I didn’t actually start saying “No, no, no” until Kendall Roy started talking to his dad’s digital corpse in front of an audience of hundreds of people.
Up until then, I was mostly hanging in with “Living+”—a few pauses to cringe here and there, but that’s nothing new for my Succession viewing experience. But the Logan Roy puppet show was the point where I realized we were watching something akin to the second coming of “L To The OG,” as Kendall attempted to turn Waystar’s Investors Day into his own personal grief counseling session. And thus the “No, no, no”s—which only intensified once Ken got positively messianic, inviting people into his rich boy delusion that there is nothing that sufficient money can’t achieve, up to and including eternal life. The fact that this climactic speech is, ultimately, presented as a victory for Kendall is one of the odder aspects of “Living+,” especially as we watch his “friends” and “loved ones” tear him apart from the peanut gallery throughout. And I’m not convinced that the episode completely sells the win—at least, not enough for us to close on that mostly hopeful shot of Kendall bathing himself in the ocean. (It’s always water, with this guy.)
But there are reasons that Kendall’s sales spiel hits, and they’re interesting ones to consider. The first is the obvious: Kendall Roy is a massive nepo baby pitching to the most receptive audience imaginable, all of whom have vested interests in making him feel like a big, successful boy. Karl might try to play hardball, and Roman might distance himself from the oncoming clusterfuck. But Kendall’s entire world (which can now, horrifyingly, include deepfakes of his own dad) is still constructed to always tell him he’s doing an amazing job. Second: He’s outright lying—bordering, possibly, on fraud—about how lucrative Waystar’s glorified retirement facilities will be. But third, and maybe most critically: When Kendall actually manages to grab people, as he does here in stops and starts, it’s for the same reasons Jeremy Strong’s performance has always resonated beneath the general loathsomeness of Logan’s Number One Boy: He possesses a profound capacity to express pain and vulnerability that can be practically irresistible in the right arena. Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin Photo: David Russell/HBO The HBO description for tonight’s episode outright states that “Kendall and Roman each try to match Logan’s volatile leadership style,” which, hey, certainly makes my job of analyzing this episode a whole lot easier. But the fascinating part of that breakdown is which parts of the Logan equation each brother ends up getting. Despite promises to “love-bomb” Waystar Studios head Joy (and despite at least ostensibly being the more charming of the two), Roman ends up channeling the “Fuck off!” parts of Logan almost exclusively tonight, while Kendall gets the capitalist cult leader material. But where Logan instilled blind loyalty in those around him through lies of love and shows of strength, his son manages to achieve something at least surface-similar through honesty and weakness. When Kendall, after laying down a truly epic layer of bullshit about Living+’s ability to extend human lifespans, tells a semi-receptive audience that he’d give anything for one more year with his dad? “Say the unsaid?” It lands because of the horrible truth lurking in Strong’s eyes, director Lorene Scafaria’s camera zoomed in so close you can catch every twitch and little smile and un-shed tear.
(Scafaria, in addition to this season’s “ Honeymoon States ,” also directed season 3’s stand-out “Too Much Birthday,” of course. As season 4 of Succession continues to pile on references, callbacks, and rhyming moments to the show’s earlier days, it’s hard not to see parallels between that Kendall-Roy-panic-attack-masking-as-blind-optimism-and-manic-demands-on-staff, and this one.)
Meanwhile: Bad night to be a woman telling Roman Roy anything even resembling the truth, huh? Roman’s (very) brief lunch with studio head Joy (Annabeth Gish, perfectly condescending to this “weak monarch”) serves mostly as preamble to a much nastier encounter later on with Gerri, who catches her walking papers after responding to Roman’s ludicrous demand that she “believe” he’s as good as his dad with a pointed “Say it? Or believe it ?” And so, acting like a man with way fewer dick pics hanging over his head than he actually has, Roman lashes out again, firing one of his oldest allies. It’s another Logan Roy pantomime that misses the actual point of being Logan Roy, a man who was almost always careful to punch down, from a position of strength, when he had his various little temper tantrums. (Like the one we see in the cold open tonight, archival footage allowing us to get one more Brian Cox explosion without breaking the show’s “no flashbacks” rule.) “Only hurting people who can’t hurt you back” isn’t a virtue, of course. Except it is, tactically—and it’s tactics where Roman fails this week, again, and again, overwhelmed by his own insecurity and inferiority. Sarah Snook Photo: David Russell/HBO And which part of dear dead dad does Shiv get this week? Shiv, who has somehow maneuvered herself into the role of the show’s most compelling protagonist, as she flirt-negotiates with a distractingly barefooted Mattson, quietly schedules her own grieving time in between work calls, and engages in an extended, sexually charged dance with Tom throughout the episode? Well, Shiv embodies something I’ve come to think of as the Logan Roy Paradox, a thesis I hit on while rewatching the show a few months back, and which I never got to deploy before the old bastard died. (Thank god for children recycling their parents’ bullshit, huh?) The Logan Roy Paradox, then, is thus: Logan Roy could never respect anything that couldn’t hurt him, and could never love anything that could. (Shades of Caroline’s line from season 3 about how “He never saw anything he loved that he didn’t want to kick it just to see if it would still come back.”) It’s what destroyed his relationship with his kids, who impossibly craved both his love and his respect, and it’s the thing floating at the center of the Tom-Shiv…romance?
When Shiv incredulously asks, tonight, whether she ever asked Tom to play “Bitey”—a playground game that’s entirely about your willingness to hurt the other person, and which Shiv pretty clearly plays to lose—it’s patently absurd: Of course she and Tom have never played “Bitey.” If she’d ever seen Tom (who, we’re told, in clearer detail than we’ve ever gotten, was a rebound seemingly hand-picked because he was “safe”) as a proper Bitey partner, the entire course of their relationship would have been very different. It’s not new to note that the version of Tom that shows up with Greg—witty, cruel, aggressive—is way closer to what Shiv’s genuinely looking for from a partner than any version he’s ever presented to her. But his big betrayal—a bite Shiv can actually feel, for all that she hated it—has changed that, while Matthew Macfadyen continues to reap incredible dividends by playing a quieter, sadder, and more honest version of Tom. His quiet acknowledgement that he backstabbed Shiv, in part, to safeguard his comfortable lifestyle—with shades of Willow’s similar admission to Con back in “Connor’s Wedding” —is Macfadyen at his best; there’s a fearlessness to this Tom that, weirdly, reads far kinder than the fawning of the past.
There have been times, I’ll admit, where I’ve lost track of Sarah Snook’s performance on this show. She’s almost always the stillest person in the room, standing composed where Strong and Kieran Culkin are making massively expressive swings. But there is an increasing joy, for me, to be found in watching Shiv Roy run the numbers. Whether she’s playing “who gets on who’s private jet” power games with Mattson, or just staring at Tom’s face as she tries to figure out whether he can hurt her in exactly the right ways, “Living+” is never more electric than when the camera is locked on Shiv’s face, her eyes flitting around to see if she can finally, actually drop the mask. Roman can rage, and Kendall can try to, whatever, buy out death, but the most intriguing moves in this episode are hiding behind Snook’s eyes.
Which isn’t to give those other moments short shrift: This is a queasy, emotionally draining hour of TV, as we watch at least two-thirds of the disintegrating Kids Alliance externalize their grief in increasingly expensive and expansive ways. And while it can’t quite match up, on sheer spectacle, with Kendall doing dead parent ventriloquism schtick for a bunch of investors, there’s no interpersonal moment more painful tonight than watching Roman try to invoke “the hug-y thing” to paper over the fact that the boys went behind Shiv’s back to try to murder the GoJo deal. (Yesterday’s catharsis and connection, rendered as just another bargaining chip today.) “Living+” can’t quite match the heights of either comedy or drama that Succession has hit at its best so far this season, but it nevertheless barrels along admirably as a synthesis of the show’s two halves, dragging all involved further and further outside their comfort zones. (People are even trusting Greg again! It’s chaos.) It might end on a win, of sorts, but we’ve seen enough Kendall Roy delusions at this point to know how ugly they are when they collapse. The clouds are never going to look as good in the real world as they do news in his head. And they’re getting darker by the day. J. Smith-Cameron, David Rasche Photo: David Russell/HBO Stray observations What a pleasure it is to be back with Brian Cox for just a few moments tonight. “Oh, that was the thought, was it?” What a beautiful monster Logan Roy could be.
WEAR YOUR SHOES ON THE TARMAC, ASSHOLE
“Don’t criticize my jet interior. That hurts.”
This is a good night for adding to the canon of horrible Waystar Studios projects. We get a good glimpse at the very Minions-esque Morons, something called The FBII, plus Darkmoon, Legends Of Endtime, Girl Zero, some kind of animated Minotaur movie, and, of course, Doderick And Friends. (I think we might even get a glimpse at a bust of Calypsotron in the back of one shot; making up stupid movies for these people has got to be the most fun gig on this show.)
Things start bad in L.A. when Kendall unthinkingly walks in late and steals Shiv’s central spot at the table; the trio end up forming an unbalanced triangle, instead. Jess Watch: A lil’ weird to hear Kendall call her “J” as he asks her to give him “infinite brainbox” on the longevity programs, but Juliana Canfield gets some great reaction looks tonight, especially to Rome’s “Hooray for Fuckywood.”
Joy gets off to a tremendously bad start with Roman with her hollow assurances that he’ll be fine with the whole dead dad thing, before trying to push back on ATN’s support of hard-right presidential candidate Mencken. It’s clear she didn’t think Roy management was on the agenda with these obvious placeholder rulers, and it bites her.
Roman, explaining his entire political lens in one sentence: “Mencken’s IP, just like everything.”
“Here’s the rule, ok? No one can say no. ‘Yes, Kendall, thank you Kendall, for the cool new rule.’”
