BBC News

Oct. 20, 2020

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Black Lives Matter: Orchestra creates music inspired by iconic moment Black Lives Matter: Orchestra creates music inspired by iconic moment no Close Chineke! Orchestra has created a body of work inspired by Patrick Hutchinson, who was hailed a hero after carrying a man to safety during clashes between anti-racism protesters and counter-protesters in London in June. The now-iconic image shows Mr Hutchinson lifting the injured man over his shoulder during the Black Lives Matter protest. Chi-chi Nwanoku, the founder and artistic director of the Chineke! Orchestra, described Patrick Hutchinson's actions as a "momentous act of humanity...on the streets of London, when something that could have turned out to have been a fatal situation, ended up being a moment when a life was saved." The piece, which has been composed by James B. Wilson, includes powerful poetry by Yomi Sode. Patrick Hutchinson sat in the audience for the orchestra's first dress rehearsal, and said the music nearly brought him to tears. Chineke! is Europe's first majority Asian, Black and ethnically diverse orchestra.

Punch Sports

Oct. 24, 2020

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Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says new signing Edinson Cavani has been “very meticulous” in training and could make his debut against Chelsea.

Cavani joined United on a free transfer on Deadline Day and could make his first appearance for the club against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Uruguayan – who has scored 341 goals in 556 club appearances during his career – had to undergo a two-week quarantine period following his arrival at Old Trafford but has been working on his fitness.

Cavani missed United’s impressive away victories against Newcastle in the Premier League and former club Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, but United boss Solskjaer believes the 33-year-old could feature this weekend against Frank Lampard’s side.

“Of course where he’s been away from football for so long, he needed a pre-season,” Solskjaer said.

 

“He’s naturally fit and he’s been looking after himself. He had two weeks in quarantine but we did provide him with all the facilities – the gym and a treadmill – and he posted (online) a few running sessions that he did.

“There is your foundation. Now when he comes in with us he’s getting more football and more training sessions individualised so he feels more ready to train with the team and then play with the team.

“He’s been very meticulous and very methodical in his training and his preparation. He didn’t feel ready for the PSG game because it was too early for him. He hadn’t done enough sharpness work, but he’s managed to do that this week and let’s see if that means he’s ready for the Chelsea game – I’m hopeful.”

Although Cavani missed United’s midweek win in Paris, one player who was available for Solskjaer was defender Axel Tuanzebe.

The 22-year-old made a brilliant return to the first-team action despite the game being his first senior appearance in over 300 days, and Solskjaer now hopes the centre-back can stay clear of injuries.

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The new ways fans can watch football together

BBC News

Oct. 23, 2020

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More than 20 Vue cinemas are screening Premier League football over the next two weeks

With packed stands looking a long way off, football fans are having to find alternative ways to watch live games together.

Several clubs are allowing a limited number of supporters to watch matches on TV screens in the hospitality areas of their grounds - as long as they don't have a direct view of the pitch.

Cinemas are showing Premier League matches, offering fans the chance to watch football with popcorn in the dark.

Is this the next best thing until crowds are able to return? And what has the reaction been?

Where are fans returning?

In the Championship, Norwich City fans will be able to watch the club's next four fixtures, including home games against Wycombe Wanderers and Millwall, in lounges at Carrow Road.

It follows an event last week that saw 200 socially distanced fans watch a live screening of Norwich's 2-1 win at Rotherham in the stadium.

Bristol City supporters have already been back inside Ashton Gate for matches, with the sports bar and pizzeria open for Tuesday's defeat by Middlesbrough and more fans set to watch Saturday's home game against Swansea there too.

Middlesbrough are set to welcome fans into hospitality suites at the Riverside following a trial event of 50 members of staff and families for the draw against Reading on 17 October.

Millwall and Brentford are also planning to screen matches inside their grounds this weekend, while League One side Hull City will host supporters in one of the hospitality areas of the KCOM Stadium for the match against Peterborough on Saturday.

