Disney first announced plans to close one of its signature Disneyland and Walt Disney World attractions, Splash Mountain, back in the summer of 2020. The plan all along has been to not so much replace it as update it — to maintain the basic layout and structure but to replace the characters and theming that had been from Disney’s controversial 1946 film Song of the South with ones from the popular 2009 film The Princess and the Frog.There have been occasional updates since then; the announcement of the new ride’s name (Tiana’s Bayou Adventure) and a tentative opening date of 2024. But…
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People’s diet quality improved and their abdominal obesity and insulin resistance decreased in a one-year lifestyle intervention, new findings from the Finnish StopDia study show. Looking at 2,907 Finnish adults with an elevated risk for type 2 diabetes, the study is the first to examine the effects of a group-based lifestyle intervention implemented in primary health care on risk factors for type 2 diabetes. The lifestyle intervention made use of a digital app and multiple behaviour change theories. The findings were published in The Lancet Regional Health — Europe. The StopDia approach was developed in collaboration with multiple stakeholders In…
Apsara by Willard Thurston What’s it About? Twins separated at birth, the subject of clandestine study. Two cells of jihadi terrorists whose anti-Western activities range from the satiric to the downright deadly. Two Russian mafia brothers, one a patron of the arts and the other behind bars for brutally murdering a rival. An enraged Muslim exotic club patron with a vendetta or two to settle. These are just a few of the colorful characters and mirror plots populating Willard Thurston’s illustrated novel, Apsara. Like many of Thurston’s novels, Apsara defies ready summation. It’s a sprawling, interconnected web of hidden agendas,…
Owen Hendricks, Noah Centineo’s character in The Recruit, is thrown into the deep end in his first days as a lawyer for the CIA, as a new clip from the action-paced Netflix series reveals. The 40-second clip — which Centineo screened at the CCXP convention in São Paulo, Brazil on Saturday, December 3 — shows Owen going head to head with a former CIA asset named Max Meladze, played by Laura Haddock (Da Vinci’s Demons). “You know that making threats against the agency is a crime, right?” he says, visiting Max in prison. But Max says she knows “many things.”…
Seasons shifting: Tasmanias southern beech is Australias only native temperate deciduous tree. Credit: Shutterstock There’s a piece of gardening lore in my hometown which has been passed down for generations: never plant your tomatoes before Show Day, which, in Tasmania, is the fourth Saturday in October. If you’re foolhardy enough to plant them earlier, your tomato seedlings will suffer during the cold nights and won’t grow. But does this kind of seasonal wisdom still work as the climate warps? We often talk about climate change in large-scale ways—how much the global average surface temperature will increase. Nations are trying to…
I’ve spent most of my time as a beauty journalist working directly with hairdressers covering trends, news and advice. And for the most part, I treat the hair advice I’ve received as gospel, and I drill home the importance of listening to pro hairdressers about at-home maintenance. However, there is one point, in particular, where I veer from hairdressers’ advice: cheap shampoo. I use it all the time.Professional and salon-quality haircare and styling products are really important for healthy hair. I just needed to say that before we continue. For the most part, you’ll find that they have fewer filler ingredients and synthetics that cheat the feeling of smooth…
Gotham Knights is getting a series of patches. In a Twitter thread, developer WB Games Montréal has laid out problems it is looking to address via future updates, starting with the performance issues across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S/X. A patch for the former is now live, aimed at fixing general keyboard input issues, co-op matchmaking invites, and stability, which resulted in game crashes for several players on PC. Those on PS5 and Series S/X will receive a patch later in the week, though the studio doesn’t offer many details.“For our console players, the next Gotham Knights patch is…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for horror fanatic Kirk Hammett. Ahead of Halloween weekend, the Metallica guitarist is sharing his go-to movies and more in a new interview with Gibson TV’s “Metal and Monsters” series (Oct. 26) where he explains his love for all things spooky.Hammett admitted he was “totally and completely” a Halloween kid, and fondly remembers his first costumes as being an attempt to replicate Frankenstein (cardboard across his forehead eventually did the trick). “Even to this day I love Halloween,” he added. And of course that extends to horror movies.When asked by the show’s host…
As the title suggests, Sr. is a documentary about Robert Downey Sr., the provocative filmmaker who gave the world such cult classics as Putney Swope and Greaser’s Palace. But the film was also produced and features Downey’s son, a working actor you might be familiar with named Robert Downey Jr. In fact, the film is as much about the relationship between the two Roberts Downey than it is about Sr.’s life and career.As such, it offers a pretty interesting glimpse into the private life of one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Sr., directed by Chris Smith, includes scenes of the Downeys at home on Long Island…
What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Symbiotech: An Eerden Novel (Ellinor Book 3)? Since Symbiotech is the third book in the Ellinor series, I’ll speak more generally to the reasons why this series was one I really wanted to write. After I finished writing my YA series, I really wanted to explore a twist on the kind of revenge and redemption arc that was/is so popular for a lot of fantasy main characters, especially female MC’s. I wanted to tie those themes in with the grief that so often gets ignored for the pure revenge…
