Investment starting to pay returns for women’s football in Oceania nations – Friends of Football

Efforts to help improve womens football in the Oceania region are bearing fruit, say football leaders.

FIFA Chief Womens Football Officer and former Samoa international Dame Sarai Bareman says the shining example was the 2023 FIFA Womens World Cup, co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

Its clear that the impact stretched far beyond the two hosts and into the wider Oceania region, she said.

FIFAs provision of a range of on and off-field development activities in recent years has helped fast-track growth, and led to more examples of progress at OFC Womens Olympic Qualifier tournament in Samoa.

From infrastructure upgrades notably at the hosts Football Federation Samoa Football Stadium to the provision of high-performance coaches, and financial packages supporting the national teams, the support has been broad and wide-ranging.

Main photo: Solomon Islands Ileen Pegi was one of the emerging players at the OFC Womens Olympic Qualifier Tournament in Samoa. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.

Dame Sarai said it was pleasing to see so many competitive matches and such a lift in the quality of football at the tournament.

Its a testament to the hard work that is being done by OFC and its member associations.

Major competitions play such a crucial role in the growth of womens football. Last year, we saw Papua New Guinea come so close to qualifying for the FIFA Womens World Cup.

The levelling of competition across the confederation reflects the commitment to improvement from both the world governing body and the respective member associations.

FIFA has delivered 77 programmes to Oceanian nations since first launching the Womens Development Programmes in the region.

Notably, FIFA launched a pilot programme to help Pacific national teams prepare for the OFC Womens Nation Cup 2022.

This turned into a fully-fledged programme that supported a range of identified nations to prepare for the 2023 FIFA Womens World Cup.

Samoa, for instance, is enjoying a significant period of growth.

In February 2024, experienced administrator Ronna Lee Galumalemana became the new CEO at Football Federation Samoa (FFS), one of the few women to lead a member association in the region.

FFS President Sam Petaia says FIFA has invested more than USD$5 million for infrastructure in the past few years. Such investment has allowed FFS to host several OFC tournaments over the coming year.

Apia Park will be the main FFS administrative headquarters, while the existing Tuanaimato facility will be developed into a high-performance centre.

As part of FIFA 3.0 the academy will be developed with a gym, training pitches and player accommodation, sports science and anti-doping being housed on the site.

FIFA, through their infrastructure assistance, have given us a platform, that our Federation can challenge rugby, Petaia said.

Its about giving opportunities to kids. [Football is] the most well-funded, and the most popular grassroots programme in the country. But when they transition from primary school to secondary school, that is when we tend to lose a lot of the football players to rugby.

We have systems in place that we will make sure we try to hold onto our players, so they know theres something for them when they leave primary school. So its about us building programmes we can sustain. In five to 10 years look out, that landscape can change.

FFS Technical Director Ravinesh Kumar said: I think the FIFA Womens World Cup had a great impact on the young people, young girls as well.

We had our holiday programmes in December and we could clearly see that there is a link, between the FIFA Womens World Cup brought to Oceania and the interest it creates in our local kids. And now the Olympic qualifiers have backed up that interest, in our girls especially.

We could see a lot of girls have come in to watch the Olympic qualifiers.

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Investment starting to pay returns for women's football in Oceania nations - Friends of Football

In space, no one can hear you scream … at the alien-infested space station you’re cleaning – Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Its the holidays, and theres no better time to gather around a console for some couch games.

But if youve been playing Overcooked, then you might know all too well that theres a fine line between laughing together and everyone questioning their friendships and relationships. Sure, the first few levels seem like an episode of The Three Stooges where everyone is laughing at the silly onscreen antics but things quickly morph into what seems like an elaborate heist movie, where precise timing and teamwork are needed to beat the harder levels.

Ive had friends who need to take a minute after having their dish accidentally slapped out of their hands by a dashing teammate, spoiling the entire level. Mercifully, no controllers have been thrown.

