#its super up in the air atp | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cubedmango · 6 months

Note

so this spiraled out of control, and this is me warning that my messages ahead are gonna get pretty long, so my apologies for clogging up your inbox with my ramblings as i do my best to answer your questions and stuff 😅 so basically: most toku are elaborate children's toy commercials, superhero shows, and shounen manga/anime but live-action (complete with the homoeroticism) rolled into one, although a good portion of its protagonists (especially in kamen rider, the franchise i'm most familiar with atm) are actually adults this time, albeit usually 20-something prettyboys (as to why, look up the odagiri effect if you haven't heard of it yet). and officially, toku isn't really a genre (stuff like godzilla are also considered toku), but many people outside of the jpn fandom basically treat it as such in the way they treat shounen, shoujo, seinen, josei, etc. so i guess it doesn't really matter anymore atp? (1/?)

(rest of ur asks under the cut!)

some toku are more adult-oriented, though those tend to be relegated to webseries and movies that aren't aired on tv, but again i'm not as familiar with that stuff rn. and you're right about the number of episodes - among the toku big 3 (kr, super sentai - aka the basis for power rangers, ultraman), kr and sentai seasons tend to be ~50 episodes while ultraman seasons are often around 25 instead. also all 3 of these air shows annually, but each is generally stand-alone albeit taking place in the same wider universe (mcu vibes except i think it's somewhat less annoying and with a less strict sense of having to make everything 'canon') and which can be loosely connected enough for them to have crossover movies every so often (though yeah, those tend to be not officially canon) (2/?)

among those big 3 as well, kr is definitely the go-to if you're interested in m/m subtext, whereas it's apparently less frequent (but definitely still present occasionally) in sentai and ultraman, especially as sentai in particular seems to be more big on the power of platonic friendship and family (not so sure on ultraman as that's the most unfamiliar series to me for now, though fwiw i think the template of the steel samurai in aa is relatively closer to ultraman than to the other big 2 franchises) (3/?)

as for what i'd recommend - i've actually only gotten into toku recently, but i'd say kr build (the season where inukai and akaso play the leads) is a pretty good place to start tbh! i haven't actually finished it myself, but i'm really enjoying it so far, and while i've heard it kinda stumbles in the latter third, it's generally agreed upon to be a solid season with a fairly cohesive plot and compelling characters (and the ending is kinda insane from what i know, but like mostly in a good way), and i agree so far as well. it's also one of the seasons specifically conceived as a callback to the very first kr shows in the showa era, so this way, you can get a pretty good sense of the original themes of kr even without watching said showa-era shows right away. and each kr season has its own themes too, with build's being focused on science and scientific principles, hence the protagonist here being a physicist (4/?)

build is also known for having a suspenseful thriller-like plot with a lot of twists and turns, so it's best to go in as blind as possible aside from like a cursory glance at its synopsis - basically don't follow my example, as i got spoiled for all the major plot twists and while i'm still liking the show and now focusing more on seeing how well-foreshadowed and built-up (ha) said twists have been so far, i definitely sometimes catch myself wishing i'd been a more unaware viewer from the start lol. and it's 49 episodes long (with some spin-off movies and a stageplay that, while not strictly necessary to watch due to either being not officially canon or not really relevant to the main plot, apparently do enhance the viewing experience and still tie in nicely to aspects of the main series and its character development), but due to the nature of its thriller-like story meant to hook viewers in, it might not actually take too long for you to finish (though i personally am taking it more slow and steady) (5/?)

as for the gay stuff, build is definitely worth checking out as the very originator of the life-changing phrase 'heated drama between men' (from this official promotional article www . toei . co . jp/tv/build/story/1210272_2766.html) and is also generally agreed to be one of the top kr shows (and the most recent one in years) to lay on extreme gay subtext (and again, that's saying something considering kr homoeroticism as a whole, and it's so palpable they've gotten many straight people and dudebro fans on reddit and twitter to also agree they're gay; other seasons with very heavy subtext between its 2 male leads that i can think of off the top of my head rn are ooo, blade, and ofc kuuga, the grandpa of all heisei kr shows) (6/?)

sento (the protagonist, played by inukai) and banjou (the deuteragonist, played by akaso) are considered iconic nowadays in helping elevate the primary x secondary rider partnership (bc going by those other mentioned extremely gay-coded relationships from previous seasons, none of them count as primary x secondary), and banjou by himself is often seen as redefining the secondary rider role (and also sento/banjou, or ryusen, is like peak m/m nerd x jock romance to me in general, and a fun bonus for me is even if it's yaoi, they both dress a lot like butch lesbians so in my mind they're kinda lesbian-adjacent to me, an actual lesbian). they're also really popular that they've gotten official couple's rings merch (based on their animal motifs of rabbit for sento and dragon for banjou), in the vein of narumitsu (and klapollo too if i'm not misremembering?), kawoshin, those guys from promare and code geass, etc (7/?)

speaking of aa again, i do think edgeworth would generally enjoy kr, gay subtext and all (the steel samurai probably contains heated drama between men too), and even though idk yet if kr and/or build would be his favorite toku shows as a whole, i definitely think he'd find himself relating to sento in many ways (they're both gay-coded identity crisis-having autistic guys with red in their color schemes, among some other similarities you'll discover along the way), but i think sento's relationship with misora (the main female character and his younger sister-ish figure) is overall more akin to phoenix and maya's than to edgeworth and franziska's. i don't think banjou and phoenix are that similar though, aside from being bi-coded blue-themed men associated with dragons, but edgeworth might still find a way to draw some parallels between his relationship with phoenix to the ryusen dynamic (8/?)

and while i can't guarantee build will make you feel as crazy (positive) as it's making me rn, i think you'll still like sento/banjou and the show itself... also, sento and banjou are pretty much the opposites personality-wise of inukai and akaso's characters in odt and cm (i also watched and enjoyed both shows prior to watching build, and yeah it's definitely a bit of a whiplash to see how different their respective characters are, though it does tickle me to imagine the possibility that the drama got so heated in build it inspired them to act in full-blown bls a few years later). like sento is an 'egotistical genius superhero' with a heart of gold whose arrogance is partly a facade and coping mechanism for his identity issues, and banjou is basically an adhd icon and ex-pro boxer (although lbr akaso doesn't really have a convincing enough physique for it, but well i can forgive it in the end because he's a great actor otherwise) who's very much an 'act/punch first, think later' type of dumbass but who's also a kind person at heart, albeit starting out as a bit of a selfish jerk whose (kinda understandably, in hindsight) distrustful nature makes him look out only mainly for himself and his small circle of loved ones, so i think it's nice to see both men's acting range (9/?)

anyway i'd say the love story (platonic or romantic, but well. it's really hard to read it as purely the former) between sento and banjou is truly at the heart of the show (like it's literally a story about building relationships) - in short, build is that "stop war start gay" graffitti meme. but for a better summary of what i do like overall about build that's also not very spoilery: www . tumblr . com/timetoddddavis/711997352927510528?source=share also i'm obsessed with this fmv so i must inflict it (positively) on every person i can (it's a bit spoilery but it's all out of context so it's not that big of a deal): youtu . be/-Gjzr5HmmfY?si=HUr8oZezqV_lIusZ (10/?)

(also even if you end up concluding that toku really isn't your cup of tea, you can at least maybe think of your experiences as a way to improve future aa headcanons and fics wrt its depiction of the steel samurai and company i guess?) this has gotten long enough that i'll stop here, but i did have some additional thoughts on build's female characters (sadly there's only a few of them, but they're treated well enough considered how men-centric kr generally is), how kr has actually and refreshingly also been dipping its toes into yuri(bait) recently, and the kinda morbidly funny anecdote about akaso thinking he might have gotten a crush on inukai on their first day of filming but it was actually heat stress affecting him, but i'll save those for another time if you're curious enough or are okay with me continuing to ramble. i really appreciate your time and attention, and thank you so much for entertaining me and my toku fixation :-) (11/11)

also toku fans have all made our jokes about the energy emanated by that classic 'heated drama between men' photobook image of inukai and akaso as sento and banjou but i'm also not kidding when i unironically think their posing in that picture perfectly encapsulates the characters' relationship by the end of the show... their relationship development from reluctant and kinda antagonistic allies to friends to beloved (and kinda codependent ngl but that just gives it more flavor to me, and also understandable given the circumstances of everything) partners really is a sight to behold <3

oh my god anon . thank u so much for the detailed explanation but also how long did these take u to type theres So Much Info Here ??? respect to ur fixation tho i dont think i would ever be so clear and coherent talking abt my blorbos afjdskfjkd

ANYWAY !!! u have def caught my interest w build (esp w the aa parallels and the rings mention i had no idea other franchises do it too) (also in the post u linked this line "it stars a silly little rabbit, the silly little rabbit has a death wish" i Need to understand the context behind that) so i might actually watch the first few eps and see if i enjoy it?? the chara dynamics sound rlly interesting already from ur descriptions so im curious abt how theyre in the show 👀 if theres any specific place/site ud recommend i watch id appreciate that too bc i have no idea where to look kfjdks

#oh and feel free to tell me abt the other stuff if ud like! female chara discussion most important thing ever to me even if idk them #(and the akaso thing ??????? oh my god i have to hear more about that rkjgkfdjgkfg)#gonna save the fmv for later in case i do decide to watch the whole show but ty for that too!!#my answer

