Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month (LGBT Pride Month) is celebrated annually in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots, and works to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) Americans. In June of 1969, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City staged an uprising to resist the police harassment and persecution to which LGBT Americans were commonly subjected. This uprising marks the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBT Americans.
Pride parades (also known as pride marches, pride events, and pride festivals) are outdoor events celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) social and self acceptance, achievements, legal rights and pride. The events also at times serve as demonstrations for legal rights such as same-sex marriage. Most pride events occur annually, and many take place around June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City, a pivotal moment in modern LGBTQ social movements.[4]
There are two cities in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico that celebrate pride parades/festivals. The first one began in June, 1990 in San Juan; later in June, 2003 the city of Cabo Rojo started celebrating its own pride parade. The pride parade in Cabo Rojo has become very popular and has received thousands of attendees in the last few years. San Juan Pride runs along Ashford Avenue in the Condado area (a popular tourist district), while Cabo Rojo Pride takes place in Boquerón.
In 1994, a coalition of education-based organizations in the United States designated October as LGBT History Month. In 1995, a resolution passed by the General Assembly of the National Education Association included LGBT History Month within a list of commemorative months. National Coming Out Day (October 11), as well as the first “March on Washington” in 1979, are commemorated in the LGBTQ community during LGBT History Month.
The following year the festival expanded to six hubs around England and the conference had its own slot. The Alan Horsfall lecture was given by Professor Susan Stryker of the University of Arizona in 2016. The national heritage premieres were "Mister Stokes: The Man-Woman of Manchester" written by Abi Hynes and "Devils in Human Shape" by Tom Marshman.
Each year there are a series of parties and celebrations which take place throughout the city, and continue right up until the concluding Pride Parade, which happens towards the end of June. While the main parade usually takes place in the heart of Manhatten, pride events often transpire in other areas of the city too, including Brooklyn and Staten Island.
Social conservatives are sometimes opposed to such events because they view them to be contrary to public morality. This belief is partly based on certain things often found in the parades, such as public nudity, BDSM paraphernalia, and other sexualized features. Within the academic community, there has been criticism that the parades actually set to strengthen homosexual-heterosexual divides and increase essentialist views.
Though the reality was that the Stonewall riots themselves, as well as the immediate and the ongoing political organizing that occurred following them, were events fully participated in by lesbian women, bisexual people, and transgender people, as well as by gay men of all races and backgrounds, historically these events were first named Gay, the word at that time being used in a more generic sense to cover the entire spectrum of what is now variously called the 'queer' or LGBT community.[37][38]
On June 26, 1994, to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Progressive Organization of Gays in the Philippines (ProGay Philippines) and Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) Manila organized the first LGBT Pride March in Asia, marching from EDSA corner Quezon Avenue to Quezon City Memorial Circle (Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines) and highlighting broad social issues. At Quezon City Memorial Circle, a program was held with a Queer Pride Mass and solidarity remarks from various organizations and individuals.
Both Berlin Pride and Cologne Pride claim to be one of the biggest in Europe. The first so-called Gay Freedom Day took place on June 30, 1979 in both cities. Berlin Pride parade is now held every year the last Saturday in July. Cologne Pride celebrates two weeks of supporting cultural programme prior to the parade taking place on Sunday of the first July weekend. An alternative march used to be on the Saturday prior to the Cologne Pride parade, but now takes place a week earlier. Pride parades in Germany are usually named Christopher Street Day.
Meetings to organize the march began in early January at Rodwell's apartment in 350 Bleecker Street.[16] At first there was difficulty getting some of the major New York City organizations like Gay Activists Alliance (GAA) to send representatives. Craig Rodwell and his partner Fred Sargeant, Ellen Broidy, Michael Brown, Marty Nixon, and Foster Gunnison of Mattachine made up the core group of the CSLD Umbrella Committee (CSLDUC). For initial funding, Gunnison served as treasurer and sought donations from the national homophile organizations and sponsors, while Sargeant solicited donations via the Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop customer mailing list and Nixon worked to gain financial support from GLF in his position as treasurer for that organization.[17][18] Other mainstays of the organizing committee were Judy Miller, Jack Waluska, Steve Gerrie and Brenda Howard of GLF.[19] Believing that more people would turn out for the march on a Sunday, and so as to mark the date of the start of the Stonewall uprising, the CSLDUC scheduled the date for the first march for Sunday, June 28, 1970.[20] With Dick Leitsch's replacement as president of Mattachine NY by Michael Kotis in April 1970, opposition to the march by Mattachine ended.[21]
The origins of Gay and Lesbian Pride month can be traced back to a turbulent weekend in New York City in June of 1969. On the evening of June 27th, the usual crowd gathered at the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York City's Greenwich Village. New York Beverage Control Board agents and NYC police officers raided the bar to enforce an alcohol control law that was seldom enforced anywhere else in the city. Patrons were physically forced out of their gathering places, sometimes beaten, and often arrested with no just cause. On that night, lesbians and gay men spontaneously fought back against police harassment for the first time. Word spread quickly about the confrontation and large, outraged crowds gathered on ensuing nights to protest the mistreatment historically inflicted on the gay community. These protests came to be known as the Stonewall Rebellion. This uprising was the catalyst for the modern political movement for gay and lesbian liberation, calling for gay pride and action to secure their basic civil rights.
2019 will be extra special because New York will be hosting the iconic World Pride for the entire month of June. This will be the first time in World Pride's 20-year history that the event will take place in the USA. Pride means different things to everyone, which is why World Pride NYC offers a whole heap of LGBTQ activities during the celebrations.
The initiative received government backing from the deputy DfES and Equalities Minister Jacqui Smith, although some sections of the press argued against its political correctness, and pointed out that the sexuality of some historical figures is more a matter of speculation than fact.[16] Supporters of the event countered that it is important to challenge heterosexist attitudes in society.
In Greenland, LGBT history is celebrated with a Pride Parade instead of a month-long celebration. It started in 2010 when 19-year-old Nuka Bisgard and her friend Lu Berthelse, 24, another woman, teamed up with other Greenlanders to create a pride celebration.[22] This was made to help Greenland's visible and invisible gay community feel more inclusive and united. On May 15, 2010, their hard work paid off when Pride drew over a thousand participants. Gay Pride has successfully been repeated since 2010.[23]
Czech Republic's largest LGBT event. This year, the week-long Prague Gay Pride runs from August 5th-11th. Expect lots of fun activities - concerts, workshops, theatre, exhibitions, film, lectures, discussions, dance parties. The parade takes place in the city centre on Saturday, August 10th. Check the website for full details and program. ...read more
On July 22, 2005, the first Latvian gay pride march took place in Riga, surrounded by protesters. It had previously been banned by the Riga City Council, and the then-Prime Minister of Latvia, Aigars Kalvītis, opposed the event, stating Riga should "not promote things like that", however a court decision allowed the march to go ahead.[85] In 2006, LGBT people in Latvia attempted a Parade but were assaulted by "No Pride" protesters, an incident sparking a storm of international media pressure and protests from the European Parliament at the failure of the Latvian authorities to adequately protect the Parade so that it could proceed.
The annual gay Pride weekend in Cologne takes place from July 5th-7th in 2019. with the street parade on Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of participants are expected. The street festival will feature numerous LGBT activities and events - colourful stage performances, parties, political events, film screenings, cultural activities, etc. Planning to be ...read more
A Brazilian photographer was arrested after refusing to delete photos of police attacking two young people participating in a gay pride parade on October 16, 2011 in the city of Itabuna, Bahia, reported the newspaper Correio 24 horas. According to the website Notícias de Ipiau, Ederivaldo Benedito, known as Bené, said four police officers tried to convince him to delete the photos soon after they realized they were being photographed. When he refused, they ordered him to turn over the camera. When the photographer refused again, the police charged him with contempt and held him in jail for over 21 hours until he gave a statement. According to Chief Marlon Macedo, the police alleged that the photographer was interfering with their work, did not have identification, and became aggressive when he was asked to move. Bené denied the allegations, saying the police were belligerent and that the scene was witnessed by "over 300 people", reported Agência Estado.[55]
Turkey was the first Muslim-majority country in which a gay pride march was being held.[118] However, the parades have been banned nationwide since 2015. Authorities cite security concerns and threats from far-right and Islamist groups, but severe police retrubution against marchers had led to accusations of discrimination tied to the country's increasing Islamization under Erdogan.[119]
The first NYC Pride Rally occurred one month after the Stonewall Riots in June 1969, that launched the modern Gay Rights Movement. 500 people gathered for a “Gay Power” demonstration in Washington Square Park, followed by a candlelight vigil in Sheridan Square. NYC Pride has continued this proud tradition by hosting the event in various locations throughout the city. The March passes by the site of the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street, location of the June 1969 Stonewall riots.
In 2007, following international pressure, a Pride Parade was held once again in Riga with 4,500 people parading around Vērmane Garden, protected physically from "No Pride" protesters by 1,500 Latvian police, with ringing the inside and the outside of the iron railings of the park. Two fire crackers were detonated with one being thrown from outside at the end of the festival as participants were moving off to the buses. A man and his son were afterwards arrested by the police.[86] This caused some alarm but no injury, although participants did have to run the gauntlet of "No Pride" abuse as they ran to the buses. They were driven to a railway station on the outskirts of Riga, from where they went to a post Pride "relax" at the seaside resort of Jūrmala. Participants included MEPs, Amnesty International observers and random individuals who travelled from abroad to support LGBT Latvians and their friends and families.
Today, celebrations include pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and LGBT Pride Month events attract millions of participants around the world. Memorials are held during this month for those members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that LGBTQ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.
^ "Making colleges and universities safe for gay and lesbian students: Report and recommendations of the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth" (PDF). Massachusetts. Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth., p. 20. "A relatively recent tactic used in the backlash opposing les/bi/gay/trans campus visibility is the so-called "heterosexual pride" strategy".
