Posts made in June 2020

NO PRIDE W/O JUSTICE

Leave a reply

Chicago based LGBTQ nightlife collective, A Queer Pride, has announced a weekly flash fundraiser series called There Is No Pride Without Justice to raise money for Black organizations in need.

June usually marks the start of Pride month, and while many were looking forward to a welcome rainbow-filled distraction from the stress of COVID-19, the collective felt it was necessary to take a bolder call to action. A Queer Pride is taking a clear stance against police brutality and discrimination faced by Black communities by using their platform and reach to uplift Black voices and their causes.

Each week, A Queer Pride and other important LGBTQ voices in Chicago will work together to boost A Queer Pride’s Fundly that will collect donations to be split with various organizations addressing the evolving needs of Black people in Chicago at this time. The collective urges other nightlife promoters and performers to rethink not just their social media presence, but how their events and profits can uplift and support Black artists and communities going forward.

Week One (6/1-6/7) of the “There Is No Pride Without Justice” fundraiser will benefit the following organizations.

Brave Space Alliance
Black-led and trans-led space providing free resources to LGBTQ people on the South Side of Chicago.
Chicago Freedom School
Providing free meals to replace the paused CPS free lunch program that many depend on, among other vital efforts.
Chicago Community Bond Fund
Working to free jailed protestors and to end money bail and pre-trial incarceration in Chicago.

###
About A Queer Pride:
A Queer Pride is a collective of seasoned professionals from Chicago’s nightlife landscape, working together to celebrate Pride throughout the year. A combined effort between Abhijeet, Bambi Banks-Couleé, Loren J and Scott Cramer, A Queer Pride actively seeks to provide a platform to marginalized and underrepresented members of the LGBTQ community in a political climate that needs these voices to be heard even louder.
Follow A Queer Pride on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Def Jam Observes Blackout Tuesday

Leave a reply

Def Jam Recordings has released a statement on Blackout Tuesday and the Black Lives Matter movement;

“Today, Def Jam Recordings stands with our colleagues, our artists, our industry and our community in observance of BLACKOUT TUESDAY.

Yesterday, over one hundred and fifty Def Jam employees joined together for a town hall. Some of us shared deep pain, others outrage and anger, still others desperation and frustration. For many of us there were questions; some with tough answers and some with yet no answers.

Today, and throughout the week, we are honoring the wishes of our artists who have asked that we pause in the release, marketing and promotion of their music. Others are rushing to make their voices heard, and we intend to amplify them.

We have joined together with the other Universal Music Group labels and companies in a joint task force – lead by our interim CEO Jeff Harleston – and today that task force strategizes on how we will continue to respond.

Today, some of us are marching, some are mobilizing, others are praying. Many of us are donating our day’s wages to the organization of our choice on the front lines of this fight.

Collectively, we are taking a hard look within and asking: “What more can we do?”

Together, we are saying: “We must do MORE.”

#BLACKLIVESMATTER

#FIGHTTHEPOWER

#NATIONOFMILLIONSUNITED”

Biden Echoes Rev. Barber

Leave a reply

Pastoral Letter to America from social justice leader Rev. Barber echoed in Biden speech

The words of social justice leader Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II are being echoed by Joe Biden, the former vice president who spoke to the nation Tuesday.

“To paraphrase Rev. Barber: It’s the mourning when we find hope,” Biden said in a speech in Philadelphia. “It’s in the mourning when we find hope — when we mourn.”

Biden spoke after a third night of protests in Philadelphia over the death of George Floyd, whose dying words were recorded as a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd for almost nine minutes. He was quoting from the Pastoral Letter to the Nation, which Rev. Barber wrote and delivered in a national sermon on Sunday. Rev. Barber is president of Repairers of the Breach and the minister of Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

In that letter, Rev. Barber writes: “The hope is in the mourning and the screams, which make us want to rush from this place. There is a sense in which, right now, we must refuse to be comforted too quickly. Only if these screams and tears and protests shake the very conscience of this nation—and until there is real political and judicial repentance—can we hope for a better society on the other side of this.”

The link to Biden’s full speech is here and the link to his comment about Rev. Barber is here.

In addition, former President Obama recently included a quote from Rev. Barber for the Guardian on his foundation website.

“America must listen to its wounds,” Rev. Barber wrote in the May 30th column,“They will tell us where to look for hope.”

Bronx Curfew × Riots

Leave a reply

By Jason Tayer

Amidst the massive outbreak of protests and riots in numerous cities and communities in the United States, the Bronx, NYC experienced severe looting Monday night. For the most part, there were peaceful protestors in this community during the day, but when the sun went down, the looters remained the dominant group in the streets past curfew. Much of the looting consisted of vandalizing and stealing from businesses, buildings, and other assets in the streets.