If youre not entirely burned by the experience and are still interested in couch cooperative games, then I would suggest taking a look at Out of Space, a 2020 release where, this time, you and a team of up to five friends are tasked with cleaning out a derelict space station. It still has the same goofy art style and welcoming approach of Overcooked, but it offers more manageable leaps in difficulty.

You and your friends will take on the role of astronaut roommates moving into a spaceship where the previous renters must have forfeited their deposit, failing to clean up an alien infestation. Youll work together, moving from room to room to clean up the goop and clear out the aliens with a broom, a refillable water bucket and a grinder to turn the trash into money.

In addition to clearing out rooms, youll need to manage your characters energy and food levels, which plays out with you building out the rooms as you move through the station. In rooms newly freed from the alien goop, youll be building simple bedrooms, kitchens and other utilities that will help you stay on your feet and equipped for the challenges.

It still requires teamwork and coordination with players, but the pace is friendlier. Beyond your hunger and sleepiness, theres no ticking time clock on the game, and you can clear rooms at your own pace.

In our playthroughs this holiday, wed work methodically through the ships by doublechecking everything for specks of infestation before moving onto the next room, us all gathered around the airlock with brooms, buckets, and a sink installed nearby. In it, theres a pleasant rhythm of housebuilding management and panicked action when an alien slipped past our defenses and laid eggs in the kitchen.

Those moments of panic when the alien infestation gets out of hand when an alien has slipped past or snuck in through an air vent are some of the best. If you let your guard down, it doesnt take much to get overwhelmed, but a bit of quick thinking and teamwork can usually stabilize the situation. You might have lost access to the bedroom, but you can work together to figure out a solution, even if its as basic as splashing water on your sleepy teammates.

In many ways, Out of Space is what I wanted Overcooked to be.

The slower pace and more manageable challenge means that you get to spend more time digging into the roleplaying elements of a management simulator. Instead of each level feeling like you were getting set in the blocks of a sprint, each new level of Out of Space feels like an opportunity to try something new and have fun with friends.

Theres still plenty of failure and frustration to be found in Out of Space you can definitely mess things up by opening a door before everyones ready, just ask me how but it seems like you always have a chance to dig yourself out of the tailspin and emerge a stronger team ... as long as you dont go opening the airlock too early.

Rating: Four of five stars

Platforms: PC (reviewed), MacOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4

Release Date: Feb. 26, 2020

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In space, no one can hear you scream ... at the alien-infested space station you're cleaning - Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

JN.1 is Canadas new dominant COVID-19 subvariant. Heres what to know – Global News

A new COVID-19 subvariant, known as JN.1, has emerged and is now the prevailing strain across Canada, prompting health experts to caution that it may be more infectious and could even have extra symptoms.

Currently, the subvariant makes up the highest proportion of all COVID-19 variants, accounting for more than half (51. 9 per cent) of all infections in Canada, according to the latest data from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

JN.1 was first detected in Canada on Oct. 9, and since then has rapidly increased.

If this virus continues to circulate at high levels, that means more virus, which means more mutations and more evolution, which means more of this same kind of issue happening repeatedly, warned Ryan Gregory, a professor of integrative biology at the University of Guelph, and evolutionary biologist.

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1:54 Low vaccine uptake fuels spike in respiratory illnesses: health officials

On Dec. 10, the JN.1 subvariant made up 26.6 per cent of all COVID-19 variants in Canada, but was not the dominant strain. At that time, HV.1 still made up 29 per cent of all subvariants, according to PHAC data. By Dec. 17, JN.1 made up the highest percentage (38.5 per cent) of all subvariants across Canada. Meanwhile, HV.1 fell to 24.4 per cent.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Dec. 19 added JN.1 to its list of variants of interest, its second-highest level of monitoring. Despite the categorization, the health organization said JN.1 poses a low additional public health risk.

Two days later, on Dec. 21, PHAC labelled it as a variant of interest in Canada.

As the subvariant continues to circulate, here is what we know so far about JN.1.