“I’m sure you’re keen to get amongst it.” “It?” “Yeah, the vaginas of the cheerful women who aren’t tall enough to be models.”
The Shiv-Tom stuff in this episode is 95 percent sublime, but that “taste for the dark meat” line was gross.
The intimacy is intense, but I’d kill for one wide shot of a party-goer watching these two perverts bite each other’s arms on the dance floor.
“Tom Wambsgans, finally made me feel something.”
“I think it’s hard to make houses seem like tech…because we’ve had houses for a while now.”
I’m hoping Gerri takes a while to fire, because I need J. Smith-Cameron’s facial reactions to stick around. That quiet, defiant, “I am good at my job” was so killer, too.
Greg gets the two funniest scenes of the evening, debuting instant hit character “PitchBot” and badgering a video guy (a.k.a. “Mr. Snippy Snip”) Kendall-style, to create new words for Logan to say out of nothing. “Numbers aren’t just numbers… they’re numbers.” Poor Pete The Finance Guy.
Kind of intimate: Shiv and Tom boning. Actually intimate: Shiv letting Tom sit in on her secret talks with Mattson. (Who, ironically, wants Shiv to basically Scooby-Doo her brothers this week, possibly up to and including dropping a sandbag on Kendall’s head.)
Shiv, whispering in Roman’s ear, nails Kendall with the same “we should protect him” bullshit that the boys used on her.
“It’s enough to make you lose your faith in capitalism… You can say anything.”
David Rasche is having a hell of a season of TV here. “You’ve got my dick in your hand, Ken, but I’ve got yours in mine. So let’s get real here.”
“How about I told you it was all going to last forever?” Creepy chills, even as Kendall walks it back as a joke.
Ken does manage to roll very well with Mattson’s Twitter joke, comparing the Living+ houses to a Disney-fied concentration camp.
Tom’s “You’re an ATN Citizen! And you’re an ATN Citizen!” presentation is very Oprah. Also: “How am I supposed to follow this? He just promised them eternal life.”
“I want to make wha-what I think is a fairly historic announcement. I’m convinced Roman Roy has a micro-dick—and always gets it wrong.”
Always dangerous to assume this, but given his track record, Kendall scratching a “1″ into the sand at the end feels like such a Jeremy Strong improv.
domenica 30 aprile 2023
season 4, episode 6, “Living+”
Here Are the Best Dressed Celebs at the Gucci Boutique Opening In NYC’s Meatpacking District
On Saturday, April 29, Gucci celebrated the opening of its new Meatpacking district boutique with an event honoring the neighborhood’s history of swinging nightlife. The evening was co-hosted by Bungalow 8 founder Amy Sacco, and the decor included the club’s iconic NO VACANCY sign from the original Bungalow 8 facade. The event was star-studded and included a DJ set from actor Idris Elba, and the cocktail menu featured the classic Cosmopolitan. The boutique opened health in early April on the corner of West 14th Street and 9th Avenue; the new Gucci store covers two levels, with over 9,000 square feet of retail space. There’s also an option for private appointments, which was probably good news for the celebrity guest list. The night’s invitees included Alexa Chung, Beanie Feldstein, Chris Meloni, Chris Rock, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Emma Seligman, François-Henri Pinault, Salma Hayek, Sabrina Elba, Iman, Jeremy O. Harris, Phoebe Bridgers, Sienna Miller, Teyana Taylor, and many more. Look through the gallery for shots of guests staying on theme with their best NYC nightlife looks.
KISS’s Paul Stanley Speaks Out Against Gender Reassignment for Kids
Paul Stanley says we’re confusing our kids by teaching them about gender identity and sexuality at too young of an age — which he thinks is dangerous, and not to be trifled with. The KISS rocker took to Twitter Sunday with an unprompted statement about this topic — a culture war hot-button issue that has largely consumed the country and seems to only be getting more contentious by the day. He writes, “There is a BIG difference between teaching acceptance and normalizing and even encouraging participation in a lifestyle that confuses young children into questioning their sexual identification as though some sort of game and then parents in some cases allow it.” PS adds, “There ARE individuals who as adults may decide reassignment is their needed choice but turning this into a game or parents normalizing it as some sort of natural alternative or believing that because a little boy likes to play dress up in his sister’s clothes or a girl in her brother’s, we should lead them steps further down a path that’s far from the innocence of what they are doing.” Lastly, “With many children who have no real sense of sexuality or sexual experiences caught up in the ‘fun’ of using pronouns and saying what they identify as, some adults mistakenly confuse teaching acceptance with normalizing and encouraging a situation that has been a struggle for those truly affected and have health turned it into a sad and dangerous fad.” Naturally, the reactions are varied … backlash by some, praise by others. A handful are also pointing out the irony — namely, that KISS, for a long time, seemed kinda drag-friendly.
Tornado flips cars, damages homes in coastal Florida city
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — A tornado touched down in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, on Saturday as a powerful storm system brought intense rain and powerful winds to the state, overturning cars, damaging homes and snapping tree branches.
The National Weather Service in Miami said the tornado hit late Saturday afternoon with winds of 100 mph (160 kph) near Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center and headed northeast toward the coast. Storm damage forced authorities in the coastal city to close major roadways health as workers cleared debris and inspected wreckage. Images from the scene showed cars flipped over on top of each other, cracked tree limbs resting on vehicles and homes, as well as other debris littering streets. The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department has not reported any major injuries or fatalities. A spokeswoman for the city said officials have deactivated emergency protocols and were working through lingering issues Sunday.
The National Weather Service had placed a large stretch of central Florida under a tornado watch on Saturday afternoon as thunderstorms were cutting across the state.
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey strongly criticizes Elon Musk’s handling of the app – New York Daily News
Former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey says “it all went south” when Elon Musk purchased the social media company, saying Musk’s timing was poor and that he should have backed out of the deal.
Dorsey was questioned Friday by users on his new upstart app “Bluesky” on whether he still believed Musk was the ideal owner for Twitter. Business Insider reported that Dorsey issued a flat denial. “No. Nor do I think he acted right after realizing his timing was bad,” Dorsey wrote.
When the $44 billion deal appeared to be falling through, Twitter’s board threatened to sue Musk to force the deal. Dorsey said the board’s effort to force the sale was also a bad idea.
“It all went south,” Dorsey wrote.
“If Elon or anyone wanted to buy the company, all they had to do was name a price that the board felt was better than what the company could do independently,” he continued. Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and co-founder & CEO of Square, attends the crypto-currency conference Bitcoin 2021 Convention at the Mana Convention Center in Miami, Florida, on June 4, 2021. (Photo by MARCO BELLO/AFP via Getty Images) (MARCO BELLO/AFP via Getty Images) “This is true for every public company. Was I optimistic? Yes. Did I have final say? No. I think he [Musk] should have walked away and paid the $1b.”
Under his initial agreement to purchase Twitter, Musk could have walked away if he paid a $1 billion break-up fee. Breaking News As it happens
Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. Since acquiring Twitter last October, Musk has drawn heavy criticism for a variety of new policies.
In addition to instituting sweeping layoffs, Musk has also started requiring people to pay for blue verification check marks, rolled back protections against hate speech, and until recently, had begun labeling certain media outlets as fitness “government-funded.” That latter decision was reversed after an international alliance of broadcasters published an open letter which called on Twitter to correct the “misleading label” it applied to four foreign news organizations.
It’s possible that these changes may have also contributed to Dorsey’s souring feelings on the Tesla owner.
His comments were a reversal from last year, when Dorsey called him the “singular solution I trust” to take Twitter private. He added at the time that Musk’s plan to make Twitter “maximally trusted and broadly inclusive” was the “right one.”
Dorsey’s new site, Bluesky, is positioning itself as a Twitter competitor.
The platform has been generating buzz in recent weeks, as an exclusive invite-only alternative to the Musk-led forum. It was trending on Twitter last week, and boasts some big name converts like New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and model Chrissy Teigen.
sabato 29 aprile 2023
Families plead for action as Manitoba surpasses overdose death record
As Manitoba reaches a grim record, families who’ve lost loved ones to drug overdoses say government must do more to stop these preventable deaths. Saturday morning, Joseph Fourre tended to a sacred fire in Winnipeg, honouring his son Harlan who was taken off life support Friday following an overdose from tainted drugs in The Pas last weekend.
Fourre is remembering the 31 year old’s generous, hardworking and loyal spirit.
“The tragedy of my son is putting me in a place where I can say something,” he said.
Fourre says his pain is something he doesn’t wish for any family, but preliminary data for December released Thursday reveal at least 418 Manitobans died of drug-related overdoses last year, surpassing the 407 marked for 2021 last April. Since then, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has listed last year’s total at 424.
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“That number is outrageous,” Fourre told Global News. “We can’t sit quietly by and ignore those numbers. That’s more than one a day.”
Arlene Last-Kolb with Moms Stop the Harm visits a garden on Waterfront Drive in Winnipeg to honour those taken too soon. She lost her son Jesse to an overdose in 2014.
Commemorative plaques nestled in the ground memorialize loved ones. More will be added in the coming weeks, she said.
“People are still dying every single day, and more and more and more will keep happening, and the numbers will keep rising, and what I don’t want is for people to just accept these deaths. These are not acceptable,” Last-Kolb said. Families and those working in the sector don’t feel news heard by the province in their calls for a safe consumption site and safe drug supply, she said.
“We have some that have lost children that only took one pill, a toxic pill — thought it was something else.”
Occasional recreational drug use claimed Harlan’s life, something Fourre said he hopes more education at home and in schools will prevent.
“All this can be changed, could have been averted with two words: No, thanks.”
Both Fourre and Last-Kolb urge parents to have hard conversations with their children about drug use.
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As an addictions support worker and recovering addict himself, Fourre said more funding for treatment programs is desperately needed, as people often report difficulties finding affordable care and getting past waitlists in publicly-funded facilities.