4 notes · View notes

delcakoo · 1 year

Note

MY LOVELY EMSS💙💙 I just got back from travelling yesterday and jeez, travelling is no JOKE. ur legs are stiff and it aches a bit once you've stopped by and stand up, LITERALLY I HAD TO STRETCH SO HARD CAUSE I COULDN'T IN THE CAR. travelling is fun but you have to sit in the car for hours😭😭 anyway the reunion thing was fine. got socialize a lil bit. THERE WAS SO MANY FOOD. ATE TOO MANY RICE BUT YES IT WAS SO NICE. it was cOLD TOO. the air would just make me shiver tbh but anyway yeah its super windy as well. how's yours going so far?? i hope ure having fun, ALSO LOVE THE NEW THEME AAAAAAAAAAAAACKJABSBDJASKD GOT ME GIGGLING HAAHAHA (i don't want christmas break to end, i wish it lasts forever) ALSO YES YOU'RE RIGHT. THE ONLY PPL I NEED IS YOU AND JUNGWON. DON'T NEED NOBODY ELSE BUT YOU GUYS. really wish I can send pictures of jungwon making a heart caus honsetly you deserve love from me and everybody else cause u make me smile and happy💙 (HOPE THAT WASN'T TO EXAGGERATED CAUSE I GENUINELY FEEL HAPPY UPDATING YOU AND TALKING TO YOU, CAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOU MAKE ME SMILE EVEN BY JUST TALKING TO ME UGH I CANT I HOPE THIS IS NOT TO CRINGEY SORRY😭😭)

-m💙

OMG BRO MY MOM IS A TRAVEL AGENT SO WE TRAVEL A LOT AND ODNJDKJD BRO I FEEL U 😭 im kina used to it atp but YES FLIGHTS CAN BE HORRRIBLEEE �� IM GLAD UR REUNION WAS OKAY AT LEAST JSHDJDH mine has been really great!! i met a new cousin and omg we get along so well T-T we made a spotify playlist together and omg it’s on repeat rn jshsj ❤️ AND I WATCHED AVATAR 2 IN THEATRES AND NOW IM WATCHING ALICE IN BORDERLAND! its been a very fun break 🫶🫶🫶

AND MOON :((((( UR SO SWEET AW IM SO GLAD I CAN MAKE U HAPPY AT LEAST A BIT T-T UGH I HOPE UR WELL AND HAVE BEEN EATING LOTS <3 MUWAH

#delcakoo #m anon #U ARE NOT CRINGY AT ALL SHHHHH UR FINE DEAR #and tySM IM SO GLAD U LIKE MY THEME SUHDJHDKN IM PROUD OF IT MYSELF #my bf looks so fine as usual 😻

2 notes · View notes

seelestia · 1 year

Note

it's like a patronus lol more proof that we're family, no? :P

very very true. any editors are better than tumblr atp ;w; even on mobile, tumblr editor deletes paragraphs at times. like... why. >:/

chicken sandwiches ftw!! hskshdks that's kinda adorable... yes child, you have your cocoa latte while i'll have my flat white- /j

yes yes the jp version is my favorite in that scene!!! (isn't umeyuu really ikemen irl too lol) i mean the en va did a good job too ofc but from all versions the jp one just hits differently... or maybe i am biased lol

i am loving the married couple bickering between those two lmao i really hope their banner is together or something (i heard kaveh is a 4*?)... oooh i wish genshin had a system where there was a unique "added to party" line that triggers if certain characters are in that party yk?? e.g. if you add kaveh to a party with al haitham he might have the chance to say "ugh not this guy" or "you have bad taste" lmaoooo wouldn't that be fun?? i'm so making this a post sjdlsjdl

i tried exploring around mond to 100% my exploration (so far only 2 areas are 100%) with the treasure compass and it's. it's so relaxing but also it takes so. much. time. lsdfjslhdfjks i'm gonna die from the electroculus and dendroculus searching, i just know it ;w;

*stamps 'chronic simp' sign on your hand* welp now we match-

yeye i heard about that too! so my current plan is to use my guarantee to 'mouchie cause i just gotta collect these anemo boys it's my destiny (i somehow have a feeling his rerun won't be anytime soon after this cause we're already kinda 'done' with his story, while compared to that childe will definitely still appear in the future???) and then pull on ayato's banner. if i'm lucky, i'll get ayato, but if not at least that means guaranteed al haitham (which i heard will be in 3.4?). but whatever it is al haitham's coming home no matter what cause i have the power of credit card

sobs i love that one the most too. the inspiration gods blessed me with that one ;w;

i'm cradling your hugs and cuddles close to my chest and sipping your tea with a smile. sending you back twice the hugs and headpats <3 <3

calling them our patronus sounds so cute AWWW <3 this makes me want to rewatch harry potter all of a sudden, but i'd probably end up falling asleep the moment i laid my head down on the sofa 😭 i think ayato would find the wizarding world vv intriguing and comment on its perks ("my, an invisibility cloak? i can only imagine the many tricks i'd be able to get away with." smack him /j). and for heizou, ik for sure that he would deffo be a fan of it (he's a nerd, a cute one).

i can see why you like the jp ver because umehara yuichiro's voice makes alhaitham sound extra feral LOLL i'm vv excited to see you go feral when his drip marketing comes out on twitter 👀 and yep, kaveh is a 4-star and it is most likely he'd be on the same banner as his beloathed roommate, pfft. OH, THAT IDEA SOUNDS FUN LOLLL you add kaveh into the party and alhaitham's unique voiceline is just "...sigh, care to remind me why he has to be here again?"

good luck with mondstadt's exploration, rin jie! >:) treasure hunting is like a more relaxed way to get 100% exploration and primos in small quantities. don't be like me and resort to finding the oculi yet because hoyoverse hides them in the weirdest places that i had to pull out guides 😭

GO GET SCARAMOOSH HOME! from what i saw in leaks, his kit is super cool and unique from the rest. the angy man literally floats in the air LOLLL and wishing you my good luck on ayato! hopefully, that commissioner will follow his great buddy oni's example and come home ;D and the way alhaitham is technically already guaranteed to be yours, whether that be with the power of credit card or not (hopefully not) fjejwkske

as you know for me, i'm definitely pulling for ayato with my guaranteed pity at 25 (i managed to secure layla within 20 pulls on childe's banner) + i have 80 fates saved rn, so it is safe to say the man will come home safe to me! i grinded so hard like i collected dendro sigils, the lumenstones and the res crystals at dragonspine to get those 2 free fates hoyoverse gave out 😭 i think after i get ayato, i'll probably go back to my "pulling on the banner i regret the least" technique. i hope ayato comes home early, so i'd still have some leftover fates <//3 EITHERWAY, BEST OF LUCK TO BOTH OF US! ✨

#i'm kinda excited for v3.3's livestream soon because i wanna see ayato again 😭#i'll probably record my wishing session for him and share it here for fun LOLLL maybe?? >:)#ANYWAY yes !! all the bone-crushing hugs for my dearest cousin <3 #probably not a good idea to give those hugs to zhongli in case we hear a crack (/j)#ask box! 📬#visitor: dearest rin! 💠#cw: leaks

2 notes · View notes

palvifze · 2 years

Text

Everything you need to know about Phosphoric Acid

The chemical formula for phosphoric acid is H3PO4, and it is an inorganic substance. Phosphoric acid is a colourless, odourless, and non-volatile syrupy liquid that is often found in an 85% aqueous solution. It is a key ingredient in many fertilisers, making it an important industrial chemical. Palvi FZE is one of the excellent as well as the most promising Phosphoric Acid suppliers in Dubai providing a wide range of chemicals for industrial use. Wet and dry techniques are used to manufacture phosphoric acid in the industry.

1. Wet process:

Phosphate-containing minerals, such as fluorapatite as well as calcium hydroxyapatite, are subjected to sulfuric acid treatment in the wet process.

● Ca5(PO4)3OH + 5 H2SO4 → 3 H3PO4 + 5 CaSO4 + H2O

● Ca5(PO4)3F + 5 H2SO4 → 3 H3PO4 + 5 CaSO4 + HF

Phosphate gypsum (gypsum, CaSO4) is a byproduct of the process. To create hydrofluoric acid, hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas is fed into a wet scrubber. There is a wide range of P2O5 concentrations (ranging from 32–46% H3PO4) in the phosphoric acid solution in both situations. To manufacture commercial or merchant grade phosphoric acid, it is possible to concentrate it to 54–62% P2O5 (75–85% H3PO4), which is a commercial grade. Super phosphoric acid, produced by further elimination of water, has a P2O5 concentration greater than 70%. (corresponding to nearly 100% H3PO4). Arsenic compounds and other potentially harmful contaminants can be removed from the phosphoric acid produced by either procedure.

2. Dry process:

After being reduced with coke in an electric-arc furnace to produce elemental phosphorus, the phosphate ore is used to make high-quality phosphoric acid. Calcium silicate slag is formed as a result of the addition of silica. Palvi FZE - one of the leading Phosphoric Acid exporters in Dubai manufactures Phosphoric acid by dissolving high-purity phosphorus pentoxide in water, which is derived from the furnace's elemental phosphorus and then burning it.

Appearance:

White phosphorus and red phosphorus are two of the most common types of phosphorus. Contact with white phosphorus, a toxic waxy substance, can result in serious burns. When exposed to air, it catches fire and shines in the dark. A non-toxic amorphous material, red phosphorus is red in colour.

Uses:

Incendiary devices, as well as flares, include white phosphorus. Safety matches are lit by striking them against the red phosphorus-coated surface of matchboxes.

Fertilizers are by far the most common application for phosphorus compounds. It is derived through the extraction of phosphates from phosphate ore. Ammonium phosphate is manufactured by first converting the ores to phosphoric acids.