On Saturday, June 27, 1970, Chicago Gay Liberation organized a march[12] from Washington Square Park ("Bughouse Square") to the Water Tower at the intersection of Michigan and Chicago avenues, which was the route originally planned, and then many of the participants spontaneously marched on to the Civic Center (now Richard J. Daley) Plaza.[13] The date was chosen because the Stonewall events began on the last Saturday of June and because organizers wanted to reach the maximum number of Michigan Avenue shoppers. Subsequent Chicago parades have been held on the last Sunday of June, coinciding with the date of many similar parades elsewhere.
In 2008, the Riga Pride was held in the historically potent 11. novembra krastmala (November 11 Embankment) beneath the Riga Castle. The participants heard speeches from MEPs and a message of support from the Latvian President. The embankment was not open and was isolated from the public with some participants having trouble getting past police cordons. About 300 No Pride protesters gathered on the bridges behind barricades erected by the police who kept Pride participants and the "No Pride" protesters separated. Participants were once more "bused" out but this time a 5-minute journey to central Riga.
In Greece, endeavours were made during the 1980s and 1990s to organise such an event, but it was not until 2005 that Athens Pride established itself. The Athens Pride is held every June in the centre of Athens city.[80] As of 2012, there is a second pride parade taking place in the city of Thessaloniki. The Thessaloniki Pride is also held annually every June. 2015 and 2016 brought two more pride parades, the Creta Pride taking place annually in Crete[81] and the Patras Pride, that is going to be held in Patras for the first time in June 2016.[82]
LGBT History Month was celebrated in Hungary for the first time in February 2013, and since then every year. The program series is coordinated by Háttér Society and Labrisz Lesbian Association, events are organized in partnership with other LGBT organization, cultural and academic institutions, professional organizations etc. The majority of the events take place in Budapest, but a few events are also organized in larger cities all over the country, e.g. in Debrecen, Pécs, Miskolc and Szeged.[29]
The Pride Parade is heavily supported by the federal government as well as by the Governor of São Paulo, the event counts with a solid security plan, many politicians show up to open the main event and the government not rarely parades with a float with politicians on top of it. In the Pride the city usually receives about 400,000 tourists and moves between R$180 million and R$190 million.
The West Coast of the United States saw a march in Los Angeles on June 28, 1970 and a march and 'Gay-in' in San Francisco.[14][15] In Los Angeles, Morris Kight (Gay Liberation Front LA founder), Reverend Troy Perry (Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches founder) and Reverend Bob Humphries (United States Mission founder) gathered to plan a commemoration. They settled on a parade down Hollywood Boulevard. But securing a permit from the city was no easy task. They named their organization Christopher Street West, "as ambiguous as we could be."[16] But Rev. Perry recalled the Los Angeles Police Chief Edward M. Davis telling him, “As far as I’m concerned, granting a permit to a group of homosexuals to parade down Hollywood Boulevard would be the same as giving a permit to a group of thieves and robbers.”[17] Grudgingly, the Police Commission granted the permit, though there were fees exceeding $1.5 million. After the American Civil Liberties Union stepped in, the commission dropped all its requirements but a $1,500 fee for police service. That, too, was dismissed when the California Superior Court ordered the police to provide protection as they would for any other group. The eleventh hour California Supreme Court decision ordered the police commissioner to issue a parade permit citing the “constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression.” From the beginning, L.A. parade organizers and participants knew there were risks of violence. Kight received death threats right up to the morning of the parade. Unlike later editions, the first gay parade was very quiet. The marchers convened on McCadden Place in Hollywood, marched north and turned east onto Hollywood Boulevard.[18] The Advocate reported "Over 1,000 homosexuals and their friends staged, not just a protest march, but a full blown parade down world-famous Hollywood Boulevard."[19]
From 2016, Schools OUT UK has partnered with a several contract publishers to produce magazines as an Official Guide to LGBT History Month, putting 35,000 copies of their publication into every secondary school in the UK, plus community spaces, charities and businesses. The magazine had introductions from the leaders of all the main political parties and the Mayor of London. The magazine's Diversity Dashboard runs job adverts and events listings from LGBT-friendly employers and the community.
Other Southeastern Brazilian parades are held in Cabo Frio (Rio de Janeiro), Campinas (São Paulo), Vitória (capital of Espírito Santo), and Belo Horizonte and Uberaba (Minas Gerais). Southern Brazilian parades take place in Curitiba, Florianópolis, Porto Alegre and Pelotas, and Center-Western ones happen in Campo Grande, Cuiabá, Goiânia and Brasília. Across Northeastern Brazil, they are present in all capitals, namely, in Salvador, Aracaju, Maceió, Recife, João Pessoa, Natal, Fortaleza, Teresina and São Luís, and also in Ceará's hinterland major urban center, Juazeiro do Norte. Northern Brazilian parades are those from Belém, Macapá, Boa Vista and Manaus.
Mardi Gras was Sydney's contribution to the international gay solidarity celebrations, an event that had grown up as a result of the Stonewall riots in New York. Mardi Gras was one of a series of events by the Gay Solidarity Group to promote the forthcoming National Homosexual Conference, and offer support to San Francisco's Gay Freedom Day and its campaign against California State Senator John Brigg's attempts to stop gay rights supporters' teaching in schools. It was also intended to protest the Australian visit of homophobic[according to whom?] Festival of Light campaigner Mary Whitehouse.[26]


Home » Sports » Roland Garros 2015 edition richer than ever
Roland Garros 2015 edition richer than ever
October 7, 2015 Sports
For the those who don’t know, 2015 edition of Roland Garros was in fact the richer editon of the famous tennis tournaments taking place in Paris: € 28,028,600 was the amount of the total prize, increased by + 12% compared to the previous edition. Of this amount, 1,800,000 have been entitled to women’s singles and men’s singles winners; while the pair winning the mixed doubles has been awarded € 114,000. And so, in the prestigious field, named after Suzanne Lenglen, the approximately 10,000 spectators (10,076 is the maximum capacity of the stadium – almost always sold out!) have witnessed the triumph of the USA champion Serena Williams and the one of Stan Wawrinka, the swiss one, who triumphed on French Open, overcoming respectively Lucie Safarova and Novak Djokovic.
There were Many VIPs at the court of Roland Garros 2015; many of them coming from the world of sport and entertainment, others from the world of politics, or finance that matters. To the latter category belongs the Italian Giampaolo Lo Conte, a man who dedicated his life to international trading and large companies’ investments. “I’m here – told us in an interview in his studio in London – because I love tennis. It ‘a very tough sport, both physically and mentally, concentration always wins before physical strength. I will also be at Wimbledon! In a few weeks “.
Do we talk about business even in Paris? “Sure, but not on on Roland Garros’s stands – says Giampaolo Lo Conte, smiling. “People here loves to sunbathe and relax while enjoying the show. Including VIPs. ” Do you feel like a celebrity too? “Not an entertainment one … nor even a sports’ one! (Laughs again). “Let’s say I meet celebrities every week, but they do not recognize me very often, because I do not feature on TV. But do I focus on the ones that matter in the world of high finance: I left Italy, from Rome where I am born, and now I work a lot between New York and London. I do not think that will change any time soon”. But maybe it’s too early to tell!
“I’m here – told us in an interview in his studio in London – because I love tennis. It ‘a very tough sport, both physically and mentally, concentration always wins before physical strength. I will also be at Wimbledon! In a few weeks “. these are the words coming out of Giampaolo Lo Conte, baron, business consultant and a leading figure in international finance.
We met him in his studio in London, a few days after his return from Paris, where he had attended Roland Garros 2015, where French Open winners were Serena Williams and Stan Wawrinka; the first one, for the females, has “paved” the Czech Lucie Safarova during the final match, while the Swiss had nothing less than the pleasure of defeating the strong Novak Djokovic. Giampaolo Lo Conte is very passionate about sports (tennis and basketball above all); he was in the stands of Roland Garros and had the opportunity to chat with acquaintances and colleagues from the world of finance.
“It felt good – reported Giampaolo Lo Conte – people there love to sunbathe and relax while enjoying the show. Including VIPs! And including me, even if I focus more on people that count in the world of high finance: I left Italy and now I work a lot between New York and London. I do not think that I will change lifestyle any time soon”. Lo Conte is not one of those guys posing in photos with Ronaldo (who was also in Paris), but it is not rare to find him in social events with celebrities. It ‘also fond of fashion: in Rome, between its interventions, he has recently participated in the four-day Alta Roma 2015 event: the event have surely had less resonance of Roland Garros but, from the point of view of business development, it sure rises lots of interest. In fact fashion is one of the areas which Italy tries to rise again in terms of global business from.


by Noise Pop Presents
Fri, June 14, 2019, 8:00 PM – 11:30 PM PDT
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Fri, June 14, 2019
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This show is 21+
“Seductive and soulful, this one may have you dialing your ex. Don't say we didn't warn you.” - Vibe Magazine
Janine is a fiercely talented songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. She is also a self-sufficient artist who has created her own artwork and directed music videos. But, her greatest weapon: an ethereal and devastatingly beautiful voice that commands every single verse, hook and refrain. She’s magnetic - bringing you into her world.
Born in New Zealand, Janine dedicated herself to music almost as soon as she could walk, recording herself singing her favorite tunes on a double cassette player at the age of five. At the age of fourteen, she began performing her original songs with a guitar at open mics, mostly held at bars she wasn’t technically allowed into. As a result, her art remains as honest as it is hypnotic.
Under original moniker Janine and The Mixtape, the artist made quite a mark since first arriving stateside in 2011. She moved to New York quietly building a buzz, the songstress penned, produced, and recorded 2013’s independent Dark Mind EP. Following placements on VH1’s Black Ink Crew and Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta, it vaulted to #2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart and #2 on iTunes Top R&B/Soul Albums Chart, while the single “Hold Me” went Top 10 on Spotify’s Global Viral Charts and #1 on iTunes New Zealand.