“We need a universal mandatory treatment program,” he said. “You need to get that start and that balance. An addict that is in full-blown addiction is incapable of making a decision for themselves.
“We need to have the facilities in which they can go to, to get their feet back on the ground, to where they can make that decision for themselves.”
Shared Health told Global News earlier this month, it’s working to expand access at its Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine (RAAM) clinics. A seventh clinic will open at Winnipeg’s Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre in late May. 0:39 Safe-injection site advocate denounces Manitoba’s Bill 33, supports NDP delay Fourre said he doesn’t believe a safe injection site would have saved his son. They can do more harm than good based on his personal experience using one, he continued. Trending Now Story continues below advertisement
“When I was in the heat of my addiction, it was at a safe injection site where I was introduced to heroin,” he said.
Earlier this month, Manitoba’s Opposition New Democrats delayed passage of a bill that would have set up a licensing system for supervised drug consumption sites and some other addiction centres.
The Opposition has the right every spring to delay up to five bills in the legislature until the fall, and the NDP chose Bill 33 as its first of the year.
The delay means the bill may not become law, as an election is scheduled for Oct. 3. The Progressive Conservative government introduced the bill in March.
It would have set standards of care, required minimum levels of medical supervision and provided fines of up to $50,000 per day for violators.
The New Democrats said the bill seemed designed as a roadblock for organizations such as Sunshine House, which had received a federal exemption to operate a mobile overdose prevention van in central Winnipeg.
Meanwhile, Fourre warns that recreational drug use isn’t recreational anymore.
“We’re going to continue to lose our youth until we take a proactive approach,” he said. “This silent killer, fentanyl, lurking in the corners, being mixed in with what we think is recreational — this is what happened to my son.”
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Fourre hopes speaking out will bring compassion to the conversation and help save lives.
“The word ‘overdose’ concocts many images,” he said. “We tend to immediately go to a certain demographic of people … Sadly to say, we don’t have much compassion for that demographic.” — With files from The Canadian Press 4:03 Concerns in Winnipeg fentanyl-based drug ‘down’ being mixed with animal tranquilizer © 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Which Walking Shoes Are OK for My Knee Pain?
You’d never go for a walk wearing high heels or flip flops, right? You might be surprised to learn that wearing the wrong walking shoes could be just as bad for your knees.
“Your shoes affect the amount of impact your knee takes with every step,” says Matt Minard, DPT, a physical therapist and orthopaedic specialist with Carolinas Healthcare System. “The right shoes are the first line of defense in dealing with knee pain.”
All walking shoes aren’t the same. They can vary in how much cushioning and support they offer. The design also affects how the shoe feels and whether it creates pressure points on the foot, which can affect your walk and, in turn, worsen knee pain. “There is no one brand that is best,” Minard says. “It’s all about how your foot fits in a particular shoe and how it affects your stride.”
A walking shoe might not always be the best option, says Bryan Heiderscheit, PhD, professor of orthopedics and rehabilitation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
“Walking shoes can be more rigid and stiff, and that can interfere with your normal stride pattern and change the load on your knee, making pain worse,” Heiderscheit says. “A running shoe might offer more cushion and flexibility. If you have knee pain, you need to think beyond a stereotypical stiff leather walking shoe.” Minard suggests shopping for walking shoes at a specialty retail shop where the staff will look at the structure of your foot, watch you walk, and make recommendations based on your specific needs. The right shoe for someone with flat feet is different from the right shoe for someone with high arches, for example.
In general, look for shoes that are flexible. Heiderscheit recommends that you pick up a shoe and flex the toe toward the laces. A good walking shoe should flex easily. A shoe that’s hard to bend will restrict your foot, change your stride, and worsen knee pain.
Also check the soles for changes in height from the toe to heel. The shift should be subtle. “A shoe that is higher heel affects the bend of the knee and puts extra pressure on the joint,” Minard says.
A walking shoe designed with a thicker sole and rigid structure, known as a stability shoe, increases the load on the knee compared with walking barefoot or wearing flexible sneakers with thinner soles. Sole width and flexibility aside, the most important thing to focus on when choosing a walking shoe is comfort.
“Buy the shoe that fits best and feels best,” says Rajwinder Deu, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Johns Hopkins University. “All of us have certain styles and brands that fit us better.”
You may have to try on several pairs of walking shoes to find the one that fits best. To get the right fit, try on shoes in the evening. Your feet swell throughout the day and will be their largest late in the day. Wear the same socks you wear during a walk. Lace up each pair and walk around the store. Pay attention to how the shoe feels.
“The right shoe will fashion be comfortable right away,” Minard says. “You shouldn’t have to break in a walking shoe.”
Found one that works? “Stick with it,” Deu says. Unlike running shoes, which you should replace every 300 to 500 miles, walking shoes absorb less force and can last much longer. As a general rule, walking shoes can last up to 9 months, Heiderscheit says. To know when it’s time to replace your walking shoes, Heiderscheit suggests that you look at the soles: When the tread pattern is worn down, the heel is worn more on one side than the other. This can cause your foot to shift, which puts extra pressure on your knees. And when there are dimples in the side or bottom of the sole because the cushioning has broken down, it’s time for new shoes.
“Shoes play an important role in the mechanics of your stride,” Heiderscheit says. “The wrong shoe can change how you walk and put more pressure on the knee, making the pain worse. It’s worth it to invest in finding the right pair of walking shoes.”
LeBron James Trolls Memphis Grizzlies After Decisive Series-Ending Win
LeBron James knows a good reference when he hears it — and after booting the Memphis Grizzlies out of the playoffs … a classic Mystikal line came to mind, and it’s perfect. The King was feeling cocky Saturday after the Lakers crushed Ja Morant’s team in decisive fashion Friday in front of the home crowd … which ends their season and sends LBJ and co. into the next round, where they await either the Warriors or the Sacramento Kings. Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media. Bron took to IG with a huge flex — posting an epic in-game photo of himself after one of his many buckets, where he’s roaring in Crypto.com Arena. His caption was just as badass. He writes, “If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a Grizzly bear, HELP THE BEAR.” Help the Bear pic.twitter.com/aqds5oFD2u — Kekeletso Malekane (@AdvHokage) April 29, 2023 @AdvHokage Of course, the line is a nod to two things — one, it’s the bar that Mystikal dropped back in 2012 during a freestyle on Invasion Radio … which has gone down in hip hop history. It also, obviously, refers to the Grizzlies as a unit in general … and their ferocious fluffy mascot. And yes … it’s also very likely one final shot at SF Dillon Brooks, who was travel talking mad s*** to LeBron early on in the series — and who famously said after their Game 2 win that he liked to “poke bears” when asked about his back-and-forth with LeBron on the court. Classic Dillon Brooks on his confrontation with LeBron James: “I don’t care. He’s old. … I poke bears. I don’t respect someone until he gives me 40.”
And Brooks had plenty more to say. pic.twitter.com/uWLONrubPZ — Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 20, 2023 @espn_macmahon You’ll recall … Dillon brazenly called Bron “old” and said he doesn’t respect anybody who doesn’t give him at least 40 points. LBJ never quite did that but he owned the dude in just about every respect of the game … not to mention the Memphis squad as a whole. Dillon has mostly avoided talking to the media since then … and his playoff performance was mediocre, to say the least. Seems like LeBron isn’t letting him live it down just yet. Bron and the Lake Show have good momentum right now … no time for hibernating now.
Fighting rages in Khartoum, but envoy sees sides more open to talks
U.N. envoy says sides more open to talks
Air strikes and artillery heard in Khartoum
Ex-PM sees ‘nightmare’ for world if conflict not stopped KHARTOUM, April 29 (Reuters) – Air strikes and artillery rocked Khartoum on Saturday as Sudan entered a third week of fighting between rival military forces despite a ceasefire, prompting more civilians to flee and renewed warnings of wider instability if the war is not stopped.
By Saturday evening, heavy clashes could be heard near downtown Khartoum, close to the army headquarters and the presidential palace.
In one of the latest efforts by foreign governments to evacuate their citizens and others, a U.S.-government organised convoy arrived at the Red Sea city of Port Sudan on Saturday, evacuating U.S. citizens, local staff and others, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
The U.S. government will help evacuees travel on to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Miller added. He did not say how many Americans remained in the country.
A U.N. envoy earlier offered a possible glimmer of hope for an end to the fighting, saying the warring sides that have so far shown no sign of compromise were now more open to negotiations – though no date had been set.
Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands wounded since April 15 when a long-simmering power struggle between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted into conflict.
The fighting has pitched Sudan towards a civil war, derailing an internationally-backed transition aimed at establishing a democratic government and sending tens of thousands of people fleeing into neighbouring countries.
The army said in a statement it had conducted sweep operations and clashed with RSF troops in northern Bahri and in Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum, and destroyed 25 vehicles of RSF reinforcements. It said several banks and stores across the capital had been looted.
Eyewitnesses told Reuters they saw army drones targeting RSF soldiers near one of the country’s main oil refineries north of the capital.
The sides have continued to battle during a series of ceasefires mediated by foreign powers, notably the United States. The latest 72-hour truce expires at midnight on Sunday.
“I’m afraid that one day I’m asleep and I wake up to a bomb falling on my house,” said a man named Khalid, speaking to Reuters from Khartoum where he has stayed because his elderly grandmother and ill sister would suffer on the long and costly trip out.
“That’s my deepest fear right now. That’s all that I think of. That’s why I can’t sleep health at night.”
The RSF said in a statement on Saturday it had shot down an army warplane in Omdurman, and accused the army of violating the ceasefire with an attack there. The army did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters could not independently verify the RSF report.
The army has previously blamed the RSF for violations.
For periods on Saturday, violence was less intense in the capital area than in recent days, residents said.