Steelmaking necessitates the use of phosphorus. Several detergents contain phosphates, but this chemical is being phased out in some countries. As a result, high levels of phosphate in natural water supplies might encourage the growth of undesirable algae. Special glasses and delicate chinaware are made using phosphates as well. Place your order for Phosphoric Acid from the most trusted Phosphoric Acid distributor in Dubai, Palvi FZE.

Biological role:

Phosphorus is a vital component of life on Earth. The sugar-phosphate backbone of DNA and RNA is made up of this molecule. In addition to its role in energy transfer via ATP, it can be found in a slew of other biologically significant compounds. Since our bones and teeth are made up of calcium and phosphate, we consume roughly 1g of phosphate every day and store about 750g in our bodies. Algal blooms can be exacerbated by the overuse of phosphates in fertilisers and detergents, which can pollute rivers and lakes. The algae prevent further photosynthesis by blocking off the sun's rays. The oxygen dissolved in the water is quickly depleted, and the lake eventually goes dead.

Natural abundance:

Natural phosphorus can only be found in the form of a compound in minerals. Phosphate rock containing apatite minerals is a major source in the United States and other countries. There are concerns that our phosphorus supplies will run out by 2050 when the world is expected to reach "peak phosphorus."

In an industrial furnace, phosphate rock is heated with carbon and silica to produce white phosphorus. In this case, the water collects phosphorus as a vapour. White phosphorus is heated to roughly 250°C in the absence of air to produce red phosphorus.

#Phosphoric Acid suppliers in Dubai #Phosphoric Acid exporters in Dubai #Phosphoric Acid distributor in Dubai

0 notes

sayonara-taemin · 2 years

Note

Hiyahh there Sarah, apologies for the super late reply bcs of finals •́ ‿ ,•̀

I used to read a lot in Asianfanfic, Wattpad and Tumblr during that time, I was 13 years old then!

Oh woah, so I'm assuming that means in your country there's a lot of people working mainly in the engineering and doctorate field then? It's my final for this semester🤣 I just finished the entrepreneurship paper yesterday and on the next Monday I'll have my last paper! Ooh? You're interested in researching?

I used to fantasize being a singer or smtg like that ahahahah but that was all in the past. Right now, I suppose I'm thankful if I manage to get a nine to five job after graduation, much less feel lucky if there's ppl out there that's willing to hire me •́ ‿ ,•̀

From what I can tell, your mom sure have a really high expectations on you... While I understand why most parents are like that but it can get really stressful... I hope they'd realized it someday, or maybe you can try talking to her about it? And honestly it's ridiculous that they're testing you on something that you're not majoring in ರ╭╮ರ

🐥

HEY SO MY EXAM WAS TODAY AND IT FINALLY GOT OVER OMG TT IM IN TEARS RN

ah yes i used to read so much back when i was 13 too but mostly on wattpad nowadays i barely get time tbh its hard i hope i can make more time in college (im making myself believe that college is a delusional heaven atp)

yeah ppl here become engineer and doctors like its air, something you cant live with it. trust me ppl here arent that into creative lines sadly. omg tomrow the last paper right? all the best then! summer holidays after that then? yep i really love studying tbh just not the mugging up they make us do here TT i love learning new stuff a lot!

hey no im sure you'll gte a job easily! nowdays they recruit from campus so ik you'll get one easily! singer? hahah thats cool tho i wanted to be an artist but my parents told me they couldnt afford to send me to any art school so i quite that dream. then i wanted to work in un or smth but ofc my mom hated that idea because apperently my quick mouth would put me in danger. yeah my mom im her 'prized daughter' so she has huuuge expectations so does my dad he doesnt just tell it out loud TT its very irritating i really cant talk to them its the society's expectations i need to fulfill ppl will have a heart attack if i had taken some other subject to study already ppl find it uncomfy when i tell them what i wanna study in college also im in my last year of school its impossible hoesntly TT

#╼ asks!#╼ anons!#╼ 🐥!

0 notes

encyclopika · 4 years

Text

Animal Crossing Fish - Explained #34

Brought to you by a marine biologist who just needs to breathe...

Fish I’ve Covered: Click Here

Doing these everyday is a stress, but it’s a stress I welcome. I enjoy that whoever is reading this is enjoying it and learning something from it. :) Lots of stresses wild animals experience, however, is pretty unwelcome. For fish in particular, this can range anywhere from predation to a lack of oxygen in the water they are swimming...and we’ll get to that today as we cover the Crucian Carp!

Crucian carp are another really common river fish that you can catch whenever you feel like it. Honestly, as common as they are, I like catching them because they’re pretty darn cute. Now, today’s fish has a pretty cool super power for dealing with that blasted “lack of oxygen” thing aquatic animals that rely on gills face sometimes.

So, first, what is it: the Crucian carp is named to species in AC:NH. I still don’t understand why some fish are particular to species, even when it’s really wrong, and others are just named to their general group. Like...pick one. But anyway, as you might have guessed, here’s another Cyprinid fish! Just like the carp, the dace, the goldfish, the koi we’ve already covered! Again...biggest family of fish. Just how it is. It’s scientific name is Carassius carassius and if that’s familiar to you, because it was to me because I’m the biggest nerd in room, that’s the same Genus as the Goldfish! Fancy that! The Crucian Carp, though, gets to be the type-species for the Genus!

Kinda just looks like a fat goldfish, but they are different species! Crucian carp are a European fish, for the most part, chillin’ in rivers, being a popular “coarse fish”, meaning that, although people go fishing for them, they’re mostly undesirable. Which is hilarious to me, so I guess in AC:NH we’re coarse fishing whenever this guy shows up. Brilliant. Thumbs up, Nintendo.

Anyway, I mentioned above the Crucian carp has a super power and that is its ability to survive in anoxic conditions, that being, in water with very very very low, sometimes, no, oxygen. For animals with gills, their breathing apparatus (the gills) are in direct contact with the medium that holds their oxygen. For us, that’s air, and we breathe it into our bodies to get it in contact with our breathing apparatus. For fish, many can pump water over their gills by opening and closing their mouths, pushing water from the mouth and out the gills (that’s the adorable “blub blub blub” fish do, as seen below:

Oxygen in water gets low for a number of reasons, usually from other organisms taking it up very quickly, as is what happens when bacteria build up in the water as they break down organic matter, or the surface is completely blocked, as from ice, there are no plants to replace the oxygen, yada yada yada. So, what are fish to do? Most avoid places like this, they die (if it’s sudden, which happens), OR they adapt some way to live there ANYWAY. Lungfish did this by adapting their swim bladder into a lung so they can gulp air (and lots of fish do this, too, but not all have the connection between the mouth and swim bladder like they do, so don’t blame the fish that just die in these circumstances!), but the Crucian carp said “nah, man, I’m just gonna deal with it” and promptly did so.

When in anoxic conditions, the crucian carp actually just switches over to anaerobic respiration, meaning that it’s using some other chemical to do oxygen’s job in the body. It’s kind of insane that a vertebrate can do this. Now, we all use oxygen because it is THE BEST at being the oxidizing agent in ATP, the molecule that powers the cell (yes, mitochondria makes it). LOL it’s so good at it, the process is named after oxygen. When you don’t use oxygen for this task, you get really inefficient, which is fine for the Crucian carp, because anoxia happens in its environment during the winter, when the cold temperatures lower the thing’s metabolism anyway. And they can keep this up for 140 days, because why the hell not?

And there you have it. Fascinating stuff, no?

#animal crossing #ac: new horizons #fish #carp #science in video games #crucian carp #animal crossing fish explained

17 notes · View notes

janephillipsblog · 4 years

Text

Babette’s Gift

I recently closed my first semi-professional theatre experience with Fire Exit Theatre. It was quite a journey and a very rewarding and challenging one at that.

Back in August, I auditioned for “Babette’s Feast”, a play adaptation of the short story by Isak Dineson, conceived and developed by Abigail Killeen and written by Rose Courtney. It turned out to be a very unconventional audition as the venue was not open during my time slot. We auditioned in groups and my group ended up auditioning outside in a residential area. We worked on scenes from the script as well as doing group performance exercises for the director, Jeany Van Meltebeke, to see how we worked together as an ensemble.

Several days later I received an email from Artistic Director, Val Lieske, offering me a role in the ensemble, with the note that specific roles would be assigned at a later date. A couple of weeks later, another email was sent with assigned roles. I would be playing Babette as well as a little bit of ensemble work in the first part of the play before Babette makes her first entrance.

Photo Credit: Andrea Cross Photography. With Kyla Ferrier and Sarah Haggeman.

“Babette’s Feast” is set in a small Norwegian town called Berlevaag and centres around two sisters, the children of a dean to a religious sect. The two sisters, Martine and Philippa, despite their beauty, offers of marriage, and for Philippa, a chance to be an opera singer, remain in Berlevaag as spinsters throughout their life, carrying on the work of the dean after his death. In their autumn years, they take in Babette, a French refugee from the Paris Commune, as a housekeeper. Babette was once a celebrated chef at the Café Anglais in Paris and had fought as a communard, alongside her husband and son, both of whom were killed in the civil war. The story culminates in Babette’s gift to the sisters and the community – a fabulous feast of French cuisine.

