Chic STREET EDGE Design By: Andrew M. Nowell
Photos by: Don Harris
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INSIDE THE MEMORIAL TO VICTIMS OF LYNCHING
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Oprah Winfrey reports on the Alabama memorial dedicated to thousands of African-American men, women and children lynched over a 70-year period following the Civil War
The City of Chicago is Throwing the Best House Music Festival of 2018 The Chicago debut of Louie Vega's Elements of Life, Chez Damier, Ron Trent, Paul Johnson, Zernell, Mike Dunn, Ron Carroll, Joe Smooth, DJ Deeon and more pack the line-up for the Chicago House Music Festival on Saturday May 26 2018.
Prepare yourself: the City of Chicago is pulling out all the stops. And what began as the best municipal event in the place that started it all is quickly transforming into one of the best House Music festivals in the world. The Chicago House Music Festival was just announced, and the line-up is a stunner. Coming to Chicago on May 26 2018 for the first time ever is Grammy award winner Louie Vega‘s Elements of Life band featuring Josh Milan from Blaze, Anane and Luisito Quintero. In addition, this year’s festival will be comprised two stages as well as the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago’s Millennium Park. Aside from Elements of Life, the talent announced so far includes Joe Smooth, Chez Damier, Ron Trent, Paul Johnson, DJ Deeon, Zernell, Mike Dunn, Ron Carroll, John Simmons, Craig Loftis, Donna Edwards, Adam Gibbons, Duane Powell, Excursions’ Cordell Johnson and James Vincent, Celeste Alexander and DJ Sabine. (Did we mention yet this event is free?) Furthermore, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events will host the Chicago House Music Conference on Thursday, May 24 from 6-9pm and Friday, May 25 from 3-10pm at the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E. Washington).
And on Friday, May 25, there will be a special House Dance workshop from 4pm to 6:30pm in the Dance Studio. Attendees will be able to take part in introductory and master classes led by local and national professional House Dancers. The evening continues on Friday with a House Dance demonstration at 7:30 p.m. in the Keith Haring Exhibition in the Yates Gallery, followed by a Chicago House Music Festival preview and networking event with DJ Ron Trent until 11 p.m. The festival on May 26 in Millennium Park will also feature a new Vinyl Records Fair on Chase Promenade Central (near Cloud Gate) from 1 to 8 p.m. The Chicago House Music Festival’s main stage will be opened with a special dance performance by Czarina Mirani’s Fivestar Boogie Dancers, special guest artists Lyrik Cruz and Carlos Lanvin and more.
“This Memorial Day weekend, the Chicago House Music Festival in Millennium Park celebrates a truly original genre created in the city during the 1980s by DJ Frankie Knuckles and others,” Mark Kelly, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, said in a release. “House music is part of the city’s rich music legacy with influences from disco, blues, gospel music, soul, R&B, funk and jazz. Whether you’re a house music fan or just love to dance, I hope to see everyone coming together and enjoying this great art form.” Here is the complete performance schedule for the Chicago House Music Festival: Chicago House Music Festival Schedule Millennium Park | Saturday, May 26 Jay Pritzker Pavilion 7:30–9 p.m. – Louie Vega and Elements of Life 7:15–7:30 p.m. – House Music Awards 6–7:15 p.m. – Gifted Souls featuring Joe Smooth & Craig Loftis 5–6 p.m. – Chez Damier 4–5 p.m. – Mike Dunn 3–4 p.m. – Donna Edwards 2–3 p.m.- TBA 1:45 p.m.–2 p.m. – House Dance Performance by Fivestar Boogie Dancers Deep House Stage (Chase Promenade North) 7–8 p.m. – Ron Trent 6–7 p.m. – Adam Gibbons 4–6 p.m. – DJ Sabine 3–4 p.m. – Excursions with Cordell Johnson & James Vincent 2–3 p.m. – DJ Duane Powell 1–2 p.m. – John Simmons
Chicago Stage (Chase Promenade South) 7–8 p.m. – Paul Johnson 6–7 p.m. – DJ Deeon 4–6 p.m. – Ron Carroll 3–4 p.m. – Zernell 2–3 p.m. – Celeste Alexander 1–2 p.m. – Boogie McClarin Dance Workshop The Chicago House Music Festival is produced by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and sponsored by the Chicago Transit Authority. For more information, please visit ChicagoHouseMusicFestival.us and follow us on Facebook (Millennium Park) Twitter, Instagram (@ChicagoDCASE #ChicagoHouseMusicFestival) and Snapchat (ChicagoDCASE). To plan your trip to Chicago for the Chicago House Music Festival, visit choosechicago.com. For more information on the festival, visit chicagohousemusicfestival.com.
Hip Hop Star Remy Ma Joins Queen of the South Season 3 Queen of the South continues to bring badass women to the screen with the announcement that hip hop artist Remy Ma will guest-star in season three. Ma is set to appear as Vee, a key member of Chicago drug mogul Devon Finch's (Jamie Hector) security detail. According to the show, Vee is "efficient in combat and weaponry, “courageous, deeply loyal, and can always be
depended on by her boss and crew. The Bronx-bred Grammy-nominated artist has impacted rap music over the course of two decades. Her appearance on the hit single “Lean Back” yielded a Grammy nomination in 2005 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. A year later, she dropped her groundbreaking debut There's Something About Remy: Based on a True Story, armed with the classic track “Conceited.” Ma’s longawaited second solo album 7 Winters and 6 Summers recounts her prison experience in Westchester County’s Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women. In 2016, she was featured in Fat Joe’s“All The Way Up,” which garnered two Grammy nominations, along with a Soul Train Music Award and BET Hip Hop Award win. Last year, she won the 2017 Best New Hip Hop Artist award at the BET Awards. She most recently starred in Love & Hip Hop: New York. When Queen of the South returns later this year, Teresa Mendoza (Alice Braga) strikes out on her own, determined to build a new empire for herself. But as enemies old and new close in, she realizes that being Queen will require more work -- and more sacrifice -- than she ever imagined.
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Hines E. Ward Jr.
Corporate Counsel Men of Color Launches Inaugural Career|Life and Power Networking Conference THE GATHERING WILL BRING TOGETHER MEN OF COLOR FROM MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING STEM, LAW, FINANCE, MEDICAL, REAL ESTATE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND GOVERNMENT, FOR PROGRESS IN DIVERSITY AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT Corporate Counsel Men of Color (“CCMC”), a subsidiary of Corporate Counsel Women of Color and a support network for men of color, will convene its inaugural Men of Color Career|Life Strategies and Power Networking Conference on June 15, 2018, at the Marriott Marquis Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The event will have attendees from multiple industries, including STEM, law, and finance, just to name a few. In addition to an itinerary filled with informative sessions, workshops, and headlining speakers, CCMC will also host a Golf Networking Tournament and Luncheon the day prior, on June 14, 2018, at the National Golf Club in Fort Washington, Maryland.
CCMC gained national headlines last year when it launched the groundbreaking Men of Color survey, which measured and assessed the experiences of men of color in the workplace. Uniquely, the survey was open to men of color in all industries and measured seven key components: (1) Career Goals, (2) Feedback and Relationships, (3) Diversity and Initiatives Within the Company, (4) Company Culture, (5) Sponsorship, (6) Employee Engagement, and (7) Future Plans to Stay or Leave Their Current Company. This year’s event programming is centered around the survey components and will address relevant topics such as leadership, career management, leading teams, health and wellness, and financial management. “The first Men of Color event will be a forum where we can share the current findings from the study and focus groups, and to provide support to career-minded men of color who are looking to advance in their respective industries,” said Laurie N. Robinson Haden, Founder and CEO of CCWC. “This cuttingedge event will be life-changing for men of color as it is the event that will leave attendees feeling empowered and will set them on a course of being all they were created to be to achieve greatness,” said Conference Host David P. Haden, Sr. Hines E. Ward, Jr., former wide receiver for the 2006 Super Bowl XL Champion Pittsburgh Steelers and voted MVP of Super Bowl XL for his outstanding performance, will be a featured keynote speaker for the conference and will participate in a fireside chat. “A Conversation with Football Legend Hines E. Ward, Jr.” will take place from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m on June 15, 2018.
To Register for the Corporate Counsel Men of Color Inaugural Men of Color Conference on June 15, 2018, at the Marriott Marquis Convention Center in Washington D.C. please click on the link below: http://www.cvent.com/events/men-of-color-career-life-strategies-and-power-networkingconference-2018/registration-765d87c696624962aae9e20d2bf8ba5f.aspx Other thought leaders and motivational and noteworthy speakers featured during the CCMC conference include: Clarence Otis, Jr. (former CEO, Darden Restaurants, and Board Member, Verizon) Rodney Slater (former Secretary of Transportation and Partner, Squire Patton Boggs LLP) Dr. Ian Smith (Fitness Expert and Author) Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (Eighth District — New York Chef Jeff Henderson (Chef, Author, and Star of “Flip My Food”) Lloyd Boston (Stylist and Author) Susan L. Taylor (Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, Essence Magazine) B. Doyle Mitchell, Jr. (President & CEO, Industrial Bank) Rev. Dr. Grainger Browning, Jr. (Senior Pastor, Ebenezer A.M.E. Church in Fort Washington, Maryland) Manny Gonzales (Senior Director — Multicultural, Moët Hennessy USA) Steve Pemberton (Chief Diversity Officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance and Best-Selling Author) and more….
"Atlanta's" Donald Glover, center; Lakeith Stanfield, left; and Brian Tyree Henry. (Matthias Clamer / FX)
Hip-hop’s television takeover By Lorainne Ali for latimes.com
The cast of Showtime's "The Chi," which premiered this month and has already garnered critical acclaim. Mathieu Young / Showtime
The ceremony for the 60th Grammy Awards just passed a few week ago and music’s biggest TV night has made history. For the first time, hip-hop artists dominated the majority of nominees chosen in the academy’s top categories, including record, album and song of the year. But that sound you’re hearing isn’t champagne corks popping in celebration. It’s exasperated sighs that the Recording Academy only just discovered what the rest of the entertainment industry noticed back in the flip-phone era: Hiphop, once an outlier, is now the status quo. From Broadway’s “Hamilton” to Hollywood’s “Straight Outta Compton” to television’s “Atlanta,” hip-hop’s broad influence on American pop culture has defied countless predictions that a nervous white mainstream would never fully embrace a trend born out of the urban, black experience. Consider hip-hop’s television takeover. Today, rappers are not only backing films about the black experience, but also are creating, producing and starring in toprated cable and network series and breaking out of music categories at film and television award shows. “Atlanta” creator and star Donald Glover — who under his stage name, Childish Gambino, is up for five Grammys — made history when he won a directing Emmy in September for his breakthrough FX comedy, a cable ratings success, about the everyday trials and tribulations of an aspiring hip-hop entrepreneur. No other black director had ever won an Emmy in the comedy category, and Glover was the first director since Alan Alda in 1977 to win for a comedy in which he also starred.
“I wanted to show white people you don’t know everything about black culture,” he told the awards ceremony audience, some of whom had already watched him win two top Golden Globes for the show earlier in 2017.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, who shattered records and expectations when his hip-hop musical “Hamilton” swept the 2016 Tonys, is now executive producing a forthcoming Showtime series, “The Kingkiller Chronicle,” based on characters from the fantasy books by Patrick Rothfuss.
And hitting Showtime this month was the already critically acclaimed “The Chi” from “Master of None’s” Lena Waithe, the first black woman to win an Emmy for comedy writing, and hip-hop star Common, the first rapper to win an Emmy, Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe. (Before Oprah and Meryl Streep, he gave what had been the Golden Globes’ most inspirational speech — “I am” — delivered with the poetic rhythm of a lyrical rhyme when he and John Legend accepted the 2015 original song award for “Glory” in Ava DuVernay’s civil rights drama “Selma.”)
“I was surprised by it all,” Common said about the accolades.