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The JN.1 subvariant is a sublineage of BA.2.86 that emerged in Europe in late August 2023. It is another Omicron variant, according to PHAC. Gregory explained that JN.1 is a grandchild of BA.2.86. The original BA.2.86 probably evolved within a single person with a long-term infection over a year, he added.

So, somebody was infected. The virus continued to replicate and change within their body and then it reentered the rest of the population, he said. Once it gets back into the main population, its now evolving at the level of among hosts.

This in turn created the more competitive and successful JN.1. It featured a single alteration in the spike protein, enhancing its ability to effectively bind to cells, according to Gregory.

6:14 Holiday health update: Navigating the flu, RSV and COVID

It has massively managed to compete with the existing things that were out there, which suggests that its either very good at transmitting, and escapes immunity that is otherwise conferred by prior infection or previous vaccination, he said. So in other words, its different enough that your immune system, having been trained on older variants, doesnt recognize it as well.

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He also believes JN.1 may be the starting point for subsequent evolutions, much like the XBB variant. The XBB variant, another sublineage of Omicron, started circulating the world in late 2022. In 2023, some of its descendents, such as XBB.1.5 and EG.5, became dominating COVID-19 infections.

It is currently not known whether JN.1 infections produce different symptoms from other variants, health experts say.

The typical symptoms of COVID-19 according to the government are:

Additionally, Gerald Evans, an infectious disease specialist at Queens University in Kingston, Ont., said he has heard more people report gastrointestinal (GI) issues, such as diarrhea.

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The one thing I have been hearing about, they have GI symptoms, and these are not new, these have been recorded since COVID came out, he said. But anecdotally, the number of people having GI symptoms seems to be slightly higher, but you have to be careful with that because its an observational bias. But it does strike me that its becoming a bit more of a theme in the last month.

Gregory agreed with this observation but added that it may still be too early to tell if this is a hallmark symptom of the JN.1 variant.

He added that it is difficult to determine which symptoms go with what variant, especially when so many are circulating and there is less testing for COVID-19.

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Due to JN.1s fast growth, experts like Gregory say its either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems. However, PHAC said in an email to Global News on Dec. 19, there is no evidence of increased severity associated with this variant.

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The WHO also stated last month that it is anticipated that this variant may cause an increase in COVID-19 cases amid a surge of infections of other viral and bacterial infections, especially in countries entering the winter season.

Since the spike protein is also the part that existing vaccines target, current vaccines should work against JN.1 and other lineages of BA.2.86, explained Evans. Preliminary evidence shows that protection by the XBB recombinant vaccine also guards against JN.1, he added. However, he cautioned, If it has been a year since your last vaccine or COVID infection, you may be more susceptible.

Personal protective measures are effective actions to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, PHAC stated. They include things like staying home when sick, properly wearing a well-fitted respirator or mask, improving indoor ventilation and practicing respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene.

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These measures are most effective when layered together, PHAC stated in an email.

Laboratory studies also suggest that the current therapeutic antiviral options, such as Paxlovid, available in Canada are expected to be effective against SARS-CoV-2 sub-lineages, PHAC added.

In some parts of the country, COVID-19 cases have been steadily increasing since the fall, yet the numbers appear to be stable now, according to Evans. However, while infection numbers remain stable, they are still very high and very steep, he warned, well beyond influenza, RSV and all the other viruses.

4:50 Kingston pharmacist urging residents to get vaccinated to avoid getting sick this winter season

He believes there may have been a holiday spike in COVID0-19 infections for several reasons, but most importantly noting that the uptake COVID-19 vaccine has been very poor.

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As of Dec. 8, PHAC reported that 14.6 per cent of eligible Canadians have received the updated vaccines targeting XBB.1.5.

The second reason, of course, is were in the middle of the respiratory virus season, Evans said. And although there are still a fair percentage of people who are being careful, there are a lot of people really have just gone back to what life was like before 2020. And. Thats, of course, a moment of opportunity for all these viruses to kind of take off.