We had about a three-month rehearsal period before we moved into the Engineered Air Theatre at Arts Commons, throughout which, Jeany gently pushed us to “tell good story,” paying attention to the details and working on the subtext of the script. Looking back it was incredible how much we gleaned from between the lines of what at first appeared to be a simple script and story. Rachel Peacock, as well as being a part of the cast, was the composer and musical director for the production and her compositions enhanced the show no end, with the music performed with a harp, violin, glockenspiel, our vocals and even toy wooden blocks!

I made some personal discoveries as a performer during the process. Jeany would often tell me to work on being neutral emotionally at certain parts in the play. Well, people have always been able to read me like a book and I am a terrible liar as it simply shows too much on my face. Poker player I am not! For acting there is so much to work on within to achieve what the audience will eventually see. Part of that skill is learning to live in the present, moment by moment. What human doesn’t wander emotionally into the past or future? In the many years of doing theatre, I have learnt that this mental wandering out of the present can trip a performer up in a performance.

During the rehearsal process, imposter syndrome also raised its ugly head on occasion. This was my first production out of the community theatre world where most other fellow cast mates have other careers and acting is a hobby and a different way to socialize for a lot of people. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it is a fantastic hobby and there is nothing wrong with not wanting to pursue it as a career and a person can still strive for excellence in a pastime. From the day of the first read-through, I discovered that I was among kindred spirits. I was with people working in some capacity within the industry and who wore many hats like myself, often with many projects on the go at the same time. I felt at home, however often my anxiety would whisper negative things in my ear that I didn’t belong.

The biggest challenge for me was the fact that Babette was French. Whilst it wasn’t a goal of the production for the performers to have impeccable accents, I did not want Babette to sound English. I also did not want her to have a stereotypical French accent. There were also a few lines in French within the script which presented another challenge. During high school in Ottawa, probably in Grade 11 or 12 (I have moved from the UK the summer before I started Grade 11), I was kicked out of Grade 10 French for struggling with the work in the class. My mother is still angry about it and I realize now that it was probably more to do with the teacher wanting to keep her class averages up than my learning ability. I was a shy and self-conscious teenager who hated speaking aloud in class and had always been very self-conscious about the way I spoke even in English, let alone a foreign language, as we had moved around a lot and I always had a different dialect. Those early days in high school in Ottawa usually meant I had to repeat sentences about three times to my friends before they understood what I was saying! The result was that I no longer had confidence in my ability to even learn to speak a second language. I seem to recall that in the UK, I had quite enjoyed French and German classes, but in Ottawa, everyone was so far ahead in French. The last French course I took was in first year of university as a degree requirement. My inability to speak Canada’s other official language was one of the reasons I ended up moving to Alberta.

There is a section in the script where the ensemble repeat some of the French words spoken by Babette. At the first readthrough during which I most likely pronounced the French lines incorrectly and with limited understanding of the meaning, having the words repeated caught me by surprise and in a moment of self-consciousness, I honestly thought some of the others were correcting my pronunciation! This was not the case! Though certainly down the road, Caleb and John, other cast members (Caleb was also the assistant director), helped me with the pronunciation. Google Translate also became a good friend! I talked about my hang-ups with speaking French with Caleb about two weeks before we moved into the theatre. He asked me when I was going to let them go. Right now, was my reply! I had already upped the ante for myself by inviting French-speaking friends to the show and at this point it was time to really put in some work. I would record myself speaking Babette’s lines to ensure they sounded like Babette and not me.

Photo Credit: Andrea Cross Photography

By the week of our final rehearsals, I felt that Babette had really arrived. I felt confident in my ability to portray her on stage. I was super-excited to be in a show at the Engineered Air Theatre. I had been in the venue once during the Festival of Animated Objects in March (I love the retro décor) and on the first day we were in the theatre, I remembered the intention I had set through a selfie on Facebook in May during the Bouffon workshop (held in the ATP rehearsal hall) that I hoped to again enter and exit the stage door of Arts Commons many, many times in the not too distant future. Well it came true! That is the power of manifestation, folks – I also manifested a free transit ticket that day.

Opening night was on a Wednesday. Fire Exit has a tradition for everyone to wear red shoes on opening night (started by Val and her red boots). I found a really nice pair that day in the WINS thrift store and they went really well with my green Christmas leggings. We had a talk back after the performance, my first ever. There were a couple of complimentary comments about how humble Babette was. In the lobby after, a lady asked if I was French! All our performances went really well, despite sickness making its way around the cast (par for the course for a December show – I was lucky as I had been sick a few weeks prior). Once we had an audience, we discovered that what had seemed like a serious play for the most part, was actually quite whimsical and fun throughout. Our audiences were great, very loving and kind. My French-speaking friends told me that they understood every word and joked how they were going to converse with me in French now.

Photo Credit: Andrea Cross Photography. From left to right: John Moerschbacher, Kyla Ferrier, Daniel Kim, Caleb Gordon, me, Sarah Haggeman, Rachel Peacock, Kendra Hutchinson and Ainsley Daumler.

“Babette’s Feast” was over too soon after a run of only seven performances. It will be an experience that I will forever treasure and remember. Thank you to all involved for sharing this incredible journey with me!

#actorslife #theatre #babettesfeast #fireexittheatre

1 note · View note

antiaircraftcrayon · 4 years

Text

Ten Bands - p.3

Prompt by @writing-prompt-s.

Prompt: The Megalomaniacal Supervillain assumed you, a renowned scientist, would object to being kidnapped and forced to build superweapons at his hidden volcano lair. In reality, however, you're just really excited to finally play around with unlimited funding.

Story:

Dr. Isaac stood in the middle of his destroyed lab in bewilderment.

After gaining his composure, he finally let what was said settle in.

“Look at my lab! Look at what you’ve done with my lab! My equipment is destroyed!” Dr. Isaac yelled.

“You will have all the equipment you desire,” the man said. His voice sounded like a spoken cough. “I will provide anything you wish. Anything you desire. If you’ll only work for me.”

“Wait. What?” Dr. Isaac responded.

“If you deny, I will take your talents to your grave.” the man said.

“No. Shut up. Go back,” Dr. Isaac said. “Anything I need? You’ll provide full funding for my research? Test subjects? Grant funding? Equipment? Supplies? Materials?”

“Well... yeah. Come work for me and together we will...” the man began. But he was cut off.

“Yep. Let’s go. No take backs. I want this signed and in writing.” Dr. Isaac said, already halfway out the door.

***a good amount of time later***

“I swear, if you step foot in my lab during an experiment again, I will vaporize you and reassemble the atoms inside a rocket launched at the sun!” Dr. Isaac yelled from inside his particle amplifier.

“I... I was just checking to see if the gauntlets were ready.” the man said. “I put you on a time table. If they aren’t ready...”

“OF COURSE THEY’RE READY! THEY WERE FINISHED TWO DAYS AGO!” Dr. Isaac responded heatedly. He walked, nearly running, out of the particle amplifier to a complex locked vault. After entering a combination, retinal scan, and five digit finger print scan, the vault door opened and Dr. Isaac received a pair of silver gauntlets.

“OK. Here’s the manual. Read it carefully or you might tear apart your musculature. These have a complex locking mechanism which requires a piece of silver within the inside sensors. I made a similar ring to mine to activate it. You can wear it on either hand to activate both gauntlets. If you don’t have the silver, the gauntlets won’t work. Read the manual. It’s all there.” Dr. Isaac continued depositing the ring and gauntlets into the man’s hands and ushering him out the door.

“Wait wait wait. What are you working on there?” He asked looking past Dr. Isaac towards the particle amplifier.

“It’s a particle amplifier,” the Dr. answered practically shoving him out of his lab.

“What’s it do?” He asked.

Dr. Isaac sighed and let him into the lab. “Fine. Quick demonstration.”

Dr. Isaac walked over to the the amplifier as he began to explain. “The particle amplifier is designed to amplify the basic functionality of whatever is inside. In theory, a transfusion of blood could be put inside and the amplifier would create a sort of super blood. The red blood cells should change to be able to carry oxygen and CO2 in a more efficient manner, increasing the capability of the respiratory system. Essentially better blood. The blood would be carried to the musculature of the body as well as the organs which should increase their functioning as well.”

Dr. Isaac continued plugging in coils and changing settings on the computer as he talked. “This is all theoretical as of now. The ability to amplify a specific process is difficult. It needs to be isolated to its exact components. Best possible outcome, I could amplify the healing process of certain cells and increase the healing process. Worst case scenario, the processes that I’m attempting to amplify are altered incorrectly. In the same situation, I could end the healing process accidentally.”

The man stood and listened in silent contemplation. He enjoyed watching Dr. Isaac work. He was incredibly passionate and his ability to create was unparalleled. That’s why he had sought him out; to make the greatest weaponry any villain had ever known.

Too zoned in to stop, Dr. Isaac continued. “While that is a possibility and I won’t rule it out, I don’t make mistakes.” As he said it, Dr. Isaac rotated his silver ring around his finger.

Dr. Isaac took out a knife and cut down his left index finger. He entered the amplifier and asked the computer to close the door which promptly shut behind him.

“Computer. Analyze,” Dr. Isaac commanded.

“Location indicator sequence,” the computer responded.

“Left hand. Index finger. Knuckles one, two, and three.” Dr. Isaac said.

Green lasers lit up and began scanning Dr. Isaac’s body. After scanning his entire body, the lasers all settled on Dr. Isaac’s injured finger.

“Location confirmed. Command sequence,” the computer spoke.

“Identify bodily harm. Amplify cellular repair,” Dr. Isaac said.

“Identifying bodily harm. Bodily harm identified. Amplification identified. Cellular repair confirmed. Target markers confirmed. Fibroblast targeted. Microphage targeted. Leukocyte targeted. Bodily immuno response targeted. ATP targeted. Markers confirmed. Necessary elements identified. Constructing molecular design.”