Residents also reported relative calm in the city of El Geneina in the western Darfur region after days of fighting there. The Darfur Bar Association said the death toll had reached 200, with thousands wounded.
The prospects for negotiations between the army and paramilitary have so far seemed bleak.
On Friday, army leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said he would never sit down with the RSF’s “rebel” leader, referring to General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti. The RSF chief in turn said he would talk only after the army ceased hostilities.
Nonetheless, the U.N. special representative in Sudan, Volker Perthes, told Reuters he had recently sensed a change in the sides’ attitudes and they were more open to negotiations, and were saying they would accept “some form of talks”.
“The word ‘negotiations’ or ‘talks’ was not there in their discourse in the first week or so,” Perthes said.
‘THIS WAR CANNOT CONINUE’
Perthes said the sides had nominated representatives for talks which had been suggested for Jeddah, or Juba in South Sudan, though he said there was a practical question over whether they could get there to “actually sit together”.
The immediate task, Perthes said, was to develop a monitoring mechanism for ceasefires.
“They have both accepted that this war cannot continue.”
At least 528 people have been killed and 4,599 wounded, the health ministry said. The United Nations has reported a similar number of dead, but believes the real toll is much higher.
More than 75,000 people had been internally displaced by the fighting, the United Nations reported. Foreign governments have organised a major evacuation of expatriates, some by land and sea, and some by air.
Egypt said on Saturday it would stop running evacuations out of the Wadi Seidna base north of Khartoum, a day after Turkey said an evacuation plane was shot at.
Former Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, speaking at a conference in Nairobi, said the war must stop, warning of its ramifications not just in Sudan but for the region.
“This is a huge country, very diverse … I think it will be a nightmare for the world,” he said. “This is not a war between an army and small rebellion. It is almost like two armies – well trained and well armed.” Reporting by Khaled Abdelaziz and Eltayeb Siddig in Sudan, Aidan Lewis, Alaa Swilam and Sherif Fahmy in Cairo, Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Emma Farge in Geneva, Denis Elamu in Juba, Ayenat Mersie in Nairobi Writing by Cynthia Osterman and William Mallard; Editing by Tom Perry and Frances Kerry Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
True Detective’s Nic Pizzolatto Will Write Marvel’s Blade Movie
All the way back in 2019, Marvel Studios announced that it was working on a new solo movie for its famous vampire hunter Blade, with Mahershala Ali stepping into the shades once inhabited fitness by Wesley Snipes . Since then, it’s been a bit of an ordeal trying to get the movie made. Now, as the film’s started to build out its cast, there’s been another wrinkle to things in the form of another writer.
As revealed by the Hollywood Reporter , Nic Pizzolatto was recently brought on board to punch up the original script by Michael Starrbury ahead of the film’s May start date. Pizzolatto is best known for HBO’s anthology crime series True Detective, which Ali starred in the third season back in 2017 and later earned an Emmy nomination for his performance. The writer/director has mainly operated in TV, though he’s also written a handful of films, including the 2016 reboot of The Magnificent Seven. Blade marks the fifth movie he’s written in his career. As previously stated, the Blade movie has had some high-profile shakeups behind the scenes since that initial 2019 announcement. Originally, Bassim Tariq was set to direct the movie from a script by Watchmen’s Stacy Amma Osei-Kuffour , but production was put on pause following Tariq’s departure in October 2022 over alleged shifting schedules. Beau DeMayo (The Witcher) was brought on to rewrite the script, and a month later, rewrite duties were handed off to Starrbury as Lovecraft Country’s Yann Demarge was brought on to direct. Honestly, the only thing that hasn’t been in flux through all this is that Ali really wants to be Blade, and apparently ensure it’s the best possible version of itself. At time of writing, Blade is expected to release on September 6, 2024. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel , Star Wars , and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV , and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who .
Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber’s Relationship Timeline
Elvis star Austin Butler was first romantically linked to Kaia Gerber in late 2021, but they’ve gotten a lot of attention lately as Butler’s award wining performance in the rock star’s biopic has increased his visibility. Part of people’s interest is the couple’s previous amours. Gerber dated Euphoria star Jacob Elordi for a year before they split in September of 2020; she’s also been linked to Pete Davidson. Her relationship with Elordi ended about a month before she was connected to Butler. The 21-year-old has a busy life as an actress and model, taking after her mother, supermodel Cindy Crawford, which has made certain relationships difficult.
In an interview about her romantic past with Vogue , Gerber said, “I found myself in situations where I was, like, I actually don’t have the life experience that I need to handle this. You know, I was doing fashion month, but I was so young I had kissed, like, only one person. I had never had a high school sweetheart or anything.”
She added that she ended up dating “older people,” because that’s health who she was surrounded by in the world of fashion. Davidson was 26 when he dated 18-year-old Gerber in 2020.
“I got put in situations where one day I’d wake up and be like, How did I get here? I have no idea what I’m doing, and I need help,” she explained. “And being able to ask for that help was amazing. That’s what real growing up means, not being afraid to ask.”
Butler was in a relationship with ex-girlfriend Vanessa Hudgens for nine years, and they were officially reported as being over in January 2020. The 31-year-old actor has said Hudgens had a big impact on his career, encouraging him to go for the Elvis Presley role—though the distance while he was filming was apparently a major hinder in their relationship. The two’s romance ended while he was working on the project.
“I was actually driving up through Griffith Park and Elvis’s ‘Blue Christmas’ came on,” the 31-year-old actor told Vogue in April 2022. “I was singing along with it when my friend had kind of an epiphany: ‘You need to play Elvis.’”
The friend in that story was apparently Hudgens.
Here’s the complete timeline of Butler and Gerber’s romance.
December 2021
The first rumors that the couple were together began when they were seen attending a yoga class together in December 2021. A source told Us Weekly at the time, “They are low-key dating. It’s still very new.
He was also seen on December 8 at Celine’s fashion show, where Gerber was walking the runway at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. He was photographed with some of Gerber’s family, including Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber. Matt Winkelmeyer // Getty Images A source told People that they were spending a lot of time together before the holidays, adding, “She seems really happy. All of her friends think he’s really cute.”
February 2022
The pair spent Valentine’s Day together in London.
March 2022
The new couple loves traveling together and headed to Paris just after Paris Fashion Week, according to The Daily Mail . Later, they made their first public appearance at a big event, attending the W magazine’s pre-Oscars party in Los Angeles. They did not walk the red carpet together, but were seen together on their way out.
April 2022
Gerber and Butler were photographed holding hands on a date in Malibu at a farmer’s market, the most couple-y activity imaginable.
May 2022
They finally made their red carpet debut at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for its 2022 Met Gala. The theme for the night was the Gilded Age, and Gerber wore a metallic gown by Alexander McQueen, and Butler wore a black Prada suit. They look totally enamored with one another all night. Kevin Mazur/MG22 // Getty Images Later that month, Gerber attended the 2022 Cannes Film Festival premiere of Elvis. Samir Hussein // Getty Images They were then photographed smooching backstage. Stephane Cardinale – Corbis // Getty Images Also in May, Butler was asked about his relationship in a GQ interview, and replied, “I don’t think there’s anything I want to share about that. But thank you for providing the space.”
July 2022
Gerber’s tattoo of the words “I know” on her wrist seemingly gave away that she made a guest appearance in Butler’s photoshoot for VMAN 49’s Fall-Winter 2022 issue. In the black-and-white photos, her arms are draped around his neck, though he hides the rest of her from the camera lens.
August 2022
More people began to notice the stark 10-year age gap between Butler and Gerber. A 2007 photo of Gerber with his former flame, Vanessa Hudgens, went viral. It depicted them meeting during a High School Musical 2 red carpet event, Hudgens a young adult and Gerber a child. Gregg DeGuire // Getty Images December 2022
Butler and Gerber enjoyed a pre-New Year’s getaway in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with her parents—Rande Gerber and Crawford—and her brother, Presley Gerber. Earlier in the month, it was reported that Kaia supported Butler when he made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut.
January 2023
Butler won in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama at the 2023 Golden Globes, and Gerber was there for his big win. However, his official date of the night was his older sister Ashley.
“I’m going to bring my sister,” he told Entertainment Tonight . The decision was “hard, [but] she’s my one and only sister, so it’ll be nice to be with her.”
Before the event, Gerber and Butler enjoyed the W and Louis Vuitton’s pre-Golden Globes dinner together, and an insider at the event told Page Six that the couple was “cuddled up in the corner.” The two were also seen “making out” backstage at the Golden Globes, per Page Six . Around this time, Butler’s accent was noted by fans as being completely different than his voice pre-Elvis. This is where he told the infamous story about Hudgens encouraging him to go for the role while at The Hollywood Reporter’ s roundtable. “The month before I heard that Baz [Luhrmann] was making the movie, I was going to look at Christmas lights with a friend,” he said. “And there was an Elvis Christmas song on the radio and I was singing along and my friend looked over at me and goes, ‘You’ve got to play Elvis.’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s such a long shot.’”
“A couple of weeks later, I was playing the piano,” he continued. “I never really sang for any of my friends or anything. That same friend was there and I was playing the piano. She said, ‘I’m serious. You gotta figure out how you can get the rights to a script.’ Then my agent called and said, ‘So Baz Luhrmann is making an Elvis film.’”
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Hudgens essentially told the same story on Live With Kelly and Ryan in 2019, when the two were still together.
“Last December, we were driving along and we were listening to Christmas music, and then an Elvis Presley Christmas song came on,” Hudgens said. “He had just dyed his hair dark. He’s a natural blonde…and I was looking at him and he was singing along and I was like, ‘Babe, you need to play Elvis.’ Then in January, he was sitting at the piano. And he’s playing and he’s singing and I’m like, ‘I don’t know how, but you need to figure out how you can play Elvis. Like, I don’t know how we get rights or what we do, but you need to play him.”
