As basketball fans around the world remember Kobe Bryant’s life and grapple with his death, investigations are still underway to determine what caused his helicopter to crash in Calabasas, California.
Recent developments revealed that the pilot who manned the NBA legend’s helicopter was allowed to fly under foggy conditions on Sunday morning. Spokesman Josh Rubenstein told CNN that visibility was so low around the area that the Los Angeles Police Department had grounded its helicopters.
The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter crashed into a rough hillside. None of the nine people on board the chopper survived — including Bryant’s teenage daughter Gianna. As of this writing, the cause of the crash has not been confirmed.
In the audio recording obtained by CNN, an exchange between the pilot and the controller was heard. “Maintain special VFR at or below 2,500,” the pilot said to the controller.
Later on during the flight, the pilot asked for a “flight following” service which indicates regular contact between controllers and an aircraft.
The controller in charge told the pilot “2 echo X-ray, you’re still too low level for flight following at this time.” This meant that the chopper was flying too low to be detected on air traffic control radar.
Conditions have also made it difficult for investigators to determine the cause of the crash. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters, “It’s a logistical nightmare in a sense because the crash site itself is not easily accessible.”
Retrieval operations to recover bodies from the crash site could possibly take days according to officials.
Sean “Diddy” Combs didn’t miss the opportunity to rip the Recording Academy for its lack of racial diversity. The American rapper didn’t mince words in front of a crowd of musicians, artists, producers and the like on Saturday’s Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala. In his 2020 Grammy Salute to Industry Icons acceptance speech, he intensely called out the awards ceremony for not giving black music the respect it is due.
The stunned crowd included big industry names: Beyonce, Jay-Z, Cardi B, Lana Del Rey, Janet Jackson, Ozzy Osbourne and John Legend among others. Diddy’s upfront remarks were made near the end of his 50-minute long speech about his life, a career in music and the people he worked with.
“Every year y’all be killing us. I’m speaking for all the artists and executives: in the great words of Erykah Badu, “We are artists and we are sensitive about our sh–,” the rapper said about music’s black community.
Then he flat-out laid down a statement that shook the room, “Truth be told, hip-hop has never been respected by the Grammys. Black music has never been respected by the Grammys.”
He then continued to call for his fellow artists and music industry experts to stop letting “institutions that have never had our best interests at heart to judge us.” At the end of his speech, Diddy urged the Grammys to do better in a span of “365 days.”
The Recording Academy and Grammys have long been criticized for its lack of gender and racial diversity in recognizing artists in the industry.
Engaging a branding agency could be one of the most important steps your business takes in terms of attracting new customers and growing your presence in the industry. Without this type of work, it will be difficult for your company to compete with others that have a stronger identify, and in turn mindshare, than you do.
While you can always try to train yourself and build an in-house team, you are far more likely to make incredibly costly mistakes due to your inexperience. It would be much better for you to look into hiring a 3rd party branding agency to assist you with this element of your business for a modest fee.
Let’s take a look at some of the major benefits of using a branding agency.
They know what they are doing
The first and foremost benefit of hiring a branding agency is that they are made up of strong creative talents that know exactly what they need to do to help your business succeed. These people are specialists in doing exactly what you are paying them for, so you can have peace of mind knowing that you have experienced professionals working on the campaign and not someone who just graduated yesterday. They will likely have a portfolio of past clients they have worked with to show you that they know the recipe for success.
Experience with ad purchases
When you hire a branding agency you get access to a team of professionals who know the complex and intricate process of purchasing ad space. No matter what kind of platforms you may choose to advertise with, there are going to be lots of small details and unspoken rules of using them that only the firm you hire can help you with.
This added level of expertise means that your ads will be much better targeted and have a much better chance of scoring a conversion, all while also saving money. Using a 3rd party consultancy to take care of these complex pieces of the puzzle helps give you added peace of mind knowing that you aren’t going in blind.
Also, depending on the age of the branding agency, they may already have lots of media contacts they can leverage on your behalf. This means that there’s less time to wait before they start helping you make more money.
Your budget is limited
If you don’t have a lot of money to throw around at a branding agency, then you can still benefit greatly from engaging their services. In order to expand your resources, you need to grow the company and investing into a branding agency is a great way to make your business more popular and in turn grow your business.