The machine began to hum as images flashed across the computer screen. Images of elements falling into place and creating complex molecules passed, and then the computer spoke again.

“Molecular design confirmed. Requires confirmation start,” the computer said.

“Confirmation sequence: Golf Oscar Beta Alpha Beta Yankee Golf Oscar. Computer confirm,” Dr. Isaac responded.

“Confirmation sequence confirmed. Amplifying cellular repair.”

Particulates began to spin around Isaac as the green lasers intensified on Dr. Isaac’s finger. In only moments, the humming from the machine ceased and the particulates settled.

“Amplification complete,” the computer announced.

Dr. Isaac held out his hand as he exited the machine. “Healing complete.”

His finger was completely unscathed.

“This is ready now. We can increase my muscle mass. Increase my future healing. Improve my skin to withstand bullets,” the man began.

“No. It isn’t ready yet. I haven’t completed the command processing. The computer isn’t ready to sustain multiple commands in sequence.” Dr. Isaac replied.

“It’s ready now. Set it up,” the man commanded.

Dr. Isaac turned with a steel face. “No. It’s ready when I say it’s ready.”

“This is my machine. My funding. Everything you do comes from me,” the man said sternly, lifting Dr. Isaac into the air with his new gauntlets.

Unfazed, Dr. Isaac replied coolly, “Your machines but you don’t know how they work.. Your funding but you don’t understand what it supplies. Everything is yours but you might as well have nothing. Watch.”

Dr. Isaac slid his ring finger underneath the gauntlets. “Two pieces of silver don’t only deactivate the gauntlets, but cause them to collapse in on themselves.”

As he spoke, the man began to scream, the gauntlets collapsing like tin cans. He dropped Dr. Isaac causing the gauntlets to cease their destruction.

“Now shut up and get in the amplifier so I can fix my gauntlets,” Dr. Isaac said.

“And my hands?” The man asked.

“Fine. Your hands too,” Dr. Isaac replied.

#story #storytime #writing #writer #fiction #ten bands #chaos #supervillain #scientist #invention #crayonbox writing

0 notes

botanyshitposts · 7 years

Text

masterpost of all the plant books i own

this is all the plant books i own minus some suuuper vintage ones that dont matter so imma just gonna. put the casual books up top and all the others under the cut

there are many. my interests are diverse. be warned

FOR PEOPLE CASUALLY INTERESTED IN HAVING A GOOD PLANT TIME

The Plant Messiah - Carlos Magdalena

Reaching for the Sun - John King

Brilliant Green: The surprising History and Science of Plant Intelligence (Kindle Edition) - Stefano Mancuso and Alessandra Viola

In Praise of Plants - Francis Halle

The Hidden Life of Trees: What they Feel, How they Communicate (Kindle Edition) - Peter Wohlleben

Botany for Dummies (Kindle Edition) - Rene Fester Kratz

Lab Girl - Hope Jahren. This was given to me by my dad because he heard it was about a female botanist and her fun botany adventures but I haven’t read it yet because it’s currently popular and I’m petty and an edgy stubborn teen that must Avoid Popular Things(tm). that being said its supposed to be really good so putting it here out of the admittance that it’s probably really good and I should read it

TEXTBOOKS AND ACADEMIC

Aroids: Plants of the Arum Family - Deni Bown

Encyclopedia of plant Physiology Volume 18: Higher Plant Cell Respiration - Editied by R. Douce and D. A. Day

Genomics and Breeding for Climate-Resilient Crops Volume 2: Target Traits - Edited by Chittaranjan Kole

Life Processes of Plants - Arthur W. Galston

Green Plants: Their Origin and Diversity (second edition) - Peter R. Bell and Alan R. Hemsley. This is the official textbook for the Botany course at my University. I think of it as “Level 2 botany”?? Like, it’s harder than a college Biology course and rather challenging for me as an undergrad, and I wouldn’t recommend it for beginners, but it’s not as hard as a professional course/reference book.

Pitcher Plants of the Old World Volume 1 - Stewart McPherson

Pitcher Plants of the Old World Volume 2 - Stewart McPherson

New Nepenthes Volume 1 - Stewart McPherson

Introduction to Organic Chemistry (third edition) - William Brown and Thomas Poon

Biology of Plants - Raven, Evert, Eichhorn

Arctic Adaptions in Plants: Monograph Number 6, 1972 - Agriculture Canada

REFERENCE AND NOT QUITE A TEXTBOOK

Taxonomy of Flowering Plants (second edition) - Porter

Common Fossil Plants of Western North America (second edition) - William D. Tidwell

Botanical Microtechnique and Cytochemistry by Berlyn and Miksche. This is from like 1931 lol

Mountain Wild Flowers of Colorado (Museum Pictorial) - Roberts and Nelson

The Botany Coloring Book - Paul Young

The Origin of the Species - Charles Darwin

Iowa’s Living Roadway: Plant Profiler - Iowa Department of Transportation

HORTICULTURAL AND GREENHOUSE CATALOUGES

Miniature Orchids and How to Grow Them - Rebecca Tyson Northern

The Plant Propagator’s Bible - Miranda Smith

Snowdrops - Gunter Waldorf

Modern Miniature Daffodils: Species and Hybrids - James S. Wells

(Catalogue) Proven Winners 2015

(Catalogue) Proven Winners 2017

Hummert’s Helpful Hints (4th Edition) - Hummert????

(Catalogue) PanAmerican Seed and KieftSeed 2018/2019

(Catalogue) Ivy Garth 2016

NOT COMPLETELY BOTANY RELATED

Protein Structure: Molecular and Electronic Reactivity - Edited by R. Austin, E. Buhks, B. Chance, D. DeVault, P. L. Dutton, H. Frauenfelder, V. I. Gol’danskii Okay so I ordered this for my research project and then realized when I got it that it’s waaaaayyyy above my level. Like, not even in my field. I will never in my life be able to comprehend this book but at least I got it for $4

The Biology Coloring Book - Robert D. Griffin

Introduction to Protein Structure (second edition) - Branden and Tooze

Molecular Biology: A Very Short Introduction - Aysha Divan and Janice A. Royds

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics - Carlo Rovelli

Field Notes on Science and Nature - Edited by Michael R. Canfield

The Machinery of Life - David S. Goodsell Okay so this is all about molecular machines and stuff??? Like the mechanical components of ATP synthase and all the rest of the literal machines in biological things??? there are also colored electron microscope pics. its really cool

The Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life (Kindle Edition) - Nick Lane Discusses why we’re here and how life happened via evolution

Letters to a Young Scientist - Edward O. Wilson this is like the BEST science book and it’s won multiple awards and if you’re a young person going into science AT ALL you should read it 200% rn go read it NOW

(SCIENCE) BOOKS I WANT TO GET (not all about botany but most are)

Life's Ratchet: How Molecular Machines Extract Order from Chaos - Peter M. Hoffmann

Mesostic Herbarium - Alec Finlay a collection of botany and plant poems

We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe - Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson

The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry - Bryan Sykes This was recommended to me by a teacher after hearing of my interesting in AOX, a specific plant mitochondrial protein. it talks about using mDNA- DNA strands contained in the mitochondria that are inherited only from the female sex in each and every species of living thing with a mitochondria; for example, we inherit all our mDNA from our mothers, and plants inherit all their mDNA from whatever plant provided the ovary during its conception- to trace our ancestry through the ages to 7 specific women in Africa a super long time ago. He said that it’s impossible to put down.

The Cell: A Visual Tour of the Building Block of Life - Jack Challoner

A Garden of Marvels: How We Discovered that Flowers Have Sex, Leaves Eat Air, and Other Secrets of Plants

The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring - Richard Preston

When Life Nearly Died: The Greatest Mass Extinction of All Time - Michael J. Benton ok so earth has gone through 5 major extinctions in its life and this one talks about the largest one that scientists literally call “the great dying”. it casually wiped out 90% of all life on earth and every species of thing alive today is descended from the survivors of that. sleep well

The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World - Michael Pollan

Weeds: In Defense of Nature’s Most Unloved Plants - Richard Mabey

The Language of Plants: Science, Philosophy, Literature - Monica Gagliano and John C. Ryan

Botany in a Day - Thomas J. Elpel I watched Elpel’s youtube lecture going over this book, and I can verify that it’s great as a starting point for people learning basic plant ID! It’s very simple and applicable and I need to buy the book and read it

#long post #AAAAAAAAA THIS TOOK ME LIKE 2 HOURS TO PUT TOGETHEEERRRR #books

444 notes · View notes

techcrunchappcom · 4 years

Photo

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/todays-sports-news-what-you-need-to-know/

Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest – Former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield has said he is open to facing one-time rival Mike Tyson in a trilogy fight for charity on the condition that Tyson asks for the bout to be set up.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Tyson, 53, fought two epic bouts with Holyfield, 57, during their professional careers, including their controversial 1997 encounter in which Tyson bit off a chunk of Holyfield’s ear.

‘Iron Mike’ had released several training videos in recent weeks fuelling speculation he could be returning to the ring, while Holyfield announced his return for a charity bout on Instagram earlier this month.

“If I ask him it’s almost like me being a bully saying I want to go against somebody I’ve beaten twice,” Holyfield told the BBC. “I don’t want pressure on me that ‘you just want to fight Mike because you know you can beat him’.

“If he hits me I’m going to hit back. I’m going to be 58, he’ll be 54, you talk about being in good health and doing things the proper way that respects it. I don’t have no problem with it.”