Tastemakers including Complex, VIBE, Billboard, MTV, and more lauded her sound. Signing to Atlantic Records, she co-produced 2015’s XX EP (pronounced ex’s) with 4e. The project went on to win “Best R&B Album” at the New Zealand Music Awards in between touring the states with Floetry.
In 2017, Janine went on her first headline tour, the Before It’s Too Late Tour, which included packed shows in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, Atlanta, D.C and more.
Following the tour she released her debut album, 99, on May 25th, which was described as “Aaliyah crooning over nocturnal Bryson Tiller production or a femme fatale Weeknd.” The album hit #8 on the US iTunes R&B chart, #54 on the US overall iTunes Charts, #1 on the NZ Heatseekers Charts, #1 on the R&B Charts and #13 on the overall iTunes Chart and was featured on multiple Spotify and Apple Music playlists. Janine's song "Unstable" was featured on Starz "Power" and reached top 30 in the US itunes R&B charts.
“99 is a triumphant, and decidedly breakthrough-the-clouds debut from Janine, one that will surely wear your repeat button out, too.” - Paper Mag
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Burger King manager told to ‘go back to Mexico’ for speaking
Report: USAA may sell wealth-management business for about $2B
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/iran-warns-us-it-could-down-more-drones-as-pompeo-arrives-in-persian-gulf/2019/06/24/c7d59330-967c-11e9-a027-c571fd3d394d_story.html
Trump imposes new sanctions on Iran, warns US 'restraint' is limited
John Hudson, Anne Gearan and Erin Cunningham, The Washington Post
Published 7:40 pm CDT, Monday, June 24, 2019
US President Donald Trump shows an executive order on sanctions on Iran's supreme leader in the Oval Office of the White House on June 24, 2019. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP)MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images
Photo: MANDEL NGAN;Mandel Ngan / AFP / Getty Images
WASHINGTON - The Trump administration targeted Iran's supreme leader with new sanctions on Monday, using one of the few tools available to punish Iran for downing a U.S. drone after President Donald Trump took military strikes off the table last week.
Trump warned that his "restraint" might not last, but he appeared to muddy his own tough message with a vague threat to end U.S. protection for international shipping in the vital Strait of Hormuz, off Iran.
The U.S. economic penalties are part of Trump's strategy to drive a weakened Iran to the bargaining table for new talks over its nuclear ambitions. The sanctions were announced as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began recruiting allies, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to help monitor threats from Iran in the Persian Gulf.
It is far from clear that Iran will buckle. Iran's U.N. ambassador said Monday that any thought of negotiation is "not ready yet." He also disputed claims that Iran was behind a recent string of attacks on oil tankers and other provocations against nations operating in the region, including the United States.
Trump said the new "hard-hitting" sanctions will deny Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and several other top officials access to financial resources. The administration also plans to target Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif with economic sanctions later this week.
President Trump imposed additional economic sanction on Iran on June 24, a few days after Iran shot down a U.S. surveillance drone near the Strait of Hormuz.(The Washington Post)
Media: Washington Post
The measures mean that any foreign financial institutions that provide significant "financial services" to any of the Iranian officials would be subject to U.S. penalties.
"The assets of Ayatollah Khamenei and his office will not be spared from the sanctions," Trump said. The president mispronounced the Iranian clerical leader's name as "Khomeini," which was the name of the former leader who died in 1989.
The decision to target Khamenei directly suggests that Trump is attempting to turn up pressure on the leader who would decide whether to accept an invitation to new negotiations over Iran's nuclear program. Trump's titular counterpart is President Hassan Rouhani, who presided over the 2015 international nuclear deal that Trump rejects as flawed and weak.
Trump withdrew the United States from the pact last year and began increasing sanctions in a campaign his critics say is aimed at further undermining the nuclear deal and forcing the regime's collapse.
"The supreme leader of Iran is the one who ultimately is responsible for the hostile conduct of the regime," Trump said as he signed an order imposing the sanctions, which come atop dozens of previous economic penalties applied over Iran's alleged support for terrorism and other actions.
"He's respected within his country. His office oversees the regime's most brutal instruments, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," the president said, which the United States blames for an attack on two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz on June 13.
Trump appears to be gambling that the pressure campaign will compel Iran's leadership to agree to a new nuclear agreement and not prompt it to lash out militarily for what it views as an illegal effort to strangle Iran's economy.
But analysts said the United States is reaching a point of diminishing returns when it comes to sanctions pressure.
"The entities that Khamenei's office controls have already been subject to U.S. sanctions," said Suzanne Maloney, an Iran scholar at the Brookings Institution. "Any new measures are only incremental and possibly redundant. The Iranian economy has already been forced to become more insular and less interconnected - which leaves the residual economic activity paradoxically more resilient to U.S. restrictions."
Beginning last year, when Trump withdrew from the nuclear deal, his administration has effectively banned Iranian oil exports, the country's main revenue source, and moved onto smaller targets such as the iron, steel, aluminum and copper industries.
"Further economic sanctions are almost entirely symbolic, rather than being economically significant," said Elizabeth Rosenberg, a sanctions expert at the Center for a New American Security. "Sanctions at this point are a sideshow to the real threat of military escalation and all-out war."
Despite his aversion to a military strike, Trump said he has legal authority to order such an action without congressional approval, something some lawmakers has insisted he obtain. "I do like keeping them abreast, but I don't have to do it legally," he said in an interview with the Hill on Monday.
On Monday, the Trump administration presented a case against Iran at the U.N. Security Council, arguing that Iran or its proxies were behind numerous assaults in the Middle East. The United States was not directly targeted in those actions, until the drone attack.
Iranian Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi told reporters at the United Nations that the unmanned "spy" plane violated Iranian airspace and ignored repeated radio warnings before it was shot down. The United States maintains that the aircraft was flying over international waters.
"We cannot accept any intimidation or any threat from anybody," said Ravanchi, who helped negotiate the 2015 nuclear deal. He called for a regional dialogue under U.N. auspices and appeared to dismiss direct negotiations with Washington.
"How can we start a dialogue with somebody whose primary preoccupation is to put more sanctions on Iran?" he said. "So the atmosphere for such a dialogue is not ready yet."
Trump continued to sound optimistic about the prospects for a new deal that he says would do more to prevent an Iranian nuclear bomb than the existing agreement.
"We would love to be able to negotiate a deal if they want to. If they don't want to, that's fine, too. But we would love to be able to," Trump said in the Oval Office. "And, frankly, they might as well do it soon."
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the sanctions against senior military commanders "will lock up literally billions of dollars more of assets."
These sanctions block access to the United States financial system and any assets the officials might hold in the United States. The order Trump signed gives Mnuchin authority to target other officials appointed by Khamenei.
Mnuchin stressed that the sanctions were not intended to hurt the people of Iran but were aimed at the country's leaders. "I want to be very clear. We are not looking at creating issues for the people of Iran," he said.
However, U.S. sanctions have devastated Iran's currency, making everyday goods such as fruits, vegetables, car parts and mobile phones exceedingly expensive for average Iranians.
The sanctions, which have strained U.S. relations with Europe, have elated Washington's allies in Israel and Arab Gulf states. But the president has shown frustration in doing most of the heavy lifting.
Trump complained on Twitter that the United States is "protecting the shipping lanes for other countries" and suggested he could stop U.S. naval patrols at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, one of the world's most volatile flash points.
"All of these countries should be protecting their own ships on what has always been a dangerous journey," Trump wrote.
Pompeo reiterated that message Monday during his meeting with Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi. Asking for military help with maritime security, Pompeo said "we'll need you all to participate, your military folks."
"The president is keen on sharing that the United States doesn't bear the cost of this," he added.
Zarif, the Iranian foreign minister, retorted in a tweet that Trump "is 100% right that the US military has no business in the Persian Gulf. Removal of its forces is fully in line with interests of US and the world. But it's now clear that the #B_Team is not concerned with US interests - they despise diplomacy, and thirst for war."
Military officials have said a new program for international cooperation on maritime security in the Persian Gulf is still in the early stages. It will require foreign nations from Asia and the Gulf region to provide payment or naval assets to help monitor and protect maritime commerce in the Middle East, said one official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a program that as not been finalized.
Countries that buy and sell oil in the region would be asked in certain cases to escort ships, place vessels at fixed positions in the region or provide maritime patrol aircraft.
Pompeo also met with King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, on Monday in Saudi Arabia, which has signed onto the plan.
Cunningham reported from Dubai. The Washington Post's Carol Morello, Karen DeYoung, William Branigin, Missy Ryan and Damian Paletta contributed to this report.


Jim Lewis
Senior Asst. AD for Athletic Communications
E-mail: jdlewis@catawba.edu
@CatawbaSID
Jim Lewis was named Senior Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications in 2015. He became the Sports Information Director at Catawba in June of 1996 and prior to the 2009-10 athletic season, he was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director.
Lewis has been associated with the sports information department since enrolling as a student in 1984. His duties are to oversee the publicity for all 18 sports and the athletic department. He currently serves as the primary contact for all of Catawba's 18 sports.
Lewis is a member of both the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA). He currently serves as treasurer for NCCSIA and coordinates the women’s basketball college all-state team. Lewis is also a member of the NCAA II Men’s Lacrosse South Region Advisory Committee and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Southeast Region ranking committee.
During his tenure, Lewis has created or expanded the record books for all of Catawba sports teams. He also helped coordinate the creation of the Catawba athletic video streaming operations. Lewis has served as announcer for many web streamed broadcasts and also has announced Catawba athletic events for WSAT Radio. During the summer, he works as an official scorer for the Kannapolis Intimidators minor league baseball team.
Lewis has helped staff numerous conference and regional tournaments. He served as host SID for five South Atlantic Conference Spring Sports Festivals that brought all SAC spring tournaments to Salisbury. Lewis also worked the 2001 NCAA II National Women’s Golf Championships in Rock Hill, S.C., and the 2008 and 2015 NCAA I Men’s Basketball tournaments in Charlotte.
A 1989 Catawba graduate, Lewis earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He is a native of Mooresville and currently resides in Salisbury.


