Collins)alongside two emerging South African artists (Haneem Christian and River Moon).

East London-based shoe brand ROKER celebrates its signature box-toed boots with a series of films created for London Fashion Week. Claire Wang, Jordon Byron Britton, Luke Farley,Anna Engerstrm and Nina Kunzendorf, each wearing a pair of bespoke ROKER boots, captured themselves in their homes for the five films, which are now available to watch on the gender neutral brands Youtube channel.

Londons firstdigital fashion week launches on June 12, 2020.

Read the original:

A Guide to What's Happening at the First Digital London Fashion Week - AnOther Magazine

My best mate and I have our birthdays within a month of each other, and we started this year with our feet in the sand on a beach in Thailand, talking about what we wanted from 2020. (Cue mirthless laughter). Its a landmark year for both of us, as its the last year of our 30s I turn 40 in December.

Neither of us are particularly happy about the prospect our voices get high and squeaky when we discuss it but I decided that one way of softening the blow was to have a mad year of hedonism. It was going to be like a Say Yes Night, as seen in Grace and Frankie, where you say yes to everything, even to experience things you might normally be scared of or feel like you dont have time for.

People say things like be glad to be alive when you express unhappiness around a birthday, and while I get the wider philosophical message, it does diddly squat to mitigate the things you are afraid of around such a landmark one. For me, its the knowledge that we still live in a society that lionises youth. Because of gender inequalities, that tends to hit women harder, with greater value and worth placed on our looks. Exhibit A: literally any red carpet event where the men look like theyve just woken up from a nap and the women have clearly spent days on their look.

Admittedly, I didnt take turning 30 well either because landmark birthdays force an unwanted inventory of your life. What you achieved, and more crucially, what you didnt. Turning 40 is similar, but with the additional layer that some things may soon be out of reach, such as having children. I cant say that I definitively want them, or Im sad about it, but I know that when I turned 30, Im pretty sure it was a given that Id have kids by now. Do I mourn what didnt happen or the fact that it may never happen because of biological clocks and whatnot?

The year of hedonism was to overturn that narrative of being past it. To counter the sadness with a lot of fun. To actually be spontaneous for once without over-thinking it. I know that when the clock strikes midnight on my 40th birthday, my bones wont instantly shrivel and become decrepit, but I wanted to use it as an excuse to generate the courage to try the things I always wanted to.

I didnt really date much in my 38th year because I couldnt be bothered, but my 39th year was supposed to be about dating loads. It was about meeting lots of new people, and not putting it off for another year. Travel was also a big one. I was going to try and actually stay at a festival for the whole duration usually I run away after two days because of the lack of showers and garbage. I wanted to finally hire a car and drive around Italy, something I have always wanted to do but kept putting off because the driving on the wrong side of the road scared me. I wanted to do the trek to Mount Everests base camp because I felt it would make me feel strong and capable. Beyond travel, I also wanted to change my personal life by pushing myself out of my comfort zone and socialising with people I didnt know (something Im notorious for hating), and take the next step with newer friendships by going on holiday with them.

But above all, I wanted to live this year with a sense of bravery and limitlessness, because I wanted it to teach me the lesson that age really is just a number, and that I was still capable of having fun, and being fun too.

Coronavirus obviously put a stop to all of that, and while it isnt exactly the worst problem to have, there is a clear sense after three months in lockdown, that this isnt going to be the year I thought I would have. Although I had a tantrum at the lost time I wouldnt get back (yes, you can still have tantrums in your late 30s), that has distilled into a sense of sharpness and focus around what is important. For a start, I had Covid-19, and now that Im in the middle of a slow recovery, I know Im lucky that it wasnt worse. But also, the things that make us scared of turning 40 or any landmark year for that matter almost always come from things externally, rather than how we feel inside.

Internally, I feel amazing. I dont feel past it. I dont feel like Im even halfway done

My friend joked that she is going to start lying about her age, and I said actually, it is important that we dont. Forty feels so bad because we associate it with being ill or things going wrong, or we think we wont be able to do as much, or because we simply havent had the right role models. We think of when our parents turned 40 and maybe we dont want that for ourselves.

Internally, I feel amazing. I dont feel past it. I dont feel like Im even halfway done. Health problems can happen to you at any age, so turning 40 is just a chance to make sure you take care of yourself a bit better, not an inevitability that parts are going to fall off. Being visible and being okay with being 40 is really important to setting the example to others around you, and especially to our kids and nieces and nephews.

So if I didnt get to do my year of hedonism, thats perfectly alright. All turning 40 will do is to sharpen my focus around what it is that I really do want, rather than having to commit to some mid-life crisis bucket list. Life doesnt end or even begin at 40, it just continues, and hopefully for the better. And for now, thats actually all I need or want.

Link:

It was supposed to be a year of mad hedonism: how Im feeling about turning 40 after lockdown - iNews