It was one of many in a string of “crossover surprises”: Fox’s hip-hop-themed drama “Empire” became a surprise success with white audiences; soccer moms across America were surprised they couldn’t stop humming Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” in favor of something — anything — else; and a biopic about oncefeared gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A, “Straight Outta Compton,” became a surprise hit at the box office. The surprise, however, is that anyone was surprised.
The Chi’s Emmy-winning creator and executive producer Lena Waithe and executive producer and Oscar-winning composer Common.
“Hip-hop is the soundtrack of at least one, probably two generations now,” says Common (aka Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr.), who is an executive producer on the Waithe-run series about everyday life on the South Side of Chicago. “People used to be afraid of it or consider it the music of gangsters or thugs, or whatever. But now, it’s part of everything … and everyone under the age of 40.”
Courtesy of Kelsey McNeal/CBS Method Man and Hailey Baldwin
Ice T as Odafin "Fin" Tutuola in the long-running NBC series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Paul Drinkwater / NBC
From the jaunty 1980s McDonald’s jingles that still haunt Gen Xers today to raunchy rapper Method Man’s current role as a congenial TV game show host for the millennial-skewing “Drop the Mic,” hip-hop is now part of our cultural DNA. Tupac Shakur, Lauryn Hill and Eminem are to a generation what the Beatles and Stones were to boomers — the artists of their youth. And in some cases, the actors of today were the rappers of their parents’ generation. Ice-T, the once-controversial “Cop Killer” rapper whose breakthrough film role was in 1991’s “New Jack City,” has played a sex crimes detective on NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” since 2000. “If you’re 17 now, that means I started when you were 2,” he said in the past. “So you don’t have a reference point for me as a rapper. Your mother does, your father does….”
Rap, after all, was the genre that gave us TV and film personalities like Queen Latifah, Will Smith, LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Redman, Method Man and Tupac — and we’re not even into the 2000s yet. Their popularity would eventually give rise to more and more shows about or starring hip-hop figures. When ABC recently canceled “The Mayor,” about an aspiring rapper who becomes mayor of his hometown, there were no outcries over the dearth of black leads on TV — people were too busy looking forward to “The Chi” and the upcoming March premiere of “Atlanta’s” second season. “When I used to get my Entertainment Weekly and I’d look at the fall TV previews,” said Method Man (aka Clifford Smith), “there was so many years when there weren’t any black shows premiered. I remember one year, there was only like one new fall show premiering that featured people of color: ‘The Cleveland Show’ — and that was animated, and the lead voice was done by a white guy!” Lee Daniels’ “Empire” was the clearest example of hip-hop as a crossover bridge to break color barriers when it premiered on Fox in 2015 and obliterated conventional wisdom that a “black” drama was for black audiences. After all, why would an entire generation raised on Dr. Dre’s “The Chronic” consider a show about a hip-hop family dynasty as anything but meant for them?
The cast of Empire on FOX
Instead of waiting for Hollywood and television studios to let them in, many hip-hop artists formed their own multimedia production companies or began crowdsourcing funds to create their own content. Ice Cube (aka O’Shea Jackson) alone launched an entire genre of black comedies for the post-Run DMC generation in his “Friday” and “Barbershop” film series. The stone-cold gangsta who had referred to himself as the “[N-word] you love to hate” reinvented himself as everyone’s dad in the “Are We There Yet?” films.
Taking cues from pioneers like Ice Cube, Pharrell co-executive produced a love letter to 1990s hip-hop, the coming-of-age film “Dope.” Beyond his work with Common, crooner John Legend — who came up in the hip-hop world — co-produced a WGN America series about slavery, “Underground.” Rapper 50 Cent was behind the Starz series “Power.” Ice Cube and Dr. Dre avoided the curse of the corny rap biopic (e.g., “Notorious”) by co-producing their own story in “Straight Outta Compton.” “NCIS: Los Angeles” star and five-time Grammy host LL Cool J now co-produces his own game show, “Lip Sync Battle.” Clearly his 1990s self was on to something when he rapped about “Rockin’ [his] peers.”
Queen Latifah (aka Dana Owens) and Will Smith also created their own production companies after experiencing success on their respective hit series, “Living Single” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Netflix recently teamed up with Smith for its biggest gamble to date, “Bright,” a streaming version of a Hollywood blockbuster. Though critically panned, the production was streamed an astonishing 11 million times over three days when it was released last month and has been greenlit for a sequel. Demand is high for the cachet, the perspective and, of course, the money that a rap celebrity and elder statesman like Jay-Z brings to a production. “Selma” and “Wrinkle in Time” director Ava DuVernay recently worked with Mr. Bey for his “Family Feud” music video, a short released on his streaming service, Tidal. It’s not just recognizable star power from the music world that’s drawing viewers toward shows and films that take their cues from the rap world. HBO’s “Insecure” and the CW’s “Black Lightning” are heavily steeped in rap references — such cultural shorthand would have been unthinkable 15 years ago beyond BET or MTV.
Reality TV on those Viacom-owned networks has served as a major stepping stone for hip-hop stars transitioning from music to TV — and beyond. Let’s face it, when “Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party” is renewed for a second season (which kicked off last year), a barrier has not only been broken, it’s been entirely erased. “I don’t know who’s going to be more fried by the end of this show,” joked the perfect hostess with the “Gin and Juice” rapper in the first season. VH1’s reality show “Love & Hip-Hop” gave us Cardi B. “The Surreal Life” and “Strange Love” made Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav a household name 20 years after he was last a household name. “Run’s House” and, yes, even “The Vanilla Ice Project,” a home improvement show, were canaries in a coal mine for the acceptance of the brash likes of Nicki Minaj on Middle America’s go-to show, “American Idol.” Rappers who are used to saying it all — unedited, with abandon and on the fly — make for the best and most unpredictable reality stars. As for scripted television and film, the tradition of storytelling at the base of rap as far back as Kurtis Blow and the Sugarhill Gang is what makes hip-hop so attractive to narrative-hungry mediums. Says Common, “rappers are storytellers, and that is a timeless tradition no matter who is watching or listening.” And clearly, this year, the Grammys finally are. Martha Stewart and Snoop’s TV Show “Potluck Dinner Party” on VH1
6
Ways to Boost Your Box Jump
Peathegee Inc/Getty Images
You could argue sky-high box jumps are the latest one-upmanship practice of collegiate ballers and Instagram stars. But even if you don’t have Dwayne Johnson’s follower numbers, a strong box jump is a skill worth developing. “Box jumps on their own are an amazing lower-body functional exercise,” says Richard Wilcock, a strength coach and studio owner. “You need a combo of strength and speed to achieve them, and using box jumps in a training program helps improve both.”
Because improving both strength and speed ultimately helps you develop power through your lower body, box jumps offer a crossover benefit to any number of sports. “Runners can improve their stride length, soccer players their shot power, sprinters their top speed, basketball players their jump height, and weight lifters their max squat,” Wilcock says. In other words, whatever your athletic hobby, you’re bound to become a better, more well-rounded athlete as your box jump improves. Here are the best movements to up your game.
Single Leg squats
Since box jumps are a combined reflection of lower body strength and speed, compound lower body exercises, like squats and deadlifts, are great for enhancing your hop. But even those big compounds have their downsides. “One side of the body is always weaker than the other,” Wilcock says. “This can let you down if 70 percent of your power is coming from one leg.” Single-leg squats are a great way to work on muscle imbalances and even out side-to-side strength. Start by trying a single-leg squat progression using bodyweight only, aiming to complete three sets of eight to 12 repetitions per side. As you improve, try incorporating single-leg box jumps into your training. Start with low boxes and keep rep schemes short—just five to 10 jumps per leg.
Drop Jumps
It sounds counterintuitive, but to build up your box jump, you need to get better at landing. “Drop jumps are an excellent way of preparing for the landing and improving your jump at the same time,” Wilcock says. Just like running down a hill can cause more muscle damage than running up one, jumping down from a height can cause more muscle damage than jumping up and landing on a raised surface. Plus, it’s a great way to focus on landing form to reduce the likelihood of injury. To perform drop jumps, step off a raised box and land with your feet roughly shoulder-distance apart with your knees and hips slightly bent. Immediately lower into a squat before powerfully exploding up into the air, jumping as high as you can. “This lets you use the momentum from the drop to supercharge the jump while getting excellent hamstring, glute, and quad activation,” Wilcock says. Starting with a small box, perform five reps before progressing to higher boxes. As you improve, you can advance to a drop jump to a box jump, like this.
KettelBell Swings
Just as hip thrusters can improve your hip hinge and glute strength, Williams points to kettlebell swings for improving your hip hinge speed and power. Start with a lighter kettlebell to work on speed and proper form, doing 45 seconds of work for five sets. Once you feel comfortable with the exercise, start swinging heavier kettlebells and reducing your rep scheme. For example, do five to 10 sets of 10 to 20 swings with a weight that challenges you.
Hip Thrusters
In case you haven’t heard, hip thrusters are king of the glute workout. “The glutes are the biggest muscle in the body and they’re responsible for punching your hips forward, so don’t waste them,” Wilcock says. By targeting your glutes with hip thrusters, you can improve your hip hinge motion and build power that translates to the box jump. WIlcock suggests performing two to three sets of five to 10 hip thrusts with heavy weight to see the benefit.
Weighted swats
Both Wilcock and NFL player-turned-trainer Curtis Williams point to weighted squat jumps as a great exercise for enhancing explosive power, which does wonders for your box jump. Start by using a weighted vest to add resistance to the jump, leaving your arms free to swing, helping propel you upward. As you get better, use dumbbells or even a weighted barbell to further develop jumping power. Focus on form and keep rep schemes low—just two sets of six to eight reps is plenty.
Kneeling jumps
“Kneeling jumps improve hip flexor power to be able to tuck your knees quickly while reaching the maximum height of your jump,” Williams says. This is important given that, to nail an impressively high box jump, you need to really pull your knees up to your chest to get your feet under you. They’re also not easy, so keep your rep scheme low at first—just one or two sets of five reps is plenty. Start unweighted, and as you get better, try the movement with a barbell.
Is A
Degree Really Required For Entr y?
I have a friend who is in his twenties. His name is Jack. Jack currently works for a major retailer and has been working there for the last seven years. When Jack graduated high school, he was accepted to college on a full athletic scholarship. But, in his sophomore year, Jack suffered an injury and lost his athletic scholarship. He could not pay for college and had to withdraw.
Jack began working for this retailer as a Loss Prevention associate, earning minimum wage. For years he worked midnights and holidays, taking only a few days off. During employee reviews, his managers often remarked that he was pleasant, approachable, and showed unrelenting work ethic. As a result, Jack earned a supervisory position in the Logistics department.
During Jack’s tenure at this retailer, three District Managers were hired, and subsequently, let go or quit. The most recently hired candidate for the position quit after only 6 months. Although Jack had the interest and the experience to apply for the vacancy, he was unable to be considered. All three hires had something that Jack does not; they had a bachelor’s degree, a credential this retailer requires District Managers to have.
Building Good Relationships Means Creating Real Intimacy By Monique Judge #TheRootAfterDark Columnist and News Writer for The Root.
Connected.
If I had to describe what intimacy means in one word, that would be the word. Connected. You being in tune with your partner and your partner being in tune with you. Puzzle pieces that fit together the way they are meant to, working together to make a beautiful thing.
Intimacy is that connection. Building intimacy can take work, but it’s a thing worth having—and once it’s in play, there’s an electric flow between you and your partner that keeps the relationship charged. There’s more than one type of intimacy, and the ones that will work for your particular relationship are wholly dependent on what you and your partner want and need from each other. Sexual, physical, intellectual, emotional and experiential intimacy all serve a function in various relationship types. Understanding what they are is key. Creating them with your partner is part of the relationship-building process.
First, it’s important to note that sexual intimacy and physical intimacy are not the same thing. Physical intimacy means that you are physically comfortable with someone. Hugging your friends, cuddling up on the couch with them to watch a scary movie and giving each other back rubs are all physically intimate activities that are not and do not necessarily precede sex. A great many friends have deep physical intimacy with each other and show affection to each other all the time. It builds the relationship.