Figure Skaters Online October 21, 2013
Articles/Interviews
Rippon Seeks Thrills with Quad Lutz
Figure Skaters Online would like to welcome Chloe Katz to the staff. She is a former U.S. senior national and international pair skater (with Joseph Lynch from 2000-2011) and singles skater who retired from competitive skating in 2011. Chloe graduated from New York University in 2012 where she studied International Business and she currently holds a position in New York City working in financial services consulting. FSO hosted her and Lynch’s official site from 2006 until 2011. Chloe is thrilled to be working with FSO and as a former skater and fellow athlete her perspective adds a unique outlook to her athlete interviews. Adam Rippon was the first skater with whom she conversed in September 2013, about a month and a half before the start of his international season at Skate America (October 18-20, 2013, in Detroit, Michigan).
Photos by Leah Adams.
In 2010, a fifth place finish at U.S. Nationals left Adam Rippon just short of a spot on the U.S Olympic team; he was second alternate. That same year he rebounded to win the ISU Four Continents Championships and then took advantage of a last-minute opportunity to compete in his first World Championships where he placed sixth. Now, four years later, he is once again focused on his Olympic quest. This time, he has an improved weapon in his arsenal – a quad Lutz jump.
A quad Lutz turns four rotations in the air in a fraction of a second; this is half a rotation more than the more commonly performed quads, the Salchow and toe loop. Adam may be the only skater on the 2013-2014 ISU Grand Prix circuit planning to execute a quad Lutz in his programs. Currently, he is one of only a handful of skaters to have ever attempted the element in competition. Although he previously had tried the quad Lutz in his free skates during the Grand Prix series in the fall of 2011, this season he plans to perform two quad Lutzes – one in the short program and one in the long. Landing it in competition truly would be an accomplishment and could make Adam a strong contender for the 2014 U.S Olympic Team.
Few people contemplate attempting something others on earth rarely can do, and even fewer accomplish such a feat. I’d like to know how Adam has done it, and why he’s trying. Surely a quad Lutz is dangerous. Just break down the basic components of a figure skating jump: acceleration plus gravity over ice, multiplied by a lot of determination. In a perfect jump these forces are mastered; otherwise, there are painful consequences. Ice is not a forgiving surface. I decided to talk to Adam to get some answers.
It is a Saturday morning when Adam calls me; 9am his time. I wonder why he is up so early; I am still drinking my morning latte. “Adam, thanks for calling me, you are up early,” I say. He laughs and tells me he started his gym workout at 7am. A typical Saturday, when the rest of the world is lounging in bed, Adam is busy doing a workout that would sweep most people off their feet. Like other elite athletes, he gets confidence knowing he is fit and strong and will do whatever it takes to get that way. I take notes on Adam’s workout: core strengthening, plyometric jumps, hydrate repeat, hydrate repeat; I want to be strong like Adam. I take a sip of my latte. I am a bit tired just listening.
“Adam, what is difficult about skating that people do not realize?”
He tells me: “People do not realize how taxing skating is on the body. They see a quick three minutes for one routine and five for the other and they don’t understand the work and hours that are put into these routines.”
He explains that a movement of only ten seconds can be worked on for countless hours in front of the mirror until it conveys the perfect message, or the years it takes to learn a triple jump.
“Skaters look so effortless on the ice; our goal is to look effortless. But if you talk to just one skater you will find that each one always has an injury and they are almost always putting off necessary rest time or they are postponing surgery.”
Smart athletes understand how to manage their training in a strategic way and do their best to mitigate the effects of injuries so they can sustain training in the long-term. However, regardless of how well a skater manages training, the reality is that the human body is not created to skate, and spectators often overlook the difficulty behind performances because skaters make the end result look so easy.
In reality, skating is dangerous. “We are doing things on a regular basis that our body isn’t meant to do, like quads where the impact is so high,” Adam says. I ask him if he’s ever been injured in a quad. He tells me he suffered a series of reoccurring ankle injuries during the 2010 Olympic season and that one of them was from a quad [Editor’s note: An ankle injury sustained while practicing a quad jump also forced his withdrawal from the 2013 Four Continents Championships]; fortunately his ankles are fine now.
Skating is a mental challenge, he tells me. Apart from rebuilding your physical strength post-injury, you have to resist the urge to not subconsciously protect weak muscles. For example, you cannot favor a stronger part of your body or compensate in your motions to avoid putting pressure on a newly healed joint. A move like this will throw off your timing and most likely lead to another injury. Adam talks a lot about the mental aspects of skating; it is a big mind game he tells me.
Skating is more than a mind game; it is a competition. One with an intricate set of rules that determines how skaters pick which elements they will include in their routines. I ask Adam: “If you could change one rule in skating what would it be?”
He replied: “I think they should broaden the GOE (grade of execution) spectrum to minus five plus five because this allows for a larger scale when grading an element.”
I think he has a point there. A larger grade scale has the capability to more accurately reflect the quality of an element than a smaller one. As it stands, Adam says, “when an element is executed the scores do not always capture its value”; therefore, as he pointed out, a larger GOE range would also create more fairness in the judging. “It would allow more credit to be earned for harder elements as well as ones that are more innovative.” He could be referring to the triple Lutz he does with his arms over his head – certainly that is worth more merit. I like where he is going with this.
As a skater moves up the ranks, creativity is brought to the forefront. The pressure to be innovative within the constraints of the rules grows exponentially, and adding unique facets to a performance becomes a strategic challenge. Coupled with the mental and physical brutality of the sport, practice is exhausting.
I have one final question for Adam: “What keeps you coming back for more?”
He said, simply: “It’s the thrill; I love the thrill of jumping, to push myself beyond my limits. I know I am doing something I was made to do.”
In a way we are all like Adam; we all want to experience the surge of intense pleasure and excitement that comes from being thrilled. As we go about our days, we secretly envision ways to escape the constraints of the mundane. Some of us will fly to white sand beaches, others indulge daydreams of a secret crush; there are the daring that will sky dive or gamble with their money and then there are those, like Adam, who will become masters of the ice. Ultimately we all want to evoke those undeniably good sensations that come from breaking the norm. In the end, we all want to be thrilled.
[Postscript: Adam Rippon went for the quad Lutz is both his short program (light hand down) and free skate (fall) at Skate America. Both attempts were called under-rotated by the technical panel and given 70% of the jump’s base value, an improvement on his previous attempts in competition in the fall of 2011.]
Patrick Chan on his legacy: ‘I just want to be a skater who is able to take people’s breath away’
Ashley Wagner contemplates ‘Delicious Ambiguity’ and transition to post-competition life in new podcast
With new coaches and a new perspective, Camden Pulkinen wants to ‘show improvement in all areas’
Evgenia Medvedeva on Stars on Ice debut: “It’s such an incredible experience for me”
The Shibutanis’ whirlwind post-Olympics year: “Our approach has just been to appreciate every moment and take it all in.”
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Lowry mum on Raptors, speaks only about USA Basketball
W.G. Ramirez
PMN Sports
LAS VEGAS — Kyle Lowry knew people wanted to ask him about DeMar DeRozan.
That didn’t mean he was going to give them answers.
It was a USA Basketball minicamp in Las Vegas, and that’s all that Lowry — the Toronto Raptors point guard who watched his longtime backcourt partner get traded to the San Antonio Spurs last week — wanted to talk about. So, when he was asked about DeRozan on Friday, no matter how reporters tried to pose questions, Lowry tailored his answers the exact same way.
“It’s been a great week for USA Basketball for me,” he said. “Being out here with these guys and hanging out and getting to talk and hang out with these guys and hanging out with DeMar and all those guys, it’s been fun.
“Summer has been great in general for everyone. Just to have the opportunity to relax and work on your game and prepare for the upcoming season.”
DeRozan and Lowry are very close friends on the court and off, and neither was happy to see the trade. DeRozan was shipped to the San Antonio Spurs on July 18, along with centre Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first round pick, in exchange for Kawhi Leonard and wing Danny Green.
Kyle, your thoughts?
“I’m here for USA Basketball,” Lowry repeated. “It’s been a great week for USA Basketball.”
Lowry is coming off his lowest scoring output in five seasons, after averaging 16.2 points and 6.9 assists per game last year, considerably lower than the career-high 22.4 he averaged the previous season.
But, as the oldest player attending the two-day mini-camp, the 32-year-old said he wasn’t as concernced about working on his game or anything particular as much as he was providing leadership at USA Basketball’s first minicamp of this Olympic cycle.
“Just build chemistry and be a leader, be a voice,” Lowry said. “We all know each other, we all have massive respect for each other so just coming to hang out and kick it is fun.”
Lowry, who won a gold medal with the national team at the 2016 Rio Olympics, said one of the biggest benefits for him has been absorbing as much information from former USA Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, and new coach Gregg Popovich, also DeRozan’s new head coach.
“They’re two of the greatest coaches to ever coach the game of basketball,” Lowry said. “Coach K has been amazing, having the opportunity to spend a lot of time with him three summers ago was awesome, and even these last three days with Pop has been fun.”
And while Lowry refused to discuss his close friend’s departure or anything pertaining to the Raptors, DeRozan said he was confident his former teammate would be just fine without him thanks to a basketball IQ he respects.
“His knowledge of the game, just his IQ of the game, it stands out, bar none,” DeRozan said. “Just talking about basketball, understanding basketball, reading basketball. It’s great to see that.”
DeRozan said both players understand the league is about business.
“Kyle is Kyle, at the end of the day this is our profession,” DeRozan said. “We understand what comes with the job. It’s gonna be simple, we all gotta job and got responsibilities to take care of with our home team. What happened, happened. He gotta do what he gotta do for his team and I go to do what I got to do for mine.”


Kapamilya Biggest Performers to Invade the Biggest Filipino Experience in Dubai "One Music X" on November 3
The “Rakrakan” concert series from 2006 to 2009. The groundbreaking “FilExpo” in 2008. The first “It’s Showtime” outside the Philippines in 2011. The thrilling “JadIne In Love” in Dubai in 2016. The milestone “ASAP in Dubai” in 2014. The record-breaking “Birit Queens in Abu Dhabi this year.