Prior to Monday night, most of the looting had occurred in Manhatten and Brooklyn, consisting of robbing and destroying large commercial stores and chains. However, PIX 11 claims that as the looting appeared in the Bronx, smaller businesses began to take much more of a hit. Trash fires broke out along Fordham Road and left many business owners trying to clean up as much as they could the morning after. Fordham Road, being one of the most central and commercial streets in all of the Bronx, experienced more and more looting as the night progressed (Bronx Times). According to Bronx News 12, several police officers have been injured Monday night, resulting in a collective act to try to limit the ever-growing looting behavior.

In an effort to prevent more looting from happening, New York City officials have changed the curfew time from 11 PM to now 8 PM. Additionally, officers have arrested approximately 200 looters just from Monday night.

Daudi Karungi × Koyo Kouoh

Leave a reply

Join the Zeitz Museum Of Contemporary Art Africa tonight for this week’s Head to Head discussion on Instagram Live between artist, curator, and gallerist, Daudi Karungi, and Koyo Kouoh, the Executive Director and Chief Curator of Zeitz MOCAA.

As part of an ongoing series of conversations with leaders in the art world, Koyo Kouoh and Daudi Karungi will talk about the art industry on the continent and how different contexts call for endogenous systems of cultural action.

Karungi is the co-founder of several art initiatives that have shifted the East African art scene. They include START, a journal of arts and culture criticism, the Kampala Arts Trust (KART) and Afriart Gallery. He is also the initiator of the first Kampala Art Biennale.

Before joining Zeitz MOCAA in May 2019, Kouoh was the founding Artistic Director of RAW Material Company, a centre for art, knowledge, and society in Dakar since 2008.

To submit questions and be part of the conversation, comment on the live video with the hashtag, #MuseumHeadToHead.

FOLLOW THE ZEITZ MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART AFRICA: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Website

Supreme Court Reform

Leave a reply

Police violence against blacks won’t end until the U.S. Supreme Court adopts a substantially different approach to the issue, says a Virginia Tech expert on race and social policy. “The bottom line is that better or different police training will not end this violence because it does nothing to limit the police’s power to do violence,” said Wornie Reed. “Police have a license to kill anyone, and they use it disproportionately on black people.” Reed says law enforcement received this “license” in the Graham v. Conner Supreme Court decision in 1989, written by Chief Justice William Rehnquist. The Graham decision in 1989 interpreted the Fourth Amendment to protect police officers, not black people, Reed said. “It in effect changed the view of the police use of force from that of an individual encountering a state action that could potentially be a violation of the person’s constitutional rights under the Fourth Amendment to that of the police officer’s right, the right to act—and use force–if they feel it is reasonable,” says Reed. “If the intended situation is to place the police officer’s life equal to that of the civilian, we need to make these rules clear and havepolice practices conform. If the intent is to value the police officer’s life as more significant, we need to debate this issue in public and the courts. A large proportion of the citizenry might object to that orientation as a cultural practice.” Professor Wornie Reed, Blacksburg Police Chief Anthony Wilson and other local leaders and officials will talk about these issues at a news conference at noon on Tuesday, June 2, at the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Christiansburg, Virginia.

About Wornie Reed

Wornie Reed is the director of the Race and Social Policy Research Center and a professor of Africana Studies and sociology in Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. His areas of expertise include race, ethnic health disparities, social policy and criminal justice. Reed also has several connections to the civil rights movement: he marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and saw over 30 of his speeches; he attended King’s funeral in Atlanta and marched in Memphis; he participated in the Poor People’s’ Campaign, the 1963 March on Washington and the Montgomery Bus Boycott; He also participated with the Olympic Committee for Human Rights which sponsored the Black Power salute boycott.

Reed’s expertise has been featured in TIME, HuffPost, WSLS (Virginia CBS affiliate), WVTF(Virginia NPR affiliate), Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, and the Philadelphia Tribune, to name a few.

Mask Wearing Risks

Leave a reply

A New York City doctor is available to discuss the long-term health impacts of wearing a N95 or similar mask to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus. While studies have shown that masks cause dizziness caused by restricting oxygen flow, Dr. Stephen T. Greenberg, M.D., has also issued a warning about serious, permanent damage to the face, nose, jawline, and skin, caused byincreased pressure from mask wearing. Ranging from infections and allergic reactions to permanent, premature wrinkling of the skin on the face, a mask worn improperly or for long-periods of time can cause adverse health conditions for the wearer.