Millwall said such schemes are "imperative from a financial point of view" for clubs who have "been left to fend for themselves throughout this crisis".

In each case, social distancing guidelines for hospitality venues, relevant to what tier they are in, will be observed and fans will be blocked from watching the action on the pitch.

What about cinemas?

Vue cinemas are screening Premier League matches, including the recent Merseyside derby, West Ham's match against Manchester City this weekend and Sheffield United versus City on 31 October.

One venue showing this weekend's match - the Stratford Westfield centre - is 10 minutes walk from the Hammers' London Stadium, which will be empty.

Tickets start at £4.99 and fans must wear face masks when not eating or drinking, with shouting and chanting not allowed.

Why not in the stands?

Plans for supporters to return to sporting events from 1 October were postponed because of a rise in coronavirus infections, and crowds may not come back until the end of March at the earliest.

 

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said this month he "accepted people's frustrations at the inconsistency" of rules that mean socially distanced audiences are allowed at some theatres for events but fans are not permitted in stadiums.

However, he said the "very clear advice" was to impose restrictions instead of allowing fans to return as that would mean "a lot of people coming week in and week out going to sports stadiums up and down the country".

Fans have been able to attend games at seventh-tier grounds and below for men's and women's football since August, although the Football Association has now asked spectators not to travel into or out of areas under tier 3 restrictions.

What has been the reaction?

West Ham boss David Moyes said on Friday he wanted an explanation as to why fans can watch the Manchester City game in a nearby cinema but not in the stadium.

"The best I can do is the leave the government, the people who know the best and are speaking to all the advisors, to that because I'm certainly not an expert on a pandemic," he said.

"But I watched the European games this week and have seen crowds back in different countries, and it's hard to believe we can't do that.

"Maybe there's other reasons - maybe it's the travelling on the Tube, the bus, maybe it's the pubs. But if that is the case, please come out and give us an explanation as to why we can't do it."

Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward questioned why football fans should be "treated differently" to those attending indoor concerts.

"Fans are the bedrock of this game and some of the inconsistencies out there are frustrating for them and for the clubs," he said.

Football Supporters' Association chairman Malcolm Clarke told BBC Sport that fans being able to watch matches in hospitality loungers but not in the stands showed the rules are "illogical".

"Football clubs, working with the Sports Ground Safety Authority, have done a great job in making stadiums safe for fans," he said.

"But if the government won't allow this, it is understandable that clubs will open their facilities for fans to have a meal and a pint.

"This 'clubhouse phenomenon' is a consequence of the illogicality of government rules."

Fans' reaction on social media

Jackie: All very bizarre, no rationale behind it at all.

Jwands: We are in a global pandemic and total consistency isn't going to happen. I love football. But it is not important in the current grand scheme of things.

Andrew: How is this even right? In a dark room indoors wearing a mask? How is this safer than in an open air stadium, spread out safely wearing a mask?

JeromeP: Not sure what the issue is. The clubs are essentially operating like pubs which happen to be in football grounds. A few hundred are going so not like the thousands of a normal match day. Not sure why you'd want to go to the stadium to watch on a screen though.

Colin: How is sitting in an enclosed cinema safer than a massive open stadium? It doesn't make any sense does it? I'm not suggesting it would be safe to allow full stadiums but maybe 30% capacity with everybody at the correct distance with controlled entry and exit.

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Yummy Fun

Oct. 23, 2020

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Cristian Mallocci runs a farm on Sardinia, a Mediterranean island and one of the 20 regions of Italy.

He has eight dogs living with him on the farm, along with other types of farm animals.

Cristian’s mixed-breed dog, Spelacchia, recently gave birth to a litter of five puppies. The farmer assumed the birth was going to be a totally normal one — but he was stunned when the puppies started to arrive.

As to be expected, all of the adorable puppies were born with ivory white fur — all except for one.

One single puppy, who Cristian quickly named Pistachio, was born with bright green fur… the color that signifies hope and luck!

 

According to Fox News , “The phenomenon is believed to occur when pale-colored puppies make contact with a green pigment called biliverdin while in the womb.”