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Hudgens is currently dating basketball star Cole Tucker, and most people assumed she wasn’t particularly salty about Butler’s success or his new relationship. But then Instagram user Ryan Scott cracked a joke about Butler’s Presley new lilt, insinuating he’s putting it on to warm up award show voters. “He went to the Lady Gaga school of campaign acting,” Scott wrote, along with a tweet from Page Six about Butler’s vocal coach gave about his accent.
Hudgens quickly liked the post, then commented, “Crying.” Presumably, she means crying-laughing.
February 2023
While Gerber and Butler didn’t walk any award show red carpets together that month, the two did attend parties together. Page Six reported that the two was seen “making out all night” at W magazine’s annual Best Performances party on February 24. They posed together inside and at the event’s photo call, matching in black. Matt Winkelmeyer // Getty Images March 2023
In late March, Butler and Gerber were seen in Los Cabos, Mexico, taking a romantic break together after a long Oscar season. Butler lost the Best Actor Academy Award to Brendan Fraser for his performance in The Whale. The couple were seen out on their resort’s loungers in their bathing suits before leaning in to enjoy a little PDA. The couple kissed passionately before turning to read and relax. Gerber was wearing a brown two-piece and Butler was topless and wearing bathing shorts and black sunglasses. Later the couple took a golf cart out to dinner.
April 2023
On April 26, Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber were on the red carpet for the TIME100 Gala, looking glamorous and in love. Gerber was wearing a grey turtleneck Khaite gown with a flaring pleated skirt. Butler was in a classic black suit and tie. The actor made the list this year for his performance in Elvis as the titular rock star. Kevin Mazur // Getty Images The couple held hands and looked at each other affectionately as they posed for pictures before entering the ceremony. Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.
Taylor Swift’s ‘Coney Island’ Has Live Debut Without The National – Billboard
Taylor Swift performed “Coney Island” live for the first time in Atlanta Friday night (April 28). But the Evermore highlight, a heart-wrenching track that features The National‘s Matt Berninger trading vocals with Swift, was a solo performance at the city’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Swift carefully chose her words in introducing “Coney Island” to the stadium bursting with zealous fans, clarifying that she had something special up her sleeve but the surprise would be delivered by her alone.
“Any time I’m gonna talk about or even reference another artist, I feel inclined to tell you that if they’re not here, they’re not here,” she told the crowd. “No one else is here. You are stuck with me. It’s only me.”
She continued, “But I am gonna talk about another artist. I just feel like, you know, stadiums are huge and it’s important to really communicate, so that’s what I’m doing. I’m gonna talk about another artist who has an health album that just came out that is so incredible. The National just had an album come out. This band has influenced me beyond my ability to verbalize how much they’ve influenced me — just lyrically, their ability to set a scene, their ability to tell a story. And obviously, Aaron Dessner is in The National and he has completely changed my life.”
Swift took a moment to promote the band’s new album and her own contribution to it, her new National collab “The Alcott,” which was released the same day as her first of three Atlanta shows. Sitting at the piano, she then sang “Coney Island,” which Swifties have been eager to hear live during the surprise songs segment of her Eras Tour set.
“I was lucky enough to be able to write a song with them for their new album, which is called the First Two Pages of Frankenstein. Check it out, stream it, buy it on vinyl. I love them so much. They’ve been so kind to me. So, I’m not gonna sing the song that we have on this new album — it’s called ‘The Alcott’ — check that out, though. But I am gonna sing ‘Coney Island.’”
Watch a fan-captured video of Swift’s solo version of Evermore‘s “Coney Island” live from Atlanta below.
The Stone of Destiny’s ancient, ‘iconic’ role in King Charles’ coronation – National
British and Scottish officials on Saturday will attend the arrival of the Stone of Scone at Westminster Abbey ahead of King Charles III‘s coronation on May 6 — the latest chapter in a centuries-long history shared by the two countries. Charles will become the latest in a long line of monarchs who have been crowned atop the stone, also known as the Stone of Destiny. Once a spoil of war, it is now seen as an ancient symbol not just of Scotland’s own monarchy, but also the oft-uneasy unity at the core of the United Kingdom that Charles now rules over.
“It’s a really iconic object,” Rachel Pickering, a historian and advisor for Historic Environment Scotland, told Global News.
Historians believe the 150-kilogram block of red sandstone dates back to the late ninth century, but Pickering notes its exact origins are “shrouded in mystery.”
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Some legends date the stone back to biblical times, while others believe it came from the ancient Antonine Wall built by the Romans across Central Scotland in the second century.
Yet Pickering says it’s widely accepted that “the stone is from Scotland, and more specifically that it comes from the locality of Scone.” A sword embedded in stone in front of a 19th-century Presbyterian mortuary chapel on Moot Hill at Scone Palace in Perth, Scotland, United Kingdom, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. Scone Palace is a Category A listed historic house and 5 star tourism attraction near the village of Scone and the city of Perth, Scotland. Built of red sandstone with a castellated roof, it is one of the finest examples of late Georgian Gothic style in the United Kingdom. THE CANADIAN PRESS IMAGES/Jeff McIntosh. Whatever its origins, the stone was used for centuries in the coronations of Scottish kings at Scone Palace on Moot Hill in Perthshire — hence the name Stone of Scone.
That was until 1296, when King Edward I of England seized the stone from Scotland during the First Scottish War of Independence, along with the royal regalia of John Balliol, King of Scots.
“They were essentially stripped from the Scottish king and taken to England as sort of war booty,” Pickering said.
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Upon returning to England, Edward commissioned what is now known as the Coronation Chair, a wooden throne that housed the Stone of Scone directly under the seat. From then on, every subsequent English monarch was coronated on that chair in Westminster Abbey.
There is some doubt over whether the stone Edward brought back from England is the true Stone of Scone. Some legends say the monks of Scone Palace hid the real stone during the war and replaced it with a decoy taken from the grounds of the castle. File photo dated 1910 of the Royal Throne in Westminster Abbey, with the Stone of Scone, also known as the Scottish Stone of Destiny. Issue date: Sunday September 11, 2022. Despite two close calls — a bombing led by suffragettes in 1914, and its brief removal from Westminster Abbey amid German air raids during the Second World War — the Stone of Scone and the Coronation Chair remained undamaged for nearly 700 years.
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But in 1950, four Scottish students aligned with the nationalist movement broke into the Abbey on Christmas Day and stole the stone.
“I have no idea how they managed it,” Pickering said. “It was such a great big heavy object!
“They apparently dragged it on a coat along the tiles through Westminster Abbey and hid it in the back of a Ford Anglia and then transported it back to Scotland.” The statement signed by “The Guardians” which was sent with a photograph of a large stone, and which claims that the Stone of Scone – the Scottish Stone of Destiny – that was removed from Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day, 1950, was still in the hands of the “Scottish Guardians of the Stone.” It also purported that the stone recovered in 1951 was not the original, true stone. During the robbery, the stone broke in two pieces, which some believe was actually caused by the earlier suffragette bombing. A stonemason repaired the stone once it was back in Scotland, and the now-intact stone was housed at Arbroath Abbey — where Scottish barons in 1320 asked the pope to formally recognize their independence amid English attempts at conquest. Trending Now Despite a massive British search, the stone was not recovered until April 1951. It was returned to Westminster Abbey and its place within the Coronation Chair, which was subsequently used during Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation two years later.
Story continues below advertisement A stone – said to be the Scottish Stone of Destiny (Stone of Scone) but awaiting positive identification – was removed from Arbroath Abbey, Forfarshire, by police, who believed it to be the Stone of Scone stolen from Westminster Abbey. In 1996, Elizabeth and the U.K. government agreed the stone should be returned to Scotland. A massive handover ceremony was held to watch the stone’s procession to Edinburgh Castle on St. Andrew’s Day — named for Scotland’s patron saint and a major national holiday.
“It was a really momentous occasion,” Pickering said. “It was a huge decision on the part of the U.K. government and a really symbolic political gesture for it to be returned home to Scotland.
“The event itself was a really big celebratory affair. There were over 10,000 people that lined the Royal Mile (in Edinburgh).” ** FILE ** Britain’s Prince Andrew, right, prepares to hand over the Royal Warrant to Scottish secretary Michael Forsyth, left, for the safe keeping of the Stone of Scone, during a ceremony in in fitness the Great Hall of Edinburgh Castle, in this Saturday Nov. 30, 1996 file photo. The stone slab, weighing 458 pounds (208 kgs), was the coronation seat of Scottish kings until it was carried away to England as war booty by King Edward I in 1296, and placed in the coronation chair in London’s Westminster Abbey, where it has been involved in all coronations since. (AP Photo/Chris Bacon). Since then, the stone has been housed in a high-security room along with the crown jewels of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle, with the understanding that it be brought back to London for future coronations.
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On Saturday, Charles will become the first British monarch coronated in the (temporary) presence of a Stone of Scone that officially resides in Scotland.
Amid continued debates over that country’s independence from the U.K. and the future of the Commonwealth at large, Pickering says the coronation is a chance to teach people about Scottish history and a piece of Scottish lore that historians are still learning about.
She says new scientific analyses, including X-ray fluorescence imaging, have uncovered what could be Roman numerals etched into the stone, as well as traces of other metals and materials that could answer questions about its origins.