While these conditions may once have been industry-specific, impacting those who must wear a mask in the workplace, Dr. Greenberg can discuss the more widespread occurrences of these conditions caused by requirements of Americans to wear a mask while in public. The doctor can discuss treatment, prevention, and additional concerns at greater length.

Dr. Stephen T. Greenberg, M.D., F.A.C.S. is a nationally renowned cosmetic plastic surgeon with practices in New York, the Hamptons, and Boca Raton. Ivy-League educated with degrees and training at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center, Greenberg is the author of A Little Nip, A Little Tuck. Greenberg has been featured in the New York Times, Cosmopolitan, FOX News, and Harper’s Bazaar.

Parenting Tips

Leave a reply

Summer is fast approaching, and while that usually means barbecues, beach days, and family vacations, this summer promises to be very different due to the COVID-19 pandemic. States around the country are slowly beginning to open back up, but everyday life is still far from being back to normal, which means parents will need to get more creative than ever to keep their young children healthy, happy, and mentally stimulated in the days and months ahead.

As part of our ongoing series aimed at helping parents navigate these uncertain times, Children and Screens teamed up once again with some of the top experts in the fields of parenting, education, and child psychology to bring you some new tips for the summer season that will help you make the most of this critical time in your child’s development. Read on for details, and be sure to tune in to the next installment of Children and Screens “Ask The Experts” interactive webinar series this coming Wednesday, June 3rd, at noon EDT, when an esteemed panel of experts will talk about how to navigate summer with your toddler while observing social distancing and answer your questions via Zoom. Moderated by Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, PhD, Director of Temple University’s Infant Language Laboratory and Professor of Psychology.

STOP, DROP, AND PLAY

Parents are the first and most influential teachers a child will ever have, but more than that, they’re also first responders during this pandemic. Play is medicine for young children, so be sure to stop and drop what you’re doing regularly for short bouts of play. – Mary Gordon, Founder/President, Roots of Empathy

TELL ME A STORY

With some prompting and support, you can help your child develop their language and storytelling skills while spending quality time together. Take photos and videos next time your child is playing with puppets or stuffed animals, building with blocks, or drawing with chalk on the sidewalk. Later, you can review the photos or videos together and invite your child to tell a story about what was happening in the town they built with their blocks, or what they drew with the chalk, or how they used the hose to fill up the plastic pool. – Katie Paciga, Associate Professor of Education, Columbia College Chicago

FLIGHTS OF FANTASY

Most children delight in letting their imagination run wild. Give them the ‘driving seat” and belt up for a pretend adventure to the jungle, the Egyptian desert, the North Pole, or even the moon. Turn a room upside-down to create “caves” and let the fun begin! – Claire Hughes, Professor of Psychology and Deputy Director of the Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge

GET CREATIVE

Kids get the most out of play when they can use materials like sand, water, paint, playdough, dress-ups, markers and paper, generic animals and people, and building materials like blocks. That’s because these items encourage children to tell their own stories and invite them to incorporate their own feelings, imaginations, and experiences as they play. Media-based and defined toys overly influence how children play, which edges out kids’ needs and ideas, dampens their creativity, and minimizes the benefits of high quality play. – Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Ed.D., Professor Emerita Lesley University, co-founder Defending the Early Years

MAKE THE MOST OF MEALTIME

Children who engage in more conversations at home are better at processing language, which is essential for learning. Mealtimes are an excellent opportunity to talk with your kids, so try to put all devices aside at the table and focus on conversation. You can talk about something fun you did together recently, discuss plans for a future event, ask your child questions about how they’re feeling, share interesting facts you recently learned, or see if they have any questions for you. – Meredith Rowe, Saul Zaentz Professor of Early Learning and Development, Harvard University Graduate School ofEducation

FRESH AIR & FACETIME

We all need fresh air, and kids especially need to run and jump and build those bones. If you have children who are reluctant to go outside, tell them you’re going to make a video together to send to a family member who’s far away. Ask them to tell you about what they’re doing and get them talking. Using this medium to solicit language from children accomplishes three things: it gets them outside and exercising, it invites them to narrate their activities, and it makes a far-away grandparent, aunt, or uncle very happy! When your children talk about what they’re doing, they’re improving their language development, especially when you ask them to clarify what they mean. – Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Unidel H. Rodney Sharp Professor of Education at the University of Delaware