Sexual intimacy involves sex, of course. Whether it is intercourse, heavy petting, making out and everything in between, it is based on sexual chemistry and connects two people on a level beyond physical intimacy. Intellectual intimacy is giving each other good brain. Keeping each other mentally stimulated through thought-provoking conversations, the sharing and exchanging of ideas, watching movies and reading books with each other, visiting museums and the like are all different activities that deepen intellectual intimacy. Sapiosexuals, for example, may value intellectual intimacy above all else—but everyone loves a little head with their loving, right?
Emotional intimacy is when you can be completely naked in front of your partner. Not in the physical sense, but in the way that every part of you is laid bare. They see all of your flaws. You can cry to them when you are sad and do cartwheels with them when you are happy. They are your person. On an emotional level, you can go to them with and for anything. Experiential intimacy is creating memories with each other. Those memories can be a song, a smell, a picture, a particular outing, anniversaries and anything that, when recalled, brings that person to mind. Experiential intimacy can create indelible connections with a person. Whether your relationship is seeded in one or all of the different types of intimacy, the reward comes in the connection that is built between you and your partner when you have figured out those intimacies and worked them into the relationship together.
These are the easiest ways to get to know a person, to understand who they are, who you are and who the two of you are when you are together. Think of your relationship as a house. Whether it’s a shack or a mansion, you build it from the ground up. By Monique Judge Intimacy is the bricks that put it together. #TheRootAfterDark Columnist and News Writer for The Root.
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Album of the Month En Vogue – Electric Café We’ve been anxiously waiting for new music from the reunited legendary group, En Vogue, and the time has now come. They are already all over radio with the smash hit, “Rocket” (featuring lyrics by Ne-Yo and production) by Curtis “Sauce” Wilson, but now we have the full project in hand! Electric Café Is everything we’d hoped it would be. Fun, sassy and full of the signature harmonies of the women who have been making us smile ever since we first heard “Hold On” in 1990. We are proud to present Electric Café as our Album of the Month for April. It is a welcome return of one of our favorite groups, and the kind of album that is making 2018 a year to cheer for. Click below to see the video for “Rocket.”
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Choice Cut: Ralph Tresvant helps Mitchell Coleman take on a classic
Mitchell Coleman, Jr. feat. Ralph Tresvant “I Can’t Help It”
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When you get two great talents together, and add a classic song, sometimes magic happens. Ralph Tresvant became a star more than three decades ago as the pre-teen lead singer for New Edition, topping the charts endlessly. More recently, uber-talented bassist Mitchell Coleman, Jr. has been establishing himself as one of the modern greats at his instrument. When the two recently decided to team on a song together, they decided to take on a Michael Jackson classic in the form of the new remake of the Off The Wall favorite, “I Can’t Help It.” It is the new single from Coleman’s third album, Gravity. The song starts somewhat faithfully to the MJ original, but then veers into a smoother direction, with sax solo and Coleman’s groove-inducing bass. Tresvant takes the lead on the refrain, but leaves the musicians to handle the verses instrumentally. Mitchell tells us about the song, "It was an humbling experience to work on this project with Ralph Tresvant. And to have him as a co-producer made my day. Great vocal and great production by the team of Michael B Sutton, Jason Anderson and Ralph Tresvant and myself. We didn't want take too much away from the original because of the star power of Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson but also wanted to make sure we were true to the Smooth Jazz/Urban AC vibe"
New Music – New Music Look Who’s Back
Swing out Sister - Almost Persuaded by Justin Kantor
When Swing Out Sister rose to international stardom in 1987 with the jazzily nuanced pop-dance concoction that is the ever-happiness-inducing “Breakout,” the British trio subtly introduced mainstream radio listeners to a unique brand of top-40 savvy informed by underpinnings of soulful improvisation and sophisticated melodic structure. The 30 years since have seen the always mindful outfit (a duo since 1989) consistently juxtapose influences of jazz, exotica, funk, and pop in a fashion that is at once nostalgic and cutting-edge. Almost Persuaded, Swing Out Sister’s eleventh studio album, continues the band’s commitment to authenticity and security in stylistic choices. Vocalist Corrine Drewery and keyboardist/bassist Andy Connell (both of whom penned and produced the album in its entirety) have remained relevant by resisting the temptation to bow to quick, attention-grabbing gimmicks, instead opting to infiltrate each new set with flavors that fill both the senses and intellect with solid emotion and truthful engagement. The duo has described Almost Persuaded as “cinematic soul jazz,” a widely spanning moniker which is admirably accurate in capturing the grand-yet-intimate mood that permeates the disc’s 12 tracks. Close your eyes, and it’s not difficult to imagine yourself sitting in a large movie theatre with soft beams of spotlight and a symphony playing for a small crowd of people gathered to watch classic foreign films. “All in a Heartbeat” (Late Night Version) is a central cut which assimilates many of the rhythmic and harmonic components that make Almost Persuaded an enriching listening experience. Illustrious strings, rollicking piano riffs with bossa nova sensibility, quietly forceful twists and turns on the drums and percussive effects, and Drewery’s no-frills, laidback and amiable delivery—all in three minutes. Then there’s the placid funk beat of “Until Tomorrow Forgets,” surrounded by an ocean of glistening keys, delightfully accented backing vocals, and a striding bass line. There are understated moments to be found, as in the reflective “Everybody’s Here,” an ode to memories in the face of present company. The blurred lines between the mental and physical states explored in the bittersweet tune are bolstered by Drewery’s firm, but sentimental, tone and Connell’s plaintive delayed attacks. In a more hopeful mode, “Something Deep in Your Heart” finds a possible silver lining amidst a plush mainframe of loungin’ piano and soulful drumming and groovy adornments of wah-wah guitar. “Good times’ll come and go whether you want to know, you won’t want to believe it…There’s joy, there’s pain that we’re through runnin’ from, that’s been and gone, and nothing comes between friends.” A message for the ages…stated without complication, sung with ease.
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If it’s a middle ground one seeks, it’s found in the opening liners of cut one: “Don’t Give the Game Away.” Perhaps the most connected of all the selections to today’s sonic landscape—the sinewy melange of keyboards swirled around an alternatingly trippy and assertive beat—the striking number is likewise frank in its poetic stance. “Just because you’re almost there doesn’t mean you’re going to make it/Just because you think it’s all yours doesn’t mean that you can take it,” imparts Drewery at the outset. There’s a lot more where that came from, and she conveys it with an unassuming all-knowing, topped off at the close by dreamy flourishes of flute and trumpet that solidify SOS’s mastery of fusing live solos with modern technology. “Happier Than Sunshine” might be the most familiar sounding of any of Almost Persuaded. Taking a cue or two from bits of 1992’s Get in Touch with Yourself and 2004’s Where Our Love Grows, the at-ease groover nonetheless changes things up with unexpected tempo diversions setting the flow for Drewery’s simply bold brew of charm, mellow and pure. It’s but one example of Swing Out Sister’s transcendent talent of weaving ongoing stories and progressions through the decades, one album at a time. “Other days, other lives disappear in my mind…other days, other times disappear out of sight,” Drewery sings shortly before the song’s unexpected conclusion. Oh, how those words ring true when taking in Almost Persuaded. Highly Recommended.
WHAT HAPPENS TO
YOUR BODY WHEN YOU EAT TOO MUCH
PROTEIN
Protein is an essential nutrient your body needs to build and repair muscle, organs, cells and other types of tissue. There’s even an urban legend is that protein has a direct correlation with muscle gain — that the more protein you eat, the more muscle you build. The recommended dietary allowance for protein is 46 grams per day for women and 56 grams per day for men, but most people easily surpass these amount. Just think about it: most of us eat some type of protein for breakfast (eggs, sausage), some type of protein for lunch (meat) and a protein for dinner (red meat). All that protein adds up.
As it turns out, that urban legend is not true at all. There’s a protein threshold, a level of dietary protein intake beyond which you don’t receive any of the muscle-building benefits. You can actually experience some adverse side effects to overdoing it, including indigestion, hormone disruption, and even weight gain. Here’s what happens when our bodies start taking in too much protein:
Your Breath Smells Bad
Ewww! When you cut your carbs to the bare minimum (which you’re likely doing if you’re on a super-high-protein diet), your body enters a state called ketosis, where it starts burning fat for fuel instead of the usual carbohydrates. Which might be great for weight loss, but not so much for your breath, says registered dietician Jessica Cording. That’s because when your body burns fat, it also produces chemicals called ketones that can leave your mouth smelling sort of like you drank nail polish remover. But the worst part is, the smell is coming from inside you, so brushing, flossing, or rinsing won’t make much of a difference.
Your Body Loses Calcium
Consuming high levels of protein can cause your body to excrete more calcium in your urine, increasing your need for dietary calcium. If you don’t consume sufficient calcium to make up for this, you could have a higher risk for developing osteoporosis as you get older. The more protein you consume above that needed by your body for building muscle, the more calcium you will need to consume.
You Actually GAIN Weight
A lot of people think that a high protein diet means you will lose weight, but wrong. When you consume more protein than your body needs, the excess protein is used to provide your body with energy or turned into fat. You can’t store extra amino acids or protein for later use, so if you consume too many calories in an effort to increase your protein intake you will gain weight. A high-protein diet might help you drop pounds in the short-term. But if you’re going hard on the egg whites and whey protein without cutting out other stuff, you’re gonna gain weight, not lose it. In fact, one long-term study of more than 7,000 adults found that those who ate the most protein were 90% more likely to become overweight compared to people who ate less of the stuff.
You Become Dehydrated
It takes extra water for your body to break down protein for use and get rid of the waste that is left behind, so it is possible to get dehydrated from consuming too much protein if you don’t drink sufficient water throughout the course of the day. You’ll start to notice it in your skin and even your hair.
Your Kidneys Start To Suffer
Although consuming excess protein is unlikely to cause kidney problems in healthy people, it can exacerbate existing problems. People with kidney problems are often advised by their doctors to limit the amount of protein they consume to avoid putting extra strain on their kidneys. If you have kidney problems, speak with your doctor about the amount of protein you should consume.
Celebrity Trainer Cliff ‘Hollywood’ Boyce Is Transforming Bodies, Talks Aging
By Yvette Caslin for rollingout.com
Tell us about your education and training. I graduated from Prairie View A&M University, where I studied math and computer science and minored in physical education. I also was All-American in track and field. I’ve always been an athlete and my life’s work flows from that commitment to myself to take care of this one body I have — to push it to its optimal limits. How did you get started in the fitness industry? My passion for fitness training came from working by the side of health and fitness legends Jack LaLanne and Richard Simmons. The two of them mentored me as I assisted them in aerobics and exercise classes throughout the U.S. I upped my own fitness expertise when I left them to travel internationally with Paula Abdul on her “Get Up and Dance” fitness tour, and then got even deeper into the training journey when I became a professional body builder, competing in and winning various competitions. My personal training certification is significant and I hold an IFBB pro card—the highest honor of a professional body builder. I turned pro in the professional men’s physique category. Who are some of your more notable clients? I worked with Usher during his Confessions album, when his abs earned him a spot in People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” issue. I’ve also worked with Nicki Minaj, Fantasia, “Real Housewives of Atlanta’s” Sherée Whitfield, Melanie Fiona, Sean “The Pen” Garrett and Cee Lo Green, among so many others.
What makes your training style different from others? I have a commitment to helping people reshape themselves not just physically but also mentally. As a fitness veteran with more than 35 years under my belt, I’ve made it my mission to teach clients how to change their bodies both inside and out, so my focus is on cardiovascular exercise, strength training, nutrition, fat loss and mental health — helping my clients to change their lifestyles to become — and stay — fit from the inside out. As a gentleman of a certain age (57), what advice do you have for the population who are members of AARP? Growing older doesn’t mean you prepare yourself to lie down and die. It’s when you use all that wisdom you’ve acquired over the years to do what’s right for your body to keep it healthy. You eat better, you exercise, you practice self-care and that makes it possible for you to feel good — to grow older gracefully but also strong. This is when you get up and really live. What has been the most challenging aspect of the fitness business? I think the most challenging part of the business is dealing with the business itself. Being in a safe, clean, drama-free work environment is paramount for a trainer, but it doesn’t always work out that way. I find that when I focus on the work and changing my clients’ lives, all of that gets easier, though.