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JN.1 is Canadas new dominant COVID-19 subvariant. Heres what to know - Global News

A new COVID variant is dominant in the US: Know these symptoms – Yahoo News

A heavily mutated, fast-spreading new COVID-19 variant called JN.1 is on the rise in the United States. Last month, JN.1 swept the country and quickly overtook other variants of the coronavirus to become the dominant strain nationwide.

The highly contagious omicron subvariant now accounts for over 60% of all infections in the U.S., and it's expected to continue driving an increasing number of cases as the country approaches peak respiratory virus season. In fact, data show and some experts say the country is currently in its second-largest COVID wave, smaller than only the omicron surge in late 2021 and early 2022.

JN.1 is also gaining speed in other parts of the world. On Dec. 18, the World Health Organization classified JN.1 as a variant of interest due to its rapidly increasing spread globally.

In the U.S., the share of cases caused by the JN.1 variant has nearly doubled in recent weeks. JN.1 is currently considered the fastest-growing variant in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

During a two-week period ending on Dec. 23, JN.1 accounted for about 44% of cases in the U.S., per the CDCs latest data. This was a steep increase from the previous two-week period ending on Dec. 9, when JN.1 made up 21% of cases.

After JN.1, the next most common strain in the U.S. right now is the HV.1 subvariant, which comprised about 22% of cases as of Dec. 23.

Scientists around the world have been closely monitoring JN.1, which has sparked some concern due to its rapid growth and large number of mutations. However, the new variant is closely related to a strain we've seen before: BA.2.86, aka "Pirola," which has been spreading in the U.S. since the summer.

JN.1 has one additional mutation compared to BA.2.86, which has more than 30 mutations that set it apart from the omicron XBB.1.5 variant. XBB.1.5 was the dominant strain for most of 2023 and it's the variant targeted in the updated COVID-19 vaccines, TODAY.com previously reported.

All of the COVID-19 variants that have gained dominance in the U.S. in the last year are descendants of omicron, which began circulating in late 2021. Since emerging, JN.1 has overtaken its parental strain BA.2.86, as well as HV.1, EG.5 or Eris and XBB.1.16, aka Arcturus.

JN.1's growth comes as COVID hospitalizations rise, influenza continues to spread and RSV activity remains high in many places, according to a Dec. 14 update from the CDC. The agency warned that at the end of the month, emergency rooms and hospitals could become strained, similarly to last year, especially in the South.

Will JN.1 cause a COVID-19 surge? Does JN.1 have different symptoms and is it still detected by COVID tests? Does it respond to vaccines and treatments? Here's what experts know about JN.1 so far.

JN.1 was first reported in August 2023 and it has spread to at least 41 countries so far, according to the WHO. It was first detected in the U.S. in September, the CDC said.

Just like the other newer variants, JN.1 is part of the omicron family.

"Think of (the variants) as children and grandchildren of omicron. They're part of the same extended family, but they each have their own distinctive personalities," Dr. William Schaffner, professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells TODAY.com.

JN.1 descended from BA.2.86, which is a sublineage of the omicron BA.2 variant, TODAY.com previously reported that's what sets JN.1 and BA.2.86 apart from the other prevailing variants like HV.1 and EG.5, which descended from omicron XBB.

When its parent BA.2.86 emerged, everybody was worried because it had a lot of mutations and looked like it was going to evade a lot of the immunity from vaccines and infection in the population, Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D., professor and vice chair in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, tells TODAY.com. But (BA.2.86) sort of fizzled out, he adds.

Laboratory data suggest that Pirola is less contagious and immune-evasive than scientists once feared, NBC News reported.

JN.1, however, picked up an additional mutation in its spike protein called L455S, says Pekosz. Spike proteins help the virus latch onto human cells and play a crucial role in helping SARS-CoV-2 infect people, per the CDC. This mutation may affect JN.1's immune escape properties, says Pekosz.

"Now it's circulating and growing at a really fast rate compared to other variants, as well as the parent its derived from (BA.2.86), says Pekosz.