Biliverdin can stain a puppy’s coat green after it mixes with a pregnant dog’s amniotic fluid.

Puppies being born with green fur is a very rare phenomenon; there are only a few known cases.

For example, in 2017 we reported on a golden retriever named Rio, who gave birth to a litter of nine puppies in the Scottish Highlands. Her family was absolutely shocked when out popped one single green puppy, who they named Forest.

Cristian says Pistachio’s bright green fur is slowly beginning to fade away.

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A group of seven people, including three children and four adults, were recently rescued after their 18-foot jet boat capsized off the coast of Florida.

US Marines were called in to assist the group.

The group was stranded off Florida’s Davis Island . The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the report, noting that “Marine Unit deputies, along with the Tampa Police Marine Unit and Tampa Fire Rescue, were dispatched to an area between Davis Island and Bayshore Boulevard where seven people, four adults, and three children were reportedly stranded in the water. Deputies were able to help a mother, father, and their seven-year-old daughter from the water as Tampa Fire Rescue safely recovered the remaining two adults and two children.”

Luckily, authorities were able to rescue the group quickly, and no one was hurt. Everyone in the group was also wearing a life jacket.

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister reminded everyone that these safety precautions really matter.

“When an emergency happens, jurisdictional boundaries don’t matter. We all do our part to help those in need, and I’m thankful that our deputies were able to assist in getting this family to safety. This is a reminder to boaters to always pay attention to the weather forecast before going out on the water, and most importantly, to make sure everyone on board your boat has a life jacket. You never know when you’ll need it.”

Daily Monitor

Oct. 25, 2020

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Samsung Electronics chairman Lee Kun-hee, who transformed the South Korean firm into a global tech titan, died at the age of 78 on Sunday, the company said.

Under Lee's leadership, Samsung rose to become the world's largest producer of smartphones and memory chips, and the firm's overall turnover today is equivalent to a fifth of South Korea's GDP.

Known for a reclusive lifestyle, Lee was left bedridden by a heart attack in 2014. Little was revealed about his condition, leaving him shrouded in mystery even in his final days.

"It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kun-hee Lee, Chairman of Samsung Electronics," the company said in a statement.

"Chairman Lee passed away on October 25 with his family, including Vice Chairman Jay Y. Lee, by his side."

"Chairman Lee was a true visionary who transformed Samsung into the world-leading innovator and industrial powerhouse from a local business," the firm said, adding: "His legacy will be everlasting."

Samsung is by far the biggest of the family-controlled conglomerates, or chaebols, that dominate business in South Korea.

 

They drove the nation's transformation from a war-ravaged ruin to the world's 12th-largest economy, but nowadays are accused of murky political ties and stifling competition -- with Lee himself twice convicted of criminal offences, in one case bribing a president.

Hermit King

When Lee inherited the chairmanship of the Samsung group in 1987 -- founded by his father as a fish and fruit exporter -- it was already the country's largest conglomerate, with operations ranging from consumer electronics to construction.

But Lee focused it and took it global: by the time he suffered a heart attack in 2014, it was the world's biggest maker of smartphones and memory chips. It is also a major global player in semiconductors and LCD displays today.

Even so, he seldom ventured out from the high walls of his private compound in central Seoul to visit the company headquarters, earning him the nickname the "hermit king".

His son, Samsung Electronics vice chairman Lee Jae-yong, has been at the helm of the company since the 2014 heart attack.

Lee was jailed for five years in 2017 after being found guilty of bribery and other offences linked to former president Park Geun-hye, before being cleared of the most serious charges on appeal and released a year later.

That case is currently being retried.

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Yummy Fun

Oct. 22, 2020

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Full disclosure — my name is Karen. I’ve never asked for a manager, nor would I ever call the cops on anyone due to their race or ethnicity.

I wear a mask. And most of all, I believe that positivity and empathy both go a long way. So, it’s been a little hard for my name to have suffered some of the abuse it has. People have been called far worse, and I know it’s not about me. But, it’s a shame knowing that the future of “Karen” may be gone forever.