What has been the most challenging aspect of the fitness business? I think the most challenging part of the business is dealing with the business itself. Being in a safe, clean, drama-free work environment is paramount for a trainer, but it doesn’t always work out that way. I find that when I focus on the work and changing my clients’ lives, all of that gets easier, though. What occurred to confirm that you have what it took to be successful? My mother told me I have a gift of changing peoples’ lives. This was back when I’d just graduated from college and was doing fitness classes back in Denver. She was a nurse and she saw the devastation that leading a not-sohealthy lifestyle could do to human bodies, and then she would come to my classes and see my clients transforming. She said, “You’re really talented. You have a gift.” It was something else to have that confirmation from my mother. Tell us about your upcoming book project. The specifics are under wraps, but the gist of it will be a combination of my personal fitness journey and how up-andcoming trainers can use my experience and expertise to build their own successful businesses.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years? My goal is to take all that I’ve done — the successes, the expertise, and the love that I’ve cultivated in the gym — to a global audience. I currently work with clients from Atlanta to Miami to Texas to Los Angeles, but I want that reach to be even further, and with the magic of the Internet and social media, I know I can make that happen. I also see myself as a global ambassador for helping generations of people understand that aging doesn’t have to come with limitations — that one can be physically strong, healthy and fit no matter the age.
T R A V E L
Brothers W ho Travel The Wor ld 5 Affordable Destinations Worth Visiting This Summer By Shontel Horne for travelnoir.com
A B R O A D
Summer travel isn’t always kind to the budget traveler that values an affordable experience. The beautiful weather that many destinations experience between June and September often lead to an influx of tourists crowding streets, restaurants, landmarks, and museums around the world, with the rise in demand leading to high-priced flights and hotels in the process. The allure of travel is at an all-time high during the summer, but if you plan wisely, you can enjoy a summertime trip without breaking the bank. Get a head start on planning your summer trips and consider these destinations that will all have great weather and will be budget-friendly once the summer travel season is in full swing.
JUNE Guayaquil, Ecuador The colorful port city is Ecuador’s largest city and is a must-see if you want to stop over to the Galapagos Islands. Round-trip airfare is often less than $600 from many cities in the U.S., and Guayaquil’s many restaurants, art galleries and affordable hotels will make your wallet smile.
JULY Sydney, Australia If you want to travel on the cheap in July, avoid Europe’s hot-spots. July is the perfect time to stay stateside, but it’s also a nice time to venture to Australia, where the country will be experiencing winter and will be sunny and cool. It won’t be as inexpensive as visiting parts of South East Asia, but with hotels nearly 44% cheaper than peak season, it will be much more enjoyable and affordable than going during Australia’s summer months.
JULY Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Expect great weather with slight rain if you travel to Malaysia in July, which is a popular yet affordable time to visit the country since it will be right after Ramadan. The food is exceptional, the city is bustling, flights can be found for less than $600 if you book early and nice accommodations can be found for less than $60 a night.
AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER Krakรณw, Poland If you have your heart set on touring Europe this summer, head to Krakรณw in August for an unconventional summer vacation. Flights may still be pricey, but 5-star hotels can be found for less than $200 per night, and the city has held true to its medieval roots.
AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER Barcelona, Spain If you can wait until the end of the summer, visiting Barcelona could be a great, affordable destination. Flights dip drastically after the July travel crunch, hotels are much more reasonable, and the weather is still nice enough to enjoy longs days on the beach.
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Roadside Attractions And Miramax To Release ‘Whitney,’ The Highly Anticipated Documentary Film On Whitney Houston, In The U.S. On July 6, 2018 Academy Award®-Winning Director Kevin Macdonald’s Revealing and Definitive Look at the Life and Career of the Legendary Superstar Gets National Summer Theatrical Release
Roadside Attractions and Miramax will release “To tell Whitney’s story, you have to know her Whitney, Academy Award®-winning director Kevin story,” says Patricia Houston, the late singer’s Macdonald’s highly anticipated documentary about manager, sister-in-law and the executor of the life and career of legendary superstar Whitney Houston’s estate. “We could not be more excited Houston this summer in the United States on July that Whitney’s fans will have this authoritative and 6th, it was announced today by Roadside definitive documentary chronicling the full arc or Attractions presidents and co-founders Howard her career and the scope of Whitney’s entire life. Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff, along with Miramax’s This is an amazing retrospective that celebrates CEO Bill Block. Whitney with never-before-seen footage and Kevin approaches her life with no blinders on. He captures Executive producers Altitude Film Entertainment all of Whitney’s magic, and he does not ignore the are handling international sales and their awardhard times. This is a film that will truly thrill all who winning distribution arm will release the film, knew and loved her as a musician, actress, model produced by Lightbox and Lisa Erspamer and so much more.” Entertainment, in the UK and Ireland also on July 6th. Academy Award®-winner Kevin Macdonald (Marley, Touching The Void, One Day in September, The Last Whitney is the intimate, definitive account of the King of Scotland), Academy Award®-winning superstar’s life and career, authored by renowned producer Simon Chinn (Man on Wire, Searching For Oscar®-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald. The Sugarman), and his Lightbox co-founder Emmy® only film officially supported by the late singer’s Award-winning producer Jonathan Chinn (LA 92, estate, it includes previously unreleased recordings, Fantastic Lies) and multi-Emmy® Award nominated rare never-before-seen footage and live and Happy Street Entertainment co-founder Lisa performances recorded by Houston at various Erspamer (“Running From Crazy”) tell the stages her life, as well as original studio recordings unvarnished and authentic story of the late icon’s and acapellas of some of the late singer’s greatest life in a film that examines both the meteoric highs hits. Because the filmmakers had access to vast and devastating lows of her remarkable and archives of the Houston estate, the film also unforgettable career. Patricia Houston, Nicole contains personal home movie footage that has David, Zanne Devine, Rosanne Korenberg, Joe never been seen publicly before, offering a rare Patrick, and Altitude Film Entertainment’s Will glimpse of Whitney’s life behind-the-scenes as Clarke, Andy Mayson, and Mike Runagall executive known only to her closest relatives, friends and produced. collaborators. Often referred to simply as ‘The Voice’, Whitney Director Macdonald says, “”I approached Whitney’s Houston was a singular talent, blessed with an life like a mystery story; why did someone with so extraordinary vocal range and incredible technical much raw talent and beauty self-destruct so publicly skill. As one of music’s biggest selling artists ever, and painfully? I was lucky enough to have the she broke more records than any other female support of Pat Houston and the Whitney Houston singer in the history of pop music. With over 200 estate in this quest. They entrusted me with the million album sales worldwide, and remaining the ‘keys to the vault’ while giving me complete only artist to chart seven consecutive US No. 1’s, freedom to follow the story wherever it went. At Whitney Houston became the voice of a generation heart, Whitney is an intimate family story that and is the most awarded female singer in history. reveals a new side to a woman that even her most Coming from an esteemed lineage of singers, die-hard fans never knew.” Whitney was destined to be plucked from her
gospel-singing roots to rule the world stage. She inspired a generation of singers from Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga to Beyoncé and her unforgettable performance of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ moved the nation. But all these achievements became overshadowed by a story of deep internal turmoil, addiction and self-destruction. With unprecedented access to friends, family and collaborators – some of whom have never told their story before, Kevin Macdonald offers the first comprehensive look at Whitney Houston’s life, work and creative process. The film reveals a woman who was both blessed and cursed with perhaps the greatest natural ability of any pop star in history. Whitney is the third collaboration between Roadside Attractions and Miramax. The two companies have previously partnered on 2015’s Mr. Holmes and Southside With You. Along with the U.S., Miramax has also acquired rights for more than a dozen territories for Whitney, including Canada, Latin America, China, CIS, and Benelux.
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Freshen Up Your Style with the 2018 Warby Par ker Spring Collection By Frederick J. Goodall for mochamanstyle.com
Warby Parker has done it again. They’ve created an awesome collection of beautifully designed eyewear just in time for Spring. If you want to freshen up your style, check out the 19 different frame options for men and women in the Warby Parker 2018 Spring Collection. Here are three of our favorite styles for men.
Hughes Large is a smart-looking frame with square lenses. It is available in Smoky Quartz Crystal (as seen here) and Layered Tortoise. This style is also available in Hughes Small for people with narrower faces.
The dapper Rigby frame is the perfect accessory for your new spring wardrobe. It is made frame stainless steel and features adjustable nosepads, round lenses, and a narrow fit. Available in Black Ink and Brushed Silver.
These stylish, oversized frames feature round lenses and a flat brow. The Hyde frames are made from hand-polished cellulose acetate. We love the pop of subtle color from the matte navy. As always, for every pair sold, Warby Parker will distribute a pair to someone in need.
A Darker Version of
Lost in Space
Is Coming to Netflix This Month By Elizabeth Howell, Space.com Contributor Netflix will launch a reboot of "Lost in Space" on April 13 — and you can expect a much darker, more intense tone than the lighthearted feel of the original 1960s series, its screenwriters say. "Lost in Space" was a CBS show that ran between 1965 and 1968, which overlaps with NBC's run of the original "Star Trek" (1966-1969). While "Star Trek" focused on a military-style crew, "Lost in Space" examined a space journey's effects on the Robinson family, who were on their way to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to our own. The family's ship was sabotaged, and they lost their way, leading to 83 episodes' worth of adventures. The Netflix reboot's first (and, so far, only) season will include 10 episodes. It has already made some changes to the story, including swapping the gender of one of the main characters, Dr. Smith. (The character was male in the original and is female in the reboot.) A Netflix trailer released March 6 shows a ship exploding with the Robinson family on board, leaving them stuck on a remote planet.
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"This is a truly deep dive," screenwriter Matt Sazama told Space.com. "For a true fan of the show, especially the first six episodes, we really embrace the survival aspect." He added that the family's ability to work together — a key theme of the 1960s series — will also be explored in the new series. "They come together over these incredible difficulties and these obstacles in their life," Sazama said. Fans will also see a new version of Robot, a beloved character from the 1960s show. In the original series, Robot had superhuman strength paired with human-like emotions and abilities — laughter, sadness and even guitar-playing skills. Burk Sharpless, the other screenwriter for the new "Lost in Space," said that, as a child, he often thought about how it would feel to have a robot just like the one in the original show. He said the new version of Robot takes some of its inspiration from the powerful horse in the 1979 movie "The Black Stallion" that helps take care of the child Alec Ramsey after the pair are shipwrecked on a remote island. The new series "explores what it would be like to have this bodyguard, or this friend," Sharpless said. "We hope this relationship will really capture people," he added. "You can't believe, until you see the show, the relationship between the humans and Robot." When asked what space series after the original "Lost in Space" inspired the producers, both Sharpless and Sazama said the rebooted "Battlestar Galactica" (2004-2009) was the gold standard for how to tackle a series reimagination. The original "Battlestar Galactica" of 1978 to 1979 and the reboot had completely different tones, but the reboot gained a large following of fans and remains popular among space geeks to this day. The producers attribute the success of "Battlestar Galactica" to the fictional crew coming together like a family, which will definitely be the theme of the new "Lost in Space.”