Tyson, the first heavyweight to hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, retired after a loss to Kevin McBride in 2005, while Holyfield called time on his career nine years later.

If they do return, they will be following in the footsteps of Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao in coming out of retirement for an exhibition fight.

-Reuters

England womens football called off

England’s womens football competitions, stalled by the Covid-19 crisis, have been ended with immediate effect.

Manchester City women Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The FA says the decision was taken to end the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship following “overwhelming feedback from the clubs” and to give them the chance to “prepare and focus on next season.”

Manchester City were leading the Super League by a point from Chelsea, who had a game in hand.

The FA said no decision had yet been made on how the league winner or relegation to the Women’s Championship would be decided, or how entries for the 2020-21 UEFA Women’s Champions League would be determined.

Aston Villa were six points clear at the top of the Women’s Championship.

Top-flight English football’s men’s teams were given permission to resume training in small groups last week.

-Reuters

Remembering Jesse Owens

It was 85 years ago today that American sprint legend Jesse Owens set four world records.

Described by Sports Illustrated as the “Greatest 45 minutes ever in sports” history, Owens set records in the 100 yard, 220 yard, 220 yard hurdles and long jump.

He achieved the feat running for Ohio State at a College meeting in Michigan.

His tally was in fact six world records as he also achieved metric milestones in two of the races.

A year later Owens went on to win four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

-World Athletics

Baseball returning to Japan

Pro baseball is set to return in Japan with the Nippon Professional Baseball league to begin its 2020 season on June 19, as the government lifts restrictions aimed at stopping the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Games will initially be played without spectators, NPB Commissioner Atsushi Saito announced, without saying when fans may be able to return.

The NPB season was supposed to start on March 20 but has been delayed because of the coronavirus.

New cases in Japan have decreased significantly recently and a state of emergency imposed in April to help stop the virus is gradually being lifted and professional sport is being allowed to resume.

Two Japanese teams held intra-squad practice games in empty ballparks yesterday as they gear up for a return to action.

Several of Japan’s top football clubs, including Andres Iniesta’s Vissel Kobe, also began training on Monday.

-Reuters

Indian hockey legend dies

India’s three-times Olympic hockey gold medallist Balbir Singh has died at the age of 95 after a prolonged pulmonary illness.

Singh helped India win its first Olympic gold as an independent country at the 1948 London Games when they beat Britain 4-0 in the final. India then went on to defend the title at the next two Games in Helsinki and Melbourne.

Singh scored five goals in India’s 6-1 victory over the Netherlands in the 1952 final — a record that still stands. He also captained the country at the 1956 Games when they scored 38 goals in five matches and conceded none.

Following his retirement, Singh coached the Indian team which won the World Cup in 1975.

-Reuters

Reds okay with departing team-mates

Queensland Reds players harbour no ill will towards Wallabies lock Izack Rodda and two other team mates for rebelling against pay-cuts, the Super Rugby team’s captain Liam Wright said.

Rodda, flyhalf Isaac Lucas and lock Harry Hockings were released from their contracts last week after refusing to take pay-cuts signed off by the players union and governing body amid a financial crisis brought on by the coronavirus shutdown.

The three have been criticised heavily by former players and pundits for their stance, which has effectively ended their career in Australian rugby for the foreseeable future.

Wright, however, said the trio’s departure could bring the rest of the Reds playing group closer.

“It’ll definitely be a positive for us,” Wright said.

“We’ve lost some good mates but they’ll still be our mates and they’ve made their decision. This group can only get stronger through it.

“It just makes sure that everyone who wants to be here is really willing to put in.”

Rodda missed out of the Reds captaincy to South Africa-born flanker Wright and there were reports of friction between the lock and the team’s hard-nosed coach Brad Thorn.

The three players, who are all managed by the same agent, are expected to look overseas for playing opportunities.

-Reuters

Kvitova happy to be back

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is happy to finally play tennis again for fans around the world – even if they can only watch on television.

Czech tennis star Petra Kvitova. Photo: Photosport/Icon Sportswire

The world number 12 will headline an all-Czech tournament in Prague starting today without spectators, handshakes or the usual towel service.

The return to action is one of the first after pro tennis tours were suspended in early March as countries went into lockdown to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

Some exhibition events without fans have been held in countries like Germany and the United States while more are planned elsewhere in the coming weeks.

Kvitova last played at the Qatar Open in February where she lost in the final to Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka. She said finding rhythm and playing without support would be the hardest part returning.

“That it will be without people is something I still can’t imagine at all,” she told a news conference on Monday.

“We will play some nice tennis… I think we are mainly here to bring tennis back not only to the Czech Republic, but to the world, too.”

The tournament, with eight players in both the men’s and women’s draw, will resemble regular tennis as much as possible.

-Reuters

Ban on cricket spit only temporary

A recommendation banning the use of saliva to shine a cricket ball when the sport resumes after the novel coronavirus shutdown is only a temporary measure, Anil Kumble, the chairman of the International Cricket Council’s Cricket Committee, said.

Cricketers have used the age-old method of shining one side of the ball with a combination of saliva and sweat to help bowlers generate more movement in the air as it travels towards the batsman.

However, as part of efforts aimed at minimizing the risk of spreading the virus, the governing body’s cricket committee has recommended the ban on using spit.

“We have been very critical and we have been very focused on eliminating any external substances coming into the game,” former India leg-spinner Kumble said on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected.

“This is only an interim measure and as long as we have hopefully control over COVID in a few months or a year’s time then I think things will go back to as normal as it can be.”

Australia quick Pat Cummins has said cricket’s lawmakers should approve the use of an artificial substance to shine the ball if the ban on saliva was enacted, while compatriot Josh Hazlewood has said it would difficult to police such a ban.

-Reuters

New Zealand to host tennis tournament

The prize-money is paltry, the field lacks star power and the tournament director is busy hammering out the draw while locked down in quarantine.

But New Zealand will be proud to revive elite tennis next week when it stages the “Premier League” in Auckland, marking the southern hemisphere’s first pro competition since the Covid-19 pandemic brought global sport to a halt.

The men’s team-based tournament will run for three weeks from June 3, giving tennis-starved fans something to watch in the absence of the pinnacle ATP and WTA tours, which have been suspended since early March.

It will also have the sporting spotlight exclusively in New Zealand for its opening 10 days, having left professional rugby’s June 13 restart in the dust.

All 112 matches will be staged without the general public in the terraces but the games will be broadcast live on Sky Sport’s Youtube channel, Sky Sport Next.

“Yeah, it’s a big thing,” Tennis New Zealand’s commercial manager Gareth Archer told Reuters.

“As soon as rugby starts there’s probably no more talk about (anything else) in New Zealand so to get a week or two on them is a good thing.”

-Reuters

#Sports

0 notes

rickhorrow · 4 years

Text

15+5+5 To WATCH 11320

15 TO WATCH/5 SPORTS TECH/POWER OF SPORTS 5: RICK HORROW’S TOP SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 13

with Jacob Aere

Bets are piling up on LSU, leaving sports books around the nation with lopsided action on a college football championship game that is setting up to be big for bookmakers. Bookmakers are reporting significant betting interest on the championship game, with 80% to 90% of the bets on LSU. According to ESPN, heading into the weekend, LSU was a consensus six-point favorite over Clemson in Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship in New Orleans. From the East Coast to the Gulf Coast to Las Vegas, the betting public is all over LSU, including some big wagers. Last Tuesday, Las Vegas sportsbook operator CG Technology reported taking two bets totaling $200,000 on LSU. William Hill U.S. said Clemson-LSU was on pace to be the "biggest-bet college football game of all time." Jeff Davis of Caesars Sportsbook said the last championship game he could recall that had this one-sided of action was Super Bowl XLVIII between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos. Take note: the underdog Seahawks beat the Broncos 43-8, and Nevada sportsbooks won a net $19.6 million, the most ever on a Super Bowl.

ATP Player Council President Novak Djokovic has called for Australian Open organizers to "consider delaying the year's opening grand slam event if smoke haze from the bushfire emergency threatens players' health." According to ABC.net.au, Djokovic said that the Player Council "would meet ahead of the tournament to discuss options, including a possible delayed start to the tournament." Djokovic added that his reps had been in contact with Tennis Australia CEO and Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley and had been "monitoring air quality in both Melbourne and Sydney," where the final rounds of the inaugural ATP Cup just wrapped. Tiley in a statement said the officials have "committed substantial extra resources" to monitor air quality.” And he quickly shut down suggestions that the start of the tournament could be delayed, reminding the media that Melbourne Park features three courts with fully retractable roofs, and that the tennis complex also includes eight indoor courts with “some form of cover.” The Australian Open begins January 20.

Tennis Australia has hedged its bushfire bets. Tennis Australia, according to The Australian, stands to "pocket a huge cash payout potentially worth tens of millions of dollars" should a significant amount of play be lost at the Australian Open because of adverse conditions. The payout would be a "result of a canny and groundbreaking insurance deal" the governing body struck for the first time a year ago with insurers Lloyds of London and Hiscox. While Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley "would not disclose the exact terms," TA would reportedly receive well north of $100 million in the "worst-case scenario of the cancellation of the Open.” Smoke from the fires has created hazardous conditions in Melbourne, and it remains "unclear where ground pass holders are expected to take cover if matches are suddenly abandoned due to hazardous conditions." So far, however, the Sydney Morning Herald notes that the haze "hasn't stopped fans from lapping up tickets" for the Open. Pre-sales are "already up for the crown jewel" of Australian tennis.