I knew my name was vintage a few years ago, after a cashier told me it was an “interesting name.” Karen was far more of a popular choice back in the day.

According to The New York Times , it was the third most popular baby name of 1965. I had so many elementary school teachers named Karen. My parents had friends named Karen. And, that popularity was likely why it was chosen to become a slang term. While I’m not going to let the internet make me hate my own name , it’s still a shame that it now carries a stigma. It’s a shame when anyone’s name turns into a joke.

“My wife and I recently found out we’re having a daughter,” Redditor NotKarensDad wrote. “We hadn’t really talked about names before but we both agreed that each of us will retain veto power. When we did start discussing names, both of us wanted to name her after our late mothers. Her mom’s name was Karen and my mom’s name wasn’t a meme.”

“I told her the baby can take my mom’s name as her first name and her mom’s name as a middle name, or have an entirely different name, but I can’t okay ‘Karen’ as a first name in any case,” he said. “She got offended because she just wants to honor her mother and thinks I have a problem with that. I just don’t want to set our daughter up to be bullied throughout her life.”

“I told her I’d be fine with whatever first name she picks as long as it doesn’t lead to the baby being picked on later in life, but she’s pretty insistent on Karen,” he said. First, let’s get one thing straight. While ‘Karen’ has been somewhat ridiculed in the last few years, it’s unlikely to become a meme that holds on forever. Sure, the name is going to have a rough couple of years. But, it’s still a classic.

There are plenty of classic names that are making big comebacks. Names like Greta, Beatrice, and Edith are super sweet names for baby girls. Thanks to the royals, Archie is also making a comeback — even though for a while, it was likely off-limits due to the comic book guy who shares his name. Names go through phases, and unless the name is hilariously and unfortunately crass, typically nobody will make a negative comment.

However, veto power is really important when it comes to names. The baby’s name should be something both parents agree to, since they’ll always have to live with it. So if he’s not fond of Karen right now, she needs to respect that. There are plenty of similar names that could be worked in instead, like Corrine, Katherine, or Kara.

 

Luckily, the couple did the best thing they could — they talked about it. And, that’s important for all situations involving a new baby. If you don’t talk about your emotions and feelings, sometimes resentment may build up. As it turns out, the two came to a great conclusion regarding their new daughter.

“We had a talk about this and why she had such an emotional reaction to my veto,” he said in an update. “Ever since her mom died suddenly when she was only fourteen, she’s wanted to name her first daughter after her and she didn’t really ever consider that the meme might be a potential obstacle. By that point, I’d thought about it for a while and realized that, as many of the comments have pointed out, Karen likely won’t be a meme by the time she’s old enough to feel its impact.”

“So I told her I’ll recant my veto but we should still reconsider it because it still has potential complications and we might just come up with a better tribute,” he said. “While exchanging ideas, we realized that both our mothers very coincidentally had the exact same middle name, Elizabeth. It seemed completely perfect to both of us so we’re going with it.”

It’s a reminder that sometimes, a healthy brainstorm will lead to even better options. With the name of Elizabeth, they’re finding ways to honor both mothers. Plus, Elizabeth is a name that offers a lot of options. She could go by Lizzie, Beth, or even Liza.

Some Redditors felt as if family names, in general, can be difficult. “Veto all family names to save the headache,” said Redditor Pancakegoboom . “Currently 6 months pregnant and I learned naming a baby is never picking a name one of you loves. It’s picking a name you both hate the least.”

Geekophile2 also had some issues with naming, saying that it’s often hard for many couples to find the right moniker. “My husband and I have 2 kids and work hard to have good communication in our marriage,” she said. “The first one we were generally pretty compassionate to the other when it came to vetoing names. The 2nd devolved quickly to ‘That’s horrible, why would you do that to a kid?’ Pretty sure our marriage would have ended if we had to name a 3rd.”