Incorporating new science There's been a key change to the show's science since the 1960s. In the original series, the family escapes an overpopulated Earth in the year 1997, bound for a planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri. The star is part of the closest star system to Earth, located about 4 light-years away. But back in the 1960s, nobody knew if there were any exoplanets around Alpha Centauri. After all, the first exoplanet — period — wasn't even confirmed until the 1990s. Our understanding of the system changed forever in 2016, when astronomers announced that they had found a planet circling Proxima Centauri, the smallest star in the three-star Alpha Centauri system. What's more, the planet appeared to be in the habitable zone of its star, where water could plausibly exist on its surface. Later research raised questions about how habitable the planet is, given that its star is highly variable, but the possibility of life so close to Earth is another tantalizing tidbit for the series. "The principle of this show was the science of other planets and how space travel works in our current environment," Sazama said. He mentioned that the producers were impressed with past fictional works of space exploration that emphasized realism — think 2015's "The Martian. "One of the keys is the sense of realism," he added. "Building this environment will excite people and bring a real ability to make the Robinson family all the more compelling." This attention to detail even came to discussions of the ship's ion drive that propels it through space. "We did quite a bit of research ... We wanted to make sure it was relatable for the audience," Sharpless said. The new "Lost in Space" stars Mina Sundwall, Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Parker Posey, Maxwell Jenkins, Taylor Russell and Ignacio Serricchio. It is produced by Legendary Television, Synthesis Entertainment and Applebox Pictures. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
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Business-(Where)
Deconstructing and reimagining the constraints of Business Wear. This editorial takes a non-conformist view of the everyday uniform worn daily by Men in the office. Traditional blue pinstriped fabrics and dress shirt fabrics are sliced and diced to shape Men’s Trousers and Blazers. The ubiquitous white dress shirt is now exaggerated to x-human proportions; professional trousers are cut to a short length and transformed into an apron of sorts. Nothing is as it seems, a true reflection of a chaotic world resplendent with contradiction and pretense.
Models Adham McGuire @adhamgains Brenden Bazilio @brendenbazilio Marco J Williams @marconopol0 Christopher Makel Moses @christopher.makel.moses Isaiah Paul @boi_gorgeous Stylist Samuel Rhue Jr. @kappadonna2 Men’s Grooming &Hair Dior Sovoa @diorsovoa Photographer Don Harris @don_harris202 Designer Andrew M. Nowell @andrewnowell_menswear
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Chef Judson Allen:
Adding flavorful spices to your life really is good for you By Miriam Di Nunzio for chicago.suntimes.com
T
here’s something to be said for good taste.
And when it comes to good food — food that’s good for you and tastes even better — Chef Judson Todd Allen may have the recipes that meet that very criteria. The Chicago native and Food Network alum, and executive chef of Taste 222 restaurant in the West Loop, has spent his adult life learning about and crafting great-tasting food that can transform your life. It transformed his. In his new cook book, “The Spice Diet: Use Powerhouse Flavor to Fight Cravings and Win the Weight-Loss Battle,” the Chicago native reveals his lifelong struggle with weight (he’s lost 160 pounds and kept it off for 14 years) and discovering that adding some spice to your culinary universe can be key to eating better and losing weight along the way. Even more importantly, in the book Allen takes the reader on a step-by-step journey to lifestyle change, the only way to lose weight (and keep it off.) The book, which includes exercises and recipes, is divided into two phases. The first involves casting off those bad eating habits and re-imagining home cooking, portion control, understanding your relationship with food. Phase two is all about maintenance, keeping the weight off (or losing more if you want to) and establishing a healthy lifestyle. The key ingredient for Allen is spice, more specifically, spices — and lots of them.
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“Spices are all about flavor, about transforming your palate, so you eat really good food that tastes really good,” Allen said. “Junk food tastes great, that’s why we love it. But it’s junk. You can get great flavor out of healthy foods if you know what spices to use and why they are good for you. You don’t have to compromise flavor to eat well and healthy.” The world is filled with spices and Allen, who’s been nicknamed “the architect of flavor,” hopes his book will provide a better understanding of the benefits of familiar and exotic spices, and how they play a key role in how we approach food and cooking. Here’s what Allen had to say about “The Spice Diet” in a recent chat. Q. Where did your culinary journey begin? A. I went to the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, Chicago’s only urban agricultural high school. It’s all about agricultural sciences. That’s when I first learned about the science of food and I knew I wanted t pursue a career in that field. I went to the University of Illinois at Urbana and got a bachelor’s in food science and nutrition. Combining those two fields gave me a unique perspective on food. The science part introduced me to the sensory part of food. One of my favorite courses was all about food and flavor chemistry. Later I studied abroad, at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and had the opportunity to work at the Ritz there. I traveled Europe discovering all kinds of food from different cultures, different techniques and approaches to flavors.
Q. In your book you write about your struggle with weight and food addiction, at one point saying it eventually became a “do or die” situation for you, in terms of taking charge of your life. What was it like for you as a child to deal with these very difficult issues? A. I have struggled with weight my entire life. I was addicted to food. My addiction started when I was maybe 5 or 6 years old. As a child I used to dream about food. I just thought it was a love for food, but it was an addiction. Growing up I would get up in the middle of the night and ransack the fridge. Not because I was hungry, but I had this insatiable desire for food — all the BAD food, the chips, the candy. At my heaviest I was close to 400 pounds, Today I’m at 210. I finally reached the point as as adult where I decided to take a new lifestyle journey. Q. Talk about your love affair with spices and how that transformed your view of food. A. I enjoyed learning about spices from the food science perspective. Before that I thought flavor lived in grease, fats, sugar and salt. That’s what I thought flavor was. I had to uncover what flavor really is, which is good, healthy ingredients and different spices. In order for me to lose the weight I had to miss the salt?
Q. Americans are very addicted to salt, and it’s prevalent in so many foods we consume, especially fast food and prepackaged foods. How do you train someone’s palate to not miss the salt? A. Instead of salt, I found that citrus, such as lime and lemon or lemon zest would give me the similar taste effect of salt. Orange and grapefruit have huge flavor profiles that your taste buds react to, much like salt. The same thing with vinegars. I learned to balance vinegar’s acidity with sweetness. So I’d bring in things like honey and agave. It balances your food so you get the sweet and the sour. It all brings in a level of flavor that doesn’t have me craving salt. Then I bring in the savory, such as rosemary, thyme or garlic. It’s all about layering and building those flavor profiles when you’re cooking.
Q. We’ve got summer barbecue season ahead of us, and for many that means steaks, steaks and more steaks. How do you “salt” your steak and not over do it? A. Look for recipes that feature a little bit of sea salt. You don’t want to completely take salt out of your diet. So when you’re cooking steak look for recipes for rubs that bring in things like coffee or cayenne or chocolate cocoa power to elevate different flavor profiles in the meat. Do a coffee rub with chiles on your steak. It’s heavenly. ALso, you can cook with a little bit of wine, cook it off and it’s almost like adding some salt to your dish.
Chicago chef Judson Todd Allen’s new book, “The Spice Diet: Use Powehouse Flavor to Fight Cravings and Win the Weight-Loss Battle.” | James Foster/For the Sun-Time
Chicago chef Judson Todd Allen prepared his New Orleans pecan-crusted salmon at his home kitchen. | James Foster/For the Sun-Times
Q. So this brings us to that other “S” word — sugar. What can people do to reduce their sugar cravings and intake? A. It’s all about balance and using different ingredients instead of sugar. There are spices that accentuate or balance sweetness, such as cinnamon or nutmeg. It won’t make your food sweet, but it will add to the flavor profile. Also, you can use natural sweeteners such as honey, agave or pure maple syrup. And avoid white or brown sugar as much as you can. I like to use a lot of fruits and berries for sweetness, too. Q. There’s a whole lot of hype these days about mustard and its benefits. What’s your take on mustard? A. I love mustards, especially grainy mustard and wine-based mustard. I don’t use yellow mustard as a rule. Mustard is a condiment and an ingredient. Most Americans use it as a condiment and that’s great. Skip the mayo and go for the mustard on your sandwiches. Mustard is very low in calories and adds so much flavor.
Q. What are five key spices every kitchen should stock? A. Garlic powder, cinnamon, turmeric because it’s one of the “power spices” — it adds such a beautiful color, and it’s great for eliminating inflammation throughout your body — smoked or sweet paprika and oregano. Oregano is one of the most versatile spices. It can go from Mediterranean to Latin cuisines in a snap. Q. What are some key veggies/fruits you keep stocked in your kitchen or fridge? A. Brussels sprouts. They’re actually cool now! I love them because they’re so versatile and they hold flavor well. Also, fresh garlic and lemons and limes.
Q. You also write about the importance of working out. What are your workouts like? A. I work out, at my best, at least three days a week. I’m going to the gym. I try to get some kind of cardio every day, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking longer distances, or when I’m watching TV I do push-ups or lift weights during every commercial. Q. What makes your spice diet different from the hundreds of diets out there, and why do you think it can work for so many people? A. It’s a diet but I try to dismantle what the word diet means. I don’t look at it as a multibillion-dollar industry. This is about lifestyle change, a change we each have to make for ourselves. The whole spice diet is not just about flavors, it’s about an inner and outer approach to lifestyle change. Spices are so dynamic and so powerful. … And try to have a goal in mind with your lifestyle change. Have a vision of who you want to become. Don’t be overly concerned about the 30 pounds you want to lose. That’s a shortlived goal that never becomes a lifestyle change. Yes, losing weight is part of the process, but don’t allow the goals to overtake the journey. My grandfather is from New Orleans, and one of his favorite dishes is fried fish and grits. It is only fitting that I re-create the delectable taste of his favorite dish in a healthier version, because he is my inspiration for being a chef. Early on in my attempts to change my eating habits, I figured out the best way to achieve the “fried fish” effect without the deep-frying and calories. By incorporating healthy nuts with the perfect spice blend and other flavor enhancements, I cracked the code with this recipe. Get ready for some true Southern hospitality.
RECIPE: NEW ORLEANS PECAN-CRUSTED CATFISH (Courtesy of Chef Judson Todd Allen) Serves: 6 | Serving size: 1 fillet | Calories per serving: 292
Chicago chef Judson Todd Allen’s New Orleans Pecan Crusted Salmon. | James Foster/For the Sun-Times
This recipe works with just about any type of fish. If catfish is not your cup of tea, then swap it out for halibut, cod, red snapper, sword fish or salmon. 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided 4 tablespoons Bayou Cajun Spice Blend, divided 6 (5-ounce) catfish fillets, deboned Lemon (page 235; you can reduce this amount if you have wedges, for garnish sensitivity to heat) Preheat the oven to 400oF. Line a baking 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the pecans, cheese, 3 tablespoons Bayou Cajun Spice Blend, parsley, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place catfish fillets on the lined baking sheet. Brush the fillets with the remaining teaspoon of olive oil and rub in 1 tablespoon of the Bayou Cajun Spice Blend. Massage the oil and spice on both sides of the fish. Spread the pecan crust liberally over the top of each piece of fish. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the crust is dark golden and the fish is flaky and moist. Serve with lemon wedges. Recipe excerpted from “THE SPICE DIET: Use Powerhouse Flavor to Fight Cravings and Win the Weight-Loss Battle.” Copyright © 2018 by Judson Todd Allen. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Life & Style. All rights reserved.
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If you're not careful, you could end up carrying your student debt until you're old(er) and gray. By Maurie Backman, The Motley Fool for usatoday.com
When most people think about borrowing money for college, they anticipate paying back that debt during much of their 20s, and possibly even their 30s. But if you're not cautious about borrowing, you could end up carrying that debt so long that you're still making payments by the time your own kids enter college. That's right -- 39% of borrowers don't pay off their student loans until they're over 50, according to data from Principal Financial Services. It's no wonder, then, that 50% of borrowers claim that their student loans are preventing them from achieving other major financial goals. If you're planning to borrow money for college, let this be your warning: You could end up carrying that debt for several decades to come. And that could impact not just your lifestyle in adulthood, but your retirement, as well.