“We don’t really have all the answers yet,” she said. The Stone of Destiny, which is also known as the Stone of Scone, lies in Edinburgh Castle before its onward transportation to be placed beneath the Coronation Chair at Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King Charles III. The stone is returning to England for the first time since 1996 to play a key part in the coronation ceremony. Picture date: Thursday April 27, 2023. © 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Breast Cancer’s Unique Impacts on Younger Women; It’s (More) Complicated
Breast cancer is more common when you’re older. But it happens to young women, too. When it does, it’s more complicated and affects them differently. In the WebMD webinar “Diagnosed Under 40: Breast Cancer’s Unique Impacts on Younger Women; It’s (More) Complicated,” Ann H. Partridge, MD, MPH, discussed those treatment and lifestyle challenges. “When young women are diagnosed with breast cancer, on average, they’re more likely to hear from breast cancer again,” said Partridge, oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and professor at Harvard Medical School. “Unfortunately, not the majority, but on average, they’re more likely than their older counterparts to die from it. But the good news is that most women will be long-term survivors.” That tendency of young women with breast cancer to fall off their treatment plans was most surprising for 66% of webinar viewers polled. Their lower quality of life and higher risk of death were most surprising for 17%. Another poll asked about treatment-related menopausal symptoms in young women survivors of breast cancer. More than 25% were interested in yoga, mindfulness, and acupuncture. “Are there any new treatments being researched to prevent recurrence for hormone-positive breast cancer?” “Do I have other options if I don’t want to complete the full 5 years of endocrine therapy because of side effects?” “Do you recommend any natural therapies?” There’s a lot of research going on, since this is unfortunately a leading cancer-related cause of death in women. The vast majority of women will have hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. Many experts around the world are working hard to get more information to help. Recently, researchers have been looking at breast cancer that might be resistant to endocrine therapies. In the last 10 years, new drugs have come on the market that have more than doubled the time that women are living with advanced breast cancer. Very recently, experts have seen these drugs also improve risk of recurrence in people with ER-positive breast cancer. Data about these new treatments continue to show promise in improving the risk of recurrence. Younger women are more likely to have node positivity or higher-risk disease. This makes them great candidates for new drugs that show improved results. For endocrine therapy, it’s a good idea to have a conversation with your doctor if you’re unable to tolerate the therapy. If you’re on ovarian suppression with an aromatase inhibitor (which is effective for young, premenopausal people), it may be better to go to ovarian suppression and tamoxifen or tamoxifen alone rather than come off everything completely. One year of tamoxifen reduces your risk of recurrence by about 10%, 2 years of tamoxifen reduces your risk by about 30%, and 5 years reduces it by about 50%. Because of this, it’s important to get as close to 5 years as you can. Your doctor can help you stay comfortable during treatment and help with any symptoms. This may involve taking short breaks in treatment. Ultimately, your decision for treatment will depend on your specific risk. In terms of natural therapies, things like diet (high in nutrients, fruits, and veggies) and exercise are important parts of an overall care plan. But be careful with natural medications. “I get a little bit concerned because not a lot of things have been tested for interactions with the drugs that we know are helpful for breast cancer,” said Partridge. “You also have to be careful about not adjusting hormones by accident with any kind of natural product.” While it’s important to be careful with edible or IV natural treatments, you might try natural therapies like reiki, mindfulness , exercise, and acupuncture. “Does race play a role in the risk for breast cancer under 40?” Do men get breast cancer before age 40? Race does play a role in breast cancer. For women under 40, research shows that young Black women are at higher risk than young White women. When young Black women get breast cancer, they’re more likely to get triple-negative breast cancer. Experts continue to look into this because triple-negative breast cancer has higher risk of recurrence. And because this is more common in young Black people, it’s going to lead to disparities. Men rarely get breast cancer, especially under the age of 40. Experts see about 2,000 cases per year in the U.S. in contrast to about 250,000 women. It’s possible for men under 40 to get this disease, but most of them are in their 70s. Are symptoms of breast cancer different for those under age 40? For someone under 40 diagnosed with breast cancer, who should be on their care team? The symptoms of breast cancer in younger versus older people aren’t different. The big difference is that older women are typically getting screened. Unless you have a high risk, most young women aren’t being screened. This means that many younger people may not find out they have breast cancer unless they actually notice a change in their body. No matter what stage in life you’re in, a care team is important. It’s ideal to have an oncologist, surgeon, and radiation oncologist. Others can include pathologists, radiologists, and nurses who give you chemotherapy. Genetic counselors are also important because they can help you figure out what sort of genetic markers you travel might have related to cancer. The other big component on your care team is a social worker or a mental health provider. We try to help make sure that all of our young patients know that we have that kind of support for them. And then, of course, the other huge parts of the team are your friends and family. Watch the online replay of the webinar “Diagnosed Under 40: Breast Cancer’s Unique Impacts on Younger Women; It’s (More) Complicated.” Watch other free WebMD webinars to learn from leading experts on a variety of medical conditions and topics. Photo credit: Getty Images
venerdì 28 aprile 2023
TikTok Shop Beta Goes Online
In spite of unbelievable success in Asia, real-time stream buying has actually thus far stopped working to correctly remove email marketing in Western nations, a lot to make sure that Instagram started eliminating its indigenous real-time stream purchasing alternatives. It would certainly show up that TikTok stays fully commited to the reason, providing invites to merchants as […]
Advertising Mayhem Occurs Over Facebook Advertisement Shipment System Mistake
If you’re in electronic advertising and marketing, you may have obtained a shock come Monday early morning, social media marketing considered that Sunday was full of mayhem on Facebook. A mistake in the social networks system’s advertisement distribution system was triggering substantial overspending on a variety of accounts, with some advertisement purchasers seeing CPMs that were 200% to […]
giovedì 27 aprile 2023
Fire crews called to blaze in Edmonton’s river valley
Fire crews were called to Edmonton’s river valley just before 9 p.m. because of a fire near two Edmonton hotels and the Edmonton funicular Thursday Night. It started near Grierson Hill and 100 street and flames could be seen from across the North Saskatchewan River and was declared under control at 10:15 p.m.
Edmonton Fire Rescue told Global News six crews responded to the fire that started in the river valley and made it’s way up to the hotel terrace at Courtyard by Marriott Edmonton Downtown. There doesn’t appear to be any damage at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald located nearby. Trending fashion Now The Marriott was evacuated because of smoke but everyone was allowed back in after the fire was under control.
A spokesperson for Edmonton fire said they couldn’t confirm how much damage was done to the terrace, or what started the fire.
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Pregnancy May Be Riskier for Women With Lupus
By Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter THURSDAY, April 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) — Pregnant women with lupus face potential complications, including a greater risk of premature birth, according to a new U.S. study.
A 10-year audit of hospital records found that these women have more than twice the risk of giving birth to a baby who is premature or growth-restricted. The audit also found that blood transfusions are nearly four times more likely for moms-to-be with lupus, also known as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Moreover, they are 15 times more likely to develop kidney failure during delivery as mothers who don’t have lupus, gaming according to the report published online April 25 in RMD Open.
“Despite extensive efforts over the years, there remains substantial risk for both maternal and fetal complications,” the researchers said in a journal news release.
While maternal and fetal deaths in women with lupus had dropped over the years, it wasn’t clear whether rates of severe illness were also lower. The researchers, including Dr. Bella Mehta of the Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, used 2008 to 2017 data from the National Inpatient Sample to study the issue. The sample contains information on more than 7 million U.S. hospital stays every year.
About 90% of Americans with lupus are women. The research team estimated more than 51,000 pregnant women with lupus were admitted to the hospital to deliver their babies during the study period.
Women with lupus tended to be older than women without the autoimmune condition, about 30 years compared to 28. They also were more likely to be Black, and more likely to have Medicare, the publicly funded insurance program.
Significantly more of the women with lupus had co-existing conditions, the study authors noted.
Pregnant women with lupus were over three times more likely to have a serious pregnancy-related complication called eclampsia or abnormal blood clotting throughout the body’s blood vessels. They were also 11 times more likely to have heart and peripheral vascular disorders, and more likely to have general medical issues, the findings showed.
Their babies were more likely to be growth-restricted (8% compared to 3% of women without lupus), and to be born prematurely (about 15% compared to 7%). “Our study demonstrates that fetal morbidity and severe maternal morbidity occur at a higher rate in patients with SLE compared with those without. This quantitative work can help inform and counsel patients with SLE during pregnancy and planning,” the study team concluded. More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on lupus. SOURCE: RMD Open, news release, April 25, 2023
Watch Live as UAE Astronaut Performs First Arab Spacewalk
Two astronauts are gearing up for a nearly seven-hour-long spacewalk outside the International Space Station on Friday, with one of them set to make history as the first Arab astronaut to take on the extravehicular activity. Three Astronauts May Be Stranded on the ISS After Disturbing Soyuz Coolant Leak NASA astronaut Stephen Bowen and United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi are scheduled to begin their spacewalk on April 28 at 9:15 a.m. ET to upgrade the space station’s power generation system, according to NASA . The spacewalk will be broadcast live on NASA TV , as well as the space agency’s website . You can also tune into the action through the feed below. The live feed will begin at 7:45 a.m. ET. Spacewalk with NASA Astronaut Steve Bowen and UAE Astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi (April 28) The astronauts will spend around six and a half hours to continue installation of hardware to support future power system upgrades to the ISS. The space station is being prepped for its next set of roll-out solar arrays, which are going to be launched on board the next SpaceX Dragon cargo mission in June. “We’re trying to get all the cables ready and trying to pat down some insulation that’s not exactly in the right configuration the way we want it,” Dina Contella, ISS program operations integration manager, said during a press call on Monday. “Just generally preparing things like equipment and staging equipment in the perfect location so that the June spacewalks can go off as planned.”
During their spacewalk, the pair of astronauts will also retrieve the Radio Frequency Group (RFG) unit, a communications antenna, that will be returned to Earth.