In early November, JN.1 accounted for fewer than 1% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Several weeks later, it was driving over 20% of cases, Dr. Michael Phillips, chief epidemiologist at NYU Langone Health, tells TODAY.com. Now, it's the dominant strain in the U.S.

Its not known whether JN.1 causes different symptoms from other variants, according the CDC.

Right now, theres nothing that says that JN.1 infection is any different from previous COVID variants in terms of disease severity or symptoms, but were paying close attention, says Pekosz.

The symptoms of JN.1 appear to be similar to those caused by other strains, which include:

According to the CDC, the type and severity of symptoms a person experiences usually depends more on a persons underlying health and immunity rather than the variant which caused infection.

While severe infections do still occur, overall (COVID-19) is causing a lot of milder illness, says Schaffner.

Some doctors have reported that upper respiratory symptoms seem to follow a pattern of starting with a sore throat, followed by congestion and a cough, NBC News previously reported.

The virus is adapting. ... I think its getting better at infecting humans and evading pre-existing immunity in the population ... but its not changing symptomology too much, says Pekosz.

At this time, theres no evidence that JN.1 causes more severe infection, the experts note.

One of the things these (omicron variants) have in common is that they are highly contagious, and as new variants crop up, they seem to be as contagious or even more contagious than the previous variants, says Schaffner.

According to the CDC, the continued growth of JN.1 suggests that the variant is either more transmissible or better at evading our immune systems.

Its probably a little bit more transmissible than its parental virus because weve seen an increase in case numbers that we didnt with (BA.2.86), says Pekosz. However, it is too early to tell how exactly JN.1's transmissibility or immune escape properties compare to other variants, such as HV.1, the experts note.

Many of the newer strains, including JN.1, have another mutation that affects how strongly the spike protein binds to cells in the respiratory tract, says Pekosz. We know that its probably helping the virus become better at replicating and helping the virus evade more of that pre-existing immune response, he adds.

JN.1 does not pose an increased public health risk compared to other variants currently in circulation, the CDC and WHO said.

The genetic changes in JN.1 could give it an advantage over other variants, but its unclear how that will affect cases in the coming months. So far, there doesnt seem to be a massive increase in transmission. ... We would be concerned if there was a huge surge in cases, says Pekosz.

Right now, JN.1 is increasing in terms of the percentage of COVID-19 cases its causing, and theres also been a slight increase in total cases," says Pekosz.

Test positivity, an early indicator of case levels, is also on the rise, says Phillips the rate was 12.7% during the week ending on Dec. 23, up from about 12% the week prior, per the CDC. (The CDC no longer tracks the total number of cases in the U.S.).

Hospitalizations have also risen by 17% and ICU admissions by 16.4% in the last two weeks, according to an NBC News analysis.

"The good news is that as of yet we're not seeing severe disease or hospitalizations going up significantly, and ICU admissions are still very low, but we're going to watch these carefully," says Phillips.

COVID-19 activity was expected to rise around this time as the U.S. enters winter and respiratory virus season, the experts note. In recent years, the virus has followed a pattern of increasing and peaking around new year, according to the CDC.

"Right now, we do not know to what extent JN.1 may be contributing to these increases or possible increases through the rest of December," the CDC said. Only time will tell whether JN.1 or another variant will cause a surge in infections this winter.

All COVID-19 diagnostic tests including rapid antigen tests and PCR tests are expected to be effective at detecting JN.1, as well as other variants, according to the CDC.

Testing is an important tool to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, especially ahead of indoor gatherings, says Schaffner.

The symptoms of COVID-19 are often indistinguishable from those caused by other viruses spreading right now, the experts note. These include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), influenza and rhinovirus, which causes the common cold.

The experts urge anyone who becomes ill or is exposed to COVID-19 to take a test, especially people at higher risk of severe disease, such as people over the age of 65, who are immunocompromised and who have underlying health conditions.