From concert series, trade fairs to franchised events, ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel (TFC) has been delivering the most epic Filipino events to the Middle East that bring together Filipinos to celebrate as one community and which have come to be the most anticipated in the region.
This year, as ABS-CBN Middle East celebrates its 10th anniversary, the network that delivers content beyond information and entertainment, brings it a notch higher as it paves the way for the biggest Filipino music experience to date — “One Music X” on November 3 at the Dubai Media City Amphitheater.
On November 3, TFC will come together with ABS-CBN’s hit-making recording company Star Music; the leading FM radio station My Only Radio (MOR) For Life; the first all-Filipino music channel Myx; and the Philippines’ foremost music portal One Music PH; to deliver the highpoints of Philippine culture and celebrate everything Filipino for a full day of “One Music X”.
ONE MUSIC
Known for the Filipino’s penchant for music, “One Music X” is gathering the biggest Original Pilipino Music (OPM) acts from the Philippines, representing a wide range of music genres that appeal across audiences and artists who have become icons in their own right.
From winning ABS-CBN’s reality singing competition “Pinoy Dream Academy” in 2006, Pop Rock Royalty Yeng Constantino has certainly come a long way. From her successful initial foray “Hawak Kamay” to a musical about her life story — “Josephine” — Constantino has truly become one of the young superstars to reckon with in the music industry.
Also a product of a reality singing competition and band performances, Soul Supreme KZ Tandingan has gone beyond the winning to prove that she deserves both a place to win and a niche in the music industry with her show-stopping performances.
Once behind the shadow of his very famous father, Teen Singing Sensation Iñigo Pascual is setting out to become a pop superstar in his own right. Today’s biggest hit “Para Sa Iyo” is his and he can very well claim it as his own success.
Meantime four-piece Pinoy Pop Rock band Silent Sanctuary, arguably best known for their hit “Pasensiya Ka Na” became known for their own brand of baroque pop. For their first show with TFC the band is expected to bring in the sighs as well as the cheers.
From being a significant part of a popular band in the 90s, OPM Rock Icon Rico Blanco went on to become a world of his own, earning critics and fans approval for his soulful songs such as “Your Universe”.
Together, Constantino, Tandingan, Pascual, Silent Sanctuary and Blanco will elevate the musical experience of “One Music X” where OPM truly belongs –– the world stage.
Joining the Philippines’ biggest acts is multi-awarded young host Robi Domingo and award-winning MOR DJ Chacha and surprise acts from the local Dubai music scene for a day that also promises cultural fusion and musical collaboration.
ONE EXPERIENCE
Promising to be the biggest Filipino experience, “One Music” X will deliver beyond music - uniquely Filipino booths and day-long activities to the Dubai Media City Amphitheater, a highly popular event place that have been host to the biggest local and international acts.
From the Global Tawag ng Tanghalan sa “It’s Showtime” region finals to outdoor family activities; food trucks; acoustic lounges featuring local talents and premium lounges for VIP ticket holders; food trucks; and more, “One Music X” promises to be the complete experience for every member of the family.
Be part of history as “One Music X” happens on November 3 at the Dubai Media City Amphitheater. Gates open at 1 p.m. The festivities start at 2 p.m. For the full “One Music X” experience, download the TFC Live app available on Google playstore and Apple store.
For tickets, visit Virgin Megastore and selected zoom outlets, Wall street Exchange branches or visit ktx.abs-cbn.com. Save as much as 40 AED on your general admission tickets through the Early Bird discount until September 30. Tickets are at AED 135 for General Patronage and AED 245 for VIP tickets. For more information visit emea.kapamilya.com or facebook.com/TFCMiddle East.
Watch out for the next “One Music X” and always visit facebook.com/KapamilyaTFC and follow KapamilyaGlobalPR and KapamilyaTFC on Twitter and IG.
TFC Brings Xian Lim and KZ Tandingan in the Biggest Filipino Event in Japan “Philippine Festival 2017” on October 1
Headlines of entertainment news in recent years attest to the breadth of the Filipino talent, especially in the field of music - from singing competitions in search of the best amateur performers to reality shows such as “America’s Got Talent”.
This wealth of talent continues to catch the attention of international icons including music producer David Foster who said in an interview with ABS-CBN: “I don’t know what’s in the water over there in the Philippines but there are a lot of great singers out there”.
This October, The Filipino Channel (TFC) will continue to prove the wealth of Filipino talent as the network brings multi-talented ABS-CBN stars Xian Lim and KZ Tandingan to join the Filipino community at the Philippine Festival 2017 - touted as the biggest Filipino event in Japan - on October 1, 2017 at the Hibiya Park Chuo Ku Event Square in Tokyo.
First organized by the Philippine Festival Organizing Committee (FPOC) in 2012 with support from the Philippine Embassy in Japan, the Philippine Festival is organized annually for Filipinos and foreign nationals specifically “to bring expatriate Filipinos together, and at the same time introduce Philippine cuisine, music, dance, and products to Japanese and international friends”, according to the official website of the festival.
During the TFC Hour of the Philippine Festival 2017 tagged also as the “most awaited Filipino event in Japan”, Lim and Tandingan will showcase the great Filipino talent as they share their singing as well as their other talents when they perform for their fellowmen (kababayans).
While Kapamilya Heartthrob Lim is more known as a young sensation from ABS-CBN has proven his charm in top-rating dramas such as the recently concluded “The Story Of Us” and has equally proven his acting skills in award-winning films such as “Everything About Her”.
Unknown to many, Lim is musically inclined and has a talent both in singing and in playing instruments like the piano and the trumpet. In fact, he has three recording albums already under his belt: “So It’s You”, “XL2” and “Key of X”. He is also known internationally as the voice behind the Philippine release of the movie “Paddington Bear”.
Meantime, Tandingan has become a sought-after performer since becoming the first “X Factor” Philippines winner because of her soulful song performances of her own hits such as “Wag Ka Nang Umiyak” at “Mahal Ko o Mahal Ako” and with her latest hit - her own rendition of the classic song “Two Less Lonely People” by the international duo Air Supply.
TFC first shared the breadth of the Filipino talent to the Philippine festival in 2013 when the network brought Kapamilya artists: TFC’s first Goodwill Ambassador Martin Nievera, together with the iconic series “Be Careful with My Heart’s” cast members Doris Carlos and Sabel Fortuna to personally meet, and bring entertainment to the Filipino community in Japan.
The next year, 2014, TFC brought the Big Band Crooner Richard Poon who serenaded the ladies during the event.
This year, its Lim and Tandingan’s turn to continue the commitment from TFC through a showcase of unique Filipino performances.
In addition to the songs and acoustics, TFC will also open its booth to give the festival-goers chances to win photo opportunities with Lim and Tandingan, and take home limited edition TFC merchandise.
Aside from the performances from the Kapamilya artists, the organizers have geared up for the annual parade representing the different popular festivals in the Philippines. The performers’ colorful costumes and lively dances are two of the highlights which the Filipino community in Japan look forward to as they help bring back memories of celebrations from home.
During the event, festival-goers also get to enjoy their favorite Filipino delicacies being sold at the different booths around the venue.
TFC and the Philippine Festival invite the Filipino community to reminisce the Filipino festivals and the locals to join the celebration at the Philippine Festival 2017 on September 30 and October 1, with the TFC Hour happening on October 1 at the Hibiya Park Chuo Ku Event Square in Tokyo.
For more updates about the event, visit and like facebook.com/TFCJapan or visit www.kapamilya.com/tfcjapan.
Connect with fellow global Kapamilyas and follow @KapamilyaTFC and KapamilyaGlobalPR on Twitter and Instagram. (with additional report from Camille Naredo of ABS-CBN News)
Grae Fernandez and Andrea Brillantes Teach Value of Contentment in “Wansapanataym” Starting October 1
Viewers are set to witness another whimsical story that will share valuable lessons this Sunday (October 1) as teen idols Grae Fernandez and Andrea Brillantes star in their very own series “Wansapanataym Presents: Louie’s Biton.”
Don’t miss Grae and Andrea in their first-ever starring role in “Wansapanataym” as they teach the value of contentment that will surely captivate Pinoy kids nationwide.
Get to know Louie (Grae Fernandez), the teenager who once lived a fancy life but now experiences hardships after the unexpected death of his father. He lives with his mother Mary Jane (Dimples Romana), who works hard for their everyday living. Bringing him constant joy is his friend Tori (Andrea), the girl he has feelings for.
One day, his school announces that it will hold a basketball clinic, with Louie’s idol PBA player Ralph Lorenzo (Aljur Abrenica) serving as coach. However, having no money and a pair of shoes to play in, he fails to join the event and gets bullied by his classmates.
Frustrated by the rejection, he then comes to the shoe repairman Mang Dolino (Jojit Lorenzo) to get his shoes fixed. The repairman hears Louie’s desire to live another person’s life and then reveals himself as a fairy god leather. To help the boy with his wish, he gives Louie a magical shoe shiner, which will only work once he wipes it on the shoes of the person he wants to exchange life with.
Dreaming to live the life of his idol, Louie wipes the shoe shiner on Ralph’s shoes and successfully gains control of his life. However, he abuses the power of the shoe shiner and uses Ralph’s body to get even with his classmates, which leads to a grave punishment that will change his own life.
What consequences will Louie face? Who will set him free from the spell?
Also part of “Wansapanataym Presents: Louie’s Biton” are Louise Delos Reyes, Mico Palanca, Irma Adlawan, Brace Arquiza, Marina Benipayo, Dionne Monsanto, Paeng Sudayan, Simon Ibarra, and Marnie Lapuz. It is under the direction of Benedict Mique.
Catch the magical stories filled with valuable lessons in “Wansapanataym Presents: Louie’s Biton” this Sunday (October 1) on ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167). For more information, go to fb.com/dreamscapeph and follow @dreamscapeph on Twitter and Instagram.