NURTURE IN NATURE

Outdoor time is great for parents and kids alike. The evidence is clear that nature-based experiences contribute to relaxation, reduced stress, and overall health and well-being. Playing outdoors stimulates children’s creativity, self-confidence, and resilience. Time together in nature also helps make shared memories and strengthens family ties. Wherever you live, look for ways to get outside with your children in order to learn, play, explore, and adventure. From birdwatching to growing a garden, making mud pies to having a picnic, nearby nature isan endless source of healthy and healing connections. – Cheryl Charles, Ph.D., Co-Founder and CEO Emerita, Children & Nature Network

Hotel Ibiza Opening

Leave a reply

Atzaró Group are delighted to announce today that they will be reopening their famous five star hotel Atzaró Agroturismo, on Friday 26th June 2020. With 13 hectares of land on the estate, the hotel is perfectly placed to ensure all Coronavirus health and safety regulations are ncorporated with ease, due to its tranquil and spacious rural setting.

To date, Ibiza has experienced very low levels of Coronavirus cases and after several months with no visitors, the nature on the island is flourishing and the beaches are quiet. A holiday in Ibiza this year will be a unique experience reminiscent of times gone by.

Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel and Spa is one of the most prestigious rural hotels in Ibiza and one of Europe’s leading luxury destinations. Situated on a vast estate of fragrant orange groves and abundant gardens in the heart of the island, it was originally opened in the 2004 as one of the first Agroturismo hotels of Ibiza. Built on the site of a generations-old finca, the hotel launched to rapturous acclaim. Since then, Atzaró has firmly established itself on the map as one of Ibiza’s best and has become the much-loved authentic heart of the island.

Set for reopening, post coronavirus, Atzaró Agroturismo Hotel is the ultimate antidote to the restricted life everyone has experienced. Perfect for nature lovers to quietly relax and restore, the hotel provides the ultimate healthy holiday getaway. Families, couples or travellers going solo, will enjoy the soothing healing properties Atzaró’s uniquely nature-rich experience provides.

The hotel has completely redefined the luxury Agroturismo category with its high level of service, quality, signature pared-back style, privacy and abundance of wellness evoking green space. With everything from each bedroom, to terraces, gardens, relaxing daybed dotted grounds to the numerous pools, Atzaró is the perfect post pandemic Ibiza must do.

Health and safety measures will include the following:

– Dining tables, daybeds and sunbeds will be set 2 metres apart

– 50% of the restaurant space will be used

– Staff to wear face masks and gloves

– Bedrooms will be disinfected between guests

– Masks and gloves available for guests in bedrooms

– Gym use available by appointment

– Massages and beauty treatments to be available in bedrooms

– Spa facilities open by appointment

– Hand sanitiser and hand washing facilities will be freely available

With 24, lavish and yet understated, bedrooms all set apart from each other to allow privacy and space, most with terraces, gardens and some with private pools, the design concept and look is ‘natural luxury’, featuring rustic local woods, beamed ceilings, four poster beds, Ibiza whites, touches of gold, materials and fabrics locally crafted. The concept has been created by the group’s design interior design company, Atzaró Design, to work in harmony with the surrounding environment.

Within the abundant grounds of the estate the Atzaró Vegetable Garden, opened in the summer of 2019 for Atzaro’s 15th Anniversary. This magnificent 3-hectare, perfectly designed garden delight with Olive and Cypress tree lined walkways, wooden arches and pergolas strewn with tumbling vegetables, fountains and beautiful romantic sitting areas. Its organic produce supplies all the Atzaró Group’s restaurants with natural, seasonal vegetables, fruits and herbs and is the basis to the group’s authentic food ethos.

The spacious open-air or finca restaurants ‘La Veranda’ and the ‘Orange Tree’ serve delicious, healthy and seasonal ‘farm to fork’ food. The new Atzaró Spa Garden in another area of the estate, adjacent to the spa, is full of organic botanicals and herbs, providing all the ingredients for the Atzaró Spa Products range.

Aubergine By Atzaró

Billed by the Sunday Times Travel magazine this month as ‘farm to fork food at its best’, Aubergine By Atzaró is Atzaro Group’s much heralded and super-romantic ‘farm to table’ restaurant set deep in the countryside near Santa Gertrudis. The food concept is ‘farm to table’ with a Mediterranean feel and focus on healthy dining full of fresh flavour, all made with organic produce from the Atzaró Vegetable Garden, at the group’s hotel. The building is a charming restored finca with indoor dining rooms and outdoor terraces dotted with romantic lighting. Perfect for lunch in the beautiful gardens during the day, or destination dining for dinner under twinkling evening stars, the dining rooms, terraces and bars are decorated with rustic white plastered walls, Sabina and olive beamed ceilings and accessorised with a pastel olive green hue and brought to life with historical photographs and antiques.