Every American can order four free at-home COVID-19 tests from the government, which will be delivered by mail via the U.S. Postal Service. To order your free tests, go to COVIDTests.gov.

"Get tested because, whether it's COVID or flu, we have treatment available," says Schaffner. Current treatments are also expected to be effective against JN.1, the CDC said.

"JN.1 should be just as sensitive to the antivirals available as any other variants," says Pekosz, adding that antivirals like Paxlovid are most effective when taken within the first few days after infection.

The new, updated COVID-19 vaccines, recommended for everyone 6 months and older, are expected to increase protection against JN.1, as well as other variants, the CDC said.

Although the shots target omicron XBB.1.5, which has since been overtaken by HV.1, JN.1, EG.5 and others, there is still evidence that it will protect against new strains circulating this winter, TODAY.com previously reported.

Data from laboratory studies show that the vaccine appears to generate a strong immune response against JN.1's parent strain, BA.2.86, Schaffner notes.

The new vaccines also protect against severe disease, hospitalization and death, the experts emphasize. So even if you get COVID-19 after vaccination, the infection will likely be milder and it can keep you out of the hospital, Phillips adds.

However, uptake of the updated booster among the U.S. population has been low so far, the experts say. As of Dec. 22, only about 18% of adults and 7% of children have gotten the updated vaccine, according to the latest CDC data on vaccination trends.

On Dec. 14, CDC officials issued an alert to warn about low vaccination rates against COVID-19, flu and RSV in the U.S.

Now is the best time to get vaccinated if you haven't already, the experts say. "The sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner you'll be protected and it does take seven to 10 days for protection to build up to the maximum," says Schaffner.

Phillips recommends everyone, especially high-risk individuals, to get the seasonal influenza shot, as well. Hospitalizations for flu increased 200% over the past month, according to the CDC's Dec. 14 warning.

"Getting vaccinated is the best present you can give yourself and your family this holiday season," Schaffner adds.

Every day, but especially during respiratory virus season, people can take steps to protect themselves and others from COVID-19.

The experts encourage everyone to:

Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines.

Test if you have symptoms.

Isolate if you have COVID-19.

Avoid contact with sick people.

Improve ventilation.

Wear a mask in crowded, indoor spaces.

Wash your hands with soap and water.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com

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A new COVID variant is dominant in the US: Know these symptoms - Yahoo News

The Las Vegas Sphere ‘Unwrapped’ Itself to Reveal a Holiday Message – Yahoo Life

Since debuting over the summer with an Independence-themed display, the Sphere in Las Vegas has both enthralled and terrified visitors with the various animations featured on its580,000 square foot LED exterior. And with Christmas on Monday, the venue naturally broke out what is sure to be the first of many annual holiday messages for onlookers.

"Wrapping up the year with friends and family," the official Sphere account posted to social media on Dec. 25, along with a short video. In the clip, the venue appears to be covered in festive red and white gift wrap tied with a matching red bow. As the bow comes undone and the wrap peels away, several more layers of wrapping paper are revealed before it finally gets to the holiday tidings.

"Happy holidays from all of us at the Sphere," the message proclaimed on a blue background with exploding fireworks.

However, as others pointed out, the real show will undoubtedly take place on New Year's Eve, with what will be sure to rival the big ball drop in New York City. "This is gonna be better than the ball at Times Square on New Year's Eve," wrote one user. Another added: "I cant wait for the first New Year's countdown with the Sphere."

It's unclear what the Madison Square Garden-owned building has in store to ring in 2024, but it seems unlikely to disappoint. Though the project reported initial losses, it has since been revealed that the Sphere has made a whopping $75 million through Nov. 30, thanks to its first two inaugural shows, U2's UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency and the Darren Aronofsky original film Postcards From Earth, which was designed and shot specially for the venue.

It's still a far cry from recouping its $2.3 billion construction costs, but with new acts and events being regularly announced, it's likely only a matter of time.

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The Las Vegas Sphere 'Unwrapped' Itself to Reveal a Holiday Message - Yahoo Life