5 Things that Make Coco Martin a Modern-Day Hero
Cardo (Coco Martin) is definitely the country’s most loved “probinsyano.” For over two years now, we have welcomed him into our homes every night and joined him in his heart-pounding adventures as he battles crimes and saves lives as a tough police officer.
Dedicated to his job, Cardo surely has done it all — from going on life-threatening assignments and disguising as the alluring lady Paloma.
He may not have magic spells nor superpowers, but he is what you may call a modern-day hero. Here’s why:
He fights to preserve peace and order
Willing to risk his life to protect others, Cardo has saved thousands of people who fell victim to notorious gangs and has raided the country’s biggest crime syndicates. But his quest does not only involve life-threatening battles; he also leads in maintaining peace and order in their community and is always just a call away when their neighborhood needs help.
Now, his dedication to preserve peace still lives on as he went undercover to join Pulang Araw to reveal the truth behind all the terrorist attacks and chaos happening in the city, which are all orchestrated by director Renato Hipolito (John Arcilla), who aspires to be a senator.
He fights for the oppressed
Having grown up without his family, Cardo sure knows how hard life can be, which explains his desire to serve the people, especially those who do not have the capacity to fight for their rights. He has helped victims of crimes such as prostitution, child trafficking, and corruption to stand up and expose syndicate masterminds, putting an end to their evil ploys.
Even now that he is with Pulang Araw, Cardo continues to be the warrior for the oppressed after he recently fought for the rights of the Mt. Karagao farmers, whose lands were being claimed by the illegal quarry owners Javier (Jestoni Alarcon) and Miguel Enriquez (Aljur Abrenica). Along with the rebel group, Cardo responded to the farmers’ plea and ended the Enriquez’s tormenting schemes.
He champions Filipino family values
As Filipinos, it is ingrained in our culture to give importance to filial relationships, which is evident in Cardo’s family.
A family man, Cardo always puts the welfare of his family first and makes sure they are intact, especially during trying times. They are also a great reflection of a warm Pinoy household that welcomes and cares for people who are not related to them by blood but treats them as their own, such as Onyok and Makmak. Their family also got bigger after Cardo married Alyana (Yassi Pressman) and welcomed his partner in crime Paco (Long Mejia) and kids Ligaya, Dang, and Paquito.
He is a model citizen
Just like everybody else, Cardo wants change to happen in our society. As a police officer, he is able to influence the people around him by setting as an example of what a good citizen should be. He also uses his authority to stop abusive people, like Renato Hipolito and even his then arch nemesis Joaquin Tuazon (Arjo Atayde), from taking advantage of their positions to manipulate innocent people. This makes his character not only admirable to viewers, but also to real life cops, earning the nods of the Department of the Interior and Local Government secretary Mike Sueno and Philippine National Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa.
He is a reflection of an everyday Filipino
He may now be living in the city, but Cardo remains a certified “probinsyano,” living a simple life and working hard to give his family a good life. Hardships may come his way, but his faith and resilience helps him fight against life’s biggest struggles. Despite having achieved milestones in his career, he remains humble and thankful for the blessings he receives.
With the traits he exemplifies, Cardo sums up what an every ordinary Filipino is and what we should continue to aspire to be.
Don’t miss the number one primetime series in the country “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano,” weekdays on ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN HD (SkyCable ch 167).
To watch the show’s past episodes, login to iWanTV or skyondemand.com.ph for Sky subscribers.
Zanjoe Marudo Nominated For Best Actor at 45th International Emmy Awards
Kapamilya actor and Star Magic artist Zanjoe Marudo is the only Asian artist nominated in the Best Performance by an Actor category in the 45th International Emmy Awards.
The model turned actor is competing against actors Julio Andrade (Brazil), Kenneth Branagh (United Kingdom), and Kad Merad (France) in the category.
“This recognition from the iEmmys is a personal milestone for me as an actor and as a Filipino. This is a dream come true. I thank the jurors, the show “MMK,” ABS-CBN and Star Magic,” said Zanjoe.
Zanjoe is nominated for his exceptional portrayal of a father with paranoid schizophrenia in the “Anino” episode of ABS-CBN’s weekend drama anthology “MMK” (“Remembering”). This real life story, brought to life by Zanjoe, is among the many unique stories that have given Filipino viewers inspiration, hope, and life lessons in the 25 years that “MMK” has been on air.
Dubbed as the longest drama anthology in Asia, “MMK” is hosted by actress and ABS-CBN’s chief content officer Charo Santos-Concio, who was also a former gala chair for the International Emmy Awards back in 2015.
Zanjoe is among the 44 nominees across 11 categories and 18 countries in this year’s awards.
Last year, fellow Star Magic artist Jodi Sta. Maria also got an international Emmy nomination in the Best Performance by an Actress category for her portrayal as Amor Powers in the hit drama “Pangako Sa’Yo.” Primetime series “Bridges of Love,” meanwhile, was nominated in the Best Telenovela category.
ABS-CBN previously scored International Emmy® Awards nominations for “Precious Hearts Romances Presents: Impostor” (Best Telenovela) in 2011, “Dahil May Isang Ikaw” (Best Telenovela) and Sid Lucero in “Dahil May Isang Ikaw” (Best Actor) in 2010, and “Kahit Isang Saglit” (Best Telenovela) and Angel Locsin in “Lobo” (Best Actress) in 2009.
This year’s winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony to be held November 20 at the Hilton New York Hotel. The International Emmy® Awards are given by the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
The Filharmonic and Geneva Cruz Headline Kick-off of Filipino American History Month Celebration in Carson California on October 7
As October approaches, the City of Carson, California prepares to kick off the month-long celebration of Filipino-American History Month with an impressive showcase of Filipino talent.
The kick-off festivities on Saturday, October 7th, will be held at the Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community Center starting at 9:00 a.m. located at 801 E. Carson Street. This event is open to the public and admission is free.
Headlining this year’s event are The Filharmonic and Geneva Cruz. ABS-CBN TFC is bringing The Filharmonic, an Los Angeles-based a capella group featured in NBC’s hit musical competition, “The Sing-Off”, and featured in the Universal Pictures hit movie, “Pitch Perfect 2”, which became a viral sensation. In 2016, The Filharmonic was named the #1 college-booked entertainment group of the year, bringing their unique blend of hip hop, pop and 90s nostalgia to more than 150 stages nationwide. Geneva Cruz is an award-winning singer and actress who began her career in 1989 as one of the lead singers of the double platinum-selling teen group Smokey Mountain with massively popular classics that include “Anak ng Pasig” (named Best Pop Song in 1992 by the Catholic Mass Media Awards in the Philippines), “Ang Gaan ng Feeling”, “In the Name of Love”, and “Kailan”. Cruz also became the first and youngest Grand Prize winner of the “The Voice of Asia” in Russia in 1992.
Performances at the event include songs from the City of Carson 2016 FilAms Got Talent Winner Therese Masangcay, vocalists Joni Villamil and Michael Keith, comedian Joseph Gelito, and a dance number from 2016 World Championship of Performing Arts winner Junior New System. The Annual FilAms Got Talent 2017 singing contest will also be held.
A program featuring awards for community leadership, youth achievement, and heroism will take place at the event. The awardees are Melissa Ramoso, Joanna Concepcion, Jesus-Alex Cainglet, and Marcelino Ines Jr. for Community Leadership. Other awardees include Wilfredo Credo (Heroism), Kamille Magante and Angelica Tan for Youth Achievement.
“Carson is proud to recognize the contributions of Filipino-Americans nationwide, but especially to the Carson community. Special thanks to Councilmember Elito M. Santarina for his leadership in helping make this celebration a reality,” said Carson Mayor Albert Robles.
Filipino American History Month Celebration is an annual event during the month of October in the City of Carson. The event is done in collaboration with ABS-CBN TFC (The Filipino Channel) and Mutch Cariño of Maxx Promos.
For more information about Filipino-American History Month Celebration in Carson, California, please call (310) 952-1743.
By: JED On 11:22:00 AM
SKY Movies Pay-Per-View Brings “Kita Kita,” “Luck At First Sight,” and “One Step” to PH TV from September 23 to October 13
The highest grossing Filipino indie film of all time “Kita Kita” makes its Philippine TV premiere on SKY Movies Pay-Per-View from September 23 to October 13.
The surprise blockbuster hit of the year is about an unlikely romance between two Pinoys living in Japan. It has made a household name of its unconventional leading man, Empoy (Empoy Marquez) and his “AlEmpoy” love team with the talented Alessandra de Rossi.
It will be shown with “Luck At First Sight,” starring Jericho Rosales and Bela Padilla, and “One Step,” featuring Korean popstar Sandara Park.
Jericho Rosales and Bela Padilla play unlucky people whose fortunes are reversed when they are together in “Luck At First Sight.” To keep their luck going they make a promise not to fall in love with each other. However, keeping the promise might be harder than they thought.
“One Step” is about a woman, played by Sandara Park, healing from the physical injuries and emotional trauma from an accident through music.
Get unlimited access to SKY Movies PPV for seven days for only P99.
“Kita Kita” on SKY Movies PPV is available to all ONE SKY, SKYcable, Destiny Cable, SKYdirect subscribers.
It is also available to SKYbroadband subscribers through SKY on Demand.
Text MOVIESPPV to 23662 or call 418-0000 or your local SKY office, or visit www.mysky.com.ph/moviesppv to subscribe.
SKYdirect prepaid subscribers can register by texting PPV KITA to 23667, while postpaid subscribers can text SKY to 23668.
Boy Abunda's 100+ Abundable Thoughts to Ponder Compiled in Latest Book "It’s Like This"
Multi-awarded host Boy Abunda pens a new book to inspire readers with his nuggets of wisdom, quotes and life-affirming essays in “It’s Like This: 100+ Abundable Thoughts that will make you think and rethink what you’ve always thought about your life” by ABS-CBN Publishing.