You will be able to learn from their skills
Working with a branding agency means you will also be getting valuable second-hand experience in how they do things. This means you will be able to use this information in the future to conduct your own campaigns or leverage a better deal for another provider.
Hopefully the above information gives you some valuable insight on the unique benefits of working alongside a branding agency. Do your research and be careful about where you spend your money.
Whether you’re shopping for your future child or looking for a gift to give a newborn, baby shorts are a great idea. Practical, fun and adorable, they’re wonderful regardless of whether it’s a girl or a boy.
But how do you go about finding the perfect pair? This article covers everything from fabric to where to shop for them.
Size
Let’s start with the basics – what size baby shorts should you choose? You want something that the infant will fit into, but which they won’t outgrow within a few weeks. It’s generally advised to buy one size bigger than the infant’s current size to give them a chance to grow into them. Plus, at such a young age, it generally won’t matter if they’re a little big.
However, do consider the season – baby shorts will be worn in the springtime and summertime, so if you’re planning on giving them out during winter, make sure you select a larger size so they will still fit by the time the warmer months arrive.
Fabric
Infants tend to have sensitive skin, so it’s important that the clothes you give them are made of a gentle fabric. The following types of fabric are considered safest for infants to wear (bonus points if they’re organic, too):
Cotton
Fleece
Gauze
Jersey knit
Muslin
Broadcloth
Bamboo rayon
Voile
And of course, no matter which you end up buying, make sure the item is prewashed before the infant wears it to prevent any irritation (especially if it’s not organic).
Style
Now comes the tricky part – choosing a style! With so many fun baby shorts to choose from, it can be tempting to buy two (or even three) pairs. Some of the things to consider are:
Gender
The gender of the infant may be something that factors into your decision. If it’s a girl, you may want to buy something frilly, high-waisted and colourful, whereas if it’s a boy you might want to opt for a darker colour, or denim (though it’s totally up to you – feel free to mix things up!).
Colour
Your colour options for baby shorts are virtually limitless. White is a lovely colour for both casual and formal wear, whereas bright, bold colours like red, pink and blue can work well for casual looks.
Formality
Are you looking for casual wear, or something more formal? Denim, linen, skorts or cargo styles are good go-to’s for casual looks, whereas chinos and tailored styles (some skorts can work well, too) are better as smart-casual wear.
Cost
Make sure you set yourself a budget in advance to prevent overspending. If you’re on a small budget, consider shopping for your baby shorts at second-hand stores or online, or shop during a sale period. If you’re on a higher budget, you might want to visit an up-market store – though if you want to save a bit of money, check out their sale rack. If buying an expensive item, consider if it’s good value – will it be worn regularly enough to justify the price, or will it only be worn once?
Where to shop
Again, your decision on where to shop for baby shorts will depend on your budget – high budgets might want to shop at up-market and/or boutique stores, whereas lower budgets might want to shop at bargain or second-hand stores. Local shops are convenient, however if you happen to be on holidays or visiting a new location, consider it a great opportunity to shop for something more unique.
Are you experiencing that excruciating pain in your lower back during pregnancy? Is it your first trimester and things have become quite painful down there? Of course, there are many other reasons for this pain, but most often than not your SI joint is the real culprit.
The pain may be felt continuously or at particular intervals of time as aches. It can be felt on one or both sides of your back and gradually move towards your thighs. Most of the new mums are unaware of pregnancy challenges or confused about this phenomenon and this painful condition results in high levels of stress and eventually depression.
If it’s you or anyone of your friends is experiencing this pain or planning to have a child, you need to be aware of the basics of this particular joint in your pelvic region. Not everyone experiences a painful SI joint during pregnancy, but then precaution is always better than cure. Read on to know all about this painful situation and the ways in which you can find respite in the times of need.
What is an SI joint?
First of all, what exactly is an SI joint? To start with, SI is an acronym for Sacroiliac. Amongst all the bones in the pelvic region, there are two bones known as sacrum and ilium. The ilium is commonly referred to as a hip bone. The joint which combines these bones is known as a sacroiliac joint. And there are two such joints because the sacrum is surrounded by an ilium from both sides.
These joints are vital in transferring the muscular weight of the upper body to the legs and knees. SI joints are an indispensable part of your body as they help in movements such as walking, running and jumping.
Symptoms:
Following are the conditions which suggest that your sacroiliac (SI) joint might be the reason behind your troubles.