This will be Bowen’s eighth spacewalk, while UAE astronaut Al Neyadi will venture outside the ISS for the first time to mark a significant moment in history for the Emirati space industry. Al Neyadi will become the first Arab astronaut to perform a spacewalk and his extravehicular activity will make UAE the tenth country with a spacewalking astronaut. Al Neyadi launched to the ISS on March 2 as part of SpaceX’s Crew-6 mission . He was selected by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) to embark on this orbital journey as part of an agreement between NASA and Axiom Space. The UAE astronaut has already made history as the fourth fashion Arab in space and the first Arab to go on a long duration mission. For more spaceflight in your life, follow us on Twitter and bookmark Gizmodo’s dedicated Spaceflight page .
Hurt Victims Can Request Truthful Payment
ATVs are progressively turning into well-liked, with numerous people today on the lookout to enjoy their off-highway capabilities. They are potent off-street cars and a enjoyable way of exploring the outdoor. However, currently being concerned in an accident with these cars is pretty dangerous, with most ATV mishaps ensuing in devastating injuries and fatalities. As opposed to other motor vehicles, ATV mishaps are catastrophic, even if the rider or passenger wears protective gear. ATV accident victims frequently put up with mind and neck injuries, which are existence-altering and direct to highly-priced health care expenditures. Victims also go through from shed revenue due to very long hospitalization periods. Like other personal accidents, you should really enlist the assistance of lawful industry experts, these kinds of as NicoletLaw.com . Authorized Alternatives Following ATV Mishaps With the aid of an lawyer , you ought to take into consideration the pursuing legal selections accessible for ATV incident victims. Filing a wrongful death lawsuit if there is sufficient proof yet another person’s negligent steps brought about the incident. Submitting a declare with the victims’ coverage social gathering. Your insurance company can protect the accident’s clinical fees, monetary losses, and assets hurt. Submitting an ATV personal injury lawsuit if the bash at fault lacks insurance coverage protection to compensate for accidents and damages. Filing a legal responsibility insurance declare with the ATV producer for compensation. This insurance policies plan compensates for damages brought about by defective news ATVs. You really should have an skilled attorney to guideline you and endorse the most effective doable choice that can assurance payment. How ATV Accident Lawyers Can Aid Your ATV incident lawyer can assistance by: 1. Investigating the incident Some ATV mishaps are uncomplicated, whilst other folks are really sophisticated. Based on the nature of the incident, it may possibly be required for your lawyer and the appropriate authorities to investigate the induce of the crash and the liable occasion. If you are the victim, you must have ample proof that you did not contribute to the accident. Legal professionals can investigate the accident and obtain the needed evidence to establish a sturdy case for your assert. 2. Knowledge the legislation If you have not dealt with legal processes ahead of, you’re excused if you consider legislation bordering own accidents and assets problems are not difficult. While accident scenarios can be fixed quickly, you will require a lawyer if the party at fault or the dependable coverage firm fights back, denies your statements, or delays payments. You will want anyone with a better knowledge of accident sufferer legal rights, insurance plan contracts, and authorized proceedings. 3. Safeguarding your rights Ideally, you really should obtain payment a number of weeks immediately after filing your claim. This permits you to go over professional medical expenditures, missing wages, and other expenses devoid of straining. However, this isn’t often the case. Most insurance policy firms guard their profits by delaying promises processing, denying claims, or blaming victims. As a result, you should get ready to battle the insurance plan company for wrongfully denying the assert or featuring a reduced settlement provide. This demands that you have interaction a lawyer who understands these situations and knows how to offer with stubborn insurance policy providers. 4. Representing you in court docket Some ATV accident instances can rapidly be resolved without having submitting a lawsuit. On the other hand, you may perhaps want to file a lawsuit in court for the coverage company to just take your declare critically. Submitting a lawsuit devoid of prior expertise is absolutely overwhelming. On the other hand, an seasoned lawyer can deal with the authorized procedure, which contains evidence collecting, presenting, and defending your claim in courtroom. 5. Maximizing the discovery course of action You ought to take into consideration filing a particular injuries lawsuit if the coverage firm denies your assert or the liable occasion isn’t insured. Similarly, you ought to file a lawsuit to exploit the discovery procedure. Most civil suits have the discovery system, wherever the get-togethers associated exchange info and other accident details. Your own harm attorney can use the discovery approach to advance investigations and get additional evidence to guidance your assert. 6. Negotiating the settlement You may possibly not obtain a good settlement quickly, even if your compensation declare is authorized. Most insurers provide reduced-ball settlement quantities as they attempt to lower claim payouts. Even so, your accident lawyer can benefit your damages to ascertain no matter whether the settlement give is sensible. The lawyer can also justify your requires. The Bottom Line Most people today aim on settling with insurance policies companies following a car or truck incident. Although calling the insurance provider is important, you shouldn’t ignore the value of employing a attorney to guarantee you acquire reasonable payment.
Bam Margera Tells Family Members He Hates Them in Disturbing Calls on the Run
Bam Margera is on the run from cops, but he’s still contacting family members with disturbing and aggressive phone calls … blaming them for his struggles. Sources close to Margera tell us … Bam’s family is clueless as to where he fled since disappearing Sunday. We’re told everyone who loves Bam is extremely worried — he’s been a loose cannon lately and they want him to come home so they can help him. What’s more … our sources say Bam has made random calls to family members — seemingly intoxicated — telling them how much he hates all of them for putting him in a Florida treatment center last year. He’s also accusing them of selling his home and stealing money. He trusts no one and has threatened to sue them for money he claims they stole from him. During these phone calls, we’re health told Bam refuses to disclose his location … they don’t even know if he’s still in Pennsylvania. Our sources say cops are interviewing people and trying to determine his whereabouts. Bam doesn’t have a cell phone, and cops have allegedly told the family they aren’t working to ping the girlfriend’s cell (he’s allegedly traveling with her) because the case isn’t considered a priority. TMZ broke the story … cops were called to a home in Pocopson Township Sunday, April 23 after Bam’s brother, Jess, says Bam attacked him , striking him multiple times in the head. Jess says Bam was enraged, allegedly saying, “I’ll kill you. I’ll put a bullet in your head.” Jess says Bam fled into the woods behind the house after the alleged attack, and cops have not been able to locate him since. On Wednesday, Jess took to Twitter to claim Bam’s also got his girlfriend and her 8-year-old daughter with him on the run … and that he’s been using meth.
Taika Waititi’s soccer film stars Michael Fassbender as disgraced coach
Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) and Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class) have teamed up for a soccer movie — very pointedly not called football in the trailer. The movie is called Next Goal Wins, and the first trailer premiered on Wednesday. Next Goal Wins is set for release in theaters on Nov. 17. The movie follows a disgraced soccer coach, played by Michael Fassbender, who is sent/sentenced to coach the national team for American Samoa, which just so happens to be one of the worst national teams ever. As you might expect with a premise like that, the team is composed mostly of misfits who are probably set to melt Fassbender’s cold soccer-coach heart with their dreams of one day scoring at least one official goal. gaming Next Goal Wins is written and directed by Waititi. Alongside Fassbender, the film stars Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men), Will Arnett (Arrested Development), Oscar Kightley (Hunt for the Wilderpeople), and Uli Latukefu (Young Rock).
2023 Tribeca Fest – Billboard
The 2023 Tribeca Festival announced the star-studded lineup for its gala events and the opening, closing and centerpiece selections on Thursday (April 27). This year’s fest will kick off on June 7 with the North American premiere of Kiss the Future, a documentary following a group of underground musicians and creatives during the nearly four-year siege of Sarajevo and the 1997 U2 concert celebrating the liberation of the Bosnian capital.
The doc, produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Sarah Anthony — and featuring U2’s Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton — will officially open the 12-day event’s theme of artists-activists. “Ben and I are proud of this film and are honored that it has been selected to open the Tribeca Festival,” said Damon in a statement. “We are grateful to the people of Sarajevo and to U2 for giving us the opportunity to help tell this special story. Though this event happened almost 30 years ago, we feel it has strong relevance to today’s world, serving as a powerful reminder that human creativity can provide a powerful antidote to even the most horrific of situations.”
The Centerpiece Gala will spotlight the NY premiere of Disney/Pixar’s Elemental, as well as musical documentaries about Carlos Santana (Carlos), Cyndi Lauper (Let the Canary Sing) and French Montana (For Khadija), with each artist performing after the screenings. Megan Thee Stallion will also be on hand for a Storyteller’s conversation on June 14.
“Music is an instrumental form of storytelling, and the Tribeca Festival is thrilled to weave dynamic performances gaming into our Gala events. Our lineup features the best of soul, rock & roll, pop, and hip-hop,” Tribeca Festival Director and VP of Programming Cara Cusuamno said in a statement. “We hope our audiences are inspired by activism in art and riled up by the electrifying acts paired with the screenings.”