The new manual highlights important lessons from Asia’s King of Talk as he shares his life filled with love and abundance, while recalling friends, experiences and changes that brought him to where he is now.
“It’s Like This” covers some of the author’s unforgettable encounters as a young boy raised in Borongan, Eastern Samar, as a student inside the seminary, as a probinsyano who went to study at Ateneo, and as a fledging actor in theater.
The “Tonight With Boy Abunda” host also shared bits of insights on how he faced heartbreaking moments in his life, such as the death of his father. He wrote, “when Tatay died, I was forced to live.”
Boy’s latest offering will not be complete without disclosing inspiration he got from his mother who he calls “the center of my universe.”
The book likewise includes his story on how he finally got an offer to be on television and the learnings he discovered as a talent manager. He penned, “when a star becomes the boss, what does the talent manager do? The dynamics between talent and celebrity changes. New rules are invented.”
Some of the lessons readers will pick up from the book are:
· Laugh and live with your successes and failures, knowing that all are fleeting.
· Everything and everyone has a dark side, embrace it.
· Gay love is equal to all forms of human love.
· Love your mother, return phone calls, fight only when you need to, read books and the best spa is at the feet of God.
· Always play for the crowd, and remember that they won’t always be there.
“It’s Like This: 100+ Abundable Thoughts that will make you think and rethink what you’ve always thought about your life” is now available in National Book Store and Powerbooks for only P275.
"Tawag ng Tanghalan" Grand Champ Noven Belleza Releases Debut Album “Ako’y Sayo”
“Tawag ng Tanghalan” grand champion Noven Belleza marks his official debut as a recording artist and is all set to conquer the OPM scene as he launches his first album under Star Music, “Ako’y Sayo.”
Noven shared his elation on the latest break that came his way. He said, “I’m overwhelmed that from the many people who dreamed, I was given this opportunity to have my own album. I am very thankful for all the blessings.”
With the passions of Pinoys in mind, Noven offers a debut album that features a timeless and distinct Pinoy sound and brings together the compositions of some of the industry’s best songwriters such as Vehnee Saturno, Jungee Marcelo, Jonathan Manalo, and Rey Valera.
“There are inspirational songs, there is a prayer, there are songs for the brokenhearted, for those who are in love, and for those who had to leave their family to give them a better future. All the songs are dedicated to them,” he shared.
His carrier single, “Tumahan Ka Na” composed by Vehnee, has dominated the MOR 101.9 charts for ten weeks now, peaking at number one.
Fresh from the success of “Tumahan Ka Na,” the former farmer from Negros Occidental also released on September 28 his second single entitled “Nais Kong Ibalik” composed by Jonathan on September 28.
Other tracks to expect in the album are “Problemang Puso” composed by Vehnee Saturno, “Lupa” by Charo Unite and Ernie Dela Peña, “Sino Ako” by Fr. Joe Casteneda, “Kung Kailangan Mo Ako” (jukebox version) from Rey Valera, and “Ako’s Sayo” by Jungee Marcelo.
A cinematic version of the OPM classic “Kung Kailangan Mo Ako” is also included as a bonus track.
Aside from his recording project, the talented soloist was also recently inducted as a member of the Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-aawit (OPM) together with other “Tawag ng Tanghalan” singers in a joint effort of TNT Versions (TNTV) and OPM.
Noven’s “Ako’y Sayo” is now available in all music stores nationwide and all digital stores worldwide.
For more information, visit Starmusic.ph or follow Star Music’s official social media accounts at Facebook.com/starrecordsphil, Twitter.com/starrecordsph and Instagram.com/Starmusicph.
Kim Chiu Celebrates 11th Year in Showbiz with the Launch of Third Album “Chinita Princess: Touch of Your Love”
Kapamilya recording artist and actress Kim Chiu celebrates her eleven successful years in the industry with the launch of her new album under Star Music, “Chinita Princess: Touch of Your Love.”
The “Ikaw Lang Ang Iibigin” star has exceeded expectations when she ventured into making her own kind of music, and now, she is ready to prove her distinctive flair once again in her third album produced by Rox Santos.
Kim’s latest offering has five original tracks, with a bonus minus one track (song title). It is fittingly called “Touch of Your Love” as she explained in a recent “Magandang Buhay” interview. “All my songs here are about different types of love. There’s something on having a crush, on hoping to be adored in return, different touches of love,” she said.
Her carrier single “Okay Na Ako,” composed by Nica del Rosario, has already dominated the top spot in MOR 101.9 charts for several weeks now.
Other tracks in her album are “’Wag Kang Makulit” composed by Nica Del Rosario and Hazel Faith, “Ipadarama” by Kiko Salazar, “Katok” by Jack Rufo and Yani Rufo, and “Yun Na, You Na” by Jungee Marcelo.
The female singer already has several chart-topping songs in her portfolio - “Peng Yu,” “Crazy Love,” “Falling For You,” and “Mr. Right.” “Gwa Ai Di,” her debut album that includes “Crazy Love,” achieved a gold record in 2008, and her hit song “Mr. Right” was cited as the "LSS Song of the Year" in MOR Pinoy Music Award 2016.
“Chinita Princess: Touch of your Love’s” album launch will be held on Thursday (September 28), 7pm at SM City North EDSA – Skydome. She will be joined by Kaye Cal, Kisses Delavin, and other special guests.
The physical album, priced at P199, will be available first and exclusive at the launch and will be out on digital market after the show.
The single “Okay Na Ako” is now available in digital stores worldwide. For more information, visit Starmusic.ph or follow Star Music’s official social media accounts at Facebook.com/starrecordsphil, Twitter.com/starrecordsph and Instagram.com/Starmusicph.
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danny@dannymorrison.com
Dec 12, 2015 | Latest
Have just started John McMillan’s latest novel Upstream. It’s the story of a married couple living in the West Country (south west England) told from the perspective of the husband Jim Mitchell, a struggling author. Thoroughly enjoyed his other books The Soul of the...
Reflections on WWI
Nov 13, 2015 | Features
In Cork on Wednesday night – 11th November – I was proud to be invited to speak at the launch in the City Library of Conal Creedon’s biography of Michael O’Leary, a Victoria Cross recipient from County Cork. Conal had also asked me would I...
Hillsborough Agreement, 1985
Nov 13, 2015 | Latest
Interviewed this afternoon by BBC television journalist Mark Simpson about my reflections on the Anglo-Irish Agreement which was signed this day thirty years ago. My opinion hasn’t changed: Thatcher’s aim was to secure increased cross-border security...
The Last Jews in Berlin
Oct 25, 2015 | Features
I read this book, The Last Jews In Berlin, whilst staying at a writers’ residential at Wannsee lake within view of Haus der Wannsee-Konferenz, the villa where in 1942 the Nazis planned the extermination of European Jewry. In fact, when I finished the book I cycled...
‘I Am A German’
Sep 22, 2015 | Features
A Stranger in My Own Country: The 1944 Prison Diary by Hans Fallada has been described as, ‘An outspoken memoir of life under the Nazis written from a prison cell’ (Independent), but which has also been viewed as an apologia because Fallada decided to live in Nazi...
On Bonfires, The PSNI, Unionism, Sinn Féin & Stormont
Mallon Tears Up The GFA
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He measured the length of the building along the front of the separate area behind it, with a gallery on each side, a hundred cubits; he also measured the inner nave and the porches of the court. The thresholds, the latticed windows and the galleries round about their three stories, opposite the threshold, were paneled with wood all around, and from the ground to the windows (but the windows were covered), over the entrance, and to the inner house, and on the outside, and on all the wall all around inside and outside, by measurement.read more. Christian Canvas Art
Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ... Christian Art and Gifts
Solomon made all the furniture which was in the house of the LORD: the golden altar and the golden table on which was the bread of the Presence; and the lampstands, five on the right side and five on the left, in front of the inner sanctuary, of pure gold; and the flowers and the lamps and the tongs, of gold; and the cups and the snuffers and the bowls and the spoons and the firepans, of pure gold; and the hinges both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, that is, of the nave, of gold. Christian Canvas Art
19 designers and 31 writers invested their energy and creativity to this collection, each riffing on the timeless, inspired words of Scripture. Each designer worked hard to capture the essence of each verse in its historical and cultural context, and to design in a way that makes clear the way in which the original readers would have understood it. Then, after each design was complete, a writer reflected on each piece of art and the verse that inspired it. The result is 100 pairs of art and devotional that illuminate the words of Scripture. Bible Scripture Verse Art


2015 Democracy 360
Samara's Democracy 360, a report card on the state of Canada's democracy, focuses on the complex relationship between citizens and political leadership. With the understanding that democracy is about more than just casting a ballot every four years, any conversation about how decisions are taken on the future of our country needs to consider a more robust definition of "everyday democracy."
Samara's Democracy 360 expands the measurement of democracy and kick-starts a conversation using measurable indicators focused on three areas essential to a healthy democracy: communication, participation and political leadership. That is: talking, acting and leading.
The Democracy 360 brings together a number of data sources, such as Samara's public opinion research and website content analyses, as well as publicly available data from other sources, including the House of Commons and Elections Canada. As such, it is designed to be a thorough, yet manageable, look at the health of citizens' relationship with politics, and one that was repeated in 2017 in time for Canada’s 150th birthday.
In an effort to set a benchmark that prompts reflection and discussion, Samara has awarded an overall letter grade as well as a letter grade for each of the three areas, as outlined in this report.
What does C mean? Quite simply our democracy is not doing as well as a country as rich as Canada deserves. Canadians are not participating in politics as much as they could, they don’t believe it affects them, and they don't see their leaders as inﬂuential or efﬁcacious. To turn this situation around, Canada requires more than just higher voter turnout. Canada requires a culture shift towards "everyday democracy," in which citizens feel politics is a way to make change in the country and their voices are heard.
What's Inside Samara's Democracy 360?
Canadians don’t trust Members of Parliament or political parties and believe they largely fail to perform their core jobs:
Only 40% of Canadians report that they trust MPs to do what is right and only 42% of Canadians place some trust in political parties.