What happens when an actress’ home is broken into, and the team is forced to work with an old nemesis? On S.W.A.T. Season 6 Episode 7, 20-Squad finds themselves having to work with Sanchez once again when his security job is directly tied to the victim. Meanwhile, Tan struggles to find the perfect anniversary gift for Bonnie, but it may not matter anyhow. It’s always a treat when an actor’s family member makes an appearance on said actor’s project and it’s even more of a treat when it’s recurring. This episode saw the return of Kenny Johnson’s daughter, Jellie, and…
Hundreds of cement pillars with hooks have been deployed in the Gulf of California to snag fishing nets that threaten endangered porpoises, but these could also trap sea life and pollute the waters Life 2 December 2022 By Corryn Wetzel A pair of vaquitas sighted during 2008 survey in Gulf of CaliforniaNOAA Fisheries In a last-ditch attempt to save a critically endangered porpoise, Mexican officials began dropping weighted metal hooks in the Gulf of California in July. The goal is to snag illegal gill nets, thereby discouraging and thwarting the fishing practice that is largely responsible for winnowing the population…
Photography by Getty Images I test drove the vampire facial, an IV drip, and laser hair removal to see if these non-invasive procedures really work wonders. By Amanda Demeku Date October 26, 2022 Some people like to play classical music in their homes to feel at peace. I, on the other hand, prefer a soothing loop of Kourtney, Kim, and Khloe talking over one another and vigorously shaking their salads while their taut skin glistens through the screen. What can I say? To quote the late, great André Leon Talley, “It’s a famine of beauty honey!” And my eyes, they…
Emphasising on the need to create awareness against fake news, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that social media cannot be underestimated and that a small piece of fake news generated by it can create chaos. The Prime Minister appealed for people to check facts before sharing messages on social media.Addressing a ‘Chintan Shivir’ in Haryana of home ministers of states via video conferencing, Prime Minister Modi said, “For the safety and rights of law-abiding citizens, stringent action against negative forces is our responsibility. A small piece of fake news can kick up a storm across the nation. We…
[] Skip to main content Which songs play when World Cup stars are celebrating scoring a goal? Each country seems to have their own preference. The Daily A daily briefing on what matters in the music industry ad {{ result.published_at | date: “%h %d, %Y” }} {{ result.name }} ]]> 0) { __qc.qpixelsent.length = 0; } // First Quantcast Tag _qoptions={ qacct:”” }; quantserve(); } catch(err) {} // Track Comscore unless it’s a gallery and has been tracked if ( window.pmc.comscoreTracked && -1 === window.pmc.comscoreTracked.indexOf( document.location.href ) ) { try { setTimeout(function(){var url = “http” + (/^https:/.test(document.location.href) ? “s” :…
Strange but true: The guy in charge of the world of DC movies (along with producer Peter Safran) is James Gunn, the writer and director of such movies as Guardians of the Galaxy and The Suicide Squad. Gunn and Safran are now the CEOs of DC Studios — and the first men to hold those titles — and so they are beginning the process of reshaping the DC Cinematic Universe.So what are they going to do? It will take years for any of their plans to come to fruition, but Gunn is already tweeting about being on the job. In a thread he posted…
An ongoing Ebola outbreak has infected and killed dozens of people in Uganda. Health authorities in the country and the World Health Organization (WHO) have announced plans to begin a clinical trial for three Ebola vaccine candidates. Licensed vaccines for Ebola exist, but they are not effective against Sudan ebolavirus, the species responsible for the outbreak. Doses of the vaccine candidates are expected to be delivered to Uganda this week. The clinical trial is the latest effort to stem an outbreak that has already spread to nine districts, including three densely populated areas, according to the WHO. The candidates for the…
by Joshua Whitehead While in Toronto, a reporter, having researched me thoroughly, asked: “So Josh, can you tell me how the death of your grandmother has influenced your novel?” Being a fledgling writer at the time, I accommodated the request and reluctantly retold the story of my grandmother’s murder in the sixties — at which the reporter nodded, jotted down notes, quickly thanked me, and said goodbye. What has shaken me about this experience is that it was not the first time that type of extractive questioning about personal histories and my experiences with trauma has cropped up, nor will…
Even people who dislike the police often concede that they have a difficult job. Cops are expected to make split-second decisions; they often have to choose between risking their lives and harming innocent people while in a high-stress situation. On Blue Bloods Season 13 Episode 7, Frank and Garrett grappled with whether that expectation extends to officers being obligated to put their lives on the line while off-duty. This one has no clear-cut answers. Frank had good reasons for believing that Hayes was not cut out to be a patrol officer, yet Hayes didn’t break any rules. Could Hayes have…
Looking for a reliable fitness tracker or thinking of buying your first running watch? With this fantastic Black Friday deal you can save a tidy $51 (opens in new tab) on the Fitbit Versa 2 at Amazon — bringing it down to under $100. If you’re looking for a Christmas gift for the fitness lover in your life, or know someone looking for a decent smartwatch, this may be the deal for you.This is one of the best fitness trackers (opens in new tab) of the older Versa generation, scoring a solid 4.6/5 from over 150,000 Amazon reviews. It’s a…