Don't get in over your head
Borrowing money, whether it's for college or to buy a home, always comes at an opportunity cost. But if you rack up too much college debt, you risk not only having those payments haunt you throughout adulthood, but they also may prevent you from retiring on time -- or at all. According to Morningstar, for every $1 of student debt you accumulate in pursuit of that degree, you'll decrease your retirement savings by $0.35 -- regardless of how much you end up making during your career. In other words, if you borrow $37,000 for college -- which is what the average Class of 2016 graduates came away with last year -- you'll have $13,000 less in retirement. Borrow $100,000, which is what many students have to do to attend private universities, and you'll be short $35,000 come retirement. It's not just retirement you have to worry about. An estimated 40% of recent graduates have held off buying a home because of their student loans, according to TD Ameritrade. And more than 20% of borrowers in their early- to mid-20s have delayed getting married, or starting their families, as a result of having too much debt.
A smarter way to borrow
Most people can't afford college without some sort of financing. But if you pledge to keep that debt level as low as possible, you'll walk away minimally unscathed on the student loan front. The best place to start? Keep your costs low to begin with. There's a huge gap between private college tuition and that of community or public in-state tuition. Read up on those differences, and choose the school with the lowest associated bill.
Here's what tuition looked like for the 2016-2017 school year:
College Type Average Cost of Tuition
Community
$3,520
In-state public
$9,650
Out-of-state public
$24,930
Private
$33,480
As you can see, you stand to save $23,830 a year by opting for a four-year, public instate school over a fancy private one. That means you could potentially borrow $95,000 less over the course of your degree, which would, according to the above formula, put $33,000 back in your pocket for retirement. Furthermore, if you choose a school that's commutable, you'll save $10,000 or more a year on room and board -- not exactly pocket change. It's not just how much you borrow that could impact your financial future -- it's also the way you borrow. Since most people only qualify for so much in federal loans, if your costs exceed that figure, you may be tempted to borrow privately for college. Don't. Private lenders are notorious for charging exorbitant amounts of interest, and they offer little to no flexibility as far as repayment goes. Federal loans, on the other hand, offer income-based repayment plans and other accommodations that make borrowing for college just a bit less stressful. Nobody expects to be paying off student debt at age 50 or over, but if you're not careful about the way you borrow, that could end up being your story. Don't fall into that dangerous trap. Keep your higher education costs to a minimum, limit yourself to federal loans, and work as needed to make up the difference. You'll be thankful for it when you're older.
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Study Finds That Fasting for 72 Hours Can Regenerate The Entire Immune System
here has long been controversy surrounding the potential benefits or hazards of fasting. On one hand, supporters of fasting point to the many benefits that they claim fasting provides. This includes promoting weight loss, normalizing insulin sensitivity, lowering triglyceride levels in the body and slowing the signs of aging. There are a number of different ‘fasting plans’ ranging from intermittent fasting lasting, on average, 14 to 18 hours to longer-term plans abstaining from solid foods for 2 to 3 days. Each is said to carry their own benefits and challenges, offering options for everyone. Many nutritionists and medical professionals argue that fasting is nothing more than an unsupported trend, and carries with it a number of health risks that should be considered. They point to the loss of nutrients during the time spent fasting, as it limits not only the intake of unhealthy foods but also those that our bodies require including fruits, vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats. Furthermore, they argue that fasting often leads to rebound eating, which results in an overall weight gain as opposed to the sought-after weight loss.
New research out of the University of Southern California presents a fascinating discovery, once again bringing the debate to the forefront. The team gathered a group of participants and asked them, in the initial stages, to fast for 2-4 days on a regular basis over a 6-month period. During this time, they witnessed some incredible changes. The participants saw a noticeable decrease in the production of the enzyme PKA, a hormone which has been associated with an increased risk of cancer and tumor growth. Furthermore, the immune system of the participants appeared to get a complete overhaul. Professor Valter Longo, PhD, the researcher of the study expressed his surprise with the study’s findings, stating, “What we started noticing in both our human work and animal work is that the white blood cell count goes down with prolonged fasting. Then when you re-feed, the blood cells come back. So, we started thinking, well, where does it come from?” The findings may provide considerable promise for those that are susceptible to disease, currently receiving chemotherapy
treatments or simply for our aging population. The research showed that the act of fasting triggered a switch to flip in the body, signaling it to begin a “stem-cell based regeneration of the hematopoietic system.” It forced the body to use up its stores of glucose, fat and ketones, and also started to break down a large number of white blood cells. The loss of white blood cells flagged the body to, in turn, regenerate new immune system cells. Professor Longo explained, “When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged.” This would mean that according to the study’s findings the process of fasting for a 72-hour period of time followed by re-feeding with a
healthy, nutritionally focused diet can, essentially, provide those who are struggling with a new immune system. While the possible benefits are definitely worth further review, medical professionals warn that further study is required before it will be seen as a definitive medical option. The study’s co-author Tanya Dorff, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital advised, “While chemotherapy saves lives, it causes significant collateral damage to the immune system. The results of this study suggest that fasting may mitigate some of the harmful effects of chemotherapy. More clinical studies are needed, and any such dietary intervention should be undertaken only under the guidance of a physician.
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Fighting the Good Fight in Stars, Straps & Leather By Out.com Editors
Sneakerhead News Converse’s street savvy collaborations Converse sneakers are a staple for any urban wardrobe. Paired with jeans, slacks, or even a fine tux, these shoes are an essential for southern Californians. Now the brand, which is somewhat synonymous with its first collaborator: basketball player Charles “Chuck” Taylor, is branching out with new takes on its most popular styles. Move over classic white Converse All Stars. Now, it appears collaboration is key. These new kicks have garnered huge attention on sneaker forums online and drew millions of “likes” on social media. People have waited in line for hours – or paid people to wait for them – just for a chance to purchase these Converse collaborations.
Sneakerhead News Converse’s street savvy collaborations
Recently, Vince Staples worked with Converse designers to create a bright orange and a dark navy blue variation of his signature low- and high- top sneakers. For Staples, his focus was on the details. His surname is embroidered on the shoe’s rear collar. The sole, which is barely seen, features a psychedelic orange, blue and yellow take on his “Big Fish” graphic. And, while you may need a ton of swagger to pull off Staples’ bright orange sneaks, his navy high-tops are sleek, stylish and timeless. Unfortunately, the entire collection is sold out. So, for those of us who missed out on Staples’ groovy sneakers, check out Converse’s other collaborations such as these towering Jonathan Anderson super high-tops. Converse tapped the British-based fashion visionary to elevate its iconic sneakers. The partnership seamlessly explores what happens when the runway meets street style. We can’t wait to see who Converse collabs with next.
How
Michael B. Jordan got ripped for
Hollywood From: looper.com
You might know Michael B. Jordan from any number of scene-stealing roles like Wallace in The Wire or Steve Montgomery in Chronicle, but chances are you've never seen him as fit as he is in his most recent movies. The actor put on some serious muscle to convincingly play the son of a legendary boxer in Creed and a super villainous revolutionary in Black Panther. Follow along as we break down how Michael B. Jordan built up his body.
He was never out of shape Take a look at Jordan's Instagram pictures before his training regimen, and you'll see that the actor's never been exactly out of shape. Still, that's a far cry from the shredded frame he's been sporting in recent movies. Looking at his earlier roles from his time as a child actor, or even his starring roles as recently as 2013's Fruitvale Station, he looks about half the size of his current body. That all changed with his casting as Adonis Creed in Creed. Playing the son of the legendary Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers)
required him to look the part of a boxer in peak condition. Even though Jordan describes himself as a "super competitive" athlete, that's a far cry from the level of fitness required for a boxer. According to trainer Corey Calliet, it was hard-going at first: "When we first started, he could barely bench 20 pounds, his legs were flailing everywhere ‌ he had nothing. He used to hate all this." He might have hated the training, but he certainly can't fault the results. Jordan was able to put on 24 pounds of pure muscle in a year of training to really capture the look of Adonis Creed.
Trainer Corey Calliet was the secret to his success There's no easy shortcut to putting on that much muscle mass in such a short time, but a Hollywood trainer certainly makes that task a little bit more manageable. Enter Corey Calliet, a former boxer whose experience was instrumental to crafting Adonis Creed's Adonis-like body. According to Jordan, Calliet was the first trainer that he really clicked with after a series of false starts with other trainers, and the results certainly speak to the pair's rapport. Calliet stayed with Jordan as he got into a different level of fitness for his role as the
revolutionary Erik Killmonger in Black Panther. Calliet played both sides of the movie's conflict though; he also worked to get Angela Bassett in fighting shape for the Black Panther — Bassett plays Ramonda, the matriarch of Wakanda and mother figure for Chadwick Boseman's titular protagonist. According to Calliet, whether he's training someone in their twenties like Jordan or in their fifties like Bassett, the technique is the same. Focusing on high-intensity interval training is the most efficient way to burn fat and lets Calliet focus on the muscle groups that need highlighting for each role.
From boxing zero to boxing hero In order to properly portray a boxer, Jordan had to train like a boxer. That meant 45-60 minutes daily of cardio along with tons of ab workouts, like crunches, mountain climbers, leg raises, reverse crunches, and traditional sit-ups to build up his core and burn fat. As for building muscle, Calliet had Jordan focus on supersets — exercises where lifting or curling dumbbells are interspersed with push-ups or another workout. In addition, Calliet pushed Jordan with circuit training, building his endurance with quick rounds of
burpees, box jumps, bench push ups, and side step-ups. If that all seems exhausting, we haven't even gotten to the main event yet. A full three hours of boxing training following every workout day that includes the speed bag, the heavy bag, mitt training, and jumping rope. According to Jordan: "I felt muscles I didn't even know I had." Calliet agreed, saying "I wanted to make him look even more ripped than Apollo, and I think we did that.�
Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition As any fitness buff worth his salt will tell you, exercise is only half the battle when it comes to getting your body into peak shape. For Jordan to get into literal fighting condition, he had to cut his food intake almost entirely to lean proteins (chicken, ground turkey, and fish), carbs (rice, potatoes, steel cut oats), green veggies, and protein shakes. According to Jordan: "Extreme diet change. I stripped down my diet completely ‌ I worked out two to three times a day, six days a week. And if you do that consistently for about 10 months, your body will change." That's a punishing regimen for
anyone, but shooting in Rocky Balboa's hometown of Philadelphia meant having to pass on Philly Cheesesteaks, beer, and other nutritionally lacking (but delicious) food. Luckily for Jordan, Calliet doesn't rank among those trainers who don't believe in cheat days. Once a week, from sundown on Saturday to sundown on Sunday, Jordan was allowed to eat anything: "French toast in the morning, Philly cheesesteaks in the afternoon, [and] pizza." Those brief respites don't seem to have hurt the final results of his hard work, but they definitely kept his motivation up.
Self-motivation is key Speaking of motivation, Jordan has got plenty to go around. The young actor credits growing up in Newark with a supportive family as the inspiration for his work ethic and aspirations. Jordan said, "My dad used to tell me all the time that you have to be serious about something ‌ I told myself at a young age that I was going to sacrifice. I used to run myself into the ground till pure exhaustion just because then I would feel like I deserve it."
That motivation has been absolutely key to Jordan's physical transformation, pushing him to heavier weights and longer runs. No matter how painful the workout, Jordan can persevere through that motivation. "How do you push past the not wanting to do something? You remember why you're doing it. Why you're working hard. What's at stake. For me, it's my family, all the dreams that I have in my head, that I want to see manifest.�
Jordan kept wor king out after Creed with Method Training That's not to say that Jordan isn't enjoying his new fit status. As anyone beginning to exercise seriously knows, it is getting started that is the hardest part. According to Jordan, that all changed once he started to see results: "You know, at first you feel like shit, you're hurting. When things start getting a little easier, when you start lifting weight you never lifted before, when you start bench-pressing 225 pounds 10 times and it ain't nothing, and then you start giving hugs to girls and they're, like, feeling you up a little and you think, 'What's this?' Then it's,
'This is all right.' So I learned to love it when I started seeing results.� Being in fighting shape from Creed definitely helped Jordan transition to the training for Black Panther, where he used a new technique called "Muscle Training." The technique adapts Jordan's workouts to match what the character would do to stay in shape which can help alleviate the dreaded workout boredom or fitness plateau.