Canadians give MPs and political parties failing grades on nearly all their responsibilities, ranging from reaching out to citizens to their work in Parliament. Overall, Canadians feel MPs do a better job representing the views of the party than they do representing their constituents.
Politics is seen as irrelevant and, as a result, Canadians are withdrawing from the democratic system:
Only 31% of Canadians believe politics affects them every day.
Only 37% give any time or resources to formal political activities between elections.
A surprising number (39%) say they haven’t had a single political conversation—online or offline—in a year-long period.
With a federal voter turnout of 61% puts Canada in the bottom fifth among democracies, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
To make politics relevant, Canadians will need to see the value in politics and democracy. This will require the following changes:
MPs who serve as reliable, vibrant, two-way links between citizens and government.
Citizens who become more politically active at and beyond the ballot box.
Political leadership that acts in ways that encourages Canadians’ involvement and demonstrates how politics is a worthwhile way to invest time in order to make a difference.
Despite an overall unhealthy picture, the Democracy 360 also reveals several positive signs on which to build:
MPs make considerable efforts—through social media, householder mailings and their websites—to reach out to Canadians. With small changes, they can communicate much more effectively.
Over half of Canadians petition, donate to charity and volunteer, revealing a desire to connect to causes rooted in and affected by politics.
An election in 2015 presents a real opportunity to build momentum towards a more engaging political culture:
Individual volunteers, candidates and parties, as well as community groups, can all take simple steps to change how citizens get involved and demand a more responsive democracy.
Under #TalkActLead, anyone can contribute ideas and solutions to improve how politics works. To spur engagement, Samara Canada will be releasing tip sheets and resources as the election approaches.
Download the PDF of the Report Card here
Samara’s Democracy 360 uses quantifiable indicators to focus on three areas that are essential to a healthy democracy: communication, participation and political leadership.
The indicators measured in this report track Canadian democracy across a wide range of areas, from diversity in the House of Commons to the many ways Canadians can participate in politics to how Members of Parliament and parties function. While not exhaustive, together the indicators paint a rich picture of the way that Canadians talk, act and lead in politics, adding multiple dimensions to voter turnout, the metric most commonly used to measure democracy.
Look through the Numbers below
Download the PDF of the Numbers here
Read the methodology here
Democracy 360: The Provinces
Get the provincial story here


Shoreworld: Ricky Persaud Jr. – Optimistic Bliss
John Pfeiffer
Ricky is a singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger from Irvington, NJ whose music style is formed around reggae rock.
Ricky is part of the Berklee College of Music, Class of 2021. He received his first instrument for Christmas at the age of 1. At the tender age of 4 years old, Ricky started taking music classes at Music Together and dance lessons at Stories in Motion, both in South Orange, NJ.
Ricky was accepted by the Newark School of the Arts to study drums at the age of 4. When Ricky was 8 years old, he would go with his brother Nicholas, who was 5, to his weekly guitar lessons at Mark Murphy Music School in South Orange, NJ. Ricky studied Nicholas’ homework and taught himself how to play the guitar. By the age of 10, Ricky could perform Bob Marley’s songs on the guitar proficiently.
Along with drums, Ricky started taking bass lessons at the Newark School of the Arts at the age of 11. Still drawn to the guitar, Ricky decided to take guitar lessons at the age of 12, and at the age of 14, Ricky discovered Billy Joel. He taught himself how to play the harmonica and keyboards. Shortly after, Ricky started taking piano lessons in school and at the Newark School of the Arts. Upon the passing of his guitar and bass teacher, jazz guitarist, Hayes Johnson, Ricky put the guitar aside.
Ricky’s mom encouraged him to give guitar lessons another try. So, Ricky enrolled in the school that introduced him to the guitar, the Mark Murphy School of Music. Ricky studied voice, band and guitar there. Ricky studied drums at the Newark School of The Arts, and currently studies music production there. Ricky is a member of the New Jersey Performing Art (NJPAC)/Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens Ensemble and NJPAC’s George Wein Scholars Ensemble.
Ricky, along with his brother Nicholas, performs weekly on Inside with Valerie Persaud, the TV Show which airs on Comcast, Cablevision and Verizon Fios throughout the state of New Jersey. Ricky has recorded three albums. His first album was recorded when he was 14 years old. Ricky Jr. arranged the music and played all the instruments on the album. His second album was recorded when he was 15 years old, and again he played all the instruments on the album and performed the lead and background vocals. Ricky released his third album, Welcome To My World, in 2015. When it comes to this new album, Ricky wrote all the songs and again played all the instruments on the album and performed all the vocals. The album is sold on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby just to name a few.
Ricky won a Silver Medal in Music Composition and a Gold Medal in Vocal Performance in the North at the Act-So Competition in 2016. Moreover, Ricky is the recipient of the 2016 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Music. His latest record, Optimistic Bliss, has been submitted for consideration for the 60th Grammy Awards as “Best Reggae Album.” The award ceremony will be held in New York City on Jan. 28, 2018.
His fourth album, was produced and mixed along with Ricky Persaud Sr. and Ricky Persaud Jr. for Persaud Entertainment, LLC. It was mastered by Gar Francis for Bongo Boy Records and recorded at Crossroads Studios.
While I’m not a huge reggae fan, I must admit that Persaud’s record hits the mark with mojo to spare. As far as production, performence and playing are concerned, this is a record that anyone I know would be proud to call their own.
The first song on the disc is called “Let Me See,” and it runs a veritable gamut of musical delights. Written along with Valerie Persaud, “Let Me See” blends traditional reggae sounds with a funky R&B vibe that commands attention from the very beginning. Percussion, bass, and guitars chime perfectly as Persaud lays toned vocals over the top. Reverbed accents, strong backing vocals, and rhythms come together to present an extremely fluid piece of music. It reminds me of Michael Jackson in the ‘80s as it contains many pop sensibilities and melodic grooves. Tight and jam-packed with musical nuances of the genre and beyond, “Let Me See” is a perfect song to kick off with. I love the middle-eight lead break and rhythmic accompaniments, and the way the song climbs back into its central theme is utterly enthralling.
“Sound of a Hit” is up next. Another co-write with Valerie, Persaud demonstrates superior vocal technique and production moxy on this one. While this song follows a more traditional path of reggae, it also offers energetic charges of songwriting superiority. Persaud and company know how to write and “Sound of a Hit” is a perfect example of that. Keyboards whirl and twirl over the top of funk-inspired bass, drums and guitars as Persaud delivers pristine vocals and harmonies. Even his down-home ending is great as he closes out with a sigh and a statement, “That is good!”
Skipping around the disc, I came to a song called, “Girl Has the Essence.” Valerie and Ricky Jr. continue their winning streak with another poppy reggae-tinged tune that should do well for him. Persaud’s vocal attack is infectious and well planned, bringing the value of the song to a national level. Guitars upstroke as bass, drums, and horn arrangements tear through the middle of the tune like nobody’s business. Electric guitars scream and feedback where needed and then disappear back under the curtain of percussion and accent as Persaud sings his emotional journey.
Ricky penned “People of the World” on his own. Carrying a pocket-tight backbeat, Persaud lays down fat bass, drums, guitars, and keys underneath some otherworldly vocals. This song smacks from the get-go. Everything seems to fall into place the way it should with any good song. Persaud’s vocals are clean, bright and powerful as hell. The verses work perfectly into the bridge before hitting an addictive chorus. Ricky writes exceptionally catchy songs which will count towards getting greater recognition. Once again, the production sings. The Persaud’s know their craft, and the result is a bunch of fascinating songs that should draw in more than just reggae enthusiasts.
One more song I wanted to mention is the disc’s namesake. “Optimistic Bliss” is a fresh cross between The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blink 182 and some of Peter Tosh’s later work. Once again, Persaud is joined by Valerie Persaud to come up with a terrific tune. Verses, bridges, and choruses pop as Persaud croons to beat the band. Waves wash over the beginning of the song, adding another level to an already powerful piece. Backing vocals sing over the top of rhythmic wah-wahs and percussive hits as Persaud brings the song to a remarkably higher level. I love the guitar work here as well. Measured and supportive, they break free in the choruses and the middle-eight. Persaud’s lyrical content is personal in nature but readily understandable and concise in its delivery. This song features a mighty chorus, and I believe that Persaud will find great success with this song.
There are a total of 12 songs on Optimistic Bliss, and each song is as good or better than the next. I find it hard to believe that this outstanding songwriter hasn’t been snapped up by a significant tour yet, but give him time, he’s well on his way.
For more information on Ricky Persaud Jr., head over to bongoboyrecords.com to get the latest scoop on this outstanding Shoreworld artist.
ricky persaud jr.shoreworld
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The National Shrine
of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage
National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage in Antipolo City
ONE of the most well-known pilgrimage churches in the Philippines is Antipolo Church, whose full name is the National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage. A lot of Filipino devotees head for this church for the Visita Iglesia tradition during Holy Thursday, so expect to catch a crowd there and wait patiently for your turn.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage is a centuries-old church that traces back to the late 1500s. The first missionaries of Antipolo were Franciscans, but it was the Jesuits who administered the church from 1591 to 1768. It was greatly damaged during the Chinese uprising of 1632, followed by the earthquakes of 1645, 1824 and 1863. For three centuries, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage has been the object of religious pilgrimages all over the Philippines.
After finishing your Christian obligations inside the church, treats await you outside the church, as stalls selling suman, kalamay and kasuy enthrall you with their products, and simply find it difficult to resist taking some back home as pasalubong.
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage also commands a huge crowd come May 1, when devotees get on their feet, walk up to Antipolo and attend Mass at the church. This church is also where people who buy new vehicles have their vehicles blessed by the priest.
Category(s): Travel
Tags: Antipolo Church, Antipolo City, churches to visit for Lent 2017, Holy Thursday Catholic tradition, Lent 2017, Lenten season, National Shrine of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, pilgrimage church, Visita Iglesia
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