1. Lower back pain
Continuous or periodic pain in the lower back might be an indication of the SI joint problems. The intensity of this pain can range from moderate to severe. Normally, one might experience this pain only on one side of the back, but there are cases when women face it on both sides.
2. Pain that grows in the area
The reason behind SI joint pain is in the bad books of pregnant women is that it spreads widely. You might experience it in the whole pelvic region, lower back and even legs. It is one notorious pain to have during pregnancy.
3. Stiffness and difficult position shift
You might feel your pelvic bones have become stiff and cannot move easily. SI joint pain can even make it difficult for you to change positions while sleeping.
4. Difficulty standing up
The difficulty in changing positions isn’t limited to sleeping only. One may find it difficult to stand up. SI joint pain can even make it impossible for you to sit for a long period of time.
5. Difficulty while walking
Imagine if merely sitting and standing up can be troublesome, what happens if you try walking? You obviously will find it painful. No wonder pregnant women are found waddling, right! Climbing stairs and running might be a dream for those suffering from severe SI joint pain.
Photo: Pixabay, Pexels.
Causes:
Although there are many reasons behind the SI joint pain in pregnant women, the chief amongst them are listed below:
1. Hormonal shifts
Relaxin is the hormone which gets secreted when you conceive. It is responsible for relaxing the muscles and ligaments in the pelvic region so as to prepare your body for the childbirth. But on the other side, this relaxation also increases the friction amongst the pelvic bone resulting in joint pain. It is mostly experienced during the first trimester when the secretion of relaxin is the highest.
2. Growing baby bump
When your baby bump starts showing and growing, it can lead to change in the centre of gravity of your body. This puts additional stress on your pelvic region to balance this shift. And eventually, it leads to the SI joint pain.
Remedies to aid you in this situation:
The SI joint pain can be treated by surgical as well as non-surgical methods. However, when given an option, the majority of the mums-to-be opt for a remedy which neither has surgery nor any medications involved. And we have listed some of those friendly and less-maintenance solutions for you as follows.
1. Physiotherapy
This is the least intruding method of all to treat SI joint pain. Given the proper guidance, you are sure to feel better with reducing pain. An experienced and efficient trainer can teach you which muscles to stretch and which ones should be relaxed in the right way. You can start physiotherapy sessions from early on. This way, you can prepare your body for the upcoming challenges.
However, you need to make sure that you contact the authorised and genuine physiotherapists. As such any mistakes in the exercises can cost you a lot health-wise. Do the proper research prior to selecting a service.
2. Wearing a support belt
As the name indicates, support belts are designed and meant to provide support to your abdominal region. Specialised pregnancy support belts can help support the weight of your ever-growing baby bump. The precautions that need be observed on your part are – selecting the size of the support belt and learning the proper way to wear them.
3. Wearing compression clothes
Compression clothes come in a wide range of options with the sole aim to support your aching body. These clothes are specifically designed to hold together your growing body and exert as less stress as possible on your pelvis. Compression clothes support your lower back and pelvic region in daily activities, and you can also wear them to work.
If you experience SI joint pain after childbirth, compression garments can be worn in the 4th semester postpartum. They can help lower the pain along with getting you into shape again.
Pregnancy is one of the most amazing parts of a woman’s life. It has so many moments to cherish, so many memories to make. Don’t let joint pain stop you from having a good time. Cherish the process of becoming a mother and leave all the other worries on the remedies we suggested.
No one can forget Robert Downey Jr.’s controversial role in Ben Stiller’s 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder. Over a decade since the feature film was released, the actor is now breaking his silence over the role that earned him a slew of major award nominations despite the anticipated backlash.
Downey Jr. appeared as a guest on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast to promote his new movie, Dolitte. The actor had no apprehensions about discussing what is arguably his most debated on-screen character, Kirk Lazarus. Tropic Thunder saw Downey Jr. in full blackface. His character was an overly committed Australian actor who had his skin surgically darkened to take on the role of a black soldier in a war film.
“My mother was horrified,” Downey Jr. confessed while recalling the casting process.
“‘Bobby, I’m telling ya, I have a bad feeling about this.’” his mother told him at the time during a conversation about the role. “I was like, ‘Yeah me too, mom.’”