Heading into its conference championship weekend, NFL viewership is up, which should affect media rights negotiations. The NFL averaged 16.5 million viewers per game during the 2019 regular season, up from 15.8 million in 2018 — the league's second consecutive annual increase of 5%. The rebound in viewership from the previous two years, according to Axios Sports, will give the NFL higher leverage when negotiating new distribution deals with media partners. Currently, the NFL gets around $1 billion annually from each the three broadcast networks that air Sunday games (CBS, FOX, and NBC), over $1 billion from ESPN to air Monday night games, and around $1.5 billion from AT&T's DirecTV to distribute its Sunday Ticket package. Among predictions about where NFL rights will land in the future, SportsBusiness Journal posits that global streaming service DAZN come close to picking up rights to NFL Sunday Ticket. And Lightshed Partners predicts that CBS will lose Sunday afternoon NFL rights to either NBC or ABC, given price increases, and that FOX will retain its rights. Most of the NFL's current media deals expire in 2022 or sooner, and experts predict that prices will go up significantly in the next round of deals.

Two-thirds of Americans support college players being allowed to earn money through endorsements according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. As the NCAA mulls new rules about athlete endorsement and Name, Image, and Likeness compensation, the study found that support for the NCAA allowing college athletes to cash in on their names, images, and likenesses is particularly high among young adults, as well as black Americans and Hispanics. “The opinions of the public in general are very important because they are reflected in the attitudes of universities, who are the ones that actually make the rules,” NCAA President Mark Emmert told the Associated Press. Another interpretation of Emmert’s comments and a peek into the crystal ball on the issue: if two-thirds of Americans support the proposed rules, that likely means two-thirds of college and university boosters, the influential lifeblood of athletic departments, do as well.

Oh no – Overtime, Ohio State battle over “O” trademark. New York-based sports network Overtime filed suit in federal court last Monday in a trademark dispute with Ohio State University over the letter “O.” The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that digital programming provider Overtime Sports wants a legal declaration allowing the continued use of its “O” mark, following a cease and desist letter issued by the university this year. According to the federal suit, “The differences between the parties’ trademarks and manners of use prevent any likelihood of confusion. ... There are numerous O marks, O-formative marks, and O designs in use by third parties in connection with the relevant goods and services, such that consumers will not presume that all goods and services offered under O or O-formative marks emanate from a common source.” One party not yet trying to trademark an “O” – LSU’s colorful Coach O, Ed Orgeron. That might change if he wins a national championship come Monday.

Quicken Loans has signed a multiyear NFL sponsorship for its Rocket Mortgage brand in an effort to seek greater brand awareness and preference. The move comes just in time for marketing activation during the NFL Playoffs and Super Bowl. To support its new designation as the NFL’s first official mortgage sponsor, Rocket Mortgage is immediately launching a national Super Bowl “squares” game, in which consumers “owning” a box with a particular score are eligible to win $50,000 each time the score changes. Two “lucky square” holders will win $500,000 each toward the mortgage on their dream home. Marketing support will include digital, social and TV ads. Pro Football HOFer Barry Sanders will serve as spokesperson for the program; golfer Rickie Fowler has been a Rocket Mortgage spokesperson since 2015. A Super Bowl LIV spot featuring the two seems likely, as Rocket Mortgage advertised during the game in 2016 and 2018.

The USGA teamed up with actor Don Cheadle to boost the value of public golf to golfers, courses, and communities throughout the country. Cheadle will also serve as a U.S. Open brand ambassador, lending his voice and stature to the championship. FOX Sports viewers got a glimpse of the USGA’s relationship with the Oscar-nominated Cheadle with a 15-second U.S. Open tune-in advertisement that ran nationally during last Sunday’s broadcast of the NFC Playoff game between the Saints and Vikings on FOX. It will continue with projects throughout the year, including advertising during the NFC Championship game between the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers on FOX next Sunday and the launch of the new U.S. Open brand campaign at the USGA’s Annual Meeting at the Pinehurst Resort in February. While Cheadle is not Tiger Woods, the respected actor should bring some gravitas and diversity clout to the USGA’s efforts to continue to widen its net with the golfing public, particularly among minorities and younger demographics.

Topgolf’s IPO could value the company at over $4 billion. Topgolf International Inc., an operator of driving ranges with a party atmosphere, has selected banks for an initial public offering that could value the company at about $4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. The Dallas-based company is reportedly working with banks including Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Bank of America. Its IPO could come as soon as this year. The company’s driving ranges, which “bring the spirit of a bowling alley to the golf course,” have bays that can accommodate up to six players who can track their balls electronically while ordering food and drinks. Some venues feature rooftop bars, restaurants, shops, pools, and concert halls. The company has locations in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, with others opening soon in Canada, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates, according to its website. The company’s backers also have included Callaway Golf Co., which acquired a minority stake with other investors in a deal completed in 2017.

Just hours after news broke that Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg was spending $10 million on a Super Bowl ad, word came that President Trump would do the same. “President Trump made the unprecedented decision to keep the campaign open following his first election, which allows us to do things like buying a Super Bowl ad,” Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, was quoted in the New York Times. Super Bowl ads are rarely deployed in presidential politics due to the high cost and inefficiencies of paying to reach a national audience rather than focusing on key states. The buy highlights Bloomberg's massive spending power. And it’s just the start of what's likely to be a huge spending year for Trump. Bloomberg has already spent $170 million on ads this election cycle, while the Republican National Committee just announced that it raised $463 million in 2019 and has nearly $200 million cash on hand. It's worth noting that the Super Bowl lands just one day before the Iowa caucuses.

In an era in which legislation such as California’s newly minted Assembly Bill 5 aims to correct inequalities in the workplace, Sports Illustrated staffers announced their intention to unionize, seeking better workplace protections amid turmoil at the legacy brand. The union, according to CNN, represents about 80 staffers in print, digital, and video. Sports Illustrated's magazine staffers were already a part of the NewsGuild of New York, but digital staffers were not. Now, both print and digital will be included in the new union that is also with the NewsGuild. In October, Seattle-based startup Maven took ownership of Sports Illustrated from magazine conglomerate Meredith Corporation and immediately laid off about 40 staffers. Of the roughly 80 staffers eligible for the bargaining unit, more than 90% "signed a petition supporting the union drive." Their effort to join the NewsGuild "comes at a time of turmoil for the magazine." In a letter to management, staffers requested a "pay-equity study; an increased focus on minority hiring; clarity for workers on extended temporary contracts; and clear protocols for handling harassment.”

RIP Pete Dye. Pete Dye, who designed many of America's most famous golf courses and became known as the "Picasso" of golf architecture for his distinctive layouts, passed away last week at age 94. “I think of Pete like Picasso, somebody that has created a nontraditional design, whether it's a painting, a sculpture or a golf course. He was so innovative in a profession that is very traditional,” summed up golf course designer Arthur Hills. Dye designed more than 100 public and private golf courses worldwide, including PGA Tour and Major courses that include Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin, home of the 2020 Ryder Cup; PGA West Stadium course in La Quinta, California, this week’s stop on the PGA Tour’s 2020 West Coast Swing; The Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, South Carolina; and Harbour Town Golf Links in neighboring Hilton Head. And then there’s the island Par-3 17th hole at Ponte Vedra Beach’s TPC Sawgrass, perhaps the most photographed hole in golf history outside of Augusta National’s Amen Corner. Rick enjoyed his sit-down interviews with Dye, most memorably at the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits.

Tensions surrounding the Middle East continue to loom over the European Tour’s “Desert Swing.” Concerns are "growing" over the European Tour's "Desert Swing" over the next three weeks after Iran "threatened to 'unleash Hezbollah' across the Gulf as military tensions build." The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship is set to take place this week, followed by the Dubai Desert Classic and Saudi Arabia International. The European Tour, according to the London Telegraph, was "confident at the start of the week that its schedule would not be affected by the conflict." Several U.S. golfers are "due to play in Abu Dhabi," and the region is "vital for the Tour’s ongoing prosperity and officials will be loath to cancel or even postpone.” In the U.S., Phil Mickelson and others will be skipping next month’s Waste Management Open to play in the lucrative Saudi Arabia tourney. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth is now a factor for sport and sports events, whatever the controversy. In the near future, it seems likely that a very big golf name is going to align itself with the kingdom – or take a stand by turning its money down.

The NHL 2020 Winter Classic between the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars was the least-watched edition of the annual ice hockey game since it was first played in 2008. According to Nielsen, the Stars’ 4-2 win over the Predators on New Year’s Day roped in only 1.97 million viewers for NBC. The figure represents a drop of almost one million on last year’s edition of the game, which saw an audience of 2.94 million tune in for the Boston Bruins’ win over the Chicago Blackhawks. In related news, the NHL has selected the head coaches for its January 25 All-Star Game at St. Louis, with Todd Reirden of the Washington Capitals, Bruce Cassidy of the Boston Bruins, Craig Berube of the Blues, and Gerard Gallant of the Vegas Golden Knights getting selected due to their points percentage in their respective divisions. Since the upcoming NHL All-Star Game is in the home of the Stanley Cup Champion Blues, the league has high hopes for good ratings and attendance for its annual midseason celebration.