Training to dethrone a King For the role of Erik Killmonger, Jordan needed to bulk up to play the muscular revolutionary. This entailed a grueling regimen to gain 20 pounds of muscle mass in nearly every part of his body: "Chest, shoulders, back. My legs a little bit, my quads. I was just, like, massive." It takes more than muscles to portray the antagonist in a superhero film though; Jordan was also put
through a comprehensive weapons training program in addition to learning various forms of martial arts. For Jordan, it was a real departure from the boxing-focused training of Creed. "‌ This one is more martial arts, using a lot of your legs, so I'm picking up different fighting styles. Also a lot of guns too, the weapons training is a totally different muscle," Jordan explained.
No rest for the wickedly fit While any normal person might want to take a break from nonstop workout routines and just eat some pizza and drink some beer, Jordan is jumping right back into training for Creed 2. The story will follow Adonis Creed fighting the son of Ivan Drago, the man who killed
Apollo Creed in the ring in Rocky IV. Professional boxer Florian Munteanu will be playing the son of Ivan Drago, and at 6 foot four and 245 pounds, Jordan has his work cut out for him getting back into fighting shape. Although if this Instagram video of his boxing workouts is any indication, Adonis Creed is as fit as he's ever been.
Michael B. Jordan Honors Black Panther Party On GQ Cover “We’re giving black people power, royalty. ... We can be superheroes,” he said, linking the party to the movie.
Michael B. Jordan will play the villain Erik Killmonger, a martial arts master, in Marvel’s upcoming Black Panther film. It’s gonna be so good to be bad. In preparation for the role, Michael got himself a new tattoo – of AFRICA on his back. By Princess-India Alexander For Blackvoices at Huffingtonpost.com
Michael B. Jordan has stepped out of the “Black Panther” universe to portray another kind of Black Panther on British GQ’s March cover. The actor, who plays Erik Killmonger in Marvel’s upcoming “Black Panther” movie, believes it’s important to offer uplifting representations of blackness on and off screen.
“I feel like I never had that many actors to look at and inspire me growing up,” he told British GQ. “Black actors that I could identify with, that look like me on screen. … And I’m just thinking about what this movie is going to do to the kids growing up … specifically black kids who don’t have that many positive examples to look at on TV and film.” With a 100 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating and a Hollywood premiere that asked guests to dress like African royalty, the movie “Black Panther” has already become a symbol of black representation. And with this cover, Jordan ― wearing the traditional Black Panther Party dress of black turtleneck, leather jacket and beret ― makes the link between an inspiring fictional universe and the historical activism of the Black Panthers. The party was founded in Oakland, California, in 1966 as a way to protect and uplift the black community. Like the Marvel movie, the Black Panthers strove to represent blackness as it had not been seen before. Party members initiated breakfast programs for schools, promoted black beauty and monitored police behavior to protect their neighborhoods. Government officials, however, responded to the very idea of armed and organized black people as a threat to national security. The Black Panthers was targeted by the FBI’s secret counterintelligence program ― COINTELPRO ― aimed at discrediting black activist and other dissident groups. Now, artistic representations like Jordan’s cover celebrate the movement’s positive impact. Images in a mainstream magazine work to normalize its history and its narrative. This Black Panther-inspired cover isn’t a first for the GQ franchise. Last year, the U.S. version of the magazine named Colin Kaepernick its “Citizen of the Year” and featured him on the cover dressed in Black Panther Party attire. A year and another Black Panther cover later, Jordan told GQ that he looks at the present moment as one of progress and hope. “We’re giving black people power, royalty ― we don’t gotta be crackheads or gangbangers, selling drugs or robbing people. We don’t have to be comic relief,” he said. “We can be superheroes. Imagine what that’s going to do to the imagination and ambition of kids watching these movies. That’s the real impact of this film.”
Apple is officially jumping into the home speaker market.
From: CNNMoney (San Jose)
It unveiled HomePod, a new 7-inch tall speaker for playing music, checking the news and controlling other connected devices in the home. The device was previewed on stage Monday at WWDC, Apple's annual developer conference in San Jose. The device is covered in black or white mesh and looks like the top of a microphone. Inside there are 7 tweeters, six microphones and an A8 chip -- the same chip inside the iPhone. The HomePod will go on sale later this year and costs $349. Phil Schiller, Apple's SVP of worldwide marketing, said on stage that the product has been in the works for "years." But the product seems directly inspired by existing smart speakers from Amazon (AMZN) and Google (GOOGL). Schiller said devices like the Amazon Echo have poor sound quality, and wifi speakers like Sonos don't have interactive voice assistants. In an interview with Bloomberg TV, CEO Tim Cook addressed the question of whether Apple was late to the market.
"For us, it's not about being first. It's about being the best and giving the user an experience that delights them every time. We don't let that impatience result in shipping something that is just not great.� HomePod includes Siri voice integration and will function as a "home assistant," according to Schiller. But Apple (AAPL) was careful to frame it as a product focused on music first -- potentially differentiating it from the Echo and Home. It has "spatial awareness" to detect where it's located a room and adjust the sound accordingly.
It can do the usual list of tasks we've come to expect from smart speakers, though it appears to have minimal third-party integration. It can play music from Apple Music, tell you the news, do unit conversions, send messages, schedule reminders, set timers, translate, check stocks, answer trivia questions, and tell you what the traffic is like. The price is quite a jump from Google's $129 Home and Amazon's $180 full-sized Echo. The increased price is to cover the improved sound technology, according to Apple. Like the Home and Echo, the HomePod's microphones are always listening for the trigger phrase. When you say "Hey Siri," it starts listening for your command or question. Apple said all communications are encrypted. It starts shipping later this year in the U.S., U.K. and Australia. It will be available in other countries next year.
Syfy Channel’s Krypton, the much-anticipated
Superman prequel set two generations before the destruction of the legendary Man of Steel’s home planet, will follow Superman’s grandfather — whose House of El was ostracized and shamed — as he fights to redeem his family’s honor and save his beloved world from chaos.
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6 THINGS GUYS MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT CONDOMS By Glamazon Tyomi for cassiuslife.com
Condoms have been around for centuries. Today they come in a variety of sizes, textures, colors and materials to accommodate both male, and more recently female, users. Despite the evolution of its design and performance, many guys still haven’t found the perfect fit. When it’s time to get in any condom will do, right? Well, yes and no. Of course safe sex is smarter than hitting it raw, but taking the time to figure out the condom that complements your d*ck will improve your stamina and upgrade your overall experience. Don’t cheat yourself. It’s worth putting in a little work to figure out what works best, here are some tips.
1. KNOW YOUR REAL SIZE When it comes to condoms, one size does not fit all. Condoms come in a variety of sizes and if you’re using one that is too big it will tear, if it’s too small it will slip off. Both result will leave you vulnerable to STDs and pregnancies. Condoms should fit like a glove. If yours isn’t fitting right, hit up your local drug or sex store and drop a few dollars to try out brands that offer a better fit. You can also look online at sites such as Condomania for specialty fits that accommodate varied lengths and widths.
2. THINK ABOUT YOUR PARTNER Keep it simple. If you’re single go with basic condoms that are least likely to cause “unfavorable responses” mid stroke—that means non-lubricated and water based. If you’re in a relationship ask your partner what works for her/his body (note: some people have preferred brands), then find the best size/fit based on both of your needs. Lambskin is a popular choice for those who are allergic to latex, but they do not protect from STIs. Polyurethane condoms are durable, thinner and free of the rubbery odor that accompanies some latex condoms. Don’t forget that some people are allergic to the lubricants on condoms. Overall tip: Talk it out.
3. HOW YOU STORE THEM IS EVERYTHING Condoms are made from a natural resource (sap of a rubber tree) so they are perishable. Placing condoms in wallets is a common practice that should be avoided. The pressure from the condom being placed in back pockets and sat on can warp the structure of the latex overtime and render it unsafe to use. The best place to store you condoms are in a cool, dry place. A dresser drawer or a medicine cabinet in the bathroom are simple places to store condoms when at home. For on the go, use a metal tin from (like an altoid case) to store them properly. You can even buy condom cases from your local pharmacy or online.
4. MASTER THE ROLL UP Another common mistake men make is unrolling the condom fully, before putting it on the tip of the penis. yes, there are slip-ups in the heat of the moment but damaging the condom renders it useless. Don’t place your health at risk. Practice putting them on in the light, so when it’s time to get it on you’re putting on your armor correctly.
5. DAMAGED WRAPPERS ARE BAD Even the tiniest hole, one that’s the size of a pinhead, is enough to allow sperm cells and viruses to escape. Make sure to inspect your condom wrappers before using them. Discard of condoms that appear to be damaged to avoid using them during intercourse. Also, be careful when opening condoms because harp objects like scissors, fingernails or jewelry can create small rips.
6. KNOW WHAT GOES WHERE They smell yummy and come in different colors, but these condoms will jack up the pH balance of your partner’s vagina. Why? Flavored condoms are made with artificial sweeteners that give the latex its flavor and smell. Sugar introduced into the vagina can lead to an imbalance of vagina pH and cause an overgrowth of yeast to occur. Yeast infections are no fun for your female partners and can be easily avoided. So, what should you do with flavored condoms? Put it in your mouth. Use flavored condoms specifically for protected oral sex. Allergies to latex are increasingly common, but even more common is an allergy to the spermicide (nonoxynol-9) found in most spermicidal lubricants. Try condoms and lube without spermicide. If you still suspect an allergy to latex, you might want to try Avanti condoms, which are made of plastic and very thin, and can be used with oilbased lubes. Much like the "female" internal condom, the plastic Avanti condoms are not stretchy like latex so they tend to get baggy and slip off. Use Avanti as a last resort because they have a higher breakage rate than latex condoms.
Want to get a tech company job after 50? Here's what I learned working at Google and at Twitter.
I stumbled into the world of technology in the ‘80s and have embraced it ever since, including almost a decade at Google and recently nearly five years at Twitter. When I got into tech, I could learn on the job, because no one back then was much of an expert. But as the industry grew up around me and waves of innovation have taken root, many younger companies have emerged, and most start out wanting skills largely associated with younger people. Here’s my best advice on dealing with reality and also being successful later in your career. Many people at or near age 50 may already know what a 2015 study by three economics scholars revealed: age discrimination is on the rise. Stated or unstated, there are many reasons, including these: Older employees are more expensive. Young companies often seek what they describe as “culture fit,” which all too often is designed to reflect one (younger) type of employee. When it comes to promotions and raises, there are real and discriminatory moves built into downsizing, reorganizing, or otherwise passing over older workers (aiming to drive them out without the appearance of discrimination). But of course people want to keep working — and also need to keep working. According to AARP, 70% of experienced workers say they plan to work in retirement, whether full or part time — and 35% of those aged 65-74 are doing it for the income.
All of this is in the background for older workers. In the foreground, the booming technology sector actually needs experienced people for a wide range of non-technical jobs. Many of the iconic tech giants that have led a consumer technology revolution over the past 20-30 years have thousands of jobs available, ranging from operations and finance to partnerships and communications. If you’re interested in pursuing roles in a technology-related company (many of which ranked on this year's LinkedIn Top Companies list), there are nuances to understand and incorporate into your approach. Here are a few pointers based on my 30+ years working in and around Silicon Valley. I have loved my career, but it’s come with a few wake-up calls along the way. When you apply Because there is both conscious and unconscious bias in the offing, I agree with recruiters who tell you to collapse your job record and lightly summarize (or just skip) anything farther back than 15-20 years. The sense at (many) tech companies is that so much has changed over the last decade or two that a lot of older experience isn’t going to be relevant. You may disagree, and if you’re hired, you can demonstrate your accumulated wisdom then. But first you have to get in the door, and an exhaustive listing of every job you’ve ever had doesn’t help.