He then revealed that Sean Penn was offered the role but gave it a pass. A move that Downey Jr. describes as “Possibly wisely.” As for what convinced him to take on the role despite his doubts he said:
“…I get to be black for a summer in my mind, so there’s something in it for me. The other thing is, I get to hold up to nature the insane self-involved hypocrisy of artists and what they think they’re allowed to do on occasion, just my opinion.”
Later on, he reflected, “In my defense, Tropic Thunder is about how wrong [blackface] is…”
His Tropic Thunder role earned him best supporting actor nominations from the BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Oscars, all of which he had lost to Heath Ledger’s Joker.
When it comes to concocting a pleasant workplace atmosphere, the first area you should concentrate on would certainly be the break room.
Although this place may seem insignificant at first, or at least not as significant as the cubicle or some other work station environment, it is precisely in break rooms that employees can mingle with each other, forge friendships, and bring the effectiveness level of the whole company on an entirely different level.
You see, working with people that all know each other well and that can work like clockwork when you need them to surely beats working with a disorganized bunch of folks who just want to go home as soon as the clock strikes five. (If it’s a nine-to-five job we’re talking about, of course.)
Now, the thing about break rooms is that you aren’t just randomly awarded one every time you buy or rent a building for your workspace. A break room will only exist in the first place if you create it – which is what makes it an even more special place.
In this article, we’re going to talk about how you improve your office break room (we’re assuming you already designated an area to be used as a break room but haven’t got around to decorating it), so that you’ll employees will look forward to sitting there and having a chat every day. As you will see, you don’t need heaps of money to make this happen, as all you need is a small initial investment, some creativity, and a willingness to talk to your employees about what their ideas for this purpose might be.
Right then folks, without further ado, here’s the deal.
Employee lockers
A wee place to call your own within your company can mean a lot for an employee.
The thing is, no matter how computer-oriented the job position is, most employees will still arrive at work with something or the other in their hands, purses, and backpacks.
Whether it’s a jar of some sort of greenish cleansing juice they drink regularly, a laptop, a laptop bag, and other peripheries, or even their favorite action figuring set from home that inspires them – providing them with sufficient space to store these items, so they can whip them out whenever they need is surely going to be a plus in their book when it comes to how they regard you as an employer.
So, installing a sufficient number of employee lockers can be a way to instantly improve the break room situation without even touching on the décor part of the deal.
Outdoor sitting arrangements
Outdoor sitting arrangements may seem like a simple enough idea, but here’s the rub – many offices are built in such a way that getting access to a patch of well, outdoors, is impossible without walking a long distance from the office.
Therefore, it’s important to get a bit creative here.
Photo: Cadeau Maestro, Pexels
The goal is to allow your employees to breathe in the fresh air and be in the open, so even if it’s a large balcony with some chairs and a table, it can do the job fairly well. If you happen to have a small patch of outdoors within the buildings itself (the way they do in Parks and Recreation), you can utilize that by installing some chairs or benches, a couple of other useful amenities, and then place a gazebo there, too, or an awning in case it starts raining.
Spending time outdoors, in general, is a dopamine booster for humans (especially for humans working in an office), so what better way to make their breaks properly battery-recharging than to organize them outdoors.
Snack Dispensers
Other than craving for sunlight, meaningful communication with one another, and a break from work, your employees will also crave snacks.
No human is immune to some well-placed and energy-refilling snacks, so if you want to make your employees look forward to the breaks, installing a snack dispenser somewhere inside the building (preferably within the break room) can be one more way to make the place way more inviting, so to speak.
Of course, as for the snacks themselves, we aren’t saying there should be typical unhealthy snacks. Instead, we consider a ‘snack’ anything that can be consumed quickly and that can restore your energy.
So, if your company has some sort of get-fit policy as they do in Japan, for example, you can install vending machines where your employees can buy organic products or diet beverages. The choice is entirely up to you what you put in these.
Coffee & Tea Machines
More on the topic of workplace food & drink situation, the more of vending machines and other food and drink installations you place within the sacred area of a break room, so to speak, the more employees are going to flock there when the clock spells ‘break time’.
During the summer, a bunch of coolers or a versatile ice machine where your employees can pick up ice-cold tea or some other beverage and quench their thirst can be a lifesaver. Also, if it’s winter, a lineup of attractive hot beverages can be all you need to make your employees group up together and have a team-building chat and potentially discuss some monumental ideas for the future of your company.