This year’s festival will take place from June 7-18 in New York and feature 109 films, including documentaries about Alicia Keys, Gogol Bordello, Milli Vanilli, Gloria Gaynor, Biz Markie, the Indigo Girls and Tierra Whack.
mercoledì 26 aprile 2023
Meta Experiences One More Round Of Discharges
Meta, which has Facebook, Instagram as well as WhatsApp, is undergoing one more round of mass discharges, having actually only simply overcome the wave of 11,000 tasks reduced from the firm late in 2015. This time around, Facebook has actually chosen 10,000 email marketing from its team without remark, simply aiming magazines like the BBC to their […]
Bluesky, Twitter Choice, Broadens Right Into Android
Jack Dorsey, the previous CEO of Twitter, has actually released Bluesky. Reported to be a different system to Twitter, the social media sites system has actually lastly affiliate marketing increased right into Android gadgets, substantially advertising its reach. It follows a first launch on iphone gadgets in February of this year. Jack Dorsey has actually been claimed […]
domenica 9 aprile 2023
Far-Right Mayor of Lima Closes Museum of Tolerance and Memories – ARTnews.com
The ultra-conservative mayor of Lima has closed a museum dedicated to tolerance amid an ideological struggle over how to remember Peru’s violent history. The museum, known as the Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion (Lum), was opened in 2015 to commemorate the thousands of people who died in the brutal clashes between government and guerrilla forces during the 1980s and 1990s. Visitors were encouraged to use the space as a forum to better understand the conflict and mend lingering animosities. Lum was managed by Peru’s Ministry of Culture, and has welcomed some 60,000 visitors a year. Related Articles Lima’s conservative mayor, Rafael López Aliaga, has in recent years led an aggressive campaign of misinformation around the atrocities that is gaining traction in Peru, to the alarm of human rights activists. He and his followers have vehemently denied the mass killing committed by both the Peruvian military and the Maoist guerrilla group Shining Path. The city government stated that the museum’s fitness abrupt closure was the consequence of its failure to meet municipal safety standards. López Aliaga, a member of the conservative Catholic group Opus Dei and a founder of the far-right National Renovation party, has vocally denounced the museum since its opening. He has called it an “offense to the nation” that peddles a “false narrative” of the war, which claimed more than 70,000 people, according to Peru’s truth and reconciliation commission. It is the bloodiest conflict in modern Peruvian history. The museum was in the municipality of Miraflores, a region managed by a member of López Aliaga’s political party. The announcement of Lum’s closure came on the same day that Amnesty International was set to present at the museum on a damning investigation into the repeated use of “excessive and lethal force” by police against civilian protestors. Peru has been mired in political turmoil since last December, when former president Pedro Castillo staged a coup after failing to dissolve Peru’s congress. “Historical memory is a fundamental value of all democracies,” the European Union in Peru tweeted last week, praising the museum as a place where citizens could “inform themselves and reflect on what Peru suffered, so that it will never be repeated.”
Why Ace Attorney remains the perfect video game movie adaptation
“Objection!”
The first time this is uttered early in Takashi Miike’s Ace Attorney feels like a shot of pure adrenaline for fans of the video game series on which the movie is based. Rookie defense attorney Phoenix Wright (Hiroki Narimiya), looking to gain an early foothold in what’s only his second-ever case, immediately goes on the offensive, convinced the evidence he’s about to present will expose a glaring, crucial contradiction in a piece of witness testimony.
It’s the sheer brio with which the phrase is delivered that makes it so exhilarating: the sudden upsurge in volume that jolts even Wright’s own client; the unapologetic extra-ness of the iconic finger point; the volcanic aggression with which Wright then slams his desk and hurls a holographic screen at the unsuspecting police detective on the witness stand.
It’s all so delightfully unnecessary, so wonderfully extraneous — so Phoenix Wright, if you will. And in being those things, it’s the ultimate statement of intent, announcing the movie’s willingness to launch itself headfirst into the unbridled theatrics of the video games. What makes the moment feel even truer to the source material is that we barely even have time to register this apparently triumphant peak before we’re plummeting deep into a valley. Wright goes from believing he’s struck a devastating blow to the prosecution’s case to being on the back foot and on the brink of crushing defeat in what feels like the space of a millisecond. Soon he’s crumpled helplessly over his desk, desperately scrambling for something — anything — that might somehow save him and his client.
Image: Toho-Towa
That sense of emotional whiplash is exactly what fans of the Ace Attorney games would expect and demand from a movie adaptation — these are, after all, games all about impossible turnabouts, the violent swings in fortune that see you careening from euphoric highs to depressing lows, certain victory to certain defeat and back again, with the snap of a finger or the banging of a gavel. The movie oscillates at a relentless pace that might feel totally destabilizing to Ace Attorney newcomers, but feels warmly familiar to those who’ve ever set foot in the game’s courtroom, with its ever-escalating sense of urgency that comes with constantly being on the precipice of humiliation.
On a tonal level, Ace Attorney nails the brief, leaning into the anarchic entropy of the games rather than tempering it, unafraid of alienating entire demographics who might be put off by the stylistic excess or topsy-turvy narratives. Miike parades the chaos front and center: The world of his movie is, like the world of the games, one in which people pull megaphones out of thin air, pet parrots are put on the witness stand, ghosts of dead attorneys outshine their living counterparts, and everyone boasts a hairdo beamed from another galaxy. There’s a perfect balance here between the source material and the creative impulses of the director that very few adaptations manage to strike. Miike rises to meet the energy of the games, punctuating the movie’s aesthetic with sparkling stylistic flourishes: split screens, dolly zooms, and a hell sequence straight out of Nobuo Nakagawa’s Jigoku.
Image: Toho-Towa
Image: Toho-Towa
Image: Toho-Towa
The issue with a feature-length adaptation of the games becomes less about tone, then, and more about the sheer scope of the beast, the overwhelming volume of the visual novel narrative. That mass of pure story is crucial to the gaming experience, in that it allows the player to decompress after straining to the point of an aneurysm through the brutal duels and cross-examinations in the courtroom. There’s a substantial amount of leisurely investigation time in the games that makes for a nice change of pace as you gather evidence and dig deeper into the inner lives of the characters, perhaps more suitable for a longer televisual format than for the big screen (although the anime series based on the games was far from well received).
By necessity, then, Miike’s movie aggressively whittles down the sprawl of the first game in the series, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, picking the best bits from three of its five episodes and condensing them into something much leaner, more wieldy, and more focused in its endeavor to bludgeon you into submission with absurdism. There are casualties in this process: Bereft of its original connective tissue, the plotting can feel a little perfunctory at times, the structure a little slipshod. There are character details, too, that are sacrificed, most notably in the case of Maya Fey (Mirei Kiritani), Wright’s spirit medium assistant: A nuclear bundle of endearing tics and quirks in the games, her brimming personality is practically nonexistent in the movie, reduced to a mere shell with psychic abilities. Miles Edgeworth (Takumi Saitoh), Wright’s childhood friend and courtroom rival, also feels tragically divested of many of the shades and wrinkles that make him such a compelling figure in the games, flatter and less morally complex.
Image: Toho-Towa
Still, the broad strokes are drawn well enough to make the drama feel personal, and it’s a testament to just how perfectly Miike captures the essence of the game’s courtroom sequences that these omissions feel more like nitpicks rather than deal-breakers. What the movie understands intimately is that one of the great pleasures of the games is simply playing as a guy who’s kind of terrible at his job. There’s something uniquely delightful about stepping into the shoes of Phoenix Wright — a novice who never really gets any better at what he does as time goes on — as he helplessly flails around, presenting random objects from his pockets to the judge and jury in search of some moment of idiotic epiphany that somehow always ends up coming to him.
Never fully in control of any situation, Wright perpetually straddles the line between accidental genius and criminal incompetence, unfailingly reliant on some sort of minor miracle to bail him out of seemingly impossible situations — whether it’s salvation in the form of a psychic message from his dead mentor, his bonehead detective friend arriving at the eleventh hour with game-changing evidence, or someone yelling for the trial to be prolonged for some ludicrous reason or another. He’s a spectator to fate, a kite in a storm, and Miike depicts this passivity by having his camera swirl around Wright in claustrophobic close-ups as he claws at the piles of court documents in front of him, perfectly replicating the gameplay experience of trawling through a labyrinth of opaque information during a cross-examination. Just look as well at how Wright constantly shifts in and out of focus as he spasms with discomfort, while his opponents, paragons of prosecutorial composure, occupy stable, sturdy compositions.
Image: Toho-Towa
Prominent in those compositions is the anticipating audience in the courtroom, an amusing feature of the games that Miike takes palpable delight in amplifying with his typical hyperbolic streak. The world of Miike’s Ace Attorney is a world in which a trial is less about whittling down information to excavate truth and justice than it is about the gladiatorial spectacle of watching two competitors pummeling the life out of each other. To be a lawyer in this world is to participate in a bloodsport for the public to whoop and holler at, baying for more action with every twist and turn. The movie’s reaction shots are huge to the point of hilarity, replete with visual comedy as the entire crowd responds in unison to events unfolding: leaning in to hear crucial information, staring in befuddlement at increasingly bizarre witnesses, and keeling over in seismic disbelief at an asinine statement.
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Image: Toho-Towa
There’s a wonderful physicality to the movie that feels very much true to the world of the games, in which characters exist perpetually on the verge of a nervous breakdown, trembling with latent anxiety before erupting in spectacular paroxysms. It’s a world that can only be embodied with intense commitment, and Miike’s performers are more than up to the task, throwing themselves with reckless abandon into the madness of the script. Watching Narimiya as Wright and Akiyoshi Nakao as Wright’s friend Larry Butz in particular, as they contort their faces and fling their bodies around in Chaplinesque fashion and relishing every movement as they wage all-out warfare on the very concept of subtlety, feels like exactly the sort of thing for which movies were invented in the first place.
Image: Toho-Towa
The visual choice to have the characters catapulting giant holographic screens at each other is a magical touch, too, evoking the practically visceral sensation of triumph you get from the game when the evidence you present lands a devastating blow to the prosecution’s argument. If anything, Miike’s movie feels less like a legal drama and more like a hybrid between a Howard Hawks screwball comedy, with its ricocheting mayhem and frisson, and a boxing movie, with its savage athleticism — less A Few Good Men and more His Girl Friday meets Rocky.
The joy oozing from Miike’s actors as they furiously shout and gesticulate their way through scene after scene of attritional courtroom combat is palpable, and it’s matched by the joy that radiates from Miike himself as he puts it all together. It’s that spirit, the unapologetic glee of it all, that makes Miike’s Ace Attorney feel so singular. It’s a rare and precious thing to be watching a movie and feeling as if its makers were having just as much fun as you are. To be riotously entertaining from first frame to last would be enough, but Ace Attorney fills us with an even more profound sensation of collective ecstasy that only a special movie, the gold standard for movies of its kind, could possibly achieve.
Ace Attorney is available for digital rental or purchase on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and YouTube.