Photography by Getty Images We can’t ignore Kanye West, as much as we wish we could. By Natalie Michie Date October 26, 2022 I hate to say this, but we must discuss Kanye West. For weeks, the rapper — who now goes by Ye — has been publicly spreading hate speech on a downward spiral that threatens to end his career. Adidas finally severing ties with the problematic designer has all but sealed that fate. On October 25, the German sportswear label announced it was ending its longstanding lucrative partnership with the rapper-turned-designer. “Ye’s recent comments and actions have been…
You were born barefoot, and a growing body of evidence suggests you should have stayed that way. The technology and padding of the modern shoe protect your feet, but protection isn’t always what you want. Feet were made to stretch, flex, roll, and bend, and letting them do what they evolved to do can reduce impact injuries and provide a host of other benefits.That said, please do not buy a pair of these barely-there shoes and start walking or running the way you always have. That won’t work, and it can lead to injuries. You need to ease into all…
Scott Dachroeden, a longtime guitar tech and photographer for Alice in Chains among other artists such as Tool and Rob Zombie, has died after a battle with cancer. A GoFundMe page had been set up for Dachroeden earlier this month as he battled stage 4 cancer. Dachroeden was diagnosed after he returned from a summer tour with Alice in Chains, for whom he had been tenured for 14 years. Dachroeden moved to the US from his native Australia over two decades ago with the hopes becoming a concert photographer and working in the music industry. He would find success both…
In George & Tammy, Michael Shannon and Jessica Chastain will portray two country music legends.The upcoming six-episode miniseries follows the lives of legendary singers George Jones (Shannon) and Tammy Wynette (Chastain). Ahead of the series premiere on Showtime, the actors sat down with ComingSoon to discuss how they approached their characters.“The limited drama chronicles the country music power couple, Tammy Wynette and George Jones, whose complicated-but-enduring relationship inspired some of the most iconic music of all time,” reads the synopsis. “Remembered as the ‘First Lady of Country Music,’ Wynette’s most successful song ‘Stand by Your Man’ remains one of the most iconic and best-selling…
What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write A Raven Remix? I love music and paranormal cozies. While talking plots out with my kids, this book, and the entire series, unfolded. Why not write a cozy where songs from the 60s to the 2000’s are clues? It sounded like fun. So, I took on the Paranormal Penny Mystery Series. If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of A Raven Remix, what would they be? Trouble ls a Friend by Lenka is Penny’s theme. 100% In fact, if I get blocked I play it…
With Netflix, where more begets more in a never-ending deluge of programming, you can’t help but use superlatives to describe the biggest and most prolific of streaming giants. Its creepiest show this year? Hands down the relentless mega-hit docudrama Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The loudest? Probably the extravagantly mindless Ryan Gosling shoot-’em-up film The Gray Man. And while Netflix often gets knocked for emphasizing quantity over quality, several shows manage to achieve critical mass and acclaim. Here’s a quick take on some of Netflix’s very best of 2022. Most Worth the Wait Season 4 of Stranger Things…
If every living thing died right now, by some estimates only around 1 percent would become fossils. Even fewer would have any soft tissues preserved. These rare tissue fossils offer crucial clues about biology and evolution, but their formation remains mysterious. Why do scientists find fossilized intestines, for example, but never a fossilized liver? Fossils develop when minerals replace the body parts of organisms that die and get buried in sediment, such as the mixture of mud and seawater on the ocean floor. Paleontologists are particularly fond of the fossil-building mineral calcium phosphate because it can preserve soft organs in…
Close view of Methanothermococcus thermolithotrophicus culture under the microscope (left) and in a culture flask (middle and right). These cells grow on nitrogen gas as the only source of nitrogen. If there is no nitrogen gas present, nothing grows (right). Credit: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology have successfully enhanced cultivation of a microorganism that can fix nitrogen (N2) while producing methane (CH4) and ammonia (NH3) and investigated exciting details of its metabolism. Carbon and nitrogen are essential elements of life. Some organisms take up key positions for the cycling of…
Photography courtesy of ImaxTree Long hemlines aren’t just for prom and red carpets! By Annika Lautens Date October 26, 2022 For most of us, maxi skirts aren’t in our daily wardrobe rotation. Why? Because there’s something intrinsically formal about wearing fabric that touches the floor. Long hemlines tend to signal important life events: brides wear princess-inspired ballgowns, bridesmaids wear column-like pastel dresses, celebs attend red carpet events in fancy floor-skimming gowns, and teens go to prom in overly bedazzled frocks. So wearing anything remotely similar to the office or grabbing coffee feels wrong — and figuring out how to style…
A new cryptocurrency wallet called Mara is ready for launch in the African markets of Kenya and Nigeria. This digital wallet is backed by Coinbase Ventures and Alameda Research, a Hong-Kong based private equity firm founded by Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of FTX crypto exchange. Mara is a digital financial ecosystem project that is entering the African market with this crypto wallet. Huobi, the Seychelles-based crypto exchange, is also backing this project in the backdrop of the crypto-friendly sentiment prevalent in the African fintech market.The wallet will be made available for over two million people in Kenya and Nigeria.The wallet…