That said, names really can have significance. So, it’s important to do what this couple did and hear each other out. To his wife, Karen was beyond a meme. Karen was a wonderful person who died too young and wasn’t able to watch her daughter grow up. To her, that’s bigger than anything anyone says on the internet.

And, it’s also a good reminder for all of the fellow Karens out there. While it may be hard to feel like you’re being dragged, the people who love you know that you’re more than a tired stereotype. They’re not trying to make fun of you. They’re just sharing the term to mean something else. It may not feel fair, but surely everyone has known at least one amazing Karen in real life. And, those positive memories will set you aside from the meme.

A name is important, but it’s far more important to focus on raising your child to be kind, caring, and respectful towards others. As parents, it’s your job to teach your children never to mock someone for their name. Instead, you need to teach them to be a friend to all — because, that’s what’ll stick around in people’s minds.

Christmas On A Budget: Why And How I Start Saving For The Holidays Two Months Early

Yummy Fun

Here’s a thing that’s true about me: I love, love, love giving gifts. In fact, I love giving gifts way more than I love receiving them (though that is definitely fun, too).

It’s fun to shop for people that I love, to find things that will surprise and delight them, and to see their reactions when they open the present. I just enjoy the whole experience! This is especially true when it comes to my 11-year-old son — he is easily my favorite person to surprise at the winter holidays , especially Christmas.

But here’s another thing that’s true about me: I have worked for myself the entire time I’ve been an adult. And while I’ve so far to managed to mostly have a steady source of income, part of working for myself has meant being careful, and making sure I’m prepared for holidays and big events ahead of time.

So that’s why I start saving for the holidays in October, typically at the beginning of the month. I don’t want to mess it up!

The reasons I budget early for Christmas are mostly practical. Like I said, I have worked for myself for basically my entire adult life, and that has often meant money comes in (and goes out) in odd, unexpected ways. I ran my own wedding photography business for a decade, and often my income was more or less seasonal: amazing in the summer and fall, but pretty dry and barren in the winter. I had to learn to budget for everything, including the holidays.

 

The funny thing about the winter holidays it always seems to be a more expensive time in general, even without the gift buying and/or making. I know that my heat bill, for starters, is really high each winter, and I’m usually doing way more laundry because my very active child is always outside in the mud, and it’s like everything he owns is constantly dirty. I’ve always been in a financial position that means I can handle most of what life throws at me, but it’s going to be tight while doing so.

After a year or two of panicking at the beginning of December because I wasn’t sure how we would buy gifts that year, I started planning it out. The system is easy: I just decide on a goal amount I’m willing to spend on gifts, and then I decide on an amount that I’ll take out each time I get paid. Then, the next step is to make sure I don’t touch it.

Since the money is being put aside for gifts for people I love, it’s a lot easier to pretend like it isn’t there. I’ll dip into my meager savings way faster than I’ll dip into my kid’s birthday fund, for example. So I generally can trust myself to see that money is there for the holidays and to just not touch it. Like, at all.

I am not several years into this system, and it works out really well for me. In fact, I still do this even when I’m fortunate enough to not have to stress about what I spend on holiday gifts in a year — I’m a Capricorn, I’m a planner, and I grew up in a financially unstable home (and knew it my whole life — it couldn’t really have been hidden). So it’s important to me that I have the reassurance from myself that I’ve got this covered.

Of course, some years budgeting is harder than others, and as my son gets older he often has his eyes set on more expensive items. For example, this year he really, really wants an X-Box, so I’m asking people I know if anyone is selling one and looking on places like Facebook Marketplace first, so that I hopefully don’t end up paying several hundred dollars for one device. Because spoiler: I don’t want the whole holiday budget going toward one thing.

Every family’s budget journey is different, and this year more than ever, there are people who are struggling to just make ends meet, whether it’s due to job loss related to the ongoing health crisis or to something else. I also like to work in donations to my budget amount, and I’ll usually donate whatever I’ve set aside plus whatever I end up not spending that year. It’s a nice way to keep myself in check, and to extend my gift-giving to my community as well.

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