Your experience matters, but you can’t lead with it. You won’t be hired into these companies strictly on the basis of what you’ve done in the past. Yes, they may be looking for your operational experience gained over the years, but you’re also going to be learning a lot that’s new on the job. Don’t think you can dust off the old playbook and be successful. Tech employers want to see how well you approach real-time issues with creativity and resourcefulness more than they want a catalogue of your greatest hits. Read widely on the specifics of the company. Know its recent products and how they’ve been received, be familiar with recent press, consider its competition. Have some broad business
thoughts ready to weave into the conversation to show you’re tuned in. Even if you’re going for a job in accounting, you want to demonstrate that it matters to you where you land a job. Interviewers will make note of your interest — or lack of it. Be genuine, and don’t overdo “youthful.” Most tech companies, and plenty of other businesses today, have an informal dress code. If you’re uncertain about how to dress for your interview meetings, ask your recruiter for guidance. In general, when you’re first meeting people, for most roles less formal is better than too formal. (If it
turns out you’re overdressed in relation to everyone you meet, make light of it to reassure them that’s not your everyday wear.) And please don’t try to go too far the other way, into super-casual or (worse) “youthful” casual — it may seem weird. In my experience younger colleagues like an experienced person around who’s comfortable in their own skin and not hung up on age or style — theirs or everybody else’s. Yes, social media — theirs and yours. For interview purposes, it’s good to be familiar with what the company and the executives already do on any or all of these major services: LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. If the company is good at social, you’ll find helpful material in their posts and videos, and also get a sense of the style of the place. (Do they have a generous or humorous tone when appropriate? That’s good. Is their company news full of jargon and hard to decipher? Not so good). As for your own accounts, of course your summary of skills and contemporary resume must be on LinkedIn. Beyond that, if you are already a big Instagrammer or Tweeter, I’d mention that in passing, assuming, of course, your activity is suitable. I don’t think Facebook should count for as much in job hunts, because it was designed to be personal, so don’t expect to be Facebook friends with your colleagues just because you (a) have met them or (later, b) work together. Once you’re inside
Get used to younger decision-makers and managers. There’s no tenure system in tech companies per se. There will be younger people, sometimes decades younger, in positions of authority, even over you. Don’t spend time at work exclaiming about this. Just get to know people individually as colleagues and do your job well. There may not be a playbook. Big tech companies do have processes and standards, but they may not be clearly documented and they are definitely not in print. If you can capture and codify repeatable information, that’s great — and efficient — but few tasks are “write once, read always.” Information and procedures don’t tend to stay static. This is why internal intranets or company portals are handy. Get familiar with yours to inform your questions about process, and then you can make improvements. Open is the norm, not closed. This goes not only for seating plans in a lot of tech companies, but the flow of information. Collaborative learning and doing is the norm. If you like completing your work alone and don’t share it till you feel done, you might not enjoy this openness. The advantage of collaboration is that you can accumulate buy-in along the way. In an open company, people resent unnecessarily secretive people and process. It’s better to limber up to ask for help and give it. Pride of ownership, and control of process or outcome, are not going to win you any points.
Being a good sport counts for a lot. You might not have chosen wall-climbing or karaoke for the team outing, but you’re going to have to give them a whirl if that’s the plan for socializing. Your efforts, however meager (as mine have been for such activities!) can win you points for being good-natured. And that can get you a long way with your teammates. Build a brain trust for yourself. Make connections with people on your team and elsewhere to give you perspective and guidance about company culture, jargon, and approach to doing things. Your brain trust will be great for reality-checking when you’re working on projects, and also helps you understand how other parts of the company function.
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Why 'Black Panther' is Ryan Coogler’s most personal film to date
Ryan Coogler co-wrote and directed "Black Panther." (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Being a black American sometimes comes with an identity crisis. After all, parts of African American culture are rooted in a land some of them will never know thanks to colonialism, imperialism and slavery. The result, hundreds of years later, is a generational distance. "One of the things that sometimes comes with being [of African descent] is being made to be ashamed of being African and ashamed that your people live in these beautiful huts and ashamed that some of your people are running around with no shoes on and that when the music plays, we dance like no one's watching," Ryan Coogler said. "But that ... is beautiful and we can be proud of it." This is the one of the messages the co-writer and director wanted to ensure audiences received from his latest picture, Marvel's "Black Panther," in theaters Friday. To execute his vision, however, he knew he needed the right people around him.
"Black Panther," set in the fictional African nation of Wakanda, follows T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) who, after the death of his king father, returns to their homeland to assume the throne. Upon being crowned he must defend his nation — an isolated, technologically superior place that houses a secret stockpile of the powerful metal vibranium — from an interloper played by Michael B. Jordan. The ensemble cast is rounded out by Lupita Nyong'o and Danai Gurira who lead the nation's all-female army, (current Oscar nominee) Daniel Kaluuya, Forest Whitaker, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke and Angela Bassett. The film has already been hailed for its historic nature — a black-led picture of this magnitude is unheard of — its unapologetically African inspiration and its unflinchingly black context, all an Afrofuturist's dream. From the moment it was announced that Coogler had signed on to the film nearly two years ago, he knew he couldn't squander the opportunity.
Coogler decided he wanted to work with folks who knew his style and perspective. He chose a team led by women, Hannah Beachler as his production designer and Rachel Morrison as his cinematographer. Coogler first met Morrison and Beachler while searching for behind-the-camera talent for his indie debut "Fruitvale Station." That film started a working relationship and friendship between the trio, among others behind the scenes. Beachler has been the production designer for all of Coogler's films while Morrison had to skip his second picture, "Creed." (She was pregnant with a due date during the "Creed" shoot.) After getting his team in place, Coogler realized that many of them, including himself, had never been to Africa. He staged a research trip for the crew to the continent to experience the environment firsthand. Beachler landed first. "I called Ryan," she said, struggling to find words to capture the experience. "I was there for a week and it was emotional ... feeling these connections [to a place] that you never really knew."
"As many pictures of it as you've seen," Coogler added, "there's nothing a camera can do for [you that] your eyes do, or being a person of African descent, what your body does when you touch down there. It's a feeling I couldn't put into words, but I tried to put it into the movie." That trip set the stage for the production design as the team zeroed in on the continent's unique topography. (Coogler also wrote parts of the script while in South Africa.) "It was important to make sure Wakanda didn't feel like it was a city," Coogler said. "Sometimes in the comics, you don't get the sense of how big or small Wakanda is. We wanted it to feel like a country." And reflecting what they saw on their trip, "Black Panther" showcases a pleasant mix of folks living more traditional, tribal lifestyles and those "people that are fully in the city life, but it's an African city life." Wakanda also took inspiration from a number of African landmarks, including South Africa's Three Rondavels (also known as the Three Sisters, a trio of geological peaks shaped like beehive huts) and Orbi Gorge, a canyon in southern KwaZulu-Natal.
Hannah Beachler, left, and Rachel Morrison are "Black Panther's" production designer and cinematographer, respectively. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)
Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther in Marvel's "Black Panther." (Film Frame / Marvel Studios)
"Ryan was like, we should put Rondavel tops on the skyscrapers and as soon as we did that, Golden City transformed," Beachler said. "And Orbi Gorge informed Warrior Falls and how the rock looks, the sediment, the color of the dirt, the way the mountains come together." Beachler, who also designed Beyoncé's "Lemonade" and last year's Oscar winner "Moonlight," credits Coogler's perspective for what Wakanda finally ends up looking like. "One of the most important things I learned from Ryan is sense of place, and that's because of his connection to the [Northern California] Bay," she said. "I had never met anyone who had such a profound connection to a place. That way of seeing things outside of what people normally see is why Ryan's films are the way they are." For all of his Coogler-isms, Morrison added, the writer-director is "incredibly technically savvy."
"He's one of those directors that took the time to study what the different focal lengths are and what they make you feel and what resonates with him," she said. "He's a real film aficionado and cinephile and speaks from a great base of knowledge in terms of cinematic references as well as camera movement and lensing." In the conversations about how to capture what Beachler was concocting on film Morrison — who made history this year as the first woman to be nominated for the cinematography Oscar for her work on "Mudbound" — said Coogler referenced a variety of inspirations including Ron Fricke's nonverbal "Baraka" and "Samsara," "The Godfather," "Sicario" and "The Dark Knight." They even looked at an episode of "Chef's Table." And when it came to realizing that vision, this time they had Marvel money. "Fruitvale Station" was made for under $1 million, while "Creed" had a $40-million budget. "Black Panther" has a reported $200-million price tag.
That glow-up gave Coogler and team the opportunity to create as many physical sets as they wanted, as opposed to sets created purely by visual effects — "It was great to have something that grounded everyone," Morrison said — and make use of as many camera tools as needed. "It's a much bigger machine, and what that means is you can do really cool camera moves, but it's also a slower beat," Morrison said, adding that "you can't just steal a shot. Half of 'Mudbound' were shots I stole in between other scenes.” Both Beachler and Morrison credit Coogler with standing by them and helping convince Marvel to give them a shot — despite never having worked on a film even close to the scale of "Black Panther." And while film history is littered with examples of this kind of massive undertaking compromising a
filmmaker's perspective and approach, Morrison said the "Black Panther" set was just like any other Coogler project. The result is a "big film with action sequences but it's made by the smaller moments and human interaction and letting the audience connect with our characters and letting the characters connect with each other," she said. Perhaps that's because of the central question that Coogler took with him throughout the entire writing and filming process, a question he says "made this movie the most personal that I've ever made.” "A big thing for me is the question of 'What does it mean to be African?'" he said, "As a result of this thing that you are and have no control over, you're gonna have to deal with certain situations in a certain way — and sometimes those situations can cost you your life. When I found myself asking that question, I hadn't even been to the place." Throughout this process, he found an answer.
Danai Gurira as Okoye, the head of the Dora Milaje, in "Black Panther." (Film Frame / Marvel Studios)
Letitia Wright plays Shuri, T'Challa's brilliant younger sister. (Matt Kennedy / Marvel Studios)
T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) faces his mother, Ramonda (Angela Bassett), in "Black Panther." (Film Frame / Marvel Studios)
"To be African is to be artistic," he said. "We wear our art on our clothes. We paint on the walls. We bang it out in our music. We use our voice. We wear it on our skin. When we find an African, you're gonna find flyness, by any means necessary, whether they use Mother Earth to create the paint on their faces or make their own clothes. "And that's why I needed someone like Hannah for these walls and how this city will look and get everything together," he said. "Because Hannah is an African, an African that was born in Ohio."
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SPRING / SUMMER 2018
MENSWEAR
We´re ready to present you with five trends you need to master this season. A (progressive) key trend that kept making appearances on the catwalks was the outdoor trend: lightweight windbreakers, cargo pants, and knitted sweaters, all crafted in embellishments and bold prints. From disciplined silhouettes at Neil Barrett to bold shades at Kenzo and Hermès – this is the season for all-out flaunt maneuvres.
Philipp Plein spring/summer 2018.
Philipp Plein spring/summer 2018.
Hello, yellow. The likes of Paul Smith, Dries Van Noten, and Berluti are all into yellow hues. A risky colour what sometimes doesn’t match anything else, but it can stave off boredom and therefore inject some sizzle in your summer ensemble.
Dries Van Noten Menswear Spring 2018. Indigital
Berluti Menswear Spring 2018. Indigital
Don’t buck the trend, but here’s a scoop six months ahead: high-waisted trousers will be it. Spotted at Rick Owens, Fendi, and Lanvin‘s wide range of functional pieces like technical windbreakers
Kenzo Menswear Spring 2018. Indigital
Rick Owens Menswear Spring 2018. Indigital
Stripes are on the rise. Versace went all the way, Damir Doma is doing it in sophisticated, knitwear – and Marni gave its classic trousers a rich touch by combining it with white shades. We say all or nothing.
Balmain Menswear Spring 2018. Indigital etc.
Marni Menswear Spring 2018. Indigital etc.
Versace Menswear Spring 2018. Indigital etc.
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