Atzaró Beach, Atzaro’s stylish and relaxed beach club and restaurant on the sparkling beach of Cala Nova in Ibiza’s northeast, underwent a design revamp in 2019. The look is light dappled wooden pergolas over relaxed seating, sofas and rattan peacock chairs, an abundance of local plants and where you can enjoy sunny terraced long lunches and dinners. The new menu sees healthy
inclusions, fresh salads and sharing plates, with organic produce fresh from the Atzaró Vegetable Garden. Choose from one of the 30 double daybeds to relax and watch the world go by, beachside.

Atzaró Chiringuito is a laid-back beach bar and restaurant in the sand dunes of Cala Nova with a relaxed 80s vibe, a tapas menu, salads, juices, take away, ice-cold drinks and sun loungers on the pristine beach to relax all day.

The Residence by Atzaró – ibiza is a spectacular property located in the hills of Ibiza’s north. The Atzaró style Ibiza villa, part of Atzaró Group, sits on an elevated mountainside with stunning panoramic views of untouched pine-clad valleys as far as the eye can see. The vast property consists of nine suites, glorious living space, gyms, spa and pool. It is a secluded luxury finca, peaceful and totally private with full services available. The perfect luxury villa for exclusive ibiza stays, an idyllic premium holiday home.

The Best Video Games To Try This Year

Leave a reply

Even though the two are obviously very different to one another, video games and casino games actually share a fair few similarities too. When you get back to basics, the two are basically there to provide the players with enjoyment and entertainment. Okay, online video game casinos are also there to serve as a business and make money, but even so, you can’t deny the fact that the two serve as very effective forms of entertainment after a long day.

With next generation games consoles now more sophisticated than ever, games in general are endeavouring to provide an even more realistic feel. Today we’re going to be looking at several video games which also happen to feature casinos and gambling. If you’re a fan of video games, and you enjoy a spot of gambling through sites like findbettingsites or 888 now and then, here are 3 games that incorporated gambling into them, with compelling results.

Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most popular games currently in existence. This Western provides one of the largest open world landscapes in gaming history, providing players with all kinds of fun and exciting things to do. From drinking whiskey in a saloon, to racing horses down at the ranch, Red Dead Redemption has plenty of side quests to pass the time. If you really want to enjoy yourself, though, as you travel the countryside on your horse, you can visit bars and saloons and gamble in a variety of different ways. Poker is the game of choice for many of the cowboys you’ll encounter. Here, you can play against sophisticated A.I, or if you play online, you can have a game of poker against other real life players anywhere in the world.

Fallout New Vegas

The Fallout series of video games have proven to be real best-sellers over the years, and the latest incarnation: Fallout New Vegas, is no exception. Set in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas, this game is perfect for those of you who love to gamble. Set in what is left of Las Vegas, the game features operational casinos which allow you to play games such as poker, roulette, Blackjack, and even the slots.

The Witcher 3

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last few months, you’ll likely be familiar with the hugely popular Witcher series on Netflix. Those that enjoy video games, though, will be familiar with Geralt of Rivia, as a result of the Witcher games. The latest is the Witcher 3, which has won countless awards and is considered by many gaming enthusiasts and experts alike, to be one of the best video games ever created. The Witcher 3 also happens to be great for people who enjoy gambling, as it features a fictional (though now real thanks to the game) card game known as Gwent. If you want to kill time between slaying monsters and fulfilling Witcher contracts, why not head to some of the many inns located around the continent and partake in a game of Gwent. The game not only gives you the chance to win some money, it also may allow you to win special Witcher gear such as swords and armour. If poker is your game of choice, Gwent should prove to be especially addictive.

Hunt: Showdown

Hunt: Showdown’s brand-new map, DeSalle, is officially available on PC, as of today and on Xbox and PlayStation networks in early August, following a soft launch on the test servers. The map brings a fresh new setting to the game, giving players 16 new compounds to explore. DeSalle joins the other maps of Stillwater Bayou and Lawson Delta. Upper DeSalle and Lower DeSalle – the map’s two main compounds – intertwine with one another to give the map a Wild West feel – players can even charge through the swinging doors of a saloon and much more. There are not only cities to battle it out in, but also a mansion, a quarry, and a prison along with many other settings. The Hunt: Showdown team hopes that all new players enjoy the map as much as they’ve enjoyed working on it, for new players to the game it’s currently 50% off on Steam with the chance to get DLCs with up to 70% off. For more information about Hunt: Showdown visit HERE.