All in all, creating a special area for your employees that they can call their own and having them all spend some quality time together there during each break is what makes team stronger, more durable, and more internally connected. The bottom line, improving your office break room is all about listening to your employees’ needs, making sure their food & drink needs are met, and that they have a little bit of space on their own at the end of the day.
Saturday Night Live star Aidy Bryant tells us how exactly her new Hulu series “Shrill” will change the narrative for fat people on television. Based on Lindy West’s memoir, “Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman,” the sitcom follows the story of Annie Easton — “a fat young woman who wants to change her life — but not her body,” according to Hulu.
“Lindy had so perfectly verbalized stuff I had been thinking my entire life but never said out loud,” the 32-year-old comedian told People in a recent interview. Bryant says the book inspired her and made her realize that she didn’t have to force her way “into a system that wasn’t built for me.” This led to her self-discovery and how she has learned to like herself despite not fitting into conventional norms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-ONRwXazd8
Bryant is credited for co-creating, producing and starring in the series. It is co-produced by legendary producer Lorne Michaels (Saturday Night Live) and multi-hyphenate, Elizabeth Banks.
The SNL regular recalls growing up to seeing fat characters on television as “the punchline.” “Even if it wasn’t necessarily about their weight, it was about the way they lived their life or who they were is a joke.” And quite frankly, Bryant is fed up. Her involvement in the project meant being able to steer it in a progressive direction.
She revealed that including true to life sex in the show’s pilot episode was a way to treat the lack of dignified representation of “a fat person’s romantic life” on screen. Bryan explained that sexuality is a major aspect of someone’s “ relationship to their body and their identity.”
“Awkwafina is Nora From Queens” scored big for its television network Comedy Central. Its pilot episode premiere drew in .31 ratings from adults aged 18 to 49 years old and was watched by a total of 489,000 viewers on its debut last Wednesday in America. The figures translate to Comedy Central’s highest-rated series debut since 2017. The season one premiere also marks the most popular in primetime among women aged 18-49 since 2016.
According to Nielsen and Comedy Central, the show’s .31 rating is 59 percent more than the series that launched before it (South Side), and 33 percent more than the premiere of The Other Two from last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iftQNDmcetY
Online users across social media embraced the show as it ranked No.1 with the most social primetime cable comedy on the night of its premiere. It received 39,000 engagements across social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and Twitter which makes it Comedy Central’s most socially active launch since 2016.
Awkwafina is Nora From Queens highlights the star’s young adult life as a Queens, New York native prior to her fame. In the show’s TCA press tour earlier this month, “The Farewell” star said she plays a version of herself that is as real as it gets. “Maybe my life was buffoonish — I don’t know,” she said at the panel. “I didn’t feel the need to do something that was overdone. I just hope it inspires young kids to be themselves.”
The show also stars BD Wong (Mr. Robot) as her dad, Lori Tan Chinn (Orange Is The New Black) as her grandmother and Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live) as her cousin.
Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky’s relationship may be for real in the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before sequel but things are going to get a lot more complicated. Lana Condor has teased a “more mature” To All The Boys 2: P.S. I Still Love You.
The forthcoming romantic comedy sequel will see Condor (Lara Jean Covey) and her on-screen love interest Noah Centineo (Peter Kavinsky) as our favorite teen couple once again. This time, the two characters are officially dating and will navigate through their genuine relationship. But when Lara Jean’s middle school sweetheart John Ambrose McClaren — played by Jordan Fisher — responds to her old love letter, her heart takes her to another direction.
Offering an inside look into the upcoming flick, Condor sat down with Entertainment Tonight on the set of TATBILB 2. “The movie is a little bit more mature in the sense that all of a sudden, things aren’t perfect anymore and you’re actually dealing with real-life relationship problems,” the star teased.
Centeneo also shared details about the flick. He told the entertainment outlet that P.S. I Still Love You will look into “the fact that relationships can be a lot or difficult, especially when you’re in them for real.”
As for how he could best describe what they have in store for fans, Centeneo says, “There’s that quote, ‘The road to hell is paved with good intentions,’ and that absolutely applies to this film.”
The second trailer for TATBILB 2 dropped on Thursday. And in case you missed it, you can watch the video below:
![Robert Downey Jr: “Tropic Thunder is about how wrong [blackface] is”](https://bestinau.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/robert-downey-jr-tropic-thunder-768x516.jpg "Robert Downey Jr: “Tropic Thunder is about how wrong [blackface] is”")