In conjunction with the Protect the Pitch program, which continues to lead the industry in stadium sustainability and clean energy efforts, LA’s Dignity Health Sports Park has installed 12 new Volta electric vehicle charging stations that will be available to guests free of charge at all events. Volta designs electric vehicle charging networks for forward-thinking businesses seeking to provide seamless, simple and free charging. Volta designed Dignity Health Sports Park’s charging network as a foundation for further expansion to match the park’s rising electric vehicle demands. Projecting out based on the average Volta station impact in Los Angeles, Dignity Health Sport Park’s 12 stations will offset an estimated 250,000 pounds of CO2annually. The MLS LA Galaxy and Dignity Health Sports Park have launched numerous sustainability efforts to reduce carbon footprint and become more sustainable through the Protect the Pitch initiative. As increasing numbers of Galaxy fans drive electric cars, Dignity Health Sports Park’s partnership with Volta is a perfect complement to the club’s Protect the Pitch sustainability initiative.

Top Five Tech

Vince McMahon’s XFL has signed a multiyear deal with Genius Sports that’s designed to protect the fledgling football league from improper sports betting. As reported by Bloomberg and relayed by Hashtag Sports, London-based Genius Sports, which has similar partnerships with golf’s PGA Tour and soccer’s English Premier League, will help the XFL build a so-called integrity program to guard against fixed games. As part of that, Genius, owned by private equity firm Apax Partners, will offer around-the-clock monitoring of pregame and live betting markets to detect unusual activity. During the XFL’s centralized training camp this month, Genius will conduct betting-focused educational workshops with players, coaches and game officials. The XFL will play during a relatively slow time in U.S. pro sports, with only the NBA and NHL regular seasons in action. Football has long been the most bet-on U.S. sport – especially during Playoff periods like this past weekend’s slate of thrilling NFL games. According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, football accounts for about 34% of all sports betting within the state – a number that will likely only increase.

WWE made $13 million off of YouTube advertising revenue in 2019. According to Tubefilter, WWE’s YouTube channel is larger than those of the NBA, the NFL, MLB, and the NHL —combined with a whopping 52.8 million subscribers. And WWE uploaded a staggering average of 510 videos per month with content ranging from full matches to behind-the-scenes clips. This had them outpacing their sports league counterparts by hundreds of videos a month. Furthermore, there is no off season with the WWE so there is always lots of content. In 2019, WWE’s channel brought a monthly average of 756.4 million views, putting in up in the ranks of the most-watched YouTube channels. But WWE is making around $1.40 per 1,000 views, a number far below YouTube’s reported average CPM of $7.60 due to the fact that the wrestling content is not ad friendly for many sponsors. Even if the WWE only pulled in $13 million, the amount of eyeballs on their content in an era where traditional TV viewership continues to dwindle for all sports may be worth more than AdSense’s earnings for the company.

The Raider’s future Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas is the pinnacle of technological connectivity. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, the $2 billion, 65,000 seat stadium will feature the fastest optical internet service available with Allegiant Stadium covered by 1,700 managed Wi-Fi access points and 40-gigabit optical internet connections to deliver high-speed bandwidth for every mobile device in the venue. Cox Business, the commercial division of Cox Communications, will also power nearly 2,200 Cisco Vision dynamic screens and signs throughout the stadium – promising a memorable, interactive fan experience. Furthermore, Cox will offer engaging activations like the Cox Virtual Meet and Greet at the stadium to create memorable moments for fans by changing the way they interact with the game and their favorite athletes. The stadium aesthetically looks like the future from the outside with its “Black Hole” inspired design and the high-tech feel of the building delivers on its future-forward sports business.

Spotify is looking to reach into daily sports podcasts in its upcoming expansion. According to Bloomberg, Spotify Technology SA is developing several daily sports shows, which is a big part of the music-streaming giant’s push into original podcasts. The Swedish company will likely start with a single show and then increase its workload. Spotify is considering a number of options, including audio programs tailored to fans of specific teams, but so far it is known that one program will be a recap of the day in sports and run about 10 minutes. The company hired Amy Hudson earlier this year to oversee sports, and she has talked with Barack and Michelle Obama’s production company, Higher Ground, about making shows. Spotify is eager to reduce its reliance on music, and has pinned much of its future on the growth of podcasting. With sports being one of the most popular genres in traditional radio and podcasting, it will be a strategic move for the company to build out its slate of original and exclusive shows and become a platform more similar to Apple’s podcast, music, and video network.

The NBA boosts its online presence with more Twitter live games. According to SportsPro, the NBA, Twitter, and Turner Sports have announced a multi-year extension to their partnership that increases Twitter’s amount of live games and on-demand content on the social media platform. The deal was first signed in January 2019 and will now offer a live streaming option for the second half of at least 20 regular season NBA games, the NBA All-Star Game, and 16 playoff games, including the Western Conference Finals. The U.S. geo-locked Twitter feed features an isolated-camera on a player voted on by users, with NBA influencers and veteran basketball star Channing Frye on commentary. Additional engagement features includes voting on users’ favorite plays, moments, and teams to watch during pre-game warm-ups for select games. Since joining Twitter in 2009, the NBA has built one of the largest Twitter communities in the world, with more than 437 million followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. The additional live streamed games should further establish it as one of the online sports league titans.

Power of Sports Five

Top tennis stars band together to aid Australian bushfire relief. According to CNN, a number of the world's top tennis stars, including Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki, Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas have agreed to play in an exhibition match to raise funds for Australia's bushfire relief. Scheduled to take place on January 15 at Melbourne Park's Rod Laver Arena, the Australian Open Rally for Relief will donate proceeds from ticket sales -- priced at $54 AUSD for adults and $35 AUSD for concessions -- to the bushfire relief efforts. So far, at least 24 people have been killed by the fires in Australia. Nearly 18 million acres of land have been burned as the country faces its worst blazes in decades. Kyrgios kick-started tennis' fundraising efforts last week when he pledged $200 AUSD for every ace he hits at upcoming tournaments with a number of other players since joining him. Furthermore, Tennis Australia will also donate $100 AUSD for every ace hit across six tournaments, including the Australian Open, as well as granting $1 million AUSD to help rebuild tennis facilities damaged in the bushfires. The tennis world has been one of the first major sports leagues to go all in to support the Australian bushfires and other leagues will likely follow suit, such as the England Premier League.

Soccer stars from around the globe will play a bushfire charity match. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the head of Melbourne-based agency Tribal Sports Group, Lou Sticca, took to Twitter last Sunday to flag plans for a star-studded charity soccer match, which could raise huge sums to help alleviate the suffering of people and communities whose lives have been devastated by blazes scorching Australia. The game is likely to be played at Sydney's ANZ Stadium in May. Many top European and South American players will be in action at the European Championships and Copa America, but big names who are no longer internationals could be lured to Australia to help raise funds. The charity match is one of a number of fundraising efforts being made on behalf of football in Australia to assist those affected by the bushfires. Currently, the next two rounds of the A-League and W-League will be dedicated to raising funds and showing gratitude to emergency services. And the Australian players' union, Professional Footballers Australia, also used its “Footballers Trust” to donate $1000 for every goal scored in the A-League and W-League over the weekend of January 11-12.

The Vikings’ Kyle Rudolph game-winning gloves finally find their way to charity. According to ESPN, Rudolph thought he was donating the gloves he wore while catching the winning touchdown in overtime against the New Orleans Saints to a charitable cause. It turns out the tight end was scammed by someone who went directly to eBay to sell his game-worn memorabilia for profit. But Jason King, a lifelong Vikings fan from New Jersey, purchased Rudolph's gloves after he saw them on eBay. Shortly after making his purchase, King began to see news of the scam circulating on Twitter. Upon seeing Rudolph's post, King tweeted the tight end that he was the buyer of the gloves and would gladly donate them to charity. Rudolph responded, directing King to the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital, where he and his wife, Jordan, have done extensive charitable work throughout his nine-year career with the Vikings. Rudolph then said he would send King the gloves he was planning to wear during the Vikings' NFC divisional playoff matchup against San Francisco. King said he will donate the money he spent on the gloves toward Kyle Rudolph's End Zone, a space designed to help children and teenagers find a place to play, relax, engage in healing therapies, and socialize at Masonic Children's Hospital.

Megan Rapinoe is working with Budweiser to change the perspective on branding the NWSL. According to Yahoo Sports, the NWSL looks to shift from surviving to thriving with a target fan base that needs to change from children to young adults. And there may be a shift on the horizon, thanks in part to Budweiser. With help from U.S. Soccer and Soccer United Marketing, who helped broker the deal, Budweiser signed a multi-year sponsorship with the NWSL as the league's biggest sponsor to date. Budweiser's campaign is less of the soft and fuzzy approach the NWSL has seen in the past. Budweiser's current campaign is a call-out of other brands who claim they care about female empowerment to actually put their money where their corporate mouths are. The ironic campaign features Rapinoe enjoying products from future official sponsors of the NWSL – eating a generic hamburger that could be a fast food chain sponsor or sporting a generic watch that could become the official timepiece of the NWSL. Budweiser is simultaneously supporting women’s sports leagues and proving themselves to be a consistent sports sponsor and beverage – regardless of league or gender.

The Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young cancels $1 million in medical debt for locals. According to ABC 7 and other news outlets, the 21-year-old star donated $10,000 to a medical debt erasure agency that relieved over $1 million in debt for local residents. Through the Trae Young Foundation, Young donated the money to RIP Medical Debt, an organization that buys and forgives medical debt in the United States, according to a news release. The nonprofit was started in 2014 by two former debt collectors. They use donated funds to buy debt portfolios for those in need. Media reports said the average amount of dissolved debt is $1,858 for about 570 people. Although he didn’t contribute the $1 million himself, Young expanded what his money could do and positively financially impacted hundreds of Atlanta residents.

0 notes